Sunday, June 27, 2010

Ahhhhh - the fun!


So, I've posted recently about the success I've had spreading the love of romance amongst my coworkers. I'm happy to report that they are really starting to get addicted now!! In previous reports, one of my coworkers Wendy (we shall call her Wendy) was reading Sugar Daddy by Lisa Klepyas and hoping for a certain pair to end up together - and I was a tad concerned as I knew they didn't. Well, Wendy ended up being fine with that, as have most who have read the book seem to feel. So then she moved on to Blue Eyed Devil. She reported in with me on her progress and how much she was loving it. On Wednesday, she asked me if I could bring in Smooth Talking Stranger as she was just about done BED.

Well, unfortunately, I forgot it on Thursday. Last week I was on the dreaded 12:00 to 8:00 shift and since it's out of my normal routine, it totally slipped my mind until she showed up at my desk looking for it. Friday morning, the phone rang around 10 and it was another coworker Deborah (we shall call her Deborah). Now I don't know what it is - but when I get a call at home from work, I always figure I'm in DEEP SHIT and someone is calling to warn me for when I get in. So I was a tad light headed and starting to sweat when I recognized her voice. But that wasn't why she was calling at all. No indeed! Wendy had asked her to call since Wendy didn't have my phone number, to remind me to bring in Smooth Talking Stranger!! And since I was going to bring in a book for Wendy, and Deborah was off on vacation this coming week, could I bring a few in for her too!

MY COWORKERS ARE CALLING ME AT HOME TO BRING IN ROMANCE BOOKS! Is that cool or what!??!?!?! And it's a good thing that she did call since it had slipped my mind again! So before leaving for work on Friday, I loaded up a bag with books. When I got there, Wendy was on lunch (since I started at lunchtime that wasn't a surprise) But as soon as she got back she came over looking for it. I very happily handed it to her and she hugged it. Since it was a weekend coming up and she's a fast reader, I also brought in a couple of other books for her:

Barbara Samuel's No Place Like Home - since she enjoyed In the Midnight Rain
Julie James' Something About You - since No Place Like Home is such an emotional, makes you cry book, I thought she might need something light that would make her laugh after.

AND - I didn't get Sugar Daddy and Blue Eyed Devil back because Wendy loved them so much she said that another coworker, Tanya (we shall call her Tanya) really needed to read them too. Tanya started reading Sugar Daddy Thursday night and was really enjoying it. So now she also has BED for when she's done.

And I also brought in books for Deborah. She loved To Die For by Linda Howard and already has Drop Dead Gorgeous to read. She is also the one reading the In Death and Stephanie Plum books. I also gave her Open Season and Rachel Gibson's True Confessions. There were two others but darn it all, I can't remember what they were now.

And then there is Joan who has read all the Stephanie Plum books and is now making her way through the In Death books.

After all these years of collecting books, this is such fun lending them out - as long as I get them back again though ;-)

17 comments:

Carolyn said...

This calls for another spreadsheet, Kristy. :-D

Seriously, it's so uplifting when you can turn people on to books you love. More power to you and carry on!

Mary G said...

Hi Kristie
Usually I'm the one reccing books like you. An author in my chat group suggested I read Lisa Kleypas' Sugar Daddy, BED & STS. I don't like first person POV but I decided to start with just SD. OMG I was hooked immediately & mad at myself for not getting all 3 at once LOL. I'm just finishing the last one - sigh. Is is stupid to ask if I'll like her historicals too?

Kristie (J) said...

Mary - her style in historicals is completely different - first off it's not first person. But she's an exceptionally talented writer and my ultimate goal is to get Wendy to try some of her historicals. I think you will love her historicals - even if you aren't really a historical reader. My personal favourite is Dreaming of You, but her newest series - the Hathaways - is Very Good too! I say a hearty try one out and see what you think.
And aren't these three books fabulous???

Carolyn: *g* good idea! I should start keeping track of the books out for loan. I think I have quite a few at the moment. And it's such fun sharing the love of romance books with those open to trying them.

azteclady said...

You are one brave woman--I never lend my books.

Nuh-huh, no way, no how.

I have had enough BAD book lending experiences. These days, if and when I'm really desperate for someone to read a particular book, I scour the local UBS (for months if necessary) and give the person his/her own copy.

And this way, it's fine if they don't want to read it--they can always trade it in for something they want to read. Win-win, see?

Mary G said...

They were fab Kristie. Beyond the great stories & hot romances, she had these little wisdoms all through the books that I now wish I'd marked with stickies.
I'm sure I'll love her hist. too.

Vi Dao said...

You are such a lovely ambassador for romance books!

orannia said...

Kristie - I'm in awe! Keep spreading the joy ;)

Lusty Reader said...

just reading about your experience makes me want to hug a book, or a book lender! your enthusiasm is tangible, and obvioulsy contagious.

BUT ive actually been reading these posts with increasing anxiety and dread. you loan your books out so FREELY, i get all OCD about lending too many out at a time! i worry way too much about when ill get them back.

Lori said...

Now I'm going to have to try Kleypas. Another on the TBR pile.

mslizalou said...

Woohoo on sharing the love of romance! Wish my co-workers would give romance books a try. However, I have passed on some romantic suspense books to several of my friends.

Kwana said...

You are the romance goodwill ambassador!

Kristie (J) said...

Kwana: I try *g* After years of hiding my reading habits, it's so freeing to not only be open about them, but to be able to share them - AND - have people love them too.

Liza: I think part of it is getting to know who will like what. One of my coworkers has become a real Ranger fan after reading the Stephanie Plum books - so I though if she's a Ranger fan - than she's sure to be a Roarke fan - and sure enough she is! I have to remember to bring in the next In Death book to work tomorrow!

Lori: She is great!! I've been reading her historical for years and I'll admit to a bit of hesitation when I first found out she was writing a first person contemporary - but she REALLY pulled it off.

Lusty Reader: *laughing* I've had some anxious moments I'll confess, but so far they've all come back in as good condition as when they left their home here in the burbs. And I do know where these people work ;-)

Orannia: My real challenge is to try and get Brent to give one a try while he's living here. So far it's a no go - but I can be persuasive when I want to be. It's a matter of finding just the right one. I don't think I'll want him reading any of the erotic ones - but maybe a Stephanie Plum book might work.

Vi: *g* Thanks! It's because I love them and the people who write them so much. Romance writers have just as much if not more writing talent than many a non-romance author. And the people I work with are beginning to see that too!!

Mary: Oh do let me know which one you start with. May I suggest Dreaming of You *g*. Many people may remember my last 'efforts' to get people to read that one.

AL: As I said to Lusty Reader, I've had a few qualms, but I know where they work. And Wendy's reaction when I brought in Smooth Talking Stranger was just so worth a few qualms.

Mary G said...

Hey you haven't steered me wrong yet LOL. I'll start with Dreaming Of You for sure.

nath said...

Yay Kristie!

See, the problem is because we live so far away from each other. Otherwise, we'd be building our own lending library!! :D

Glad you found people who are enjoying romance!! I'm finding people at my work too! :D

And Carolyn is right! You need another spreadsheet to keep track of it :D

ReneeW said...

Oh, Kristie, I had to LOL when I read this. You are SO cool. What a great idea. I think SD is a wonderful book for non-romance readers to get their feet wet with and I have a friend in mind who just might like it. You have an incredible library (i've seen the pictures) and it's so nice of you to share. I have to agree - you are going to need a "KristieJ library checkout" spreadsheet.

Tabitha said...

So awesomely generous of you to lend out so many books at a time to so many coworkers. I would need to start a tracking spreadsheet immediately so I know who read what and who still has what out. LOL.

I don't mind lending out my books if I get them in same or similar condition as when I lent them out. Instead, I get my books returned to me so beat up that I wonder how they're being used for reading...SIGH. I grumble but I do also share my books with 1 or 2 coworkers. Although the responses I get back are not overwhelming or obvious pleasure. My coworkers are not as jubilant as yours even when they were awesome reads. Lol.

Anonymous said...

I have the biggest smile on my face after reading that. I have never been able to turn anyone on to reading anything rom*ish, sadly. I must be a very bad ambassador :( Janet W