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Setting the scene:

A sunny day at the beach, my umbrella angled just so, a cool drink in one hand (frozen margarita, please… thank you), the newest book from Sarah Maclean/Aubrey Wynne/Miranda Neville/Cathy Maxwell in the other.

-OR-

A cool, rainy evening, the fire is lit, my comfy chair is pulled up close, a cup of rich hot chocolate laced with a little espresso is in one hand, the newest book from Debra Dunbar/J.P. Sloan/April White/Darynda Jones in the other.

I am a happy woman.

The story:

Give me a book, something lovely to glance at every now, something soothing and yummy to sip at, maybe a nibble, and I can stay there for hours—or, at least, until the book is done and I have to go searching for another. That is heaven.

There’s nothing nicer than curling up with a good book. We all know this. We’re book people.

But do you know that I’m nearly as content when I’m sitting at my computer either in my office, in the park, or in a coffee shop tapping away at my computer spinning my own tale? It’s true.

I love getting lost in a world. Sometimes it’s fantastic to get lost in the world of someone else’s imagination, sometimes it’s wonderful to get lost in my own. And there is nothing so satisfying as hearing those voices, feeling those feelings and writing it all down into a scene that, when added to other such scenes, will build a story for someone else to enjoy on their beach or in front of their fireplace, sitting on a train, catching a few rays of sunshine on a lunch break, nibbling at dinner—wherever or whenever you read.

Sometimes the hardest question is what to read. For me, that depends on my mood. If it’s a cold, rainy night I’ll definitely want something paranormal, with a twist of the magical or slightly creepy. If I’m bathing in sunlight I’ll want something light and historical. A cloudy day might bring on the desire for a good mystery. But for me the best is a mix of genres: a Regency-set paranormal, a Victorian mystery, a medieval-contemporary time-travel.

I love mixing things up, finding something unexpected, traveling somewhere or some time I’ve never gone before.

Of course, something simple and straight forward like a cozy mystery or a traditional Regency can be very comforting. My favorite comfort read at the moment are Jennifer Crusie’s contemporary romances because they’re funny and have a touch of mystery added.

Yes, now that I think about it, I don’t think I can read a book that has a romance and nothing else. It’s got to have a twist of something — historical details, mystery, a paranormal element, something. A book that is the story of two people meeting and falling in love is kind of… boring. I need more.

So, what about you? Do you like a blend of genres or do you prefer your books to be one genre and nothing else? Which author is your favorite comfort read? Comment below and you’ll be entered to win a copy of my newest book Falling, a contemporary paranormal with a past-life story (not quite time-travel, but very close).