Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Today's Special - - Eloisa James


We are so excited to host NY Times bestselling author Eloisa James today.  One of our favorite historical romance authors as well as one of our favorite people, Eloisa is here today to talk about her wonderful new book, Paris in Love.  A series of brief vignettes interspersed with essays, Paris in Love chronicles the year Eloisa, her husband and their two children ran away from home to live in Paris.  Andrea loved it (read her review here), Buffie loved it and I loved it.  Haven't read it yet?  What are you waiting for?


Welcome, Eloisa!




Yesterday I played hooky. 

It was a weekday, which means that Professor Bly is supposed to be in Professor Bly’s office at Fordham University—and if not there, at home in Eloisa James’s office.  I had papers to grade, a 200 page dissertation to read, three blogs to write (including this one), an essay overdue to a national newspaper, a column upcoming for the B&N Review, and the sequel to Lady Most Likely waiting to be rewritten.

So what did I do?  I had a manicure and a pedicure, splurging on fancy polish that was baked on my nails. Then I bought an ice cream cone and ate it while wandering down Broadway.  After a while, I drifted home, went to bed, and napped for two hours.  Finally, since my family was out all evening, I ordered take-out and watched three episodes of Top Chef Desserts in a row. I even shed a tear for a chef who sobbed as she packed her knives.  It was bliss.

This week I’ve been talking to reporters about Paris in Love.  They want to know what restaurant I liked best, what museum shouldn’t be missed, and what single item of clothing every Parisian woman owns.  Here’s the one question I think they should ask: What did you learn

Paris in Love is the story of the year we ran away from home. The year we sold our house and cars, rented an apartment on the Internet, uprooted the kids, and just took off.  What did I learn?  I learned that the world doesn’t stop turning if you take a day off.  And that wasted time is often the happiest time of all.

So tell me your version of wasting time—and most importantly, how long has it been since you did it?

One randomly chosen person leaving a comment on today's blog will win a Parisian basket of goodies and a signed copy of Eloisa's RITA nominated book, When Beauty Tamed the Beast.


Eloisa's website
Eloisa's Facebook page
Connect with Eloisa at Twitter

91 comments:

  1. Congrats on the new release, Eloisa. I do love naps. I like to waste time by lounging on the couch and catching my favorite comedies like The Hangover and 40 Year Old Virgin. I got to do this last weekend.

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    1. Jane, I'm with you. I love a good nap and I take them everywhere. On the couch, in the bed, on the back porch, in the hammock, on a rickety school bus with my head banging on the window. (but that's another story) ;-)

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    2. I love 40 Year Old Virgin too! My friend Teresa Medieros just took off an afternoon and went to see Titanic in 3D. Movies are a great escape.

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  2. Congrats Eloisa on your new release. Every once in awhile I'll turn off the phones, cancel appointments and just want to veg out and do whatever I want. It's usually just grabbing my favorite book and tuning out all day. Just a "for me' day. And the great thing is the world doesn't end. Haven't done so in awhile so I guess I'm due. :)
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (do) com

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    1. Doesn't it feel wonderful to tune out the world and tune in to a great book? Haven't done that in awhile. I think I'm past due!

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    2. Wait! What is this phenomenon called "tune out the world and read a good book" and how can I do it?! ;-)

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  3. Congrats on your new book! I enjoy wasting time. For me its spending time on the computer, watching TV, taking a nap, lately I have been taking short naps in the afternoon, for some reason. I use to never take a nap, maybe I am just getting old. I don't think reading is wasting time though.

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    1. Another vote for naps! Funny how we all fought so strenuously against them when we were children and now we consider them a special treat. :)

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  4. Between work and family activities, I have very little time to waste. For me watching TV is a waste of time. I also waste time due to my slow dial- up competer connection. Hopefully soon, cable will come to my Wisconsin home.

    I'd love to read WHEN BEAUTY TAMED THE BEAST. Plus Parisian goodies OH La La!! Since I'm probably never going to get to Paris, it's fun seeing it through your eyes!

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    1. Laurie, here's hoping you get cable soon!

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    2. Never say never, Laurie! Who knows what might happen? Meanwhile, good luck with the Parisian goodies!

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  5. Congratulations on the release of PIL...can't wait to get my copy and settle down to read it!

    I'm retired, so everyday is Sunday at my house. And since I'm single, I don't have to jump to other people's demands! Therefore, I am a firm believer of 'Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow'. That means, read today (or marathon watching of Buffy) and think about housecleaning tomorrow! HAHA...funny how when tomorrow arrives, it's another goof-off day!

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    1. Karen, it's such a wonderful book! I read a review of Paris in Love the other day where the reviewer compared the book to a series of postcards written to a friend back home. That's exactly how I felt while I was reading it!

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    2. Retirement sounds like bliss to me (I'm writing this from my office, where yet another student has forgotten to come to her appointment). I do hope you love Paris in Love, Karen!

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  6. Congratulations on your release. I look forward to reading it. I like to sit on my patio and read a good book although I don't get to do it as often as i like.

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    1. I love to do that too. Hoping for a pretty day tomorrow. I'm off work and have a book that's been begging to be "taken to the deck." :)

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  7. Congrats on the new release eloisa :). I used to waste my time by traveling around china and stay at Beijing few years ago :). Love those moments , because those
    Moments give me time to find what I want and be at peace with myself :), arethazhenATrocketmailDOtcom

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    1. "Moments give me time to find what I want and be at peace with myself"

      There is nothing more precious than that.

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  8. well my idea of wasting time is to set around doing what i love which is reading or watching my favorite show with out my family needing me for anything which is why i dont get to do it as much as i would like they always seem to need something and the children are all teenagers and the husband should be able to take of things him self

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    1. Nobody gets it done like mom, right? I think all moms should have one "me" day per month where they get to do whatever they want with no family interruptions. You earn it!

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  9. I've read a ton of your books and I love every one of them so I can't wait to read this new one!!! Congrats on a great release!

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    1. Even though this is a departure from Eloisa's historical romance books, her charm and wit still shine through. I loved it! Hope you do too!

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    2. Thank you, Brittany! I hope you love Paris in Love just as much as the others. As PJ says, this isn't a historical romance--but there is a little romance inside. And the end of it is more romantic than anything I've put in my books!

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  10. Procrastination is my middle name! Okay, so it isn't really but it should be! If I spent as much time *doing* as I do procrastinating, I'd be amazingly productive.

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  11. Your "wasted" day sounds lovely, EJ. As much of the world knows by now, I loved Paris in Love and highly recommend it.

    I'm a world class procrastinator, but I usually procrastinate by doing something--reading, playing on the Internet, chatting on the phone. The timewasting I cherish most is the just-being time when I take an hour or so to sit in the garden and literally smell the flowers and listen to the birds' songs or when I sit beside the river bank watching the water and thinking long, long thoughts.

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    1. I think your wasted days sound lovely, Janga. Makes me want to join you alongside the river.

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    2. Janga, you have been leaving the sweetest reviews of Paris in Love -- I can't thank you enough. Every time I see your name my heart lifts. big hug, E

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  12. Hi Eloisa! :)

    I finished reading Paris in Love last night and it was fantastic! :) It totally made me want to go off on a Parisian adventure of my own!

    One of my favorite ways to "waste time" is definitely curling up on the couch of getting comfy in bed and reading a good book, even when there's laundry to do, or dishes to be washed.

    I have also developed a perhaps unhealthy addiction to Twitter. I love it, and am having way too much fun with it, even though I know I could/should be doing so many other things. I just love seeing tweets come in to find out what all my friends are up to and to join in on the conversations/fun!

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    1. Twitter is addictive, isn't it? I have to force myself to step away! lol!

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    2. Hi Lisa -- Thank YOU! I'm so glad that you enjoyed Paris in Love so much. You have me smiling madly in my office (professors are not supposed to grin at their computer screens). I like Twitter a lot too. Especially following odd people, like chefs.

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  13. Congrats on the new release. It sounds like a great read. Its on my "To Buy" list!

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    1. Hope you enjoy it, Betty. Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. Hi Betty! I hope you love Paris, when you get a chance to read it. Thanks for dropping in!

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  14. This is great!! I love Eloisa's work :) I didn't have a chance to read Paris in Love yet, it is on my list to do. Okay my idea of wasting a day every once and awhile my parents ask if they can take my kids some where for the day it may be the mall, chucky cheese, play ground... just some where they are 4 and 1 so its a nice break for me. My mom always says it so I can catch up on my cleaning...... Little does she know I use this time to take a nap, make myself a lunch which normally contains a lot of bad things (Kids won't eat their healthy lunch if I'm not eating healthy too) Once I even had myself a old movie marathon because Labyrinth with David Bowe is still good as an adult ;) I agree with Eloisa 'wasted time is often the happiest time of all.' It has been at least a month since I had one of these days though! Maybe I should call my mom and see what she is doing today hehe

    brandon_savannah@yahoo.com

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    1. Yay for your mom! She's gets special time with the grandchildren and you get much needed "me" time. Sounds like a win-win to me! :)

      What's really nice about PARIS IN LOVE is that it's written in the perfect format for small reading bites, making it a great book for those of us with busy lifestyles.

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    2. I agree with PJ -- what a terrific mom! You're reminding me that I haven't seen Labryinth in a while and I bet my daughter would love to drop onto a couch and watch it again with me. I hope you really enjoy Paris, when you get a chance to pick it up!

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  15. Hi Eloisa! Congrats on the release of PARIS IN LOVE. As I said in the intro, we Dishes all loved it!

    I have time wasting down to a fine art but I don't get to indulge as often as I'd like now that I've gone back to work. Favorite time waster (though I don't consider it a waste) is reading. Love getting lost in a new book!

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  16. My big time waster is window shopping! Not going to buy, just to walk around and look. Maybe look at things that I would never think of buying in a million years or something that I could never afford. The one thing that the three men in my life do not want to do is shopping, so that is about the only me time I ever get. My husband once asked me why it takes me 2 hours to go grocery shopping, I just smiled and told him, its MY time and so before I ever put a thing in my cart I walk around the store first and just look. Once I've had my fill then I'm off getting the things I need to buy.

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    1. Oh, Rhi, that sounds lovely! It's been years since I took a day to window shop. I've just realized how much I miss it!

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  17. Congratultions and best wishes. Paris in Love is a delight. Everyone needs time off and a real indulgence whether it is pampering at a spa or travel. I would read, relax and sip tea in the backyard.

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    1. Eloisa, and all of you, have convinced me to take some time off today. I just called and booked a pedicure for this afternoon, after I finish my volunteer shift at the hospital. I think I'll take along a book to savor while my feet are being pampered. Bliss!

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    2. That sounds wonderful -- if only I had a backyard (I live in New York City). But Central Park counts, right? I'm so glad you enjoyed Paris in Love!

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  18. Congrats on your new release! I read bits of your move to Paris on yor FB page and really looking forward to reading the entire book!

    For me, my favorite way to waste time on computer! :)

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    1. I think the computer has become a favorite time "waster" for many of us, May and, on behalf of the Dishes, we appreciate all of you who choose to "waste" part of your day with us! :)

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    2. Dear May -- believe me, I waste sooo much time on the computer! I hope you love Paris -- all best, E

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  19. Paris in Love is a book to be cherished. In life, which is short we should take time out to allow enjoyment and fun. Mine would be to walk, browse and stroll through markets in little charming towns.

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    1. "Mine would be to walk, browse and stroll through markets in little charming towns."

      Want a walking companion? That sounds idyllic! Btw, I know a charming little town in Italy where we could begin! :)

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    2. I'm sitting in the office at the end of a long day -- and I still have another meeting at 6 (cruel & unusual punishment!) -- oh, this sounds so wonderful. Just one charming town would be great. (She said, looking out at a landscape of NYC construction.) I'm so glad you enjoyed Paris in Love!

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  20. One of my favorite time wasters is looking up thngs on the internet. For example, Hubby will be watching the History channel while I'm in the room, with my laptop open. I'll hear something interesting from his show and think, Hmmmmm...and start researching tangents of information.

    Congrats to Eloisa on her new release.

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    1. I'd say that's a very efficient and educational time "waster." I have a feeling you've discovered some very cool stuff!

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  21. I hope you love Paris in Love, Annie! And yes, procrastination is an art... I share that talent.

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  22. I'm with Annie. In fact, I may be her virtual doppelganger. But probably my least justifiable time waster has been playing RP games. When my son was growing up, I would grade papers and supervise his game playing. It gave me talking points with him and his friends, but now I have no excuse other than they are goal-oriented and I'm goal-driven. I just need to set goals to improve my writing. I haven't yet read your newest release, but I really enjoyed your posts from Paris. They made me feel like I was breathing the same air and seeing the same scene for those snippets.

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    1. What a nice thing to say, Debbie -thanks! I hope reading the whole book puts you there with all your senses.

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  23. *waving* Hi, Eloisa! Congrats on the success of Paris in Love! I absolutely adored it. *g*

    I love this blog and I'm also jealous! I sometimes dream of playing hooky, but alas, I think my husband and kids would notice. ;-)

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    1. Andrea, I like to think of M&M as our playing hooky time!

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    2. You are absolutely right, PJ! And I can't wait to do it again soon. ;-)

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    3. HI Andrea! I'm so glad you adored Paris -- huzzah!

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  24. Congratulations on the new book. I've never just uprooted my life and taken off as you did. The only thing I do that is somewhat a waste of time is surf the internet.

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  25. I just received my ARC copy of Paris in Love that I won through The Lucky Ducks Club. I'd wondered what prompted you to move to Paris and now I know because of I started reading the book! Last weekend, I did nothing. well, not nothing, I read some books, slept in, watched mindless TV and basically just had me time. I think you have to do that once in a while.
    Twelve years ago, I was diagnosed with a tumor in my womb that turned out not to be cancerous, but it would be a few months after that diagnosis until I knew for sure. What that prompted me to do was look at my life and take note that I wasn't really doing what I wanted to do. So I changed that. But life doesn't stop because you want to do stuff! Life keeps going is a lesson I've learned - whether you're suffering depression, going through a divorce, or fighting cancer - and if you have goals you're the only one who can make them come true. But some times you just need to stop and do something for yourself because you're the only one who can put you first too.

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    1. And I say this as a single mom of four kids now, LOL so if I don't find me time, I won't get it!
      Congrats on the book, Eloisa! I can't wait to read all of it :)

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    2. Dear Kellie, I'm so glad that tumor turned out to be just a scare. And it's wonderful that you took the experience and made it into a life-changing event. I love your take on it! big hug, Eloisa

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  26. Hey Eloisa!! So happy to have you with us again. As PJ stated in her intro, I absolutely LOVED Paris in Love. Since I have two boys, my favorite parts tended to be with you and Luca -- mother and son. So many touching moments, and yet the teen humor is still there too.

    With so many balls in the air, I rarely have large amounts of time that I can just do nothing. But I do take about 30 minutes every day ... when I get home from work no one is there and I have about 30 minutes before I have to pick up the kids at school. I usually kick my shoes off as soon as I get inside, pick out some kind of snack (today it is the ooey gooey bars I made last night - YUM!) and watch my soap opera (The Young and The Restless). That 30 minutes helps me prepare for my second job of the day -- mom and wife :-)

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    1. Hi Buffie!! Ah, Luca. Well, you'll see that he was rather elusive in the book. That's because he vetted every single entry I was allowed to write about him, and didn't approve all that many. But he's such a sweetheart (though he would hate me saying this in a public forum)--I think it shows.

      And there's nothing like the familiarity of a favorite show for relaxation!!

      hugs, Eloisa

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    2. Too bad he didn't approve more pieces. There was one part where you talk about struggles with school and how you wondered if moving was the right decision. I literally cried while reading that passage as I remembered an agonizing decision my husband and I made in regards to out boys'
      schools.

      There were also many passages that had me laughing. And the part about French undergarments had me thoroughly examining the contents of my dresser drawers LOL!

      Looking forward to seeing you next weekend.

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  27. I am not currently working so I watch Y&R too and waste a lot of time on the internet, and checking out all the new books. But I enjoy it all. So maybe it is not a waste of time. LOL. Thanks for the great giveaway.

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    1. Yay!!! Another Y&R fan!!! Are you just sick of Victor and his schemes? He is driving me crazy.

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  28. I am an older lady, so I try not to waste any time; I want to make it all count.

    Sounds like a good book and I would to get me some of those Parisian goodies whatever they may be. LOL.

    Gmapeony
    gmapeony@yahoo.com

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  29. alas I can be very good at wasting time ;) one of my fave ways is to curl up with a good book and "disappear" for a while, though sometimes it's just goofing around on the computer (surfing or playing some time addictive game).

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    1. Whenever I start surfing the web I always find myself on Pinterest. Love that site!

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  30. Reading, taking long baths and playing on facebook when I should be cleaning the house our my favorite time wasters! Thanks for sharing with us! Eloisa James is my favorite author!!!!!

    evjochum[AT]aol[DOT]com

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    1. That's an awfully nice thing to say, Johanna -- thanks!!

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  31. Thanks for the fantastic post and giveaway!

    Ummm... my idea of loafing around includes reading in my fav recliner with a cup of coffee and my puppy snuggled in my lap :) It's been since last weekend that I was able to do that and won't be until this upcoming weekend that I can do it again :)

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    1. Oooohhh, I love recliners. They are so comfy.

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  32. Wasting time for me is playing on the Facebook games, I have almost quit that though. I never count reading as wasting time although there are many times I am reading instead of doing what I should be doing, like cleaning the house or mowing the yard.

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    1. I used to play a lot of FB games. Now I just play Words with Friends on my phone.

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  33. Watching television is one of my favorite time wasters.

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    1. Me too! Especially if it is reality tv :-)

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  34. Hi Eloisa, I truly enjoyed reading "Paris in Love" as much as I enjoy reading your Historical Romances. And I am not a huge fan of memoirs!
    You already know that I joined Facebook only after I heard that you were posting from Paris. At the time very few of us knew why you and your lovely family decided to spend a year in Paris; we were just happy to be invited along on the adventure.
    In retrospect, and now knowing more of the facts, we see it as the brilliant decision that it is. It's "Carpe Diem" in its finest form; seizing the day when you are not sure what tomorrow and all the days after will bring.
    I loved reliving and remembering all those posts from that year. More importantly, the essays that you intersperse throughout the book are life lessons that expand on your theme of living each day to the fullest. That said, I'm so happy to see that you also allow for playing hooky into this philosophy as well. We all need time just for ourselves: rest, relaxation and rejuvination allows us to better enjoy the everyday miracles of living.
    Finally, my biggest, lifelong time waster has always been reading. I do not think of it as wasted time in the true sense, but over the last few years I have learned, like you in a way, that life is too short to read sad books. I am done with Oprah Books, Dysfunctional family stories, and books that are just plain bad.
    I thank you for helping me keep to that decision, and not just finish a book I don't like just because I started them.
    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights.

    Flora

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    1. Well said Flora!! I am so with you on not reading sad books. Life is too short to be sad.

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    2. Hi sweet Flora -- everything you said is so true. As for Oprah, I never count figure out how she made the choices she made, unless she liked to cry... so it goes. I'm so happy that you enjoyed Paris in Love! big hug, Eloisa

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  35. Thanks for all your great books. I agree playing games on facebook is something I do that is probably wasting time. Loafing is when I am curled up with a good book. Some people of I know would say my reading is a waste of time, but I just give them the evil eye. What could be better than to be curled up reading about Josie and Mayne:-)

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    1. I would give the evil eye to anyone who said reading was a waste of time!

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    2. I'm not going to disagree with that!! :)

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  36. Wasting time for me rarely happens. I'm the type of person who never can sit still for long. I also homeschool my 10 year old daughter and so I rarely have time to waste. I'd say the last time I wasted time was a few weeks ago when I just sat down and watched TV (DVR- Merlin from SyFy) instead of mopping the floors after my daughter went to bed. The floors were okay for a day longer and I did nothing for an hour. However, I do read regularly because I read on my Nook while I do my workouts. Thanks for all the wonderful books and recommendations. I've found so many great books from your B&N column.

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    1. I'm so happy to heart that, Christy! The column is a huge pleasure to write, but I do hope that people find books from it.

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  37. Wasting time for me is going to the store/mall and looking around. Either shopping or window shopping. Another way of wasting time is playing on the computer. I don't watch much television or movies, but I do love to read. I don't consider that wasting time, that is time well spent for me.
    christinebails@yahoo.com

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  38. Hi Eloisa! Congrats on the book release! I'm a big fan :)

    My version of wasting time is having my pit/lab mix lay on top of me in the winter and then wrapping us both up like a burrito. We snuggle and doze off for the whole day if it's really cold, which isn't very often. It will probably be about 8 months before we can do that again, but it's worth the wait.

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  39. i have two version for wasting time. if i want to be alone, it would be at home, reading a good book, listen to music and take a nap whenever the mood strikes. but if want to hang out with the girls, it'll be hanging around with them. may it be singing our hearts out at the singing booth, just wandering at mall, or eat. oh, by the way, congrats for the book eloisa!

    smile_1773@yahoo.com

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  40. How brave of you to run away for a year. Most people are too afraid to just take off, even for a few hours. It helps to not have financial concerns, but to some extent we all do. 40 years ago, when I married a military man during the Vietnam War, we realized time could be shorter than we could imagine. We had to change the date of our wedding because he was extended on one tour and then he got orders and left for another tour 5 weeks after we got married. We have always taken what free time we have to do something with our children or just the two of us. When the kids were young and in school, we would grab a long lunch to go out to eat or stay home for more intimate together time. We have been known to hear about a festival or event, throw our bags in the car and take off for a few days. We are looking forward to retirement. We are volunteers at heart and will be looking for opportunities to go for extended periods to help out wherever. It is something we enjoy and good time together.
    On a smaller scale, if I want to take a "wasted" day, I will have lunch somewhere, go to the college museum for their current exhibit, browse the local bookstores and the library. If I don't want to leave home, I'll get a drink and curl up with a book. Would love to run away for a year. Would probably head for Ireland or Scotland. Could absorb all the history, beauty of the countryside, and work on the family tree.
    Good luck in the RITA Awards.

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