Research Mecca

Last weekend I was up in Portland with Delilah Marvelle and Jenn LeBlanc working on a cover shoot (yes, Illustrated Romance now has period accurate stock photos for Georgian, Regency, and Victorian books, go get 'em!).

On top of having a great time doing that, I got to go to Powell's Books. Aside from the fact that they didn't have single copy of my books--new or used!--it's a pretty amazing place and I went a bit nuts before dialing it back. Even though I know I can find most books nowadays on either Amazon or AbeBooks, there's something about the thrill of discovery while browsing that just can't be beat.

I found a hardback copy of THE PRODIGAL RAKE (would anyone like my paper copy? I'll give it to anyone who asks for it in the comments), THE ENGLISHMAN'S CASTLE (sort of a giant love letter to the English concept of home and hearth), MAYFAIR: A TOWN WITHING LONDON (a book I've been looking for for years), THE MODE IN COSTUME (a book my mom had when I was a kid that I just couldn't pass up), and a nice copy of Katie Hickman's DAUGHTERS OF BRITANNIA which I somehow didn't own already (this is where I love having all my books listed on GoodReads, as it makes it easy to check my library on the fly).

Do you have any favorite bookstores you want to recommend? Is there one in Atlanta that I just can't miss when we're there for RWA this summer? And don't forget to ask for my extra copy of THE PRODIGAL RAKE if you'd like it. It's really quite an amusing memoir.

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