Food for Fines: The Faces

I’ve introduced the Food for Fines programs…now see the faces of our local librarians.  They have been at the Wood County Public library for many years here in Bowling Green, Oh.

Author Spotlight: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Sherrilyn Kenyon is definetely of staple of my paranormal romance diet.  I first discoverd Kenyon when reading “Fantasy Lover”, though I didn’t realize it at the time.  Then I happended on a romance featuring a shapeshifting werewolf named Vane and his love interest, a insecure, plus sized woman named Bride. I was hooked, and began looking for more of her novels.  That’s when I realized that the novel was just one of a series and that I already owned the first book in the series, “Fantasy Lover”.  I’ve been gobbling her books ever since. 

Her Dark-Hunter, Were-Hunter and Dream-Walker series features the Greek gods and goddesses.  These aren’t the toga wearing, cloud sitting gods and goddesses.  These gods are mean and vengeful, just as they were always meant to be.  Reading the books you’ll hear a lot of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.  Hopefully, you’ll grow to hate her as I do.  Her brother Apollo is seen, and alot of others have small roles. 

Dark-Hunters are scorned humans from different time periods and situations that wanted vengeance so much that when they died (usually by some foul means and by others’ hands) Artemis heard their cry. She offers them a choice to be resurrected as a Dark-Hunter, giving them gifts and the infamous double bow and arrow.  As a Dark-Hunter, they are immortal and endowed with gifts.  They use these gifts to fight in the name of Artemis against Daemons, or what the ignorant call vampires. All Dark-Hunters, men and women, are hot and lethal.

Stepping from Pages to Silver Screen

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Novels, especially romance novels, allows readers to have unlimited imagination.  But there has been many books over the years, that has been made into movies with our favorite actors and actresses. Check out the slideshow featuring the stars that have appeared in films that were originally books.  There’s a little romance thown in there also!

Top Independent Bookstores in USA

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These are the top independent (no Borders here) bookstores in the country. Most feature new and used books at great prices.  If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by and check them out. To see a street view of the bookstore or a picture of the bookstore, click on the arrows.  Also be sure to check out their websites. Many offer ordering online!

Three of My Favorite Historical Romance Authors

So far, I lot of my focus has been on paranormal romances, and while that is a love dear to my heart, I love historical romances.  I’ve taken a look at my own collections of books and found authors that repeatedly turned up. Why 3? Five seemed to much and 2 too little.

3. Catherine Anderson 

You’ve probably already realize that my specialty is series.  What can I say? I love to visit a world again and again.  One of my favorite families to read about belongs to Anderson.  She writes the Coulter series.  The Coulters are a group of brothers who–while having vastly different personalities–were all raised with the same morals.  Seeing each find the perfect woman for them is always a tear jerker.  Anderson specializes in stories that will seriously yank on your heart strings.  Though the story of the Coulters begin as a contemporary novels, they travel back to give us a glimpse of how the  family got it’s start. The historicals are set in the west.

 2. Julia Quinn

Quinn writes books set in Regency times. They are always fun and energetic with a fearless heroine and a rakish hero.  The women in Quinn’s books are beyond their time, and definitely have their own minds.  These women choose their own husband, thank you very much!  Quinn focuses mostly on the Bridgerton family, and there seems to be no shortage. Get ready to laugh out loud with these stories.

1. Christina Dodd

Dodd writes both contemporary and historal romances.  While I love her modern day tales, I got my start with her during her Rules of Series.  They feature governesses finding their place in life beyond the nursery of their employers. Dodd is extremely humorous and her heroines are always extremely likable. 

I now challenge you to read any of the authors of the above and dislike them.  To make it easier, be sure to check out their websites in my COOL SITES blog roll.  You won’t be disapointed.

Christine’s Carpathians

Christine Feehan has been called the “Reigning Queen of Paranormal Romance”-Publisher’s Weekly.  As an avid reader, I have to agree.  I’ve been hooked on Feehan’s Dark series for years. 

Feehan’s series revolved around a race of people who are essentially immortal.  They are called Carpathians and hail from the Carpathion mountains.  Though they need blood to survived, they are not vampires.  That is a different cup of tea altogether. 

Each Carpathian–barring dismemberment or fire–lives for hundreds of years.  After the first hundred years or so–it varies–male Carpathians begin to lose their emotions and with it, colors.  They begin to see in black and white.  To restore their emotions, they must find their lifemate.  A lifemate is the woman that compliments them completely.  She is often described as “the light to his darkness”.  Carpathian males are naturally dark and need that balance of their lifemate.  Unfortunately, not all find their lifemates.  Some like freedom and wait too long to search and others just never get the chance. 

The consequence is vampire.  That is the threat that hangs over each male Carpathian.  Without a lifemate, the male will turn vampire. Though the vampires can glamour, appearing impossibly handsome to unsuspecting humans/snacks, they are really the spitting image of Nosferatu.  Carpathian warriors are charged with hunting the vampires to protect the human race.

Carpathians are becoming an extinct race, because of fertility issues.  Female babies are becoming all too rare. Because of the shortage of females, the number of Carpathians turning vampire is increasing.  It was discovered that human women with psychic ability can become lifemates.

For those who lucky enough to stumble on their lifemates, all it takes is hearing their voice and they’re hooked. They immediately see in colors and emotions come pouring in.  Wouldn’t it be so easy here in the real world?

Food for Fines

The Wood County Public Library in Bowling Green, Ohio is willing to take payment from your pantry.  For only one week in November, someone can pay library fines with donated food. The annual Food For Fines program that the library sponsors, comes around just in time for the holidays.  Mary Boone, the PR coordinator for the library said the program is very helpful.

“It’s an opportunity for us to help the community.  It also helps our patrons because it doesn’t take very much of a library fine for people to get a little nervous,” Boone explains.

The library staff feels that it’s a win win situation for all involved. However, not everyone gives to pay a fine.  The library staff says that many people come in with boxes of  non perishable foods to just give. These people just feel the need to give because they can.

“People just like to donate and they don’t know where to donate so they don’t necessarily go to the food bank to donate.  This is an opportunity fo us to have them bring it here and we’ll collect if for the food bank and then we’ll deliver it to them,” says Lori Hennings.  Hennings is the head of circulation at the library. Hennings has been with the library since it began the program.

The Wood County Library is not the only library who has this practice.  Many libraries around the country are continuing their own tradition of Food for Fines.  National Library Week is beginning next week from April 11 to the 17 and many libraries are making that week the focus of their program.

National Library Week is an annual celebration of the nation’s libraries and librarians.  The celebration began in 1958 and is recognized by every library in the United States. The current theme is “Communities thrive at your library.”

That’s exactly what the library staff at the Wood County Library believes the Food for Fines program is about.  Each library has its own practice regarding the program.

The Bowling Green Wood County Library is taking canned goods and boxed products in exchange for cash.  There is no set amount for the fines. It is up to the patron to decide how much their fines are worth in food.  The program has been active for more than 10 years now.