My plan for reading and more reading, as well as relaxing, definitely worked last weekend. Saturday was a lovely day of floating in the pool and swinging in the hammock reading the novel LIPSTICK IN AFGHANISTAN by Roberta Gately, which will be in stores on November 9th. In LIPSTICK, the protagonist is a nurse who has volunteered in Afghanistan as an aid worker. Roberta has worked overseas including a stint in Afghanistan, thus her writing about this is pitch perfect. It’s a fast-paced, sharp read that humanizes the stories we hear on the news, getting to know the pressures and dangers facing those who have these jobs. On Sunday I was making dinner when I saw the horrific report about the Afghan aid workers who had been killed. After reading Roberta's book, I pictured her characters as those people, and it made her book even more powerful.

This is when you know it’s hot. I dashed out for a fast swim in Orlando last Friday afternoon when I was attending the Romance Writers of America Convention, and I saw a note that “the pool temperature will not get over 104.” Um, to me, that is a hot tub. I did laps and the air felt the same temperature as the water. Now I know people say romances can be hot and steamy...well, here the temperatures contributed to the sizzle! Since I was in town less than 48 hours, I did not get to see everyone who I would have liked, but did spend two evenings party hopping, which is a nice way to catch up with a lot of people fast.