Just noticed that Port Orchard romance author Debbie Macomber released the 10th book in her Cedar Cove series, 1022 Evergreen Place, on Tuesday. The release comes just after the launch of a Cedar Cove website for fans of the popular idealized-Port-Orchard fictional locale. Oh, and Macomber now has her own free mobile-phone app for the iPad, iPhone and Android.
The paperback release of 1022 Evergreen Place comes on the heels of a hardcover release, Hannah’s List, and another paperback, Summer On Blossom Street, in May (the hardcover came out last year). And Macomber has another hardcover release, Call Me Mrs. Miracle, coming out in October. Like its predecessor, Mrs. Miracle, this story is being filmed as a Hallmark TV movie (Doris Roberts again stars.) Looks like it’ll be ready for the Christmas season, according to Macomber’s blog. Also, I see from her website, her work is being anthologized no less than five times throughout 2010.
(None of this one-book-ever-nine-years Franzenesque highfalutiness for Macomber, eh?)
Macomber’s fans probably already know this, but she’ll be appearing for a “high tea” at the Victorian Rose Room Tea Room in Port Orchard, on Bethel Avenue, on Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. For $24.93, you get to hang out with the author, sip some tea and get a copy of 1022 Evergreen Place.
(I confess that I haven’t read any of Macomber’s books. But in my quest to eventually read everything every Kitsap author puts out, I’ll give them a shot. Any Macomber fans care to suggest a good starter book for a 45-year-old male fan of hardboiled crime fiction? Or just a good starter book of hers, period?)
The story of 1022 Evergreen Place:
In 1022 Evergreen Place, Mary Jo Wyse realizes she’s falling for her firefighter neighbor, Mack McAfee, who delivered her baby in A Cedar Cove Christmas. Problem is, Mary Jo hasn’t been too wise when it comes to picking men. It will take some heroic measures on Mack’s part to convince her to give him a fighting chance.
Jim, I suggest starting with the first in her cedar cover series!
I’m not a big fan of romance, but got into the Cedar Cove series when living far away staying at home watching young children. (The Cedar Cove books are easy read — especially if you’re already familiar with the geography — perfect when you’re constantly being interrupted.) I also read her Christmas books when I need a holiday spirit boost.
Jim, good luck with that. As someone who does enjoy the romance genre and uses its offerings as a cleansing tool between stuffy, dry historical non-fiction tomes which I also enjoy, I just have not ever been able to get into Debbie Macombers books. I have tried two different books on two different occasions and was not able to motivate myself into finishing reading either one. Lots of people enjoy them, for some reason they just did not click for me.
My preference for local (Puget Sound) authors of this persuasion are; Stella Cameron, Susan Wiggs and Jayne Ann Krentz. Several novels from some of these authors have some murder and mystery in them which may be slightly more appealing to you based on what you already enjoy.