Tag: Star Dust

It’s No Spoiler

Tomorrow evening, I’ll be moderating a panel on Love’s Sweet Arrow’s YouTube channel to celebrate the release of Olivia Dade’s Spoiler Alert, an absolutely delightful rom-com that riffs on You’ve Got Mail/The Shop Around the Corner and modern fandom. Olivia will be there, and so will the wonderful Mia Sosa, and it’s going to be AWESOME. For more information, check out the LSA page here, and you can register here.

Also, I forgot to mention this in advance, but the country’s other romance bookstore, The Ripped Bodice, teamed up with Besame Cosmetics to do a vintage 60s makeup tutorial for Star Dust. You can watch it here, and it’s super fun and interesting. I’ve actually been wearing eye shadow more as a result, though I’m not nearly this glamorous.

Finally, I’ve been writing. Like a lot. Like I might actually finish a full-length book again. It’s not done, so I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it feels so good to be writing sort of consistently, to not hate every word I put on the page, and to generally feel like I might want to tell stories again. Just so, so good.

Happy Third Book Birthday, Star Dust!

Three years ago today, Genevieve Turner and I took you to space for the first time in Star Dust. We introduced you to playboy astronauts and uptight engineers, launched you into orbit, and invited you to boozy bridge parties. Writing this series has been one of the greatest joys of my creative life–and of course we’re not done yet.

If you haven’t picked up Star Dust, it’s free everywhere, including at Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Google Play, and Kobo. And, because I’m a dork, I couldn’t resist designing a logo for the ASD to celebrate and then using it to recreate a key letter from Earth Bound. It’s after the break.

Continue reading “Happy Third Book Birthday, Star Dust!” →

Star Dust Free!

star-dust-free-meme

Exciting news: Star Dust is currently free. You can obtain it all fine e-book retailers, including Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Google Play, and Kobo. (For the record, there is a Star Dust paperback, but it alas is not free.)

It’s part of the OMG Reads Stock Up for the Holidays event. There are some amazing titles here. I particularly recommend Tamsen Parker, Melissa Blue, Zoe York, and Lyn Brittan, though they’re all friends, so I’m biased. Some of these deals are one-day only, so click fast.

Plus the December Midnight Kiss box from Ever After is going to include download cards for Round Midnight, which we’re really excited about. To celebrate, Genevieve and I are giving away a coupon that’s good for that box. (Which is shipping next week!)

To enter, follow this link to Rafflecopter and click away. Please note that the contest is open to US residents only as Ever After doesn’t ship internationally.

Happy holidays, friends!

The Books that Write Well…and Those that Don’t

book cover reading "Private Politics, Emma Barry." It shows a door opening into an office. A couple in profile is having a heated argument in front of a window.

Last month was Private Politics‘ second book birthday, and next week is Star Dust‘s first. They’re a tale of contrasts. It took Genevieve and I approximately nine months to write the first draft of Star Dust. In contrast, while I started Private Politics during the summer of 2013, I wrote most of it in 6 weeks in September and October of that year. I don’t think I’ve ever written a book so well, so painlessly.

But does that mean Private Politics is better than a book with which I struggled?

There were moments when I didn’t think I’d survive Party Lines, for example. Of the four manuscripts I’m working on–by myself and with Genevieve–one of them is going splendidly. The other three…aren’t.

Continue reading “The Books that Write Well…and Those that Don’t” →

Odds and Ends

  • Our not-quite-romance book club on George Gissing’s The Odd Women (1893) starts on Monday. Here are the details. I’d love to see you there.
  • We’re less than a month away from the release of Earth Bound. It isn’t going to be available on Netgalley, so if you’re a reviewer and you’d like to take a look at it, please email me at author.emma.barry (at) gmail.
  • Star Dust is in a promo celebrating Sassy, Sexy, Smart historical romances. Seriously, these books are so good. (I’m trying to keep all my squee inside about this and it isn’t working.) You can get all eight for FREE here. This deal is only good through April 25 though, so click fast.

fb-sss-rose

  • ETA: and I forgot one! Carina Press is running a 30% sale on all the books at their site, which includes The Easy Part series (my DC-set political romances). The deal is good through April 30; use the code RT3016 when you check out. These books rarely if ever go on sale.

Star Dust Freebie Offer!

If you’re anything like me, you’re trying to pick the prefect Friday read. Something smart and hilarious would be ideal; if had cocktails and astronauts even better (or maybe dirty, sexy geeks or hot exes locked in an erotic encounter or love in a snowstorm)… but where to get it? Well, April’s no longer the cruelest month because I’ve got eleven books for you, and all of them are free.

eleven book cover, including star dust's, on a gray background. all the books are currently free.That’s right: eleven contemporary romances–including Star Dust–free for this weekend only. Check out the full list and the links at Zoe York’s blog. But you’d better click fast: this offer expires Monday. (And note that Star Dust has a new cover, and it’s gorgeous.)

Happy reading!

Seven Days of 60s Food: Million-Dollar Fudge

Once I started with this 60s food thing, I found it hard it stop. You’ll note, for example, that this is actually the ninth recipe I’ve posted. Now you know why Gen and I are writing a series and not just a one-off.

The main source text I’ve used is Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook, which was first published in 1957. While she’s obscure now, as a professor and then as a chef at several prominent hotels and department stores, Corbitt shaped food ways in Texas between the 1940s and 1970s (you can read about her here and here). My mom and grandma still use her cookbook on a regular basis. When I ordered myself a used copy, I was surprised to find a dedication from Ms. Corbitt herself scrawled in the front cover and a recipe that she’d typed for the recipient on Neiman Marcus stationary. Clearly I had to make it.recipe typed on 60s stationary

Continue reading “Seven Days of 60s Food: Million-Dollar Fudge” →

Seven Days of 60s Food: Grape Jello

cover for star dust. at top, a couple embraces. in the middle in a field of stars, the title appears. beneath the horizon, at the bottom of the cover, are the author names: Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner.

First things first, Star Dust is here! It’s available wherever fine ebooks are sold, including Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Google Play, and Kobo, and you can even order a paperback at Amazon. It’s a space-race rom-com about a divorcee looking to start a new chapter and an astronaut reaching for the stars. I truly love this book, and I’m not just saying this because Gen and I had so much fun writing and editing it (though we did). But if you’ve been enjoying these retro food posts, you should give it a try.

To celebrate Star Dust’s launch (I had to, y’all, I had to), here’s the one you’ve been waiting for: Grape Jello Salad.

ring mold of purple jello with apples and grapes floating in it

Continue reading “Seven Days of 60s Food: Grape Jello” →

Seven Days of 60s Food: Almond-Parmesan Spread

Before we get to today’s recipe, have I mentioned that Star Dust has a new cover? And it’s very pretty? Also, if you’re a reviewer, Star Dust is now on NetGalley. For everyone else, it will be out on Wednesday. (So soon! Ahhhhhh!) But I’ll delay my panicking in order to get back to the 60s food.

My last attempt at appetizers was…lackluster. But the next attempt was fantastic. This Almond-Parmesan spread was one of my favorite things I made during this project.

a plate with 12 little toasts covered with almond parmesan spread

Continue reading “Seven Days of 60s Food: Almond-Parmesan Spread” →