Happy November and National Author's Day! by Catherine Lanigan & Rula Sinara

Rula and Catherine at Harlequin's Author Autographing RWA 2016

Happy National Author's Day and first of November! We hope you all had a Happy Halloween yesterday and a fun time trick-or-treating or enjoying the parade of costumes. Halloween always seems to mark the beginning of sugar season...first candy then Thanksgiving pumpkin pies and on to holiday baking and candy canes. Heaven knows the last thing any author needs is an endless pile of candy on their desk but resistance can be futile when it comes to sweets!

Hmmm...ever wonder what would happen if we handed out books instead of candy on Halloween? Hey, they could be printed in 'fun size' minis lol...with a magnifying glass attached ;). But seriously. Books are the best treat ever! Aren't they? Calorie free, too! And we have authors to thank for getting us high on romance, suspense and cliffhangers...instead of sugar.

(Don't you love that oh-so-smooth segue onto National Author's Day?)

In celebration of authors, we thought we'd share some of our favorite quotes (either by or perfect for authors) and we'd love it if you share yours too. We both agree that we have so many we love, it's impossible to list them all. Narrowing our lists down to five each was almost as hard as squeezing an entire book into a two page synopsis! Well, okay, not quite as bad since recalling favorite quotes, books and authors is actually fun :).

Here are some of Catherine's faves:

William Goldman

“The easiest thing to do on earth is not write.”

- William Goldman, Master Screenwriter. Author of “The Princess Bride” 

Maya Angelou

“If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude about it.”

- Maya Angelou

Emily Dickinson

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
- Emily Dickinson

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, from his essay 'Success'

and...

Calvin Coolidge

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb; Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

- Calvin Coolidge

Here are some of Rula's faves:

JRR Tolkien

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

- JRR Tolkien

“A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it.”

- JRR Tolkien

"I looked again at the honey jars, at the amber lights swimming inside them, and made myself breathe slowly. I realized it for the first time in my life: there is nothing but mystery in the world, how it hides behind the fabric of our poor, browbeat days, shining brightly, and we don't even know it."

- Sue Monk Kidd, 'The Secret Life of Bees'

Maya Angelou...again...because her quotes are so incredible

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

- Maya Angelou

"I've learned that people will forget what you've said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

- Maya Angelou

We love the way books and the incredible worlds, journeys and emotions between their pages make us feel. Thank you to all the authors out there who have blessed us with their stories...because we're all about giving thanks.

(Yes, another not-so-subtle segue...)

In honor of 13 more authors...we're also celebrating release day for A HEARTWARMING THANKSGIVING. Yep, it's out today! Check your e-readers if you pre-ordered, but if you were waiting for the big day, you can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Harlequin and wherever ebooks are sold. You might even find a few favorite quotes inside! You'll definitely find heartwarming stories and...delicious recipes. See! More sugar lol! What can we say? It's sweet romance!

A Heartwarming Thanksgiving anthology: Count down to Thanksgiving with 13 poignant Harlequin Heartwarming short stories. This is a time to get together with family and friends, and reconnect over pumpkin pie and hot apple cider…or read stories where heroes and heroines struggle to get their dream holiday!

Snow Day Baby by Amy Vastine

Wedding at Turkey Run by Liz Flaherty

Her Thanksgiving Soldier by Leigh Riker

Mr. Right All Along by Jennifer Snow

Falling for the Cowboy by Sophia Sasson

The Marriage Gift by Tara Taylor Quinn

Heart of a Hero by Pamela Tracy

Thankful for You by Karen Rock

Autumn at Jasper Lake by Carol Ross

The Firefighter’s Promise by Kate James

Wedding of His Dreams by Cari Lynn Webb

The Sweetheart Tree by Rula Sinara

Married by Thanksgiving by Melinda Curtis

And don't forget to stop by our Facebook party this week: Nov 3rd, 1:30-4:00 pm EST. There'll be giveaways! Check it out HERE. Also huge congrats to all the winners of our sweepstakes! If you missed the announcement, check it out HERE!

Last but not least, congrats to the Harlequin Heartwarming November release authors!

Need ideas on how to celebrate National Author's Day? Read or re-read a book, buy a book, give a book, leave a review on Amazon/BN/Goodreads or go write!

So what are some of your favorite authors, quotes, books or screenplays (feel free to include quotes from your favorite movies too, as they were written down first!)?

Happy November!

Rula and Catherine

www.CatherineLanigan.com

www.RulaSinara.com