by Amy Wilkins, Assistant Manager Digital Content and Social Media
I confess: I am a dork. A book dork. A big one.
That shouldn’t be surprising considering I chose to work in publishing, but sometimes even I am shocked by my own nerdiness. For example, just the fact that I work on the fourth floor at Harlequin HQ fills me with happiness. Why? Because that’s where the employee books are delivered once a month to our back hallway.
As you can imagine, there are books all over the Harlequin offices: lining cubicle shelves, displayed in meeting rooms, in racks in the hallway. But even though we’re surrounded by novels, the monthly delivery of new titles still causes quite the stir. Just take a look at the photo below—a crush for books to rival any Black Friday sale!
(I’m the blond in purple, by the way)
But working on the fourth floor means sometimes we get lucky. Lucky enough to spot the books being delivered before anyone else in company. And lucky enough to get first dibs on the new arrivals (insert maniacal laughter here)! (Don’t worry, there is plenty for everyone…even after I’ve had a crack at them 
)
But like I said, sometimes my own dorkiness over books takes even me by surprise. Like what happened last week…
I visited the back hall looking for a particular November book, but instead of the usual mostly-empty boxes, there were freshly opened boxes…where the MIRA and HQNs go…which are usually picked clean in a couple days. In fact, the first set of boxes was stacked three high and were filled right to the top. What was going on? It was too early for the December books to come in…
I tentatively reached out and turned over the top book. It was VEIL OF SHADOWS, the third book in Jennifer Armintrout‘s Lightworld/Darkworld trilogy, a series I am loving…but book three doesn’t come out until December. It was true! December books were in! And it was still cold! Fresh off the truck! My dorky heart was filled with glee—I had gotten to the December books first!
I rushed back to my desk to share the news (including the fact they were still cold and fresh) with my coworkers, thereby revealing the extent of my dorkiness to all. (Not that I cared. Books!!!!)
And that night, I stayed late at work on purpose so I could see what other books came in. Being on time to dinner with my parents vs. new books? Well, you can guess what was sacrificed there… (Sorry Mom and Dad!)
So there you have it. The confession of a book dork.
To give you a little taste of our fourth floor goodies, I have picked two goodie bags of books from our hallway. Leave a comment by midnight on Sunday Nov. 29 telling me what the dorkiest thing you have done—or would do—for free books! A random commenter will be chosen to win one of two selections of December (and one November) books. One entry per person (so if you comment twice, your name is still entered one) and only US and Canada residents are eligible to win, sorry. Please see our full contest rules here.
Please indicate in your comment which batch of books you’d like to receive:
Feeling Nice
- Fairy Tale Weddings by Debbie Macomber
- His Christmas Bride by Dana Corbit
- A Nanny Under the Mistletoe by Teresa Southwick
- A Christmas Wish by Betty Neels
A Little Bit Naughty
- At the Boss’s Beck and Call by Anna Cleary
- Christmas Male by Cara Summers
- Holiday with a Vampire III by Linda Winstead Jones, Lisa Childs, and Bonnie Vanak
- The Cavanaugh Code by Marie Ferrarella
I’d miss dinner with my parents too if it meant free books:-)
The only dorky thing I can think of was that I once went to a Nora Roberts signing and was so awed by her presence that I actually forgot my name. All I could get out of my mouth was a rather undignified squeak and my friend had to tell her my name so she could inscribe the books. Pretty mortifying!
I’m all about being a dork – especially when it comes to books! If I worked at Harlequin and received your email about the book delivery, you would have heard a schoolgirl squeal!
My dorkiness comes out in meeting some of my fav authors. I went to a local signing in an indie bookstore and was so nervous I made myself walk right past the authors and start browsing the shelves. I picked up 5 books before I got up the nerve to approach the table and get their books signed. That meant all total I bought 10 books – 5 of which were just becuase I needed the courage to approach the authors!
That bookstore loved me that day.
Have to agree. I’d miss dinner with my parents as well.
I haven’t done anything really dorky. Although I light up like a kid at Christmas everytime I come across a book I love or want to read. My family thinks I’m alittle nuts but that’s totally okay. I know other book lovers know what it is like.
The Feeling Nice batch of books would be awesome!
@Courtney — good to know I’m not alone!
p.s. don’t forget if you have a preference to which batch a books you might win, please put “Nice” or “Naughty” in your comment.
I don’t know if it qualifies as dorky, but my husband was getting a laugh out of me. I’m friends with Linda Lael Miller’s brother. He told me about a book signing near my home town. I was so excited. I had my husband pick me up early from class, which was oil painting, and asked him to bring me a clean shirt. (And, yes, I did tell my professor exactly why I was leaving early and he smiled at my giddyness.)
My husband brought me a shirt that I hated and was saving for painting sessions, but I wore it anyway. I kept telling him to hurry up, or we’d be late. Usually, I’m telling him to slow down. I couldn’t drive or I would have broken the sound barrier getting there.
WE get there with minutes to spare, I buy one of the new series released this year and one of the other series I was missing. I also got to have tea with her that evening. And that is another funny tale!
I have pictures from the signing and I kept one of her and I as my phone backdrop picture for months! Anyway, I had to buy my husband dinner as his pay for dragging him to a very female oriented author’s tea, a smile price to pay!
OOPS forgot to say the little bit naughty set
as I’ve not read those authors, but I’m not picky about free books!
Okay so I inherited my grandmother’s Harlequin Romance collection when she passed away, and then I set about trying to fill some of the gaps, but that’s not the dorky thing. The dorkiest thing I’ve done is set up this mySQL database that catalogues all of the books in the collection.
So yeah, I think I’d like something naughty.
Maybe not so dorky, but hardheaded, lol! I’m on here reading with an injured eye (so one eye), with 3 emergency doc appoints behind me and one in 3 hours. I know I should be resting, but alas, I’m here reading, even neglecting my own writing (and reviewing others stories/ commenting…)*Holding finger to lips* …Shhh
It is not so much what I did, but what my husband did as a result of my spectacular book dorkiness. Long before I met my DH I was in love with another man. His name is Jamie Fraser. I was (ok, still am) obsessed with the Outlander series. This was so much so, that for my first wedding anniversary, my DH bought me The Outlandish Companion. He took me out on a ferry ride before dinner, snuck the big a$$ hardback book under a jacket and presented it to me on the ride. Sigh. He is awesome! Of course he knew it was a sure win because I am such a book dork! LOL!
Oops…forgot to say what set I want. I am definitely feeling a little bit naughty!