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
What is the dorkiest thing I would do for a free book? You mean there are limits to the lengths one would go free books? Heck, for me they don’t even have to be free. Just give me a title I’ve been waiting for and I’ll throw life aside and stand in any line to get my chance at being first. Can’t be too careful–supplies might vanish, right?
I would prob dance and sing for free books. I would like the nice set
Oh, how my heart pounds with envy over your job. Just a look at that photo sent my head spinning!
The dorkiest thing I’ve done book-related…hmm…how to choose from all the dorky moments? I did douse myself in body glitter for a Twilight party. And that wasn’t even for a free book. Rather, to party with like-minded book-loving people. ha!
If I am chosen, I would love to read the nice set!
Blessings, Teri Wilson
I accidentally stole a pen from an author’s signing table to get ANOTHER (not scheduled to sign that night) author’s autograph for her book that just HAPPENED to be in my bookbag. (It was already two years old by that point.) She was gracious and laughed at my faux pas (the other author didn’t laugh), and signed my book anyway. She was amazed that I recognized her off the back cover photo, since she looked incredibly different now. (She must have thought I was a stalker. Embarrasing.)
The author of the night was none to pleased with me, but he wrote about cars and engines and grease, so I’m sure I won’t find myself standing in his line anytime soon.
Does posting a comment count as dorky? I’m a reader who thinks that hallway sounds heavenly!
I am a HUGE book dork. I read alot of books and people give me guff about it all the time. Just today i returned 5 books to one library and another 3 to another library. On more than one occasion showed my dorkiness by not being able to find a book at the library that’s right in front of me. Nothing like spending 15 minutes looking for a book then ask the librarian and she walks right over and hands it to you. One time i was looking and couldn’t find the book in question and had to ask and turned out i had already read that book. If i was smart i would’ve just taken it out for a few days and pretended i hadn’t read it. lol Talk about being a dork.
I prefer the naughty books please!
Thanks
Lisa
OMG, I would totally camp out for the chance of free books. I get your nerdiness and support it! Hmm, I have so many dorky moments to choose from it’s hard to narrow it down but I’ll try. One time I was wearing a beautiful broomstick skirt that was quite voluminous and I spent half the morning running errands, smiling and waving at friends and whatnot, until I realized I’d tucked my skirt into my underwear and I was exposing my left cheek the whole time. Arrggh! The only saving grace was that the way the skirt hung it didn’t show my entire butt all the time, but mostly flashed people as I walked. LOL! That was an embarrassing moment reeking of dorkiness but it taught me a valuable lesson: always check your skirt before you leave the loo!
@Sori – if commenting makes one dorky, you’re in good company, LOL! (and if you want to win, are you Feeling Nice or Naughty?)
@Kimberly – Oh Kimberly, I think that one may take the cake!
@K.J. – Yikes, hope you get better and get back to your reading soon!
~Amy
When I was 10 or so I was at the library when they were having a book sale. Someone had donated bags and bags of Mills & Boone Romances. They were like a dollar per paper grocery bag full, so my friend and I each took a couple home.
Later, at age 11 I became an avid reader, and those books were still stashed in the garage! I started putting books I had read in the trunk built into my headboard, and was making lists of ones I wanted to read…. Eesh!
I would do a lot for free books, I still have about five of those left, managed to save those from being trashed!
Naughty, please.
Hmm…don’t know what dorky thing I’ve done lately, you’d have to ask my kids, they’d give you a whole laundry list, but I am crazy/dorky for books. If having literally a few hundred books in my TBR pile and still buying new ones with all the Harlequin specials qualifies as a dork, then I’m it. Hey, I don’t want to run out of things to read. LOL. And by the way, your hallway looks a ton of fun. *G*
Nice, please!