Guest Post from the author Jill Shalvis. Read on for more information about vacations and cookies…
I was a reader long before I was a writer. I cut my teeth on Whitney, My Love and went on to devour historical romances for years before I discovered Stephen King and Dean Koontz, who kept me entertained for several more years. Then I stumbled onto a used book at a garage sale for $0.25. Unable to pass up any book, much less one for a quarter, I bought Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts. Oh. My. God. A modern day romance! I inhaled the book and went to the bookstore for more. In the middle of this new lovefest I discovered not only a love for reading contemporary romance, but for writing it.
It helped that during this time, I got laid off. Funny what the threat of hunger can do for motivation. So I finished a book, sent it off to the publishing world, and dove into my second (while playing the lotto every day in hopes that I’d win a bazillion dollars and all my worries would vanish).
So there I was, reading the library’s entire stash of contemporary romance, raising three little girls under the age of five, working a new and not great job as an accountant, and writing on the side. When I got the call that I’d sold my first book, I had my middle daughter on the grown up pottie doing her thing, the oldest teaching the dog how to lick peanut butter off her fingers, and the youngest screaming over an ear infection. I had to ask the editor to repeat what she’d just said. Twice.
“I love your book, I want to publish it”.
I then did the professional thing and burst into tears. Between that and the middle daughter yelling “WIPE ME” from the bathroom, I think I made a great impression.
But I’d SOLD and nothing else mattered.
Nine years later and the thrill is still there. I love this job, and though it’s way harder than reconciling accounts receivables and payable, and there are days when it’s more painful than say having three kids without a single epidural, and maybe I whine about it sometimes on my blog, it’s a great job. I mean what other position could I wear sweats and bunny slippers to work every day, and sit on my deck surrounded by far too many bears and deer and coyotes while being productive at the same time?
Of course I still play the lotto. Because there are days where I could really get behind doing nothing but sailing the South Pacific and eating cookies…  And this fantasy, by the way, is where I got my idea for my latest release. THE TROUBLE WITH PARADISE. It’s the story of what happens to an every day girl who wins a cruise and doesn’t exactly get the dream vacation she had in mind…
Tell us about your dream vacation or your favorite cookies. Hey, this is Jill, nothing gets between her and cookies. We will pick a random commenter tomorrow to win a pick from her backlist.
I have so many places in my head that would make a dream vacation — Ireland, Italy, China, Figi, and so on and so on and so on. There are just too many to pick one. And it would also depend if it was just me and the hubby or a girls’ only retreat or maybe a family vacation with the kidos.
Now as to favorite cookies. Well, I don’t do chocolate so that eliminates quite a few. But I have to go with an old fashion favorite — peanut butter cookies. Yumm-O! Nothing beats a couple warm peanut butter cookies and a cold glass a milk.
Dream vacation: India…all the colors and sounds would be fascinating. I also want to check out Scotland. The last time I visited my grandma in England we were planning to go but there was something going on over there and I was not able to go. 🙁
As for cookies…I LOVE white chocolate macadamia cookies but I always revert back to the soft baked chocolate chip cookies (MUST be still warm so that the chocolate is all melty).
My dream vacation would be Scotland. I love reading about it & seeing pictures from there.
Now cookies: chocolate chip cookies are my favorite.
One dream vacation for me would be a leisurely tour of the islands of Greece. Sunning, snorkeling, sailing, sex… ahem. etc. But really I’m not too picky. There are so many places one could create a dream vacation, if all the right variables are there. 🙂
I would love to have a vacation of several days with just my hubby – more than the weekend we occasionally get to spend together – anywhere would be nice, but I think a lodge in the woods would be especially nice.
I’m a little boring when it comes to cookies – I prefer plain old chocolate chunk, preferably right out of the oven!
I would love to vacation in Hawaii or Australia. Fave cookie is peanut butter cookies. I got a great recipe from Crisco for them and they taste very good. Another fave is sugar cookies. I don’t have a good recipe for sugar cookies, but I get Betty’s Crockers mix for them.
My dream vacation would be to travel through the UK–particularly, England and Scotland. I’ve always wanted to visit the places I love to read about.
Oh, and peanut butter cookies right out of the oven are my absolute favorite! Add a glass of milk and I’m in heaven!
I’m going to Spain and Morocco in March with my teenage daughter and some of her AP Spanish classmates, so that’s the current dream, but Ireland is in my heart of hearts. And if I can have Oreo Doublestuffs on the trip, all the better!
Nothing can come between me and my Oreo cookies. When I sit before my computer at night, I have to have my Oreos. 🙂
Jill,
I love your story of “the call”! That sounds so much like my house. I think kind of like how sharks can sense blood five miles away, children can sense someone on an important phone call and proceed to make as much noise as possible for the duration. I mean, I’m not comparing my little ones to sharks or anything, much lol.
I love cookies too! Sadly, I’m on a diet so I can’t have my favorite macadamia cookies. This makes me very sad. 🙁 Why can’t they make a diet cookie that does not taste like teflon? Where are people’s priorities these days?
My dream vacation would be somewhere tropical, where the cookies were calorie-free, and Gerard Butler was a nudist cookie server. Hey, in all fairness, you did say dream vacation. 🙂
My dream vacation… Well, I’m saving for it.:D
I would like to go to South Africa in 2009. I’m planning to go for about 3 weeks and do voluntary work. I jope that I’ll be able to do it!! 😛
Hmm, dream vacation… I think it would have to be a tour through South America; I would LOVE that. I’ve seen a little bit of South America already and I would really like to see every country someday, that would be awesome. =)
As for my favorite cookie… that’s a hard question! Haha… I think it would have to be Samoas, yumm. Or thin mints!
Dream vacation would be to Ireland.
Favorite cookies would be warm homemade chocolate chip cookies.
I would love to do an Alaskan cruise, and one day I will.
As for favourite cookies – I love homemade raisin cookies.
Peanut butter cookies are my favorite. I also love lemon bars.
As for a vacation, my ideal vacation is to be a tourist where I live for a couple weeks.
My dream vacation would be dh and I taking a train ride through the Canadian Rockies.
My favorite cookie is Raisin Drop cookies; moist, yummy and delicious.
My dream vacation would be to Australia.
Favorite cookie: Girl Scout Caramel Delights
Jill-love, love, love your books. I just got The Trouble with Paradise and Out of this World and can’t wait to start them both. Favorite vacation has to be anywhere with a warm beach, buff men, and beer. Favorite cookies would have to be the old stand by of chocolate chip.
My dream vacation would be an Alaskan cruise.
My favorite cookie is still chocolate chip.
I took a cruise 30 years ago and would love another one. Since this is a wish – I’d like to take a cruise around the world!
Favorite cookie – shortbread – the real buttery kind.
Favorite cookies are the home made pecan bars my sister makes every Christmas. My dream vacation would be at a spa in the mountains with my sisters. Where we would be pampered with massages, facials, decadent food and lots of eye candy, and spend the week laughing and talking about anything and everything.
My dream vacation would be anywhere with my DH. Just me and and him and a few days of alone time.
Favorite cookies would have to be peanut butter. I never know when to stop with those. 😀
Hi Jill,
Just wanted to check out your discussion here today!
Dream vacation, touring around the US to see Yellowstone, the Tetons, Jackson Hole, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, AZ., Washington D.C., Maine, Vermont, Boston, I could just go on & on with, of course, an unlimited budget & time.
Cookies, yes! Homemade fresh from the oven chocolate chip, also brownies with a glass of cold milk. Purchased cookies, the Mendocino Cookie Company has really yummy cookies, they used to sell them in Mendocino at a little coffee spot but not sure they are still doing so. They have a website!!
Take care, enjoy guest blogging,
Donna M
The dream vacation that I have already taken was to San Francisco. I loved it so much, I actually thought about moving there. The dream vacation I haven’t taken yet would be to Tuscany. I have a yen to see where my ancestors came from.
(Yes, we all know not to get between Jill and her cookies!)
I am more of an ice cream kinda gal myself, but I have been known to knock a few folks out of the way for a good oatmeal chocolate chip cookie fix!
I have 2 dream vacations, Las Vegas for one. Do a little research and have some fun at the shows. Second would be Hawaii, just to lay on the beach. 🙂
For cookies, I love mint oreos and the macadamia choco chip cookies from costco. Yum.
Favorite cookies? it’s so hard to choose just one! (Hello, my name is Wendy and I’m addicted to cookies) I love Chips Ahoy soft-baked cookies – like I practically inhaled them! Or white chocolate chunks cookies, um, I could go on and on.
Ooo, dream vacation – Definitely Ireland! I still haven’t visited there but the second I’m able, Bye-bye United States, hello cute Irish (possibly drunk) boys! 😉 But seriously, it seems like such a lovely country to me and I can’t wait to go. 🙂
I would love to do a cruise with my hubby someday. My favorite cookies are brownies, the fudgier the better. I love a good bar cookie.
I think my dream vacation would be England. Favorite cookies would be good old Nestle Toll House Choc. Chip cookies, especially when warm and melty, right out of the oven.
My dream vacation would be to Ireland, the home of my ancestors.
My favorite cookies? It’s a tie between fresh from the oven chocolate chip cookies and double stuffed Oreos.
My dream vacation is a European tour with the first stop in Italy.
Nothing comes between me and warm chocolate chip cookies.
dream vacation~anywhere warm LOL I’d really like to visit Australia or Hawaii though.
Favorite cookie? Oatmeal raisin.
anywhere in europe or asia and thailand where was i born. that sounds so much fun .
Hi Jill,
I love biscotti cookies. Am not a big traveler fan; but would love to go to Hawaii some day.
My dream vacation would be anywhere but here right now..LOL! Because I need one right now and I don’t see one happening soon enough! 🙂
My favorite cookies are petit four and sablés… OMG now I am salivating… it is too good!
My dream vacation would be going to Paris… or even do a Grand Occidental Europe tour 🙂
I’d love to go to Australia. A good friend of mine is originally from Brisbane (Queensland). It sounds so beautiful! Great swimmimg & surfing!! I’d also go to Steve Irwin’s Australian Zoo and see koala bears and kangaroos. I’ll skip the snakes & sharks!
Cookies Year round it’s Toll House chocolate chip nice & warm!! Christmas time = spritz cookies with real butter!!