Since Tuesday was Carly’s birthday and we had a big celebration for her (fanning myself still…) she very graciously offered me her day to, once again, talk about FADE TO BLACK and the fact that it is IN STORES THIS WEEK!!
WAHOO!!
Yes, Tuesday was the big release day and I was so very excited to actually see the book in stores this week!! I went on a book hunt with Bruce all day Wednesday, throughout the D.C. area. We hit a bunch of stores and saw it everywhere. In nmany stores it was on the “new release” table or in the front of the store–way cool! And everyone was so gracious about allowing me to autograph the copies.
I’m off to do the same thing today, this time with my sister all around Baltimore. (If you’re in a Baltimore book store today, look for me!)
In the meantime, though, I thought I’d share something I did on Tuesday. In order to convince anyone still on the fence about these books, I came up with a bunch of ways in which reading FADE TO BLACK beat other activities. I “tweeted” them on Twitter but found them amusing enough to repeat them here.
1. Reading Fade To Black is better than reading your teenager’s Albebra textbook…you know you can’t understand it, anyway.
2. Reading Fade To Black is more interesting than reading the labels on every cleanser in your bathroom cabinet. (Come on, you know you do!)
3. Reading Fade to Black eats reading the tea leaves in the bottom of your cup, doesn’t it?
4. Reading Fade To Black is far superior to reading about the fat content in movie-theater popcorn.
5. Reading Fade To Black is a lot cooler than reading your daughter’s diary. (That’s seriously un-cool!)
6. Reading Fade To Black beats reading your cholesterol numbers. (Have a burger while you read!)
7. Reading Fade To Black is way better than reading your 2nd cousin’s annual Christmas newsletter. (Who cares how little Joey did in soccer?)
8. Reading Fade To Black beats reading Tiger Beat Magazine. (Besides, it’s just not the same without Robby Benson!)
9. Reading Fade To Black is more entertaining than reading the DirecTV guide and realizing there’s STILL nothing new on HBO!
10. Reading Fade To Black is better than reading a letter from your mother-in-law. (Does she HAVE to talk about her bowel habits and corns?)
Need a few more reasons? Okay, here you go:
Mrs. Giggles liked Fade To Black.
Romantic Times liked Fade To Black.
All About Romance liked Fade To Black.
The Romance Reader’s Connection liked Fade To Black.
Fallen Angels Reviews liked Fade To Black.
Silver, Liza, Stacy and Heather liked Fade To Black.
I am awaiting reviews from a few more places and I SO hope the good trend will continue. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what readers think…so there’s another reason. Read Fade To Black so you can tell me whether I made a good decision with this big career switcheroo or if I totally jumped the shark. 
Okay? Enough. I promise this is the last Fade To Black post you’re going to see here. Thanks so much for being so patient and so incredibly supportive, I appreciate it more than I can ever express!
PS: You did read between the lines in the above paragraph, right? I said no more on Fade To Black. Of course, I am going to have to start talking about Pitch Black and Black At Heart one of these days. 
Oh, one more PS: If any of you see the book in Wal Mart, would you please let me know? I’d really like to know if they picked this one up! Muchas Gracias!
A NOTE FROM JULIE: Add one more list to Leslie’s list: Julie Leto LOVED Fade to Black!
And the winner of yesterday’s contest is #30, Maureen! Maureen, send me an email (julie at julie leto dot com) with your snail mail address and I’ll have Amazon ship you a copy of VIRGIN RIVER right away!
Leslie Kelly used to say she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, but then she discovered Nancy Drew books. Being a flashlight-under-the-covers-nose-in-book reader throughout her childhood, she couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather do as an adult than continue to lose herself in fictional stories. Her real life marriage of 20 years to the man of her dreams is a constant reinforcement that happily-ever-afters really can happen…and that they’re worth writing about. Living in Maryland, Leslie spends her non-writing time laughing a lot with the above-mentioned romance hero and their three daughters. Though an author of more than thirty sexy, contemporary comedies, she has recently branched out to write dark romantic suspense under the pseudonym Leslie Parrish.
3 Seductions and a Wedding
Hot Number
Play With Me
Wild For Him
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Having loved the book so much, I’m definitely not sick of hearing about it! And yay for you, Mrs. Giggles liked it. Now that’s a feather for your cap right there LOL.
Leslie, are there plans for more “Black” books? What’s your plan? I’m hoping the answer is a big, fat YES. Pretty please.
So anyone suggest anything new out there to read???
I think the series just gets better with each book. You DID NOT make a mistake with your career switcheroo! I too would love to read more Black CATs books after Black at Heart. Congrats again on the release!
Jumped the wha???? Leslie, I personally think you’ve finally found your niche. I think your Leslie Kelly books are phenomenal, but the Leslie Parrish books are just so…YOU.
I’ve read all three books and I have to say they are three of the best romantic suspense books I’ve read in my lifetime. FADE TO BLACK is probably my favorite only because it was first. I was so blown away by everything about the book and your writing.
For those of you who don’t usually read romantic suspense, I won’t try and fool you–these books are dark. The opening sequence is incredibly graphic. BUT you can skim that part if you’re squeamish, because the romance between Stacy and Dean is too delicious to miss!!! It’s so tender and natural and based on mutual respect and instant attraction–it’s the perfect balance to the ugliness they are trying to prevent by stopping the Reaper. Together. It’s a perfect balance of suspense and romance!! This is also, I think, the perfect romance for someone to give to the man in her life who wonders why she reads “those books.” It can equally appeal to a guy, IMO.
Great, great, GREAT book!!!!!
Im headed to town today, my dads having surgery to have his feeding tube replaced, so i will hit walmart and hope its there..if not i guess its amazon time..i have been dying for months to get this one..
I haven’t read it yet but with all the good reviews I could read It’s sure I’m gonna get it soon !!
Good morning jungle buddies, how are you all doing?
Les, I will check out Walmart and my other book haunts for you today okay…I can’t wait to get my copy…it should be getting here in a couple of minutes, if the mail person is not running late…
BTW, I don’t mind hearing about F2B…how could you not talk about it some more…I bet you will mention it, because talking about PB and B@H are linked to it, right? Lol…just teasing you today…
Les, I agree with Jules, your Leslie Kelly books are awesome, but I think that you are on to something here with Leslie Parrish…the Black CATS series fall into my favorite genre of romance…romantic suspense…there is just a little bit of everything in there…they illicit so many different emotions for me, and it makes the reading experience even better…they are going to be fine, as will you…
NOTE: Les is blogging today at Moonlight, Lace and & Mayhem today…follow this link: http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/…I promise she is not talking about F2B….teehee…
if the link doesn’t work, just copy and paste it…
I hope you all have a wonderful day…Les, have fun roaming the bookstores…today, you are doing one of my favorite activities in the whole world…have fun with Bruce…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Bub (the hubby) picked up my copy yesterday but I won’t get it ’till this weekend
Will be sure to let you know what I think ! Can’t imagine how exciting it must have been to drive around hunting for your book. Congratulations on all the great reviews !
Okay, the link didn’t work because of my three dots (…), so here is a better one for ML&M: http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/
this one should work…sorry about that…don’t forget to drop by and give Les some love…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
The Only adds another reason to read FADE TO BLACK:
11. Reading Fade To Black is better than studying for Technical Writing or any other homework.
Leslie, my Walmart hadn’t updated the book section yet. I’ll keep checking.
So excited for you. I will be checking out my Target and Kmart. If it’s not there I will head to borders.
I have heard so many many great things, I cannot wait to get my very own copy of Fade to Black.
Hi there- I can’t wait to read the book either. Just checked out the book section at BJ’s, and its not there. Don’t know if it will be so I will have to head out to B&N sometime this weekend. Will let you know if I see it anywhere else.
Leslie, I picked up Fade to Black at B&N yesterday. They had it displayed right up front.
Cher
Congrats Maureen on your win!
COngrats Leslie on all of the wonderful reviews!!!
Congratulations, Julie! Checked out the reviews. they are great!
What was the name of the book, again? Oh yes, FADE TO BLACK!
How could I have forgotten!!!
Pat Cochran
Well Leslie I have to agree with every single word Julie beat me to!
Fade to Black is an InCrEdIbLe book. I wish I could have followed you
yesterday and gotten an autographed copy.
I am a avid reader and I loved it. Will re-read it and savor it.
The cross over into Romantic Suspence seems perfect for you.
This is by far your most enthralling book. (Yes I liked the rest too)
I can’t even imagine being able to come up with something like this.
I hope this is inspiring someone still on the fence to but Fade to Black.
You know how sometimes a reader like myself could say,
“I could write a romance like that.” Not ever going to hear that about
Fade to Black,! It is a FAN..ominal work of art.
One question , Leslie, an excuse to break your promise and post again for
Fade to Black: Did you lose sleep while writing some of these scenes?
My only, being a mother and all comment;
Keep the romance in your cross over.
I am positive you could write a fabulous “just Suspence” novel but
Keep in mind it is the Romance interwoven that will keep readers like me
a fan of yours. Plus recent reports claim romance, in any form,
is the only thing holding it’s own in bookstores.
I’ll post later today on my way out, right now.
Plotmonkey Critic, Zoey, gives FADE TO BLACK
4 PAWS UP and a Tail Wag to boot!
Top ten reasons to read …. FADE TO BLACK….
10. It’s Leslie’s dark side’s first Romantic Suspense
9. Wow, Impressive writing right out of the gate.
8. Black CATs Novels are better than Fantasy, any day. Yes sah!
7. The heroine is a sexy hard-edged cop with hot romantic side.
6. The FBI hero is strong, dark, handsome, smart and sexy as all get out.
5. Leslie has entwined a sexy romance within a great suspense.
4. The story line will draw you in and hold you until the very end.
3. The characters are perfectly developed and leave you guessing
2. The villain is really, really, really, scary crazy.
1 It’s Leslie’s first Romance Suspense and it is a page turner.
Ev if you like Janet E. the new one is very funny.
JR Wards latest seems like the end of that series.Darker than the rest but good.
Hidden Tides by C. Feehan is a good one also appears to end the Drake sisiters. Shucks.
Linda Howard has a new one out I’ll read next.
I enjoyed Linda lael Miller’s last three brothers in a row too.
and if you haven’t read it, Leslie Parrish has a new book that will
have you enthralled from start to finish.
MAINE’s Mr. Paperback(great chain) has both Fade to
Black and Sand, Sun, Seduction. Haven’t seen you at
WallyWorld yet.
Jeannie & zoey- JR Ward didn’t end the series with Lover Avenged, Lover Mine (JM’s book) will be out next year.
Jeanie–I love your list! Thank you so much for the wonderful review, I truly appreciate it and am just thrilled that you like it!
Thanks to everyone else, too. I am genuinely grateful for each and every one of you!!!!
Can’t wait to read this. Ordered it from Amazon, but hasn’t arrived yet.
Congrats on all the great reviews.
F2B came in the mail today…yippee…I am so excited about it…I didn’t get a chance to start it as yet, but I will tonight…I should have it done by tomorrow…I am so excited for you Les…I picked up Sand, Sun and Seduction today too…I also got my friend a copy…she said that it will probably be her favorite read…she really loved the cover…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Liza
Thanks for the heads up. I really like the brotherhood.
Leslie
I’m reading Sand. Sun, Seduction next.
Fade To Black was amazing. I couldn’t put it down…just wanted to let you guys know that…if you haven’t read it, you really need to go out and get it…this definitely a different side of Les, but it is well worth it to discover it…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Jeannie, Les had me guessing who the villian was from the first three or our chapters…each successive chapter had me changing my guess…the one it turned out to be was on my list from the beginning, but then another turned out to fit better in my mind, but I was able to whittle the list down as I kept reading…love your top 10 list for reasons to read F2B…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Leslie, I love your list! If I hadn’t to pick up your books before now, I definitely would after reading the list.