Top ten lists are very popular. Jay Leno has them. David Letterman has them. Now, thanks to my readers, I have one. It started out very innocently with a few casual comments posted to my website. Then one reader, fellow author Kara Lynn Russell, suggested my books should come with a warning label. Finally, a college senior studying engineering emailed the best one and the list was born.
I hope you enjoy this list as much as these readers enjoyed A Wish in Time and Crème Brûlée Upset.
Laurel Bradley
Top Ten Things Laurel’s Books Have Been Blamed For
10. Sunburn: “Laurel, you are responsible for my sunburn!J I started this book and I COULD not put it down. It's excellent! No, truly, it is excellent! I'll let you know more when I finish!” ~ Sheryl Browne writing as Charlotte Chalmers (Refers to A Wish in Time)
9. Over eating: “I read Crème Brûlée Upset several weeks ago. (Excellent book!) It featured a character nicknamed Dr. Delicious who owns an ice cream store. I've been eating ice cream ever since I read that book! My husband is allergic to dairy products so usually I don't even buy ice cream. But I'm sorry to say there are two cartons in my freezer right now. Maybe Laurel's books should come with a warning label on them? J” ~Kara Lynn Russell
8. Exhaustion at work: “I finished it last night and I’m still thinking about it. I’m at work and a bit groggy due to finishing reading so late but no one here knows. I just wanted to thank you for writing such an amazing story.” ~Michele (Refers to A Wish in Time)
7. Laughter: I would give this book a rating of 10/10 as it was very funny and full of laughs which maintained my attention and urged me to keep reading to discover what lengths Mike would go to win his love back. ~Angel25 of eHarlequin (Refers to Crème Brûlée Upset)
6. Tears: The very last word of the book, the simple true beauty of it, brought tears to my eyes. ~Jane Leopold Quinn, author (Refers to Crème Brûlée Upset)
5. Raucous noise: “Crème Brûlée Upset was a hilarious romantic read that had me cheering for Patrice finally getting the man that deserves her.” ~Shira of Simply Romance Reviews
4. Lack of accomplishment: I picked up your book on Sunday and I can't stop reading! It is keeping me from my sewing and we missed playgroup this morning. I am a bit more than half done and I had to stop to actually go get dressed and accomplish something today. So far I am really enjoying the book! ~Lisa (Refers to A Wish in Time)
3. Food cravings: “I was thoroughly entertained by Crème Brûlée Upset and think you will be also. Okay, so I also am now craving crème brûlée, but such is the price to pay.”~Tanya of Joyfully Reviewed
2. Antisocial behavior: “For two days straight, I couldn’t put the book down. I didn’t check my email, I let the answering machine screen my calls, and I broke a date with my boyfriend just so I could finish the book.” ~Janet (Refers to A Wish in Time)
1. Chemical Explosion: “I was running a 20 minute experiment in the lab and decided to pass the time by reading a few pages of A Wish in Time. After the 20 minutes were up, I was so close to the end that I just had to know how the story played out! I only had 15 pages left, and I figured 25 minutes really isn't that different than 20 minutes, right? Five (or more likely fifteen) minutes later, I returned to the lab to find that my chemicals had boiled over drenching my corner of the lab in mildly toxic liquids. I may have caused a minor chemical explosion, but I still say it was worth it to find out how the story ended, and I'll gladly explain this to the health department if they come to shut down our lab.”
~ Jill