Google books: It’s very useful for finding old, out of print books (that are free!). Also, you can search for keywords, etc, in the text to see if it’s worth reading or even worth buying.

The Colindale Newspaper Library: This is a trek—an hour outside of London, you need a pass, you must check your baggage, and you must be quiet. But it’s awesome. I read actual newspapers from the early 1800’s. They come in giant bound volumes to flip carefully through. It’s just an amazing feeling to touch and smell and read those 200+ year-old papers.

Museums: Especially one’s with gift shops. I LOVE the Regency rooms at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Amazon: All sorts of good, unusual books delivered.

Colonial Williamsburg: Recreate the days of yore experience! CW is a quaint, fascinating and fun experience. I don’t know of any other place where you can immerse yourself in another world like that. It’s something about the lack of electricity, I think (except for the cash registers in the cute little shops!).

The best experience of all, for me as a writer, was dinner with my family in the tavern at CW. Though it was still a bit light outside, it was rather dark inside. We dined by candlelight. Someone played an old fiddle. We ordered meat pies with venison, and other game meats–an authentic colonial recipe. Footsteps sound different on those old floors.

You could so just imagine a hero and heroine discretely dining in a dark corner, listening to the music, looking out at the last of daylight …

©2010 Maya Rodale Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Why you should buy a Groom of One’s Own by Maya Rodale from Tony Haile on Vimeo.

©2010 Maya Rodale Blog. All Rights Reserved.

1. Room service coffee delivered. Good morning!
2. Writing in bed while drinking coffee. This is the way to write romance!
3. Lady Jane’s Salon, Columbus edition! Readers Delilah Marvelle, Linnea Sinclair and Sabrina Jeffries were terrific.
4. Dinner at Ted’s Montana Grill with my date, People Magazine. Since Writing Girl Book #2 is about a gossip columnist, this counts as research.
5. Spending the night in bed with McDreamy (remember him?) by flipping between Grey’s Anatomy reruns on Lifetime and Sweet Home Alabama on Oxygen.I have definitely needed downtime like this.
6. The Giant Book Fair! This was my first booksigning where I met many folks who already read my books–and I sold many new books, too! I met some facebook friends in real life and…
7. I met my RT reviewer and learned how many stars A Groom Of One’s Own is getting…
8. And the Kentucky Derby–go Calvin!
9. Finishing my book, on time. Phew!

©2010 Maya Rodale Blog. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 Maya Rodale Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Kenny Chesney’s song Summertime. I only allow myself to listen to this on hot, sunny, summer days when I’m in the car with the windows rolled down.

Sugarland’s new cover album, Live On The Inside, particularly their country version of Beyonce’s Irreplaceable. Gotta love a little twang.

My Klean Kanteen waterbottle, even though I am opposed to incorrect spelling for marketing purposes, I love these. Because it’s hot, I get thirsty, and I hate buying plastic waterbottles for environmental and cheapskate reasons. These stainless steel ones are indestructible and don’t leach out chemicals like some of the plastics.

My cowboy hat. Keeps the sun out of my eyes, and my hair out of my face. I wear it when I’m driving, and when I’m out working in the garden, and when I’m walking around New York City with Penelope, modeling it here. The star says “Sherif” and yes, I did buy it in the kids department.

And of course, watermelon, cherries, iced coffees, fireflies, thunder and lightening storms, swimming, and pretty sundresses. Any other fabulous summer things missing from this list?

©2010 Maya Rodale Blog. All Rights Reserved.