I have been asked by more than one deserving inquisitor how one can get ones hands on a copy of Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind. So, I am going to take a leaf from her book and speak my mind on the matter.

1) Request that your library carry it. This can be done online with any library system in the U.S. (Call me ignorant, but I don’t know whether or not this is the case in Canada, Great Britain, Australia or Dubai or any of those other countries whose citizens (quite inexplicably) pop in on my blog wondering about wedding etiquette or the width of the Mississippi.) You simply need a library card for the library system from which you order it. Or, barring that, ask at the information desk and they can assist you, I am sure. That is, I hope. It would be sad if they couldn’t because books are their business and book lovers their raison d’etre. If you feel you must own a copy, see below (but request it at your library anyway because it is still a sale for Miss D and I know how much you all love her, that is, once you get over your jealousy at her beauty and fame and get to know her for her internal beauty, to semi-quote the lovely Heather of the EO).

2) Buy it. This is an easily accomplished feat if you have a proclivity for the computer which you all do since you are here. Right now. Reading my blog. This very minute. There are links to Amazon.com and Target.com at the top of my blog even as we so-to-speak, both great places (in fact, they are the same place since Target.com Books is just Amazon in masquerade) to make your purchase (as a pre-order—but since you pay money it’s exactly like buying, i.e. painful. It just takes a little longer to get the goods—also painful). The best online price will be at Barnes and Noble (it should be up as a pre-order around Thanksgiving), especially if you have a member discount. Overstock.com and Borders.com also carry it as a pre-order. And if you google it, you can find a number of smaller book outlets that might have it for less. Or might not. It’s worth a look-see.

3) If you want a signed copy you can do a number of things: mail your book to me and I will mail it back to you in a self-addressed envelope with appropriate postage provided by you, yourself and, er, you. This option makes me grumpy so read on. If you are local, you can come to either the holiday fair at Little Guy’s elementary school on December 3rd where I will be selling copies of Miss D for the best price ever, anywhere (except for my mom who insists on paying but only if it is at a killer cut rate and might I just add, she deserves it). Or, you can come to my official-for-real-book signing at the for-real-book-store on February 14th and pay the for-real-full-cover price for it OR bring your previously purchased copy to be signed. Or, you can email me at write2me@heidiashworth.com to say that you want to order a copy at the special discounted price (we’ll chat about that via email), whereupon I can send you an invoice via paypal. Whereupon you can pay for it. Whereupon I will mail it to you. After I have signed it, of course.

Sadly, I can’t give books away because they make even me pay for them, (I know! It hardly seems fair!) except for my ten free ones which is actually part of my advance and have all been spoken for many moons ago. I do give away books to those whom I dedicate it (there are four dedicatees (this is not a word) in Miss D but one died a number of years ago which is okay because she was really old and had no more room in her house for even one more book so it was clearly time to go, and one is The Spouse so he doesn’t count and one is my mother who, as I have already said, wants to pay) so there’s a goal to shoot for. If I dedicate my next book to you, then you, my dear, are scoring a free copy.

Lastly, if none of the above options fits like a glove, convince your friend/mother/sister/niece/brother/dad/boss/jogging buddy to buy it and ask to borrow it when she (or he—hey, The Spouse loved it and he’s a guy) is done.

If there is anyone out there who has a burning desire to distribute any number of these gorgeous book marks (pictured above--designed and gifted to me by my good friend Shirley Marks who is another regency romance author at Avalon Books) please write to me at the goofy email above and we can hash out the details. Thanks ever so!