Research

House of Names (http://houseofnames.com/)
A great site I use a lot to check the origins of my characters’ surnames. 

Behind the Name (http://www.behindthename.com/)
Another awesome site I use a lot to research the meanings of my characters’ first names. 

The Magic of the “City of Lights”

The Official Site of the Eiffel Tower (http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/)
A wonderful site all about “La Tour.”  Makes me want to hop a plane back to Paris this instant!

Maxim’s (http://www.maxims-de-paris.com/p2us.htm)
Although I hadn’t been there while I was writing “COL,” I was absolutely floored by the similarities when I visited a year later and decided this had to be the location for “Le Perle de Paris” when “COL” eventually is turned into a movie.  The place is just *dripping* with fine de siecle glamour and they even have a little stage in the back.  Très magnifique!  Are all you Hollywood producers listening???

Le Parc Monceau (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_Monceau)
Learn the history behind Le Parc Monceau, where a pivotal scene in “City of Lights:  The Trials and Triumphs of Ilyse Charpentier” takes place. 

Impressionism (http://www.artchive.com/artchive/impressionism.html)
Impressionism has always been my favorite style of paining, so it was only natural that it should be Maurice’s too.  ;)  Check out this awesome site for a quick write up of the movement, a list of some of its most renowned artists, and further reading on the subject.

Authors and Groups

Sera Phyn (http://sera-phyn.com/default.aspx)
An up and coming writer to watch!  Check out Sera’s awesome web site for news about her writing, projects, awesome links, and her soon to be published novel, “Fallen.” 

Alisa Libby (http://www.alisalibby.com/)
In “The Blood Confession,” Alisa creates a mesmerizing novel about the little known “Countess Dracula,” aka Erzebet Bathory.  Check out her web site for more info on her writing, future projects, and of course, Erzebet.

Michelle Moran (http://www.michellemoran.com/)
Take a journey into ancient Egypt with Michelle’s best-selling novel, “Nefertiti.”  Check out her web site for more info on the Queen and just about the most awesome book trailer I’ve ever seen!

Betty Dravis (http://www.jmbpub.com/betty.htm)
Betty is the multi-talented, best-selling author of “The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley” and many other fabulous novels.  Check out Betty’s site for more information on her books, writing, and some great anecdotes!  :D

Philippa Gregory (http://www.philippagregory.com/)
Yes, I admit it, I have a Tudor novel addition.  ;)  Philippa Gregory has become one of my favorite authors.  If you are looking for some great Tudor fiction, check out her Web site.  My two favorites are “The Other Boleyn Girl” and “The Boleyn Inheritance.”

Georgette Heyer (http://georgette-heyer.com/)
Think Jane Austen with an occasional dash of Dumas swashbuckling, some of the most hilarious humor ever put on paper, and classic romance and you have a “Georgie” novel.  An awesome site for all those devoted to Georgie’s writing and those discovering her novels for the first time. 

IAG (http://independentauthorsguild.com/)
The “Independent Authors Guild” is a great group for self-published or independently published authors.  Meet some fabulous people and get some great promotional ideas in a setting where all are welcome.  J

Online Book Stores

Penguin Classics (http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/classics/index.html)
A fantastic site for anyone who enjoys classic literature.

The Book Depository (http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/homepage.php)
So you love Georgette Heyer and other UK authors but can’t find their books in the States??  Look no farther!  The Book Depository is an amazing web site that offers all the UK books you could ever want with FREE SHIPPING!!!  :D

Amazon.com (www.amazon.com)
My fave place to hunt for new releases.  Plus, they let me keep track of my massive wish lists.  ;)

Books XYZ (www.booksxyz.com)
A fantastic nonprofit bookstore that donates 5% of each book sale to the school of the customer's choice. Check them out, and do your part to support education! :D

Free Sites for Bibliophiles

Shelfari (www.shelfari.com)
Keep an online shelf of all the books you’ve read!  Also, make friends and discuss your favorite books.  A great and addicting site. 

Bibliophil (http://bibliophil.org/default.php)
My friend B. J. got me hooked on this site.  It’s amazing!!!  While not as dazzling as Shelfari, it is great because it lets you keep an ordered list of the books you’ve read, the dates you read them on, create intricate little labels for each book (like I wasted several hours doing ;), and rate your reads.     

Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/)
Similar to Shelfari, Goodreads is more into the social networking aspect of the online library niche.  Think MySpace for bibliophiles.  ;p 

Sports! 

ESPN (http://espn.go.com/)
Get your daily fix of sports news at ESPN.com!!!  And make sure to check out the “Mike and Mike” page (http://espnradio.espn.go.com/espnradio/show?showId=mikeandmike).  I can’t start the day out right unless I tune into Greeny and Golic first.  ;)

MLB (http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/homepage/narrowband.jsp)
Baseball is my favorite sport.  As a lifelong, displaced Yankee fan, I’ve spent many hours checking up on the scores of the Yankees vs. Red Sox games on this site.  ;)