February is an exciting month in the mainstream fiction. Not only is author Catherine McKenzie leaving her mark with her US-debut, a familiar name in romance, Elizabeth Bevarly, makes a genre jump, to pen a mainstream. But first, let’s take a look at the three novels this month that were rated RT Top Pick!

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Spoiled shares a look at the books you can't wait to read, long before they hit stores. Today author Susan Mallery gives RT readers a peek inside her new Blackberry Island series before the series begins in April. Find out why her upcoming novel Barefoot Season was a story she simply had to tell — and what part of the book was inspired by a fan's photo!

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Barefoot Season is what I like to call a “romance-plus.” There are two love stories in the book — with terrific men I think readers will adore — plus a focus on the complicated friendship between the two heroines. I will always love writing romance. My mainstream books give me the added pleasure of exploring some of the other relationships that mean so much to women. We are complex creatures; romantic love is just one of the emotions that make up the tapestry of our lives.

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After reading a gripping fictional account of a time or place, have you ever wished you knew more about what actually happened? If so, then Random House Publish Group has a treat for you. Their new e-book line of Reader’s Circle Deluxe Reading Group Editions comes complete with over fifty additional pages of nonfiction content that will answer questions and encourage book group discussions.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (one of RT’s Whitney’s all-time favorite reads) and Lisa See’s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan will be the first two e-books released in this extended e-format. The new editions have what Random House calls “exclusive, author-approved annotations” that are designed to “enrich” the reading experience. And each reader can decide if he or she wants to access this extra content while reading their books, or after they finish the story, tailoring the experience to their personal preference.

Guernsey Literary and Snow Flower both captured readers’ imaginations and are perennial book club favorites. Thus, these New York Times bestselling titles are logical picks to launch Random House’s new line.

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Wanna-be writers, sharpen your pencils, stretch out your typing fingers and get to work on your short story for Figment's writing contest that will be judged by Nicholas Sparks himself! In honor of the fifteenth aniversary of the author's bestselling romance The Notebook the author has teamed up with Figment to judge a writing contest. And for those of you who prefer to read your romances, today RT reviewer Ellen shares how Nicholas Sparks fans can take part in an online book club at Figment.com!

It’s a big month for Nicholas Sparks. His new book The Best of Me has just premiered and, if the number of tissues we’ve used reading it are any indication, it’ll be another phenomenal hit. And Sparks’ first-ever novel, The Notebook, is having its 15th anniversary. 

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Audible — arguably the most popular source for audio books today — is getting Hollywood’s stars to contribute their voices to help re-create a slew of modern classics as audio books. This is a wedding of talents that I am absolutely in favor of!

I’ve always considered audio books something to listen to before I fell asleep. But with this news about Audible and Hollywood teaming up, I am seeing audio books in a whole new light.

Audible is working with some of the biggest and best names in Hollywood to bring back some classic tales. The dreamy Colin Firth will read The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, as Dustin Hoffman and Samuel L. Jackson take on novels by Jerzy Kosinski and Colin Himes, respectively.

And the men of the silver screen aren’t the only ones getting in on the action. Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet are just two of the nine actresses who will be contributing their dulcet tones to these projects. (I have to say, I’m particularly intrigued by the news that Anne Hathaway will be recording The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.)

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