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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
November 9, 2007
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Greetings from Miami
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"Wish you were here." How many postcards have you sent with this line over the years? I know I have sent my fair share. I am in Miami for the Miami Book Fair, which is in its 23rd year; I am attending for the third time. The dates moved up a couple of weeks this year, and thus the Fair is coinciding with my boys' school break for Teacher's Convention and they have joined me for this trip. It's fun sharing the places that I travel to with them. Of course, with them the entire experience takes on a new tone. They have a pretty good grasp of dealing with the hotel personnel, so this morning as I wrote they handled their own needs from housekeeping, room service and the concierge. There was a steady stream of people in and out of the other room as I sat writing, but since calm seemed to be prevailing I just kept writing.
As I worked more on this newsletter I sat in a park at the Cape Florida Lighthouse while they took a tour. As I was writing a woman nearby shouted something at me. I could not understand her at first. Then I grasped what she was saying --- "There is a raccoon right behind you. Don't move." Well, you sit still hearing that! I did not. I moved ONTO the table clutching my laptop. The raccoon, which had both paws on the bench, came closer. I kept typing. It came closer. These are brazen raccoons. I wanted to say, "You have a raccoon pal you want to IM, or send an email to, it's all yours. Type away." Hey, he had fingers that looked like they could work my BlackBerry better than me. Why not the laptop? Well, the boys came back and shot some photos of Rocky and me (a picture of Rocky is above!), and I gave up working and moved to the car. As soon as I left, Rocky took my seat. Wonder if there was a book he wanted info about! Or maybe the IM bells sounded like a song. I will say that was enough drama for one afternoon.
Last night we went to a favorite Cuban spot in Little Havana called Versailles that I was introduced to by one of our readers at the Fair last year. My younger son inhaled plantain chips and fried plantains, adding a new food to his rather limited reportoire. We then cruised Miami Beach in our super cool Escalade rental seeing the art deco district on Washington, the large hotels on Collins and the tacky tourists on Ocean. They still are marveling at the plates of food on display at the restaurants on Ocean to try to entice people to eat there. Nothing gets by these two.
This afternoon we will wander over to the Fair. Tonight I am planning to attend the evening event with Caroline Kennedy, who will be talking about her new book, A FAMILY CHRISTMAS. Caroline and I are about the same age, thus I will be interested to hear her reflections on the holiday and more about this book. The weekend promises to be terrific, but what I always love are the surprises that happen at these kinds of events. Here are some that grabbed me in the past: the author whose work I did not know, but fall in love with; the great line I hear that inspires a blog; and the neat backstories I hear about books that I already love. I am going to meet Laurie Perry, whose book CRAZY AUNT PURL'S DRUNK, DIVORCED & COVERED IN CAT HAIR: The True-Life Misadventures of a 30-Something Who Learned to Knit After He Split sounds like a hoot. I look forward to sharing more with you about Laurie and everything else at the Fair next week.
I often say that I think better when I leave the office, thus trips like this can be refreshing. I find myself sitting on planes or in meetings scribbling notes for new ideas. Just pulling myself out of the day-to-day can get me thinking. When I was in Chicago earlier this week, I sat through three panels that gave me a direction for a new feature I want to do on FaithfulReader.com next Spring.
Of course, with our intrepid team back in New York, the update this week is just as robust as ever. I hope you enjoy the interview with Marie Bostwick. I have had the pleasure of spending time with Marie at a few conferences, and her warm personality and knack for storytelling are evident in this piece. Our Holiday Basket of Cheer book is THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE by Donna VanLiere. Donna's books are an annual holiday pleasure of mine. I always carve out time to read them no matter how hectic the season is. This one is about a promise from one person to another that shows us the true meaning of faith, remembrance, forgiveness and love. We have also received responses to readers' questions from John Hart, author of DOWN RIVER, which you can see here.
Lots to read this week...and enjoy. Have a great week...and I really do wish you were here. Next year maybe we can make that happen!
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
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Now in Stores: CREATION IN DEATH by J.D. Robb
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CREATION IN DEATH by Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb (Thriller)
J.D. Robb’s latest futuristic tale of suspense --- the 25th installment of her In Death series --- sees New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas paired up with her husband to stop a serial killer who likes to torture young women. And he has a surprising and very important victim in his sights. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
-Click here to read an excerpt from CREATION IN DEATH.
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Click here to read a review of CREATION IN DEATH.
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Marie Bostwick, Author of ON WINGS OF THE MORNING
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Reading a Marie Bostwick novel is like treating yourself to a long, luxurious bubble bath --- restful and invigorating at the same time. In ON WINGS OF THE MORNING, Bostwick mixes romance, rich historical details and faith to offer an engaging story of male and female pilots in World War II. In this interview, she talks with Bookreporter.com’s Cindy Crosby about how Anne Frank inspired her as a young girl to investigate history, her early joyrides in her father’s small airplane, why faith is woven into her novels and a secret desire that might surprise you.
ON WINGS OF THE MORNING by Marie Bostwick (Historical Fiction)
Marie Bostwick picks up the storyline from her debut, FIELDS OF GOLD, to create a Word War II novel that will charm historical fiction fans and intrigue faith fiction readers. Using settings that range from Oklahoma to Chicago, Bostwick spins a sweet romance between a man and a woman who both love to fly. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.
-Click here to read a review of ON WINGS OF THE MORNING.
-Click here to read an excerpt from ON WINGS OF THE MORNING.
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Click here to read our interview with Marie Bostwick.
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Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest on Bookreporter.com --- Spotlight on THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE by Donna VanLiere
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The holiday season is upon us! At Bookreporter.com this means it's time for us to share the spirit of the season with you with our Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest.
Each week from November 2nd through December 14th we are spotlighting a different title that is perfect for holiday gift giving, and five readers have the chance to win a holiday basket filled with winter-themed items as well as two copies of the featured book. Why two? One is to keep, of course, and one is for someone on your holiday gift list. We also include festive wrapping paper and a ribbon to make the gift-giving hassle-free.
This week we are featuring THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE by Donna VanLiere, a moving story about how a promise from one person to another shows us the true meaning of faith, remembrance, forgiveness and love.
Our Holiday Basket of Cheer is a woven basket stocked with holiday-themed items. Along with two copies of THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE and green-and-tan checkered wrapping paper and coordinating ribbon, winners will receive a cranberry orange-scented Illuminations candle, Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix, gourmet hand-cut vanilla marshmallows, sweet-smelling cinnamon sticks, delicious Chewy Peps peppermint candies, a copy of The Christmas Shoes DVD (based on VanLiere’s book of the same name), a festive wooden bowl with a snowman and a large snowman cookie.
To enter to win, answer the question below:
What does Donna VanLiere say she has learned in the past year?
You can find the answer by reading an excerpt here.
THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE by Donna VanLiere (Fiction)
Grace and the promise of new beginnings make Donna VanLiere’s fourth book in The Christmas Hope series a poignant seasonal read. VanLiere has a knack for crafting lovable characters who are tough and tender at the same time. Her tear-jerking situations will cause readers to break out the Kleenex. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.
-Click here to read a review of THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE.
-Read more about Donna VanLiere and THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE here.
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Click here to read all the details of our Holiday Basket of Cheer feature.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Steve Berry, Author of THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL
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With novels such as THE TEMPLAR LEGACY and THE ALEXANDRIA LINK, New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry has been celebrated by readers worldwide. December 11th marks the release of Berry's new suspense/thriller, THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL, in which former U.S. Justice Department agent Cotton Malone and his friend Cassiopeia Vitt embark on a quest to try to unravel an ancient riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people.
We have 20 copies of THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, November 16th.
-Click here to read Steve Berry’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.SteveBerry.org.
More about THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL:
Backed by a secret cabal of powerbrokers, the Central Asian Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps the Federation’s ruler from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great --- in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years. Together, Cotton Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt must outrun and outthink the forces allied against them and find the tomb before the Federation does.
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Click here to read more about Steve Berry and THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Kyle Mills, Author of DARKNESS FALLS
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From the New York Times bestselling author of THE SECOND HORSEMAN and FADE, DARKNESS FALLS --- which is now available in stores --- is Kyle Mills’s most provocative and riveting thriller yet. When a bizarre contagion begins to infiltrate Arabian petroleum reserves, the Department of Homeland Security sends Erin Neal to investigate. As the threat escalates, Erin realizes that the bacteria couldn’t possibly have evolved on its own.
-Click here to read fast facts about Kyle Mills.
-Click here to read Kyle Mills’s bio.
-Click here to see Kyle Mills's backlist.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.KyleMills.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about DARKNESS FALLS:
When a deadly bacteria begins threatening the world’s oil reserves, Erin Neal is sent in to investigate. It soon becomes clear that if this contagion isn’t stopped, it will infiltrate the world’s petroleum reserves, cutting the industrial world off from the energy that provides the heat, food and transportation necessary for survival.
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Click here to read more about Kyle Mills and DARKNESS FALLS.
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Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: John Lutz, Author of IN FOR THE KILL
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Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author John Lutz has written over 40 books, including SWF SEEKS SAME, which became the film Single White Female, and THE EX, a critically acclaimed feature for HBO. Lutz's newest thriller, IN FOR THE KILL, is set to release on November 6th. After making his first appearance in DARKER THAN NIGHT, Detective Frank Quinn returns to face his toughest --- and most personal --- case yet. Hunting down killers is what he does best. But this time, Quinn is up against a psychopath who will test him as never before.
-Click here to read a second excerpt from IN FOR THE KILL.
-Click here to read fast facts about John Lutz.
-Click here to read John Lutz’s bio.
-Click here to see John Lutz's backlist.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
More about IN FOR THE KILL:
A madman is stalking women in the city. By the time his victims are found, they’ve been dismembered with careful precision. Accustomed to working on the most grisly homicides, detective Frank Quinn’s nerves don’t rattle easily. But when the last names of a serial killer’s victims spell out “Q-u-i-n-n,” the veteran cop feels a chill run down his spine. When one of the victims is linked to a woman he desires, Quinn realizes that he will be tested as never before.
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Click here to read more about John Lutz and IN FOR THE KILL.
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Now in Stores: STONE COLD by David Baldacci
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STONE COLD by David Baldacci (Thriller)
In David Baldacci’s newest thriller featuring a mysterious group that calls itself the Camel Club, leader Oliver Stone comes up against lethal odds. An assassin is on his trail, while at the same time a revenge killing is planned against one of their other members. Can the group survive this latest crisis? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
-Click here to read an excerpt from STONE COLD.
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Click here to read a review of STONE COLD.
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Now in Stores: GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD: A Tale of Adventure, by Michael Chabon
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GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD: A Tale of Adventure by Michael Chabon (Fiction)
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon (THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY) indulges his taste for adventure in GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD, an old-fashioned adventure story that showcases his wit and inimitable storytelling style. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
-Click here to read an excerpt from GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD.
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Click here to read a review of GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD.
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Don't Miss: The Graphic Novel Version of Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER BORN
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THE DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER BORN written by Stephen King, Peter David and Robin Furth, illustrated by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove (Fantasy)
The year’s biggest comic book event is now being chronicled in graphic novel format for the first time. Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER BORN brings together the complete, initial seven-issue story arc of the much-talked-about comic book series. Under the direction and guidance of King himself, THE GUNSLINGER BORN expands the saga of Roland Deschain, whose quest to save the Dark Tower is captured in seven bestselling novels published over the course of 25 years. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
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Click here to read a review of THE DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER BORN.
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Coming Soon: Our What to Give/What to Get and Holiday Basket for Teens Promotions |
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Stumped on what to get for all the people on your holiday list? Get a jump on holiday shopping with our What to Give/What to Get Holiday Gift Guide, which spotlights books in a host of popular categories such as cookbooks, humor, sports, games, stocking stuffers, fiction, mysteries and more. It will be live on Friday, November 16th. It also includes holiday gift ideas for kids and teens!
Have a teen in your life? Our Holiday Basket for Teens promotion kicks off next week on Teenreads.com. Five winners will each receive a basket that includes up to 10 books, along with holiday-themed items such as peppermint candies, holiday-scented candles, a kit to make a gingerbread house and more!
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This Week's Reviews
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DARK OF THE MOON by John Sandford (Thriller)
John Sandford once again proves that he is a crime writer of distinction. His latest novel features Virgil Flowers, a new member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension who is assigned to solve several weird murders in the small town of Bluestem. Flowers is tenacious and clever, more so than the killer in question. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
20th CENTURY GHOSTS by Joe Hill (Fiction/Short Stories)
20th CENTURY GHOSTS is a collection of Joe Hill’s award-winning short fiction. Some of the stories are of the supernatural, others are dark and disturbing mainstream fiction, and one story is the remarkably sweet tale of the bond between a father and his son. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE LATE HECTOR KIPLING by David Thewlis (Fiction)
David Thewlis’s first novel is a wickedly funny black comedy about one man’s desperate struggle to escape his own midlife crisis just long enough to look back on it with deep regret and utter haplessness. This leads him to acts of not-so-quiet desperation, supreme idiocy --- and murder. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
SMART GIRLS LIKE ME by Diane Vadino (Fiction)
Diane Vadino's honest, bittersweet debut novel explores the inner life of an obsessive worrier, a single gal in New York City who must deal with the simultaneous crises of losing her best friend, falling in love and facing the end of the world. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
A SLAVE NO MORE: Two Men Who Escaped to Freedom by David W. Blight (History)
The story of American slavery has to include the ills of the system, the changes wrought in the aftermath of emancipation and the precipitous slide down into the sins of segregation. In A SLAVE NO MORE we have the complete story, wrapped around two authentic slave narratives. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
A VINEYARD IN TUSCANY: Shooting for the Moon by Ferenc Máté (Memoir)
Ferenc Máté dreamed of sitting down one day at his Tuscan villa and opening a bottle of wine produced in his own vineyard. Achieving this dream required guile, humor and hard work. The author shares the details of his quest in an engaging and entertaining story that travelers and wine lovers will find enthralling. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
WORKING FOR THE MAN: Inspiring and Subversive Projects for Residents of Cubicleland by Jeffrey Yamaguchi (Humor)
For anyone frustrated with the soul-killing monotony of a nine-to-five job, this quirky collection from the creator and author of 52 PROJECTS helps beat the office blues, inspire creativity in seemingly dead-end situations and preserve a bit of integrity in a conformist corporate culture. Reviewed by Marge Fletcher.
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Read this week's reviews here.
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Poll and Question of the Week: Spending Money on Books
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Poll:
What's your average book budget each month?
Over $100
$75-$100
$25-$74
Under $25
I do not buy books.
-Click here to answer our poll.
Question:
What is the most you can remember spending on a shopping trip when you bought books?
-Click here to answer our question of the week.
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Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- TWO Prizes
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Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't.
This week we have two great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of THE HEIR by Barbara Taylor Bradford and STONE COLD by David Baldacci. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on November 16th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.
Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on November 16th.
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Need more details about Word of Mouth? Click here.
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As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.
Those of you who wish to send mail to Bookreporter.com, please see the form on the Write to Us page. If you would like to reach me, please write [email protected]. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.
Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by November 30, 2007 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: DOUBLE CROSS by James Patterson, EVERLASTING by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD: A Tale of Adventure by Michael Chabon, THE HEIR by Barbara Taylor Bradford and STONE COLD by David Baldacci. Jessica from Brooklyn, NY was last month's newsletter winner. She won BOOK OF THE DEAD by Patricia Cornwell, EXIT GHOST by Philip Roth, NOW AND THEN: A Spenser Novel by Robert B. Parker, PANDORA'S DAUGHTER by Iris Johansen and PROTECT AND DEFEND by Vince Flynn.
Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, FaithfulReader.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.
The Book Report Network
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