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November 2, 2007

Bookreporter.com Newsletter

November 2, 2007

This Week on Bookreporter.com

Turn Back the Clocks for an Extra Hour of Reading!

Announcing Our Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest on Bookreporter.com! Our First Title: WHERE ANGELS GO by Debbie Macomber

New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Steve Berry, Author of THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: J.D. Robb Celebrates the Release of the 25th Book in Her In Death Series

Now in Stores: PROTECT AND DEFEND by Vince Flynn

Now in Stores: MY GRANDFATHER'S SON by Clarence Thomas

Now in Stores: EVERLASTING by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Kyle Mills, Author of DARKNESS FALLS

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: John Lutz, Author of IN FOR THE KILL

Featured One to Watch Author: Marie Bostwick, Author of ON WINGS OF THE MORNING

Now in Stores: THE HOUSE OF LANYON by Valerie Anand

Books into Movies for November and December

This Week's Reviews and Features

Poll and Question of the Week: Spending Money on Books

Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- TWO Prizes

Quick Links to Features On The Book Report Network
 
Bookreporter.com
Past Reviews
Can't See the Graphics? Read This Newsletter Online
Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight Promotion
Debut Suspense/Thriller One to Watch Promotion
Mystery Mayhem Promotion

Historical Fiction Promotion

One to Watch Promotion
Books Into Movies
Bestseller Lists
Coming Soon
New in Paperback
ReadingGroupGuides.com

Summer Beach Bag of Books Promotion

Turn Back the Clocks for an Extra Hour of Reading!

There are times I feel like I spend my life packing and unpacking. Sunday I leave for a conference in Chicago for a few days and come back late Tuesday. I head to the Miami Book Fair on Wednesday night. This time I am bringing the boys who have a few days off from school. It will be their first trip to the Fair, and I am looking forward to sharing it with them. 

Cory wants to see Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson since he loves their Peter and the Starcatchers series. Greg wants to meet Patricia Schultz, the author of 1,000 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE, since he has been checking off the locations in the book with a vengeance. I have a whole roster of authors who I want to see. Both Greg and Cory want to see the Rock Bottom Remainders, the band with Barry, Pearson, Turow and whatever other authors seem to be in town. I also want to take them to some of my favorite Miami haunts. I am looking forward to this. If any of you are going to be at the Fair, let me know. I would love to catch up with you!

Well, as the last trick-or-treater walked up the driveway I thought....here come the holidays! My workshop here at the house already is in full holiday swing. We intend to get you in the mood as we kick off the first week of our Holiday Basket of Cheer contests. Each week we will award a basket to one of five lucky winners. What's in the basket? Two copies of the week's featured title, all of which would make great holiday gifts --- one to read and one to give. Also, packed inside are some of my favorite holiday treats, including Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix, hand-cut marshmallows, Chewy Peps candies and cinnamon sticks --- and a cranberry/orange candle from Illuminations. I spent part of last weekend shopping for these baskets and found some really fun things to tuck inside. See our feature and enter the contest here.

Our latest Suspense/Thriller author is Steve Berry, who we have embraced here at Bookreporter.com since his very first book. His latest thriller, THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL, will be in stores on December 11th. I am deep into this one, where an ancient riddle could hold the key to either saving or destroying millions. It's signature Berry for those of you who are fans. For those who have not yet discovered him, you are in for a treat. 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.

On Tuesday J.D. Robb's CREATION IN DEATH, the 25th title in her In Death series, will be in stores. Our advance readers are raving about this one, and you can read their feedback here. Alex, our Promotion Assistant, who has been opening the mail with these entries, loved the one from the reader who spirited her family off to McDonald's since she did not want to stop reading to cook dinner. Hey, I have done my fair share of takeout and ordering in to allow for extra reading time! We all have been enjoying this series, thus it's nice to see the great reaction from these advance readers!

I had the pleasure of meeting Vince Flynn this summer at the International Thriller Writers Conference. His presentation was wildly fun as he talked about spending time with both Presidents Bush and Clinton on separate occasions. Joe Hartlaub, our reviewer, gave his new book, PROTECT AND DEFEND, a huge rave, and you can read the review here. A few years ago I met Clarence Thomas and his wife at a publishing party. Virginia and I had a nice chat as I gave her ideas for books for his great nephew who was living with them. We have a review by Donna Volkenannt of MY GRANDFATHER'S SON, Thomas's memoir, which you can read here.

For those of you who are wondering...Halloween around our house was a huge success. There was scary music, flickering lights, pumpkins in the windows and the ghost costume on my younger son was a huge success. My friend Cathy and I looked appropriately scary in our witch costumes. My older son decided at the last moment to pull together a costume and went as a race car driver. My husband stayed behind as we walked the 'hood trick-or-treating so he could hand out candy. He too was dressed  --- as one of the Blues Brothers. I think he just wanted an excuse not to shave. At one point all five of us were there when the doorbell rang with trick-or-treaters, and I think we blew them away. It was not what they expected.

Well, this weekend "turn back the hands of time" as Standard time rolls back into town. As usual I have about 24 ways to spend this hour. Hmmmm...wonder how many words I can read in an hour? You enjoy your extra 60 minutes! Have a great week.

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

 

Announcing Our Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest on Bookreporter.com! Our First Title: WHERE ANGELS GO by Debbie Macomber

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 will spotlight a different title, and readers will have the chance to win one of five holiday baskets 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 will also include festive wrapping paper to make the gift-giving hassle-free.

This week our featured title is WHERE ANGELS GO by Debbie Macomber. Our Holiday Basket of Cheer is a woven basket stocked with holiday-themed items. Along with two copies of WHERE ANGELS GO 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, a festive wooden bowl with a snowman and a delicious cookie in a holiday-themed tin.

To enter to win, answer the question below:

What does Harry want to do for his wife before he dies?

You can find the answer by reading an excerpt here.


WHERE ANGELS GO by Debbie Macomber (Fiction)
Those irascible angels --- Shirley, Goodness and Mercy --- are back and up to their old mischievous meddling in WHERE ANGELS GO, a sweet Christmas tale that is guaranteed to lift your spirits and charm your socks off. Fans of the angelic trio’s previous appearances in THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS, TOUCHED BY ANGELS and A SEASON OF ANGELS won’t want to miss this latest escapade. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

-Click here to read a review of WHERE ANGELS GO.
-Read more about Debbie Macomber and WHERE ANGELS GO here.


 
Click here to read all the details of our Holiday Basket of Cheer feature.

 

New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Steve Berry, Author of THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL

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.

 

Click here to read more about Steve Berry and THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL.


 

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: J.D. Robb Celebrates the Release of the 25th Book in Her In Death Series

J.D. Robb, aka Nora Roberts, has written over 100 books in her illustrious career. On November 6th, CREATION IN DEATH, the 25th installment in her bestselling In Death series, will be released. As Eve Dallas --- a lieutenant in the New York Police and Security Department --- hunts for a killer known as “The Groom,” who plagued the city nine years earlier, she realizes that this new wave of attacks is becoming alarmingly personal.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from CREATION IN DEATH.
-Click here to read fast facts about J.D. Robb.
-Click here to read J.D. Robb’s bio.
-Click here to see J.D. Robb's backlist.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.JDRobb.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
-Click here to see advance readers' comments for CREATION IN DEATH.

More about CREATION IN DEATH:
NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of a near-future New York City safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted by those she couldn't save --- and the killers she couldn't capture. When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier. When it becomes apparent that a gruesome killer known as “The Groom” has returned, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all.

 

Click here to read more about J.D. Robb and CREATION IN DEATH.


 
Now in Stores: PROTECT AND DEFEND by Vince Flynn
PROTECT AND DEFEND by Vince Flynn (Political Thriller)
New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn returns with another explosive political thriller featuring CIA operative Mitch Rapp. PROTECT AND DEFEND delivers an all-too-realistic and utterly compelling vision of nations navigating the minefield of international intrigue. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read an excerpt from PROTECT AND DEFEND.

 

Click here to read a review of PROTECT AND DEFEND.


 

Now in Stores: MY GRANDFATHER'S SON by Clarence Thomas

MY GRANDFATHER’S SON: A Memoir by Clarence Thomas (Memoir)
Clarence Thomas is a complex man who rose from a life of poverty in the segregated Deep South to become an associate justice on the United States Supreme Court. In his candid memoir, Justice Thomas chronicles his journey and pays tribute to the one real hero in his life --- his maternal grandfather, whom he calls “Daddy.” Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt.

-Click here to read an excerpt from MY GRANDFATHER’S SON.

 

Click here to read a review of MY GRANDFATHER'S SON.


 
Now in Stores: EVERLASTING by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
EVERLASTING by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (Historical Romance)
From her first novel, THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER, to her last, EVERLASTING, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (1939-2007) wrote about mesmerizing, strong-minded heroines and sexy, brave heroes who were drawn to each other with one look and bound to each other through their everlasting love. The danger Lady Abrielle faces in medieval England and Scotland is portrayed by Woodiwiss with an epic cinematic elegance and a harsh reality that romances the knight in shining armor to all eternity. Reviewed by Hillary Wagy.

-Click here to read an excerpt from EVERLASTING.
-Visit Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’s website, www.kathleenewoodiwiss.com.

 

Click here to read a review of EVERLASTING.


 

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Kyle Mills, Author of DARKNESS FALLS

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.

We have 20 copies of DARKNESS FALLS 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 9th.

-Click here to read Kyle Mills’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.KyleMills.com.

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.


 

Click here to read more about Kyle Mills and DARKNESS FALLS.


 
Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: John Lutz, Author of IN FOR THE KILL
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 an 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.

 

Click here to read more about John Lutz and IN FOR THE KILL.


 

Featured One to Watch Author: Marie Bostwick, Author of ON WINGS OF THE MORNING

Marie Bostwick’s FIELDS OF GOLD introduced readers to Eva Glennon, the young woman from Oklahoma who finds love while America fights a great war. In her new book, ON WINGS OF THE MORNING (which is now available in stores), Bostwick tells the story of Eva’s son Morgan and delivers a captivating tale about love while the country faces its greatest challenge --- World War II.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from ON WINGS OF THE MORNING.
-Click here to read Marie Bostwick’s bio.
-Click here to see Marie Bostwick's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for Marie Bostwick.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.MarieBostwick.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about ON WINGS OF THE MORNING:
Morgan Glennon always dreamed of being a pilot like his father. Soon after he enlists as a Navy pilot, America goes to war. Watching his friends fall in battle robs Morgan of the joy he always felt in the air. It will take one very unusual woman to help him get it back...

 

Click here to read more about Marie Bostwick and ON WINGS OF THE MORNING.


 

Now in Stores: THE HOUSE OF LANYON by Valerie Anand

THE HOUSE OF LANYON by Valerie Anand (Historical Fiction)
When two ambitious families occupy the same patch of English soil, rivalry takes root and flourishes. Minor hurts, nursed by jealousy, fester into hatred, and the price for this wild and beautiful piece of ground will take more than three generations to settle.

A tale of jealousy, family rivalry and forbidden love has never been this delicious…

Pick up your copy today!

 

Click here to read more about THE HOUSE OF LANYON.

 
Books into Movies for November and December

Now that November is finally here, there is much to look forward to --- frosty weather, belt-busting festive meals and a fantastic lineup of buzzworthy movies perfect for the end-of-the-year blockbuster holiday season. With such an influx of literary adaptations hitting the box office, we thought we’d get ahead in this latest Books into Movies feature and spotlight all of the upcoming films in the next couple of months based on some of our favorite reads --- ranging from Stephen King’s eerie exploration of the darker side of human nature in The Mist to four movies that literary fiction lovers are highly anticipating: The Kite Runner, Love in the Time of Cholera, Atonement and No Country for Old Men.

 

Click here to read our Books into Movies feature.


 

This Week's Reviews and Features

THE RACE by Richard North Patterson (Political Thriller)
Richard North Patterson’s latest thriller is a vivid and sometimes frightening depiction of contemporary power politics. Corey Grace, the handsome and charismatic senator from Ohio, is a candidate for the Republican nomination for President. His primary opponents are the party favorite and a leader for the Christian right. What unfolds is an intimate portrait of modern political campaigning with many twists and turns. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE RACE.

NOW & THEN: A Spenser Novel by Robert B. Parker (Mystery)
Spenser returns in his 35th novel by Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Robert B. Parker. The wisecracking but sensitive Boston PI takes on an open-and-shut case of marital infidelity that escalates into something a lot more sinister when the couple is murdered. And he must deal with some unresolved issues in his personal life. Reviewed by Tom Callahan.

-Click here to read an excerpt from NOW & THEN.

THE AGE OF TURBULENCE: Adventures in a New World by Alan Greenspan (Memoir)
Here we learn all about the political, personal, educational and social histories of one of America’s greatest economists. Alan Greenspan worked as an economic advisor to several presidents, starting with Richard Nixon, and his acquaintances --- both professional and personal --- reach into the hundreds. Whether you are an economics buff or just looking for a great memoir, THE AGE OF TURBULENCE will certainly satisfy. Reviewed by Marge Fletcher.

LOOK ME IN THE EYE: My Life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robison (Memoir)
John Elder Robison’s memoir tells the moving, darkly funny story of growing up with Asperger’s at a time when the diagnosis simply didn’t exist. Robison takes you inside the head of a boy whom teachers and other adults regarded as “defective,” who could not avail himself of KISS’s endless supply of groupies, and who still has a peculiar aversion to using people’s given names. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THE DILEMMA by Penny Vincenzi (Fiction)
Audiences in the United States finally have discovered British author Penny Vincenzi's blockbuster sagas of family, wealth, love and betrayal. Now her debut novel, THE DILEMMA, has been published in the U.S. at last, and fans both new and old will not be disappointed. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

A FREE LIFE by Ha Jin (Fiction)
From Ha Jin, the award-winning author of WAITING and WAR TRASH, comes a novel that takes his fiction to a new setting: 1990s America. We follow the Wu family --- father Nan, mother Pingping and son Taotao --- as they fully sever their ties with China in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and begin a new, free life in the United States. Reviewed by Jamie Layton.

NIGHT WORK by Steve Hamilton (Thriller)
It's been two years since Joe Trumbull’s fiance, Laurel, was brutally murdered. On a hot summer night, he's finally going out on a blind date, his first date since Laurel's death. Marlene Frost is a beautiful, warm and funny woman, and Joe is thinking that perhaps this will turn out to be one of the best things that ever happened to him. He couldn't be more wrong. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE DEATH TRUST
by David Rollins
(Thriller)
As shocking as today’s headlines, this internationally bestselling thriller plunges readers into the revelation of a terrifying conspiracy that begins with a sniper’s bullet on a routine patrol in Iraq and leads all the way back to the White House --- where the ultimate betrayal of trust is being played out. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE STAR GARDEN: A Novel of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy E. Turner (Fiction)
Award-winning author Nancy E. Turner created Sarah Agnes Prine, the indomitable, unschooled heroine of THESE IS MY WORDS. In THE STAR GARDEN, Sarah is now the widowed mother of two young men whose zest for life and zeal for learning epitomizes the spirit that embodied the frontier women of the late 19th century. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

 

Read this week's reviews and features here.


 

Poll and Question of the Week: Spending Money on Books

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.

 

Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- TWO Prizes

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.

 

Need more details about Word of Mouth? Click here.

 

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. J
essica 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.

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