June 18, 2010

It was a Catholic school and it was run very strictly. We had endless nun stories and recalled “The Black Book” in Sister Adrian’s office noting demerits. There was one teacher in 6th grade, Mrs. Bulmer, who had kids write the Bill of Rights when they misbehaved. Often more than once. One of my classmates told the story of how there were some boys who used to pre-write them since they knew they were going to get in trouble. VERY amusing. I recalled tying in the first grade summer reading contest with a girl named Sandra and winning a doll. My mom found it in the attic a few years ago, and I have it here at my house now. I guess I always was destined to do what I am doing now.

Wednesday night I went to see Carole King and James Taylor with my husband and some close friends. Beverley and I have known each other since my days at Mademoiselle magazine where I worked from the time I left college until the mid-'90s. The music was incredible, both artists sounded great, and I remembered every song and every lyric. And so did everyone else in Madison Square Garden. The concert tour is a re-creation of an event they did at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1970. They managed to make a large arena into a really intimate place with some staging techniques that completely worked; I read how they worked to achieve this after the show here.

Beverley and I were completely in awe of Carole dancing, jumping and hopping on the stage in four-inch (at least) heels. We both noticed those at the same time. Once at a fashion magazine, you notice things like that and the silver shoes on the backup singer as much as you hear the music. By the way, I have had a bone to pick with Carole since 1970. When Tapestry came out, people started asking me if my name had an “e” at the end. Before that no one asked me. Each time I am asked today at an author signing or another event “with an e or without?” I think….if it wasn’t for Carole King!

Tuesday night I attended the book party for SCOUT, ATTICUS & BOO: A Celebration of Fifty Years of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Mary McDonaugh Murphy, who's pictured above. There I ran into Adriana Trigiani, who has written one of the chapters in the book. We, as always, caught up, dished on what we are working on --- and joked around. She introduced me to Roseanne Cash, whose memoir, COMPOSED, will be released on August 10th. I nodded hello, and we all made some small talk while I was desperately trying to think of some intelligent question to ask Roseanne. I was trying to remember which Cash she was and decided it was better to just not embarrass myself by saying the wrong thing. You know those moments where you THINK it’s Johnny Cash’s daughter but you fear you are wrong, and you are asking some question about music to someone in, let’s say, finance. You may not understand, but trust me, not in context I can make such mistakes! Adriana and I are never at a loss for conversation, but later, when I Googled Roseanne, I realized, gee, that was an opportunity lost. I am looking forward to seeing Mary interviewed by Nancy Pearl in Washington, DC next weekend at the American Library Association Convention. The event is at 8 a.m.; I may need to sleep at the convention center to get there on time.

Speaking of the library convention, many of our readers know that I am quite passionate about libraries, especially in light of the funding cuts they are experiencing. I wanted to share a letter that was sent to authors last night asking for their support of libraries. It has some ways that they can get involved. As I re-read it last night, I realized that these ideas can also be done by readers, and as I know many of you are vocal and passionate, I had our production team post it and am sharing it with you here.

Please see how you can help and then forward this to your friends, post it on Facebook and other social media. And if you can attend the rally in DC on Tuesday, June 29th (just ONE way you can get involved), shoot me a note and we can try to meet up.

We have five new author features this week. First up is Gregg Hurwitz, one of my favorite thriller writers, whose upcoming book is THEY’RE WATCHING. I read an early galley of this back in February, and once again he had me at page one. Gregg then starts building a plot layered with details, twists, turns and emotions. I was lucky to catch up with him at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival in late April and am excited to be featuring him as he’s not just a gifted writer, but he’s a really nice guy, too.

I always tell Gregg that is the most un-Hollywood Hollywood guy I know, and in this book he takes readers inside the movie town with a tight story about a couple who is being stalked with eerie DVDs and video taken inside their own home. THEY’RE WATCHING won’t be in stores until July 6th, but we have 20 copies for readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it. Enter here by noon on Friday, June 25th. By the way, remember my gripe with the “e” in Carole? Well, I always wanted my son Greg to spell his name “Gregg,” which he outgrew around middle school. I still think it’s cooler.

Some of you may recall me RAVING about STILL MISSING by debut thriller writer Chevy Stevens when I read it last fall. In fact, many of you read this one when we offered a sneak peek to readers, giving them early bound manuscripts and letting them comment on it. Like me, just about all of you devoured this one in one or two sittings. This was such a great title to share so early, and I can’t wait to finally see it on the shelves. It’s about a realtor who is abducted from her open house and held captive for a year. The story is told in a series of psychiatric meetings with a huge twist at the end. STILL MISSING won’t be in stores until July 6th, but we have 20 copies for readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it. Enter here by noon on Friday, June 25th.

Our third Suspense/Thriller spotlight author is John Gilstrap, whose HOSTAGE ZERO brings back freelance hostage rescue operative Jonathan “Digger” Grave. We featured John’s debut, NO MERCY, last summer and got rave reviews from our advance readers. HOSTAGE ZERO has already garnered high praise from some of the best known suspense writers, including Jeffery Deaver, Harlan Coben and Tess Gerritsen. HOSTAGE ZERO starts with a hostage negotiation gone wrong, and leaving Grave at the center of a conspiracy that spans the globe and reaches the upper echelons of the government. HOSTAGE ZERO won’t be in stores until July 6th, but we have 20 copies for readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it. Enter here by noon on Friday, June 25th.

In our Romantic Suspense spotlight, we’re featuring Nancy Bush’s BLIND SPOT, about a criminal psychologist and a detective banding together to catch a sadistic killer. Nancy always makes a fast-paced read that keeps you guessing, which is perfect for this time of year. It must run in the family as her sister is New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson. I wonder what holidays at their house are like! BLIND SPOT won’t be in stores until June 29th, but we have 20 copies for readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it. Enter here by noon on Friday, June 25th.

Our latest Women’s Fiction feature is JoAnn Ross’s THE HOMECOMING, about a soldier returning from Afghanistan who is trying to piece his life back together. Although he’s being hailed as a hero, he’s conflicted about his role in the war as well as his fractured relationship with the sweetheart he left behind. THE HOMECOMING won’t be in stores until July 6th, but we have 20 copies for readers who would like to preview the book and comment on it. Enter here by noon on Friday, June 25th.

Our second Beach Bag of Books contest is entering its final week, but there’s still plenty of time to win. This round we’re featuring four titles --- THE ANGEL’S GAME by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, THE BEST OF TIMES by Penny Vincenzi, COMMENCEMENT by J. Courtney Sullivan and THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC by Richard Russo. Our five grand prize winners will receive a copy of each title as well as a stocked beach bag. Five runners-up will win copies of the books.

Our Father’s Day blog series wraps up this weekend with pieces from Karin Slaughter and Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Our piece today is from Robert Dugoni, whose BODILY HARM was one of our recent Suspense/Thriller features. He lost his dad on Father’s Day and shares a loving piece about the special final days with his father with us here. Tomorrow we get some insight into Karin Slaughter’s background as a reader, writer and author from her father, Howard. Karin frequently mentions her dad when she talks, so I invited her to have a moment to have her biggest lifelong fan –-- her dad --- share some stories about her. Karin’s next thriller, BROKEN, will be in stores June 22nd. Our Sunday piece comes from Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot of “The Miracle on the Hudson” flight last summer. He shares what it was like raising two very precocious girls and how he made up for being on the road, or in the air in this case, so often. Chesley's memoir about the Hudson River emergency landing, HIGHEST DUTY: My Search for What Really Matters, is in stores now.

Thanks to all the authors who were part of this feature. It has been a lovely way to celebrate the holiday. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. I am lucky to have mine, my own big cheerleader, still around cheering me on. My husband is thrilled the U.S. Open is airing this weekend. Father’s Day and the U.S. Open --- they go hand in hand at our house.

Nearly 600 readers responded to our poll asking “Has the release of the iPad changed your opinion about having an eReader?” The results were fairly even, with 28 percent saying their opinion had not changed, 24 percent saying they were uninterested in the iPad and 22 percent already owning an eReader. I guess we learned that the eReader debate wages on! Our latest poll asks "How many books are on your nightstand right now?" and you can vote here. Our companion question is "What are you currently reading? And what's up next?" and you can answer here. And, as always, you can become a fan of our Facebook page here and catch up on our daily posts here.

Our Word of Mouth books currently being featured are BROKEN by Karin Slaughter, ICE COLD: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel by Tess Gerritsen and SIZZLING SIXTEEN: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich. We’ll select five lucky winners to receive these titles just for making some recommendations here.

This week, I read this in the New York Times about THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST and the entire Millennium series, and it made me smile: “Independent booksellers, giddy over the bump in sales, said that many customers in their stores are just learning about the Millennium series for the first time. At Powell’s in Portland, Mr. Larsson’s books are selling so quickly --- at least 1,500 a week --- that the store’s grateful employees have given them a nickname. ‘We call them ‘The Girl Who’s Paying Our Salaries for the Next Few Months,’ said Gerry Donaghy, the new-book purchasing supervisor.” VERY amusing.

Child humor this week. Greg again is working with me in the city this summer, and getting him going in the morning is a challenge. He, like me, is not a morning person, but he, unlike me, is not adapting. Sooo all week it was a struggle for him to “get in the car NOW.” Well, Fridays I do not work in New York and typically Greg does not go in either. He’s taking a summer course at college in the city, and there was an exam today…at 1:30. At 7:15(!) this morning he yelled, “Goodbye, I am off to work.” I looked at my watch. I shook my head. Those of you with children completely understand.

Have a great week. Fete the fathers in your life, even tolerating the whispers coming from the announcers at the U.S. Open. The weather here is amazing, and thus for me it’s all about a book, a hammock and swimming some laps before I toss the Father’s Day steaks on the grill.

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

Chevy Stevens's debut novel, STILL MISSING, is one of the summer's most anticipated titles, garnering critical acclaim from several bestselling suspense/thriller authors. Stevens masterfully tells the story of a kidnapped woman, her escape, and the struggle to restart her life.

STILL MISSING is releasing on July 6th, but we have 20 copies 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, June 25th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from STILL MISSING.
-Click here to read Chevy Stevens’s bio.
-Click here to read critical praise for STILL MISSING.

More about STILL MISSING:
On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals --- sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape.
 

New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Gregg Hurwitz, Author of THEY'RE WATCHING

New Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Nancy Bush, Author of BLIND SPOT

A psychologist and a former detective put aside their personal and procedural differences to hunt a sadistic killer in Nancy Bush's forthcoming novel, BLIND SPOT. The duo tracks the killer, whose surviving victim is comatose, only to find the case leading them in a terrifying direction.

BLIND SPOT is releasing on June 29th, but we have 20 copies 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, June 25th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from BLIND SPOT.
-Click here to read Nancy Bush’s bio.
-Click here to see Nancy Bush’s backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for BLIND SPOT.
-Visit Nancy Bush’s official website, www.NancyBush.net.

More about BLIND SPOT:
The crime scene at an Oregon rest stop is brutal beyond belief --- a young man’s lifeless body cut to ribbons, and his pregnant girlfriend left alive but comatose. Psychologist Claire Norris is assigned to treat the survivor at a private mental hospital. But there are no clues to the identity of the catatonic “Jane Doe.” A difficult job only becomes more complicated with the arrival of ex-homicide detective Langdon Stone, who questions Claire’s every move. Reluctantly working together, Claire and Lang begin to unravel the chilling truth about a twisted case --- one with ties to a killer who is right in their midst, eager to see a mission of evil through to its terrifying end.
 

Hostage negotiator Jonathan Grave returns in John Gilstrap's latest political thriller, HOSTAGE ZERO. When a hostage situation takes a fatal turn, Grave finds himself entangled in the web of a global conspiracy that stretches from a remote corner of the world to the political elite.

HOSTAGE ZERO is releasing on July 6th, but we have 20 copies 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, June 25th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from HOSTAGE ZERO.
-Click here to read John Gilstrap’s bio.
-Click here to see John Gilstrap’s backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for HOSTAGE ZERO.
-Visit John Gilstrap’s official website, www.JohnGilstrap.com.

More about HOSTAGE ZERO:
Hostage rescue expert Jonathan Grave is used to working alone, and this time he’ll have to go where even the government won’t. An innocent man has been shot and two young people are missing. But tracking them down is just the beginning. To keep them and his covert team alive, Jonathan must plunge into the heart of an ugly secret whose insidious path reaches from one of the world’s most remote places into the highest corridors of power --- and he must defeat enemies who are willing to kill again and again to keep the truth from being revealed.
 

New Featured Women's Fiction Author: JoAnn Ross, Author of THE HOMECOMING

Hailed as a war hero upon his return from Afghanistan, Sax Douchett feels just the opposite in JoAnn Ross's tender new novel, THE HOMECOMING. Conflicted about his role in the war and returning to the woman he's secretly loved for years, Douchett faces serous decisions about his past, present and future.

THE HOMECOMING is releasing on July 6th, but we have 20 copies 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, June 25th at noon ET.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE HOMECOMING.
-Click here to read JoAnn Ross’s bio.
-Click here to see JoAnn Ross’s backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE HOMECOMING.

More about THE HOMECOMING:
Former Navy SEAL Sax Douchett has returned home to the small coastal town of Shelter Bay, Oregon, determined to put war behind him and get on with his life --- which is easier said than done when everyone is hailing the former bad boy as a local hero. Adjusting to a new beginning becomes even more difficult when he unearths a long-buried secret that reunites him with a cherished part of his past that he’s never forgotten.
 

Great Books for Dad and Father's Day Author Blogs

Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and inspired us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? From May 28th through June 14th, readers had the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Father’s Day Cooler Tote Bags. Although the contest has ended, we encourage you to take a look at our 12 featured titles, as they make perfect gift suggestions for the dad in your life.

- COOP: A Family, a Farm, and the Pursuit of One Good Egg by Michael Perry
- CRAZY FOR THE STORM: A Memoir of Survival by Norman Ollestad
- DON’T LET ME GO: What My Daughter Taught Me About the Journey Every Parent Must Make by David W. Pierce
- THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST by Stieg Larsson
- LOSING MY COOL: How a Father’s Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture by Thomas Chatterton Williams
- MANHOOD FOR AMATEURS: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Father, Husband and Son by Michael Chabon
- NORTH BY NORTHWESTERN: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters by Captain Sig Hansen and Mark Sundeen
- THE PACIFIC by Hugh Ambrose
- RAIDERS FROM THE NORTH: Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford
- THE SELECTED WORKS OF T.S. SPIVET by Reif Larsen
- SHOP CLASS AS SOULCRAFT: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford
- UNFINISHED BUSINESS: One Man’s Extraordinary Year of Trying to Do the Right Things by Lee Kravitz

-Click here to read more about our featured titles.
-Click here to see our Father's Day Contest winners.

We’ve also been celebrating Father’s Day with some of our author friends in our first ever Father’s Day blog series. We’ll be sharing a variety of pieces --- both entertaining and emotional ---- from a diverse list of authors through Father's Day. Similar to our Mother’s Day Month blog series, our Father’s Day series serves to celebrate dad, and our contributors have done that with equal parts of wit and wisdom.

Included are exclusive excerpts from Michael Chabon and Bruce Feiler from their memoirs on fatherhood, as well as original pieces from Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, Karin Slaughter and more.

We suggest you bookmark this page or set up an RSS feed so you can read these pieces every day!

-Click here to read our Father’s Day Author Blogs.

 

Whether your "beach" is on sand, your backyard deck, or a grassy meadow in the country, the summer months mean it's time for "beach reading." Bookreporter.com is celebrating the lazy days of summer reading with our Sixth Annual Bookreporter.com Beach Bag of Books feature and contests.

During select weeks from May 28th through September 3rd, we will highlight a different book or collection of books from these featured titles with a contest prize --- a beach bag stocked with the featured book(s) and summertime essentials. Five FABULOUS beach bags will be given away each week, as well as five copies of the featured book(s) to additional winners.

Our current featured Beach Bag titles are:

-THE ANGEL'S GAME by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
-THE BEST OF TIMES by Penny Vincenzi
-COMMENCEMENT by J. Courtney Sullivan
-THAT OLD CAPE MAGIC by Richard Russo
 

Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Carla Neggers, Author of THE WHISPER

Bestselling romantic suspense author Carla Neggers is back with THE WHISPERA>, a spellbinding tale of suspense, romance and murder that plays out across two continents. An archaeologist and a police officer find themselves entangled in a bizarre hunt for a killer leaving ancient Celtic clues behind.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from THE WHISPER.
-Click here to read Carla Neggers's bio.
-Click here to see Carla Neggers's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE WHISPER.
-Visit Carla Neggers's official website, www.CarlaNeggers.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE WHISPER:
Boston detective Cyrus “Scoop” Wisdom is after a bomber until archaeologist Sophie Malone unknowingly leads him to a retired officer’s body and symbols of ritual sacrifice, possibly linked to priceless artifacts she uncovered in Ireland a year ago. Tough and stubborn, Scoop is the best on the force at detecting lies…except maybe those of Sophie Malone. Together Sophie and Scoop face the greatest challenge of their lives: Someone is using ancient rituals to commit modern-day murder --- and the killing has only just begun.
 

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Dana Haynes's debut, CRASHERS, follows an investigative unit from the National Transportation Safety Board in the wake of a plane crash. A taut, suspenseful thriller, CRASHERS (which releases on June 22nd) announces a new, exciting voice in the genre.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from CRASHERS.
-Click here to read Dana Haynes's bio.
-Click here to read critical praise for CRASHERS.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about CRASHERS:
Whenever a plane goes down in the USA, a "Go Team" made up of experts is assembled by the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate. Those people --- each of them a leading expert in a specific area --- are known informally as "Crashers." CRASHERS is a fresh and utterly compelling thriller, an original mix of action, investigation and a brilliant cast of characters that grabs the reader in a way few novels can and fewer do.
 

Sharyn McCrumb returns with THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS, the latest in her award-winning Ballad series. Combining fact and fiction, McCrumb creates a gripping, atmospheric read about a murder trial in a small Appalachian town. THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS releases on June 22nd.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS.
-Click here to read Sharyn McCrumb's bio.
-Click here to see Sharyn McCrumb's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS:
In 1935, when Erma Morton, a beautiful young woman with a teaching degree, is charged with the murder of her father in a remote Virginia mountain community, the case becomes a cause célèbre for the national press. A stunning return to the lands, ballads and characters upon which she made her name, THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS is a testament to Sharyn McCrumb’s lyrical and evocative writing.