FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on covers or links here may result in monetary compensation.
Title: City of Veils
Author: Zoe Ferraris
ISBN-13: 9780316074278
ARC: 389 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of City of Veils was provided by the publisher for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Zoe Ferraris' City of Veils is a simple enough whodunnit--there's the victim, the victim's family and friends, and the investigators. What makes this more than just another whodunnit is its setting--in the Saudi city of Jeddah. Where women's movement and activities are limited, the police investigator's first thought is that the battered body found on the beach belongs to a housemaid--they're numerous, often abused, and without much recourse.
Then they find out that the victim--Leila--is outspoken, rebellious, and an aspiring film-maker who's been filming the not-so-pretty side of life in Jeddah. In a world where women can't do anything without a man (& not just any man, but a relative), part of the appeal of City of Veils was the figuring out of how Leila managed to maneuver herself into the situations she filmed--and whether her filming had anything to do with her death.
One of the other players in this story is Miriam, whose bodyguard-for-hire husband goes missing just as she returns from a visit home to America. The pages describing her experience at the airport (a room in the airport for Unclaimed Women!) really punctuate how different their world is from the West. And the description of Miriam's attempt to move while wearing the burka highlights how restrictive the simple day-to-day stuff is for someone who's used to much more freedom--not just in dress and verbal expression, but also in movement.
Tying Leila's death and Miriam's story together is the investigative "team"--the detective, Osama Ibrahim; the coroner's assistant, Katya Hijazi; and her friend, Nayir Sharqi. In the course of this story, Nayir's strict views on the edicts of Islam is tempered by his exposure to Osama's morebalanced interpretation, and he realizes that when so much is expected of women, men must step up too.
Religion, murder, and mayhem combine into an engrossing mystery in City of Veils.
Title: Rules of Betrayal (Jonathan Ransom #3)
Author: Christopher Reich
ISBN-13: 9780385531542
Hardcover: 372 pages
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Rules of Betrayal was provided by the publisher for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
I wonder how it is that I've never read Christopher Reich before. Especially since I picked up Rules of Betrayal, whilst half-awake due to lack of sleep because my son's been up coughing for the last 4 nights, just to read a few chapters before I took a quick nap so I could get through the rest of the evening. And I could NOT put it down. So, thanks, Christopher--I'm now even more sleep-deprived than I was a few hours ago (no, I never made it to the nap).
In Rules of Betrayal, Jonathan Ransom is doing the do-gooder thing (to make up for the not-so-good things he's done in his past), treating the sick in Afghanistan, when he is kidnapped by a local warlord-slash-druglord-slash-all-'round-bad-guy. Not for money, oh no. But to heal his father, a top-of-everybody's-terrorist-list bad guy. Guess it runs in the family. However, through no fault of Jonathan's, bad guy's dad is offed while he's there. And he gets dragged heels kicking into the world of international espionage.
Not that he had much choice. Especially since the poor guy still loves his wife, an infamous spy herself. Never mind that he has no clue where she's at or what she's doing. Which is a good thing, since what she's doing is pretty dangerous, and a girl could get herself plenty hurt at it. Anyhoo.
The plot is tight with the usual cast of characters you'd expect in a spy thriller. Hero? Check. Lost love interest? Check. New girl interest? Check. Bad guys galore? Check. Some sort of weapon that could blow us all into a gajillion bits? Check. Double-crosses and twists and turns? Definitely. And, of course, spies galore. And while at times I could just imagine Matt Damon as Jonathan (who couldn't, after watching Damon in the Bourne movies?), I found that reading Mr. Reich is definitely less heavy on prose and more to the point than reading Mr. Van Lustbader. After all, who needs to wander all over Pakistan on a mule when you can just ride in a Humvee?
Thriller fans should pick this up. Or better yet, win it--read on!
drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good
Challenges: 100+, Pub
Giveaway!
Thanks to the awesome folks at Doubleday, I have two copies of Rules of Betrayal up for grabs, if you're a US resident (no PO Boxes, please!). To enter, comment and tell me you're a GFC follower--I'm shamelessly promoting my blog! Include an email address where you can be reached. +1 entry if you tweet (comment separately with the tweet link, please). +1 entry if you blog or link in your sidebar (comment separately with the link, please). Do it before 6:00pm CST August 18th. Good luck!
Holy wow, it's August. Yikes!! The year's running out faster than I can catch up to my TBR pile. But enough about me. This month, y'all lucky ducks are going to enjoy the company of Stephen Parrish, a pretty darn funny dude who writes. Yes, I said "dude". Come and meet Stephen... and stay for the giveaway!!
About Stephen:
A gemologist and cartographer by training, Stephen Parrish has married his love of both along with a dose of mystery, into his debut novel The Tavernier Stones.
The Interview: drey:Hello Stephen! I’m glad you’re visiting drey’s library in August as my Featured Author! A big “thank you” to Aerin (of In Search of Giants) for the introduction to Stephen. Let’s get started, shall we?
FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
When did you know you wanted to be an author? What were you doing?
Stephen:I was in my early teens, a heavy reader of novels, and I happened to say to my mom, "Wouldn't it be cool to write one of these things?" And she answered that doing so was just a matter of choice. That struck me, because I'd never really thought of writers as having ever been muggles, but it's true.
drey:Tell us about The Tavernier Stones. And how long has the story been percolating before you let it out?
Stephen:A lost cache of priceless gems. A global race to find them. And lots of steamy sex. Actually hardly any sex at all, but there's nothing stopping readers from having some while reading the book.
The story nagged me for four years before I finally relented and put words to paper. I believe that's how all novel ideas should make the cut: when the author has no place else to hide.
drey:Can you share your first sale experience with us?
Stephen:The editor sent me a message discussing timetables for publication. I showed the message to a couple of writer friends who assured me it was, indeed, an offer.
drey:Who and/or what inspires your writing? How do you get from idea to pages?
Stephen:Fear. Fear of eternal anonymity, of an unmarked grave, of becoming dust scattered by fickle and indifferent winds. Also money.
I write very sloppily: I put things down just for the sake of filling blank space, then I cut what I don't like. I do a lot of cutting, so much in fact it's probably fair to say I cut stories rather than write them.
drey:What do you indulge in when not writing?
Stephen:Painting is my second love, and I especially enjoy painting with my daughter. But since she's now in her mid-teens she doesn't have much time for me anymore. So most of my not-writing time nowadays is spent not-not-writing.
drey:Do you have a favorite accompaniment to chocolate?
Stephen:Red wine. Ignore connoisseurs who say the two don't go well together.
drey:What? Who says they don't go together?? Some people have no taste (buds?). Sheesh.
Screen versions of your book: If The Tavernier Stones was to be transferred to film, who would be on your dream team?
Stephen:Aerin selected Brendan Fraser to play the role of John Graf, so that deal is pretty much inked, even if Brendan doesn't know about it. I should add that Aerin covets him in the biblical way, therefore her motives don't necessarily serve cinemagraphic art.
drey:LMAO! Aerin, honey, you've been busted. *grin*
Smackdown: Your two favorite characters face off in the ring. Who are they, which one wins, and why?
Stephen:I'll take this opportunity to plug a couple of my friends' books. Daisy Lockhart from PLUM BLOSSOMS IN PARIS, by Sarah Hina, takes on Kate Darby from FREUDIAN SLIP, by Erica Orloff. They wrestle naked in oil. What was your question?
drey:Sigh. Boys and their wrestling... But, WHO WINS?? Or is that going to be a topic for another day?
Electronic readers are becoming more affordable and available. There's been quite a bit of discussion about their impact on paper books, the environment, people's reading & buying habits... What's your take?
Stephen:I suppose the conclusion that ebooks will eventually dominate is inescapable, but there's going to be at least one serious downside. I grew up in a house full of books. It was inevitable that I would love to have them all around me when I got a house of my own. It was likewise inevitable that my daughter inherit the passion, and even the ambition to write. Can you imagine future generations claiming their love for literature was born of seeing an e-reader on the coffee table?
There is no better wall decoration than a shelf of books. Merely gazing at them brings pleasure, merely entering a library inspires awe for the intellectual wealth of our civilization.
drey:On the publishing side--what do you think publishers and authors ought to do about the digital revolution? Jump in wholeheartedly, and blaze the path for others to follow? Watch from the sidelines till there's some consensus on what the new business model is going to be for the digital age? Cross their fingers that this is all just a fad & will blow over soon? Name one thing publishers could improve in regards to eBooks.
Stephen:Tavernier hasn't been made into an ebook yet, and I think that's a mistake. I'd prefer to give customers a choice of all formats at once. One lesson I learned as a jewelry salesman was to sell the customers while they were in the store. Otherwise they got run over by the be-back bus. An impulse buyer who wants an ebook isn't likely to keep checking back to see if yours is finally available.
drey:Hear, hear. Not all readers are as fanatical as I am about checking back to see if their favorite books are available in e-format..
What are you looking forward to next?
Stephen:Getting the beta reads back on my second novel. Selling it. Glory.
To bring this to a close, the Proust-lite:
What is your idea of earthly happiness? Peace of mind.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Regret for things not done.
Who is/are your favorite hero/heroine(s) in fiction? Those, like Huckleberry Finn, I got to know when I was young.
What is/are your favorite hero/heroine(s) in real life? At the risk of being unoriginal, Abraham Lincoln.
What sound do you love? My daughter's laughter. And the rain.
What sound do you hate? My daughter crying.
The quality you admire most in a man? Intelligence and self esteem.
The quality you admire most in a woman? Lots of intelligence and lots of self esteem.
If not a writer, you would be a ... Cartographer.
What is your favorite swear word? Boner! As in, that's what this interview gave me! Thanks Drey!
How do you enter? Easy peasy. Comment and tell us what your favorite cover is out of the five. Don't forget to include your email address. This one's open to US residents only. Do it by 6:00pm CST August 25th!
ps: Want extra entries? Comment (separately!) with a knock-knock joke. They're apparently hard to come by in Germany.
Title: Fragile Eternity (Wicked Lovely #3)
Author: Melissa Marr
ISBN-13: 9780061214714
Hardcover: 389 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: Fragile Eternity came for a visit from my local library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Ah, Seth. Aislinn finally confess her feelings for him, just as she takes Keenan's test for Summer Queen. And passes. So now he has the girl, but he has to share her with the entire Summer Court. Which probably doesn't rankle as much as the fact that Keenan is King of said court. Tired of feeling left out, knowing that Keenan's just waiting for Seth's mortality to take its toll, Seth decides to take matters into his own hands and goes looking for the only faery who can give him what he wants most--to be immortal, so he can stay with Aislinn forever.
While he's gone, however, the balance between Keenan, Aislinn, and Donia starts to fray. And what Seth is most afraid of--losing Aislinn--might well happen because he's not there for her.
This third book in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series focuses more on the complicated knots around Seth and Aislinn, Aislinn and Keenan, Keenan and Donia, and Niall and the other three regents. And all around them, Bananach weaves her web for war and discord. Radiant Shadows is up on the "reading" block, but only after I'm done with a few others that're waiting for review. So many books, so little time!
Title: Another One Bites the Dust (Jaz Parks #2)
Author: Jennifer Rardin
ISBN-13: 9780316020572
Paperback: 318 pages
Publisher: Orbit, 2007
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Another One Bites the Dust came from the library after I picked up Once Bitten, Twice Shy and enjoyed it. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Can I start by saying I love the cover? I mean, how totally simple is that?? And the blood droplets... The perfect finishing touch! *grin*
Anyway. Another One Bites the Dust picks up with Jaz's next mission. This time she's tracking down a missing armor that was stolen from a super-secret military testing center, along with a super-villain who's trying to achieve dragonhood (dragondom?). The usual hijinks ensues, and this time it's boosted with extra ampage from a cast of characters who're still trying to get used to the fact that they're all working together. Of course, the bad guys all lead back to the uber-baddie on the CIA's list, so Jaz and gang have to try to neutralize the threat, retrieve the armor, and find someone who'll lead her to the top of the baddie pile-up. All without getting killed by her dreams of her past. Whew. The girl knows how to stay busy, huh?
I like Jaz. I like that she's trying to deal with her loss and with the realization gained at the end of Once Bitten, Twice Shy (I can't tell you what it is, it's a dead giveaway if you haven't read the former)... I like that she makes mistakes, but tries to think fast enough on her feet to remedy any ill effects if she can. I like her interactions with those she loves, and I love her interactions with those she loathes. If you're looking for an easy-to-read series with a character who'll make you laugh out loud, pick up Jennifer Rardin's Jaz Parks books. I'm going to track down #3.
Hoo boy, do I have a hot (and by that I mean HOT!) giveaway for you today!! Thanks to Hachette Book Group, here is a five-pack of sizzling hot reads for 3 of you lucky ducks!
The books
'Cuz I'm pretty darn sure you want to know what the books are, right? Right? Well, here they are:
FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only, no PO Boxes please!
To enter, comment and let me know that you're a GFC follower (which means that you MUST be a GFC follower to enter!).
Make sure your entry has your email address for me to contact you. If you forgot one or the other and need to put in another comment, please delete the invalid comment.
Do any or all of the following for extra entries. Please place each activity in its own comment.
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Today's spotlight is on a debut novel from the very lovely Sarah Hina, whom Aerin of In Search of Giants got me in touch with...
Daisy Lockhart is a searcher. She just doesn’t know it yet.
Burdened with an unlikely name by her father, a preeminent Henry James scholar, Daisy is a tightly wound grad student on her way to fulfilling the American dream. When her boyfriend breaks up with her, though, Daisy succumbs to the vertigo of uncertainty for the first time in a scripted life.
Embracing the plunge, Daisy flees. Her namesake chose Rome; Daisy Lockhart settles on the celestial city: Paris.
There, Daisy finds a soft landing in the arms of Mathieu. An impassioned writer, Mathieu has been rocked by the recent death of his mother, who left him for her American dream when he was a boy. Reeling from the loss, he latches onto Daisy with a fierce commitment that exhilarates, and suffocates, her.
Over a golden autumn day, Daisy and Mathieu clash over religion, art, Iraq, food, the metaphysical possibilities of a good shoe, and the murky memories tunneling up from their pasts. Dancing along a razor’s edge of desire and discretion, the lovers lie to one another in minor and meaningful ways, until finally the deceptions and passion explode.
Torn between her blossoming love for Mathieu and the family and dreams she’s left behind, Daisy must discover if the flickering flame of her self can survive the vacuum of this brilliant, difficult man, who will always take her breath away.
FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
Title: Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Jaz Parks #1)
Author: Jennifer Rardin
ISBN-13: 9780316020466
Paperback: 290 pages
Publisher: Orbit, 2007
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Once Bitten, Twice Shy was brought home for a lil' while from the library because I thought the cover looked cool... I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts: Once Bitten, Twice Shy was a spur-of-the-moment pick that I'm glad made it home with me. Jennifer Rardin's Jaz is a butt-kicking, gun-toting, smash-talking, vampire-smelling, car-crashing, highly-efficient assassin. Yup, you heard me. And, she's hilarious. Excerpt:
No doubt about it, I am the only item in this office under the age of fifty.
You wouldn't know it to look at my clothes, though. I'd come straight from an American Airlines flight during which an aviophobic widow had wadded various handfuls of my blouse and jacket into her fists the entire trip. I looked like a homeless woman. Holy crap. If I lost this job I'd soon be a homeless woman. And that was the good news!
"Look, Pete, I know you told me to cut out the car hits. The repairs are too expensive. You told me that. So I stopped. I haven't caused an 'accidental' crash in three months--you know that! But this last one just couldn't be avoided."
"I understand you took out my counterpart in MI5."
"Well, yeah, but only because his driver was in on the plot. He'll be fine. You heard that too, right? His back will heal in, like, six weeks."
I hope that shows you what I mean, but my fingers got tired and didn't want to type anymore--and this is from the first 2 pages! Her new partner, Vayl, is an awesome foil for Jaz. Even if he's vampire. Even when she used to hunt and kill vampires. And off they go, doing their assassin and apprentice-assassin thing... When their latest target turns out to be more than he seems, Jaz and Vayl get tangled in a web of secret cults and sacrifices. And find out some surprising things about Jaz herself. Once Bitten, Twice Shy was a very quick read that kept me interested all the way through. I cannot wait to get to the next book, Another One Bites the Dust.
Today, we lucky ducks have author Jackie Lee Miles stopping by to share her inspiration for Cold Rock River, first published in 2008 in hardcover, and now available from Sourcebooks in trade paperback.
About the Author
Jackie Lee Miles lives in Georgia with her husband, where she is a featured speaker at book clubs, schools, and writer’s workshops. Her debut novel Roseflower Creek was Cumberland House Publishing’s lead book when it debuted in hardcover, and it is now available in trade paperback. When not writing, Ms. Miles tours with the Dixie Darlin’s, four nationally published book-writing belles. Her next novel, All That’s True, will be published by Sourcebooks Landmark in early 2011. For more information, please visit http://jlmiles.brinkster.net/.
Without further ado, presenting Ms. Miles:
The Inspiration for Cold Rock River
Cold Rock River was inspired by an incident in my own life. Like Adie’s sister Annie, my baby sister Vick choked on a jellybean when she was twenty months old. It was the week following Easter and we three older girls had our little baskets squirreled away. Our mother insisted we weren’t to drag them around the house, but she was gone for the evening and our daddy let us roam about, baskets in hand, to our hearts’ content. I don’t recall that any of us actually gave Vicki a jelly bean. More likely she picked on up off the floor. I do remember I panicked when I saw her put one in her mouth, and I tried to grab her. She started giggling and running as fast as her little legs would allow. The next thing I knew, she was choking and her face was blue. She survived, but as I grew older I was very much aware of how our lives would have changed had she not. One evening, lying in bed, something made me think of it; how fifty years had passed and yet the memory of that night was still as raw as fresh-skinned knees. I closed my eyes, ready to drift off, when I “heard” the opening line of what became Cold Rock River. I got up to write it down, so I wouldn’t forget a single word. I was still at it the next morning. I had forty, maybe fifty pages. I realized then that this young, beautiful, delightful creature, who I chose to call Adie, might have something to tell me worth hearing. And if I was quiet and listened closely, maybe her ghosts would help me purge mine.
The novel is the parallel journey of two women born a century a part. In 1963 rural Georgia, with the Vietnam War cranking up, pregnant seventeen-year-old Adie Jenkins is introduced to the diary of pregnant seventeen-year-old Tempe Jordan, a slave girl, circa 1863, with the Civil War well under way. Adie is haunted by the death of her baby sister Annie. Tempe is grieving the sale of her three children sired by her white master. What’s buried in the diary could destroy Adie’s life.
Initially, Cold Rock River was to be the story of Adie Jenkins, seventeen and pregnant and unmarried during the early 1960’s. I know today if you’re in her condition, they throw you a shower. During the 1960’s the Vietnam War was a major factor in our daily lives, so it naturally came to play a role in the book. As Adie’s story began I decided she would do some chicken farming to feed them when it became apparent Buck wasn’t going to be one she could count on. I went to the library to research Georgia chicken farming and stumbled onto the Slave Narratives. The complete collection—-which contains more than two thousand first-person accounts—-is housed at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. They were commissioned by President Roosevelt during the depression years, in order to record the journey of those freed slaves still alive. Writers were sent across the nation to search for them. Their accounts are as fascinating as they are poignant. Over the years, there’s been a good deal of controversy as to their accuracy, based on the fact that some of the freed slaves were fearful or perhaps suspicious of the government—-brings to mind “forty acres and a mule”—-and hesitant to speak candidly regarding the treatment they may or may not have received at the hands of their sometimes still powerful former masters. The collective consensus is that somewhere amidst the vast amount of material lies the truth. After months of reading, reviewing, and re-examining all of the narratives I could locate, Tempe’s portion of Cold Rock River emerged. Her story, based on what I found, is remarkable. Everything that Tempe experiences was lifted from the lives of actual people who wore the chains and bore the scars of slavery. I won’t ever forget her; nor am I able to forget those I ‘met” through the narratives, who bravely shared their life stories so that Tempe could tell me hers. Since Tempe’s story begins as the Civil War was well under way, it seemed to be a good parallel to the Vietnam War of Adie’s journey.
The setting of the story required a great deal of research and this novel was a labor of love that lasted five years. Most of the research was in relation to the Civil War and the way of life for the slaves in order to present Tempe’s portion of the story. Since I grew up in the fifties and sixties portraying Adie’s part was not as difficult as I had lived those years.
I hope you’ll pick up a copy!
I really enjoyed reading Cold Rock River, and here's your opportunity to check it out for yourself. Thanks to Sourcebooks, I have two copies for you. The deets:
Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only
To enter, comment and tell me why you want this book!
Today I'm a tour stop for Molly Harper's And One Last Thing.... I really enjoyed Molly's Jane Jameson series, and figured her snarky dialog would find its way into this newest offering.
FTC Disclosure: My copy of And One Last Thing... was provided by the publisher for this blog tour. I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
About the author:
Raised in Mississippi and Kentucky, Molly Harper graduated from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's degree in print journalism. She worked for six years as a reporter and humor columnist; her reporting duties included covering courts, school board meetings, quilt shows, and once, the arrest of a Florida man who faked his suicide by shark attack and spent the next few months tossing pies at a local pizzeria. Molly lives in western Kentucky with her husband and daughter. Find her online at mollyharper.com.
Title: And One Last Thing...
Author: Molly Harper
ISBN-13: 9781439168776
Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
drey's thoughts:
Well. If you're looking for a light summer read full of snark and wit, look no further. At least, until after you've read Molly Harper's And One Last Thing...! The first sentence made me laugh:
If Singletree's only florist didn't deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing, hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger.
Ok, so maybe I have a unique sense of humor. But I don't think that's the only reason I enjoyed And One Last Thing... as much as I did. Lacey is a girl after my own heart (not that I swing that way!). She's lived the Stepford Wife life, only to find out that her husband wasn't quite as (almost) perfect as she'd hoped he was. Ok, so maybe he wasn't even close. But, this story is more about how she deals with the revelation of Mike's affair (confusion, disbelief, anger, rage, retaliation) along with the resulting consequences (confusion, embarrassment, defensiveness, retreat).
When Lacey runs to hide out at the family cabin, she meets a grumpy neighbor who turns out to be a good friend as well as the rebound guy. Now Lacey has to decide what she wants to do when she grows up, including whether to keep rebound guy around.
Snarky dialog peppered throughout, this is an entertaining romp through the life of a woman wronged.
Marie Force, July's Featured Author, stops over to share some thoughts on how she writes... Read on!
How Does She Do That?
One of the questions I’m often asked is, “How do you write a book?” Stephen King says, “One page at a time.” The writers out there will attest that it’s as simple as he suggests—and much more complicated. I’m convinced I could never teach my process because it’s so bizarre. However, as I’ve connected with more and more writers, I’ve decided we’re all a little bizarre, but that quality makes us better writers.
So how do I do it? I’ll try to explain my process using my most recent release, Fatal Affair, as an example. The seeds for that story began in a news article about a congressman who was found dead in his Washington-area home. At first, the police investigated the death as a possible crime because he was found at the bottom of the stairs. Later, it was determined that he’d died from a heart attack and fell down the stairs.
But what, I wondered, if he had been murdered? That was all it took to start my wheels turning. What if his chief of staff finds him? What if the murder occurred on the morning of an important vote? What if the chief of staff’s one-night stand from years earlier was the detective assigned to the case?
That’s exactly how it unfolds in my mind. Then come the decisions about where they’re from, what brought them together, and why they never saw each other again. Often I don’t have those answers before I start a book. I tend to discover these things as my story unfolds, which I’m told makes me a “linear pantser” in writing vernacular. I write the story in chronological order, I edit as I go, and nothing gets in unless it propels Character X or Character Y’s story forward. Because I go back, re-read, and edit often during the writing process, I end up with a pretty clean first draft. In fact, I recently stumbled upon the hand-written opening scene of my first book, “Line of Scrimmage,” and discovered that other than a renamed character, not much had changed.
Since I don’t plot, I spend a lot of time staring off into space when a book has me by the throat. During these phases, my kids often ask, “ARE YOU LISTENING TO US?” at the top of their considerable lungs. I have to confess that Mom just took a brief trip to Pluto, but I’m back now and you have my full attention. I do my best zoning/plotting when I’m driving (watch out for a maroon Honda Odyssey), doing dishes, showering, drying my hair, and vacuuming. I’ve solved a lot of plot issues while sucking up a few days’ worth of dog hair. I’ve run dripping from the shower to the computer to get something down before I forget it. Bizarre? You bet. My friend Chris likes to say that my mind is a strange, scary place. Of course I take that as a compliment!
To the writers out there, are you a plotter, a seat-of-the-pantser, a linear plotter, a linear pantser, an organic or what? To the readers, are you more convinced than ever after reading this that all writers are a little bit nuts? I’ll give away a digital copy of “Fatal Affair” to one commenter, so let’s hear from you!
Thanks, Marie! Well, all y'all out there... What're you waiting for? I never turn down the opportunity to win a free book! So go comment! *grin* And do it before 6:00pm CST August 3rd!
Title: Cold Rock River
Author: Jackie Lee Miles
ISBN-13: 9781402240041
ARC: 304 pages, with another 35 pages of recipes (yum!)
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2010 (reprint)
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Cold Rock River was provided by the publisher for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
First thing I'll mention (and the only negative about Cold Rock River)is the font used in the ARC to depict entries from Tempe's diary, or letters written by Adie and Buck, is pretty small. Put that same small font into italics, and it made for difficult reading.
BUT. Don't let that distract you from the story itself. Cold Rock River is a story about innocence lost, life's hardships, and love's burdens. All bundled together into prose that sweeps you along until you've passed through the rapids and end up in the quiet pool at the end of the river. Adie is young and impressionable, and easily swept off her feet by the good-looking and sweet-talking Buck Jenkins. Unfortunately for Adie, Buck can't figure out how to not stray, especially with his boss' pretty daughter. Even when he's married and has a child on the way.
After getting married, Adie and Buck move to Hog Gap, Buck's hometown. She finds them a little place of their own so that they don't have to live with Buck's mother Verna and his brother Austin. At their new home, she meets Willa Mae, who has a story of her own to tell, and Murphy Spencer, the neighbor who helps her out, probably more than he should have.
Interspersed with entries from a diary from long-ago, all the characters have a part to play in this story, from the beginning to the very end. A story on how history sometimes repeats itself, and how one person's actions can impact more than just themselves, Cold Rock River is a haunting tale that had me from the first page to the last word.
Title: The Messenger of Athens
Author: Anne Zouroudi
ISBN-13: 9780316075428
ARC: 322 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of The Messenger of Athens was provided by the publisher for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
When I was twelve, I started reading Agatha Christie. I loved her books so much I think I managed to get my hands on every single one of 'em. Every. Single. One. Why am I talking about Agatha Christie? Because she created Hercule Poirot, of course. And Anne Zouroudi's detective in The Messenger of Athens, Hermes Diaktoros, reminds me of Hercule Poirot.
Arriving on the Greek island of Thiminos to investigate the death of the young wife of a local fisherman, Hermes brings his peculiarities along with his charming personality and intense questioning. What the local police closed as a suicide, he believes to be foul play. And as he digs around, we meet the usual suspects, along with a few unusual ones.Anne Zouroudi keeps you interested as Hermes unravels the story of Irina's death, not just with the cast of characters in this emotional tangle, but also with the lyrical description of the Greek island.
Definitely worth picking up! Only one question didn't get answered at the end... Who sent the white-shoed Mr. Diaktoros to Thiminos?
Title: Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2)
Author: Melissa Marr
ISBN-13: 9780061214684
Hardcover: 325 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Ink Exchange visited from my local library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts: Ink Exchange continues Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, focusing on one of Aislinn's best friends, Leslie.
Leslie has been through quite a lot, since her mother died. Her father's absent or drunk, her brother's a drug dealer who forgets that big brothers are supposed to protect their little sisters. Not being able to do anything about either of them, Leslie plans. And waits for the day she can leave them both behind, for good.
In between the planning and the waiting and the finishing-up-school, Leslie gets a tattoo, as a symbol of the changes she wants--and needs--to make in her life. Unbeknownst to her, however, the pattern she picks out will tie her to the Dark Fae. More specifically, to Irial, their King. Oh, the tangled webs we weave when we're trying our utmost to protect those we love. If only Aislinn trusted Leslie, like she trusted Seth, with the existence of faerie all around them. Then maybe Leslie wouldn't have gotten entangled with the fae at all. But she does. And in doing so, irrevocably changes her own life, as well as Irial's.
I'm really liking this series. Ink Exchange is darker than Wicked Lovely, but while there's angst, there's also a lot of strength in how the characters react to their situations.
The next two books are now on my library hold list.
Title: Masked
Editor: Lou Anders
ISBN-13: 9781439168837
Paperback: 399 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Masked was provided by the publisher for this blog tour. I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts: Masked is a collection of short stories about superheroes--the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've never reviewed something like this before, so I hope the format works. The stories (and my thoughts on some of 'em):
Cleansed and Set in Gold by Matthew Sturges
A somewhat-disturbing story about where The Wildcard gets his powers. I'll let you read it to find out for yourself, but, ewwwwwww. However, the story does make you wonder what you'd do in the name of the greater good.
Where Their Worm Dieth Not by James Maxey
A tale of the endless cycle of life and death, misplaced trust, and loss. Along with passing commentary smoking's ills. I felt horrible for the hero in this one.
Secret Identity by Paul Cornell
Superhero in a rainbow costume gets heckled for kissing a woman. Can donning a superhero costume mess with your sexual identity?
The Non-Event by Mike Carey
A heist gone wrong. So bloody wrong.
Avatar by Mike Baron
Newbie do-gooder realizes that actions have consequences.
Message from the Bubblegum Factory by Daryl Gregory
Breaking into prison to break out of prison to save the world. Eh, it's a complicated world, it is.
Thug by Gail Simone
Written without proper spelling or capitalization, I found this journal a bit difficult to read, but I may give it another whirl when my head's not pounding.
Vacuum Lad by Steven Baxter
Launch of a new superhero? Is it a miracle, or just another result of genetic manipulation?
A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows by Chris Roberson
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... And provides an apprentice.
Head Cases by Peter David and Kathleen David
Funny short story with a character with my son's name. *grin*
Downfall by Joseph Mallozzi
By My Works You Shall Know Me by Mark Chadbourn
Call Her Savage by Marjorie M. Liu
A futuristic society with echoes of history where the superhero(-ine) is a killer without a cape.
Tonight We Fly by Ian McDonald
So what do superheroes (& villains) do when they "retire"? Alumnus groups? Online forums? Secret messages in the daily paper for secret meetings with your former enemy to relive the good ol' days?
A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too) by Bill Willingham
July's Featured Author, Marie Force, stops by today to share some of her favorite reads! Check out what they are:
FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things!
by Marie Force
I should have titled that my favorite reads rather than my favorite things, but I couldn’t mess with that classic song. Drey asked me to tell you about my favorite books and why they’re so memorable to me. I told her I have a hard time with this assignment because I often remember authors I really like but when it comes to specifics and book titles, I go stupid in the head. I blame that on the day job, the writing career, the two busy kids, the house, the dog, etc. There’s only so much room on the data chip, and I’m always approaching max capacity. So let me tell you about a few books and series that have stayed with me long after I read them (and why).
The Thorn Birds by Colleen Mccullough
I read this book one summer after 8th or 9th grade when I was probably far too young for such a story. As a young, impressionable Catholic girl growing up in the most Catholic of states (Rhode Island) reading about a young girl who falls in love with a priest and then later has a scorching affair with him when he was a Cardinal no less. . . Well, suffice to say that book left a lasting impression. I absolutely adored Meggie and wanted all good things for her, even if she was destined for heartbreak by loving a man she could never really have.
North and South by John Jakes
Over a high school summer, I devoured this amazing three-part series about two friends divided by the Civil War. I’ve never forgotten Orry Main or George Hazard and the epic struggle they endured to maintain their friendship while fighting against each other in the War Between the States. An amazing story!
I love Nora Roberts’ work. Her recent Bride Quartet has been thoroughly entertaining, and I look forward to the fourth book later this year. I also love the In Death books written under Nora’s J.D. Robb pseudonym, but I read the early ones years ago and don’t remember much of what happened way back when. I have the series on my keeper shelf to be re-read someday.
Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series was a major find last year. I think I read the first seven books in about 10 days time. I adored Jack, Mel, Preacher and the Virgin River gang from the very beginning, but I enjoyed the earlier books most of all.
I’ve saved my no. 1 top favorite author for last. Lisa Kleypas could write the phone book, and I’d run right out to buy it. Her earlier historicals were fantastic, but her recent Hathaway series was sublime. I’m so sorry it’s done! I also enjoyed her recent contemporary series that began with Sugar Daddy, and included Blue-Eyed Devil and Smooth Talking Stranger. I believe there are a few more stories left to be told in that series, and I’m hoping for more! My other favorite historical author is Mary Balogh, who writes the memorable Huxtable series. I’m looking forward to the next installment!
Well, those are a few of my favorite reads. What are some of yours?
Thank you for sharing your favorite reads, Marie! It's nice to see some of the older books on a list--I'd forgotten all about The Thorn Birds, which I should probably pick up again now that some decades have passed since my last reading... And I just started the In Death series, and I'm hooked! Alas, I have other books that need to be reviewed before I keep going with those. And nothing keeps me going back for more like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, if only to see whether she (finally!) ends up with Ranger. Yup, I'm a Ranger kinda girl. *grin*
Title: So Cold the River
Author: Michael Koryta
ISBN-13: 9780316053631
ARC: 503 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of So Cold the Riverwas provided by the publisher for this review, which I will admit, is late. I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Oh. My. Goodness. I was completely and utterly sucked into So Cold the River--so completely sucked in that I went to bed absolutely way too late for a work night, could not sleep because I still had the creepy-crawlies from reading so late into the night, and spent the next day only half-awake, trying only somewhat successfully to focus on work.
Eric Shaw is a photographer hired to document the life (& history) of a dying old man. But when he travels to the old man's hometown, he finds himself entranced by the town's history. Shuttling between researching the old man's past and trying to figure out the mystery of the bottled mineral spring water that he drank, Eric's life will never be the same. If he survives this adventure. So Cold the River is layered with plot and character, and peels those layers back one at a time, exposing a sordid past intertwined with a current-day mystery. The question: Who is Campbell Bradford? The answer: Read this and find out. But if you're prone to creepy-crawlies, don't read this at night. Now don't say I didn't warn you!
Title: Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely #1)
Author: Melissa Marr
ISBN-13: 9780061214677
Hardcover: 328 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Wicked Lovely finally got read after patiently waiting--both on the library hold list and on my bookshelf. I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
I read Alyson Noel's Evermore and Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely back to back. They were both library books that needed to be returned soon-ish, and I was tired of picking up books I wanted to read, but returning them before I got the chance to. Anyway. I picked up Wicked Lovely because I thought the cover was totally cool, and because I'd hard a lot of good things about Melissa Marr. And, I have to say, it didn't disappoint.
Aislinn is a rare young woman--she can see faeries. And her grandmother has cautioned her to not let them know, so she's spent her life ignoring the fae all around--whether glamored or invisible. But one day, ignoring the fae is no longer possible--they are actively seeking her out. Well, one of them is, anyway.
Keenan is the Summer King, bound at birth by none other than his mother, the Wicked Witch of the West. Er, sorry--the Winter Queen. (I had visions of Tilda Swinton as Beria while I was reading.) Anyway. Keenan has spent 900 years seeking out his Summer Queen, and every mortal who fails the test of the Winter Queen's staff is bound to winter, doomed to live with the cold until the next candidate fails the test and supplants her. The current Winter Girl, Donia, still loves Keenan, and is conflicted between hoping for release from winter's grasp and losing Keenan, and watching him lose power the longer winter holds the earth in its grasp.
So. There's a plot--wicked mother reveling in her ill-gotten power trying to stop her son from achieving his potential. There's a triangle--actually, there are two, as Aislinn also has a beau. There's drama--will she consent to the test and help the Summer King? Will Donia help Aislinn and Keenan or bow to the Winter Queen? There's angst--this is a YA novel, after all. And all of it's wrapped up nicely in a tale of faeries, mortals, and choices. The best part of Wicked Lovely? Aislinn is not whiny. She can be melodramatic, conflicted, and confused, but she is never whiny. She is good, though, and that colors her decisions.
Wicked Lovely is a darn good read for fans of the YA paranormal genre. I've got Ink Exchange waiting its turn (hopefully patiently!)...
Today, I have the pleasure of sharing one of my favorite authors with you. Not only does his debut fantasy epic have a whole slew of fans waiting on tenderhooks for the sequel, he's also wickedly funny, and a fellow Wisconsinite!
This is not a book for children.
It looks like a children's book. It has pictures. It has a saccharine-sweet title. The main characters are a little girl and her teddy bear. But all of that is just protective coloration. The truth is, this is a book for adults with a dark sense of humor and an appreciation of old-school faerie tales.
There are three separate endings to the book. Depending on where you stop, you are left with an entirely different story. One ending is sweet, another is horrible. The last one is the true ending, the one with teeth in it.
The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle is a dark twist on the classic children's picture-book. I think of it as Calvin and Hobbes meets Coraline, with some Edward Gorey mixed in.
Simply said: This is not a book for children.
And this is so not a book for children that Patrick Rothfuss has a post about it: Protecting Our Nation's Youth. You'll have to get about halfway down the page to get to the sticker that was designed as a warning that this is NOT for children...
FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
Title: Evermore (Immortals #1)
Author: Alyson Noel
ISBN-13: 9780312532758
eBook
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Evermorewas purchased while on sale (yes, I am a sucker for a sale... or two). I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Ever is an orphan whose near-death experience made her psychic (a la Sookie Stackhouse), and able to see ghosts (a la Harper Connelly). Apologies for the Charlaine Harris references, I must have her on my brain or something! Well, her sister's ghost, anyway. She tries to drown out the former by listening to really loud music and covering up in sweatshirts and sunglasses, and doesn't do much about the latter because she's feeling guilty that she survived when nobody else in her family did.
After wringing her out, life throws her a curve ball in the form of a new classmate, Damen. Who, somehow, can tamp down her psychic ability with his touch. And (of course) is totally hot. And what do you know? She runs (of course!). Parts of Evermore are so predictable--angsty teenager? Check. Hot guy totally checking out said angsty teenager? Check. Hot guy's gal pal not happy about his checking out angsty teenager? Check. Does this start to sound like a certain popular YA series yet? But, wait. There are no vampires. No werewolves. Just immortals and psychics. A bit of messing-with-Ever's-head. And some payback.
Evermore is an enjoyable enough read, and I'll probably pick up the next one, just to see where it goes from here.
Title: Shift (Shifters #5)
Author: Rachel Vincent
ISBN-13: 9780778327608
eBook
Publisher: Mira, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Shift was purchased. I am an affiliate for IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Well, after reading Prey and being impressed, I had high hopes for Shift. It met my expectations for a good follow-up to the overall storyline, introduced more drama as well as character growth, and definitely tugged on the heartstrings--especially as Faythe's pride deals with the aftermath of Ethan's death.
Apparently taking over as council chairman isn't enough for Malone, as he seems to want to take out Faythe's pride too--except (maybe) for the tabbies, because he's got a plan for the tabbies... I so do not like Malone. He makes my want to bare my teeth and growl, grr! When the sudden appearance of thunderbirds--not seen in twenty-five years--on Faythe's pride's land involves an attack, they're correct in assuming something fishy is going on. Finding out what is dangerous work, but Faythe manages to accomplish it in the end, getting banged up (again, of course) in the process.
The thunderbirds were a cool addition to the storyline, but I wasn't sure how I felt about them. After all, we've only been dealing with cats up to this point. I was happy with Faythe's growth though. She's stepping up, making the hard decisions, and relying on instinct and observation instead of just reacting. I cannot wait for Alpha.
, by Sarah Hina, takes on Kate Darby from 
, by Erica Orloff. They wrestle naked in oil. What was your question?
.JPG "Enter Hachette's Sizzling Summer Nights Giveaway!")
