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March 21, 2008

Bookreporter.com Newsletter

March 21, 2008

This Week on Bookreporter.com

Here Comes The Bunny....

Bookreporter.com Talks to Linda Fairstein, Author of KILLER HEAT

Bookreporter.com Talks to Mary Kay Andrews, Author of DEEP DISH

Author Talk: Philip Shenon, Author of THE COMMISSION

New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Gregg Olsen, Author of A COLD DARK PLACE

New Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Heather Graham, Author of THE DEATH DEALER

Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Karen Robards, Author of GUILTY

Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Lisa Jackson, Author of LOST SOULS

Featured Women's Fiction Author: Elizabeth Noble, Author of THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW

Featured One to Watch Author: Linda Francis Lee, Author of THE EX-DEBUTANTE

Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Stephen White, Author of DEAD TIME
Now in Stores: ESCAPE FROM SADDAM by Lewis Alsamari

This Week's Reviews

Poll and Question of the Week: Talking About Books with Friends

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

Here Comes The Bunny....

As a child I believed in Santa Claus, but gave little credence to the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. The concept of a giant rabbit hopping around the world with baskets of eggs and candy did not seem feasible. After all, Santa had the sleigh and reindeer to help HIM out! And the floaty Tooth Fairy beaming in while I slept did not seem very plausible either...though I always imagined her outfit was pretty cute and somehow I thought she had a wand too.

These days the pastel colors of Easter make me happy since they herald that the gray winter may be drawing to a close. I am ready to dye eggs later today with these great cake dye colors that work wonderfully (note to self: wear rubber gloves lest my hands turn multi-color) and make an Easter Egg cake and cupcakes shaped like Easter baskets. A friend quipped a few weeks ago that I may be "Martha Stewart's lost love child" when I get on creative rolls like this. He could be right!


I bought the most adorable duck-shaped marshmallows and sour-citrus candy in the shape of bunnies at Williams-Sonoma the other day, both of which are over the top for those of you wanting something besides a chocolate bunny this weekend. I always had trouble eating the bunny. Whacking the head off or any other body part just seemed brutal. The other day I saw these cute bunny candles in the Illuminations catalog and all I could think was....hmmm...when those burn, are little kids going to be traumatized or WHAT? Basically the bunny's head melts before you. Okay, that is festive!

For those of you who want something less stressful, may I suggest a book? No calories...and I do think there is some exercise merit in turning the pages, especially if you read FAST! And we have a lot of suggestions this week to help you find a book to exercise with.

Our first new featured author this week is Gregg Olsen, whose new thriller, A COLD DARK PLACE (available in stores on March 25th), follows a police officer as she tracks down a murderer targeting families throughout the country. We have 20 copies of A COLD DARK PLACE 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, April 4th. Here's what I love. I had not read Olsen before, so I am discovering him along with you. I love moments like this.

We are also launching a new feature for Heather Graham, whose new romantic suspense, THE DEATH DEALER, will be in stores on March 25th. In this chilling novel, a woman and a private investigator are on the hunt for a serial killer who is targeting members of a literary society devoted to Edgar Allan Poe. We have 10 copies of THE DEATH DEALER 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, March 28th. I had the pleasure of catching up with Heather last month in Florida so I feel like I am passing a friend on to you.

We also received some great feedback for Joan Johnston's new romantic suspense, A STRANGER'S GAME. See what our advance readers had to say here. Andrew Britton offers more insight about his new thriller, THE INVISIBLE, in his answers to advance readers' questions. You may read his responses here.

The nominees for the Thriller Award from the International Thriller Writers Organization were announced yesterday. I had the fun of being the one to tell Linwood Barclay that he was one of the nominees for his book, NO TIME FOR GOODBYE. I was writing to set up a time to see him at a conference that I am going to next week and mentioned it in my note. I loved learning that he had not yet heard the news. Also, w
e are pleased to announce the results of the 2008 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards. These awards recognize the titles independent booksellers most enjoyed handselling during 2007. Click here to see the award winners and honorable mentions.

Yesterday my older son, Greg, and I went on the Queen Mary 2 for a media event sponsored by the PEN Organization and Cunard to tout PEN's Festival of International Literature in New York from April 29th to May 4th. I will blog about this adventure with photos over the weekend. Greg took me --- and my colleagues from Cosmopolitan and Publishers Weekly --- on a tour of the ship where he sounded like a docent. He loves ships and had read a ton about this one before we went, but had never been on board the ship before. The inspiration for his love of ships? About 10 years ago he was in my office and saw a coffee table book called LOST LINERS. He loved reading these stories. It just proves that one never knows what can trigger a passion or a hobby.

Politicians and the announcement of their sexual indiscretions --- quite a week for those --- sparked a blog post this week that you can read here.

Next week I am in Minneapolis for the week at the Public Library Association National Conference. I am looking forward to the panels and author events. I am not looking forward to the prospect of snow and cold, but the ever-optimistic me does have a pair of snow boots I love --- and I look forward to wearing them a few more times. I am pretty sure my wish will be granted.

Happy Easter to those who are celebrating...Happy weekend to the rest of you. Read on....

Carol Fitzgerald (
Carol@bookreporter.com)

 

Click here to read Carol's most recent blog entry.

 

Bookreporter.com Talks to Linda Fairstein, Author of KILLER HEAT

Linda Fairstein’s bestselling legal thriller series featuring Alexandra Cooper continues with its 10th installment, KILLER HEAT. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Carol Fitzgerald and Joe Hartlaub, Fairstein sheds light on how sex offenders choose their victims, based on her experiences heading the Sex Crimes Unit in Manhattan's District Attorney's Office, and explains why she chose to set the plot of her latest work of fiction in little-known New York locations. She also reveals her pet peeve about crime novels and films, and shares which books in her repertoire remain her personal favorites.

KILLER HEAT by Linda Fairstein (Legal Thriller)
Just as Manhattan D.A. Alex Cooper is claiming an especially gratifying victory in a rape case, she’s informed that the body of a young woman has been found in an abandoned building. The brutality of the murder is disturbing enough, but when a second body, beaten and disposed of in exactly the same manner, is found off the Belt Parkway, the city’s top brass want the killer found fast, before the tabloids can start churning out ghoulish serial killer headlines. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read a review of KILLER HEAT.
-Click here to read fast facts about Linda Fairstein.

-Click here to read Linda Fairstein’s bio.
-Click here to see Linda Fairstein's backlist.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.LindaFairstein.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

 

Click here to read our interview with Linda Fairstein.

 

Bookreporter.com Talks to Mary Kay Andrews, Author of DEEP DISH

Mary Kay Andrews, the author of such bestselling novels as SAVANNAH BREEZE and BLUE CHRISTMAS, spoke with Bookreporter.com's Carol Fitzgerald and Terry Miller Shannon about her latest release, DEEP DISH. In this interview, Mary Kay explains how she developed her love for cooking at an early age and recalls meeting television personality Paula Deen while researching the production process of TV cooking programs. She also reveals the stories behind a few recipes included in the book and shares some of her favorite comfort food dishes to prepare while writing.

DEEP DISH by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
Local cooking show hosts Gina Foxton and Tate Moody face off in a reality show competition. The prize is the starring role in his or her own series on the Cooking Channel. As much as Gina and Tate yearn to win, they reluctantly find themselves distracted by their attraction to each other, in this hilarious and delightful romp from bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read a review of DEEP DISH.
-Click here to read an excerpt from DEEP DISH.
-Visit the author's official website, www.MaryKayAndrews.com.

 

Click here to read our interview with Mary Kay Andrews.


 

Author Talk: Philip Shenon, Author of THE COMMISSION

Philip Shenon --- an investigative journalist with The New York Times --- is the author of THE COMMISSION, which is based on his research as the lead reporter on the investigation of the 9/11 Commission. In this interview, Shenon describes the extensive research he performed in order to write this book, and highlights some of the surprising details he uncovered, such as the questionable relationship between the Commission's director and the Bush administration and the amount of evidence ultimately excluded from the final report. He also discusses some of the questions that were left unanswered and provides a list of reading material for those interested in researching this topic further.

THE COMMISSION: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation by Philip Shenon (Current Events)
New York Times reporter Philip Shenon scrutinizes the investigation of 9/11 and tells the inside story of the most important federal commission since the Warren Commission. Shenon uncovers startling new information about the inner workings of the 9/11 Commission and its relationship with the Bush White House. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.

-Click here to read a review of THE COMMISSION.
-Visit the author's official website, www.PhilipShenon.com.

-Visit the publisher's website, www.TwelveBooks.com.
 

Click here to read an interview with Philip Shenon.


 
New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Gregg Olsen, Author of A COLD DARK PLACE
Gregg Olsen is the New York Times bestselling author of seven nonfiction books and two novels. As a journalist and true crime author, Olsen has received numerous awards and much critical acclaim for his writing. In A COLD DARK PLACE, his new thriller releasing on March 25th, police officer Emily Kenyon must find a diabolical killer --- before the killer finds her daughter...

We have 20 copies of A COLD DARK PLACE 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, April 4th.

-Click here to read Gregg Olsen’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.GreggOlsen.com.

More about A COLD DARK PLACE:
In a secluded farm house in the Pacific Northwest, a family has been slaughtered --- and a teenage son has disappeared. Single mother and cop Emily Kenyon spearheads a dark hunt for a killer. But Emily’s teenage daughter Jenna knows the boy suspected of murdering his family and wants to help him --- perhaps too much. As Emily fits the puzzle pieces together, she realizes that the danger surrounding her daughter is worse than she had imagined.

 

Click here to read more about Gregg Olsen and A COLD DARK PLACE.
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New Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Heather Graham, Author of THE DEATH DEALER

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written over one hundred novels and novellas. In THE DEATH DEALER, the chilling follow-up to THE DEAD ROOM (in stores March 25th), a woman and a private investigator must get to the bottom of a series of murders mirroring the macabre stories of Edgar Allan Poe.

We have 10 copies of THE DEATH DEALER 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, March 28th.

-Click here to read Heather Graham’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com.

More about THE DEATH DEALER:
Genevieve O'Brien knows all about nightmares. She survived for two months as the prisoner of a deranged killer. Now a new menace is stalking the streets of New York. The media is buzzing about the “Poe Killings,” a string of homicides mirroring the author's macabre stories --- and Genevieve’s own mother may be in danger...

Spooked by the bizarre slayings, Genevieve turns toward the one who rescued her --- private investigator Joe Connolly.

 

Click here to read more about Heather Graham and THE DEATH DEALER.


 
Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Karen Robards, Author of GUILTY

Karen Robards is the New York Times bestselling author of over 30 books, including OBSESSION and VANISHED. In GUILTY, her new romantic suspense that hits stores on April 1st, a feisty female attorney's life is threatened when her hidden past resurfaces in an unexpected way.

We have 20 copies of GUILTY 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, March 28th.

-Click here to read Karen Robards’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.KarenRobards.com.

More about GUILTY:
Sixteen years after she and her friends committed an unspeakable crime, Kat --- now Kate --- has built a new life for herself. Now a single mom, she works as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia DA's office. But her dark past rears its head when she walks into court one day and discovers that she is to prosecute Mario Castellanos, one of her friends from that terrible night 16 years earlier. And that is only where the trouble begins…

Click here to read more about Karen Robards and GUILTY.


 

Featured Romantic Suspense Author: Lisa Jackson, Author of LOST SOULS

Lisa Jackson, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 75 novels ---including ABSOLUTE FEAR and SHIVER --- delivers another harrowing thriller. In LOST SOULS, which hits stores on March 25th, a young woman’s determined hunt for a serial killer draws her into a twisted psychopath’s terrifying web.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from LOST SOULS.
-Click here to read fast facts about Lisa Jackson.
-Click here to read Lisa Jackson’s bio.
-Click here to see Lisa Jackson's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for Lisa Jackson's books.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.LisaJackson.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about LOST SOULS:
Kristi Bentz wants to write true crime. All she needs is that one case that will take her to the top. She finds it when she enrolls at All Saints College after learning that three troubled girls have disappeared in one term. When the bodies are found, all blood drained from their bodies, rumors abound that vampires are on the loose. Are they? Or is there a new serial killer in New Orleans --- one more cunning than any that Detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya have gone up against before?

 

Click here to read more about Lisa Jackson and LOST SOULS.

 

Featured Women's Fiction Author: Elizabeth Noble, Author of THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW

Elizabeth Noble is the author of three internationally bestselling novels: THE READING GROUP, A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://bookreporter.pmailus.com/pmailweb/ct?d=ZwABAAABLAABxLI">THE FRIENDSHIP TEST and ALPHABET WEEKENDS. In THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW, her new book releasing on April 8th, Noble crafts a heartfelt story that celebrates the love between a dying mother and her daughters and the endless possibilities of life.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW.
-Click here to read Elizabeth Noble’s bio.
-Click here to see Elizabeth Noble's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.ElizabethNobleBooks.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW:
When Barbara realizes time is running out, she writes letters to her four daughters, aware that they'll be facing the trials and triumphs of life without her at their side. But how can she leave them when they still have so much growing up to do? By drawing on the wisdom in Barbara's letters, the girls might just find a way to cope with their loss. And in coming to terms with their bereavement, can they also set themselves free to enjoy their lives with all the passion and love each deserves?

 

Click here to read more about Elizabeth Noble and THINGS I WANT MY DAUGHTERS TO KNOW.


 

Featured One to Watch Author: Linda Francis Lee, Author of THE EX-DEBUTANTE

Linda Francis Lee is the bestselling author of 19 novels. In THE EX-DEBUTANTE, her new book releasing on April 1st, Lee tells a humorous and witty tale about Carlisle Wainwright Cushing, a former Texas debutante who wants nothing more than to leave the past behind her. But after receiving an urgent call from her mother, Carlisle must return to Texas and finds herself getting pulled back into her hometown drama.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from THE EX-DEBUTANTE.
-Click here to read Linda Francis Lee’s bio.
-Click here to see Linda Francis Lee's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE EX-DEBUTANTE.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.LindaFrancisLee.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE EX-DEBUTANTE:
Against her will, Carlisle Wainwright Cushing has been dragged from her Boston law firm back to Texas to head up Willow Creek’s 100th annual debutante ball. The high-powered lawyer is now hemming dresses and warding off catfights --- not to mention dealing with her mother’s latest impending divorce. And then there is Jack Blair, her first love --- the man who keeps making her forget she is engaged!

 

Click here to read more about Linda Francis Lee and THE EX-DEBUTANTE.


 
Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Stephen White, Author of DEAD TIME
Stephen White is a clinical psychologist and the New York Times bestselling author of the Alan Gregory novels, which include DRY ICE and KILL ME. In his new thriller DEAD TIME, which is now available in stores, Colorado psychologist Alan Gregory is pulled into a mystery that reaches back years to a camping trip at the Grand Canyon where a young woman mysteriously vanished.

-Click here to read a review of DEAD TIME.
-Click here to read a third excerpt from DEAD TIME.
-Click here to read our interview with Stephen White.
-Click here to read fast facts about Stephen White.
-Click here to read Stephen White’s bio.
-Click here to see Stephen White's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for Stephen White's books.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.AuthorStephenWhite.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.


More about DEAD TIME:
Colorado psychologist Alan Gregory’s ex-wife, Merideth, reappears, seeking help she feels only Alan can give. Suddenly he is pulled into a mystery that reaches back years to a camping trip at the Grand Canyon involving Merideth’s fiancé and five friends whose lives were changed forever when a young woman mysteriously vanished from the Canyon floor.

 
Click here to read more about Stephen White and DEAD TIME.

 
Now in Stores: ESCAPE FROM SADDAM by Lewis Alsamari
ESCAPE FROM SADDAM: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Journey to Freedom by Lewis Alsamari (Memoir)
ESCAPE FROM SADDAM is a powerful nonfiction thriller that, even as it plunges the reader into a netherworld of crooked border police, military checkpoints, counterfeiters and smugglers, provides a fascinating window into a totalitarian regime. It is also a remarkably inspirational story of a resourceful young man who refused to accept his fate... and then risked everything he’d achieved to save his family.

 
Click here to read more about ESCAPE FROM SADDAM.

 

This Week's Reviews

ANOTHER THING TO FALL by Laura Lippman (Mystery)
In Laura Lippman’s 10th Tess Monaghan book, the Baltimore PI works as a security guard for Selena Waites, a spoiled television starlet. Tess finds herself deep in the atmosphere of a television production company filming a series as disaster after disaster plague and threaten the set and crew. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read an excerpt from ANOTHER THING TO FALL.

A PRISONER OF BIRTH by Jeffrey Archer (Thriller)
If Danny Cartwright had proposed to Beth Wilson the day before, or the day after, he would not have been arrested and charged with the murder of his best friend. But when the four prosecution witnesses are a barrister, a popular actor, an aristocrat and the youngest partner in an established firm’s history, who is going to believe your side of the story? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

LUSH LIFE by Richard Price (Fiction)
LUSH LIFE is a sprawling, melodic and engrossing work of fiction from a true master of dialogue. In his first novel in five years, Richard Price tells a history, a crime mystery and a no-heroes-here character drama replete with multiple perspectives and clashes on every front. Reviewed by Max Falkowitz.

THE VIEW FROM THE SEVENTH LAYER by Kevin Brockmeier (Fiction/Short Stories)
Echoing the fabulist style of masters like Jorge Luis Borges and Steven Millhauser, Kevin Brockmeier --- award-winning author of THE BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEAD --- offers a dazzling collection of emotionally resonant stories noteworthy both for their often magical themes and their equally glittering prose. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.

THE THING ABOUT LIFE IS THAT ONE DAY YOU'LL BE DEAD by David Shields (Memoir)
Mesmerized --- at times unnerved --- by his 97-year-old father’s nearly superhuman vitality and optimism, David Shields undertakes an investigation of the human physical condition. The result is both a personal meditation on mortality and an exploration of flesh-and-blood existence from crib to oblivion --- an exploration that paradoxically prompts a renewed and profound appreciation of life. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE BETRAYAL GAME by David L. Robbins (Thriller)
Can one man make history --- and can another change it with a single bullet? It was a question that Professor Mikhal Lammeck had devoted his life to answering. An expert on history’s great political assassinations, he has come to Havana in the spring of 1961 to seek the answer firsthand. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE GUILTY by Jason Pinter (Thriller)
THE GUILTY is the second Jason Pinter novel to feature Henry Parker, intrepid reporter for the New York Gazette. It begins with the death of a beautiful starlet, who is senselessly murdered by a sniper on the eve of what was to be her jump to major stardom. Parker is on the story but is startled when evidence on the scene suggests that the killer is attempting to communicate directly with him. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

LADY MACBETH by Susan Fraser King (Historical Fiction)
Susan Fraser King’s new novel covers the life of a young Celtic girl who became Queen Macbeth, living through fierce battles beside her husband and bearing a child destined to become king of Scotland a thousand years ago. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

THE SPA by Fay Weldon (Fiction)
In her latest novel, Fay Weldon offers a glimpse of the despairs and dalliances of a set of high-powered women who have burned paths through --- and sometimes been burned by --- their worlds and the men in them. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

 
Read this week's reviews here.

 

Poll and Question of the Week: Talking About Books with Friends

Poll:

Outside of a formal book group discussion, do you talk about books with your friends?
 

All of the time
Some of the time
Never
I would love to do this, but I do not.


-Click here to answer our poll.


Question:

What book (name up to three) that you recently read would you most like to talk about with a friend?


-Click here to answer our question.

 

Click here
 

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 CURE FOR MODERN LIFE by Lisa Tucker and HOLLYWOOD CROWS by Joseph Wambaugh, both of which will be in stores on March 25th. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on March 28th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.

Please note that our next Word of Mouth update will be on March 28th.
 
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 Carol@bookreporter.com. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.

Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by March 31, 2008 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: ANOTHER THING TO FALL: A Tess Monaghan Novel by Laura Lippman, CHANGE OF HEART by Jodi Picoult, THE CURE FOR MODERN LIFE by Lisa Tucker, HOLLYWOOD CROWS by Joseph Wambaugh and A PRISONER OF BIRTH by Jeffrey Archer. Anne Dixon from Astoria, NY
was last month's newsletter winner. She won DEEP DISH by Mary Kay Andrews, FIREFLY LANE by Kristin Hannah, LADY KILLER by Lisa Scottoline, REMEMBER ME? by Sophie Kinsella and STRANGERS IN DEATH by Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb.

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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