Coleman Cox
I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have.
Attribution
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
Nothing is so often irretrievably missed as a daily opportunity.
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July 15, 2016
When we left off last Friday, I was headed back to ThrillerFest. I caught a panel with Linwood Barclay, Andrew Gross, John Lescroart, Walter Mosley, Daniel Palmer and Kate White, where they talked about writing both series and stand-alone books. Later I learned a lot about penning legal thrillers. I confess to a lack of knowledge about how different the legal system is structured in cities and states across the country. Getting the details right in a book is as important as getting the gun details correct. At that panel I met Larry D. Thompson, whose DARK MONEY was featured on the site earlier this year. Surreptitious meetings are what these conferences are about. I grabbed tea with Keith Raffel (who was right that I would not like jasmine tea), and he had me read two pages of his next book. The last line had me saying “More!” He’s polishing the manuscript now.
Editorial Content for I've Got Sand in All the Wrong PlacesContributorsReviewer (text)Carole Turner
I’VE GOT SAND IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES is the seventh book by the dynamic mother and daughter writing team of Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella. Is it heredity that both women have a very active funny bone, a no-holds-barred perspective on reality, and the ability to connect with their readers? Whatever the reason --- heredity, environment or something else --- the result is another book that will have you shaking your head, snickering as you turn the pages, and wishing it wouldn’t end so soon. Read More TeaserThe New York Times bestselling mother-daughter team returns with a new collection of funny and relatable true stories in the everyday lives of modern women. Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella give their multigenerational take on a variety of topics, from the terrors of Tinder to the indignities of the gym, and from fleece as formalwear to playing the lotto as financial planning, sounding like two girlfriends you’ve known your whole life. As with all mothers and daughters, Lisa and Francesca sometimes joke, sometimes fight, but always love their way through life’s best and worst moments. PromoThe New York Times bestselling mother-daughter team returns with a new collection of funny and relatable true stories in the everyday lives of modern women. Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella give their multigenerational take on a variety of topics, from the terrors of Tinder to the indignities of the gym, and from fleece as formalwear to playing the lotto as financial planning, sounding like two girlfriends you’ve known your whole life. As with all mothers and daughters, Lisa and Francesca sometimes joke, sometimes fight, but always love their way through life’s best and worst moments. About the Book“The mother-daughter duo returns with a collection of breezy summer essays, perfect for the beach, the pool or even the couch. This witty, insightful assortment of stories is a wonderfully entertaining look into the lives of two modern women.” —Parade Magazine The New York Times bestselling mother-daughter team returns with a new collection in the series that Oprah Magazine calls the "Perfect Summer Must-Read," of funny and relatable true stories in the everyday lives of modern women. Lisa and Francesca give their multigenerational take on a variety of topics, from the terrors of Tinder to the indignities of the gym, and from fleece as formalwear to playing the lotto as financial planning, sounding like two girlfriends you’ve known your whole life. As with all mothers and daughters, Lisa and Francesca sometimes joke, sometimes fight, but always love their way through life’s best and worst moments. You’ll laugh along with them, and when you finish, you will want to share the fun with your mother, daughter or best friend. So join Lisa and Francesca as they travel from the beach to the city to the suburbs and all the places in between, exasperating, supporting and enjoying each other along the way. "Lisa and Francesca, mother and daughter, bring you the laughter of their lives." —Delia Ephron, bestselling author “True tales of how we live now from a mother and daughter who are best pals --- and a very funny writing team.” —People ("Best Beach Book") Audiobook available, read by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella Editorial Content for You'll Grow Out of ItContributorsReviewer (text)Norah Piehl
I don’t watch “Inside Amy Schumer” (although maybe now I’ll start) or much standup, so the first time I encountered Jessi Klein was via her phenomenally funny and thoughtful essay about why she hates bathing, which appeared in The New Yorker a few months ago. I was thrilled to see that essay included in her new collection, YOU’LL GROW OUT OF IT, along with nearly two dozen other pieces that perfectly achieve the tricky balance between substance and hilarity. Read More TeaserIn YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT, comedian Jessi Klein offers a relentlessly funny yet poignant take on a variety of topics she has experienced along her strange journey to womanhood and beyond. These include her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss." PromoIn YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT, comedian Jessi Klein offers a relentlessly funny yet poignant take on a variety of topics she has experienced along her strange journey to womanhood and beyond. These include her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss." About the BookYOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT hilariously, and candidly, explores the journey of the 21st-century woman. As both a tomboy and a late bloomer, comedian Jessi Klein grew up feeling more like an outsider than a participant in the rites of modern femininity. In YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT, Klein offers-through an incisive collection of real-life stories --- a relentlessly funny yet poignant take on a variety of topics she has experienced along her strange journey to womanhood and beyond. These include her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss" ("Miss sounds like you weigh ninety-nine pounds"). Raw, relatable and consistently hilarious, YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT is a one-of-a-kind book by a singular and irresistible comic voice. Audiobook available, read by Jessi Klein Editorial Content for Julian Fellowes's BelgraviaContributorsReviewer (text)Lorraine W. Shanley
Here’s a fun summer read by Julian Fellowes, screenwriter, actor, author of SNOBS and PAST IMPERFECT, and creator of “Downton Abbey.” Originally published in serial form, BELGRAVIA relies --- happily so --- on endless cliffhangers to move the plot forward and, presumably, persuade readers to return for the next installment. The result is a fast-paced novel set in Victorian England that has every human foible and emotion on display. Read More TeaserJULIAN FELLOWES’S BELGRAVIA is the story of a secret --- a secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode. Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, BELGRAVIA is peopled by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. At the Duchess of Richmond's now-legendary ball, one family's life will change forever. PromoJULIAN FELLOWES’S BELGRAVIA is the story of a secret --- a secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode. Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, BELGRAVIA is peopled by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. At the Duchess of Richmond's now-legendary ball, one family's life will change forever. About the BookJULIAN FELLOWES’S BELGRAVIA is the story of a secret. A secret that unravels behind the porticoed doors of London's grandest postcode. Set in the 1840s when the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, BELGRAVIA is peopled by a rich cast of characters. But the story begins on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. At the Duchess of Richmond's now legendary ball, one family's life will change forever. Audiobook available, read by Juliet Stevenson Editorial Content for Among the Wicked: A Kate Burkholder NovelContributorsReviewer (text)Joe Hartlaub
It is always interesting when an author takes a long-running series and changes things up a bit. Linda Castillo has done just that, and quite successfully, with AMONG THE WICKED, the newly published installment in her Kate Burkholder series. Read More TeaserChief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff's department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and "English" communities, the sheriff asks Kate to travel to New York, pose as an Amish woman and infiltrate the community. In the coming days, she will unearth a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and herself, alone...trapped in a fight for her life. PromoChief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff's department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and "English" communities, the sheriff asks Kate to travel to New York, pose as an Amish woman and infiltrate the community. In the coming days, she will unearth a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and herself, alone...trapped in a fight for her life. About the BookChief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff's department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Unable to penetrate the wall of silence between the Amish and "English" communities, the sheriff asks Kate to travel to New York, pose as an Amish woman and infiltrate the community. Kate's longtime love interest, State Agent John Tomasetti, is dead set against her taking on such an unorthodox assignment, knowing she'll have limited communication --- and even less in the way of backup. But Kate can't turn her back, especially when the rumor mill boils with disturbing accounts of children in danger. She travels to New York where she's briefed and assumes her new identity as a lone widow seeking a new life. Kate infiltrates the community and goes deep under cover. In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and herself, alone...trapped in a fight for her life. Audiobook available, read by Kathleen McInerney Editorial Content for The Innocents: A Quinn Colson NovelContributorsReviewer (text)Joe Hartlaub
In a way, THE INNOCENTS hits the reset button on the Quinn Colson series. Author Ace Atkins does not share his considerable talents in half-measures. Looking back, the first five books in the Colson saga could be Part One, or Season One, if you will. It is so well executed that I wonder if Atkins had planned it that way all along. This latest installment introduces some interesting new characters, brings back a few long-running ones, and continues a couple of plot threads that have cropped up over the years while spinning out new trails to follow. Read More TeaserWhen a former high school cheerleader is found walking a back road completely engulfed in flames, the entire state of Mississippi focuses on Tibbehah county, wanting answers. The light soon shines on several people: the girl’s father, a worthless drunk; a pair of teenage thugs with grand ambitions to control north Mississippi; and a red-headed truck stop madam who has her own problems. As Quinn Colson and acting Sheriff Lillie Virgil uncover old secrets and new lies, the entire town turns against them, and they learn that the most dangerous enemies may be the ones you trust most. PromoWhen a former high school cheerleader is found walking a back road completely engulfed in flames, the entire state of Mississippi focuses on Tibbehah county, wanting answers. The light soon shines on several people: the girl’s father, a worthless drunk; a pair of teenage thugs with grand ambitions to control north Mississippi; and a red-headed truck stop madam who has her own problems. As Quinn Colson and acting Sheriff Lillie Virgil uncover old secrets and new lies, the entire town turns against them, and they learn that the most dangerous enemies may be the ones you trust most. About the BookFrom New York Times bestselling Southern crime master Ace Atkins comes a gritty, darkly comic tale of greed, violence and unexpected redemption. Now, back in Jericho, trying to fix things with his still-married high school girlfriend and retired Hollywood stuntman father, he’s drawn to becoming a lawman again. This time, he accepts a badge from acting Sheriff Lillie Virgil, a foul-mouthed law woman with shades of Calamity Jane. But what they must confront together is something brand-new. When a former high school cheerleader is found walking a back road completely engulfed in flames, the entire state focuses on the rural county, wanting answers. The light soon shines on several people: the girl’s father, a worthless drunk named Wash Jones; a pair of teenage thugs with grand ambitions to control north Mississippi; and a red-headed truck stop madam named Fannie Hathcock, who has her own problems --- the Syndicate from down on the Gulf Coast has big plans for her neck of the woods. As Quinn and Lillie uncover old secrets and new lies, the entire town turns against them, and they learn the most dangerous enemies may be the ones you trust most. Audiobook available, narrated by Macleod Andrews Editorial Content for The Heavenly TableBookContributorsReviewer (text)Harvey Freedenberg
From his story collection KNOCKEMSTIFF and his first novel, THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME, Donald Ray Pollock already has earned recognition as a hard-edged writer who’s not afraid to root about in some of life’s less hospitable neighborhoods. His new novel, THE HEAVENLY TABLE, will only burnish that reputation. Read More TeaserIn 1917, in that sliver of border land between Georgia and Alabama, Pearl Jewett ekes out an existence as a dispossessed farmer along with his three criminally-minded sons: Cane, Cob and Chimney. Hundreds of miles away, another farming family, the good-natured Fiddlers, have been swindled out of their family fortune while reeling from the disappearance of their son Eddie, who left to fight the Germans. When a crime spree sets the Jewetts on a collision course for the Fiddlers, an unlikely --- and turbulent --- relationship begins between the families. PromoIn 1917, in that sliver of border land between Georgia and Alabama, Pearl Jewett ekes out an existence as a dispossessed farmer along with his three criminally-minded sons: Cane, Cob and Chimney. Hundreds of miles away, another farming family, the good-natured Fiddlers, have been swindled out of their family fortune while reeling from the disappearance of their son Eddie, who left to fight the Germans. When a crime spree sets the Jewetts on a collision course for the Fiddlers, an unlikely --- and turbulent --- relationship begins between the families. About the BookIn 1917, in that sliver of border land between Georgia and Alabama, Pearl Jewett ekes out an existence as a dispossessed farmer along with his three criminally-minded sons: Cane, Cob and Chimney. Hundreds of miles away, another farming family, the good-natured Fiddlers, have been swindled out of their family fortune while reeling from the disappearance of their son Eddie, who left to fight the Germans. When a crime spree sets the Jewetts on a collision course for the Fiddlers, an unlikely --- and turbulent --- relationship begins between the families. In the gothic tradition of Flannery O'Connor with a heavy dose of cinematic violence reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino, Donald Ray Pollock pens a bloody tale of dark and horrific conflict between two families in an era not so distant from today. Audiobook available, read by Kirby Heyborne |


