You Are Cordially Invited . . .To Be Married Happily Ever After

Another contest from Elaine Viets, in honor of her next book, “Half-Price Homicide,” the ninth Dead-End Job mystery!

You Are Cordially Invited . . .
To Be Married Happily Ever After

Need a minister for your wedding?

Can’t find the right person to marry you on the happiest day of your life? Then you’re invited to enter the Elaine Viets Happily Ever After contest.

I’d be honored to marry the winning couple.

Besides being a bestselling mystery author, I am also an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church. I will marry a couple anywhere within the continental United States to celebrate a very special literary occasion: The publication of “Half-Price Homicide,” my ninth Dead-End Job mystery.

After nine books and many adventures, Helen and Phil begin their new life together in this novel. They have a romantic beach wedding. Helen and Phil are married by a minister in Universal Life Church. This wedding starts a new chapter for both of them.

Let me help you start your new life together. Whether you and your beloved want a romantic wedding by the sea, a mountain meadow, a luxurious garden, a grand hotel or a private home, I’ll be honored to marry you. Because true love defies labels, I will marry either a traditional bride and groom or a same-sex couple.

Helen and Phil plan to live happily ever after. I invite you to do the same.

RSVP your entry to Elaine Viets’ Happily Ever After contest:

mailto:eviets@aol.com

(1) Your names

(2) The proposed date and time of your wedding

Date:

Time: _______ AM _________PM

(3) The location

Name or type of place (private home, park, hotel)
Street address, State and ZIP

Entries must be emailed by midnight, June 1, to eviets@aol.com.

The winning couple will be chosen by the Elaine Viets advertising team.

PLEASE NOTE: We will have to work out a mutually agreeable date if I have a previously scheduled event.

I will travel to your wedding at my expense within the continental USA. I have been a minister in good standing with the Universal Life Church since 1976 and have my certificate.

The engaged couple or their representatives agree to provide lodgings for me, as well as meals, transportation to and from the airport and the ceremony, if needed.
My hotel room must be booked in advance of the wedding, if the wedding takes place outside the Fort Lauderdale area.

The couple must be of legal age to marry and either single or divorced. If one or both parties are divorced, you will be asked to produce your divorce decree(s) and all necessary identification.

Both parties must mutually consent to Elaine Viets as their minister.

Same sex weddings are legal only in the states that permit them, but I will still perform the ceremony.

I am authorized to marry in all 50 states and US territories, but the laws vary by state. Some states ask for my minister’s certificate or a letter from the Universal Life Church. Other states require me to register with their Secretary of State. I may need time to fulfill these requirements.

Both parties must be legal or naturalized citizens of the United States.
The winning couple may write their own vows.

This contest ends June 1, 2010.
**********************************
Half-Price Homicide, Elaine Viets’ ninth Dead-End Job Mystery

Secondhand clothes. First-degree murder.

Angelina Jolie. Glenn Close. Kate Winslet.

Helen Hawthorne sells the most wanted bargains at Snapdragon’s Second Thoughts. The Fort Lauderdale consignment shop has designer duds to die for – literally. The customers who bring in their barely worn fashions hide behind Hollywood monikers so no one discovers their fashion secrets. They want the money for reselling their clothes, but not the notoriety.

Helen has wants of her own. Tired of living life on the lam, she wants to go home to St. Louis to clear her name. She wants to help her mother in a Florida nursing home.

The men in her life have their own wants. Helen’s greedy ex-husband wants more money. The man she loves wants to get married.

You’ll want “Half-Price Homicide,” Helen Hawthorne’s ninth Dead-End Job mystery.

Sneak preview of “Half-Price Homicide” & a contest!

You are cordially invited . . .
To a sneak preview of “Half-Price Homicide.”

Enter our contest to win an autogrpahed Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of “Half-Price Homicide: A Dead-End Job Mystery” by Elaine Viets.

The winners will read Elaine Viets’ ninth Helen Hawthorne mystery weeks before this new Obsidian hardcover novel hits the bookshops.

“Half-Price Homicide” is the novel Helen Hawthorne’s fans have been waiting for. Helen finally marries the man she loves. But it’s not that simple. It never is. Helen is still running from her greedy ex-husband, Rob. And she’s working at Snapdragon’s Second Thoughts, the South Florida designer consignment shop. She also has to care for her mother in a nursing home.

When those pricy second-hand clothes are mixed with first-degree murder, Helen has to solve the mystery, for better or worse.

Only then can she return to St. Louis, clear her name and end her life on the lam.
Will Helen ever be free of Rob? Will she continue working those Dead-End Jobs after her marriage? Will Helen and Phil live happily ever after?

You’ll be the first to know, if you win an autographed ARC of “Half-Price Homicide.”

Take the first step:
(1) Tell us about yourself:
I am a
(a) book reviewer for _________________
(b) book seller for ____________________
(c) reader
(d) a film producer
(e) a librarian
(f) a member of the publishing industry, ie, editor, agent, etc. ______________________
(g) other

(2) Send an e-mail with your name and email address to eviets@aol.com by April 10.

Winners will be chosen by the Elaine Viets advertising team and announced on her Facebook page April 10.

NOTE: ARCs are usually given to reviewers and other in the book trade for promotional purposes. The “Half-Price Homicide” ARC has a plain paper cover and includes the typos found in the first-pass proofs. These will not be in the hardcover edition (we hope).

“Half-Price Homicide: A Dead-End Job Mystery” by Elaine Viets
Publication date: May 4, 2010
Price: $22.95 An Obsidian Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-451-22989-2

THIS CONTEST ENDS APRIL 10, 2010.
**********************************

HALF-PRICE HOMICIDE
A Dead-End Job Mystery
by Elaine Viets

Marilyn Stasio of The New York Times called Elaine Viets’ mysteries “clever.” Charlaine “True Blood” Harris said her Dead-End Job series has “a stubborn and intelligent heroine, a wonderful South Florida setting, and a cast of more or less lethal bimbos . . . .”

In “Half-Price Homicide,” the ninth mystery in Elaine Viets’ national bestselling Dead-End Job series, her heroine, Helen Hawthorne, is still on the run from her ex-husband. Helen works at a consignment shop where the designer duds are to die for – literally. Helen wants to return to St. Louis and clear her name so she can marry the man she loves. But first, she has to deal with secondhand clothes and first-degree murder.

Elaine and Helen Hawthorne both work the same Dead-End Jobs for this critically acclaimed series. For “Half-Price Homicide,” Elaine did her research at a designer consignment shop in Fort Lauderdale.

Elaine has worked in a dress shop (“Shop Till You Drop”), a bookstore (“Murder between the Covers”), as a telemarketer selling septic-tank cleaner (“Dying to Call You”), in a bridal shop (“Just Murdered”), a dog boutique (“Murder Unleashed”), and at a country club (“Clubbed to Death”). She made 38 rooms, 17 toilets and the honeymoon Jacuzzi each day for “Murder with Reservations” and did her research at an exclusive South Florida hair salon for “Killer Cuts.”

Author Bio
Elaine Viets has won the Anthony and Agatha Awards, as well as the 2008 Lefty Award for the funniest novel, “Murder with Reservations.” She has written short stories for two Charlaine “True Blood” Harris anthologies, include the New York Times bestseller, “Many Bloody Returns.” Elaine is a former syndicated columnist for United Media in New York. She lives with her husband, Don Crinklaw, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

IN MY BOOK

Robin K. Blum is my guest blogger today. She is going to be at PLA (the Public Library Association conference in Portland, OR) and has a free gift for anyone who stops by...and a contest for BookBitchBlog readers, so read on!

Hello, my name is Robin K. Blum, and I am the proud owner of a small literary-oriented business called In My Book, which manufactures a line of bookmark/greeting cards. Some of you may also know me as birdie from www.lisnews.org .

Whats an In My Book card you ask? Its a fundraiser for your library, its a thank you note for donors and volunteers, its an invitation to a special event, its a greeting card that goes great with the gift of a book, its a card for the members of the reading group, its a save the date card, and of course, its the greeting card and bookmark in one. If you really want to know just what an In My Book card is all about you have to see one, or better yet, hold it in your hands. Until you get that opportunity, here's the website, where all fifteen styles are shown: www.inmybook.com.

Cards may be purchased by individuals on-line and libraries and bookstores may register there to sell the cards wholesale. In My Book cards are available at over 400 outlets including the Library of Congress Shop, big & little library systems and shops and independent bookstores across the US.

The first In My Book cards were sold in May of 2000. The precursors were a few homemade, handmade bookmarks given to friends and relatives on their birthdays, usually along with books. As the idea developed, and the bookmark expanded into a greeting card, the concept and format of In My Book was born (the name was hit upon in the shower). It was clear that the idea could work if the greetings were clever and thoughtful and the graphics were appealing. It hasn't always been easy (or profitable), but I'm proud to say that this coming May will be the tenth anniversary of the company. The cards are sold primarily in independent bookstores and library stores, and by library friends groups. Here's a complete listing by state of where the cards are sold: In My Book Stores You can also buy them individually on-line.

I illustrated the first few cards myself and laminated them; one of the first was a gift for my Aunt Norma (with a book) on her 70th birthday...she's just celebrated her 80th birthday (but doesn't want anyone to know!) I obtained a registered trademark on the name In My Book and after deciding I needed a more talented and versatile illustrator (than myself), I checked out a few portfolios before I found just the right person in Meredith Hamilton, who it turns out lives less than a mile from me in Brooklyn, NY. We hit it off and had a lot of fun designing the cards together. The illustrations were copyrighted and then it was a question of finding the right paper, the die-cut & perforation, and a printer who could handle all of the above within my budget. The first printer ran off into the night a lot of the original art (a nightmare!), but subsequently I found a talented and dependable printer in Pennsylvania.

It's clear that bookmarks, the original bookmarks, (i.e., something to keep your place) belong in books. A greeting card that DOUBLES as a bookmark can be viewed and enjoyed through a whole stack of books, and will always remind the reader of the person who sent them the card, particularly if they inscribe it with a personal greeting. And these days, anything that RECYCLES has added popularity. The cards are very GREEN (but not really, they're black and white, with a red envelope).

Mine is a small business that I started by myself and continue to run on my own (with a great deal of help from librarians, booksellers, sales reps, bloggers etc.). I am happy providing a unique product that fits a need for independent bookstores and library shops. I've chosen NOT to sell to chain bookstores or Amazon as I am determined to do my part to promote small and independent businesses (like my own!). Please patronize and support your community businesses.

If you're a public librarian, and will be attending the PLA Conference in Portland, Oregon in March, stop by my booth (#536) and say "The Bookbitch sent me" and who knows what will happen - but it'll be worth your while! *

*The BookBitch knows! Stop by and mention the BookBitch to Robin and she'll give you a little gift!

I'm on a mission to spread the news to library shops, foundations and friends groups, as well as indie bookstores and used and rare bookshops. Want to win three In My Book cards of your choice absolutely free? Just stop by In My Book and comment on this blog telling us which three cards you like best, and Stacy will pick the lucky winner.

Or, you can send an email to contest@gmail.com with "IN MY BOOK" as the subject. You must include your snail mail address in your email AND the three cards you like best and want to win. All entries must be received by March 31, 2010. One name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. The winner will receive three In My Book cards of their choice. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States. One entry per email address, please. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone. All entries, including names, e-mail addresses, and mailing addresses, will be purged after winners are notified.

Thank you Stacy for the opportunity to tell your readers about the greeting card and bookmark in one.

Guest Blogger: MICHAEL ATKINSON

The Past Isn’t Past

When I sat down, after over a decade of publishing journalism, criticism and poetry, to write novels – which is to say, finishing them; I’d been starting and abandoning novels since I’ve been 12 – there was no question that they would be historical. As in, set in the past. There are reasons I chose to write mysteries, and other reasons why I chose Ernest Hemingway as my reluctant literary sleuth, and that decision essentially decided the novels’ settings and eras. But the project had to be historical, not because I’m mad for historical fiction in particular, but because I’m mad for the past. I’m a nostalgist, I suppose, meaning, the world of the past grows for me in loveliness and vitality as the world of the present shrinks in pettiness and stupidity. Predictably, this ratio of feeling is widening as I age.

Nostalgia has gotten a bum rap in the last 40 years or more, mostly as a victim of academic English departments and the rise of postmodern theory. Actually, "nostalgia" as it was more or less redefined for all of us in the ‘70s, as we began to idealize and resurrect the ‘50s and then the ‘60s, initiating a cycle that grows notoriously shorter as it progresses and as our cultural technology speeds along, was always kind of thin stuff. Nobody can make a passionate case for Happy Days, Grease or Sha Na Na being deathless cultural gifts, or for their popularity being anything more than mass whimsy. Nostalgia embodied in the pop-culture arena can be as trite as anything that’s up-to-the-minute current.

And what’s more, it could be politically and socially poisonous, seen a certain way. The theorists, especially the feminists and postcolonialists, had reasonable stances against nostalgia, as an enabling ideology (stretching that term a bit) for ages of systemic misogyny and colonialist oppression. For hundreds of years women and Third Worlders paid the price of a romanticized British Empire (among others) and a sense of masculine prerogative that hearkened back to an easier, safer, more controllable past. Today, this is best embodied by America’s neo-conservatives, for whom the Eisenhower years were a golden age, and more extremely the "tea party" movement, which seeks to bring American public policy back to the 1800s, before Teddy Roosevelt passed the income tax.

I have no argument with this jaundiced view of nostalgia, and the hazards it recognizes. They could hardly be more real. But nostalgia isn’t a virus, and we don’t have to eliminate it like small pox. For one thing, the past is beautiful. History is beautiful. Proust, of course, makes the greatest and saddest case for this. Michael Chabon, admitting in an essay to suffering "intensely from bouts, at times almost disabling, of a limitless, all-encompassing nostalgia, extending well back into the years before I was born," makes a concise claim toward the impulse’s reevaluation:

"The mass synthesis, marketing, and distribution of versions and simulacra of an artificial past over the last thirty years or so, has ruined the reputation and driven a fatal stake through the heart of nostalgia. Those of us who cannot make it from one end of a street to another without being momentarily upended by some fragment of outmoded typography, curve of chrome fender or whiff of lavender hair oil from the pate of a semiretired neighbor are compelled by the disrepute into which nostalgia has fallen to mourn secretly the passing of a million marvelous quotidian things." ("Landsman of the Lost," Maps and Legends, 2008)

I’d be as happy as the next guy to blame the situation on rampaging commodification, as Chabon does, though I suspect a good many cultural pressures are responsible collectively. Whatever – if you belong to this tribe, Chabon provides you with an anthem in the next paragraph:

"We are not, as our critics would claim, necessarily convinced that things were once better than they are now, nor that we ourselves our parents, or our grandparents were happier ‘back then.’ We are simply like those savants in the Borges story who stumble upon certain objects and totems that turn out to be the random emanations and proofs of existence of Tlon. The past is another planet; anyone ought to wonder, as we do, at any traces of it that turn up on this one."

Here, here. This speaks to my sense of it – the past, in particular the past I never experienced, prior to the ‘60s, is beautiful and fascinating for being both forever unchangeable and forever unknowable, not "better" (as if we could choose) but different, fondly alien. And it seeps through our world, like a watermark. The past is a seductive arena because its tribulations and conflicts are already resolved, for better or worse; retrospection allows us to see the humanity and fiery pleasures of, say, the British homefront during WWII, Paris in the 1920s, or New York in the 1880s, in ways that the immediate stresses and distractions and crises of the time kept everyone from noticing. This is why Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast is such a deathless document – not because it’s 100% accurate in its famous recounting of the ‘20s – it couldn’t be – but because it focuses on things and feelings that required time to debarnacle, cleanse, polish and reappreciate. If not for nostalgia, an entire way of seeing human society as it has passed through time would be lost.

As it is, so much is lost, and there’s little we can do to stave the flow, despite the obsessive efforts by untold armies of fiction and memoir writers, history teachers, record and book and antique collectors, archivists, old film lovers, obsolete model railroad fanatics, archaeologists, sports trivia nuts, drag queens, library lovers and museum workers. I’ll give you a taste of what I mean, what I find beautiful about the past: travel posters from the 1920s, early-century book engravings, the cavernous backseats of 1950s Oldsmobiles, the fey yet crystalline dramatic intention of silent movies, pith helmets, terra cotta architectural curlicues, old spice cabinets or specimen drawers, wallpaper (even today, wallpaper that strives to be modern is ludicrously ugly, and so most designs are conscientiously retro), console radios, living rooms not centered on TVs but on fireplaces, Studebakers, old leatherhead football helmets, gaslight, 19th-century newspaper logos, and so on. I prefer these things to their contemporary counterparts, but not because I actually want to live in the past in which these things were contemporary. That would ruin it – the iconography of life is ordinary to you whenever you live. No, I prefer them *because* they’re ghosts of an evaporated world. I posses a fiery ardor for them the way you do for the women you’ve loved and no longer know, the house that you grew up in but has since been bulldozed, and the grandparents about whom almost all you can remember is their smell and their sense of patience.

So, it’s small wonder that my novels would be set in the past – writing fiction, after all, is more fun and immersive than reading it. Who wouldn’t want to vacation in a previous era? With all the ways we’ve designed to escape our present moment, it seems almost an inherent tragedy that the past is inaccessible and lost. Who can blame us for swooning over its artifacts and residue?

Michael Atkinson is a longtime New York film critic and poet, and author of seven books, including the upcoming HEMINGWAY CUTTHROAT, due in the summer of 2010. His website is www.mike-atkinson.com

SLEUTHFEST!

I spent the past two days mingling with well known authors, agents, editors, and those that want to be published, and I had a blast!
I posted some pictures on Facebook here: http://bit.ly/dA1d01

I started the conference with the panel with the most tantalizing name: Sex: It Ain't What it Used to Be featuring mostly romance/romantic suspense authors Rhonda Pollero, Leanne Banks, Traci Hall, Terry Odell and Amy Fetzer. The lone male panelist, thriller writer extraordinaire Barry Eisler, was snowed in and missed the panel. The women all agreed that men can't write sex, and when they do, it's "all about the penis." They went on to explain how they don't write sex, they write "sexual tension" of the "make them want, make them wait" variety. Pollero explained that most people have already had sex, and to write about it would be boring, then went in to say, "Like in life, books should have as little sex as possible." All I can say is ladies, go read Eisler - the man writes hot sex! If you'd like to hear more from these ladies, they blog together at BabesInBookland.com

The next panel I attended was on publishing, and featured legendary Putnam editor Neil Nyren, Penguin sales rep Dave Kliegman and bookseller Joanne Sinchuk, manager of Murder on the Beach, a mystery bookstore in Delray Beach, Florida. They discussed the publishing process from when an editor buys a book on down until it hits the bookshelves. The process isn't all that complicated, but it does take some time. When the editor is done with a book, he prepares a short synopsis with appeal characteristics which is then presented at a quarterly sales meeting. The sales reps learn about the new books, and they in turn take that knowledge to their customers like Joanne. Kliegman says after 25 years in the business, he knows which of his customers will like what books, and that's how your favorite books end up on your favorite bookseller's shelves!

David Morrell was the keynote speaker on Saturday. He was brilliant and inspiring, as always. He spoke eloquently about some of the hardships in his life; losing his father on D-Day when he was a baby, abandonment by his single mother until she remarried, a volatile, unstable stepfather. Morrell lost his teenage son to a rare form of bone cancer, then recently lost his granddaughter to the same disease. He says he's been hit as hard as a man can be hit, and I would have to agree with him. He's been writing for thirty-eight years now, and says the secret to his success is that he keeps on reinventing himself. He has a PhD in American literature and is occasionally accused of "slumming" in his reviews. But he says he owes his longevity to something he learned in college: be a first rate version of yourself and not the second rate version of a writer you admire. It seems to be working.

Saturday was a full day of panels, starting with The Plot Thickens. This panel featured Sandra Balzo, Sharon Potts, Rhonda Pollero, Terry Odell, and Lesley Diehl in a lively discussion about plotting mysteries and romance. I didn't know there was such a thing as plotting software, but Pollero swears it keeps her organized. She recommends Power Structure and WriteWayPro software.

Next up was Authors in Wonderland: Recently published authors discuss what they did right and wrong and featured Sharon Potts, Steven Forman, Vincent O'Neil, Deborah Sharp, Caro Soles and Mark Adduci. These authors had lots of advice from entering contests (O'Neill won a St. Martins Press writing contest) to marry someone who works for NBC (Sharp is married to Kerry Sanders, which helped her get a spot on the Today Show) to probably some of the best advice, attend writers conferences and workshops. Potts did for years before her first novel, In Their Blood was published to a starred review from Publishers Weekly and a nomination for Best New Thriller from the International Thriller Writers group. Forman met Doug Preston at an author breakfast and he was instrumental in getting Boca Knights published. All the authors stressed the importance of having a website and doing some social networking.

The last panel of the morning was Hooks, Lines and Sinkers: How to write good outlines, queries, and concepts, and when to use them. Any one who wants to be published would benefit from the sage advice given here by Shannon Jamieson Vazquez, Paige Wheeler, Annette Rogers and PJ Parrish. They went over the basics like a query letter should be three paragraphs long; the first paragraph should have the "log line" or hook, a 1-2 sentence synopsis of the book. Second paragraph should be a more detailed synopsis and the last paragraph should include a relevant author bio that is germane to the book or writing process, like having an MFA for example. All the agents and publishers agreed that email is better than snail mail and to check their websites to see how they handle submissions and queries. They stressed being very direct, professional and honest.

Lumch was followed by keynote speaker Stephen J. Cannell. He is a man who overcame severe dyslexia to become one of the most successful TV producers ever, then followed up that career by writing bestselling novels. For me, one of the highlights of his talk was the way he spoke about his wife, Marsha, who he has known since the 8th grade! He shared with us that he was constantly on the verge of flunking out of school, but he was "relentlessly positive." And he told us that "you don't have to be the smartest kid in school to get where you want to go." He sure proved that.

The panel on Stand Alone Novels was a lot of fun and featured mystery reviewer Oline Cogdill and writers Jonathon King, Peter Robinson, Barry Eisler and moderator PJ Parrish. They talked about the "Harlan Coben effect" by following a midlist series like his Myron Bolitar series with a stand alone thriller that catapulted him to the bestseller lists. It also worked for Laura Lippman. Robinson says he's written a couple of stand alones, but they haven't been published in the US. King spoke about writing the book you want to write, and even though he ended up having to self publish The Styx, he's glad he wrote it. Eisler followed up his terrific Rain series with a stand alone thriller, Fault Line, that I loved. He joked that you call the stand alone following the series "getting some strange" and then said he was so sorry he missed the sex panel. And I was delighted to hear that a sequel to Fault Line, Inside Out, will be coming out this June, turning his stand alone into a new series.

The last panel of the day was one of the most fascinating, Violence: Too Much or Too Little: Where and when to draw the line. David Morrell, CJ Lyons, James Swain, Don Bruns and Barry Eisler had a frank and lively discussion about the desensitization of America, particularly the youth. Eisler referenced a piece he wrote for Huffington Post called Torture Tales. It was brilliant and very disturbing. Swain talked about a cop friend of his who told him about a 12 year old who killed several classmates with one gunshot to the head each. This child had never handled a gun before, so how did he do it? Video games.

Showtime's Dexter, the lovable serial killer based on the Jeff Lindsay books, is "Pinocchio", according to Lyons - "he wants to grow up to be human" and people embrace his character. Lyons also told us that men and women have very different fears: men are afraid of being laughed at, and women are afraid of being killed. They also discussed how many of the most popular TV shows on now, like 24 and Criminal Minds, also help desensitize people to violence and torture. Morrell and Swain think it's because the writers are young and haven't experience the loss of someone close. Swain says when you still have at least one parent alive, people think they are invincible because they know their parent will go first. But once both parents are gone, "God has you in his range." In other words, you're next.

Those sobering words ended my day at Sleuthfest and left me a lot to think about it. It was a great conference and all the struggling writers I spoke with really felt like they learned a lot. I'd have to agree.

Guest Blogger: KELLI STANLEY

I left my heart
By Kelli Stanley

I first fell in love with San Francisco when I was too young to remember it.

It made a … what would you call it? Impression? Too soft. Impact? Too plain. Maybe I should just rely on song lyrics and say it lodged itself in my three year old-heart.

I spent a good part of my adolescence growing up two hundred and fifty miles north of The City, as she is fondly known by her residents (and yes, the old adage still holds true—don’t call her “‘Frisco.”) But whenever I could, I took every opportunity to visit … to smell the diesel and coffee on early Powell Street mornings, to say hi to the uniformed door men at the grand old hotels. To peak through a cloudy view finder and picture Al Capone shivering on Alcatraz, or sit in a warm and solemn pew in Mission Dolores.

And, as soon as I could, I moved here.

I love San Francisco, with all her foibles and faults – there are more than just the San Andreas – and I knew I had to write about her. To try to capture the dichotomy of this beautiful city, the tragedies and the comedies that formed her rich history, the fog and the sunshine and two bridges across a Bay.

So I took the plunge. And that’s partly how CITY OF DRAGONS came about.

Of course, it’s set in the San Francisco of 1940 … Hammett’s city almost twenty years after Hammett wrote about it. It will always be Hammett’s city, a birthplace of noir … and I wanted to honor that history and write in that style, because hardboiled prose and film noir dialogue have been loves of mine for as long as San Francisco has been. I was born with the gene! ;)

Writing CITY OF DRAGONS was a dream, in many ways. And when my wonderful agent submitted it just last January, I hoped it would lead to other dreams … to a move from a small to a major publisher, to be able to see it in stores that couldn’t carry NOX DORMIENDA, my first book.

And …it happened! Honestly, I wake up in the middle of the night at times and *still* can’t take it in. 2009 was a heady year, first selling CITY OF DRAGONS and sequel to Thomas Dunne/Minotaur in January, then NOX winning the Bruce Alexander Award and a Macavity nomination, and then selling the sequel, CURSED, to my editor at Thomas Dunne.

CITY OF DRAGONS and Miranda Corbie, the private eye who stalks the streets of 1940 San Francisco, live in my mind, a San Francisco parallel to my home city. When I pass Fisherman’s Wharf, I think of Miranda, gazing out at Treasure Island and the World’s Fair where she works during the season … when I shop downtown and walk by the venerable Pickwick Hotel, I replay Lester Winters’ murder, and picture Miranda picking up a package from the lockers at the Stage line. And when I eat dim sum in Chinatown, the place where it all begins, I think of Eddie Takahashi, the Japanese-American teenager she finds slain on Sacramento Street.

I hope you too will leave your heart in 1940 San Francisco. Mine’s been there for a long, long time.

Thanks for reading, and big, big thanks to Stacy for letting me launch my blog tour on the BookBitch Blog! And remember, Bouchercon 2010 will be held in the City by the Bay this October …

To win your own copy of CITY OF DRAGONS please send an email to contest@gmail.com with "CITY OF DRAGONS" as the subject. You must include your snail mail address in your email. All entries must be received by February 10, 2010. One name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. The winner will receive a free copy of CITY OF DRAGONS by Kelli Stanley. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States. One entry per email address, please. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone. All entries, including names, e-mail addresses, and mailing addresses, will be purged after winners are notified.



Kelli Stanley is an award-winning author of crime fiction (novels and short stories). Her second novel, the San Francisco-set CITY OF DRAGONS, will be released by Minotaur on February 2, 2010, and has garnered praise from Lee Child, Linda Fairstein, George Pelecanos and a host of other top writers. It’s also received three starred reviews (Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Library Journal), is a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews and an IndieNext Pick from the ABA. "Children's Day", a short story prequel to CITY OF DRAGONS and set during the 1939 World's Fair in San Francisco, will be published in the highly-anticipated International Thriller Writer's anthology, FIRST THRILLS: High Octane Stories from the Hottest Thriller Writers, in June, 2010.

Kelli's debut novel, NOX DORMIENDA, was a Writer’s Digest Notable Debut, won the Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award and was a Macavity Award finalist.
Kelli earned a Master’s Degree in Classics, loves jazz, old movies, battered fedoras, Art Deco and speakeasies. She is walked daily by a Springer Spaniel named Bertie.

You can find more information—including multimedia audio and video—on Kelli’s website, at http://www.kellistanley.com/.

CALLING ALL ROMANCE FANS!

IT HAPPENED ONE SEASON

Four stories, four authors, one theme: that was the idea behind the bestselling anthology It Happened One Night. Now, Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’Alessandro and Candice Hern return to write four stories ultimately chosen by readers, in IT HAPPENED ONE SEASON.

Romance fans should visit www.ItHappenedOneSeason.com to suggest their story. It must take place during the Regency social season. And they must include three specific plot points (such as these used for the anthology It Happened One Night: (1) a couple meets at an inn 2) they had met before but not within the past ten years 3) the whole story takes place within a 24 hour period.)

About the Contest

Submit three specific plot elements and your ideas could create the theme of the four tales in the new anthology collection, IT HAPPENED ONE SEASON.

The authors choose the four finalists.

The readers vote on the ultimate favorite and one lucky winner will see their dream come true.

The grand prize winner will be acknowledged on the dedication page of IT HAPPENED ONE SEASON and receive a $1,000 American Express gift card and a copy signed by all 4 authors. Semi-finalists will receive $100 American Express gift cards and a set of personalized autographed books.

Deadline for ideas: February 14, 2010

Round two/general voting begins: February 25, 2010

Winner announced: March 14, 2010

Note: Contest is open to US residents only, age 18 or older.

Visit www.ithappenedoneseason.com for more details.

BOOKMANIA 2010, Afternoon

No rest for the hungry...skipping lunch allowed me to enjoy Steve Berry (The Paris Vendetta) and James Rollins (Altar of Eden). Berry's books are fabulous. If you are not familiar, he does DaVinci Code type thrillers, only they are well written and even faster paced. He credits his success to Dan Brown, who blurbed his first book, The Amber Room. DaVinci hadn't been published yet, but came out a few months before Berry's book so when they published Berry, the Brown blurb was front and center.

Berry gave us an interesting factoid he stumbled across in his research - there are more books written about Napoleon than any other figure in history except for Jesus. Berry's next book, The Emperor's Tomb, will be out in November, and he has a book planned for 2011 about an unusual clause in the United States Constitution. He also let aspiring writers know that it wasn't easy for him to get published. It took five novels, 85 rejections and 12 years of writing to get The Amber Room published!

Berry & Rollins are great friends and co-Presidents ok the International Thriller Writers group. It is very unusual for authors from different publishing houses to tour together, but they enjoy it. In fact, Berry's book is dedicated to Rollins, who he says saved him from drowning in Fiji. They were both in Fiji teaching a writing course, and Berry was working on the Paris Vendetta and ran into some problems, a bad case of writer's block. Talking it out with Rollins, the two of them were able to get past that hurdle, hence the dedication. Rollins is a recently retired veterinarian and this new book is a stand alone, featuring a vet who stumbles across a genetically mutated exotic pet breeding nightmare. While Rollins recently retired, he still volunteers every Sunday with a feral cat group, spaying and neutering all the cats they find. He told us he can neuter a cat in 30 seconds, and spay a cat in under 5 minutes! His next book in the Sigma series will be out in June.

The next panel was presented by Barnes & Noble. The director of their Discover Great New Writers and Barnes & Noble Recommends program, Jill Lamar, brought a diverse group of authors for one of my favorite events. This year's authors included Allison Hoover Bartlett, Katherine Howe, Julie Metz and Mark Seal.

Bartlett wrote The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession, about a notorious rare book thief and the world of antiquarian book collecting. She said she thought the title was too long, but every bookseller who heard it said the same thing - that book's about me! She interviewed the thief while he was in prison, where he confessed to her additional crimes he'd not been charged with, and his future plans to steal more books once he got out of prison.

Julie Metz has a heartbreaking memoir, Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal. When her husband was 46 years old, he died suddenly of an embolism, leaving her with a 6 yr. old daughter to raise alone. If that isn't bad enough, she later found out that he was unfaithful numerous times, even with a woman she considered a friend. A very difficult book to write, but probably helpful too.

Katherine Howe is the author of the very well received The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, a novel set in both 17th century Salem and the witch trials, moving back and forth to modern day. Howe was trying to put together her doctoral proposal, but kept getting turned down so turned to fiction as a break. Deliverance Dane was a real person, a woman accused of witchcraft. Howe pointed out that the vast majority of accused "witches" were women who weren't conforming with the religious and cultural customs of the day.

Mark Seal wrote an article for Vanity Fair about Joan Root, one of the most respected and well known wildlife photographers in the world, after she was murdered in Africa. The article was compelling enough to get him a book deal, resulting in the compelling book Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and An Untimely Death in Africa. To capture Root's own voice, Seal had to travel to Nairobi and track down her ex-husband, who reluctantly ended up giving him boxes of her letters and thirty years worth of diaries...and then he had to sift through it all to complete her story.

Someone asked a question of Jill Lamar, the Barnes & Noble spokesperson, about how many books one has to sell to land on the NY Times bestseller list. Jill explained that it really depended on when the book was published, and what other books were currently on the list. She said a lot of publishers will postpone a new author to avoid having to compete with a James Patterson, Danielle Steel or other bestselling author. That said, she did say that the number of books sold are dramatically less than ever before, due to the economic downturn.

The last panel I stayed for introduced two journalists, Doug Stanton, who wrote Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan, and Steven V. Roberts, From Every End of This Earth: 13 Families and the New Lives They Made in America.

Horse Soldiers is about the special forces invasion of Afghanistan right after the September 11 attack. The intelligence said there were training camps there and these soldiers were sent in to find them and destroy them, and they were not expected to make it back alive. They had to ride horses and only two of them had ever been on a horse before - they called it "the Flintstones meet the Jetsons". This is their story.

Roberts' book is a look at immigration today. He tells the story of thirteen recent emigres, and pointed out that there has been prejudice against immigrants since the 1700s! He told us the story of the Stern family, a young man and his wife who were Jews in the Ukraine. They were terribly oppressed, and dreamed of escaping their homeland. Nick had the idea to write the necessary information on tiny slips of paper which his wife then sewed into the waistband of boxer shorts. Every Jewish family that emigrated were given a pair of boxers to hand over to the Hebrew Union, so they could file a visa for them. It took 20 tries before they got their visa. Nick was an engineer, and did really well here in America, so well that they now live in a beautiful penthouse apartment on the upper West side of New York City, and have a vacation home too. Nick told Roberts that his wife's closet in their vacation home is bigger than their old apartment was in the Ukraine.

There was one more panel but I couldn't sit anymore, so it was time to go.

Next up is the Writers Live! series of author events hosted by my library, the Palm Beach County Library System. We will be having Tim Dorsey, Linda Fairstein, Joy Fielding, Andrew Gross, David Morrell, Lisa Scottoline, Randy Wayne White and Adriana Trigiani. For times and locations, check out BookBitch.com

BOOKMANIA 2010, Morning

I haven't been back to BookMania for a couple of years, but this year the schedule of authors was too compelling to miss. That's me with one of my favorite authors, Claire Cook! Unfortunately, they still are running it as if a hundred people are showing up instead of the 400+ they've been getting the past several years. The regulars know what to do: they come first thing in the morning and dig in. They bring pillows to sit on (the chairs are just the stacking kind and not especially comfortable for an 8:30-6 shift;) they bring coolers and pack lunches and snacks and the smart ones bring a friend to guard it all for bathroom and booksigning breaks. More than once I overheard someone say they wished they could go buy a book and get it signed, but they didn't want to lose their seat, so I'm thinking it has to affect book sales. They had a food vendor outside with one person selling food, leaving a ridiculously long line to buy just a bottle of water, and only two tables to eat at. Nevertheless, despite all the logistical problems, it was a really fun day.

First panel of the day featured Masha Hamilton, Paulette Jiles, Sheramy Bundrick and James O’Neal (James O. Born). I wouldn't miss Jim for the world, he is hilarious! He was there to talk about THE HUMAN DISGUISE, his first futuristic crime thriller. He also talked about his day job as a cop, and how he found a good way to shake up suspects is to "accidentally" let them overhear things they will find upsetting. He gave the example of letting the guy with the Corvette overhear him call it a Chevy, and lets the musclebound guy hear him call him "tubby."

Paulette Jiles talked about her new book, THE COLOR OF LIGHTNING. She also talked about how sometimes a character she doesn't like gets stuck in the story and she has a hard time getting rid of them. She actually tossed out a 200 page manuscript because she hated the character. Sheramy Bundrick is a professor at USF, and her novel is a historical fiction book about Vincent Van Gogh. She did tons of research, but still it is fiction. She said that as an art historian, she was always finding fault with inaccuracies in books and films, but now that she's written this book, she's much more understanding of poetic license.

Next up was a fascinating discussion about Miami & Cuba, with Ann Louise Bardach (Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami,Havana and Washington)and Gerald Posner (Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth, and Power—A Dispatch From the Beach), moderated by Scott Eyman. Bardach hinted at the death threats she's received, including men showing up her door with machetes, and how Castro won't allow her back into Cuba because he didn't like what she wrote about him. Posner mentioned that his next book was on Vatican finances, and said that he's been practicing holding his hands above oven so he can get used to those eternal flames of damnation...

Around this time I finally got a seat, just in time for a discussion with Raykesh Satyal (Blue Boy) and Robert Goolrick, the author of one of my favorite books of 2009, A Reliable Wife. Satyal was a delight; warm and funny, and he even broke out in song! His book is an irreverent coming of age story of a young, gay Indian boy growing up in "white bread" Ohio. He said his character was very lonely, and felt like an outcast, despite having friends - "not your best friends, but the best friends you can get."

Goolrick was 54 when he wrote this first novel, and said he was greatly influenced by a nonfiction book, Wisconsin Death Trip by Michael Lesy, which was published around 1972. The cold, bleak Wisconsin winter, almost another character in Reliable Wife, was born from the Lesy book, and grown during several trips Goolrick took to a client in Wisconsin. Goolrick made an interesting comment, that he feels "the only thing that matters in life is goodness."

The next panel was dubbed FEMMES FATALES, and featured a couple of my favorite authors, the irrepressible Elaine Viets, the vivacious Claire Cook, and forensic scientist-turned-author Lisa Black. Black used to work for the Cleveland coroner's office for several years, and that's where her books are set. She changed the name to the Cleveland Medical Examiner's office, so she wouldn't be sued, but Cleveland just recently decided to change the name to the one she used! Her latest, Evidence of Murder, was loosely based on a real incident. For the past several years, Lisa has been working for the Cape Coral police department as a fingerprint analyst. She says her job consists of staring at fingerprints on her computer screen all day long, and "is as glamours as it sounds."

Viets was there promoting her most recent book, Killer Cuts, a Dead-End Job mystery. I love these books, and this one was particularly good. Her next book in the series is Half Price Homicide, and Elaine worked in a high end designer consignment shop to do her research. She said it was "the most dangerous job" she's ever had...Prada purses were calling to her, and even at half price they were still too expensive. The next book in her Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper series is about lingerie shopping, but she shot down the suggested title of "Tempest in a C-Cup"!

Claire Cook talked about her warm, witty characters that tend to reflect her own large, Irish family. Her protagonists are usually middle aged women and she likes writing 3 generations, so includes kids and grandparents. She also loves having the older generation have "adventures", usually sexual! Her latest book is the Wildwater Walking Club, and her next book, the Seven Year Switch, comes out in June. Claire always has contests offering free books and gifts on her website, so check it out!

Stay tuned for BookMania 2010, the afternoon!

MWA Announces 2010 Edgar Award Nominations

Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce on the 201st anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, its Nominees for the 2010 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2009. The Edgar(R) Awards will be presented to the winners at our 64th Gala Banquet, April 29, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.

BEST NOVEL

The Missing by Tim Gautreaux (Random House - Alfred A. Knopf)

The Odds by Kathleen George (Minotaur Books)

The Last Child by John Hart (Minotaur Books)

Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston (Random House - Ballantine Books)

Nemesis by Jo Nesbo, translated by Don Bartlett (HarperCollins)

A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Simon & Schuster Atria Books)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano (Grand Central Publishing)

Starvation Lake by Bryan Gruley (Simon & Schuster - Touchstone)

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf (MIRA Books)

A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield (Minotaur Books Thomas Dunne Books)

Black Water Rising by Attica Locke (HarperCollins)

In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff (Minotaur Books)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott (Simon & Schuster)

Havana Lunar by Robert Arellano (Akashic Books)

The Lord God Bird by Russell Hill (Pleasure Boat Studio Caravel Books)

Body Blows by Marc Strange (Dundurn Press Castle Street Mysteries)

The Herring-Seller's Apprentice by L.C. Tyler (Felony & Mayhem Press)

BEST FACT CRIME

Columbine by Dave Cullen (Hachette Book Group - Twelve)

Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn (Simon & Schuster)

The Fence: A Police Cover-Up Along Boston's Racial Divide by Dick Lehr (HarperCollins)

Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo (The Penguin Press)

Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa by R.A. Scotti
(Random House - Alfred A. Knopf)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

Talking About Detective Fiction by P.D. James (Random House - Alfred A. Knopf)

The Lineup: The World's Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives edited by Otto Penzler (Hachette Book Group Little, Brown and Company)

Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King by Lisa Rogak (Thomas Dunne Books)

The Talented Miss Highsmith: The Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith
by Joan Schenkar (St. Martin's Press)

The Stephen King Illustrated Companion by Bev Vincent (Fall River Press)

BEST SHORT STORY

"Last Fair Deal Gone Down" Crossroad Blues by Ace Atkins (Busted Flush Press)

"Femme Sole" Boston Noir by Dana Cameron (Akashic Books)

"Digby, Attorney at Law" Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by Jim Fusilli (Dell Magazines)

"Animal Rescue" Boston Noir by Dennis Lehane (Akashic Books

"Amapola" Phoenix Noir by Luis Alberto Urrea (Akashic Books)

BEST JUVENILE

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett

(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour by Michael D. Beil

(Random House Children's Books Alfred A. Knopf)

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Books)

Creepy Crawly Crime by Aaron Reynolds (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers)

The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer

(Penguin Young Readers Group Philomel Books)

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams (HarperCollins Children's Books HarperTeen)

If the Witness Lied by Caroline B. Cooney (Random House Children's Books Delacorte Press)

The Morgue and Me by John C. Ford (Penguin Young Readers Group Viking Children's Books)

Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone by Dene Low (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Books)

Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell (Random House Children's Books Delacorte Press)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

"Place of Execution," Teleplay by Patrick Harbinson (PBS/WGBH Boston)

"Strike Three" The Closer, Teleplay by Steven Kane (Warner Bros TV for TNT)

"Look What He Dug Up This Time" Damages, Teleplay by Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler & Daniel Zelman (FX Networks)

"Grilled" Breaking Bad, Teleplay by George Mastras (AMC/Sony)

"Living the Dream" Dexter, Teleplay by Clyde Phillips (Showtime)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

"A Dreadful Day" Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine by Dan Warthman (Dell Magazines)

GRAND MASTER

Dorothy Gilman

RAVEN AWARDS

Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Oakmont, Pennsylvania

Zev Buffman, International Mystery Writers' Festival

ELLERY QUEEN AWARD

Poisoned Pen Press (Barbara Peters & Robert Rosenwald)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER - MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

(Presented at MWA's Agents & Editors Party on Wednesday, April 28, 2010)

Awakening by S.J. Bolton (Minotaur Books)

Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof by Blaize Clement (Minotaur Books)

Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron (HarperCollins William Morrow)

Lethal Vintage by Nadia Gordon (Chronicle Books)

Dial H for Hitchcock by Susan Kandel (HarperCollins)


The EDGAR (and logo) are Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the Mystery Writers of America, Inc.

SOURCE Mystery Writers of America

SLEUTHFEST IS COMING!

It’s That Time of Year Again!

Register for Sleuthfest 2010. Get out of the cold and come to sunny South Florida !

This year, the theme is Lights, Camera, Write! with guests of honor Stephen J. Cannell and David Morrell. And the Forensic track is back!

Once again, we have four tracks:

Crime Scene Investigation – Our forensic track is back. We have hands-on workshops on fingerprint analysis and reading bloodspatter. Sessions include the difference between CSI the TV show and CSI the reality, realistic self defense, and medical examiners discussing their cases.

First Take – A beginners to intermediate level track on mystery and novel writing with topics such as writing dialogue, plotting your mystery, How to Get an Agent, and many more.

Hitting Your Mark – An intermediate to advanced level track on mystery and novel writing with sessions on publicity, negotiating a contract, sex, violence, and more.

Stage, Page, and Screen – A track of screenplay and script writing at all levels. Includes discussions with Hollywood agents, and sessions with Stephen J Cannell and David Morrell.

For more details on the program,

http://www.mwa-fl.org/sleuthfest/2010/programpage.htm

And we also have two days of agent and editor appointments where you can pitch your book to top agents and editors.

To register, go to www.sleuthfest.com and click on registration.

For more information, email the Sleuthfest Chair Linda Hengerer at Sleuthfestlinda@gmail.com. We are looking forward to seeing you again.

Guest Blogger: BARBARA DELINSKY

TITLE CONCERNS

Ever wonder how a book gets its title? I wish I could say that in my case it’s ME ME ME, but that isn’t always true. Actually, it isn’t usually true. I have a history of picking titles that my publishers deem bad – going right back to the first book I ever wrote. I called that book “Hills of Eden,” because it was set in a hilly region of Brazil that was idyllic, indeed – but not sexy enough for my publisher, who, giving me no choice, retitled it The Passionate Touch. I squirmed a little, but hey, I was actually getting a book published, wasn’t I?

A bit later, there was “Breathless,” my title for a story about an asthmatic running a marathon. As fitting as it was, a Richard Gere movie by the same name had come out the year before, and while you can’t copyright titles, my publisher was worried. They gave me several choices. I finally agreed to Moment to Moment, which was palatable, if nondescript.

Choice is a big thing here. At the start, I had none. The more my audience grew, the more power I had, and the more my publisher wanted to please me. That doesn’t mean I came to like every title they chose.

Take “Blood of the Rich.” As close to a family saga as I’ve written, this book covers many years in the lives of two prominent families and a third family that serves them. The book is about relationships between members of these families, but its scaffolding – the action framework that advances the plot – is a murder mystery, hence my calling it “Blood of the Rich.” My publisher felt that this title suggested more suspense than relationships, so it was axed.

Let me say something here. When it comes to titles, I get a single shot – I mean, me, myself, here in my office. Much as I work and rework narrative, dialogue, and plot, either I get the title right at the start, or I don’t get it at all.
Realizing this with “Blood of the Rich,” my publisher went to work, sending me title after title that I hated. In the end, I was simply worn down. We went with Twilight Whispers, which was the least of the evils, but to this day I gag when I say it.

If I’d dug in my heels, would they have found a better title? Maybe yes, maybe no. My publisher clearly had a view of the marketing needs for this book, and their image didn’t match mine. Yes, I have a say in the final choice, but they are the marketers. Moreover, they’re the ones who will be selling my book and, in that regard, need to love the title more than I do. If I want my books to succeed, I have to take my pride and stuff it.

That said, I’ve learned to push harder for titles I can swallow, an easy task with my current publisher. From the start, we saw eye to eye on marketing to my target audience. Based on the first few chapters of a book, their title person finds great titles. “Black and White” became Family Tree. “Driving at Night” became The Secret Between Us. It’s gotten so that I don’t even try anymore. When I start a new book, I call it NEW BOOK. Once I’ve written the first few chapters, my publisher comes up with a title that works.

Which brings us to Not My Daughter, hitting stands today. I had qualms when my publisher suggested this title. Oh, it fits the book. But I wrote a book in the ‘90s called For My Daughters, which was reissued in trade paperback barely a year ago, and I was worried my readers would see this new title, think they’d already read the book, and pass it by. But Not My Daughter does have a great cover, and the art department italized the My. That should do it, don’t you think?

Remember. Not My Daughter. New. Today. Thanks!

Barbara Delinsky, author of NOT MY DAUGHTER (January 5, 2010) WHILE MY SISTER SLEEPS (2009), THE SECRET BETWEEN US (2008), and FAMILY TREE (2007), has written more than eighteen bestselling novels with over thirty million copies in print. She has been published in twenty-languages worldwide. Barbara's fiction centers upon everyday families facing not-so-everyday challenges. She is particularly drawn to exploring themes of motherhood, marriage, sibling rivalry, and friendship in her novels.

"A lifelong New Englander, Barbara earned a B.A. in Psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in Sociology at Boston College. As a breast cancer survivor who lost her mother to the disease when she was only eight, Barbara compiled the non-fiction book Uplift: Secrets From the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors, a handbook of practical tips and upbeat anecdotes. She donates her proceeds from the sale of this book to her charitable foundation, which funds an ongoing research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"Barbara enjoys knitting, photography, and cats. She also loves to interact with her readers through her website at www.barbaradelinsky.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bdelinsky, and on Twitter as @BarbaraDelinsky."

Guest Blogger: ROSALYN HOFFMAN

What a treat to be able to dish with a fellow ‘bitch’.

Our new book, Bitches on a Budget, was conceived two years ago over a cup of coffee and a discussion about women, money, lifestyle and values. Not only were we lamenting the Paris Hilton’izing of American values—status symbols as markers of identity over substance, we also felt the underpinnings of the mortgage and financial markets were shaky. In short, we believed we were headed into bad times (if only we had sold our stocks then!).

Our philosophy? Life is short and should be lived with humor, joy and pleasure. Beautiful things should be admired and yes, even lusted after, but you just can’t (even if you could afford to) consume everything in your path. After all, nothing is less attractive than a bloated bitch. So we set to work to write a book about living well, in good times and bad times. A book that’s fun to read, sometimes bawdy, often ironic, but is in fact chock full of serious advice about everything from shopping (how the markdown cycle works and when to pounce) to exercise (remember when it was called play?) to wheels (lease vs. buy, used vs. new, what’s the difference between road bikes, racers, recumbents?) to travel (best sites for tickets, how to score killer hotel rooms at bargain prices) to home décor (it’s all a matter of perspective) to pets (pamper the bitch). We think it’s one of the only books on the market that covers such a wide variety of lifestyle topics.

To give you a feel for the book we’d like to share a short section from the introduction:

"Budget is Not a Dirty Word
Fiscal responsibility is like monogamy… if you think it’s boring, you’re doing it wrong. Since when has budget been a dirty word? After all, we’re not talking chastity belts, abstinence rings, knee-jerk denial. Think of budget as just another way to say edit. The key to good living is in using your limited resources wisely-- we’ll show you how to hitch your mind to that little lust engine that’s driving you. The end result? You’ll make smarter shopping decisions. Bargain buys will replace designer labels as your new badge of honor. Besides, since you want to be a good green citizen of the world, it’s time to stop consuming everything in your path.

Be a Bitch, Bitch
Bitch isn’t a bad word, either. We’re proud to be modern women. Women who know what we want and aren’t afraid to get it; women with the sense to edit the good from the bad; women who choose to live with style and with conscience. Independent women who say what they think, are in touch with our femininity, and know how to enjoy our pleasures. Hell we make less than men do by the hour, work harder and produce more value (just think about it, can they have babies?) It’s time to stand proud, Bitch. “

You can read more at www.bitchesonabudget.com

Roz’s favorite invitation only home décor website, One Kings Lane, is offering up an electronic $50 gift card to one lucky reader. One Kings Lane curates private, flash sales events on designer home décor, accessories and gifting wares of brands like Ankasa, Archipelago, John Robshaw and Kate Spade.

To win your own copy of BITCHES ON A BUDGET: Sage Advice for Surviving Tough Times in Style plus the gift card, please send an email to contest@gmail.com with "BITCHES ON A BUDGET" as the subject. You must include your snail mail address in your email. All entries must be received by January 10, 2009. One name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. The winner will receive a free copy of BITCHES ON A BUDGET by Rosalyn Hoffman, courtesy of NAL Trade Paperbacks, and the $50 e-card to One Kings Lane. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States. One entry per email address, please. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone. All entries, including names, e-mail addresses, and mailing addresses, will be purged after winners are notified.

Rosalyn Hoffman is a former buyer for Bonwit Teller, Filene’s, and Lord & Taylor in New York City. She was also a marketing executive for Avon and Lillian Vernon. She speaks Chinese and has traveled extensively in China. In addition to being a serious cook and wine collector, she has lived and studied cooking in France and has traveled the world cataloging changing markets. Aside from food and cooking, her other passion is design and architecture. She has worked with award-winning architects in the building and design of several modern homes that have garnered awards and international recognition.

Roz is a contributor to The Huffington Post. Look for her posts on The Daily Beast where she is a Buzz Board Insider. Her work has appeared on More Magazine online, Divine Caroline and This Magnificent Life. Bitches on a Budget has been featured on the JWT Anxiety Index, a measure of significant cultural movements, and its television rights have been optioned by Sharp Entertainment.

USA TODAYS' TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE 2000'S

based on sales...

1. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
2. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
4. New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
6. Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
9. Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre

Source: USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list; analysis by Anthony DeBarros

For more interesting facts about the book industry during the past decade, check out Decade in books: Writers work magic, delivery has transformed

MY FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2009

BEST FICTION

THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett: 1960's Mississippi is explored through the lives of the black maids who were good enough to raise the white children of their employers, but not good enough to use their bathrooms. A word-of-mouth, bestselling debut and my pick for the best book of the year. Once or twice a year a book like this comes out, if we are lucky. In the same class as Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and well, you get the idea.

HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY by Audrey Niffenegger: Niffenegger is just a great storyteller, and she keeps turning my preconceived notions upside down. I don't generally care for ghost stories, at least not since I was a kid, but this book - a ghost story in its simplest incantation - kept me mesmerized.

VERY VALENTINE by Adriana Trigiani: A new series opener with all the winning elements Trigiani is known for; a warm, loving yet rambunctious Italian family, a strong woman finding out just how strong she is, and a touch of romance and laughter.

THE STEPMOTHER by Carrie Adams: Memorable story about family relationships, second marriages, stepchildren, and friendship with humor and pathos.

THE FIXER UPPER by Mary Kay Andrews: A fun read about unemployment and a broken heart...if such a thing is possible, Mary Kay Andrews is the one to pull it off, and she does.


BEST THRILLERS

THE LAST CHILD by John Hart: An unforgettable story about a 14 year old boy's search for his missing twin sister. Southern fiction hasn't been this good for me in years.

BEAT THE REAPER by Josh Bazell: A medical thriller that is simply shocking, with black humor and footnotes. And it works beautifully in this first novel, which will hit theaters, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, sometime in 2010.

THE SCARECROW by Michael Connelly: Connelly brings back Jack McEvoy (The Poet) in this pageturner about the demise of newspapers, Internet security run amok and a serial killer.

LOOK AGAIN by Lisa Scottoline: Scottoline stepped out of the legal genre and moved to an intriguing tale of a journalist whose adopted child may not be legally hers...but does she really want to find out?

DIE FOR YOU by Lisa Unger: When her husband goes missing, Isabel is determined to find him, even though he isn't who she thought he was in this complex and fast moving novel of suspense.

THE RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick: A mail order bride takes center stage in this gothic, twisted, and riveting debut.

THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE by David Cristofano: A remarkable first novel based on a clever premise; a young woman who grew up in the Witness Protection Program wants out, which proves to be not the best decision.

VANISHED by Joseph Finder: First book of a new series featuring ex-Special Forces private investigator Nick Heller, a dynamic, interesting character in a tightly woven tale of suspense.

ALEX CROSS'S TRIAL by James Patterson & Richard DiLallo: This historical thriller set at the turn of the last century while the Klu Klux Klan ruled small town Mississippi and lynchings abounded is not typical Patterson fare, but much, much richer.

BEST NONFICTION

THE LINEUP: The World's Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives, edited by Otto Penzler: A must read for all mystery fans who have the least bit of curiosity about how their favorite characters were created.

KNIVES AT DAWN: America's Quest for Culinary Glory at the Legendary Bocuse d'Or Competition by Andrew Friedman: Who knew a cooking competition could be so enthralling? In Friedman's hands, it is fascinating, fast reading.

BEST COOKBOOK

A16: FOOD & WINE by Nate Appleman & Shelley Lindgren: A16 is Appleman's restaurant in San Francisco, and after reading through this book I'm convinced it would be worth the trip to eat there.