GUEST BLOGGER: CJ LYONS

I am delighted to introduce CJ Lyons, whose fabulous new thriller, LIFELINES, hit bookstores everywhere on March 4.

Award-winning medical suspense author CJ Lyons is a physician trained in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. She has assisted police and prosecutors with cases involving child abuse, rape, homicide and Munchausen by Proxy and has worked in numerous trauma centers, as a crisis counselor, victim advocate, as well as a flight physician for Life Flight. Publisher's Weekly proclaimed her debut medical suspense novel, LIFELINES (Berkley, March 2008), "a spot-on debut….a breathtakingly fast-paced medical thriller" and Romantic Times made it a Top Pick. Contact her at http://www.cjlyons.net

Why all Librarians live in Heaven….

When I was a kid growing up, the biggest treat (aka bribe) my mom could offer me was a trip to the library. I loved our library, its solemn architecture, hushed atmosphere, it was like being invited into another world.

A world made even more delightful when my mother convinced the librarian that instead of the children's library card (which meant an adult had to okay your books and they could only come from the children's section) but at the ripe old age of ten, I was given the golden pass, the Disney E ticket, the keys to the kingdom….the coveted adult, free-range, choose all you can carry, library card!

I still remember the feeling of browsing those stacks of books towering so high over my head. And oh, the friends I found there! In mysteries there were: Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Frances and Richard Lockridge, Leslie Charteris, Josephine Tey, Ellery Queen (who, along with Archie Goodwin, I had a crush on).

Turn the corner and the science fiction section beckoned with the likes of Isaac Asimov (who I actually met once), Ray Bradbury (who I would love to meet!), Tolkien, Heinlein, Edgar Rice Burroughs, H. Rider Haggard, and so many others.
And then, oh my, there was the fiction section. Tales of drama, family sagas, historicals (I was probably the only girl in school who read all seven of the Musketeer series), tales of intrigue, revenge, love, and loss….

Mom was lucky I left the library at all. To me it truly was heaven, even though the roof leaked, most of the books were old and falling apart, the floors sagged, and there was a strange black crud that crept over the ceiling and down the walls. Which is why years after I left home, our town replaced my library with a non-leaky, non-moldy, cold-hearted, brick edifice. Crisp, clean, modern, spacious—everything my library wasn't.

Except for one similarity. Inside there are still books waiting to invite children of all ages to other worlds and there are still their generous, kind-hearted guardians: librarians.

Somewhere along the line, I decided to create my own worlds and share them with others. And now with my first novel being released (on March 4th!!!), I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the librarians in all the libraries in all the cities I've lived in for their hospitality and nurturing of the written word.
Getting a library card is still the very first thing I do whenever I move to a new town—there's nothing like that thrill of heaving open the heavy doors (ever notice how all libraries have very heavy doors?) and stepping into a world of possibilities!
And now those possibilities include my own novel, LIFELINES!!! What a dream come true!

How have libraries and librarians changed your world? I'd love to hear!

Thanks for reading,
CJ

PS: for any librarians (or anyone!) wanting to learn more about LIFELINES, feel free to visit my website, http://www.cjlyons.net

Guest Blogger: THEO GANGI

Theo Gangi is a new author - his first book, BANG BANG, came out in November.

A fan of Elmore Leonard, Theo shares his thoughts...

REUNITED

I’ve never tried to hide how much my favorite crime writer, Elmore Leonard, has influenced my writing. Up until I began reading him, I was struggling to figure out how to reconcile the diversity of my characters and style. I wanted to pull people in from all over the urban/ethnic landscape, so watching Leonard do it with such ease gave me hope I could do it too.

I have to pace myself with reading him—monogamy might work with relationships, but not with books. Though I don’t mind how my influence has been recognized by some of the reviews for Bang Bang, such as Mystery Scene Magazine referring to me as “The hip hop Elmore Leonard,” I’ve got to be careful to preserve my own voice.

It had probably been close to a year since I read one of his books. I’d found myself in a book rut, jumping restlessly from title to title—speed dating, as it were. Tried them out, had a couple laughs, but nothing worth committing to. Then I found a copy of Leonard’s Touch on a downtown bookseller table for two dollars. It was an old mass market Avon copy from the 80’s with those great noir covers featuring the props used in the novel—a bottle of Thunderbird, the Detroit Free Press, cash, incense, panties and a revolver on a red satin sheet. I bought it just for the cover and began leafing through on the way home.

Then I got hooked. Touch jumped to the top of my stack. I didn’t plan it, it just happened.

This book might not be what you’d expect from a crime writer. Touch is the story of Juvenal, a man afflicted with the stigmata who bleeds from Christ’s wounds and works as an AA counselor. As often happens in Leonard’s novels, the schemers/other characters figure out very creative ways to make money off of Juvenal, mostly involving the public viewing of Juvenal’s ability to heal people. The treasure hunt in this book is Juvenal himself, a would-be saint who falls in love like a teenager and is as nice to the drunks as he is to the right wing fanatics trying to cash in off of him.

An overall great read, impossible to put down, and, as always, makes you see people in a new and interesting light. Leonard’s plotting is remarkable– the tumbling, organic sense that his books are living as you read them. Leonard was known to claim he wrote his books to see how they ended, and as you read him, his stories have the organized chaos of a Charlie Parker solo, the improvisations of a master of form.

As a reader, I try to get a really diverse sample of the writing out there—in and out of crime fiction. But when the party starts, sometimes you’ve got to dance with the one that brung you.

Oprah Offers Free Download

Oprah Winfrey announced a free downloadable version of Suze Orman's bestselling book WOMEN & MONEY (published a year ago by Spiegel & Grau) is available at Oprah.com today and tomorrow through 5 pm Pacific time only. The PDF file is offered in both English and Spanish versions, and the site includes this message: "This book is copyrighted. You may view and download the file, but you may not copy the file or share or forward it to any other person."

Orman was featured on today's show, helping out a family in financial crisis.

The publisher notes "this represents the first time Ms. Winfrey has offered an entire book for free to her viewing audience."

Oprah download page

Happy Valentine's Day!

I got an email from the Internet team at Harlequin Romance that I thought I'd share...

>> We thought we would give you some advance notice about a special Valentine's Day gift from Harlequin that might be of interest to BookBitch readers. On February 14th, we are giving a free download of the eBook mini “Valentine's Wedding Dress” by bestselling author Sherryl Woods at www.ebooks.eharlequin.com

James O. Born is insane, but in a good way...

...and he makes me laugh.

Check it out:

Pneumatics and Mnemonics with James O. Born

Burn Zone

I adore Jim Born, and his books are pretty terrific too! So I was thrilled to get hold of his latest, BURN ZONE. Here's all the info...

Burn Zone
A new thriller by Real Life Cop James O. Born
Coming from Putnam Feb 2008

It was supposed to be a low-level bust for ATF agent Alex Duarte, with the hope that he could work it up the ladder to someone important. He just didn’t know how important. In New Orleans to check out a mysterious Panamanian named Ortiz who likes to trade guns illegally and import marijuana by the truckload, Duarte suddenly finds himself in the middle of something bigger than he has ever known. Because guns and drugs are bad enough – but there are other things that are much, much worse.
A shadowy colonel who is not what he seems…a white supremacist intent on becoming “the man who changed America”…an attractive FBI agent with a lot of pull and a lot of secrets…Duarte knows he’s in deep with these characters. He just hopes it’s not over his head.

“Field of Fire jumps Born into the ranks of the major thriller writers,” says W.E.B. Griffin. Burn Zone confirms it.

More information and schedule is posted at: WWW.JAMESOBORN.COM

James O. Born is the Gold Medal winner of the inaugural Florida Book Award for Escape Clause.

Remarkable praise for James O. Born’s novels:

"Field Of Fire is a whiz-bang, nonstop thriller, told with the voice of absolute authority. Jim Born never lets the action flag!"
-- Tess Gerritsen.

“Field of Fire is impossible to put down.” Mystery Scene Magazine.

"Jim Born raises the bar for the police procedural thriller."--Joseph Wambaugh.

“Jim Born is the real thing: a South Florida lawman with an authentic sound that puts
you at the scene. Walking Money is a winner.” -Elmore Leonard

“Top thrill-work . . .”- Kirkus Review, 3/05

“Putting 17 years of service with various law enforcement agencies to excellent use,
Born delivers a riveting, serpentine tale. . . . This is a terrific debut” - Publisher’s Weekly

Public speaking and media contact information: speakingjamesborn@comcast.net
Agent: Meg Ruley (212) 593-4330 mruley@janerotrosen.com
Publicist: Yamil Anglada (212) 366-2574, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Yamil.Anglada@us.penguingroup.com


Here is the tour schedule - Jim is a great speaker, funny and entertaining and interesting, all the good stuff. Go see him, buy a book, and have fun!

TOUR DATES
2/15– Murder on the Beach, Delray Beach 7 PM
2/16 – Circle Books, Sarasota, 1 PM
2/16 – Haslam’s Books, St Petersburg 4:30 PM
2/17 – Barnes & Nobles, Ft. Myers 1 PM
2/17 – Borders, Naples 4 PM
2/19 – Books & Books, Coral Gables 8 PM
2/20 – Borders, Boca Raton 7 PM
2/22 – South Carolina Book Festival 3 days
2/25 – Coffee Buy the Book, Roswell, GA 7:00
2/26 – Bayou Books/ Library, Niceville, FL 6:00
2/27 – Citrus County Library, Beverly Hills, FL
2/27 – The Muse, Deland, 6 PM
3/1 – Sleuthfest, Ft Lauderdale TBA
3/5 – Vero Beach Book Center, Vero Beach 7
3/8 – Low Country Writers, Charleston S.C.
3/8 – Barnes & Nobles, Charleston, SC 7PM
3/12 – SW Florida Museum fundraiser Evening
3/14 – SW Florida Book Festival TBA
3/18 –Barnes & Noble, Wellington 7PM
3/19 – Barnes & Noble, Plantation 7 PM
3/22 – Hooked on Books, Islamorada 3 PM
3/26 – Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ 7 PM
3/27 – Murder By The Book, Houston, TX
3/28 – Virginia Festival of Books, 4 PM
4/4 – Vero Beach Literacy Foundation
4/5 – Naples Press Club conference
4/22 – Florida Library Association

Library of Congress taps Web 2.0 to gain user expertise on photos
Pilot project with Flickr will leverage users to gather details about library's collection

January 17, 2008 (Computerworld) -- As part of an effort to expand access to its photograph collections and tap the collective knowledge of user-generated content, the Library of Congress yesterday launched a pilot project with photo-sharing site Flickr to publish some 3,000 photos.

The library's new Flickr page includes collections from the Great Depression and of life in New York City during the early 1900s for which no copyright restrictions are known to exist, said Matt Raymond, the library's director of communications.

Read this article in its entirety

Granta's 100th Issue!


Guest-edited by novelist William Boyd, the 100th issue of Granta features original pieces by Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Harold Pinter, A. M. Homes, Jayne Anne Phillips, Doris Lessing, Nicholas Shakespeare, Alice Oswald and many other special contributers.

In 1979, a young American graduate revived an old Cambridge university magazine and created a home for good writing of all kinds—reportage, fiction, memoir, biography—as well as photography and, occasionally, poetry. In the years that followed, Granta established itself on both sides of the Atlantic, and continues to publish the best new writing in English from all over the world.

This very special issue will be available on January 29, 2008.

ALA's Notable Books Council announces 2008 top picks

PHILADELPHIA - The Notable Books Council of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division American Library Association (ALA), today released its 2008 list of outstanding books for the general reader. The titles are selected for their significant contribution to the expansion of knowledge and for the pleasure they can provide to adult readers.

Since 1944, the goal of the Notable Books Council has been to make available to the
nation's readers a list of 25 very good, very readable, and at times very important fiction, nonfiction and poetry books for the adult reader. The Council consists of members selected from the membership of RUSA's Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES).

This is "The List for America's Readers:"

FICTION

Bloom, Amy, Away, Random House (ISBN: 9781400063567)

Carlson, Ron, Five Skies, Penguin-Viking (ISBN: 9780670038503)

Chabon, Michael, The Yiddish Policeman's Union, HarperCollins (ISBN: 9780007149827)

Clarke, Brock, An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England, Algonquin (ISBN:
9781565125513)

Clinch, John, Finn: a novel, Random House (ISBN: 9781400065912)

Englander, Nathan, The Ministry of Special Cases, Knopf (ISBN: 9780375404931)

Holthe, Tess Uriza, The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes, Crown (ISBN: 9780307351852)

Jones, Lloyd, Mister Pip, Dell (ISBN: 9780385341066)

McEwan, Ian, On Chesil Beach, Nan A. Talese (ISBN: 9780385522403)

Malouf, David, Complete Stories, Pantheon (ISBN: 9780375424977)

Pettersen, Per, Out Stealing Horses, Graywolf (ISBN: 9781555974701)

Trevor, William, Cheating at Canasta, Penguin/Viking (ISBN: 9780670018376)


NONFICTION

Ackerman, Diane, The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story, W.W. Norton (ISBN: 9780393061727)

Angier, Natalie, The Canon, Houghton Mifflin (ISBN: 9780618242955)

Ayres, Ian, Super Crunchers, Bantam Books (ISBN: 9780553805406)

Godwin, Peter, When a Crocodile Eats the Sun, Little Brown (ISBN: 9780316158947)

Groopman, Jerome, How Doctors Think, Houghton Mifflin Company (ISBN: 9780618610037)

Howell, Georgina, Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations; FSG 780374161620)

Isaacson, Walter, Einstein: His Life and Universe, S & S, (ISBN: 9780743264730)

Kingsolver, Barbara, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, HarperCollins (ISBN: 9780060852559)

Margonelli, Lisa, Oil on the Brain, Doubleday-Nan Talese (ISBN: 9780385511452)

Weisman, Alan, The World Without Us, St. Martins (ISBN: 9780312347291


POETRY

Bosselaar, Laure-Anne, A New Hunger, Ausable Press (ISBN: 9781931337328)

Kennedy, X.J., In a Prominent Bar in Secaucus, Johns Hopkins (ISBN: 9780801886539)

This list will be available on the Notable Books Web page on the RUSA/ALA Web site
(http://www.ala.org/rusa/notable.html) with annotations at a later date.

Members of this year's committee are: Sara Maxine Taffae (Chair), State Library of
Louisiana; Patricia L. Gregory (Vice-Chair), Saint Louis University; Alicia Kathryn Ahlvers, Kansas City Public Library; Susie F. Brown; Shaker Heights Public Library; Hope Cockrell, Denton Public Library; Daniel J. Gillane, Lafayette Public Library;
Steven Jablonski, Skokie Public Library; A. Issac Pulver, Saratoga Springs Public Library; Rhea Joyce Rubin, Rubin Consulting; Andrea J. Slonosky, Long Island University-Brooklyn Campus; Shawna Saavedra Thorup, Fayetteville Public Library; and Brenda Clark Wegener, Mercantile Library; with Brad Hooper, Booklist.

EDGAR AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE IN...

BEST NOVEL

Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (Henry Holt and Company)
Priest by Ken Bruen (St. Martin's Minotaur)
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins)
Soul Patch by Reed Farrel Coleman (Bleak House Books)
Down River by John Hart (St. Martin's Minotaur)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

Missing Witness by Gordon Campbell (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
In the Woods by Tana French (Penguin Group – Viking)
Snitch Jacket by Christopher Goffard (The Rookery Press)
Head Games by Craig McDonald (Bleak House Books)
Pyres by Derek Nikitas (St. Martin's Minotaur)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Queenpin by Megan Abbott (Simon & Schuster)
Blood of Paradise by David Corbett (Random House - Mortalis)
Cruel Poetry by Vicki Hendricks (Serpent's Tail)
Robbie's Wife by Russell Hill (Hard Case Crime)
Who is Conrad Hirst? by Kevin Wignall (Simon & Schuster)

BEST FACT CRIME

The Birthday Party by Stanley Alpert (Penguin Group – G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
by Vincent Bugliosi (W.W. Norton and Company
Chasing Justice: My Story of Freeing Myself After Two Decades on Death
Row for a Crime I Didn't Commit by Kerry Max Cook (HarperCollins –
William Morrow)
Relentless Pursuit: A True Story of Family, Murder, and the Prosecutor
Who Wouldn't Quit by Kevin Flynn (Penguin Group – G.P. Putnam's Sons)
Sacco & Vanzetti: The Men, The Murders and the Judgment of Mankind by
Bruce Watson (Penguin Group – Viking)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHIC AL

The Triumph of the Thriller: How Cops, Crooks and Cannibals Captured
Popular Fiction by Patrick Anderson (Random House)
A Counter-History of Crime Fiction: Supernatural, Gothic, Sensational by
Maurizio Ascari (Palgrave Macmillan)
Deviance in Contemporary Crime Fiction by Christiana Gregoriou (Palgrave
Macmillan)
Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters by Jon Lellenberg, Daniel
Stashower and Charles Foley (The Penguin Press)
Chester Gould: A Daughter's Biography of the Creator of Dick Tracy
by Jean Gould O’Connell (McFarland & Company)

BEST SHORT STORY

"The Catch" – Still Waters by Mark Ammons (Level Best Books)
"Blue Note" – Chicago Blues by Stuart M. Kaminsky (Bleak House Books)
"Hardly Knew Her" – Dead Man's Hand by Laura Lippman (Harcourt Trade
Publishers)
"The Golden Gopher" – Los Angeles Noir by Susan Straight (Akashic Books
"Uncle" – A Hell of a Woman” by Daniel Woodrell (Busted Flush Press)

BEST JUVENILE

The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch (Little, Brown
Books for Young Readers)
Shadows on Society Hill by Evelyn Coleman (American Girl Publications)
Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn (Clarion Books)
The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh (Hyperion Books for Young Readers)
Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things by Wendelin Van Draanen (Random House
Children’s Books – Alfred A. Knopf)

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Rat Life by Tedd Arnold (Penguin – Dial Books for Young Readers)
Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney (Random House Children's
Books – Delacorte Press)
Touching Snow by M. Sindy Felin (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
– Atheneum Books for Young Readers)
Blood Brothers by S.A. Harazin (Random House Children's Books –
Delacorte Press)
Fragments by Jeffry W. Johnston (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
– Simon Pulse)

BEST PLAY

If/Then by David Foley (International Mystery Writers' Festival)
Panic by Joseph Goodrich (International Mystery Writers' Festival)
Books by Stuart M. Kaminsky (International Mystery Writers' Festival)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

"It’s Alive" – Dexter, Teleplay by Daniel Cerone (Showtime)
"Yahrzeit" – Waking the Dead, Teleplay by Declan Croghan & Barbara
Machin (BBC America)
"Pie-Lette" – Pushing Daisies, Teleplay by Bryan Fuller (ABC/Warner Bros
Television
"Senseless" – Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Teleplay by Julie Martin &
Siobhan Byrne O’Connor (Wolf Films/NBC Universal)
"Pilot" – Burn Notice, Teleplay by Matt Nix (USA Network/Fox Television
Studios)

BEST MOTION PICTURE SCREENPLAY

Eastern Promises, Screenplay by Steven Knight (Focus Features)
The Lookout, Screenplay by Scott Frank (Miramax)
Michael Clayton, Screenplay by Tony Gilroy (Warner Bros. Pictures)
No Country for Old Men, Screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, based on
the book by Cormac McCarthy (Miramax)
Zodiac, Screenplay by James Vanderbilt, based on the book by Robert
Graysmith
(Warner Bros. Pictures)

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD

"The Catch" – Still Waters by Mark Ammons (Level Best Books)

GRAND MASTER

Bill Pronzini

RAVEN AWARDS

Center for the Book in the Library of Congress
Kate's Mystery Books (Kate Mattes, owner)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER - MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD

In Cold Pursuit by Sarah Andrews (St. Martin's Minotaur)
Wild Indigo by Sandi Ault (Penguin Group – Berkley Prime Crime)
Inferno by Karen Harper (Harlequin – MIRA Books)
The First Stone by Judith Kelman (Penguin Group – Berkley Prime Crime)
Deadman's Switch by Barbara Seranella (St. Martin's Minotaur)

GUEST BLOGGER: LAURA BENEDICT

Laura Benedict is the author of Isabella Moon, her first novel which was published a few short months ago to wonderful reviews.


From Mount Olympus to Days of Our Lives: My Rules for Writing

When I first sat down to write a thriller, I gave myself two rules: 1) Something had to happen to move the story along in every chapter, and 2) The events could possibly happen on a scary, sexy version of my favorite television soap opera, “Days of Our Lives.” Does that sound funny to you? Whenever I give a reading or a talk and tell that story, it’s always followed by nervous giggles from most of the women and uncomfortable looks from attendant men. In academic crowds, people sometimes frown.

You see, soap operas aren’t considered acceptable role models for writers of literature. Soap operas are melodramatic---souped up on plot and emotion. They bring to mind housewives eating ice cream out of a box in front of the television, unattended children, piles of laundry. (Few people extend their disdain to men camped out in front of “Friday Night Lights,” or HBO’s “Rome.” But I digress.)

I have always loved plot: tattered copies of Bronte novels and Shakespeare’s plays have been among my most prized possessions. Years ago, someone gave my daughter a copy of D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths. Do you have any idea what Zeus’s sex life was like, what intrigues swirled around him, what agonies his family members put each other through? I adored the big family drama novels of the twentieth century. I swooned over The Thornbirds, Dr. Zhivago, and The Carpetbaggers. My more recent plot-driven favorites are by Elmore Leonard and Elizabeth George. Okay, so there might be a rather more direct connection between The Carpetbaggers and “Days of Our Lives” than Ancient Greece and modern-day Salem (the imaginary town where “Days” takes place), but my point is the same. It’s all about story and vibrant characters who tend to do the things we at home generally have the good sense not to—but really wish we could.

Before the writing of my novel, ISABELLA MOON, really got under way, I spent a considerable amount of time asking myself, “What’s the strangest/wildest/most unlikely thing that could happen right now? What would really be fun and astonishing?” How freeing it was to put the character-writing skills I’d developed over the years to use in a plot that pleased and entertained me.

One of the loveliest compliments a reviewer ever paid me was to say that the supernatural elements in ISABELLA MOON were as natural and realistic as the books’ characters. Little did she know how delighted I would be to read that, because I wanted my characters to be just as sensible as the inhabitants of Salem were when the beautiful and good Dr. Marlena Evans started inexplicably causing trouble. Was she depressed, mentally ill, or drunk? No. She was possessed by a demon, of course! So they got her an exorcist and she was soon right as rain. At least until a few years later when she was discovered to be a serial killer, but wasn’t really. It all had something to do with the victims’ bodies not really belonging to the victims, but to corpses surgically altered to look like the intended victims.

Pass the ice cream!

Matrimony Proposal for Reading Groups

I received an email from Joshua Henkin, author of MATRIMONY, which was selected as one of the New York Times top 100 Books of 2007. I thought I would share:

"I wanted to let you know about a standing offer I have out to book groups, which is that I'd be happy to participate by phone (or in person, if the book group is in the New York, New Jersey, Philly area) with book groups that discuss MATRIMONY."

If your book group is looking for an author to speak with, or you are in the tri-state area and would like to have an author discuss his book with your book group, get in touch with Josh through his website: JoshuaHenkin.com

I'm feeling Plum Lucky...


Janet Evanovich kicked off her Plum Lucky tour in my backyard, at the Borders in Boca Raton. She is a favorite of three generations of women in my family - me, my mother-in-law, and my daughter. My mother-in-law isn't mobile enough to wait in a line, but my daughter and I are, and wait we did.

Refreshments were served, the lines kept growing and finally Janet arrived, daughter Alex in tow. By then about 300 very patient people were waiting close to an hour.

While I was disappointed that Janet didn't give a talk or read or anything, she got comfortable behind a table and spent as much time with each person as they wanted. She chatted, signed all the books everyone had with them, and took pictures with whoever wanted to. Alex handed out stickers and balloons to everyone who wanted them. And to their credit, Borders, via Crystal the community relations person, casually moved the elderly and disabled to the front of the line.

Even the sales staff had fun - this is Cathy, who gave me my wristband for my place in line at 9:30 in the morning and was still smiling at 7:30 that night! A good time was had by all.

Carnival of the Criminal Minds, No. 7

Happy New Year, and welcome to the carnival!

When I was a kid, I never wanted to run away to the circus, but when I hit the terrible teen years, the carnival was a temptation. All those bad boys...but alas, I steered clear until now.

This carnival features the reading freak better known as the BookBitch. In years past, I could safely say I read a book a day. While on vacation, I'd been known to double that. But this past year, with graduate school, working on a research intensive book, my job, my family, well, I don't think I read more than 300 books. Told you I was a freak.

The thing is, when you read as much as I do, there is a constant need for more books. There are thousands published each year, but many just don't tempt me. When I find authors I like, I go back and read all their books and then have to start over again.

So I am going to share with you here The Secret. Not the Rhonda Byrne, Oprah hyped Secret, but the secret to finding a never ending supply of good books. Ready? Just two words: new authors.

Sure, there are plenty of authors that have been around for years that I haven't gotten to yet, and that's fine, in fact, it's even reassuring to know that they are there, just waiting in the wings for the day I have nothing to read. For instance, I haven't read the Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow, the Kathleen Mallory books by Carol O'Connell, or even the Hoke Moseley books by Charles Willeford, among others. But all these new books are a constant source of temptation. Books are delivered to my door daily; advance reading copies of what could be the next big blockbuster. Catalogs effusing one wondrous book after another.

It sometimes gets to be a little overwhelming, to be honest. Even I can't read the 25-50 books that arrive on my doorstep each week. But I can't resist looking at them all. Reading the blurbs, the letters hyping each book as the Next Big Thing. And when I find one I can't resist, I succumb to temptation and read it.

Often I receive books by authors no one ever heard of. Brand new. First book out in print. What a thrill to find a Marcus Sakey, Randall Hicks, Robert Fate or a Chelsea Cain! And then it's an even bigger thrill to share my new found treasure. With my readers. With my friends. With my patrons at the library. With the librarians and booksellers and readers and writers on the listservs I frequent. I am extremely opinionated (probably no one ever noticed that about me...)and when I find a book I love, I want everyone else to read it, and hopefully love it too - and then tell their friends about it.

With that in mind, I'd like to introduce you to some new writers. They all have their first thriller just out or coming out in 2008.

Let's start with CJ Lyons. CJ is a pediatrician turned thriller writer whose first novel, LIFELINES, is due out in March. I was privileged to read it, and I just loved it! It's a medical thriller with great characters, a terrific, twisty storyline and heart. It reminded me of a grown-up, much edgier Cherry Ames, for the seven people who remember those books.

I pulled this from her blog, Vital Signs --

Homicidal Holidays
"I love talking with mystery/suspense authors because we can talk about the fun things in life, including the best ways to kill someone and get away with it.
So, given the winter holiday season, I thought I'd throw out a few ideas on Homicidal Holiday Hazards..."
Read the rest here: CJ Lyons Vital Signs

I met Susan Arnout Smith at the first ThrillerFest in Arizona. She approached me, told me she had a book contract with St. Martins Minotaur, and she gave me this one sentence synopsis: "It's about a woman being stalked by a very bad man, who targets her through her 5-year old daughter, and then he grabs the kid and forces the mother to play the kid's favorite game, called The Timer Game, to get her back." We were outside on a 100 degree day in Phoenix in July, and that sentence gave me chills.

Well, THE TIMER GAME comes out January 8th, and Susan is the guest blogger this week on the Moments in Crime blog. This is a blog from St. Martins Minotaur, and features a different crime fiction author each week. Last week was Linda L. Richards, whose new book has such a great title: DEATH WAS THE OTHER WOMAN. There have been some terrific posts, so check it out.

Another new writer is Kelli Stanley. Kelli writes what she calls "Roman Noir." Her book, Nox Dormienda (A Long Night for Sleeping) is due out in July from Five Star Mysteries. This is a tidbit from her blog:

A Novel Year!
"Words are strange little creatures. Writers try to herd them, which is sometimes like trying to herd cats. We stretch and poke and challenge them, too, so maybe they have a right to get annoyed with us."
Read the rest here: Writing in the Dark
www.kellistanley.com

I met Laura Benedict last summer at ThrillerFest 2 in NYC, and her book, ISABELLA MOON, was generating lots of buzz. It's out now, and my reviewer, Becky LeJeune loved it, saying, "Benedict’s debut is a compelling read that brings to mind a strange combination of Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio and Stephen King’s Needful Things. Laura Benedict is definitely one to watch." And you can start watching her with this snippet from her blog:

IN ORLANDO, IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS
"How much do I love Orlando, Florida’s Local 6 News Station’s website? I discovered it a couple years back through several Matt Drudge links (he’s also big on British rags). Local 6 is one of the most sensational sites on the web, and I find it a little shocking that it shares its home with The Most Magical Place on Earth. Talk about fodder for fiction. "
Read the rest here: Notes From the Handbasket

Andy Harp has his first book out, A NORTHERN THUNDER from Bancroft Press. It came out in October to an excellent review from Booklist, among others. I love legal thrillers and Andy is a former Marine turned District Attorney, and writes about what he knows. When I told him about the Carnival, he sent me this piece to share -

The Crime Scene
"Every crime scene I have been to has this foreboding air about it that you feel the anguish of the victims down to your bones. Prosecutors know it. As a District Attorney, I still remember the dried, caked on crimson brown blood that covered the car seat. Combat veterans are familiar with it. A bomb may obliterate the soldier beyond identifiable body parts, but you feel the loss of life as if there is a spirit that still hangs on there."
Read the rest on Andy Harp's website: http://www.andyharp.com/

Many years ago there was a commercial where the tag line was, "try it, you'll like it". That's sort of been my philosophy about reading too. So I hope you'll try one of these new authors, or the many other new authors that are out there because you just may find something wonderful.

Don't forget to check out these Carnival rides:
previous -
Material Witness

next in line -
Detectives Beyond Borders

Thanks for reading.

Cheers, and best wishes for a happy, healthy New Year filled with love, peace, joy and lots of good books!

Why I do what I do...

...with books, my website, but mostly why I give away books.

This is for Chris, who is the reason I'm writing this. You know who you are.

I love books. I love to read, always have, since I was 2 years old. Yes, 2 - no snotty comments please or I'll be forced to have my mother call you and brag about me. Trust me, you don't want that.

I started my website when I was working for Borders as a way to keep track of the books I'd read, and the books I wanted to read. The Hachette Book Group, who was Time Warner books at the time, before they became AOL Time Warner, then went back to TW then became who they are now, were the publishers who got me started giving away books. They asked if I would mind giving away their books, and I was thrilled to do it.

Working for Borders was my first experience in getting free books, advance reader copies for the most part, and as an avid reader, what could be better! Since I loved getting free books, I figured other readers would too and I've given away thousands of books in the past 9 years.

As the site has grown, so have the contests and it began to take a lot of my time, basically most of my "free time". Often I found myself stealing time from work, from school, even from my family to take care of handling all the free book stuff. At the suggestion of a writer who is also a marketing genius, (thanks, MJ) I hesitantly started charging a small fee to run these contests on my website.

I am not a business person. I hate asking people for money, and I really, really hate chasing people for money. Which brings me to my sad tale of woe.

I not only do these contests for publishers, but also for independent publicists and authors whose publishers don't think web promotions are a good idea (yes, there are still some out there) or whose publishers don't have the budget, or authors who just want to do a little more to help promote themselves.

I met an author at the first ThrillerFest convention who had just landed a contract for his first book. He wanted to pick my brain a bit, but we kept missing each other and eventually just exchanged a few emails. A year later, his book was being published and his independent publicist (not the one assigned by his publisher but someone he hired on his own) arranged a book giveaway for my readers. This author, like many (most?) thriller writers, is a lawyer.

I ran the promotion last summer. There were well over 1500 entries, a very respectable number.

The author never paid my bill. He never paid the publicist for several other promotions she had arranged for him. In fact, she told me in the almost 20 years she'd been in the business, she'd never had problems with an author like she had with him, to the point of embarrassment. Oh, and he never sent out the books to the winners of the promotion I did for him either. Luckily, his publicist is a woman of honor and she sent them out at her own expense - not reimbursed, I'm sure.

Am I going to sue a lawyer for my piddly little fee? Hardly. The court costs, even in small claims court, would probably be just about what I would collect. Is his publicist going to sue? Doubtful. Sometimes we just have to suck it up and call it a learning experience.

In other words, he is the classic slimeball shyster lawyer, the reason why Shakespeare suggested killing them all, etc. etc.

But I refuse to dump on an entire profession because one guy shit on me. I know too many really nice guys who happen to be lawyers. I've dealt with probably a hundred lawyers-turned-authors who have treated me with nothing but respect and kindness.

But I do worry a bit more when I schedule promotions. Like I said, I hate asking for money, and I really hate asking for it twice.

I'm done venting. Go enter this month's contest- WIN BOOKS

There are a few days left and I am giving aways signed copies of almost all my favorite thrillers from 2007, plus some beautiful coffee table books, the latest Ian Rankin, and more!