One Dollar Ebooks

From Publishers Lunch--

Orbit has launched a promotional program offering a different book each month, selling for just one dollar each. Vendors include Amazon and Sony, along with Stanza, eReader, Fictionwise, Diesel, and MobiPocket. This month's offering is Brent Weeks' debut THE WAY OF THE SHADOWS. Publisher Tim Holman says: "We believe that this promotion will give readers a great opportunity to discover new writers. Most of our consumer marketing has an online focus, and the digital marketplace offers the perfect platform for price-promotion initiatives such as this.... The range of titles chosen for the promotion includes a mix of frontlist and backlist, from both new and established authors, and we will be monitoring the performance of every title very closely."

ONE DOLLAR ORBIT

The Librarian (1947)

The only thing that's changed is the technology...

It's a New Year...

and I wish you all a very happy, healthy new year, filled with joy, love, and peace.

Janet Evanovich has a new "between-the-numbers" book coming out this week - how's that for a great way to start the new year! Look for Plum Spooky on January 6. Meanwhile, enjoy the Twelve Days of Christmas, courtesy of Stephanie Plum:

Best Books of 2008

The lists are coming out - here are a few to get you started:

The Washington Post 10 Best Books of the Year as chosen by the editors and reviewers

NY Times 10 Best Books of 2008 as selected by the editors of the Book Review

NY Times 100 Notable Books of 2008 as selected by the editors of the Book Review

Amazon.com Best Books of 2008
They have editors pick the top 100, then editors picks by subject - top ten science books, top ten books for teens, etc. Also 100 most popular books picked by readers, and even a top ten list of the best book covers.

Publishers' Weekly Best Books of the Year includes extensive lists = a general fiction list, then lists by genre like mystery, romance, sci-fi & comics, poetry, nonfiction, childrens, etc.

NPR's Best Books of 2008 include eclectic lists like Migration And Memory: Top Five 2008 Books; Best Graphic Novels Of 2008; Alan Cheuse's Top Fiction Picks For 2008; Best Political And Current Affairs Books Of 2008; Best Foreign Fiction Of 2008; The 10 Best Cookbooks Of 2008; Top Five Crime And Mystery Novels Of 2008 and more.

Stephen King: 10 Best Books of 2008 (Entertainment Weekly)
"Okay, gang, pay attention: In 2007, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners, the average price of a movie ticket was $6.88. Let's say it goes up to $7.00 in 2008. And say that you and your sweetie buy $10 of snacks (featuring your Uncle Stevie's famous ''heavy'' bag of popcorn). Even leaving out the babysitter and the cost of gas, that's $24 for two hours' entertainment. For that same $24 — less, with a discount — you can buy a new book and be entertained for days. Plus, your sweetie can read it when you're done (or first, if he or she's the grabby type). My point? Books are still the best bang for your entertainment buck, and 2008 was a great year for reading. Below are my personal best for the last 12 months. (And I've indicated the ones in paperback — even cheaper!) My advice is get them all. Immediately."

Grammy Awards for Spoken Word

The nominations for the 51st annual Grammy Awards have been announced!

The five nominees in the Spoken Word category are:

An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore; read by Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon and Blair Underwood (Simon & Schuster Audio)

Born Standing Up written and read by Steve Martin (Simon & Schuster Audio)

I Am America (And So Can You!) written and read by Stephen Colbert (Hachette Audio)

Life Beyond Measure written and read by Sidney Poitier (HarperAudio)

When You Are Engulfed In Flames written and read by David Sedaris (Hachette Audio)

National Book Award Winners Announced

The winners of the 2008 National Book Awards were announced November 19 at the National Book Foundation's 59th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner in New York City. T

he night's ceremonies included the presentation of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to Maxine Hong Kingston and the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community to publisher Barney Rosset.


This year's National Book Award winners are:

Fiction
Peter Matthiessen, Shadow Country (Modern Library)

Nonfiction
Annette Gordon-Reed, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family (Norton)

Poetry
Mark Doty, Fire to Fire: New and Collected Poems (HarperCollins)

Young People's Literature
Judy Blundell, What I Saw and How I Lied (Scholastic)

GUEST BLOGGER: JERI WESTERSON

I love discovering new authors, and even better is sharing my find with my readers. So I am delighted to introduce my guest blogger, Jeri Westerson, whose first novel has just been released. Jeri was kind enough to share her thoughts...

History vs Fiction: How Many Liberties?

It's the great debate amongst writers of historical fiction and historical mystery. Does taking liberties negate some unwritten contract between author and reader? And just what exactly constitutes a "liberty?"

Now I'm not an historian. I don't even play one on TV. What I am is an interested amateur, someone who has been surrounded by history all her life from the day I could reach the bookshelf and take down something that had pretty pictures of castles and interesting places and people. My parents were Anglophiles and medieval history buffs. I learned to appreciate Chaucer at an early age and to take with a grain of salt old movies with historical themes—basically anything Cecil B. DeMille was attached to. But we'll get back to that in a minute.

My debut "Medieval Noir" VEIL OF LIES hits the streets at the end of October, and I did my best to make sure my facts were correct. Being involved in history for fun doesn't mean I don't take it seriously. It is this unwritten rule that to call something "historical" is to play fair with the reader. You don't start making up historical details to suit the plot. And if you do change a fact or two, you come clean in an author's afterword.

But then, where is the line drawn when using history as your plot element? Since I have no desire to raise the ire of fellow authors, I will use movies and a few television shows to discuss these points. Movies set in a distant time will always be popular. To see these places brought to life on the big screen is always a thrill. Even better when they are accurate. Alas.

I can forgive The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn because…well. It has Errol Flynn in it! The viewing public in the thirties were terribly invested in the Victorian view of the middle ages, which was a golden-hued revisionist's daydream, full of pointy-sleeved damsels stepping out of pre-Raphaelite paintings. So we can excuse, perhaps, the Warner Bros. 1938 retelling of the Robin Hood tale. Instead, let's talk Mel Gibson's Braveheart, assuming that in 1995 we should know better. In movies, it is the nature of the medium to compress timelines. You have more latitude in the pages of a novel to stretch out the time. But to compress them so much as to manipulate plot elements gets greedy. The biggest mess in Braveheart (and don't get me wrong. I still liked the movie. I can watch the battles and enjoy that. I can ignore the rest. Not so much in a book.) was the romance between Queen Isabella and William Wallace. At this late stage in Wallace's life, he was about 30 and Isabella, not yet wife to the heir Edward II, was 10 years old (Isabella and Edward II were married in 1308, three years after William Wallace was executed). Sure, it's a great plot element. Romantic and ironic. It just wasn't possible, that's all. And that's a big leap. We won't even talk about the lack of a bridge in the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

How about 2005's The Kingdom of Heaven? This was a short-lived movie on the last days of the crusades. This is Ridley Scott's revisionist view and attempt to placate the Muslims that they were good sorts way back when before the evil west started rattling broadswords and everybody started calling everybody infidels. According to Jonathan Riley-Smith, professor of ecclesiastical history at Cambridge University, the film is "Osama bin Laden's version of history." He said that "the fanaticism of most of the Christians in the film and their hatred of Islam is what the Islamists want to believe. At a time of inter-faith tension, nonsense like this will only reinforce existing myths." Agreeing with Professor Riley-Smith, I contend that it would be different if, say, you wrote your book in the point of view of one side or the other. A crusader protagonist might look upon the Muslim as an evil usurper. A Muslim protagonist would look upon a western crusader as an evil barbarian. But looking at the facts with a broader view, certainly finds a different history from Scott's.

The storyteller does have the right to create his own spin on a story. But when you are dealing with specific aspects of history it would seem in the best interests of all to depict it properly. For good or ill, people get their history from novels, movies, and—God help us—the History Channel. Taking this into account, does that mean there is a moral obligation to get the history right?

I was on a panel at Left Coast Crime in Denver in 2008 with author Stephanie Barron, who writes a mystery series with Jane Austen as the detective. She disagreed that authors need to get all the history right. She was more interested in the "what if" of a character: what if they really did this or that. "I am at peace with the fact that I wasn't writing a monograph," she said. Here, here.

On the other hand, the new BBC series Robin Hood plays fast and loose with, of all things—costumes! The sheriff of Nottingham seems to get his fashion sense from Huggy Bear, wearing pimped out Matrix-like long black leather jackets and Doc Martins, and at other times silk jammies. Merry Men sport dew rags, t-shirts, and net tank tops. With Robin Hood being a semi-mythical character, one can play a bit with his history and activities, but please put him in the correct clothing! (In fact, Nottingham castle is throwing their lot in with the BBC to make a buck…er…pound by displaying the costumes used in the show and purporting that they are deeply researched and accurate! For a SoHo nightclub, maybe…)

HBO's The Tudors suffers from extreme time compression as well as character compression (several characters reduced to one) in order to tell the story the writers want to tell, rather than the already extremely interesting real story of Henry VIII's pursuit of immortality with a son and heir.

So it comes down to this: to what lengths may an author play fast and loose with history? The answer is: It just depends on how obsessive you want to get. I know authors who get anal about the weather; was it really raining that day in 1236? We must make sure that Easter morning reflects the actual sunshine or fog. Feh.

Do we need to get that obsessive? Only if you want to. I don't think anyone will lose sleep over a rainstorm that didn't happen that November. However, if the region was experiencing a drought—a pretty infamous one that caused starvation and disease due to lack of rainfall—that's important and can inform the story.

I almost boo-booed big time in my own novel when I chose to begin my story in 1383. Some of the action of my "medieval noir" VEIL OF LIES takes place in King Richard II's court with his courtiers. In the middle of writing, I thought I should take a look at just where Richard's court was in the fall of 1383, and it was a good thing I did. I discovered that he wasn't even in London in 1383 at all! Solution? Move the action to 1384. It worked. I just had to make sure I fixed all the other timeframes. Would the average person—including my editor—have known the difference? Probably not. Would students of history and scholars have known? Most assuredly. Do I feel better about changing it? You betcha!

For the most part, I like to keep it real. It's more challenging, to be sure, to make certain that the facts are correct and change plot to fit the actual events. Readers appreciate the extra mile. But I'm also with Stephanie Barron who doesn't think that every little thing needs to be etched in stone. Just remember, if you are writing your thesis, use textbooks by reputable scholars. Don't pull down an historical novel from the shelf for your notes.

Unless, of course, you are reading the brand new medieval noir by a certain debut author to take a quick break.

L.A. native Jeri Westerson has been a journalist, a theology teacher, and a noted blogger on things mysterious and medieval. Her debut novel VEIL OF LIES; A Medieval Noir, blends her love of medieval history with her other love of dark plots and angst-ridden heroes. In bookstores. Read an excerpt at www.JeriWesterson.com or read her blog "Getting Medieval".

SPOOKTACULAR WINNERS!

I am delighted to announce the winners of the first ever BookBitchBlog contest, the Halloween SPOOKTACULAR!




Patricia from Canton, GA
Michelle from Hopkinton, IA
Stacy from Elkhart, IN
David from Scottsdale, AZ
Sandy from Winnipeg, Canada

Congratulations! Enjoy all your new books, courtesy of the Hachette Book Group.

GUEST BLOGGER: M.J. ROSE

I am thrilled to have M.J. Rose as my guest blogger. I discovered her first book, Lip Service, while I was working at Borders at least ten years ago, and I've been a fan ever since. M.J. has grown tremendously as a writer, and her latest, The Memorist, has just been released and is available at bookstores nationwide and online.

M.J. was kind enough to send along this little tidbit. She said,

"Stacy, Here is a totally original unpublished anywhere else cut excerpt from The Memorist that is not in the book and won't appear anywhere until after it is at your blog."

Thanks, M.J.! I know my readers will enjoy this--

The six-year-old boy could not tolerate anything or anyone touching his upper chest or his neck. No clothing. No sheets. Not a seatbelt or his father's embrace.

When his mother had first brought him to the Phoenix Foundation to see the famous reincarnationist, Dr. Malachai Samuels, the boy had responded well, laughing at the doctor's magic tricks and then happily settling on the floor and playing with the assorted toys. He favored the puzzle and while he fit the pieces together he answered question after question, slowly giving up the details of his recurring nightmare: of the tree branches closing in over his head, of the thick coil of hemp they wrapped around his neck and kept him tethered to the tree until someone finally cut it and he fell to his death.

In three subsequent sessions, while the child played, Malachai helped him explore his deepest memories until he had gathered enough details to research them and find the historical facts to back up the boy's memories.

The final step in the regression treatment was to take the boy to the house where he had once lived and died as someone else and when the child stood upon the spot where the hanging took place he broke down. Through his sobs, Malachai could just make out the words: I don't want it to be real… I don't want it to be real.

Not his mother or his father, but Malachai took the child in his arms and whispered to him in soothing tones, saying, yes it hurt, yes he understood how scared he was, how alone he felt, how sad it must be to remember so many people from the past who were no longer alive, how confusing it was to remember this other time and place and this other pain.

And all the while that he comforted the boy, Malachai was consumed with envy because through all these years, no matter how desperately he tried, he couldn't find a single shred of a memory from his own past. And that was the tragedy of his life.

Please check out an additional excerpt and check out the book trailer! The Memorist has garnered rave reviews, and I couldn't be happier about it, they are richly deserved.

“Gripping… Rose once again skillfully blends past and present with a new set of absorbing characters in a fascinating historical locale.”
— Starred Review, Library Journal.

"Rose's fascinating follow up to The Reincarnationist…skillfully blends past life mysteries with present day chills. The result is a smashing good read."
— Starred Review, Publisher's Weekly

And BookBitch's own Becky LeJeune's review:

"When Meer Logan was young, she suffered from terrifying dreams of an elaborate box and a haunting melody. Desperate for help, her father contacted Malachi Samuels head of the Phoenix Foundation. Jeremy Logan and Samuels believed that Meer’s issues stem from reincarnation. Meer believes, however, that the box and the music are actually the result of false memories created by her own mind.

Then her father discovers the real box and a letter hidden inside that appears to have been written by Beethoven himself. In the letter, Beethoven talks of a flute that when played with a specific tune will allow people to see their past lives – a memory tool.

Meer’s dreams begin to return and she travels to Vienna in hopes that she can finally make sense of them. Instead, the dreams become even more vivid and seem to be leading Meer straight to the famous flute. Word of Logan’s discovery has been made public, though, and they’re all about to see just how far people are willing to go to get their hands on yet another memory tool.

Rose delves into the mysteries of the mind and reincarnation again in this magnificent follow-up to last year’s The Reincarnationist. The Memorist features an all new cast of characters, with the exception of Samuels and the Phoenix Foundation, and can easily be read without having read book one. Like The Reincarnationist, Rose moves easily from one storyline to the next, from one character to another, and from one century to another. The plot is elaborate and totally engaging; a page-turner that will stick with you long after you put it down. "

M.J. Rose is the international bestselling author of 10 novels and is also the co-author with Angela Adair Hoy of How to Publish and Promote Online, and with Doug Clegg of Buzz Your Book. She is a founding member and board member of International Thriller Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: AuthorBuzz.com. She runs two popular blogs; Buzz, Balls & Hype and Backstory. Please visit her website at http://www.mjrose.com.

JUDY BLUME & OBAMA

Legendary author JUDY BLUME has come to South Florida just to speak about the upcoming election.

She’ll tell us why this is the most important election of her lifetime and why she is voting for Barack Obama.

This is the author who shaped your childhood with Blubber and Super Fudge.

This is the author who taught you about growing up with Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Forever.

This is the author who wants you to VOTE EARLY.

Come hear what Judy Blume has to say to kids (and their parents) about the upcoming election.

Sunday, October 26, 2:30pm
Kids 4 Obama
Peacock Park
2820 McFarlane Road, Coconut Grove, Miami
305-582-6396


Monday, October 27, 9am
Lehrman Community Day School
727 – 77th St., Miami Beach
305-866-2771

Monday, October 27, 4pm
Books & Books
265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables



Please note: These events are not booksignings.

Michael Connelly & James O. Born

You gotta see it to believe it....

Opie, Andy, Richie, the Fonz & Obama

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Free download of THE REINCARNATIONIST

I am delighted to offer a free ebook giveaway of THE REINCARNATIONIST by MJ Rose, one of my favorite authors. It's a terrific page-turner and was named one of 2007's six best suspense novels by BookSense, so it's a great book to get as a giveaway. The free download is at this page, but hurry, the offer will end October 31.

By way of background, THE REINCARNATIONIST is the first book in the Reincarnationist Series. The sequel, THE MEMORIST, debuts next week and has received starred reviews in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal.

"Rose's fascinating follow up to THE REINCARNATIONIST…skillfully blends past life mysteries with present day chills. The result is a smashing good read."
-- Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

"Gripping… Rose once again skillfully blends past and present with a new set of absorbing characters in a fascinating historical locale."
-- Starred Review, Library Journal

"THE MEMORIST is a riveting and suspenseful page-turner that throws open a magical door to the past, revealing how history may influence not just our individual destinies, but the future of us all."
-- NYT Bestselling Author, Steve Berry

Chosen by IndieBound as a November "Great Reads from Booksellers You Trust."

You can see more information and read an excerpt here on MJRose.com.

Interview with Michael Connelly

If you haven't read my review (and why haven't you???) I loved THE BRASS VERDICT, the latest Mickey Haller (LINCOLN LAWYER) book. It's also the latest Harry Bosch book.

Anyway, yesterday Michael was interviewed on the new LittleBrown Blog Talk Radio. I was unable to make it, but sent along a couple of questions which the host was kind enough to ask. Check it out!

Live Interview with Michael Connelly (archived)

SPOOKTACULAR BOOK GIVEAWAY!

And now for something a little different.....a book giveaway for Blog readers only! Win all these books --

Spooktacular Hachette Book Group Giveaway

THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER By Kathleen Kent

ISOLATION By Travis Thrasher

THE 13 BEST HORROR STORIES OF ALL TIME By Leslie Pockell

THE MONSTERS: Mary Shelley and the Curse of Frankenstein By Dorothy Hoobler , Thomas Hoobler

THE MYRTLES PLANTATION: The True Story of America's Most Haunted House By Frances Kermeen

GHOSTLY ENCOUNTERS: True Stories of America's Haunted Inns and Hotels By Frances Kermeen

THE TERROR By Dan Simmons

DRACULA By Bram Stoker

WHEN GHOSTS SPEAK: Understanding the World of Earthbound Spirits By Mary Ann Winkowski

THE HISTORIAN By Elizabeth Kostova


To enter, CLICK HERE or send an email to contest@gmail.com with "SPOOKTACULAR" as the subject.
You must include your snail mail address in your email. Mailing addresses may NOT include a Post Office box or your entry will be eliminated.
All entries must be received by October 31, 2008.
Five (5) names will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. Each name drawn will receive a free copies of all the books listed in this blog post, courtesy of the Hachette Book Group.
All books will be sent directly from the publisher.
This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age who reside only in the United States or Canada except Quebec.
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.