There comes a time in every woman's life where she must take a step back and try to figure out why she feels as if she's going insane, and whether she needs to reprioritize or simply admit herself into the nearest uber-gothic insane asylum.
As uber-gothic insane asylums are tough to come by in southwest Florida these days (though some year-round residents may disagree), I've decided to reprioritize, and that means putting the blog on the back burner.
I had so enjoyed blogging at The Debutante Ball during the year that Catching Genius came out, and I missed it when I "graduated" and the new class took over. But I found that blogging once a week with a group of other writers is a great way to spread the responsibility out.
At this point in my life and career, I am still busy with events for both Catching Genius and Matters of Faith; I'm finishing up the new one due out in April, Between Friends; I'm working on the one for 2011 (hopefully!), and tending to all the miscellaneous of life, like housework, and e-mail, and the medical issues of family members, and putting a home on the market, and, and, and...
You all know what I'm talking about.
So I found this blog turned into mostly a place to promote friends' and acquaintances' various projects. Anyone who knows me knows that I am genuinely delighted to do that, but eventually what happens is that if I can't get to it quickly enough I wind up feeling guilty, and anxious, and I lose sleep, and I don't write, and I turn into a Bronte-esque anti-heroine who rends her clothing, gnashes her teeth, and sprints around the house wailing.
So: Hiatus.
Will I return? Will I not? Do you really care?
Who knows? It's a mystery for the ages, sure to be written about with the same reverence as Stonehenge, no doubt.
If you find yourself barely able to function without my wit, feel free to drop me a line and I'll do my pithy best. But if you find that you're perfectly content to have me entertain you with my novels alone, well, thanks, and I'll have a new one on the shelves for you in April.
My best wishes to all...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
From The Debutante Ball - Class of 2009
Got pearls?
The Debutante Ball is looking for debut authors for the class of 2010!
The current season of Debs is coming to a close, and we’re looking to fill our dance card for the upcoming year. Now in its third year, The Debutante Ball is a group of like-minded, female debut authors who blog about any and everything, and dish it like it is on the business of writing and releasing a book.
Will your book be released from a major publisher between September 2009 and September 2010? Would you like the support of a group of fellow authors, as well as the opportunity to promote your current and future works on an established blog? We invite you to slip on your dancing shoes and apply!
Potential Debs can complete our online application to apply by the July 15, 2009 deadline. A decision will be made in early August, and the new Deb class will take over on August 31.
About the Debutante Ball
The Debutante Ball, a grog – or group blog – chronicles the launch year of first time authors and was founded in 2006 by author Kristy Kiernan (MATTERS OF FAITH and CATCHING GENIUS). Kiernan and the five authors who joined her have since gone on to impressive careers of their own. Each subsequent class of Debs chooses the new class.
The 2009 Debs have been Eve Brown-Waite, author of the memoir FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MALARIA: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life (Broadway Books/April 2009); Tiffany Baker, author of the literary novel THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY (Grand Central Publishing, January 2009); Katie Alender, author of the YA thriller BAD GIRLS DON’T DIE (Disney/Hyperion, April 2009); Kristina Riggle, author of the women’s fiction book REAL LIFE & LIARS (Avon/HarperCollins, June 2009); and Meredith Cole, author of the mystery novel POSED FOR MURDER (St. Martin’s Press, February 2009).
Hundreds of readers check in daily at The Debutante Ball, and the site has earned wide respect within the publishing industry. Its readers are not only authors, but also fans who enjoy getting to know more about the authors and a behind-the-scenes peek at the publishing world. The Debutante Ball features a new blog entry each day from one of the Debutantes, as well as publishing news and events, contests, and appearances from some quite well established guest authors. Past guests have included John Grisham, Meg Cabot, Meg Tilly, Jodi Picoult , Evan Handler, Ally Carter, Kate Christensen and Jane Green.
Members of the Debutante Ball class of 2008 included: Jenny Gardiner (SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER), Danielle Younge-Ullman, (FALLING UNDER), Eileen Cook (WHAT WOULD EMMA DO?), Gail Konop-Baker (CANCER IS A BITCH, OR, I’D RATHER BE HAVING A MIDLIFE CRISIS), Jess Riley (DRIVING SIDEWAYS), and Lisa Daily (FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME).
Founding members of the Debutante Ball are: Eileen Cook (UNPREDICTABLE, WHAT WOULD EMMA DO?), Mia King, (SWEET LIFE, GOOD THINGS and TABLE MANNERS), Jennifer McMahon (ISLAND OF LOST GIRLS) Tish Cohen (TOWN HOUSE, INSIDE OUT GIRL), and Anna David (PARTY GIRL, BOUGHT).
Good luck!
Friday, June 19, 2009
(Getting) Even with Andrew Grant
Readers, you are in for a treat: I just finished a debut novel that kept me up all night, made my heart race and my brow sweat, and unlike some of the books I recommend, is actually available now, right now! I swear I'm still breathless.
Even, by (the rather adorable...sorry, Mr. Grant, one can't help but notice) Andrew Grant, came out about three weeks ago, and I immediately downloaded it to my spiffy Kindle. It took me a while to read because I was busy completing my new novel (more about that soon). But this week I finally got to sit down and dip in, and whooo!
Now, most of you know that I don't usually read thrillers. I don't even know why. I suppose, like many readers, I simply turn to what I've read for the majority of my life: mainstream/literary/Southern/women's fiction. (That's quite a category, isn't it? More on that later too.)
But I have a feeling that Even is going to make me a convert.
About the book:
David Trevellyan takes a lonely late-night walk between a restaurant and his New York City hotel. A familiar huddled shape in the mouth of an alley catches his eye. A homeless man has been shot to death. Trevellyan steps forward...and a police car arrives.
A split second too late, Trevellyan realizes he's been set up.
But Trevellyan isn't worried. He's a survivor from the shadowy world of Royal Navy Intelligence. Used to working undercover—sometimes with the approval of his masters, and sometimes not—he's been in and out of trouble a thousand times before. But the NYPD quickly hands the problem to the FBI. Trevellyan is sucked deeper into the system.
And just when he needs them most, his bosses in London turn their backs.
Obliged to clear his name, he acts alone. With no idea who's a friend and who's a foe, he penetrates deep into a huge international conspiracy. The price of failure will be death, and the reward for success will be redemption, both for himself and the huddled corpse from the alley. The motivation will be his cherished life-long belief:
You don't get mad—you get EVEN.
From reviewers:
The thriller genre has a compelling new hero, the creation of Andrew Grant, the younger brother of Lee Child. While on assignment in New York, Royal Navy secret agent David Trevellyan discovers a dead body in an alley. When he is thrown in jail for the man’s murder, he quickly realizes he was set up to be the fall guy. Left hanging by his superiors in the UK, Trevellyan must outwit the NYPD, the FBI, and the group responsible for the killing if he is to clear his name. Of course, the murder turns out to be far more than the simple death of a vagrant. There is some no-holds-barred violence here—a couple scenes require avoiding food before, during, and immediately after reading—but the intensity of the narrative will keep even the timid furiously turning pages. Trevellyan is likely to be compared to his brother’s hero, Jack Reacher, or even to James Bond, and while there is a bit of hyperbole in such claims, there can be no doubt that we have a new guy on the block who requires attention. --Booklist
Jason Bourne fans will welcome Grant's thrill-packed debut, which introduces Lt. Cdr. David Trevellyan, of Royal Navy Intelligence. Near the end of a mission in New York City, Trevellyan's chance discovery late one night of a bum in an alley with six neatly arranged bullet holes in his chest makes the secret operative the NYPD's prime suspect in the man's murder. After the FBI takes over the case, Trevellyan learns the victim was an undercover agent for the bureau, the sixth to die in a series of killings. Disavowed by his British bosses, Trevellyan realizes he has to fend for himself in what is clearly some sort of frameup. A villainess with a taste for genital mutilation lends a James Bondian touch, but Grant, bestseller Lee Child's younger brother, never strikes a false note in a plot that could have gone over-the-top in lesser hands. Effortlessly filling in bits of his protagonist's backstory during breathing spaces between action scenes, Grant closes on a nicely dark note. -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
And Other Writers Love Him:
"Andrew Grant's debut novel reads like it was written by an old pro with new things to say. Even is a bit of LeCarré and Ian Fleming, but with more grit and a sharper edge. Wonderful sardonic wit and crackling dialogue."—Nelson DeMille
"The first paragraph is a whopper. . .the last one made me gasp. With surprise. With delight. David Trevellyan is by turns witty and wicked. Fans of 007 will be shaken & stirred." —Sandra Brown
"Modern noir at its best . . . Even is brilliantly plotted and smart, and delivers the bone-jarring kick of a .45. Here's hoping author Grant is hard at work on the next installment featuring his thoroughly compelling tough guy hero, David Trevellyan."—Jeffery Deaver
"Even is a slam-bam humdinger of a thriller, with breakneck pacing that won't leave you even a moment to catch your breath. Andrew Grant has created a hero so intriguing that readers will surely clamor for the next book in what I hope will be a long-lived series. I will certainly be looking forward to it!"—Tess Gerritsen
"Think a young, British, Jason Bourne framed and trapped in New York City and running for his life. Think about a new author on the scene who writes action like a veteran. Think about trying to put this book down, and then clear your calendar: it ain't going to happen."—Ridley Pearson
Online:
Andrew Grant
Buy Even:
IndieBound
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Let me know what you thought when you're finished, and if, like me, it might have converted you to thrillers!
Even, by (the rather adorable...sorry, Mr. Grant, one can't help but notice) Andrew Grant, came out about three weeks ago, and I immediately downloaded it to my spiffy Kindle. It took me a while to read because I was busy completing my new novel (more about that soon). But this week I finally got to sit down and dip in, and whooo!
Now, most of you know that I don't usually read thrillers. I don't even know why. I suppose, like many readers, I simply turn to what I've read for the majority of my life: mainstream/literary/Southern/women's fiction. (That's quite a category, isn't it? More on that later too.)
But I have a feeling that Even is going to make me a convert.
About the book:
David Trevellyan takes a lonely late-night walk between a restaurant and his New York City hotel. A familiar huddled shape in the mouth of an alley catches his eye. A homeless man has been shot to death. Trevellyan steps forward...and a police car arrives.A split second too late, Trevellyan realizes he's been set up.
But Trevellyan isn't worried. He's a survivor from the shadowy world of Royal Navy Intelligence. Used to working undercover—sometimes with the approval of his masters, and sometimes not—he's been in and out of trouble a thousand times before. But the NYPD quickly hands the problem to the FBI. Trevellyan is sucked deeper into the system.
And just when he needs them most, his bosses in London turn their backs.
Obliged to clear his name, he acts alone. With no idea who's a friend and who's a foe, he penetrates deep into a huge international conspiracy. The price of failure will be death, and the reward for success will be redemption, both for himself and the huddled corpse from the alley. The motivation will be his cherished life-long belief:
You don't get mad—you get EVEN.
From reviewers:
The thriller genre has a compelling new hero, the creation of Andrew Grant, the younger brother of Lee Child. While on assignment in New York, Royal Navy secret agent David Trevellyan discovers a dead body in an alley. When he is thrown in jail for the man’s murder, he quickly realizes he was set up to be the fall guy. Left hanging by his superiors in the UK, Trevellyan must outwit the NYPD, the FBI, and the group responsible for the killing if he is to clear his name. Of course, the murder turns out to be far more than the simple death of a vagrant. There is some no-holds-barred violence here—a couple scenes require avoiding food before, during, and immediately after reading—but the intensity of the narrative will keep even the timid furiously turning pages. Trevellyan is likely to be compared to his brother’s hero, Jack Reacher, or even to James Bond, and while there is a bit of hyperbole in such claims, there can be no doubt that we have a new guy on the block who requires attention. --Booklist
Jason Bourne fans will welcome Grant's thrill-packed debut, which introduces Lt. Cdr. David Trevellyan, of Royal Navy Intelligence. Near the end of a mission in New York City, Trevellyan's chance discovery late one night of a bum in an alley with six neatly arranged bullet holes in his chest makes the secret operative the NYPD's prime suspect in the man's murder. After the FBI takes over the case, Trevellyan learns the victim was an undercover agent for the bureau, the sixth to die in a series of killings. Disavowed by his British bosses, Trevellyan realizes he has to fend for himself in what is clearly some sort of frameup. A villainess with a taste for genital mutilation lends a James Bondian touch, but Grant, bestseller Lee Child's younger brother, never strikes a false note in a plot that could have gone over-the-top in lesser hands. Effortlessly filling in bits of his protagonist's backstory during breathing spaces between action scenes, Grant closes on a nicely dark note. -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
And Other Writers Love Him:
"Andrew Grant's debut novel reads like it was written by an old pro with new things to say. Even is a bit of LeCarré and Ian Fleming, but with more grit and a sharper edge. Wonderful sardonic wit and crackling dialogue."—Nelson DeMille
"The first paragraph is a whopper. . .the last one made me gasp. With surprise. With delight. David Trevellyan is by turns witty and wicked. Fans of 007 will be shaken & stirred." —Sandra Brown
"Modern noir at its best . . . Even is brilliantly plotted and smart, and delivers the bone-jarring kick of a .45. Here's hoping author Grant is hard at work on the next installment featuring his thoroughly compelling tough guy hero, David Trevellyan."—Jeffery Deaver
"Even is a slam-bam humdinger of a thriller, with breakneck pacing that won't leave you even a moment to catch your breath. Andrew Grant has created a hero so intriguing that readers will surely clamor for the next book in what I hope will be a long-lived series. I will certainly be looking forward to it!"—Tess Gerritsen
"Think a young, British, Jason Bourne framed and trapped in New York City and running for his life. Think about a new author on the scene who writes action like a veteran. Think about trying to put this book down, and then clear your calendar: it ain't going to happen."—Ridley Pearson
Online:
Andrew Grant
Buy Even:
IndieBound
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Let me know what you thought when you're finished, and if, like me, it might have converted you to thrillers!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Eileen Cook Contest!
You might remember my post on What Would Emma Do, the fantastic Y/A novel from Eileen Cook?
In honor of the book's six-month anniversary, Eileen is running a contest on her website. Details are below. Head on over to her website and enter!
CONTEST DETAILS
In honor of the book's six-month anniversary, Eileen is running a contest on her website. Details are below. Head on over to her website and enter!
CONTEST DETAILS
Remember your first serious relationship and how you celebrated every milestone? You couldn’t wait for your official one year anniversary because you were having so much fun you wanted to celebrate every milestone in between? This is the anniversary of our first date/kiss/time we said I love you.
That’s how I feel about What Would Emma Do. End of June marks the six month celebration since it hit the shelf and that calls for a celebration and a celebration needs prizes.
YOU COULD WIN A $75 GIFT CARD TO AMAZON/BARNES AND NOBLE/CHAPTERS/ OR INDEPENDENT BOOK STORE!!!!
Do you realize how much summer reading goodness you can buy with $75? You can order a copy of WWED for a friend, pre-order the nifty covered Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood and still have money left over for fun reads like: Swoon, Giving Up the V, Being Nikki, Look Both Ways, any of the recent GCC reads, or zillions of others! Think of all that book fun that could be yours. Be the envy of your friends!
Entering the contest is simple. Between now and July 2nd send me a link or email me if you do any of the following:
- post on Facebook/MySpace/Your Blog about why you liked WWED, a review of the book, or why you want to add it to your to-be read list
- Email your friends about the book
- Email or write your library about the book
- Email or write your local bookstore about the book
- Choose WWED for your book club
- Any other way you have of spreading the word!
All names will be entered to win. A winner will be selected at random and announced on July 3rd. It could be you!
Start planning your to-be-read list!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Divining Wand - Choosing Authors as Friends
"Choose an author as you would a friend."
Wentworth Dillon
Wentworth Dillon
There are many websites dedicated to books and authors out there, but there's a new one on the block that promises to bring something unique to readers. The Divining Wand, originally conceived as a website dedicated to granting wishes, has evolved into something more closely reflecting its creator's lifelong love of reading.
The Divining Wand is, and always will be, a work in progress. New authors and books will be added as Larramie discovers them and shares them with readers. This is one of the few sites in which the information is not driven by authors themselves. It brings together everything you want to know about authors: all of their various social networking contact information, book reviews, interviews, excerpts, Q & A's..a one-stop-shop for dedicated readers rather than putting it all together, piecemeal, from a search engine.
Please check it out at The Divining Wand, subscribe to the RSS feed, and prepare to discover everything you ever wanted to know about your present, and future, favorite authors.
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