Just In Case You're Out That Way...

James Lee Burke is going to be doing a book signing in New Iberia, LA, this weekend. In case you happen to be in the neighborhood of Books Along the Teche on Saturday around say, oh, 1-3, you can stop in and see him. Sadly, that isn't within driving distance for me - BLASTED. You don't see this very often, so if you have the chance to go, you better grab it!

This and That...

Just a few tidbits before I toddle off to Tyson-proof my house - my sister's nine-month-old boxer is coming to stay until tomorrow evening and I have to create a safe haven for the cats and also hide all the books (remember Tyson at my copy of Dead Connection).

Anyway...

Shelf Awareness had this picture of President-elect Obama that I wanted to post:

They later apologized becaused they had listed this as the first book sighting with Obama. They were corrected by someone who informed them the first sighting was actually Obama with a book of poetry. Regardless I'm tickled pink to see and hear him associated with books, period. He's also been reported as reading books about Kennedy and Roosevelt as he prepares to take office in the midst of this termoil.

Another little tidbit is that the Mystery Lover's Bookshop has extended their free shipping offer until Monday. They also have some additional discounts if you purchase so much. You can find out all about that and order books for your loved ones (or yourself) here. They will also special order for you if you want something that isn't mystery. In addition to books you can find some very cool puzzles and games. When I was out there this past September, I had a blast checking everything out.

And my last little announcement for today is about an author I just love, Linda Fairstein. She has a new book due out February 10, 2009. It's called Lethal Legacy and it takes place primarily in a New York City Library. Her NYC setting choices are always so intriguing to me. She originally hooked me when I read the book jacket for Entombed. The fact that it had a connection to Edgar Allen Poe was enough for me to check her out. I've been a fan ever since. You can check out Linda's website where she has a contest going to win a copy of Lethal Legacy. If you enter - tell her I said, "hi." I'm hoping she comes close enough in the Lethal Legacy tour for me to get to meet her in person. Fingers crossed!

Happy Reading!!

B&N Center Stage

Just a little FYI for you. Alafair and James Lee Burke are on the B&N Center Stage until September 5th. You can submit questions and they will respond to your questions. I, of course, have already been a question hog there since I love both authors. It's a great time, too, because I just finished Angel's Tip and now I'm working on White Doves at Morning. So, I've definitely been in a Burke-family mindset!

More on BBAW

A few days ago I mentioned that I registered for Book Bloggers Appreciation Week. Well, My Friend Amy, who is hosting this todo, has nominations open for Book Blogger Awards.

I'm going to give you the low down on all of this and tell you what you can do to nominate book bloggers, but please don't see this as a campaign for votes. My feelings on awards (*cough* the Oscars *cough*) is that you have either earned them or you haven't. There shouldn't be any "campaigning". So, if you think I'm worthy of such an award and you nominate me, I'm terribly honored...many thanks. If you think there is a better mystery/suspense book blogger out there, by all means nominate that person. Would you drop me a line and let me know what's great about that person's blog??? ;)

O.k., the award categories are:

Best General Book Blog
Best Kidlit Blog
Best Christian/Inspirational Fiction Blog
Best Literary Fiction Blog
Best Book Club Blog
Best Romance Blog
Best Thrillers/Mystery/Suspense Blog
Best Non-fiction Blog
Best Young Adult Lit Blog
Best Book/Publishing Industry Blog
Best Challenge Host
Best Community Builder
Best Cookbook Blog
Best History/Historical Fiction Blog
Best Design
Most Chatty
Most Concise
Most Eclectic Taste
Best Name for a Blog
Best Published Author Blog
Best Book published in 2008
Best Meme/Carnival/Event
Most Extravagant Giveaways
Best Book Community site
Most Altruistic Blog
Funniest/Most Humorous Blog
Best Sci-fi/fantasy/horror/spec-fic blog
Best Commenter/commentator

You don't have to be a blogger to submit nominations - ANYONE CAN NOMINATE! All you have to do is send an e-mail to Bbawawards(AT)gmail(DOT)com. You may nominate up to two people in each category. You have until AUGUST 31st to nominate! So, don't hesitate if you're interested in nominating. Get those nominations in soon.

Hopefully I've included all the info you need. If not, the links at the top go to My Friend Amy's site where she highlights the award nominations, and you can always feel free to e-mail me if you have questions.

Happy Reading!!

Blogging with Alafair

O.k., I finally got a DSL line...yeah, can you believe I've been maintaining this blog since January with a dial-up connection? Anyway, NOW I can watch all the YouTube videos that people post on their blogs. Trying to watch one of those on dial-up is a very painful experience, let me tell you! Even more so than waiting for my pictures to upload!

I'm sure it won't surprise you that the first one I watched was one Alafair Burke posted on her blog...it's her talking about Angel's Tip and some family background tidbits. Very cool. I at first thought, "hey, I need to post that on my blog, too." Then I thought more about it, and while I'd love to have her smiling face on my blog right now, I'd like even more for YOU to go take a look at her blog. She's such a fun blogger. I look forward to seeing her name highlighted on my Bloglines, telling me she has a new post. Recently she posted about folks with the name Alafair. Due to how cute every Alafair is, I'm seriously considering naming my first daughter Alafair...if there ever is a first daughter! ;)

Go check her out! You won't be sorry!!

The Shelf of Honor

I don't have very many signed books. This is my "shelf of honor":

If you're astute you will notice that Chasing Darkness is missing. That's the book I posted about not too long ago. Also missing from this shelf is A Welcome Grave. Normally I'm a stickler about not loaning my books out...especially ones from the "shelf of honor", but they are presently with my dad and sister (*gasp*). But, I know where to find them when I want them back, and my dad and sister know they take their lives in their hands if anything bad happens to the books. ;)

All of these books were signed for me. I don't go out looking for signed books. To me a book in a bookstore or online that's already been signed is worth no more than one that hasn't been. Each of the books I have a signature in comes with a special memory. I had the great pleasure to see Kathy Reichs in person, and of course Michael Koryta. My sister took my Robert Crais books to his event in California, but his inscriptions are extremely personal - to me. It's so nice that he makes such an effort to personalize the messages. My Lisa Unger novels were prizes from her Black Out contest. Again, she inscribed each one with a nice, personal message. And my copy of The Fourth Watcher is the book that Tim Hallinan sent for me to read and review - with a nice personal inscription. These books all have a special significance for me. I didn't collect the signatures to make the books more valuable to anyone but myself. I have no intention of trying to sell them - ever. I simply value them for their unique memories.

However, that mentality must not be the predominant one. Evidently, many readers simply want a book with a signature in it. No matter how they get the signature. Otherwise this article would have no basis. I have had contact with several authors this summer, and don't believe any of them would ever resort to this. They think far more of their readers. Harlan Coben even had a blog post about the privilege of signing books.

The optimist in me is going to hope the ad was a hoax. But regardless, I'll still only pursue signatures that mean something special to me...

Today's the Day...

Angel's Tip releases today. Can't wait to get these paws on MY copy!!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week...

REALLY? How cool is that? The My Friend Amy blog is hosting this Book Blogger Appreciation Week. The week to appreciate the book bloggers is September 15-19, so will you send me flowers? No one ever sends me flowers! LOL Just kidding! If you're a book blogger, go check it out and register!

Really and truly I feel appreciated each and every time someone leaves me a comment or sends me an e-mail saying they are going to check out a book because of a review or interview I post. It's why I do what I do. I love to share the joys of the great books I find. And of course I feel appreciated when an author contacts me to say "thanks" or "will you read my book?" I'm still in awe, star-struck even, whenever that happens. So many thanks to all of you who read my ramblings. I am humbled!

Happy Reading!!

Envy the Night Releases Today!!

If you are like me and have to read books from a series in order, no fears. Michael Koryta's Envy the Night is a standalone. That means, you don't have to know anything about his P.I. Lincoln Perry. I do, however, recommend you catch up with Lincoln before Michael's fifth book comes out, but Envy the Night is out today and you can read it without feeling like you've missed anything...you haven't, this is just the beginning...

The 2008 Shamus Award Nominations...

I posted earlier that Michael Koryta's A Welcome Grave has been nominated this year for a Shamus Award (Private Eye Writers of America). So, I thought I'd let you know who all the nominees are this year:

Best Hardcover
Head Games by Thomas B. Cavanagh (St. Martins Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books), featuring Mike Garrity.
Soul Patch by Reed Farrel Coleman (Bleak House Books), featuring Moe Prager.
The Color of Blood by Declan Hughes (William Morrow), featuring Ed Loy.
A Welcome Grave by Michael Koryta (St. Martins Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books), featuring Lincoln Perry.
A Killer’s Kiss by William Lashner (William Morrow), featuring Victor Carl.

Best Paperback Original
Songs of Innocence by Richard Aleas (Hard Case) featuring John Blake.
Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong (Bantam) featuring Nadia Stafford.
Stone Rain by Linwood Barclay (Bantam) featuring Zack Walker.
Deadly Beloved by Max Allan Collins (Hard Case) featuring Ms. Michael Tree.
Blood of Paradise by David Corbett (Mortalis/Ballantine) featuring Jude McManus.

Best First Novel
The Cleaner by Brett Battles (Delacorte), featuring Jonathan Quinn.
Keep It Real by Bill Bryan (Bleak House Books), featuring Ted Collins.
Big City, Bad Blood by Sean Chercover (William Morrow), featuring Ray Dudgeon.
When One Man Dies by Dave White (Three Rivers Press), featuring Jackson Donne.
The Last Striptease by Michael Wiley (St. Martins/Thomas Dunne Books), featuring Joe Kozmarski.

Best Short Story
"Kill the Cat" by Loren D. Estleman, DETROIT NOIR (Akashic), featuring Amos Walker.
"Trust Me" by Loren D. Estleman, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, June 2007, featuring Amos Walker.
"Open Mike" by James Nolan, NEW ORLEANS NOIR (Akashic), featuring Vincent Panarello.
“Hungry Enough" by Cornelia Read, A HELL OF A WOMAN (Busted Flush Press), featuring Philip.
"Room for Improvement" by Marilyn Todd, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Dec. 2007, featuring Lois Hepburn.

Geez, my TBR pile just got higher! The only two I've read on the entire list are Big City, Bad Blood and A Welcome Grave. I'm definitely going to have to check out more of the Best First Novel nominees.

**Reminder: tomorrow is the last day to enter to win one of the seven books I'm giving away. Don't miss your chance to get in the drawings!!**

A SHAMUS NOMINATION FOR MICHAEL!

Go Michael!!!

Michael Koryta's A Welcome Grave was nominated for a Shamus Award! This is the award that is sponsored by The Private Eye Writers of America! Very warm congratulations go out to him on this great accomplishment. He definitely deserves it!!!

The Crime Writer in Paperback and more of Chasing Darkness

If you didn't read The Crime Writer, you must get out next week and buy a copy when it comes out in paperback! This is a must-own. I originally borrowed it from the library and once I started it, I knew I had to have it for my personal library. This is still my favorite read of the year so far. Gregg Hurwitz blew me away with this awesome novel. You can see my March review of it here. And if you click this link, you can see the OUTSTANDING book cover that Spain has for this novel.

Gregg also happens to be a friend of Robert Crais'. No wonder he writes so well! :) Anyway, for those of you who started the sneak peak of Chasing Darkness last week, here's a little more to tide you over until July 1st. I'll have to wait a tad bit longer for my copy because my sister, bless her heart, is going to buy it at one of RC's events in Southern California and get it signed for me. I wish I was going to be there myself, but ...

Happy Reading!!

A Prize Weekend!

At the beginning of the month, I received an e-mail from Lisa Unger informing me that I won her contest and would be receiving her three novels in first-edition, hardcovers - plus they would all be inscribed to me. I was elated.

This weekend they arrived, and they are beauties!

As promised, each is personally inscribed to me, and she sent along a little note as well. I'm not a person who goes out looking for signed copies of books when I buy them. I get them signed when I meet an author - it makes the signed copy personally special more than anything. While I didn't get to meet Lisa, the books still have a personal significance to me due to the special inscriptions, which are all three different.


If you haven't read Lisa Unger, I highly recommend her. I'm in the middle of Sliver of Truth right now and have started loaning out my original copy of Beautiful Lies - I can do that now that I have this awesome new one! :) She is great with suspense, and her female protagonist is a great one!


My warning to you is this - if you're going to read Beautiful Lies, do it before you even pick up Sliver of Truth. If you read Sliver of Truth before Beautiful Lies, a good deal of the suspense will be ruined for you. Don't even read a book jacket or summary of Sliver of Truth. Both audio versions are also very good.

Happy Reading!!

A Few This and That Book Tidbits

Today is National D.E.A.R. Day in honor of Beverly Cleary's birthday. I adored Beverly Cleary's books when I was young and she is one of my biggest early reading influences. So thankful for Ramona and Ralph and Gang. But, in honor of her birthday the National Drop Everything and Read Day is today, April 12th. It's a reminder for friends, family, everyone to come together and read for 30 minutes each day. It's so vital to do this with young kids. I never need an excuse to read, and that's because as a child reading was fun for me. If we make it fun for our kids then they grow up enjoying it as well. Read to them, let them read to you, and let them SEE YOU reading - reading books, magazines, the newspaper...whatever! We really put our kids at a disadvantage if we don't help them to learn to love reading. And don't think that's the school's job either. It starts far sooner than the kids start school. It has to happen at home! I'm spending this evening with my niece and nephew, and we are definitely going to be reading together!!! Hope you'll be reading, too.





Just a reminder that Harlan Coben's Hold Tight comes out this Tuesday (April 15th). If you didn't have a chance to see his promotional video for the book, it's below. Check it out. He also has a blog on his website now. He is such a fun person. You should check it out! This is what Library Journal had to say about it:





"A fast and exhilarating roller-coaster ride that you don't want to end, but hold on tight. Then take the time to hug your kids."—Library Journal (Starred Review)

Congratulations!!!

A few tidbits to share today. First I want to send out Congratulations to two fabulous writers: Robert Crais and Gregg Hurwitz. Both received nominations from the International Thriller Writers' Best Book of 2008. RC received the nod for The Watchman and Gregg Hurwitz for Crime Writer. Both are FABULOUS books, and both are deserving of this nomination. Good luck to both!

Also in Robert Crais news, his new Elvis Cole novel coming out in July is titled Chasing Darkness. Definitely looking forward to that release. You'll be able to find me at the bookstore on July 8th! :)

Also just a reminder that Jonathan Kellerman's new release, Compulsion, is due out THIS Tuesday.

Better World Books

I was turned on to this FABULOUS website. http://www.betterworld.com/ It's a site where you can buy books - new and used. They support literacy programs with profits from the book sales. And they also help support environmental efforts. For example, they rescue books that libraries are going to have to just throw out. They also employ CarbonFree shipping. Those things alone draw me to it, but then add on the fact that there is NO SHIPPING COSTS in the United States. How awesome is that? The first book I ordered from them cost me $3.50. It was a used book but in fabulous condition. Can't beat it!! Definitely worth checking out!!

Fairstein Releases KILLER HEAT Today!

Linda Fairstein's 10th Alex Cooper novel, Killer Heat, is available today in bookstores. Can't wait to check it out. I'm hearing great things already!!