Favorite First Lines & Covers

I was looking back over my reading spreadsheet for this year and I started to fall behind on keeping track of what I read this year. So, I'm not exactly sure of final totals, but it is somewhere in the vicinity of 95ish books total, a little low which I expected because of all the change this year. I am committing to keeping better track in 2013 and hopefully reading a bit more. But, from what I did accurately track I can tell you that I read at least 77 different authors; at least 54 of the authors were new to me; and at least 13 were debut novels. My audiobook total was the area that took the hardest hit. I listened to about 23 audiobooks. Past years it's been closer to 50 percent of my total. I'm also going to work on getting that back up in 2013 by dedicating at least an hour for walking each day, and I'll listen to audio then.

How about you all? Any areas of your reading that you'd like to work on in 2013? Anything from 2012 that you're especially proud of? A new author you tried? A different genre? Or even sub-genre of crime fiction? Did you discover you loved (or hated) something that surprised you? Share with us in the comments!

This is my week of favorites lists for this year. I'm going to include a new one today and that's my favorite covers and first lines. I have to admit that I am not a connoisseur of covers. I don't buy books because of the covers or reject books because of the covers (at least to date--if a cover really offended me I'd probably not buy it). So take my five choices with a grain of salt. Now on the other hand, first lines are something that I definitely pay attention to; that's why I include them on my reviews. And of course these choices are only from the books I read this year--it also doesn't include any 2013 publications I've read this month.

My Top Five Favorite Covers:

5. Boca Daze. I have often commented about walking down the mystery aisle in a bookstore or library. There's a sea of black, with red and white speckled in. The books that stand out to me are the ones that are NOT black. And the cover of Boca Daze just screams fun without looking preposterous. Since I had an early copy of this one, my cover was just boring black and white. The final cover is a masterpiece.

4. The Prophet. I really have to tip my hat to the Little, Brown folks because this was a bit of a gamble. I know there was some concern about people not wanting to buy the book with the dead bird on the cover. That didn't stop Koryta from hitting the NYT bestseller list with it, though. This is a cover that was tuned into the content of the book and was unique to the book. Nice call on this cover!

3. Whiplash River. I love the pure simplicity of this cover and how well it articulates the constant movement of the book. And again, I think the cover is in tune with the unique elements of the book.

2. Taken. The atmosphere of this cover is what first grabs my attention. I have a large version of this cover hanging on my library wall. It embraces the impending doom that boils in the novel while still showing a ray of hope. And the reflection is equally befitting the content of the novel. This one was well planned out.

1. The Survivor. At first glance this cover may not look like much, but the power behind the itty bitty man on his precipice is breathtaking. If you miss that little man (as I did at first because I was so excited to read a new Gregg Hurwitz book), it changes the cover completely. When I closed this book and really looked at the cover I was blown away. Again, the simplicity of the image was what did it. The enormity of the message in the simple graphic arrangement is stunning. I love this cover. Hands down, my favorite this year.

My Top Five Favorite First Lines:

5. Julia Heaberlin's  PLAYING DEAD:

"Despite its name, Ponder, Texas, pop. 1,101, isn't a very good place to think."

 This opening line is a good chuckle, but it all sets the scene and the atmosphere immediately. I was very excited to read this debut novel after that opening line.

4. Chris Grabenstein's FUN HOUSE:

"He wasn't happy about it, but last night my partner John Ceepak became a TV star."

Chris Grabenstein is a master of first lines. This first line may hold more attraction to readers of the series who already know John Ceepak, but even if you don't have that background, you know quite a tale is close on the heels of this opening sentence.

3. Ace Atkins's THE LOST ONES:

"A couple of roustabouts had been asking about guns at the Tibbehah County Fair, but by the time the word had gotten back to Donnie Varner, they'd long since packed up their Ferris wheel, corn dog stands and shit, and boogied on down the highway."
I love how Atkins's language brings out the setting of the novel. It also seems to add a scent to the air and a color to the page. Even though I know this is going to be a crime novel, I end up with a warm feeling from the way he puts his words together on the page.

2. Gar Anthony Haywood's ASSUME NOTHING:

"His last night in Florida, Joe Reddick remembered the blood in the goldfish bowl."

And the whole book follows suit with that. It's such a startling image to really grab the reader as soon as he/she opens the book!

1. Robert Pobi's BLOODMAN:

"Two hundred feet below the rolling metal surface of the Atlantic, a handful of ghosts skittered along the ocean floor in a jerky seesaw roll, furling and unfurling in a diluvial ballet."

The imagery of this statement is a mix of fun and fear. Bloodman was one of those rare books that taps the paranormal (just slightly) and I still love it and buy into it. It would have been hard to dislike the book after this opening sentence. This is another debut novel, by the way.

I went back and forth with about three other first lines that were great from my reading this year, but I wanted to keep each of these lists today to five, so I determined these five first lines to be my favorite.

Tomorrow I should have my favorite audios of 2012 and Monday will be my overall favorite reads of the year. I hope you'll check back and share your favorites as well! Happy Reading!

Crime Fiction's Sexiest Male Authors of 2012

Last year to much applause and a bit of todo, I posted Crime Fiction's Sexiest Male Authors and Sexiest Female Authors. Due to the great demand, I'm bringing you 2012's issue of Crime Fiction's Sexiest Authors. Today I'll share the men with you and Monday the ladies will take the spotlight. And I have to tell you, I'm thinkin' People Magazine should start taking a closer look at the authors in this genre!

If you missed last year's fun, you can see the gents here and the ladies here. And a reminder that this all started with the "You Know You're An English Major If..." post that included, "you consider authors to be sex symbols."

My first dilemma was the fact that last year's authors have not lost their sexy. I mean short of jumping on Oprah's sofa, you don't lose that in one year. So, I must take a moment to recognize them. That said, this genre is chock full of sexy writers, so this year we have some new folks who deserve to be recognized. Like last year, I requested permission to include everyone on the list. They may not know what they got themselves into, but here we go...

SEXIEST AUTHOR FROM ACROSS THE POND

Martyn is revealed as Tania Carver!

Martyn Waites hails from the UK, but we won't hold that against him. Just kidding! Martyn's talents include acting, voice work and writing. He spent time teaching drama to teenage ex-offenders. Now he opts for a slightly safer job, co-writing with his wife Linda as Tania Carver. And of course he also writes solo under his own name.

Martyn always has a smile and story; he's also a great listener and gives those around him his undivided attention. He's funny and generous and a great shopper! Martyn has my admiration as a writer and as a gentleman. He's more than earned a 2012 sexy crime writer award!

Martyn and his wife Linda write the Brennan/Esposito thrillers as Tania Carver. As Martyn Waites, his most recent series features information broker Joe Donovan. If you love a dark, exciting thriller, be sure to check out Martyn's work.

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO HAS ALSO WRITTEN A SCREENPLAY

Another sexy qualification: Lou is open to new experiences!

Anyone who can make me laugh like Lou Berney almost gets an automatic sexiest award. Funny is most definitely sexy. What sets Lou apart from the rest, however, is his genuine kindness. He's thankful and thoughtful; recently when he shared stories with me about his wife's job, he sealed his place on this year's list. First his obvious admiration for the person he married was inspiring. The fact that he so appreciates the good she's doing was heart-warming.

Lou is also a very modest man. He will gladly tell you about his admiration for other writers, but he will not tell you that he is an incredible writer. His intelligent wit and creative mind turn out stories that are an extra-special treat to all a reader's senses. And it gives me great pleasure to tell you what he will not. Lou has written two wonderfully fun capers to date (and I'm anxiously awaiting the next): GUTSHOT STRAIGHT and WHIPLASH RIVER.

I am thrilled and excited to include Lou Berney as one of 2012's Sexiest Crime Fiction Authors.

Sometimes new experiences have unexpected results, though.

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO ISN'T AFRAID TO GET HIS HANDS DIRTY

Maybe this is a little of my personal bias (o.k. this whole post is my personal bias), but I think a do-it-yourself kinda guy is certainly sexy. Craig Johnson has a complete "do-it-yourself" mentality. He built his home, cuts his firewood, and yes, he writes his own books! He writes an incredible series of books. The range of emotions one experiences reading a Walt Longmire tale sets the expectation bar high for others in this genre. They are intellectually stimulating, funny bone tickling, and time stealing gems.

Plus, there's something to be said for an author who includes on his event schedule "Closed Event - Playtime with the Granddaughter."

And of course, there's always the hat--who can resist the hat (the horses can't, either)?

 SEXIEST AUTHOR WHO WROTE UNDER A PEN NAME

Gar and his lovely Mrs. Gar

I started reading Gar Anthony Haywood's work fairly recently. After I finished the first book, I wanted to know why this genre was keeping the man such a secret! He blew my socks off. But many people knew what I was just discovering. Gar is an extremely talented and versatile writer. He can do dark, dark crime novels as brilliantly as he does comic crime novels.

Gar has an enormous personality and it's a joy to simply be in the same room with him. To hear him tell stories and make jokes...there's an obvious love and appreciation of life that emanates from Gar. It's contagious and that is certainly sexy. I look forward to every opportunity I have to see Gar.  And in the interims, I enjoy his books.

Gar's P.I. Aaron Gunner recently had a rebirth. All six of the books in the series were made available as ebooks through Mysterious Press. His most recent new book is called ASSUME NOTHING. And that's great advice starting that thriller!

SEXIEST AUTHOR WHOSE HEART BELONGS TO TWO COUNTRIES

He's just practicing in this photo!

We won't ask Sean which country he likes best. Sean Chercover is a dual citizen in the U.S. and Canada. Despite ugly rumors to the contrary, he is alive and doing well...with some bumps and bruises.

Anyone who has met Sean knows exactly why he belongs on this list. He's charming and witty, generous and kind, smart and creative. When you see him, you are overwhelmed with the feeling that he's been anxiously waiting just to see you.

Sean made a great splash into the crime fiction world with the publication of his first novel, BIG CITY BAD BLOOD, and he's only gotten better with each subsequent book. His most recent, THE TRINITY GAME is one that will leave you thinking for days and maybe weeks after you've finished. Now come on, you all know THAT is sexy!

And of course, Sean is married to Agent 99. Agent 99 wouldn't settle for less than sexy!

A face I always look forward to seeing!

And a drum roll, please, for this year's

SEXIEST MALE AUTHOR

A devout University of Kentucky basketball fan!

When I read DOMINANCE, I was so fascinated by the mind that could come up with such a story. It should not have surprised me that the man turning words into magic was a former poet, but Will Lavender is full of surprises, much like his stories.

Since reading DOMINANCE (which was one of my favorite reads of 2011), I've had the chance to meet Will at both the St. Louis and Cleveland Bouchercons. I've interacted with him sporadically online. And, he's generously agreed to participate in some of my hair-brained blog projects. He's always such a wonderful sport and his great sense of humor livens up whatever setting he's in.

Much like Gregg Hurwitz, who held this spot last year, Will's interaction with his family is what I found to be the sexy tipping point. He introduced me to his wife and children this year at Bouchercon and I think it was the highlight of my convention. When you witness the pride an individual has in his (or her) family, I think that tells you a lot about the person. My admiration for Will Lavender multiplied.

And of course, I have to mention the Southern drawl. I'm a sucker for a drawl! In the process of putting this together, I learned Will is an avid Frisbee golfer. I'm not exactly sure what this is, but it sounds rather challenging. I can't imaging having to fit a Frisbee in those small holes. :-)

To show you how great a sport Will is, I asked each of the authors to send a fun photo of themselves they wouldn't mind me including in the post. This one is small that Will sent, but the story is magnificent. He said, "I'm a recluse and I never have photos taken of me unless they're of my ass, which I wish I could say I'm proud of but I honestly eat a ton of sugar and exercise minimally." If that doesn't secure Will as this year's Sexiest Crime Fiction Author, then I don't know what will!

There you have it, my choices for 2012's Sexiest Crime Fiction (Male) Authors. Don't forget, the ladies get their turn on Monday, so check back. And feel free to share in the comments who YOUR choices would be!

Five on Friday - Gar Anthony Haywood

It's that time of the week again! Hope everyone has had a great week, filled with great reading. What's on your plates for the weekend? I've been doing reading lately for the panels I'm moderating at Bouchercon. I just started Carla Buckley's THE THINGS THAT KEEP US HERE. Who's read this one already?

Speaking of Bouchercon, you can see the full programming schedule now on the Bouchercon website. Hope to see some of you there.

At Criminal Element, they are voting on The Girl Trouble cover. Pop over and tell them which cover you like best.

That's it for updates this week, so let's move on to an author I discovered only a couple years ago. Mind you he's been writing much longer, I was just under a rock. Gar Anthony Haywood is simply amazing. His writing is dark and gritty, poetic and soul-searching, at times humorous and at times startling.

I've been fortunate to meet and spend some time with Gar, so I also know that he's convivial and entertaining. He's a genuinely good soul. Hopefully that won't tarnish any crime-writing reputation!

It is my distinct pleasure to have Gar join us today.

Gar and his son on vacation in the Galapagos Islands

I consider Muhammad Ali a hero because he talked the talk and walked the walk. The Champ could be boorish and sometimes cruel in the course of promoting himself and his sport, but ultimately he was a scrupled man who, as the world watched, risked his fame and fortune to do what he felt was morally right.

The last book I recommended to someone was Bruce DeSilva's CLIFF WALK. There's got to be room for improvement in this man's writing somewhere, but hell if I can find it. Great stuff.

Five songs on my iPod/music player right now are:

• Main Theme from the Sherlock soundtrack
• Burden In My Hand by Soundgarden
• Yellow by Coldplay
• The Three of Us by Ben Harper
• Thank U by Alanis Morissette

My favorite t-shirt (that I own) is from the BOOK 'EM mystery bookstore in South Pasadena, CA.

The #1 item on my bucket list right now is learning to speak Spanish. I'm half Latino, but my grandmother never taught my mother to speak Spanish so the language never got passed down to me, and I've always felt somewhat incomplete as a result. My goal right now is to be relatively conversant by my next "big" birthday, but I've got a long, long way to go.

By my standards, that's an ambitious goal! I still have memories of trying to learn French in high school. If you haven't experienced Gar's writing, I highly encourage you to do so. You can see what I had to say about Gar's latest two books, CEMETERY ROAD and ASSUME NOTHING. And while a number of Gar's early works went out of print, the nice people at Open Road Media and Mysterious Press released his Aaron Gunner series as ebooks earlier this year.

You can also catch Gar blogging at the Murderati Blog on alternate Wednesdays. And I want to thank Gar for making time to play in our sandbox today!

Have a great weekend everyone and happy reading!

ASSUME NOTHING - Gar Anthony Haywood

First line: "His last night in Florida, Joe Reddick remembered the blood in the goldfish bowl."

Living through the experience of losing his family to a crazed killer causes Joe Reddick to be over-protective of his second family. Andy Baumhower has no knowledge of Reddick or his past when fate sends Baumhower's van crashing into Reddick's car. Baumhower happens to be returning from dumping a body in the L.A. River. Reddick's completely ignorant to that fact, but it doesn't keep Baumhower's partners from thinking otherwise. They decide to threaten Reddick's family to make sure he doesn't talk. Wrong decision!

ASSUME NOTHING is the type of plot where one freak situation leads to another freak situation and events simply snowball. Haywood doesn't interject insulting humor that often comes with stories like this, leaving readers shaking their heads and mumbling, "that would never happen; how ridiculous." Instead he depicts a scenario readers will find highly probable. One that may even leave them to be terrified of experiencing a fender bender ever again. The plot is built with well-placed twists and unexpected turns. And his use of alternating perspectives creates mini-cliff-hangers that intensify the suspense.

While I can't say that the scarred hero taking on improbable odds is a unique story concept, I can say that Gar Anthony Haywood writes with an exquisite style unlike anyone else. His descriptions bring dimension to a flat page and breathe life into fictional characters:

"The man named Junior Greene whom Reddick knew during his old days on the Riviera Beach Police Department was tall, black, and ugly as homemade sin. And it only made matters worse that he had the teeth of a bull moose.

"When Greene smiled, he looked like a fighter trying to eject his mouthpiece."

The dichotomy of beautiful use of language to create an ugliness so vivid you feel goosebumps raise on your arms is what this joy of reading is all about. And Haywood's writing can grab your heart just as effectively:

"He'd been an emotional cripple for a long time, a borderline psychopath walking a razor wire between normalcy and madness, and now he'd been pushed over the edge. His head throbbed and his body ached, and he felt like the only thing holding him together was his skin, that if he turned too quickly in one direction or another, he'd crumble into a pile of ashes that would then scatter to the far winds."

ASSUME NOTHING has good guys employing vigilante tactics to defeat the bad guys. Whether readers condone his cowboy approach or not, they'll be cheering for Reddick because ultimately they're praying that life isn't so cruel as to condemn the innocent and reward the guilty over and over and over again. In Haywood's world, Fate can be very unkind; the question is, can man's determination overpower it?

ASSUME NOTHING is fast-paced, beautifully written, thought-provoking and simply put, a spectacular book. Gar Anthony Haywood is a hidden gem. It's time for crime fiction to expose this prize and let him sparkle!

ASSUME NOTHING is available now from Severn House in hardcover (ISBN: 9780727880833).

Tuesday Potpourri

Goodness gracious there are a lot of things going on in crime fiction around the web. It is a good time to stop and point some of them out.

First is a short story collection that was coordinated and edited by Timothy Hallinan for the victims of Japan's recent natural disasters. The collection is called SHAKEN and is available on Kindle for $3.99, with all the royalties going directly to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund. Some of the participating authors are well known to Jen's Book Thoughts: of course Tim, Kelli Stanley, Rosemary Harris, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Cara Black, among others. The cover art was designed by the multi-talented Gar Anthony Haywood.

My friend and fellow blogger Pop Culture Nerd posted a very nice interview with several of the contributing authors and you can check that out here.

Next, the folks at Spinetingler have launched Snubnose Press, an e-publisher of crime fiction. According to their press release:

"Spinetingler Magazine has been publishing new and emerging writers since 2005. Building from that foundation Snubnose Press will seek to publish only the best in short crime fiction. With the traditional publishing market contracting, Snubnose Press will fill this gap by publishing original anthologies, novellas and short novels."

The debut title of Snubnose Press will be SPEEDLOADER, an anthology of six original short stories.

Visit the Snubnose Press website for more information.

Have you been voting in the daily Duffer Awards at Alafair Burke's website? Yesterday Kaye Scarpetta squared off against Moe Prager for the best wine taster award. Be sure to visit each day for a different competition.

Speaking of awards...or rather prizes, I have winners to announce from the SIXTH MAN audiobook giveaway. The three lucky winners are:

• Sheila D from Minnesota
• Deborah C from Ohio
• Pam K from Pennsylvania

I'll get those audiobooks in the mail this week. Keep your eyes peeled; there are more fun giveaways to be had during Audiobook Month!

Huge congrats go out to Craig Johnson. HELL IS EMPTY earned its way to #24 on the New York Times Bestseller List. Yay Walt!

Don't forget to register for Bouchercon 2011 if you have not already. The list of attendees is something to see. It's going to be one heck of a crime party in St. Louis this September.

And finally for this post, I would like to encourage you to sign up for the Shelf Awareness for Readers. The debut issue will be this week. I will occasionally be reviewing for them, as well Pop Culture Nerd. You can sign up here.

Hope your reading week is off to a great start!

Crime Writers Caught Recommending Crime - Day 11

Gar Anthony Haywood is one of my treasured discoveries of 2010. I had the opportunity to read his new novel, CEMETERY ROAD (which I recommended on Day 4). Afterward I went out to track down his backlist. He's an amazingly talented writer, so I'm beyond thrilled to have him making today's holiday recommendation. Not only is he making the recommendation, but he put a great deal of thought into his choice and came up with Ace Adkins' DEVIL'S GARDEN. Gar says,

"I absolutely love Ace Atkins's DEVIL'S GARDEN. As you know, it took me a while to figure out what book I wanted to promote, and this one won the prize. It's a great read."


Thanks Gar, I'm putting it on my list right now. To go along with Gar's recommendation, today I'll add a recommendation from my favorite female crime writer, Alafair Burke. Alafair didn't have a book release in 2009, so when 212 came out this year, I snatched it up immediately. Alafair's characters are outstanding, but she's especially talented at balancing her female characters. They are strong but not butch. Feminine but not prissy. They are human and funny and quirky. 212 is her best contribution to the genre so far - and she just keeps getting better!

You've the Right to Six Words: The Grand Finale!

*Sniff* Here we are once again at the final post of the six-word memoirs. It's sad to see the fun come to a close again, but I've just been so honored and thrilled to have the opportunity to share all these great memoir statements with you guys. I hope you've enjoyed meeting some new authors, hearing from favorites, and just generally getting a little glimpse inside the minds of some extremely talented folks. But before we wrap up completely I have three amazing folks to end this project right. Three people who have made incredible contributions to the crime fiction genre and fiction as a whole. Ladies and gentlemen, let the fireworks begin!

In our final week of memoirs we lead off with a woman who has impacted not only the crime fiction genre, but society as well. Kansas native and New York Times bestseller Sara Paretsky worked as a community organizer in Chicago during the 1966 race riots; she served on the board of Thresholds, serving Chicago’s mentally ill homeless population; and she’s mentored teens from some of the most troubled schools in Chicago. Sara continues to work closely with literacy and reproductive rights groups.

The social issues that Sara passionately embraces find their ways into her crime novels, which have also paved the way for change. Her V.I. Warshawski series introduced a smart, tough female P.I. into a genre that had traditionally been male-dominated. V.I. Warshawski doesn’t play the role of victim; instead she waltzed into the role of hero when Sara published 1982’s INDEMNITY ONLY.

After opening doors for her fictional protagonist, Sara moved on to opening doors for real women with the creation of Sisters in Crime in 1986. She’s earned a Ph.D. in history and been awarded honorary Doctorate of Letters degrees from several universities. The British Crime Writers have bestowed both the Gold Dagger for best novel and the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement on the crime-writing maven.

In addition to her V.I. Warshawski series, Sara has published two stand alone novels, short stories and a memoir. This week she releases the 14th V.I. Warshawski novel, BODY WORK. While Sara says she’s

Caught in the Web of Words

I can’t help but wonder if she’s actually the one weaving that web. It’s an honor to have Sara join us today.

Next up is another author helping to define the crime fiction genre of the 21st century, Gar Anthony Haywood. Since I'm sometimes a little slow arriving at the party, I only discovered this great talent this year. However, I consider it one of, if not THE, highpoint of my reading for 2010. Gar is a two-time Shamus winner and an Anthony Award winner. He's graced the Los Angeles Times bestseller list and been praised from coast to coast for his writing, both as Gar Anthony Haywood and as his alter-ego, Ray Shannon.

Gar broke into crime fiction with his private investigator Aaron Gunner in FEAR OF THE DARK. And what a way to break onto the scene. FEAR OF THE DARK was the second ever winner of the St. Martin's Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest and it took home the Shamus award for Best First P.I. Novel in 1989. Gar followed up FEAR OF THE DARK with five additional Aaron Gunner novels and two humorous crime novels featuring Dottie and Joe Loudermilk, retiree crime solvers. As Ray Shannon, Gar published two standalone thrillers, MAN EATER and FIRECRACKER. Most recently, he's returned to publishing under his own name with another amazing standalone, CEMETERY ROAD.

Gar's accomplishments are not limited to his novels, however. He's also an award-winning short story writer, has written for both the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, AND finds his name in the credits of such television dramas as NEW YORK UNDERCOVER and THE DISTRICT.

When he's not leaving his genius in written form, he's expressing it through graphic arts. Apparently Gar comes by his art talent through genetics; his father was an architect. But Gar credits Dad with more than just his affinity for art:

Dad's paperbacks
best writing school ever.

Sometimes six words can sure say a lot! Gar, it is such a pleasure! Thank you for that little window into a great man.

And to wrap up our grand finale, it gives me great pleasure to introduce Val McDermid. As a child in Scotland, Val knew she wanted to be a writer. She wanted to be one of the people who made the books that filled the library shelves. But, like many other writers, she was told she wouldn't be able to make a living and she needed a "real" job. So when the first student from a state school in Scotland was accepted and graduated from St. Hilda's College, Oxford, she became a journalist. And she was still determined to write a book.

Her first attempt at a book turned out to be a better play than novel. She had a short run as a dramatist before she decided to try her hand at a crime novel. The result of that effort turned into REPORT FOR MURDER, which was published in 1987. A mere four years later Val was doing what everyone told her she couldn't do, she was making her living as a writer. And she continues to do that to this day. Val also reviews for various national newspapers, writes the occasional journalistic piece and broadcasts on the radio.

Her writing credits now include three series: the Lindsey Gordon series, which included her debut REPORT FOR MURDER, the Kate Brannigan series, and the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, which is the basis for the WIRE IN THE BLOOD television series. FEVER OF THE BONE was the sixth book in the Hill/Jordan series, released last year. In addition to her three series, Val has two short story collections, a non-fiction work and five additional stand alone novels, with the sixth to be published later this week in the UK as TRICK OF THE DARK.

There aren't too many awards Val hasn't at least been short listed for. Her works have earned her multiple Barry Awards, an Anthony, a Macavity, a Dilys, a Los Angeles Book Prize, numerous Edgar nominations, the CWA Gold Dagger and the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger among others. So to the agent who fired her, the doubting Thomases who told her she had to get a "real" job, and the others with so little faith, Val McDermid

Did everything they said I couldn't.

Hallelujah! That is one of the reasons she'll be honored as a guest of honor at the 2011 Bouchercon in St. Louis, as will Sara Paretsky. And if you'll pardon me a little PSA before we wrap this up today, I'll let you in on a secret - well, o.k., it isn't really a secret, but it's good info. If you register for Bouchercon 2011 before November 1st, you can save yourself a little money. Registration is $150 until November 1st. Then it goes up to $175. You've all heard me rave about this convention, and I'd love the chance to meet you in St. Louis! If nothing else, put this on your radar. It really is a must for any crime fiction fan. O.k., PSA over.

So many, many thanks to Sara, Gar and Val. And all the authors who participated in "You've the Right to Six Words" this year. I am humbled that you made time to play along with us. I'm humbled that folks come by each week to read and have fun with us. I have so enjoyed the whole experience. I hope you all have as well. And I hope you've found a few new authors and books to keep you busy.

Happy Reading everyone!

**FUN UPDATE!! The generous folks at Putnam have offered to give one commenter a copy of Sara Paretsky's new V.I. Warshawski novel, BODY WORK. So in your comment, make sure you leave an e-mail where we can contact you in case you're the lucky random commenter chosen. As long as you have a U.S. mailing address, you're eligible!! Thanks to Putnam and good luck to everyone!

Technorati Tags: You've the Right to Six Words, Val McDermid, Gar Anthony Haywood, Sara Paretsky

They Said WHAT? - June

June was a rather crazy month for me with lots of fun trips and a slew of crazy, wonderful reads. However, that didn't translate into a lot of blog work time, so I'm a bit behind. And since I was out of town last Sunday, I didn't get to post my favorite lines from June. So, I'm going to share those with you today, and then I have a wonderfully packed line-up for the rest of the week. I hope you'll check back often. Also, don't forget to enter to win one of the stunning book soundtracks from John Connolly in honor of his upcoming U.S. release of THE WHISPERERS.

Have a happy 4th of July and enjoy these great lines:

• from Gar Anthony Haywood's amazing CEMETERY ROAD;

"Because sometimes ignorance truly is bliss, and once it is gone, asking God to have it back is a wasted prayer."

"What I saw and heard during that time gave me no reason to think she would outlive me. She had taken the sorrow of a motherless child and made a funeral blanket out of it, a shroud she could curl up in to retreat from all the warmth and light of the world."

"He was fourteen years old at the most and, already, life and death to him were but interchangeable, equally valueless sides of the same coin."

"Some memories lose their shape and form faster than others. Details dim and disappear, forever out of reach of the conscious mind. Settings shift and grow vague, while the people in them perform all nature of tricks, morphing into others and moving about at will, either imposing themselves upon a time and place in which they played no part, or vacating one that holds little meaning without them. Six men in a room become two, three become five. The variations are endless."

• from Marcus Sakey's outstanding thriller, THE AMATEURS:

"The world narrowed to a long hallway, like the gun had black-hole gravity that warped space."

• from Charlie Huston's stunning novel THE MYSTIC ART OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH:

"I looked up at the sky outside the window.

A piece of it snapped off and dropped and hit me on the head.

And it was all there again, the whole thing, back in my head, one picture, entire. No longer broken into the little fragments I liked to keep it scattered in. Fragments hidden on ghost buses cruising L.A. Freighters of lost things. But not of me."

• from Ken Bruen's heart-wrenching THE KILLING OF THE TINKERS:

"Serena didn't have an extra chromosome; it was us, the normal ones, who were lacking the added spark. Would I could have held on to that moment, I could have just sampled the energy for a little longer. I'd no longer need oblivion."

• and finally, from Craig Johnson's magnificent JUNKYARD DOGS:

"It was a tough business coming to terms with your own mortality, and some people, once they are confronted with its face, never forget its features."

"Dog was seated in the front. He turned to look at me as if I'd lost my mind. He had Saint Bernard in him and some German shepherd with a bunch of other things, most of them domesticated except for when you had bacon - then he was part great white shark."

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!!!!

Technorati Tags: Craig Johnson, Ken Bruen, Charlie Huston, Marcus Sakey, Gar Anthony Haywood

CEMETERY ROAD - Gar Anthony Haywood

FIRST LINE: "What I've always remembered most about my last day in Los Angeles is the smell of burning tar."

Errol "Handy" White has been away from L.A. for almost three decades when his childhood buddy R.J. Burrows, who he promised never to see again, is murdered. The police are writing Burrow's death off as a drug deal gone bad, but Handy has his doubts. Handy also has his ghosts from the event that sent him away from California all those years ago. The more Handy investigates his friend's murder, the more he's convinced that it has nothing to do with a drug deal and everything to do with that failed heist from their youth.

I feel like I'm late to the Gar Anthony Haywood party. CEMETERY ROAD is amazing. It's authors like Haywood who earn writing the title of "art form."

Handy is a character haunted by his past, a past that gnaws at him every day of his life. Haywood depicts that struggle with so much passion that it strikes the core of the reader:

"Because sometimes ignorance is truly bliss, and once it is gone, asking God to have it back is a wasted prayer."

The pages of CEMETERY ROAD are peppered with jarring metaphors that reinforce the darkness and loneliness that defines Handy's life, and by extension we see Burrow's life as well. Since the story is told in first person from Handy's perspective, his helplessness echos through his monologue. There's a very mechanical-ness to his character because he finds solace in making things fit into their proper order and function the way they were made to function. Handy doesn't have this stability in his life so he searches for it elsewhere:

"The only point in bringing such a relic back to life would be the exercise itself. The exercise was what defined me, as it probably always will. I take things apart and put them back together again, all for the sake of learning the answer to a single, unrelenting question:

Why?"

This man trying to make order from chaos transfers this to his daughter. He's beginning to see glimmers of hope for her but it's all tentative because early in adulthood

"What I saw and heard during that time gave me no reason to think she would outlive me. She had taken the sorrow of a motherless child and made a funeral blanket out of it, a shroud she could curl up in to retreat from all the warmth and light of the world."

CEMETERY ROAD is a book full of rich, dynamic, troubled characters the reader can't help but connect with, grab on to, clutch for dear life. So much so that the reader may not know whether he is clutching for the life of the character or the life of himself. These stunning characters are Haywood's first secret ingredient. But he has more tricks up his sleeve, most especially a multi-layered crime story. As the layers of the characters are peeled away, so are the layers of the plot, revealing the complexity of life and the fact that things aren't always what they seem. Ironically, the peeling away of those layers also reveals some very basic elements of human nature. Handy finds those basic elements in the machines that he fixes for a living. In CEMETERY ROAD he faces his greatest challenge and that is finding those elements in himself and repairing the damage.

CEMETERY ROAD will be on my list of favorites for 2010. This is a book that went far beyond entertainment; I closed the back cover a different person than the person who opened the front cover. If you have not read Gar Anthony Haywood, don't just add him to your "to be read" list. Shoot him immediately to the front of the line.

CEMETERY ROAD is available now in hardcover from Seven House Publishers (ISBN: 978-0-7278-6851-0).

Technorati Tags: Gar Anthony Haywood, book review, crime fiction