Five on Friday - Joelle Charbonneau

Happy Friday all. August is quickly slipping away without my permission! Hope you had a great week. What good books have you read lately? I just finished a non-fiction book about a psychiatrist who spent a year working in a hospital for the criminally insane. Whoa, talk about frightening!

I don't have a lot of extra stuff to share today, so let me give you sweepstakes/contest links and then we'll get to the main attraction!

Friday Reads has copies of DEATH MONEY and THE KILLS.

Criminal Element has a "Histories and Mysteries" sweepstakes--7 BOOKS! Plus,  this is a hot, hot prize...there's a chance for you to win an advanced copy of Craig Johnson's WAIT FOR SIGNS. It's the upcoming collection of all his short stories. Nice! Be sure to get in on that!

And of course, make sure you stop over and see what Lesa is up to this week! Tell her I said "hi" while you're over there. 

And that brings us to this week's Five on Friday guest! Joelle Charbonneau first began entertaining her audiences on stage--in musical theater and operas. Today she still teaches voice when she isn't hard at work on one of her successful book series or on her many duties as a mom.

Joelle's writing career started with a mystery series centered around roller skating. Can I just say I'm glad no dead bodies ever turned up in the Roll Arena during my roller skating days? She added to her bibliography with the Glee Club Series (huh, I wonder where that idea came from?). And most recenlty she's been rocking the YA world with her Testing Trilogy. The final book of the trilogy, Graduation Day, came out this summer.

Whenever I've had the chance to interact with Joelle, she's always been cheerful and happy. So today I am especially happy to have her here on the blog. Please help me welcome her for Five on Friday:

Is this research for the next book? Murder by fork?

1. If I could tell my 16-year-old self one piece of advice, knowing what I know now, it would be "Lighten up!"  I was really serious in high school and unless I was on stage I was often really afraid to cut loose and have fun.  I think I was worried that I'd make a fool out of myself.  Since then, I've learned that it's often the days where I make a fool out of myself that I have the most fun.

2. One thing I have no tolerance for is People posting things on their social media accounts that they haven't bothered to fact check.  Just because an article someone else shared says something you agree with doesn't mean it is true.  SNOPES is a wonderful thing.  More people should use it.

3. A skill I’ve always wanted to have, but don’t is Drawing.  I can't draw--well, technically, I can put pencil to paper, but nothing I draw ever actually looks like what I intended it to.  Somewhere along the line, I missed the drawing gene and now you are all forewarned.  If you have to pick a team for Pictionary - I'm probably not your girl.

4. When I’m feeling under the weather, I….make Chicken Tortellini soup and watch a lot of bad court TV shows.  Judge Judy and chicken soup are the perfect cure for the common cold.  And if that doesn't work, I just pretend I'm not sick and hope for the best!

The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: To see one of my students on Broadway. It's something totally out of my control, but I would love to be in the front row watching one of my students achieve that dream. (If one of them ends up in a movie, that would be good, too!) 

Everything about Joelle's responses fascinates me! First, I wish someone would make me chicken tortellini soup when I'm under the weather. Yum! I was so excited that Joelle chose to answer the question about a skill she wished she had. Most people answer that with a musical skill response. She has the musical skill so it's interesting to hear what she would like to be able to do.

And her bucket list item? How cool is it that she's all about her students? Now THAT'S a true teacher there, folks. I love it!

So happy that Joelle had time for Five on Friday today. This has been a great installment. Hope you enjoyed it too! You can connect with Joelle on Twitter and Facebook. And you can learn more about Joelle and her writing at her website.

Have a super great weekend and happy reading!

Kathy Ryan on Location

I am so excited because I am headed out today to Hilary Davidson's Mystery Lovers Bookshop event. I wasn't able to attend her launch party, but my super wonderful friend, Kathy Ryan, graciously agreed to cover the event and be my guest blogger. So, while I go meet Hilary in person, you can enjoy this magnificent recap of Hilary's launch, which also was the launch of Joelle Charbonneau's SKATING AROUND THE LAW and Joshua Corin's WHILE GALILEO PRAYS. So you get triple the fun from Kathy. She did a fantastic job and I'm so honored to share with you her experience and photos:

A Trifecta of Book Launches
by Kathleen A. Ryan

On September 28, a standing-room only crowd of Who’s Who packed Partners & Crime, the New York City mystery bookseller store, to listen to the readings of debut authors Hilary Davidson, Joelle Charbonneau, and award-winning author Joshua Corin. Afterward, the crowd milled about, gathered signatures for their books, sipped wine and chilled bottled water, and enjoyed snacks from Trader Joe’s.

The authors made an an impromptu decision to have Joshua read first, since While Galileo Preys is his second novel and he’s done this before. The novel, the first in a two-part series, features a Long Island housewife-crimefighter named Esme Stuart. The praise of bestselling author J.T. Ellison appears on the back cover of the original paperback.

In addition to many friends, Joshua’s supporters in the audience included editor Adam Wilson of MIRA books, and childhood friends Nancy Scheraga and Aviva Fink.

Joelle read from her debut comedic mystery, Skating Around The Law, which has been praised by reviewers as being in the same vein of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Joelle’s agent, Stacia Decker, of the Donald Maass Literary Agency, was in attendance, along with colleague Amy Boggs. Fellow “Team Decker” authors, John Hornor and Barna Donovan, were in the audience, as well as Joelle’s “Do Some Damage” blog mate, crime novelist Dave White. She was pleasantly surprised to see several high school and college friends among the crowd.

(John, Hilary & Kathy)

Hilary read from The Damage Done, which has received praise from Meg Abbott, Ken Bruen, Linda Fairstein, Ed Gorman, Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Allison Glasgow Robinson, and Dennis Tafoya.

Speaking of Dennis, he traveled from Philadelphia to attend this fabulous event. Also in attendance was thriller writer Jason Pinter and literary agent Janet Reid.

(Hilary and Dennis)

The book launch attendees also included Hilary's husband, Dan; friends from Hilary’s writing groups; the New York Sisters in Crime chapter; the local MWA chapter; folks from Forge; neighbors from her apartment building; and several people who’ve recently heard Hilary speak at library panels around New York.

Some Q & A highlights:

Regarding their book releases: “How does it feel?”

Hilary: “It feels unreal.”

Joelle: “I haven’t decided yet. It’s exciting; it felt like forever in the making.”

Joshua: “The day it stops feeling amazing -- I hope that day never comes. Writing happens in a vacuum, and this [the book launch party] is one of the best parts of it.”

“What are you working on?”

Joshua: “A YA novel; I’m 10,000 words away from finishing it. It should be in stores — once it’s finished and sold.” The crowd howled.

Joshua’s next novel, Before Cain Strikes, will be available in April 2011 from MIRA books.

Hilary: “I spent the entire summer trapped inside my apartment. I have a two-book deal with Forge. The next novel involves the same main character, Lily, and picks up three months after the ending in The Damage Done.” During revisions, Hilary likes to focus on dialogue.

Joelle: “Working on the next two novels, Skating Over The Line, and Skating On The Edge.”

Upcoming Events?

Hilary: “Bouchercon in two weeks. On October 11th, a joint event with Joshua Sobol (author of Cut Throat Dog) at McNally Jackson in NYC. On October 12th, at the NYU bookstore: ‘How to Get a Book Deal’ panel that includes authors, editors and agents. Upcoming events in Pittsburgh, Boston, Los Angeles, Houston and Scottsdale.”

Joelle held up the T-shirt she was giving away with the purchase of her novel. The back resembles a rock concert T-shirt — which says, “World Tour 2010.” It lists dates and locations, including an event at a roller rink in Chicago, and Bouchercon in San Francisco. Joelle’s husband, Andy, who helped design the T-shirt, proudly attended the book launch party and took photos.

Joshua said he had upcoming events at Bouchercon and Los Angeles. After hearing the whirlwind events planned for Hilary and Joelle, Joshua quipped, “I feel lazy!” He advised the ladies to have M&Ms and Reeses at book signings.

Joshua explained that during a book signing of his first novel, Nuclear Winter Wonderland, a potential customer picked up the novel and looked at it. As they chatted, Joshua mentioned that it was optioned to be a movie. The customer put the novel down and said, “I’ll wait to see the movie.”

Early influences; favorite writers?

Hilary: “My grandmother turned me onto noir; she always gave me mystery novels. When I was seven, we watched “Double Indemnity” together. She was a huge influence.” As a twelve-year-old, Hilary read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. She admires the writing talent of Ken Bruen, Megan Abbott, and Dennis Tafoya. Hilary is also a fan of Jim Thompson, and is amazed at “what he achieves in a few pages.”

Joshua: “I was introduced to literature at a young age. At age eight, I saw The Shining, and it scarred me. It had an emotional effect.” Stephen King was a huge influence. He also mentioned The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler, “a human story that makes a personal connection with the reader.”

Joelle, a member of the Romance Writers of America, enjoys reading Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Alison Weir, Agatha Christie, and Janet Evanovich.

Spontaneously, Hilary was assigned a roller derby name: Hellacious Hilary. It will come in handy, says Hilary, when she learns how to skate!

Speaking of this amazing night, Hilary said, “I’m grateful to everyone who turned out for it, and to everyone who sent good wishes. I’m really looking forward to my book tour for The Damage Done. Next stop: Pittsburgh, where I will finally get to meet Jen Forbus!”

(Hilary and Kathy)

Congratulations to all three authors on the release of their novels and an extremely successful book launch party.

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