The End of 2015 - Part 2

If you missed it, yesterday I summed up my reading stats and shared my favorite audiobooks, debuts and non-fiction works. Today I'm going to reveal my favorite crime novels of 2015 and my favorite overall reads of 2015, so let's not waste any time. As with yesterday's lists, these are in no particular order.

My favorite 2015 crime novels:

Hush Hush by Laura Lippman - This return of Tess Monaghan was just spectacular. Laura Lippman knows how to spin a good yarn, pull you into and make the hours just disappear.

Dry Bones by Craig Johnson - "Save Jen!" Walt, Vic and a dinosaur, what's not to love? This series remains in my all time favorite list and Dry Bones epitomizes why. The dialogue is exceptional, the sense of place is rich, the characters are dynamic and the plot is fascinating. Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones is tops this year!

The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young - If you missed yesterday's post then you won't know that I picked The Gates of Evangeline as one of my favorite debuts. And yes, I think it's good enough to make my overall favorites list as well. This was a book that kept me glued to the pages, and I look forward to what Hester Young does from here.

The Investigation by J.M. Lee - This translation from the original Korean is stunning. The story revolves around a central murder and then just builds in exquisite layer after layer from there. The Investigation is an appreciation of the arts in all forms. It's beautiful, inspirational, heart-wrenching and I very much hope that more of Lee's work makes it way to the U.S.

Woman With a Blue Pencil by Gordon McAlpine - It is quite rare for me to feel like I've happened on a truly unique story concept. And maybe this one has been done before, but I've not experienced it. The creative blending of plot lines made this one fascinating book. Its themes are especially poignant given our own political current events. This is a short one, but boy is it ever powerful.

House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke - Sadly it's been a little while since I've had a chance to pick up a James Lee Burke so my return with House of the Rising Sun was that much more delectable. I savored every beautiful word of this unparalleled tale of family, faith, betrayal and redemption.

The Promise by Robert Crais - Elvis Cole, Joe Pike, Maggie and Scott James. That's almost too much wonderfulness for one book. We waited awhile for this one and it was certainly worth it.

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney - Berney stepped away from his series character Shake Bouchon and took on a darker tone for this standalone proving he has a wide range of talent when it comes to storytelling. The psychological elements of this novel were intense and effective. Even if Berney's next work is paranormal romance, you can rest assured I'll read it.

The Devil's Game by Sean Chercover - While I mentioned this book several times as I was reading it, I'm ashamed to say I never got my review finished. So if you haven't picked this one up yet, I hope you'll give it a go. The follow-up to The Trinity Game kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. Daniel Byrne is a fascinating protagonist and I'm anxious to see where Chercover takes him next!

The Lake House by Kate Morton - In my interview with Kate Morton she told me that no one ever considers her a mystery writer. So here she is on my crime fiction list...officially a mystery writer. I guess I'm the late one to the Kate Morton party because this was my first experience reading her, and I was swept off my feet. She managed to surprise me (not easy) and envelope me in her grand fictional world...for almost 600 pages...and I never lost interest. Consider me now a Kate Morton evangelist!

So there you have my favorite crime novels and finally *drum roll* it's time for

My overall favorite reads of 2015:

Trigger Warnings by Neil Gaiman - This collection of short stories felt like the variety pack of chocolate candies. You know the commercial where the mom asks all the kids what they want and they all scream something different and she says, "I've got that!"? That's what Trigger Warnings is in literary form. Want poetry? He's got it. Want a crime story? He's got it. Want a love story? He's got that too. And of course the fantasy. Gaiman's talent is astounding and I'm embarrassed it took me as long as it did to discover it, but now that I have, there's no turning back!

Dry Bones by Craig Johnson - You can see above for my gushing, but I just can't resist repeating, "Save Jen!"

Woman With the Blue Pencil by Gordon McAlpine - Yep, another one you can reference from the first list.

House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke - I'm feeling like a broken record here.

The Investigation by J.M. Lee - Another one you can see above for my gushing...I'm a crime junkie through and through, even when I'm reading other stuff.

Mobile Library by David Whitehouse - Stop the presses, this one isn't repeated from the first list. This story was so delightful, packed with quirky and wonderful characters on a magical adventure. It still makes me smile even though I read it a year ago. If you missed it, find this one. So worth the read!

The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson - This is a repeated title from yesterday's lists where I lauded Wilson in both the non-fiction and audiobook lists. He's written a smart, funny and inspirational memoir that you don't have to be a fan of The Office to completely adore. If you ARE a fan, you'll adore it as well, I'm sure.

Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell - Another repeat from yesterday, this one as a favorite debut and favorite non-fiction. Michell has just won my heart with his tale of Juan Salvador the penguin.

Wanted by Chris Hoke - I think I hit that groove in the record where I'm repeating myself again. Chris Hoke's book was on my lists for favorite non-fiction and favorite debuts as well. Wanted is masterfully written and so incredibly powerful. It's a book that will resonant with me for a very long time.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - If Backman needs disciples, I'd like to sign up. Last year I shouted from the rooftops about A Man Called Ove, this year I'm equally enamored by Grandmother. I described this book recently as fantasy wrapped in reality and while that sounds a bit ridiculous, I think it sums up the Escher-esque complexity of this wonderful book. It stole my heart and there was no doubt at all that it would be on this list.

So, there you have it! That sums up the great reads of my year. Of course there are a stack of books I really wanted to get to and haven't yet--I'm not giving up yet, but there are also fabulous books for 2016 starting to hit my pile as well. 2015 was great and I have high hopes for 2016 as well. Please, let me know what topped your reading lists this year. I'm excited to know.

Happy reading and happy end to 2015. May your 2016 be full of exceptional reading material.

Bouchercon 2013!

I'm sure many of you know that the panel schedule for Bouchercon 2013 was posted yesterday, so now I can officially talk about the panels I'll be moderating this year (and beg you to come if you're attending).

I've had tremendous experiences moderating and interviewing at Bouchercons and Murder & Mayhems, and each experience has been special in its own way. What makes this year extra special is that I was very generously given a significant say in setting up my panels. So if they flop, it's all on me!

O.k. Forbus enough mumbo jumbo, get to the point, right? Here we go.

I have two panels. The first one will be Thursday at 1:20 and it's "You're Only Human: Secret powers & other little-known talents that would make us great Super Heroes...or Villains." My incredible line-up of authors for this panel includes Catriona McPherson, Daniel Palmer, Tom Schreck, Zoë Sharp, Michael Wiley  and the villain part of the panel...Brad Parks. :-) Capes and masks are optional. I have a strong suspicion that there will be much laughing going on in this panel. Plus I'm brainstorming a contest so there will likely be extra incentive to attend!

The second panel is Friday at 3:10. This one is "Stop in Nevada: If the IRS asks, it's research: places we've visited, people we've met and boneheaded things we've tried, all in the name of a story." My stellar authors for this panel include: Lou Berney, Alafair Burke, Dana Cameron, Sean Chercover, and Chris Holm. Holy freaking cow, right? I'm hoping to unearth some unusual, exciting and entertaining stories from these masters. I hope you'll join us. I'd like to do something creative with this panel, too, but an idea hasn't hit me as quickly as with my other panel. We'll see what I can conjure up.


If you're attending, I hope you'll put us on your schedule. I'm committed to providing everyone...panelists and audience alike...a fun time. If you've been sitting on the fence about whether to attend or not, take the plunge...come join in the fun. 

And in other regular Friday news, I'm still working on the new schedule for 5 on Fridays. I've sent out some new invites and am sending out more, so stay tuned on that front. We will be continuing!

Contests this week:

There's still time to enter to win the entire Agatha Raisin series at Criminal Element.  They also have a children's graphic novel up for grabs: Revenge of the Lizard Club.

Friday Reads has Charles Todd's A Question of Honor this week in their giveaway.

Grand Central Publishing is giving away three copies of Psych's Guide to Crime Fighting. I haven't watched TV in ages, but I loved that show when I did watch. As goofy as it was, it always made me laugh.

And William Morrow has a JA Jance sweepstakes going on their Facebook page.

And I have two other links I want to share with you before I turn you loose for your weekend. First is Pop Culture Nerd's Stalker Award Voting. Be sure to mosey over there before the 20th at 9PM Pacific and vote.

The other link is this one from BookRiot that absolutely cracked me up this week. If you didn't see my post of it on Facebook, it's a must read! Shit Book Snobs Say - A Translation

That's all for me this Friday. Have a super great weekend and happy reading, my friends!

My Favorite Reads of 2012!

Here it is, the last day of 2012 and I have for you my list of favorite reads for this year. This was an odd year for me reading-wise. I read some spectacular books, discovered some great new-to-me authors and on the flip side, I think I put down more books than in past years because I just didn't connect with them at all. And while this isn't unusual, I did have distinctly different reactions to a number of books that were quite popular with other readers. I can be weird like that!

To give you an idea of what I started with, out of my 90 reads this year, I first removed the books that are January 2013 publications (I had 6 -- I've never had that many read ahead before), and I then highlighted the books that I felt were contenders this year: 18 books, plus 3 debuts I'll mention at the end. From that I winnowed it down to the list you see below. It was hard as all 18 were fabulous reads, books I've recommended to others and more than worth the time and money invested in them. I'd say I was a pretty lucky reader this year! So I ended up cheating a tad bit. I removed 3 more titles...I'll mention at the end...that weren't classified crime fiction novels. And I combined two titles that were by the same author. Hopefully, you'll forgive me my little cheats. :-)

But enough blather, let's get to the fun part. And don't forget to leave your favorites in the comments.

10.  Astride a Pink Horse - This was the first time I had read Robert Greer, and Astride a Pink Horse is, hopefully, the start to a new series for him. The plot was complex, the characters were dimensional, the themes were strong and thought-provoking. If this is the start to a new series, it's one I'll want to follow.

9. Jack 1939 - Again, this was the first time I had read Francine Mathews, but reading Jack has made me want to pick up all of her back list. This book was so smart and fascinating; it was one of those historical fiction novels that had me running to Google regularly to see what was fact and what was fiction.

8. The Prophet - Michael Koryta returned to a straight crime novel this year and it was a beaut! The rich symbolism throughout the novel elevated it beyond a simple crime story. Throughout his writing career he's continued to improve his character development, which is astounding given that he was exceptional at character development since book one. The Prophet is full of contrasting characters, defying stereotypes and endearing readers.

7.  Gone Girl - This was one time I didn't differ with the masses of readers who loved this book. Gillian Flynn wrote an incredible novel. She defied the likable, empathetic character notion and kept her readers hanging on with a smart, unpredictable plot. Flynn's pushing the boundaries of crime fiction and coming up with an amazing result.

6. Taken - Robert Crais continues to keep the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series fresh with powerful themes and engrossing plots. And unlike a lot of series characters, we continue to learn about Cole and Pike with every book. Taken hits you deep down in the soul.

5. Whiplash River/Gutshot Straight -  Once again I'll apologize for my endless talk about Lou Berney's Shake Bouchon crime capers, but good golly am I glad I found them. They are just fun books. And while Shake is not your pristine hero-type character, you can't help but adore him. I love the constant action of these books; the settings are spectacular; and the dialogue is first class. In my humble opinion, if you want to know how to do a crime caper right, you study these books cover to cover!

4. The Trinity Game - Holy Cow. Sorry, no pun intended on this one. We waited patiently for the return of Sean Chercover and boy did he deliver. This is just a powerfully written, complex story with unique characters. It was also a pretty gutsy book to write. The themes are very touchy for many American readers, but I think Chercover handled it all with grace and elegance. I cannot wait for the next book!

3. The Cut - While I didn't end up reviewing this one, I listened to it back in January on audio (it was an August 2011 release); time factors prevented me from reviewing it at a time that would allow me to do the book justice. And it deserved justice. It is a flat out amazing start to a new series character for George Pelecanos. All the elements that make Pelecanos great are present: the gray characters, the dark atmosphere, the suspenseful pace, the beautiful prose. How the man juggles as much as he does--and still does it all at a level of superiority most of us can never begin to fathom--is beyond me. I'm constantly in awe of his work.

2.  Live by Night - Gosh I always look forward to Dennis Lehane's work. It's simply amazing. His writing is poetic, his characters are relateable and larger-than-life at the same time, the plots keep you glued to the book then devastated when you've turned the last page. The atmosphere of Live by Night was the strongest I think Lehane's created. Taking him out of Boston did nothing to shake this man's talent. This is definitely a book I see standing the test of time.

1. The Survivor - When a story haunts me as much as The Survivor did, I know it's an exceptional book. Some characters just seem to take up residence in my soul after I've finished reading. They hang around with me and we have discussions in my mind about the story. Please don't call in the psych doctors, I'd be devastated if anyone ever took this silent pleasure away. Most of us will never have to deal with psychotic bank robbers threatening our families, but symbolically, this is the story of life's true super heroes; it's the story of how people react and adapt to life's sick sense of humor. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it made me tell everyone they need to read it. How Gregg Hurwitz continues to top himself book after book is inspiring. He'll have a hard time topping two stellar books in a row, but I wouldn't put it past him.

So, there is my list that I hemmed an hawed over. But indeed I think it's the most accurate reflection of my favorite reads this year. That being said, I have to give recognition to three books that you won't find in the crime fiction aisle of the bookstore. These three are books that I removed because they were strong contenders with the ten above and I wasn't sure how to integrate them:

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend (Matthew Dicks)
The Round House (Louise Erdrich)
On the Outside Looking Indian (Rupinder Gill) - this one actually a non-fiction

The two fiction books revolve around a crime element, but the powers that be in marketing have labeled them as literary fiction or general fiction, I guess. And On the Outside Looking Indian is probably the most unique for me because it's a memoir. I'm not much of a memoir reader, so I think that says a lot about the book!

And then I wanted to give kudos to three debut novels I read this year that were just outstanding and I see these authors doing amazing things (one already is since I read her debut late):

Bloodman (Robert Pobi)
Playing Dead (Julia Heaberlin)
The Things That Keep Us Here (Carla Buckley)

If you did not read my review of Carla Buckley's sophomore novel, Invisible, in Shelf Awareness this month, you'll have a chance to do so this week on the blog. Her debut was a great indicator of amazing things to come!

So, that's it for me for 2012. Next month I'll celebrate five years blogging here at Jen's Book Thoughts. It doesn't seem possible, but it's been so much fun talking books with all of you over the years.  Thanks for joining in the fun. Here's hoping 2013 is full of more book wonderfulness for us all.

Happy Reading and Happy New Year, all!

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!

Bouchercon Part 1 & A Facebook Giveaway

Well, I may get the record for latest Bouchercon post, but here it is finally. Prepare for photos and fun!

Bouchercon was, of course, in my back yard this year. And as always I had a fantastic time meeting up with friends from all over the country who all share a love of crime fiction.

My good friend and fellow blogger, Lesa Holstine, flew in Wednesday and I picked her up from the airport. Do you think I thought to get a picture of us together? Jen, fail #1. But we were roommates for this - her first - Bouchercon. I'm so thrilled I could share her first Bouchercon with her.

Thursday kicked off the official festivities. I only attended one panel, and that was the "What an author will do for a story" panel with Sean Chercover, A.C. (Andre) Frieden, Jamie Freveletti, and Sam Reaves. The panel was moderated by PR rep extraordinaire Dana Kaye. These authors have traveled all over the world in search of their stories.

Jamie Freveletti and Andre Frieden

Sean Chercover says his lack of focus ignited his travel and various forms of employment and that ultimately resulted in his stories. His big piece of advice for sparking ideas, though, was to indulge in a "shath." For those who are not familiar with a "shath" it is when you sit in the bath tub and run the shower over you...thus, a "shath."

Sean "argh, matey" Chercover and Sam Reaves

While Sam Reaves has a strong background in languages, which was helpful with interviews abroad, he says, you can't write a travel log. The research is interesting, but that alone doesn't make for a great crime novel.

Sam Reaves and Jamie Freveletti

My other adventures Thursday included interviewing Sophie Littlefield and Juliet Blackwell, which hopefully you watched on Thursday. I also picked up xuni.com's fearless leader, Maddee James from the airport, attended the St. Martin's cocktail reception - and was able to chat with Steve Ulfelder, who is absolutely wonderful - and had dinner with Brad Parks. I decided to forego the opening ceremonies at the Rock Hall. As I mentioned, this is my backyard, the Rock Hall wasn't a big sell for me.

Friday kicked off with the Mary Higgins Clark breakfast. It was geared toward librarians, but some reviewers and bloggers were invited as well. Mary Higgins Clark is a charming, humorous, vivacious lady. Whether you're a fan of her work or not, she was a super fun guest of honor for this breakfast.

Mary Higgins Clark

Criminal Element's fearless leader, Clare Toohey and Tracy Kiely

Following the breakfast was my first panel as moderator. It was the "Old Friends/New Friends" panel with Parnell Hall, Mary Jane Maffini, Jeff Cohen/E.J. Copperman, and Libby Fischer Hellmann. We had a full house and I thank everyone who came out. Several people stopped by to say "hi" and I want you to know that meant the world to me. So thank you!

We had a great conversation about series characters. I was fascinated by Jeff and Libby's differing views on writing characters of the opposite sex. Jeff has taken his experience with the women in his "real" life and build on those to create his female protagonist, while Libby learned early she thinks too much like a female to write a male protagonist.

Mary Jane Maffini is absolutely delightful and shared experiences with us about making friends as a librarian and bookseller as well as writing with one of her best friends, her daughter. Parnell Hall talked mostly about how his books don't sell, but he would be willing to play the role of the Puzzle Lady in a movie if the offer ever presented itself.

The panel I attended after mine was called "Eve of Destruction." The panelists were all interesting, spirited and fun, however, the moderator spoke for the first 22 minutes of the panel and pitched her sister's memoir coming out later. Epic Fail!

Sophie Littlefield and Tracy Kiely

When the panelists were given the floor, a discussion ensued about female characters. Sophie Littlefield pointed out that we're more accepting of relateable characters now - characters with foibles; characters who aren't perfect. And Rochelle Staab pointed out that she feels there's an expected vulnerability for female characters that doesn't exist for males.

Tracy Kiely and Rochelle Staab

This was my first experience hearing Deborah Coonts on a panel and now I'm determined to read one of her books! She had me laughing when she told a story about her male fans writing her to ask for less feminine book covers. They have to take the covers off the books so people don't make fun of them reading! Gotta love it!

Sorry, I wasn't able to get a great pic of Deborah Coonts because of the champagne bottle. Bummer!

Whew! Friday was my busy panel day. A lot of great people to see and listen to. The next panel was the Ex Libris panel (a.k.a. the xuni.com panel). I wasn't able to do any tweeting from this panel because it was a dead zone for my cell phone, which was a real bummer because it was such a fun panel: Jan Burke, Marcia Clark, Jim Conway and Carter Wilson and moderated by Maddee James. They are a blast, let me tell you. They were creating fake first sentences for books - both their own and others. The one thing we all definitely took away from this panel: they like to drink. I think every book covered included a first line about some alcoholic drink!

Jan Burke and Marcia Clark...Jan looks like she's up to something!

Two of the nicest people you could meet: Marcia Clark and Jim Conway

Marica, Jim and Carter....looks like that line was especially funny!

Debut author Carter Wilson

The other thing that was abundantly clear was that they are all extremely talented writers.

All the panelists hard at work on their first lines!

Not done with Friday yet! Are you still hanging with me?

I attended the "Morally Challenged Characters" panel next. This panel included Lou Berney, Elizabeth Hand, Seth Harwood, and Chris Holm. It was moderated by Ali Karim. Again, it's fascinating for me to hear about how writers approach their stories.

Ali Karim, Lou Berney, Elizabeth Hand and a sliver of Seth Harwood

Lou indicated that he prefers to have a jumble of characters without any set designated roles for them. However, he also pointed out that if you have an unlikeable protagonist, you need to make sure the antagonists are sufficiently unlikeable to still make the protag look better.

Elizabeth likes to push her character to the border of where she'll go and what she'll do. While Chris Holm likes to discover the line his character won't cross and then put him in a situation that gives him no choice but to have to cross it.

Sorry about the lack of photos on this panel. The room was HORRIBLE for taking pictures. There were big pillars directly in front of where I was sitting. I moved to take this photo, but had to go over to the right side to be able to get anything at all...Jen fail #2.

So that was my crazy Friday line-up of panels. I'll save my final two days for tomorrow's post because I want to make you aware of a giveaway I'm doing on the Facebook page if you haven't seen it already. I do giveaways over here regularly and have some new ones coming up, but this is a FB page exclusive this time.

I took a Jen's Book Thoughts tote bag to Bouchercon and collected signatures from many authors. The bag has signatures on both sides. Some of the authors who signed it include: Lee Child, John Connolly, Karin Slaughter, Kelli Stanley, Alafair Burke, Marcia Clark, Michael Koryta, Steve Ulfelder, Brad Parks, Sean Chercover...whew, you get the idea. I'll include a card for the lucky follower with the names of everyone who signed the bag. To be in the drawing for the bag, you just need to be following the Jen's Book Thoughts page by Sunday, October 21st. I'll do a drawing and pick a name to win the bag and goodies from Bouchercon.

Just as I do periodic giveaways here on the blog, I'm going to start doing periodic giveaways over on the Facebook page as well. This is just the kick off.

THE TRINITY GAME - Sean Chercover

**I reviewed THE TRINITY GAME for the Fresh Meat feature at the Criminal Element website. That review can be seen here. It is a focused review and my general review of the overall book is appearing here today.

First line: "The Deceiver had not yet arrived, but the multitudes preceded him, and Jackson Square was packed."

Daniel Byrne is a Vatican investigator. He investigates claims of miracles, and he's excellent at what he does because he desperately longs to witness an actual miracle--ever since he discovered the con game his uncle was pulling as an evangelist.

Tim Trinity graduated from traveling evangelist to televangelist in the years that he and Daniel have been estranged. He's at the height of his game and he begins speaking in tongues. Trinity is secretly terrified because he simply can't explain what is happening to him. Others are terrified as well when they learn he is making predictions. When his "tongues" are recorded and played backward, he's making predictions about the weather, sports, the lottery.

This of course doesn't sit well with the mob who run book in Las Vegas. And it doesn't sit well with the Vatican. They decide if anyone can figure out his trick, it will be Daniel. So Daniel finds himself full-circle...looking for his faith in the same place he lost it.

Sean Chercover is, of course, the author of the Ray Dudgeon P.I. series. THE TRINITY GAME veers quite a ways away from Dudgeon, but this new canvas allowed Chercover to show us what he's capable of and it's astounding.

To start off, the writing in this novel is stellar. While there are some areas that could probably have been edited down still, they're few and far between, and do nothing to slow the forward momentum of the plot. And when he creates imagery, the reader is entranced. THE TRINITY GAME spans the globe and the reader is taken on a very inexpensive world tour:

"The sky was a solid sheet of blue, the sun white-hot on his face. The air was thick and heavy and smelled of salt and mud. Aside from the soft murmur of moving water, there was no sound. No barking dogs, no chirping birds, no human voices, and no machinery of human civilization. Nothing. Most of the trees on the street were down, and those that stood were stripped of their leaves, naked limbs hanging down like broken arms. There were no power lines, and the poles stood at odd angles, like drunken sentries guarding the abandoned neighborhood. The entire street was a lake, and the muddy water flowed so quickly he thought he could see the level rising as he watched.

So much water."

The imagery isn't limited to geography. Chercover also pulls the reader into the characters with descriptions that oil the gears in the old noggin:

"Giuseppe wore the left sleeve of his jacket folded, the cuff pinned to the outside of the shoulder. This always struck Daniel as strange. Why not just have the sleeve cut and cuffed at the elbow? It was as if Giuseppe were holding out hope that the forearm might suddenly grow back and sprout a new hand. Then he could just let down the sleeve and get on with life."

When I read that paragraph, I had to go back over it several times. It was so vivid and I was transfixed. In a few short sentences I was developing not only a sense of Giuseppe but Daniel as well.  And the subtle hint of some humor working its way into the thought. That layering exists throughout every element of the book: character, plot, theme. THE TRINITY GAME is definitely a book to re-read in order to grasp all the nuances Chercover has tucked into the pages.

The use of religion can be a challenge, but Chercover handles it with ease. The over-arching theme is not one of religion but rather of faith and that distinction is what allows readers to connect completely with Daniel. Chercover also makes use of the Catholic Church to enhance the suspense of the novel, drawing out conflict within the Church itself. And we all know these days, the Church doesn't have any shortage of crime, so it's the perfect setting! But don't think Chercover saves the Catholic Church for his only target. From Protestants to VooDoo, Chercover doesn't discriminate.

There is never a shortage of suspense in THE TRINITY GAME. The whirlwind of obstacles and land mines that Daniel must overcome in this investigation are endless and realistically so. Simply imagine all of the entities that would be threatened and would be willing to fight to the death if someone could truly predict the future. Chercover imagined that and all those entities are out in full force to stop Daniel and Tim Trinity.

Another fascinating element that Chercover presents to the reader is the counter point to Daniel's search for faith, the mob mentality and the desperate need of humans to explain what they don't understand, even when it comes at a great expense:

"...if a kind of a mass self-hypnosis called Religion helps us cope with our fear, fine, but we have to look at the unintended consequences of embracing an irrational philosophy. We don't have to look far. Ground Zero in Manhattan will do. Or the Gaza Strip, if you got some air miles burning a hole in your pocket. While you're over there, make a stop in Africa, where the pope is preaching to a country ravaged by tribal war, overpopulation, chronic food shortage and AIDS. The pope tells them to stop using condoms, or the all-powerful and all-loving God will cast their souls into the fiery furnace of eternal damnation."

Obviously THE TRINITY GAME does not lack intensity. It's a thought-provoking, action-packed, multi-layered, symbolic extravaganza. The icing on the cake is definitely Chercover's wit. It sneaks in throughout the novel in sarcastic dialogue quips and colorful idioms:

"But to Daniel, you cross that line and now you're cutting God's grass."

I'm thrilled to know we haven't seen the last of Daniel Byrne. We may have had a short hiatus from Sean Chercover's publications, but he's returned in full force and THE TRINITY GAME is a masterpiece.

THE TRINITY GAME is available from Thomas & Mercer in both hardcover (ISBN: 978-1612183503) and trade paper (ISBN: 978-1612183183). It is also available as an unabridged audio (ISBN: 978-1469241685) from Brilliance Audio, narrated by Luke Daniels.

Five on Friday - Sean Chercover

Happy Friday everyone! Do you have great plans for the weekend? I hope you have great books. I know I do.

Before we get to what's become the highlight of my blogging week, I wanted to do some reminders and housekeeping stuff:

Today's the last day to enter for a chance to win one of two copies of Karin Slaughter's CRIMINAL on audiobook.

Don't forget to tell me what your favorite debut is for a chance to win John Verdon's LET THE DEVIL SLEEP.

Over at Criminal Element, there's still time to enter to win Simon Toyne's two novels: Sanctus and The Key.

And at Lesa Holstine's blog this week, you can enter to win a copy of Francine Mathew's JACK 1939, which I highly recommend and will be talking more about next week. Another great book in Lesa's giveaway this week is Rebecca Cantrell's A CITY OF BROKEN GLASS. More on that one here soon as well.

If you're in the Cleveland area, I hope that you'll join me on August 7th for Michael Koryta's event at Rocky River Public Library for his new book THE PROPHET. And if you're in the Chicago area on August 7th, my guest today will be hosting an event at the Hidden Shamrock for his new book, THE TRINITY GAME. Please go have a drink with him for me. Wish I could be in two places at once! Oh and you'll get a bonus treat...Marcus Sakey will be interviewing Sean. Could someone video tape this for me?

Speaking of Criminal Element. I wrote my first "Fresh Meat" review for the site and it just so happens that I reviewed Sean Chercover's latest magnificent work THE TRINITY GAME. I hope you'll pop over and see what I blathered on about there. I'll have a whole book review here next week, but that review highlights some key components of what makes the book so great.

And that's all for the end of the week round-up. Now the fun stuff! I am literally over the moon to have Sean Chercover's name showing up in pre-publication news again. It's been a little while since we had a new book from him and I can assure you, it was well worth the wait.  Besides being a talented writer, he's also an extremely generous person; he's witty and kind and I'm honored to know him. It is my distinct pleasure to share his Five on Friday with you all today. Here he is:

 Q: My favorite place to read is... 
A: ...sitting in my favorite chair (see attached photo). The chair used to live at the cottage of a good friend of ours, until she gave it to us as a wedding gift. Agent 99 and I got married at that cottage, and the chair is very special to us. Also, it's incredibly comfortable.

Q: My favorite brand of athletic shoe is... 
A: ...Merrell Barefoot. Barefoot style shoes force you to run the way the human body was designed to run. I had two surgeries on my right knee when I was 19 and 20 years old, and never thought I'd run again. Now I can run without knee pain or shin splints, and life is good. Thanks, Merrell Barefoot!

 Q: The most famous person I ever met was...
A: I used to work in the television industry, so I've met a lot of famous people. I guess the most famous was Bob Dylan. Hate to admit it, but I was pretty star-struck and had a total fanboy moment when we met.

Q: If I had to be stranded on a desert island with only one other person, it would be...
A: Tough one. My first impulse is to say, "...it would be Agent 99, because I love her." But there's the rub. I love her, so I wouldn't want her stranded on a desert island, and I also wouldn't want to deprive The Mouse of his mother. So I guess it would have to be someone I like a lot, but not so much that I'd mind condemning that person to being stranded on a desert island with me. Is this line of reasoning making any sense to you? Well, in my head it does. Like I said, tough one...

Q: The #1 item on my bucket list right now is...
A: I don't have a bucket list, so I guess #1 would be: Make a bucket list.

Now add in Marcus Sakey and I know you all want to go to Chicago to hear that interview! If you can't do Chicago, you may want to check out his schedule as he'll be in various places around the country for his book tour - and in Cleveland for Bouchercon in October. I'm sure he'd love to see you! Many thanks to Sean for taking time out before the big pub date to have fun with us.

Happy Reading, All!

A Slew of Wonderful Events

As most of you who read the blog regularly know, I kinda like author events. Oh, alright, alright! I have a bit of an addiction. I admit it. :-)

One of the goals I set for myself was to average one event a month this year - I'm ahead of schedule for this year. Not only do I find them fun and informative, I also find that they add to my reading experience after. On a very rare occasion one has turned me off of an author, but the good experiences far outweigh the bad. I also like to support the authors I read and admire; attending their events is a great way to do that.

Well, June was a busy month for events and I have lots of fun to share with you from those events, starting with Chicago's Printers Row event that was held the first weekend in June.

This was my second year attending Printers Row and I really enjoy the event. Seems to rain at least a little every time, but that's o.k. I was none too happy when they outlawed the taking of pictures during the sessions, but I found a way to get a few pictures anyway.

First, I had the chance to meet Lesley Kagen after her wonderful panel. She is so passionate about writing and that comes through in everything she says. Lesley is one of our xuni authors, which is how I found out about her. Listening to her read from her book resulted in me being very excited to hear she will be reading her own audiobooks. I don't usually get excited about an author reading his/her own audiobooks, but I have a feeling Lesley is going to be the best choice for these!

Later that day, Judy Bobalik and I attended a conversation with Sean Chercover and Marcus Sakey. How much fun! First, I know many of you will be excited to hear that Sean has finished his third book and we'll be hearing more about publication of that soon. But the basis of the story is a revivalist, con-man preacher who begins to spew predictions that are coming true. The root of the idea came to Sean in 1996 when he was having to take numerous pain killers and was also drinking whiskey. - See, you always wondered where authors get their ideas. Now you know!

Marcus also revealed where the seed for THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES came from.  Sean had actually shared a story about Satchel Paige who didn't know his age but was asked at one point by a reporter, so his response was, "How old would ya be if ya didn't know how old ya was?" That question led Marcus to the question, "WHO would ya be if ya didn't know who ya was?"

There was a fun early-release party for Marcus' THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES afterward. I was really excited to be able to celebrate the release of this book with him.

The next day at Printers Row, Judy and I attended a panel with Andrew Gross, Kevin Guilfoile, Keir Graff and Jamie Freveletti.

Andrew talked about his upcoming novel EYES WIDE OPEN. He explained that he typically works around ideas that come from news headlines, but this book deals with two events a bit more personal to him. The first being the death of his nephew from suicide and the other being the time he met Charles Manson when he was 12. The revelation of this meeting elicited quite a startled response from Jamie who was moderating the panel.

The week after Printers Row was just as busy. It started with Craig Johnson's event in Oakmont at Mystery Lovers Bookshop on Tuesday. There was a full house for Craig, which is fitting because he's so entertaining and fun!

Craig spoke about the fact that he does indeed plan story elements well in advance of the actual book he's working on. When he created Virgil in ANOTHER MAN'S MOCCASINS he had intentions of using him with another storyline later (a.k.a. HELL IS EMPTY).

HELL IS EMPTY was challenging for Craig to write in that he was relaying on another book's structure to put his own together, since HELL IS EMPTY ties in allegorically with DANTE'S INFERNO.

Craig also addressed the pilot of LONGMIRE and how much involvement he had in the process. When he saw the auditions for the role of Henry, Lou Diamond Phillips was the only actor who didn't instinctively create contractions out of Henry's speech.

Craig charmed the audience and it was a wonderful evening!

The following night was Michael Koryta's event. Luckily that one was in Westlake, about 20 minutes from my house. And this was an event that was originally scheduled for the CYPRESS HOUSE release but had to be canceled twice because of weather. The weather was cooperative this time around and all went as planned.

Michael shared a few fun tidbits about THE RIDGE, including the fact that his mother use to take Michael and his sister to see lighthouses whenever they traveled. According to Michael, she dragged them to every lighthouse she possibly could. So having the lighthouse in THE RIDGE was a bit of payback to Mom for those excursions.

Michael also gave some advice to anyone visiting a feline rescue like the one in the book. "Don't wear perfume." Micael's publicist wanted to visit the rescue facility that influenced the writing of THE RIDGE, and when she did she wore nice clothes and perfume, which attracted the cats to...well...mark her. Once one cat had left its mark, many more decided they needed to as well. YIKES!

The next book Michael's working on is going back to traditional crime fiction. It may be out as early as 2012 or may be later into 2013.

I had a short break after Michael's event, which gave me time to take my dogs to the vet for their overdue vaccinations and celebrate my mom's birthday and Father's Day. The family was appreciative of that.

This past week brought Karin Slaughter to the Cleveland area. Aside from the nasty woman who sat next me, this was a tremendous event. Karin Slaughter is fun, humorous and energetic. You can see how much she loves what she does. I think that's one of the most amazing things to experience. She takes nothing for granted and is appreciative of every fan and every circumstance that got her to where she is.

This event was held at the North Olmsted library, which is part of the Cuyahoga County library system. Many of you are probably familiar with the work Karin has done on behalf of libraries; many of her events for this tour are taking place in libraries, and I was thrilled that one of those libraries was near me.

Karin talked about the role libraries played in her childhood and her road to publication. She acknowledged the role her father played. His hard work provided her with a life that allowed her to go to the library and read books instead of having to work to support their family. He also taught her how to do more than "be pretty."

I think anyone who has ever had a chance to listen to Karin Slaughter speak knows without any doubt that she is a born story-teller. Her abilities go beyond the written word to the spoken word as well. She's absolutely amazing and I encourage you to see her if you have the chance. I assure you, she's worth going out of your way, driving a longer distance than usual, whatever. It is a fabulous experience.

So that's been my June of author/book events. Who have you all seen recently that you really enjoyed? Did they do anything special or unique that made the experience extra special? I really encourage all of you to check out an author event at a local bookstore or library. Show some support to those folks who provide you with hours and hours of entertainment.

Now for a little down time when I can catch up on the reviews of books I've been reading, plot some fun project ideas, and update this darned blog. Have you been wondering when in the heck I'm going to get on the ball? Holy cow I need to update. Thanks for being patient with me and for coming back to visit regularly.

Happy reading everyone!