Fool Me Once - Steve Hockensmith with Lisa Falco

My review of Steve Hockensmith's Fool Me Once first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am posting it today with their permission. And if you're interested in my take on the first book in this series, you can check that review out here. Plus, if you missed it, I chatted with Steve last year about this series. The interview is here. Hope you enjoy!

First line: "Anyone who says 'I'm going to kill you,' Biddle use to tell me, isn't going to kill you."

"I'd been so sure I could take over the White Magic Five & Dime and just flip its karma like a pancake. Turn wrongs into rights, help instead of hurt, make amends for all my mother's crimes."  Alanis McLachlan, introduced by Steve Hockensmith and Lisa Falco in The White Magic Five & Dime, is discovering that atoning for her deceased con-woman mother is harder than she first imagined.

In the second book of the Tarot Mystery series Alanis tries to help Marsha, one of her mother's most gullible targets, leave an abusive marriage. But the amateur tarot reader's efforts result in Marsha looking like the prime suspect when her husband winds up murdered. As Alanis endeavors to clear Marsha, she inadvertently steps into the crosshairs of a deadly conspiracy.

Lisa Falco's tarot savvy combined with Steve Hockensmith's cunning wit make this series a delightful escape from life's austere demands. Each chapter begins with a comical interpretation of a single tarot card (accompanied by an illustration), reflecting insight into the card's spiritual meaning as well as cynicism for the occult.

The novel's mystery itself is an enjoyable diversion, but readers wanting to delve further into the plot's layers will find symbolism in the tarot's minor arcana--wands--featured in this installment of the series. And the complexities of the characters and their relationships help to make this story more than a simple who-done-it.

Smart, humorous and refreshingly offbeat, Fool Me Once is a must-read mystery for believers and non-believers alike.

Fool Me Once is available in trade paperback from Midnight Ink (9780738742236).

  

 

Chit-chatting with Steve Hockensmith

O.k. this interview is mega overdue. Steve was so prompt about getting it back to me and I've just run into one delay after another. But I'm determined not to leave my computer tonight until it is all ready for you guys to enjoy.

Regular readers know that Steve Hockensmith is the author of the Holmes on the Range mystery series. I've reviewed many of Steve's books in this series as well as some of his short story collections. All of his work is smart, funny and enjoyable. Since the Amlingmeyer Brothers had their last hoorah with Minotaur books in The World's Greatest Sleuth, Steve's been up to some other fun writing. He wrote a couple of Jane Austen zombie stories (Dawn of the Dreadfuls and Dreadfully Ever After)--and landed on the New York Times bestseller list, wrote a handful of kids books (the Nick & Tesla series)--the fourth of which comes out October 7th, and now he's dipping into the tarot world with the Tarot Mystery series.

Awhile back I reviewed (and loved) Steve's first book in the Tarot Mystery series, The White Magic Five and Dime. The whole concept of the tarot cards was fascinating to me, and especially the view the book takes. So, I had to ask questions. I think it's in my DNA.

Q. Why tarot? What initiated the idea to integrate it into your new series?

Steve: White Magic Five & Dime has travelled a long and very winding road. Seven or eight years ago, my friend Lisa Falco – who’s a very talented amateur tarot reader – told me about an idea she had for a book. It would be about a professional tarot reader and her relationships with her clients and how the cards affect their lives. I immediately said, “Make it a mystery and you’ve got yourself a cozy series!” A few years later, Jason Rekulak, the publisher of Quirk Books, asked me if I had any ideas I wanted to pitch him. I always have lots of ideas, so I pulled together a list for him. I think I had nine originally, and being a guy who likes nice round numbers I thought 10 would be even better. So I went to Lisa and said, “Do you ever think you’d do anything with that tarot idea? Because if not, maybe we could do it together.” Lisa said sure, I threw the idea on the list and of course that was the one Jason liked best. Once Jason and I started kicking the premise around, it gained a lot of new flavor – that’s how the back story about con artists got pulled in – and the book took on a slightly grittier, less-cozy vibe. Quirk is really strong on design and packaging, so it was clear that the cards themselves would be integrated into the look of the book somehow. Everyone was super-excited about the concept. Then…well, “creative differences,” as they say. Jason and I reached an impasse. After a lot of back and forth, we accepted that we couldn’t get around it, and Quirk cancelled the contract. Which left me and Lisa with a high-concept, design-heavy, cozy-ish but not really cozy, occult-ish but not really occult mystery. Tough sell. I kind of drifted around with the project for a while, and at one point I was even thinking of self-publishing it. But then Terri Bischoff at Midnight Ink rode to the rescue, and this summer the book was finally published looking and feeling exactly like what I’d envisioned.

(My aside: what Steve comments on here--"high-concept, design-heavy, cozy-ish but not really cozy, occult-ish but not really occult mystery"--is part of what made it so appealing to me. It may not be easily packaged and labeled, but it's different. It's not the same old-same old. And for me, as a read, that's fun!)

Q. Have you had a tarot reading done yourself?
Steve: Back in the day (meaning “when I was young” – sigh), I would go to tarot readers from time to time as a gag. It was a fun thing to do in New Orleans, which I used to visit a lot. The readers were usually flamboyant people who said ridiculous things with the utmost sincerity, which can be a pretty entertaining combination. I only did one reading in Chicago, where I lived at the time, but it was an eye-opening experience. Some friends and I went into this dinky, dark little fortune-telling place on Belmont Avenue, and the vibe was totally different than what I’d experienced in New Orleans. The woman who ran the place was just obviously, unabashedly evil. One by one, she took us to the back room and gave us each the same reading. Your girlfriend’s not to be trusted. You’re going to have money problems. You need to come back and let me guide you through the dark times ahead. Oh – and don’t tell your friends what I said. This is just between you and me. So for a long time, it’s safe to say, I didn’t have the highest opinion of tarot reading. But Lisa changed that. She’s the furthest thing you could get from a flighty or manipulative person. She’s very down to earth, very genuine, very intelligent. I’d known her for years before I had any idea she did tarot readings. Because she is who she is, when she first offered to read for me I said yes with an open mind. And thanks to that – and Lisa – I’ve developed a new respect for the tarot. Or its potential in the right hands, anyway. I’m a skeptical, scientifically minded person by nature, but ...well, there’s something there.

Q. Each chapter opens with an excerpt from the fictional Infinite Roads to Knowing. There’s a combination of humor and wisdom in those sections. Do they reflect your own beliefs about tarot?
Steve: Absolutely. In those parts of the book you see the collision that’s happening not just in the story but in my mind: spiritualism and cynicism smashing into each other.

Here's an example of the opening of a chapter. The Magician card opens the second chapter:

It reads:

"'He's called the Magician,' you say, 'but what the heck is he doing? Where's the rabbit coming out of the hat? Where's the MAGIC?' Hey, just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there. Are powers surrounding you right now, influencing and perhaps even controlling you, that YOU can't see? Well, duh."

Q. What’s the most fascinating thing you learned about tarot in the process of writing the book?
Steve: The most fascinating and surprising thing I learned is that tarot cards actually aren’t that old. They’ve only been used for fortune telling for something like 300 years. Certain folks seem to assume (or like to pretend) that the cards are tied into some kind of ancient mystical tradition, but that’s not the case. The cards have been used to play pinochle longer than they’ve been used for divination.

Q.  You are also writing a female protagonist in this series. Have you had to make adjustments for that or do you feel it’s no different from writing male characters?
Steve: This was a big part of my disagreement with Jason, actually. He thought that the first-person narration in the book didn’t feel female enough. It was too sardonic and jokey. To him, it just sounded like a variation on me. Which was fair, because it is a variation on me. A female variation. I know that there are world-weary, wise-cracking women out there, because I’ve met a bunch and they’ve been some of my favorite people in the world. When I was trying to find another publisher for the book, I was told more than once that the narrator wasn’t likable enough. But to be honest, whenever someone said “likable,” in my head I heard “bland.” Alanis is an edgy broad. Hurrah for edgy broads!

(Again, my aside: of course I'm not a professional acquiring editor, but I completely disagreed with the notion that Alanis wasn't likable enough. I adored Alanis, felt she was a fresh face in mystery. I also thought she was very authentic. Had she been different, she would have been a harder sell for me. Maybe not impossible, but as I learned her back story, I couldn't imagine her being anything else.)

Q. You have a co-writer for this series—Lisa Falco—and you’re also co-writing a middle grade series with Bob Pflugfelder. How do the two experiences compare?
Steve: On the surface, the collaborations seem similar. In both cases, my partner provides the expertise – on tarot reading in Lisa’s case and on building homemade gadgets in Science Bob’s case – while I’ve done all the writing. But the process for the two series is actually quite different because the projects Science Bob comes up with determine the flow of the plot while the tarot readings Lisa supplies don’t. There’s a ton of back and forth with Science Bob (and our editor, Rick Chillot) while I’m trying to map out a new Nick and Tesla book. It can be an immensely frustrating process because it’s so hard to identify strong gadget ideas that can be woven gracefully (or even not-so-gracefully) into a storyline. With The White Magic Five & Dime, I just outlined a mystery (which is challenging enough already), then told Lisa about the readings in the book and what I needed them to reflect. Easy! There’s been an interesting shift, however, in that Lisa’s taken over more of the writing on the second tarot novel and she’s going to do even more on the third. I’ll have to watch out, because if I let that trend continue I’m going to make myself redundant!

Q. And building on that question, how does writing with someone else compare to writing solo?
Steve: It’s funny. I’m suddenly doing all these tag-team series – there’s yet another that’s being pitched at the moment that might or might not see the light of day – but in the past I always swore I wouldn’t do a collaboration. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it. And to be completely honest, it doesn’t always make things easier. But it has made some really fun projects possible, so I’m happy to stick with it for now. A part of me is really itching to do something solo again, though….

Q. Shifting gears a bit here to your middle grade books, Nick and Tesla, how has the experience been writing for kids?
Steve: Great! Once we get beyond planning the books and I can simply write them, they’re a blast. I’m really lucky, because the series simply fell into my lap one day. A few months after Quirk cancelled the contract for The White Magic Five & Dime, Jason Rekulak came back to me and said, “We’ve got an idea for a series of kids’ books, and I think you’d be the perfect writer for it.” Which was one of the nicest, most gracious things anyone’s ever done for me in this crazy biz. I’d taken a few stabs at writing middle-grade novels before that, but the results hadn’t been very satisfying. Once I started writing Nick and Tesla, though, it was just easy breezy cream-cheesy all the way.

Q. And whereto from here? More Alanis, correct?
Steve: Indeedy! The sequel to The White Magic Five & Dime, Fool Me Once, should be out next summer. Then there’ll be a third book a year after that. I’m also wrapping up a fifth Nick and Tesla book, and there might be more. Plus there’s that other project in development – it’s another series for kids – and I’m also anxious to write a sixth Holmes on the Range novel (which I’ll probably self publish) and I want to play around with some short stories, too. I’ve never been so busy. I keep trying to squeeze in a nervous breakdown, but I just don’t have the time anymore.

Many thanks to Steve for taking time to answer my questions and quell my curiosity. I know he's super busy these days, so his time is at a premium. I hope you've enjoyed today's chat and if you haven't read Steve's work yet, make haste. You have plenty to choose from and they're all superb.

Oh and a quick reminder, this is Banned Books Week. Show your support and speak out against banning and challenging books.

Happy reading, my friends!

**Steve's author photo taken by Cecily Hunt

The White Magic Five and Dime - Steve Hockensmith & Lisa Falco

First line: "The phone rang, and I answered it."

Alanis McLachlan is not at all surprised to get a phone call saying her con-artist mother has been murdered. She is, however, surprised to find out her mother bequeathed her an inheritance. So she packs up and heads west to Berdache, Arizona, where she finds her mother's shop, The White Magic Five and Dime, as well as her mother's very-much-living young tenant/side-kick, Clarice.

Keeping in true form, Alanis' mother (now known as Athena) had set up a regular gig in Berdache, conning people through tarot card readings. 

Alanis feels she owes her mother a very old debt and to pay it, she's determined to find out who killed her. As she digs into the evidence, she learns a bit about tarot, finds a slew of people with potential motives, and spends more than her fair share of time with the handsome detective of the Berdache Police Department. However, Alanis also discovers more than she bargained for. She may be out of her league, but it's all in the cards...

I was so excited to get my paws on this book. Many of you who have been reading here for awhile know I am a fan of Steve Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range series and was very disappointed to hear that it was dropped by the publisher. So news of a new adult series was welcome music to my ears. Even better, The White Magic Five and Dime didn't disappoint my high anticipation!

The book is a lighter side of the mystery genre and is probably classified within the cozy realm. However, if you're averse to profanity, you may want to steer clear. While it's not inundated with swearing, Hockensmith also doesn't shy away from it.

What else does he not shy away from? Smart humor. Absolutely one of the things I love most about his writing is the humor and this kick-off to a new series is steeped in it. The beginning of each chapter has a card from the tarot deck with a quote from "Miss Chance, Infinite Roads to Knowing." This is a book Alanis is supposed to be reading to better understand the tarot. The quotes about the cards are cheeky but simultaneously insightful--about life and the coming chapter:

"Strength card: Is the woman closing the lion's mouth, opening it, or giving the lion a handful of tuna Pounce? You decide. What's important is that even the King of the Jungle is just a big pussycat if you approach him without fear. WARNING: This applies to metaphorical lions only. The author of this book is not responsible for attempts to give real live lions handfuls of tuna Pounce. --Miss Chance, Infinite Roads to Knowing"

This approach to the tarot best sums up the whole book. There's an element of mockery but also an openness, a willingness to learn. And the complexity of this novel adds to the fun. The various levels of meaning in the story's events challenge the reader to see beyond a simple whodunit. Even the protagonist's name is steeped in potential meaning. 

Great humor and complex plots are super, but if the characters fall flat, it's hard to compensate. The White Magic Five and Dime doesn't need to worry about that, though. The characters are dynamic, fun, empathetic and even unpredictable. Hockensmith throws some impressive curve balls into the mix that are character development more so than plot twist, and that engages the reader with the characters, creating strong connections and investment. The minor characters, like a withered old man from the retirement home, enrich the story with color and heart. I found myself hoping they would make regular returns in future series installments.

There's no doubt about it, I'm thrilled to have more Steve Hockensmith--and Lisa Falco--to look forward to. The town of Berdache will never be the same. I'm still disappointed that the Amlingmeyer Brothers have been given a hiatus, but I'm excited to welcome Alanis McLachlan onto my bookshelf!

The White Magic Five and Dime is available in trade paperback (ISBN: 978-0738740225) from Midnight Ink.

Dear Mr. Holmes - Steve Hockensmith

First line: "It all began with a short story."

A short while back, Steve Hockensmith made his various Amlingmeyer Brothers short stories available in a collection called Dear Mr. Holmes. It includes seven different stories featuring the crime-solving cowboys--most originally published in Ellery Queen Magazine.

More recently the collection was recorded for audiobook, narrated by Barry Campbell. I had the enjoyable pleasure of listening to the collection. Whether you're a long-time Amlingmeyer fan looking for a Big Red fix or a relative new-comer looking to discover this fun series, Dear Mr. Holmes is just what you're looking for.

Starting off with the story that shares its name with the collection, "Dear Mr. Holmes," Hockensmith takes readers from pre-Holmes on the Range series into the publication of the novels. If you're unfamiliar with the novels, you'll have the chance to start off knowing how they came about and see the timeline of events. If you're a long-time series fan, reading the stories for the first time, they will conjure up memories of the wild and wacky adventures of the wanna-be investigators. The stories, each written in letter format, produce connecting threads that carry the Amlingmeyer Brothers from one full-length novel to the next.

Each of the stories employs the features that make the novels so much fun: keen situational humor, puzzles fit for a Holmes and characters (white hat or black) that splash color across the pages...or the sound waves as the case may be. For his part, Barry Campbell exhibits an obvious grasp of Hockensmith's characters. While a different sound from William Dufris, who narrates the novels, Campbell manages to epitomize the time period, the locale AND the distinctive voices of each role. Hockensmith's dialogue is peppered with dialect to help enhance the atmosphere. Unfortunately that can sometimes be portrayed in an almost comic style that gives the perception of ignorance. Campbell, however, avoids the over-exaggeration allowing the intelligence of both Big Red and Old Red to come through. They are intelligent in different ways, but both smart cookies. Campbell also drives home the sharp wit of each piece, one of my favorite elements of Hockensmith's work.

A true strength of the Amlingmeyer novels and stories is Hockensmith's knowledge of Sherlock Holmes. Instead of merely mimicking the style of the Holmes novels, Hockensmith weaves them into the background of his work and his attention to the fine details is always impressive.

This audiobook short story collection is a great choice for someone contemplating listening to audios. Starting with shorter plots can help to acquaint newbee listeners to the process of enjoying a narrated story.

I laughed often and much and thoroughly enjoyed my visit with two of my favorite cowboys. Dear Mr. Holmes is a pleasurable trip down the Amlingmeyer memory lane or a rousing introduction to the Old West's answer to Sherlock Holmes!

Dear Mr Holmes is available on audio through Audible. The ebook is available through Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Amazon--pick your format.

Five on Friday: Steve Hockensmith

Happy Friday all! I've had a crazy busy week and I'm looking forward to the weekend (except for mowing the lawn, anyone have a teen I could borrow?). Hope you are too.

I was fascinated by this infographic this week that shows what "species" of reader you are. I guess I ultimately fit best in the "It's Complicated" species, but I fit the characteristics of "The Hoarder" and "The Underliner and Scribbler" in the Compulsive Family. "The Audiobook Listener" in the Situational Family, "The (sometimes way too dogmatic) Evangelist" in the Social Family, and "The All-the-Timer" in the Free Range Family. Where do you fit?

This week's contest round-up:

Criminal Element has a chance for you to win David Rosenfelt's UNLEASHED as well as his DOGTRIPPING.

Lesa has a funny contest this week...humorous funny that is. Deborah Coonts and Lisa Lutz are up for grabs in that contest. Ooooooorrrrr, rather their books are up for grabs. I don't think either woman would appreciate Lesa giving her away. ;-)

Friday Reads and Crimespree Magazine are giving away a slew of books by Mark Billingham.

And finally, the James Lee Burke Facebook page has a hot, hot giveaway. Win his latest, LIGHT OF THE WORLD, plus the audiobook version!

O.k. now on to the fun stuff! I'm excited to welcome Steve Hockensmith today for Five on Friday. You regulars know how much I've enjoyed his Holmes on the Range series. I was sad to see it end...or at least take a temporary hiatus. I'm still hoping for their return. And they did return in a way for me this summer. I listened to the Dear Mr. Holmes collection on audio...more about that to come soon!

Anyway, Steve will also have a new series coming out this fall for middle graders. It's mystery combined with science and I'm so psyched to check this out for my nephew! The first book is called Nick and Tesla's High Voltage Danger Lab!

Steve still holds the distinction of writing the BEST book inscription ever to me. It's really going to be difficult to top! Hmmmm, maybe we need to have a post about book inscriptions...sorry, ADD kicking in...back on track.

Please help me welcome a most wonderful writer and person, Mr. Steve Hockensmith!

They match!

If I could tell my 16-year-old self one piece of advice, knowing what I know now, it would be: Learn about computers. No, wait! Invest in Apple. No, wait! Don’t date [NAME WITHHELD] your sophomore year of college. No, wait! Don’t date anyone in college at all except [NAME WITHHELD] (but don’t dump her so callously) and [NAME WITHHELD] (but stay classy when she dumps you). No, wait! In 20 years when you’re talking to that screener guy from The Late Show with Craig Ferguson and he asks you about the time you weren’t allowed to look David Duchovny in the eye, don’t clam up and ruin your chance to....

You know what? I should just leave the poor kid alone. He’s going to make a lot more mistakes than I could fix with one little piece of advice.

A skill I’ve always wanted to have, but don’t is: Musicianship. If I had the slightest bit of musical talent, instead of being a writer I’d probably be the bass player in a Steely Dan tribute band. (I said “If I only had the slightest bit of musical talent,” remember. If I had a lot of musical talent, I’d have gone solo by now.)

My idea of the perfect ice cream sundae includes: Filet mignon, a side of pommes frites, a glass of cabernet, and a six-figure publishing contract. (I’m not really into ice cream.)

The most daring thing I ever tried (to date) was: Being a musician. It was daring because (A) it’s always a risk to try doing something creative and (B) I had absolutely no talent (see above). The second most daring thing I ever tried was being a writer. Fortunately, that time the risk paid off.

The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: Survive. Which is kind of a funny thing to have on your “To Do Before I Die” list. But it’s my number-one priority right now, and anything else would seem sort of frivolous. I’ve got kids to raise, bills to pay, deadlines to meet, and a dog to walk. I’m going to run off and bungee jump from a helicopter over the Grand Canyon or have a glass of wine on the Champs-Élysées? No way. There’ll be time for all that when I’m dead.

You know quite a few people in this series have mentioned wanting some sort of musical skill. I wonder if we went and asked a bunch of musicians what skill they'd like if their responses would be writing or storytelling skills? I don't know about this not into ice cream business, though, Steve. How is that possible? Just kidding of course!

I'm off to mow the lawn. You all have a great weekend and happy reading!

The Year-End Meme

I completed this meme last year and wanted to kick off my year-end lists with it again this year. It may foreshadow the lists that will be coming throughout the next week or so but I think there will still be quite a few surprises for you to uncover in those lists.

1. Best Book of 2011 – Last year I had a tie in this one and while there are a lot of great, great books I read this year, one does stand out above the rest for me and that’s THE RIDGE. Michael Koryta has been a wonderful writer since his debut with TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE, but THE RIDGE takes him to a whole new level of greatness.

2. Worst Book of 2011 – This year was a great, great year for reading but I also had quite a few books that I didn't review because they just hit all the wrong chords with me. And this year I believe I had more books that I simply didn't finish than ever before. It's hard for me to pick one that stands out, but these four were no-gos for me: THE WEIGHT (Andrew Vachss), LOVE ME TO DEATH (Allison Brennan), THIEVES GET RICH, SAINTS GET SHOT (Jodi Compton) and TABLOID CITY (Pete Hamill).

3. Most Disappointing Book of 2011 – DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X. I know a lot of people liked this and I was looking forward to it, but it just fell flat for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters and I'm actually surprised I finished the book at all.

4. Most surprising (in a good way) book of 2011 – I'm going to go with HOUSE DIVIDED by Mike Lawson here. I wasn't expecting it to be bad. I had no idea what to expect, so when it was so wonderful, I was very pleasantly surprised.

5. Book you recommended to people most in 2011 – I recommended YOU’RE NEXT, THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES and SATORI endlessly this year, so I’m not sure which of those was the most often.

6. Best series you discovered in 2011 – Phillip Brennan/Marina Esposito series from Tania Carver and the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alystyne series from Julia Spencer-Fleming.

7. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011 – Martyn Waites, Louis Bayard, Lesley Kagen, Will Lavender, Mike Lawson, Daniel Palmer, Todd Ritter, Ace Atkins - I read 50 new authors this year and it's wonderful that so many were this spectacular, but my must-read list is growing out of control!

8. Most hilarious read of 2011 – This category's a little more difficult for me because I don't read books that would be categorized as "comedy" but at the same time, one of the qualities I love about my favorite books are the humor that weaves its way in. But I think the book I enjoyed the most and that packed the most humor would be THE WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! (Steve Hockensmith).

9. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011 –YOU’RE NEXT. This book is just WOW on every level imaginable. Even though I despise the word “unputdownable” I had a terrible time parting with YOU’RE NEXT and it was one of my very few single sitting reads this year.

10. Book you most anticipated in 2011 – This would be a toss up between LONG GONE, because I always anticipate a new Alafair Burke book, THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES because there was a bit of a lull between Marcus’ publications and A HARD DEATH because I've been waiting several years for the U.S. folks to publish Jonathan Hayes' second novel. Yay!

11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011 – I think I have to give this nod to THE RIDGE. All the jackets that Michael Koryta has had with Little, Brown have been wonderful, but this was my favorite. And I love the texture of it as well as the look of it.

12. Most memorable character in 2011 – I have to go back to Daniel in Robert Crais' THE SENTRY for this one. He is by far my favorite antagonist ever. I sure would like to see him come back maybe in a book of his own.

13. Most beautifully written book in 2011 – This one is so hard this year. SATORI was just incredibly written, CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER amazing, THE RIDGE left me breathless, THE HANGING TREE was stunning, A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE - I seriously think Roger can only write beautifully, it would be a challenge for him to write mediocre, and finally YOU'RE NEXT - I can't imagine not being struck to your soul by Gregg's amazing book.

14. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011 – This is definitely a tight race between THE RIDGE and YOU'RE NEXT. They impacted me in different ways but both tremendously so. These will both be books I'm recommending for years and years to come.

15. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2011 to finally read? – this one is easy for me again. THE ALIENIST. How far behind can I possibly be?

Audiobook Thursday - ON THE WRONG TRACK

First line: "Few things dampen a man's appreciation for natural splendor more quickly than the sound of another man retching."

Otto and Gustav have hung up their saddles to take an undercover job on the railroad in ON THE WRONG TRACK. Their job is to protect the train from a band of outlaws that have been targeting the Pacific Express, but on their trek to San Francisco, there's more to worry about than outlaws.

ON THE WRONG TRACK is the second book in Steve Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range mystery series. The deliciously colorful characters, smart who-dunnit plots and priceless dialogue makes this a series I enjoy coming back to.

Hockensmith does a commendable job weaving Sherlock Holmes into the tales both literally and metaphorically. The plots are also created in the style of Holmes, presenting all the clues to the reader in a fair mystery. The reader has as much of a chance at solving the crime as Hockensmith's protagonists.

And speaking of protagonists, The Amlingmeyer Brothers are not only engaging characters, but the relationship between the two is worth the price of admission. I think having two sisters makes me more acutely aware of the small nuances that work to make the Amlingmeyer relationship so realistic. The differences in personalities combined with a familiar allegiance makes for seemingly contradictory behavior on the part of the brothers. But anyone with a sibling will recognize the authenticity.

"Our tickets were waiting for us under 'Dissimulo' like Colonel Crowe said, though the clerk behind the counter gave me the evil eye when I had trouble pronouncing what was supposedly my own last name.

'Dissimulo - what kinda handle is that anyway?' I asked Gustav as we went looking for a porter to take our things.

'Sounds I-talian,' my brother muttered.

'I guess I oughta start callin' you Giuseppe then. You can call me Leonardo.'

'How 'bout I just call you Chucklehead?' Old read said wearily, as if making digs at me was an obligation he could barely muster the strength to meet. 'If we're gonna take on another name, it may as well be something that fits us.'

That actually seemed sensible to me - which is why, soon afterward, I checked in our saddles and war bags under the name Gustav Holmes."

The supporting and minor characters of ON THE WRONG TRACK are an array of personality and splendor. All together locked in a train throughout the course of the novel makes for great conflict, tension and numerous red herrings.

I listened to ON THE WRONG TRACK on audio from Tantor Audio, narrated by William Dufris. I have mixed feelings on this audiobook. I think it is well recorded and Dufris does a good job of bringing out Hockensmith's humor. I also think Dufris does an amazing job voicing all the supporting characters. However, it's Gustav and Otto that I have difficulties with. My interpretation of their characters is significantly different than the characters Dufris brings to life with his narration. It isn't simply what they sound like but their mannerisms, their dialects and their behaviors. If a reader/listener listens to the series from the start, their reaction to the audios may be quite different from mine. I have tainted my views on these characters by having read them in print first, I believe.

ON THE WRONG TRACK is available in trade paper (ISBN: 978-0-312-37288-0) from Minotaur and on audiobook from Tantor Audio (ISBN: 978-1-400-15355-8).

WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! - Steve Hockensmith

First line: "My heart wasn't just pounding in my ears as we ran."

Otto and Gustav find themselves in the Windy City during the World's Columbian Exposition where they will be competing in the World's Greatest Sleuth contest. The contest is being held in conjunction with the announcement of Sherlock Holmes' death and the world is watching to see who will replace him as the greatest sleuth. However, a wrinkle appears in the contest plans when the organizer is found dead, face down in a huge hunk of cheese.

WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! is the fifth book in Steve Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range series, and I'm convinced that smart and funny are simply embedded in Hockensmith's DNA. He reels you in with wonderfully dynamic characters and colorful, laugh out loud descriptions. The Holmes-esque plot keeps the reader dizzy trying to figure out who dunnit. And the themes provide depth to those already fun plots.

One of the elements I appreciate about Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range series is his fair play. He doesn't pull a character out of no where to solve the mystery at the end. You always know, as the reader, that you have a chance to be solving the crime as well and you get all the same information the sleuth's have. There are no surprises but plenty of "Ah ha" moments.

Another of the elements that I appreciate in Hockensmith's writing is his use of intelligent humor. He doesn't try to insult his readers with junior high jokes. Instead his themes are substantial and well-developed and the humor works to develop the complexity. Although his books are set in the 19th century, commentary about current events can often show through as well. Sometimes it's a situation where it still holds true today and we humans haven't learned our lessons yet:

"The sheer scope of the Exposition soon overwhelmed me, though. Every page was so packed with the Biggest This and the Greatest That and the Most Expensive the Other, I started wondering what mankind was trying to prove. We seemed like little more than children waving our broomstick horses at heaven shouting, 'Look at us, Pa! Look what we made!'"

Other times, we see Hockensmith just poking a little fun at current events, like voting in Chicago. And yet other times, he forces us to pause momentarily and think:

"'The point is, everything seems obvious in hindsight, and it's only a few folks who can see that the impossible is possible goin' ahead, not just lookin' back. The grand thing is to be able to reason forward - and then follow through on it.'"

In all elements of the novel, Hockensmith's dialogue is infused with dialect which works brilliantly to bring out the flavor of the characters and the setting. In this particular installment of the series, the "World's Fair" presents characters from around the world and Hockensmith doesn't miss a beat on their dialogue.

The final element I have to comment on, and it's probably what I consider to be Hockesmith's greatest strength in this series, is the depiction of the relationship between his protagonists. Otto (Big Red) and Gustav (Old Red) are brothers. Each has his strengths and weaknesses, and each respects the other while still taking every opportunity to poke a brotherly jab here and there. But God help the person outside their duo who tries to take a jab at one of the brothers. It's delightfully authentic and anyone with a sibling will appreciate the dynamics of their relationship.

Whether a short story or a novel, I look forward to Hockensmith's style and creativity. WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! proves that Hockensmith hasn't lowered his standard on quality when it comes to his writing. If anything he continues to raise bar. So, if you haven't checked this one out yet, rustle yourself up a copy and prepare yourself for the WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH!

WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! is available from St. Martin's Minotaur in print (978-0-312-37943-8) and from Tantor Media on audio (978-1-452-65013-5) narrated by William Dufris.

NAUGHTY: NINE TALES OF CHRISTMAS CRIME

Steve Hockensmith's e-book collection of his short stories is called NAUGHTY: NINE TALES OF CHRISTMAS CRIME. I couldn't help but think, these should all be holiday cartoons for adults. You know, our kids have Frosty and Rudolph and whatnot. Hockensmith's stories would be great premises for adult versions. Reading these stories was as enjoyable to me this holiday season as those cartoons were to me years ago as a child.

About these "nine tales." The first of the collection is called "Fruitcake." In several of the stories, Hockensmith makes use of the age old fruitcake, but in this tale the fruitcake is a major player in a retirement community. The ladies out number the men and Ethel Queenan is determined to snatch herself a husband, armed with...yep, a fruitcake. Before anyone goes all huffy, this is NOT a romance story. It's filled with murder and mayhem and laughs. Lots of them.

Next up is "I Killed Santa Claus." That title right there tells you why these couldn't be cartoons for kids. When Hannah's mother lines up a job for her as Santa's elf at the local mall, she has no idea she's sending her daughter into the jaws of "Big Buck." Hannah quickly tires of the sexual harassment she has to endure from "Santa" and rigs up his chair to catch him in the act. Only she ends up with more than she bargained for.

"Secret Santa" takes one of the holiday's work place traditions and turns it into a hilarious caper. Erik Bigelow is a lazy, thieving director at Now! publications. He expects a lot from those who work under him but he takes advantage of his position every opportunity he gets. When his secret santa starts calling him out on his atrocious behavior through the secret gifts he bestows on Erik, Erik decides he's going to figure out his secret santa's identity and pay him back in spades.

"Humbug" may have been my favorite story in the collection, which really says a lot because I loved the whole collection. I just found this particular take on Ebenezer Scrooge's story to be quite brilliant and fun. When Scrooge is run over by a wagon carrying Christmas trees, Inspector Bucket has to determine if it was an accident or murder.

The title of the collection comes from the next story, "Naughty," where Hockensmith brings back Hannah from "I Killed Santa Claus." Hannah seems to be a magnet for the male perverts, but in "Naughty" she decides to pull a "Grinch" on this one and steal his Christmas so he doesn't get away with cheating on his wife and buying back her good graces with pretty gifts. Only the caper doesn't go quite as planned.

"Hidden Gifts" is the most emotionally powerful of the stories. It still has funny elements, but the main idea of the story is a bit of a heart-wrencher. Karen and Ronnie live with their mother and her boyfriend who seems to have no need for the kids. Karen informs Ronnie that there really is no Santa Claus, but she may just discover she's wrong.

Hockensmith tries his hand at a bit of a Christmas spy thriller in "Red Christmas" and it's second only to "Humbug" as my favorite in the collection. This story was so vivid in my mind as I read - and laughed. The KGB is out to kidnap Santa on Christmas Eve. I'll never see my hot cider in the same light after this story. I love Hockensmith's description of Elf blood. And Hockensmith once again makes great use of the fruitcake!

"Naivete" brings back The Reptile and Diesel from "Naughty." This Christmas they don't have enough to keep them busy, and The Reptile decides the best place to make a lot of money fast is at Church. They'll steal the collection plate. Right away you know the good karma is not going to be with these two, but their caper is filled with slapstick humor and a bit of irony.

The collection ends with "Special Delivery" which will tickle the fancy of any person who lived through the Cabbage Patch Doll phenomena. Whether you were a child with a doll or a parent trying to get a doll, you'll appreciate the humor of this one. Bass is truck driver who is hired to run an overnight trip on Christmas Eve to pick up a shipment of Cabbage Patch Dolls for the local toy store. He has to drive from Indiana to Pennsylvania and back with his precious cargo and everyone wants to get their hands on these dolls.

I read about a story a night and it was something I looked forward to each day. They are fun stories and perfect to remind ourselves not to sweat the small stuff in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Hockensmith's signature humor and his wonderfully brilliant approaches to the holiday season make this collection a present in itself. And you should even read the stuff the you usually skip over, like the copyright info and such. There's some hidden gems tucked in there as well. So treat yourself! You can get this ebook in every format you could want here. And it's only $2.99. I promise, you're getting a steal! So leave the collection plate to the Church and snag your copy of NAUGHTY.

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

Crime Writers Caught Recommending Crime - Day 18

I have to apologize for the lapse yesterday. I ended up being gone later than expected on Wednesday night and wasn't able to finish a post. But never fear, I'm back today with a new recommendation!

As the fates would have it, I'm presently reading Steve Hockensmith's collection of short stories called NAUGHTY:NINE TALES OF CHRISTMAS CRIME. So, I think it's befitting that he should be making our recommendation today. I'll talk more about NAUGHTY later because Steve's going to talk about THE PALE BLUE EYE today.

"How's this for stupid? My favorite book of 2010 has been sitting in my To Be Read pile since 2007. Why was I so reluctant to crack it open? I think it was the reviews. They were so damned good. And then there were all the award nominations. I'll admit it: I was intimidated. I started thinking of The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard not as a mystery with an intriguing premise -- a young Edgar Allan Poe gets mixed up in a murder investigation while a cadet at West Point -- but as a work of High Art with which I would have to grapple one day. In other words, I stopped thinking of it as something that would be fun. But fun it is, with one of the most engaging, endearing and amusing first-person narrators I've come across in a long time. Oh, and he's tricky, too, that one. I like to think it's pretty hard to get a twist past me, but he did it -- to devastating effect. Is The Pale Blue Eye art? You bet. Is it entertainment? And how. Should you buy it for a bibliophile on your Christmas list? Absolutely -- and don't wait three years to do it!"

And I should add that Steve told me he's reading to the stuffed cat because he'll tell absolutely anyone about this book, it's that good. Well then, I guess I have to add this one to my list.

Since Steve reached back a few years for his recommendation, I decided to do the same for mine today. I'm going back a little further than three years, but my recommendation is from the man I consider one of, if not THE, greatest living American writer - James Lee Burke. I will heartily recommend all his works, but my favorite is still LAST CAR TO ELYSIAN FIELDS. It is part of the Dave Robicheaux series and exhibits all of the finest characteristics of Burke's writing...on steroids! The beauty of nature contrasted starkly by the ugliness of man. A world of both incredible love and devastating hate. Powerful, beautiful, haunting, poetic. It simply doesn't get any better.

What are we down to? 21 more shopping days? What are you waiting for? Oh, and don't forget! Tomorrow is "Take Your Child to the Bookstore" day. If you actually need a formal day, then get out there tomorrow. Otherwise, take Junior EVERY day! Happy Reading!

Bouchercon Day 1

A week ago today kicked off my second Bouchercon and my first experience moderating a Bouchercon panel.

First of all, the weather was stunning and I felt as though my summer was being extended a few extra days. Thanks to Mother Nature for that little surprise gift.

I am happy to report that the panel went very well. For whatever reason, the room we were in did not have microphones, but all of the panelists adjusted well and projected for the room full of people in attendance. I heard a few different opinions from folks in the back of the room; some said they could hear just fine, others said they had some trouble. But that was the worst we had to deal with and I think that's pretty minor in the whole scheme of things.

Brad Parks, Roger Ellory, Hilary Davidson and Douglas Corleone talked about how their characters and stories come to life. They joked with each other and the audience. We had some great questions from the audience and a person who wanted to know the "magic tools" to writing a book. *sigh*

Thanks to the generosity of Lauren O'Brien, I have a video recording of the panel, and as soon as I get it all edited and ready, I'll share that with you, so you can experience the panel for yourselves. I also want to thank Kathy Ryan who is responsible for the photos from the panel.

Lauren and Kathy are the next part of the Bouchercon experience I wanted to mention. Meeting my "virtual" friends in real life. That's when you're assured that "virtual" friends and "imaginary" friends are not one in the same! So thanks to everyone who made sure they said "hi": Robin, Les, Stephen, Alex, Toby, Todd...I know I'm missing gads more so thanks to everyone. It's never enough time, is it?

In between panels I spent some time in the dealer room buying books and visiting with folks at the Crimespree/Bouchercon 2011 table. Stephen Jay Schwartz was there, as was Meg Gardiner, and my awesome panelist Roger Ellory.

The other panel I attended and monitored was the "Year of the Locusts: Books to Screen" panel. This panel was moderated by Kelli Stanley and included panelists Derek Haas, Paul Levine, Val McDermid and Alex Sokoloff. This was a fun, animated group. And as I mentioned in my top 10 list, if you have the chance to experience Val McDermid, don't miss out. She's energetic and colorful and witty. Pair her up with Paul Levine and it's an extra special treat!

The opening ceremonies were Thursday night and here the Macavity and Barry Awards were announced. TOWER by Ken Bruen and Reed Farrel Coleman walked away with a Macavity, as did Hank Phillippi Ryan. Jamie Freveletti and Bryan Gruley both took home Barry Awards.

Also at the opening ceremonies was Duncan, a.k.a. Jack Reacher. Duncan won Australia's Jack Reacher look alike contest, so he was present at Bouchercon. Since my good friend Judy was making friends with Duncan, she introduced me.

Of course every night at Bouchercon has to end with a trip to the hotel bar. It's always a great opportunity to just mingle and chat. Steve Hockensmith was in attendance and he even slipped me an arc of the upcoming Holmes on the Range book, WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH. It is one sharp looking book! I can't wait to dig into it.

So, this was Day One. The whole trip follows suit, so make sure you stop back for more posts on this most wonderful trip. In the meantime, though, you can head over to the Bouchercon 2011 site and register for next year's event in St. Louis. There's no better way to ensure you go then to make the commitment and register. Then just work on planning up to next September. It's a wonderful time. Don't wait any longer to experience it yourself! Plus, register before January 1st and get the added benefit of a $25 savings on the registration fee AND be entered into a drawing for free books!

Books, Smarts, and Anthony Noms?

Yay! It's Friday! I have a long to-do list for this weekend, but plan to fit some quality reading time in on that list as well. I hope you've got some great reading material as well.

For those who have not yet seen them, the 2010 Anthony Award nominations have been posted. A lot of great writers and their works have been singled out for nominations.  I won't reproduce the list here, as it's been posted in many places already. You can go here to see all the nominees. For those that don't know the Anthony Awards are given out at Bouchercon. If you haven't had a chance to attend a Bouchercon, I strongly encourage you to check it out. This October it will be held in San Francisco and in 2011 Bouchercon will take place in St. Louis in September. My first experience last year was amazing and I simply can't wait to go back again this year.

In addition to the Anthony nominees, the Nero nominees have also come out. Congratulations go out to Brad Parks nominated for FACES OF THE GONE, Steve Hockensmith nominated for A CRACK IN THE LENS, and Charles Finch nominated for THE FLEET STREET MURDERS.

You don't have to try very hard to convince me of the validity of these studies in an article on Salon.com that discusses the value of having books in the house. Want your children to have an educational advantage? Have books in the house. Summer vacation is just starting for most kids, so kick it off right with a trip to the library. Nurture a love of the library in your children at a very young age and then keep feeding it. In my library, the summer reading programs start on Monday. They have programs for kids and adults. Sign up! And you need to model the behavior as well. Make time to read this summer! Read together. And most importantly make it a fun time.

I've taken part in the Buy Books for the Holidays program and I always give books when I have a gift to give. Have a baby shower to go to? For a colleague, I organized a collection of books from all the people we worked with. I made bookmarks for each person donating to sign and stick in their book and we created the babies' (twins) first library. I put all the books in a large laundry basket and there almost wasn't enough room. The twins' mom told me several times afterward how much she loved the library and that she was telling everyone about it.

Or how about a disadvantaged family? Anyone adopt families at the holidays with your church, office or family? Think about including books with the gifts. Last year my friend had a children's book drive and donated the books to the pediatric wing of the hospital that cared for her son. There are so many ways we can get books into the hands of our children. But start at home. Model the behavior, teach your children to be comfortable in a library and a book store, take interest in what they're reading and what they enjoy.

Let's celebrate reading EVERY DAY! Happy Reading!

Technorati Tags: Bouchercon, Steve Hockensmith, Brad Parks, Anthony Awards, Nero Awards

They Said WHAT?

It's the last day of January already. I'm having a hard time believing that January 2010 is already over. Where did it go?

I'd like to first send out some thanks today. All the folks who have commented here, on Facebook or sent me emails about the new blog look. Thank you so much for the kind words. And those of you who have found glitches for me, thank you for that also! I'm ecstatic that so many of you have said it is easier to read and navigate. That makes it worth all the effort to change. You know it's so darned easy to stay status quo and just go day to day. But, this change was completely worth the effort.

Also, I'd like to thank all the folks who sent me such nice emails this week about my post on Robert Crais' event in Dayton. First of all, it's such a blast to be able to talk about him with you guys. I love talking to other Craisies. And I also love hearing from some of the lurkers. It's nice knowing you're out there. Thank you for sharing my love of RC with me! I was surprised at how many people on Twitter said they were reading him for the first time because I had been tweeting about him. Warms my heart. And actually I was surprised. I thought for sure everyone already knew about his supreme wonderfulness. So, thank you all!

Today's post is a new project I'd like to try this year. The last Sunday of each month, I'll round up great lines/segments from books I've read in the month. This month's will have a couple from December, too, but after this it will be books I've read in that month. There are so many times when I read a great line and think, "man, I want to tell everyone about this." And then ultimately I forget because my memory is pathetic. And this will be my effort to remember. It's my goal to document them now. They might be lines that made me laugh or ones that jolted me with an incredible use of language or ones that really made me think. Overall, they are lines that stood out to me and elicited a "wow" response.

I hope you enjoy this. AND, if you have some great lines that you loved from your reading and would like me to include them. Send them my way. This can be a collaborative post. That would be fun! So here's the first "Great Lines" post of 2010:

From Kelli Stanley's CITY OF DRAGONS:

“ ‘The Chinese say whoever learns without thought is lost. But whoever thinks without learning is in great danger.’”

From Sean Chercover's TRIGGER CITY:

“A kid in a police uniform strode toward me, his hand held up like a traffic cop.

‘You can’t park there.’ Blond wisps of hair sprouted from his upper lip, petitioning for a promotion to the rank of mustache.”

From Marcus Sakey's GOOD PEOPLE:

“Even braced for it, the roar of the first shot hit like a thousand volts, kicking every cell into life, adrenaline pounding fast and hard. People didn’t realize how loud the things were, like God clapping his hands.”

From Walter Mosley's THE LONG FALL:

"Throwing a punch is the yang of a boxer's life. The yin is being able to avoid getting hit. I'm pretty good at the yang part."

"A person with no books is inconsequential in a modern setting, but a peasant who reads is a prince in waiting."

"If anyone was an example of having too much on the ball it was my son. He would track down Satan and then try to brace him for a bad loan."

From Craig McDonald's PRINT THE LEGEND:

"Hector didn't know if he would go in this direction in life, not just yet, but the opening line of a story or novel suddenly occurred to him: When you start sleeping with women younger than your cigarette lighter, you know you've turned a sorry corner."

From Steve Hockensmith's HOLMES ON THE RANGE:

"You can follow a trail without even knowing you're on it. You can start out just ambling, maybe get to thinking you're lost - but you're headed somewhere all the same. You just don't know it till you get there."

And my last one is from Robert Crais' THE FIRST RULE, but it's a bit difficult to take this out of context and have it mean much. I'll preface it by saying the male body is a murderer named "Moon" who Joe Pike has been looking for and this is the scene where he finds him:

"The dog's face and chest were matted with blood, and its feet were red boots. A second male body was half on a couch and half on the floor. The flesh on the second man's left forearm had been partially eaten, but his right forearm was intact. The numbers tattooed there were easy to read.

187
187
187
187
187

One for each of the people he put in the ground.

Pike said, 'Good night, Moon.'"

So there's my January roundup. Hope you enjoyed these lines. Maybe they even tempted you to read one of these books if you haven't already. They were all wonderful reads. Hope you had a January filled with great books and I hope your February finds you with even more.

Happy Reading!

HOLMES ON THE RANGE - Steve Hockensmith

FIRST LINE: "There are two things you can't escape out here in the West: dust and death."

Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer are ranch hands and they are brothers. Big Red is educated and can read; Old Red is a genius, but cannot. "Old Red" relies on his younger brother to read him Sherlock Holmes stories from Harper's Weekly because Old Red worships Sherlock Homes. "Some folks get religion. Gustav got Sherlock Holmes." When the brothers are offered a job at the Bar VR cattle ranch, they jump at the chance for employment but find far more than they bargained for when they unearth a possible murder. But Old Red sees an opportunity to put his deducifyin' skills to work, determined to solve the case.

HOLMES ON THE RANGE is the first book by Steve Hockensmith in the Holmes on the Range series featuring the Amlingmeyer brothers. It is a unique blend of comedy, western and mystery.

Written in first person, HOLMES ON THE RANGE follows in the format of Sherlock Holmes. Otto Amlingmeyer, a.k.a. "Big Red", is the educated narrator. Gustav Amlingmeyer, a.k.a. "Old Red", is the uneducated brother with a keen sense of logic and observation. And the book is fiction, in the same fictional world as Sherlock Holmes, so Sherlock Holmes exists and is a real person living in London, while the Amlingmeyer brothers read about him in Montana. This allows Hockensmith to weave subtle elements of the original Holmes tales into his book.

More than Sherlock Holmes comes to life in HOLMES ON THE RANGE, though. Through his colorful descriptions and dialogue, Hockensmith gives the Amlingmeyer brothers spunk and flaws and all-around dimension:

"My brother squinted at me as if trying to figure out why such a featherlight thing as my head doesn't go drifting off my shoulders with the slightest breeze."

Another detail that helps to bring the characters to life in this novel is Hockensmith's use of dialect, word choice and idioms:

"Usually when Old Red gets bossy with me - which is only about a hundred times a day - I repay his piss with vinegar. But my brother got no sass from me now, as
fetching tools sounded a hell of a lot more appetizing than separating innards from earth."

"Now when a herd gets spooked, there's no figuring which way that avalanche of beef will tumble, which is why so many punchers pass through the pearly gates looking like strawberry jam."

And the plot plays out just as a Doyle Holmes novel would. Hockensmith gives the reader the clues; can you deducify and solve the puzzle? HOLMES ON THE RANGE is witty, smart, and downright fun.

HOLMES ON THE RANGE is published by St. Martin's Minotaur and is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0312347802) and trade paper (ISBN: 978-0312358044) HOLMES ON THE RANGE is available on audio book from Tantor Media (ISBN: 978-1400102259).

Havin' A Party! With Games!

Yes, it's here! It's here! Jen's Book Thoughts second anniversary AND the release of Robert Crais' THE FIRST RULE. So we have double the reason to party today.

First, as promised, I have winners in the Steve Hockensmith autographed books giveaway. Darcy O. is the winner of ON THE WRONG TRACK and Vicki W. is the winner of HOLMES ON THE RANGE. I have contacted both winners to get mailing information. Congratulations to you both.

Don't you love these dancing lemons? They cracked me up. And since they have better rhythm than I do, I thought I'd include them in the celebration today. I did try Pop Culture Nerd's suggestion of running naked through the snow. But since it's so darned cold, I moved fast...so fast that the image only resulted in a streak (pun intended) across the picture.

A few little factoids about Jen's Book Thoughts over the last two years. This post is post number 554. As of this writing there have been in excess of 32,100 unique visitors (of which, just under 5,000 visited in Year One), and those unique visitors have translated into many new book friends. I hope you will all stick around for Year Three. You are, after all, my motivation!

Year Three will see, God willing, a second season of 6-word memoirs, another Bouchercon and L.A. Times Festival of Books. More reviews, interviews, giveaways and other fun book stuff. I may even pop in some reviews of movies and TV. We'll see. I'm also working hard on a theme week for later this year. I have no intention of resting on my laurels. This is just too much fun! So again, I hope you'll stick around and join me for Year Three. Let's make it a great year of sharing books.

Alright. Let's talk about party requirements here. We have dancing lemons, hopping beagles. You are each required to join me in toast. Hold your glasses up to your monitors...I'm toasting you from my end of the blog-o-sphere, "here's to another great year with crime fiction and friends!"

And what's a party without games? We have a game in honor of R.C.'s book launch today. We waited over a year for this one, so it's cause for celebration, right? Oh, who am I kidding, we wouldn't have to wait a year to have cause for celebration. But this game is in his honor. And the inspiration came from Pop Culture Nerd. We were discussing "degrees of separation" between R.C. and well...everyone. So, today we're going to play Six Degrees of Robert Crais. I hope you all will play along with me. Here are the rules:

1. Pop Culture Nerd is starting off the game by giving me a name that would be recognizable to most people. I have to connect this person to R.C. in six degrees or less (but not any more).

2. I throw another name out that would be recognizable to most people (in other words, I can't pick my sister's ex-boyfriend from seventh grade).

3. The first person to comment and play the game, needs to connect the name I gave to R.C. in six degrees or less then come up with the name for the NEXT commenter. And so on as long as the comments go.

4. All connections must be real and verifiable. So, no, "I dreamed that..."

So let's see how well we can do with The Six Degrees of Robert Crais! Pop Culture Nerd's name is:

Kevin Bacon

Wasn't that nice of her? She gave me an easy one. I don't need six degrees, so here goes:

1. Kevin Bacon was the movie A FEW GOOD MEN with Demi Moore.
2. Demi Moore was married to and had three children with Bruce Willis
3. Bruce Willis played the role of Jeff Talley in the film version of Robert
   Crais' standalone HOSTAGE.

At first I had a name that would be kind of challenging. Not impossible, just challenging, but I'm going to be just as generous (maybe even more so) and choose the person I always thought would make a good Max Holman,

MARK HARMON

So now it's your turn. In the comments section, connect Mark Harmon to Robert Crais in six degrees or less and then contributed the next name. The names don't have to be Hollywood names, just names that would be recognizable by most people.

And thank you all for helping make this a FANTASTIC Year Two for Jen's Book Thoughts! Happy Reading!

Sunday Odds and Ends

Well, despite the fact that I abhor snow, and we've been getting plenty of it, January is off to a great start for me. I hope that's true for you, too.

Today I thought I'd do a little round-up of various things I've seen on the web this week. But first I wanted to remind you that time is running out to enter my blogiversary contest to win one of two signed books from Steve Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range series. You can enter here.

Speaking of blogiversary, it will be two years ago on Tuesday that I started Jen's Book Thoughts. Do you know what else is Tuesday? Yep! The release of THE FIRST RULE. Coincidence? I don't think so! Thanks R.C. and Putnam for helping to celebrate my blog's birthday. And R.C.'s visit to Ohio is closing in. Two weeks from today! Can't wait!! If you're going to be in Dayton to see R.C., make sure you drop me a note and let me know so we can make a point of meeting and saying "hi."

I was over the moon to see some authors scheduled at Mystery Lovers Book Shop. You can see their entire line-up here. I've already got my spot for Jo Nesbø's and Alafair Burke's events in March. And I'm also planning to attend the Festival in May. I have it from a good source that Brad Parks is scheduled to be at the festival this year.

Speaking of Brad Parks. The scoundrel put my reputation through a blender this week in his interview with Pop Culture Nerd.

I went back and forth this week with Tom Schreck about the need for sidekicks to have sex. You can weigh in on the topic here.

The folks over at the Criminal Minds blog are growing in number. Have you been there lately? Stop over and wish the new contributors a warm welcome. And some changes are going on over at The Outfit.

And today, Lesa Holstine has posted her first video production to her blog. She's highlighting some cozy mysteries from Penguin, and she did a fantastic job.

I still have three reviews from books I read in 2009 that I need to finish to have last year totally wrapped up. I'd love to get those done this week. Then I have four others that I've finished reading so far this year. Geez, already starting off the year behind! I'm also doing a lot of behind the scenes prep work for some things to come, so if I'm a little sparse, that's what I'm doing.

Hope you have a wonderful (warm) week filled with great reading!