Tuesday, December 11, 2018

What We're Writing: Hank's Big Reveal of The Murder List




HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, wow, you all. Here's a moment. I'm second alphabetically, so today is my turn for what we're writing--and I am so thrilled! No one has seen this but my publisher/editor/agent types. So I'm crossing fingers and taking a chance. It hasn't even been through the proofreading stage yet, we're still in editing. Early days. Ish.

But THE MURDER LIST does have a cover! (Which we revealed on my newsletter--are you signed up for that? Many prizes will be offered soon! Click here. )

THE MURDER LIST:   Law student Rachel North will tell you, without hesitation, what she knows to be true. She’s smart, she’s a hard worker, she does the right things. She’s successfully married to a faithful and devoted husband, a lion of Boston’s defense bar. She's a rising-star intern in the prosecutor's office. Problem is—she’s wrong. And if she takes one false step in this cat-and-mouse game, the battle for justice will become a battle for survival. What is the murder list? Who is on it? And who is next?  


(And who is the woman on the cover? She will change everyone's lives.)
Now, just for you, here are the first two pages.
THE MURDER LIST

  We never fight. Not in the past six years, as long as we’ve been married. Not even in the months before that. It isn’t that Jack is always right or I’m always right. Usually our disagreements are about things that don’t matter, so it’s easier and quicker for me to acquiesce. Jack’s a lawyer, so he likes to win. It makes him happy. And that’s good.  But now on a Saturday morning in May, sitting face-to-face across our breakfast table in sweats and ratty slippers, we’re definitely on the verge of a real fight. This time, the fight matters. This time I have to win.

“I forbid it,” Jack says.

I burst out laughing—all I can think to do—because “forbid” is such an odd word.

“Forbid?” I say the word, repeating it, diluting it, undermining it. “What’re you gonna do, honey, lock me in the castle tower? You’re not that much older than I am. Come on, sweetheart. Get real. Have some more coffee. Read your Globe.

He doesn’t look up from the Metro section. “It’s absurd, Rachel,” he says into the paper. “That woman is evil. Plus, I can’t understand why you’d want to fill your brain with that kind of . . .” 

He shakes his head as he snaps a page into place, the newsprint crackling with his impatience. “Absurd. An exceedingly unwise decision on Gardiner’s part. And yours, too, Rach.”

I take a sip of dark roast to defuse my annoyance and to clear the looming emotional thunderstorm. I know his problem isn’t my summer internship in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. Jack’s impatience with me is fueled by the headlines he’s reading, news stories that feature his name. Jack hates to lose. Especially in court. And especially to Assistant District Attorney Martha Gardiner. 

My new boss.

Martha Gardiner. The woman Jack usually refers to as “Satan in pearls.” He never laughs when he says it.

“Honey?” I soften my voice, knowing there are many ways to win. Law school is teaching me that.  “It’s only for three months. I’m required to do it. All the 2L students are, or we can’t be 3Ls. And then we can’t graduate. And there goes all that law-school tuition you’ve loaned me. Plus, we’ve planned the whole thing. We’re gonna be partners. You’ll get me on the murder list. And we’re a team. Your very own word. Remember?”

“Team? Certainly doesn’t feel like it. I thought you chose a side.” He lowers the paper, one inch, looks at me with narrowed eyes. “And not that side. Not hers.”

“But—” How do I handle this?  He pays the bills, at this point at least. As a student-- at 36, the world’s oldest law student--I have zero income. You’re my investment, he told me. I took it as a compliment. “But—”

“There are no ‘buts.’ Gardiner’s a predator. She maligns the law. Twists it. Corrupts it. Her every instinct is to destroy and defeat.” The newspaper barrier goes back up.

I can’t escalate this, so I’ll ignore the fact that prosecutors are supposed to be the champions of law and order. Jack’s oversensitive because Gardiner’s the one prosecutor who can beat him. My dear husband is not the most reliable narrator, though, and he’s probably exaggerating when he spins me stories about her disturbingly unfair and manipulative tactics. But Martha Leggett Gardiner is a touchy subject.

Jack’s frown, hidden by newsprint again, chills me. I’ve seen that same expression in the courtroom, and it’s never a good sign for the witness he’s about to interrogate. But I’m not his witness. I’m his wife.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: It's a twisty triple triangle of domestic suspense! (I made that line up myself.) And I cannot wait for you all to read it.

It's coming August 20!  And you can pre-order now, just saying.   

Does it sound good?  (And tell us--what are you reading now? Anything great?)   




76 comments:

  1. What a great beginning for your story, Hank . . . .
    There is one truly frustrating thing about What We’re Writing: we get to read a bit of the most wonderful, intriguing stories . . . and then we have to WAIT to read the book. I’m already anxious to know what happens after this breakfast conversation between Rachel and Jack . . . .

    What am I reading? Rhys’s “What Child Is This” . . . “Desolation Mountain” by William Kent Kruger; “Long Road to Mercy” by David Baldacci; “Of Blood and Bone” by Nora Roberts; “Promise Me the Moon” by Nichole D. Evans . . . .

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    1. Terrific choices! Eager to hear about them!
      And awww thank you for the kind words!

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  2. Intriguing. No surprise there.

    I just finished Murder on Cape Cod, the first in a new series from Edith Maxwell under her Maddie Day pen name. Now I'm working on Steamed Open by Barbara Ross.

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    1. Thanks for the shoutout, Mark! Hope you loved it.

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    1. Thank you! I cannot tell you how nerve-wracking it is… It’s like opening night!

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  4. So exciting! I love it. And...just a hint of real-life in there - living with a prominent defense lawyer? ;^)

    I have the latest books by Vicki Thompson, Louise Penny, and Kate Flora in a nice stack - but I'm trying to wait to read them until after I have some surgery on the 20th. So instead the next book up in Little Comfort by Edwin Hill.

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    1. Good luck with your surgery Edith.. keep us posted! And we all love Edwin Hill—he’s a treasure!

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    2. Thanks! Shouldn't be too big a deal. See you Thursday evening.

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  5. Wonderful characters Hank, can't wait for August!

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  6. Love the predator in pearls (too much WH news coverage?).

    Lisa Unger, In the Blood, Robert Crais, The Last Detective, Jill Orr, The Good Byline.

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    1. Everything is fiction, dear Margaret :-) everything is fiction.

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  7. Terrific tension... the ambiguities... the SUBTEXT! Talk about opening with conflict. And the cover is so compelling. Can't wait to read it, Hank.

    Tonight I'm going to hear Leonard Rosen talk about his brand new book THE KORTELISY ESCAPE (at Brookline Booksmith). I LOVE his writing (The Tenth Witness; All Cry Chaos) and this one is about magic (there's going to be magician at the launch!)... LOVE books with real magicians in them.

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    1. Oh, thank you! Thank you! And don’t you think it is fascinating how you can tell or writing apart? We’re so similar in real life, but are writing is so different. I love that.

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  8. Ooo, I can't wait! I just finished THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER. Yes, yes, I know. I'm late to the party.

    Mary/Liz

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  9. Hank, you are so good at twisty misdirection in your writing. It sounds as if this upcoming work will be no different!

    I'm currently reading something very different, for our annual holiday book club meeting this Thursday. It's a 2013 novel by Rachel Kushner, called The Flamethrowers. Like most book club offerings, this is not something I'd pick up on my own (not a mystery), but I'm so intrigued by it, and how it goes back and forth in time and place. And the unexpected piece is a woman writing about motorcycles, including a woman artist who rides them. For the speed.

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    1. Thank you, Karen! So excited. And no, I have not heard of that book! That is such a terrific thing about book clubs, isn’t it? That you would read something new. Love that.

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  10. Wow! Congratulations on your "twisty triple triangle of domestic suspense"! Looks like you have another great "summer read" on the horizon.

    I'm working my way thru Jess Lourey's Murder-by-the-Month series, with a side helping of Anne Lamott's latest, "Almost Everything, Notes on Hope"

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    1. Lyda, great choices!
      And you know, I really think this is the hardest book I’ve ever written. I am thrilled with it, but it was not easy :-)

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  11. And they're off, the horses are galloping out of the gate! Except this race won't end until August--sheesh, Hank! I'm going to have to read a whole herd of books to keep my mind occupied. Just finished A Christmas Revelation by Anne Perry--I love how her Christmas stories highlight her secondary characters. And I'm something like 284th in line for Louise Penny's Kingdom of the Blind--talk about being late to the party! And thanks, Lyda--did not know that Annie Lamott had a new book out.

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    1. Oh, thank you! Crossing fingers… It is very difficult to read my own work through someone else’s eyes, you know? So this is fascinating! Xx

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  12. Yes, indeedy, Hank, that does sound good. Very good and you can be sure I'll preorder it. Right now I'm reading Splintered Silence by Susan Furlong and up next will be Kingdom of the blind and then Tahoe Skydrop by Todd Borg.

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    1. Does it? YAY! xxo This is SUCH a reassuring day..thank you!

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  13. Don't you hate it when your beloved forbids you to do something? As if we still live in the Dark Ages, and we are not adult women who can handle our own stuff? I know it always cheesed me off, so I can totally relate to Rachel's reaction in your excerpt. The book sounds terrific, Hank! Kudos to you for pushing your own boundaries and giving yourself writing challenges that scare you.

    I'm actually not reading much of anything right now. We have a concert on the 17th, and I'm writing a bunch of grant proposals and year-end reports, so by the time I get home I've about had it with words. If I may brag just a little, though, the Dallas Winds' most recent recording, "John Williams at the Movies" was nominated for two Grammy Awards. I'm pretty pumped about that.

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    1. Yay, Gigi and the Dallas Winds!! Two Grammys!!! The John Williams at the Movies CD would make a great Christmas gift--and Gigi wrote the liner notes!!

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    2. Way to Go Gigi! Thank you for the heads up Deborah.

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    3. Do please note that the Grammy nominations are not for the liner notes. But thank you!

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    4. I got that but since I have no access and therefore can't applaud your grant writing, I went for the Liner notes!

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    5. Of COURSE they are for the liner notes!

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    6. Kudos to you and the Dallas Winds, Gigi.

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  14. Oh, thank you! Crossing fingers… It is very difficult to read my own work through someone else’s eyes, you know? So this is fascinating! Xx

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  15. I can't wait to read it. And as someone who was married to a litigator, it reads very true to me - the worst fights Ross and I had when we were a young couple were when he turned into Litigator Man. There's nothing more off-putting than to be treated like a hostile witness by your spouse.

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    1. And they can't help it, right? It's what they were trained to do. But eventually, we recognize it. And then, it's kind of funny.

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  16. At this time of year, I prefer light reading in my mysteries. (My non mystery reading relatives and friends ask me how a murder mystery can qualify as “light”. (Question: “Didn’t someone get killed?” Answer: “Yes, but it was fun.” This might be why one of my sisters tells me repeatedly that I “read too many mysteries”.)

    Anyway, I just finished reading the latest from Donna Andrews, “Lark! The Herald Angels Sing” and I just began EJ Copperman’s “Bird Bath and Beyond”. There are many, many books sitting in piles on my coffee table, waiting for me to read them, I volunteer at the library on Tuesday afternoons, which puts me in close proximity to used books for sale, as well as plenty of books to borrow, and I am trying to keep my purchase of new books down (SO hard to do). I haven’t even gotten into the other thousands of books here and there at home!

    Hank, when I read your newest next summer I will probably have forgotten today’s preview, and will ask myself “did I read this already? It seems familiar.” The suspense in your books always has me on the edge of my seat! I can’t wait!

    DebRo

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    1. That's what worries me about previews, DebRo. That readers will find it familiar, and decide they've read it, and then..um, not buy it.

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    2. Hank, your Faithful Followers will know that it’s new(because we’ve been waiting:-) and will most likely be reminded that they read a preview.

      DebRo

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    3. Crossing fingers! And um, you can bet I will remind them! :-)

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  17. Ah yes...this sounds right up my alley, Hank! And I agree with Joan - now we have to wait! Ha! I'll be waiting anxiously and impatiently. I do love this feature you guys do. Lots of good things to come. Good luck and loved the 'forbid' part. LOL

    As for what I'm reading - well, I'm doing a read/listen of THE ALICE NETWORK for our mystery group meeting in early January. I'm about 20% in so far, but loving it. And I'm excited that Kate Quinn has a new book coming in late February I think. That's always a plus when you're reading a book that's been out for a bit.

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    1. Oh, The ALice Network! I'd love to read that--so many good things!

      And than you--yes, we love it too. YOu know, we've not esen each other's work either, so it's fun for all of us!

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    1. Oh, you are such a love! And we are going to shower you with attention when YOUR new book comes out! xx

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  19. Hank, I can't wait to read this!!! The cover is super, too!

    I'm not reading much at the moment, as in writing all day then falling into bed and struggling to keep my eyes open for fifteen minutes. But I did finish Ben Aaronovitch's new Rivers of London novel, LIES SLEEPING, which I loved. AND I read the ARC of Rhys's upcoming THE VICTORY GARDEN, which I LOVED LOVED LOVED! I stayed up half a night just to finish it!

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    1. Aw, thank you--and yes, that pre-sleep reading. Impossible! But we keep trying. ANd the sign of a good book, like Rhys's is that you cannot sleep!

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  20. Love the cover, of course. Can't wait for the book.

    I recently finished WHY WE LIE by Amy Impellizzeri for blurbing - it will be out in 2019. It was excellent. And just about finished with M. B. Shaw's A Murder at the Mill. M.B. is actually Tilly Bagshawe writing under a pen name. I love her other books (and the continuations she has written for Sidney Sheldon) and this one has not disappointed.

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    1. Yes, I'm reading that, too! So unique! (and I loved your blurb--lucky Amy!) And I;ve never read any Bagshawe. Hmm. I just saw that book, too...

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  21. ohhhhhhh . . . CANNOT WAIT!! (hurry, please). What I'm reading now - just finished two brilliant ARCs; Terry Shames' newest and Mark Pryor's newest. Both excellent.

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    1. Oh, two brilliant writers! ANd yes, trying to hurry..there's always something to fix, though.

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  22. Does it sound good? Does the sun shine bright on my old Kentucky home today? The answer to both is a splendid, resounding yes! You've set up an interesting dynamic right off the bat, the man currently being the provider and the wife rather under his thumb. But, I was pleased to see her reaction to the word "forbid." This character is not going to be a pushover. The cover is already one of my favorites for next year. Absolutely love it! I can't wait to read The Murder List!

    Since I was gone all day yesterday, I missed reading Hallie's post until today. Careful What You Wish For sets up another interesting husband and wife dynamic. I really got into the wife's lamenting over her husband's collecting/hoarding, and her being a professional organizer is the perfect state of opposition. And, the blue jumpsuit. I still have my high school cheerleading outfit for no good reason except sentimentality, but sometimes that's a comforting reason. Can't wait to see where this story goes, Hallie!

    I'm reading Louise Penny's Kingdom of the Blind, and, as usual, I love being ensconced in the village of Three Pines, and with the snow all around it, it's especially cozy feeling. Of course, there's much drama, danger, and deceit going on, too. I have a stack of January ARCs to start on, too, as soon as my 2018 reading is finished. Lots to read. Life is good.

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    1. Whoa..your life is amazing! What arcs do you have? SO exciting!

      And aw, thank you! xoxoxoo

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    2. Hank, the ARCs I have waiting are Wrong Boy by Cathy Ace; Dark Streets, Cold Suburbs by Aimee Hix; The Alchemist's Illusion by Gigi Pandian; The Murder Book by Lissa Redmond; Skin Game by J.D. Allen; and Scot Soda by Catriona McPherson. I need to get to the first three very soon, as they will be out in January. Such great reading to look forward to.

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  23. Forbid?? A modern husband shouldn't dare use that word with his wife. I can't wait to see what happens next. I just finished Lucy's Death on the Menu. Now I'm reading Elly Griffith's The Dark Angel. Love Ruth Galloway and friends.

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    1. Exactly! And that's why I chose it. And aw, thank you! I hear so much about Elly Griffiths. I am SO behind!

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  24. So right now I am ready to punch Jack, forbid indeed, Rachel tho, will she become a manipulator? With the unreliable narrator mentioned, I wonder if all three of them will qualify. Hmm I wonder if ARC will be available.. or is this cheating? Don't wanna wait.

    As far as the reading, I am currently finishing Julie Hyzy's Manor Mystery series (grace takes off) as well as tackling Kim Robinson's 2140. I plan to sweeten my TBR pile with a lot of Christmas Cozy mysteries.

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    1. There will be an ARC! At some point. But I am still in copy edits/proofreading. So..February, maybe? You will be the first to know!

      What is 2140? And LOVE Julie Hyzy! xoxo

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    2. 2140 is a dystopian novel reflecting what could happen as a result of global warming.
      It is set in New York City in 2140, ergo the title. With a 50 foot rise in sea level, lower Manhattan's streets have become canals. Skyscrapers such as the MetLife Tower now house residential communities. Fascinating reading and close enough to reality to be scary.

      Oh wow! Hope that ARC could come my way during birthday Month (February) Thanks Hank.

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    3. Oh, that does sound scary! And good!
      And scary.

      And yes, I totally planned it for your birthday!

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  25. I've ordered it, Hank, so you can go ahead and buy the new Mercedes. I love keeping you in toys.

    I've just finished FULL DARK HOUSE, the first of the Peculiar Crimes Unit mysteries by Christopher Fowler. I read one of these years ago and somehow didn't get around to the rest. The humor is most excellent, and Bryant and May, the detectives of the Peculiar Crimes Unit are superlative.

    Currently I'm reading EDUCATED: A MEMOIR by Tara Westover, non-fiction, and comes highly recommended by most of the free world who've already read it. Think childhood tales a la Jeanette Walls and THE GLASS CASTLE, only Mormon.

    I really need to get the Bouchercon stuff done so we'll have a hotel room. Everyone here going?

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    1. Oh, thank you!I was just ONE book away from that car, and you have put me over the top! Rides for everyone! (And crossing fingers you love it....) xoxoo
      has anyone else read Educated? It is everywhere...and all I have been doing is writing.

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    2. EDUCATED is very well written, particularly as it is by someone who was serendipitously home schooled by a not very well educated mother and emotionally abused by many of the adults in her life. Glass Castle all the way. But it's like peanuts, can't eat/read just one page.

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    3. I heard part of an interview with her on NPR. Sounded fascinating.

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  26. Hank, I'm confused. Is the "Problem Is...she's wrong" part of the draw to bring the readers in? Wrong about what? I mean, I'm eagerly awaiting the book, I'm just a bit confused by that line is all.

    As for what I'm reading, I just finished the first volume in the Star Power graphic novel series, "Star Power & The 9th Wormhole". The story is great and the art is rather stupendous. I met the writer, Michael Terracciano, at this year's Rhode Island Comic Con and did an interview with him about the series. I'm very happy that I ended up loving the first installment.

    I'm working on an advance copy of Ed Ifkovic's 'Run Cold', the tenth and apparently final installment in the Edna Ferber series.

    I'm waiting for the new Maddie Day book 'Murder on Cape Cod' to come out next week (and for the January 19th signing for it that will be happening in Hyannis).

    And I just ordered 'Record Scratch' by JJ Hensley that was recommended by Kris on Bolo Books.

    As for what I'm writing, this is my latest finished piece, a review of the Uriah Heep album 'Living The Dream' - http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=31036

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    1. She's wrong about what she thinks is true! See what I mean? Hmmm....

      And you have such a wonderfully varied reading list--amazing.

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  28. Oh, Hank, I am giddy! I can't wait to read this. I love the push and pull between the husband and wife - the power dynamic skewed because he's her meal ticket. Love, love, love! And I know you want to send me an ARC when it's available, right? *bats eyelashes*
    As for your question, I am reading John Scalzi's Old Man's War because our Julia recommended Scalzi awhile back and I added him to my TBR and he just made it to the top. So far, it is excellent.

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    1. Such a joy to hear this from you... awwww. And yes of course, when there are arcs, I am honored to send you one! Xxxx

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  29. Fantastic--naturally!! I can't WAIT to read. I'm already totally invested!!

    I'm reading The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian and loving.

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  30. Hank! Wow, yes!

    I'm reading Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny.

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  31. Yes, it does sound good! Do we have to wait until next August? :-)

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  32. Yes, it does sound good! Do we have to wait until next August? :-)

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