Good news, fabulous awards, and TWO irresistible contests!

Deborah Crombie: Lots of news this week! Yesterday, you heard about my daughter’s engagement, and Rhys’s son… (not to each other!) and thank you for all your advice. More Jungle Red news this week, the paperback of Red Hank’s much-lauded (Mary Higgins Clark winner! Anthony, Agatha, Daphne and Shamus nominee!) THE OTHER WOMAN is out!

 Hank: Thank you Debs! Yes, and you know one of the Red’s credos is “celebrate everything.” This is such a big one for me…I am so thrilled I am brazenly telling everyone about it. (Funny about paperbacks…you get to make changes from the hardcover if you want...I made ONE. But I’m not telling what it is. If you discover it, Reds, okay then, you’ll get a prize. But really—it’s no biggie.) 

Debs: Speaking of prizes… 

 Hank: Well, yeah. To celebrate summer reading, I couldn’t resist coming up with some irresistible (!) contests not only for the arrival of THE OTHER WOMAN in paperback, but the brand new THE WRONG GIRL, which is coming out in hardcover this fall! So here’s the scoop…and then see below for one more contest—just for you, Reds readers!


Did we mention:n
THE OTHER WOMAN—now in paperback
Good news, fabulous awards, and TWO irresistible contests!



    
GOOD NEWS
The paperback version of THE OTHER WOMAN is here! But wait, there's more—it includes the first three chapters of THE WRONG GIRL. (Tess Gerritsen says: "Riveting!" And Linwood Barclay says: THE WRONG GIRL has all the right stuff!") Keep reading for the irresistible contests!
    
FABULOUS AWARDS
Yes, this is the iconic Mary Higgins Clark—she presented THE OTHER WOMAN and me with the incredibly prestigious MHC award during Edgar Week.

THE OTHER WOMAN is also an Anthony, Agatha, Shamus and Daphne nominee—the only book to be nominated for all four.

    
IRRESISTIBLE CONTEST NUMBER ONE! Just send me proof you bought THE OTHER WOMAN in paperback...and you'll be entered to win your choice of a Kindle Paperwhite, a Nook Simpletouch, or a $100 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice! (Oh, okay, three winners!) And hey, if you already have the hard cover of THE OTHER WOMAN, you could use your paperback for the beach or vacation or a gift for a friend.
ORDER THE OTHER WOMAN:
   

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#HANKONTOUR!
Hope to see you this summer and fall—watch for Facebook and Twitter invitations to meet me and THE OTHER WOMAN and THE WRONG GIRL at a bookstore or library near you.
Check the entire schedule here.

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SAVE THE DATE
And mark your calendars—save the date September 10! That's when THE WRONG GIRL goes public at Brookline Booksmith! Come celebrate with delicious treats and special loot. Hope to see you there.

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WATCH THIS
Here's a fun video from BookBliss taped at BEA—with all the scoop on THE WRONG GIRL.

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IRRESISTIBLE CONTEST NUMBER TWO!
Can you pre-order THE WRONG GIRL right now? Well, of course! And proof of pre-order (print book or Macmillan audiobook version) enters you in a very special drawing—to have a character named after you in the next Jane Ryland adventure! (Told you it was irresistible!) It's a fun (and legal) way to put yourself in the middle of a murder mystery.
ORDER THE WRONG GIRL:
   

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Debs: Thanks, Hank.   Sounds terrific...and we wish you all the best.

Hank: Aw. Thank you. 

Debs:  So you said: one more contest?

Hank: Yes, indeed! One lucky Reds commenter will win an ARC of THE WRONG GIRL!  So let’s see--tell us:  are you taking any wonderful vacations his summer? Or happily staying home? 

And thank you again, dear Reds, for everything…

Plus Ca Change, Plus C'est...

 HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I remember the day TV changed. When I started as a reporter, in 1975, I saw the news director walk across the newsroom with a yellow plastic box.

"What's that?" I asked.

 

He held it up, holding it like a moon rock, or some other remarkable object. "It's a 'vid-e-o-cas-sette,' he said, pronouncing each syllable carefully. "Some people think vid-e-o-tape is  gonna replace film. But I say--it's a silly product. It'll never last."

 

I laughed, he laughed.

 You know the rest. We were wrong. And now--has the same thing happened in book world?

 

Take a look at that book in your hand. Will it someday be a relic? 

Today's blog all began when I was at the Derby Street Barnes & Noble (in Hingham, MA. A fabulous store--have you been there?)

While I was in the front of the store wooing readers to THE OTHER WOMAN, there was a salesguy in the Nook, um, nook, talking to readers about e-reading. I couldn't help but listen, reporter that I am.  He  was charming, and respectful, and funny, and knowledgeable. And he seemed to know everything.

So of course, dear Reds, I latched right onto him, figuring he knew the new secrets of the universe, and he would tell them to us!


 And now, here's David Factor. He has seen the change approaching, and embraced it--even though some of his customers have a bit of a hard time. He teaches classes in the intricacies of his ereader--and now tells all. (And I'll bet he'll be here to take your questions!)

 Inside the Nook
                    by David Factor

When I was growing up, things like ereaders were relegated to the realm of science fiction, as in an episode of Star Trek. We have now it seems, reached that stage of enlightenment. As a traditional reader for many years, I ducked it like a bill collector. As with anything, the proof is in the pudding. Try one and you may love it. A trip on the starship Enterprise is not even required.

This is not to say that you shouldn't stick with books. If books are your friends and the smell of paper pages intoxicates you, then you should not make the change. There are things that make these machines great that go beyond the odor of paper, however. Instant access to media and customized reading are two of the distinctive features that they offer. People also like the price of ebooks and the amount of space these devices save in their houses. One can also now get books from their public library right on their reader.

After working with these devices for years now, I' m still amazed at some of the questions people ask.

My favorite one is if the books are free. I often feel like saying that my company, in a brilliant plot to put themselves out of business, decided to not charge them for the ebook version.

I also love when people ask me if they're durable. I mean, compared to what? No. They are not waterproof and you should not use them in the bath. An active four year old, bless their soul, may indeed break it by smashing it on the ground.

People also want to know if their paper book libraries will automatically transfer to their device. No, there is not some way, through some bizarre osmosis, they will suddenly appear in your reader.

More than one person has asked me what would happen if they lost their place in an ebook. My response is always what if you lost your place in a real book?

People also are compelled to sometimes tell me that these devices are evil. A segment of the population seems to think that reading on a machine is unnatural and a violation of everything that is holy in the book world. I used to try to convince them that it is not a moral issue, but at this point, I find it best to not argue. Even after I say yes, books are better, they still look at me as the messenger of evil. This is no exaggeration. Despite this, I love these people as much as the digital reading heathens.

There are moments of joy as well. It's satisfying and reassuring when a 92 year old woman who doesn't own a computer embraces you because she can finally read again after her stroke. The class I teach is also extremely rewarding because of the looks of triumph people get when they learn how to use their device. Unfortunately, many bring me cookies, which of course I have to eat. After all, I can't be rude. Even if I am amongst the unholy!

HANK: Wonderful, Dave! And of course you'll eat the cookies! So what do you think, dear Reds? Are you in love with your e-reader? Was it love at first sight--or did it take a while? Do you sometimes buy a book-book AND the ebook like I do? Have you changed your opinon?

(Yesterday's winner of THE OTHER WOMAN is Diane Hale!  Send  me your address at hryan at whdh dot com! Who will win today? A version in the format of your choice to one lucky commenter.)

*************************

David Factor is a life long reader, long time bookstore employee, and converted digital reader. His interests include spending time with his family, his beloved New England Patriots, chinese food, and the music of Phish. Mr. Factor currently resides in Plainville, Massachusetts.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Didn't Try Digital Publishing: a guest blog by Jeff Shelby

Julia Spencer-Fleming: Anyone who's been around the mystery world for a while knows Jeff Shelby. Funny. Wired. Co-founder of the late, much lamented First Offenders blog. His work has garnered rave reviews, award nominations, and several rounds of semi-automatic gunfire.

But I had no idea he was smart as well. Today, Jeff is going to share his experience in what is undoubtedly the biggest thing to hit publishing since Penguin invented the paperback: digital publishing.

"There are no second acts in American Lives." --F. Scott Fitzgerald

In 2003, I signed with an agent and I signed my first honest to goodness publishing contract. After a number of years of getting nowhere, it felt like I’d finally found the magic elixir to publishing success. It felt like I was on an upward trajectory that was only going to continue going up.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

My first two novels – KILLER SWELL and WICKED BREAK, featuring P.I. Noah Braddock – came out to incredibly nice reviews in 2005 and 2006, but promptly began gathering dust on bookshelves. I was very quickly made aware that I wouldn’t be offered another contract.

No problem, I thought. I’m a published author. There will be publishers clamoring at my door.

Cue the chirping crickets.

I struggled for a number of years. I wrote more books. I changed agents. I made voodoo dolls. I had conversations with the devil (happy to report we were never really on the same page). I tried just about everything I could think of.

Nada.

Then in 2010, my luck started to change again.

My new, super-awesome agent was able to secure a deal for the third book in the Braddock series, as well as a brand new series about a stay at home dad in Texas called STAY AT HOME DEAD. (See what I did there? CLEVER.) These weren’t huge, earth-shattering deals, but they got me back in the game.

And as all of this was happening, I was keeping an eye on how digital publishing was starting to take hold and change the book world. Reading a little here and there, listening to stories from knowledgeable friends. But I hadn’t reached the jumping off point yet. I was holding onto the traditional world.

But I had a book that I thought was pretty darn good and that I wanted to test the waters with. It had made the rounds with the big houses and despite a couple of very, very close calls, it had ultimately been passed on.

I thought it would make a good experiment.

So over the holidays I published my novel THREAD OF HOPE over at Amazon through their Kindle Direct Publishing program.

I figured that I had nothing to lose. I knew the book was polished. I knew that traditional publishing doesn’t always know what sells. I knew I had a small group of people who were familiar with my name because of the other books I’d published. I knew that I could handle it if not a single soul was interested in the book because, well, I’ve known that feeling during different times in my career as a writer.

So it went live on Amazon on December 31^st, 2011.

And promptly didn’t do much of anything.

Sure, my family and friends grabbed a copy and a random copy or two would sell each day. But it did nothing to set the world on fire.

Which was actually fine because I had no expectations for the book. I was just testing the waters, learning about e-publishing and this brave new world.

When I published the book, I signed up for the KDP Select program, which most have probably already heard too much about. Long story short – the book can be loaned if you’re an Amazon Prime member and, as the author, I could give the book away for free for a few days if I wanted.

Now, I’m not here to debate the merits of giving one’s work away for free. I know all of the arguments and I can make a case for either side. But for this book, because I didn’t have any expectations and because I simply wanted to get the word out, I decided I would give the book away for free on February 6th and 7th.

When I woke up Monday morning, it was already flying. I think the most I’d sold in any one day prior to that day was six.

When I woke up that day at about 5:30am, it had already been downloaded 287 times in the approximately three and a half hours it had been available for free.

Interesting.

I got up, went to work.

And I could hear it whistling at is flew up the free bestseller list.

I admit – “free bestseller” is an oxymoron. It’s not selling. It’s giving. But seeing it climb any list that has “bestseller” in the title is always going to be welcome.

At 9:47pm on that Monday night, I checked Amazon.

THREAD OF HOPE was the most downloaded book in all of Amazon land. Not in mysteries. Not in fiction. But in all books. Number Freaking One.

I don’t recall the exact number, but THREAD OF HOPE had been downloaded somewhere in the neighborhood of 28,000 times.

Whoa. I don’t wanna gross you out here, but I MAY have peed my pants a little.

It parked itself there for all of Tuesday. I did not track the numbers exactly but it was somewhere around 40,000 downloads when it went back to paid in the middle of the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Now came the interesting part.

The paid sales were immediate.

Immediate.

And it slowly started to climb the bestseller list.

And this time it was actually selling. Meaning, money was coming to me.

It moved steadily on Wednesday and Thursday, hitting different milestones along the way. Top 100 for all books. Top 10 in mystery.

To say I was freaking out would be a bit of an understatement. But you have to understand. My career had come to a screeching halt for several years before getting jumpstarted again in 2011. And even after the jumpstart, I knew my audience was still small. In a matter of several days, I was gaining more exposure – and financial success – than I’d ever had. Seeing my name up there with Janet Evanovich and Stieg Larsson was strange and odd and fantastic and a million other things.

On Friday morning, when I woke up, it was at #4 on the mystery list, right behind the three Larsson books which had been entrenched on the bestseller list for, like, three years. That isn’t an exaggeration. Three years.

I was giddy. I think it was #25 overall – something like that. I honestly can’t recall all of the details.

At 2:15pm that day, I checked the rankings.

THREAD OF HOPE was #1 on the mystery list.

I most definitely peed my pants this time.

In approximately 110 hours, it went from complete obscurity to the bestselling book in the mystery genre at Amazon.

I wasn’t just back in the game. I was sort of at the top of it.

I was shocked. My students came into my room – I’m a high school English teacher - and I was a stuttering mess because I couldn’t focus, couldn’t concentrate.

I think it was there for about twelve hours before Larsson retook his spot atop the mountaintop.

And in the month since that crazy week, it has continued to sell. In about a month and half’s time, I’ve reached a readership larger than the one I’d reached in the previous seven years combined.

Cue the pants peeing again.

So now what? What’s the fallout?

I’m the first to admit this has all caught me unprepared. I didn’t expect for people to be clamoring for the next book in the series. I didn’t expect for people within the publishing industry – digital and print – to show interest. I didn’t expect for so much to change in such a short amount of time.

I have a lot to think about.

But I am writing. The second Joe book. The fourth Noah book. And a couple other ideas that are now percolating in my head.

And I’m hoping for a little bit more luck.

You can read Jeff's educational and entertaining blog at his website, follow him on Twitter, and fan him on Facebook (where he alerts readers when he's offering a free short story or novel!)

Do 99cent Kindle books Mean the Death of Publishing?

RHYS BOWEN: I confess to checking my Amazon stats at regular intervals--I know. It's an obsession that results in bleak despair every time my numbers go down, but I can't stop myself.
Today I found myself checking the top hundred mystery bestsellers and what a surprise--I find that most of them are ninety nine cent Kindle books. Several of them are by names I recognize--legitimate writers. So I'm wondering several things--can they actually make a good living by selling their books at 99 cents? That means they earn 33 cents a book. A thousand books gives them 300 dollars.(which it will have cost them to have the book set up in Kindle format) Ten thousand gives them $3000 . That means they have to sell an awful lot of books before this is worth their while.
Perhaps some people do sell a hundred thousand kindle books. But how would readers find out about you if you're not on that bestseller list?
My next point to ponder is whether we are lowering the expectations of the readership. Some of those 99 cent books will be good. Most of them will be poorly written and have been rejected by regular publishers. Will readers come to think that this is how a story should be? Silly question really. They are already used to the fragmented style of TV drama , the lack of characterization of action movies.
And my third point--how will this affect the publishing industry? I've already been given one star reviews by Kindle readers who are angry that my Kindle books are being sold at $11.99 (a price set by my publisher for the first year). Will those readers eventually force down the price of all books as the power and scope of the e-reader grows?

I had an interesting brush with this myself last spring when St. Martin's had me write a free e-story featuring Molly Murphy, to coincide with the release of Bless the Bride. The cover clearly says A Molly Murphy Story. It is not a full book. Suddenly I find that it had risen to #2 on free Kindle. Then I find that I am getting all these one star reviews because IT IS NOT A WHOLE BOOK. This blew me away. It was free. It was a good story. It's like getting a sample chocolate at Sees Candies and then complaining because it's not a whole box.

My point is that readers are becoming entitled. They want the best, right now, and they don't want to pay for it. And those people putting up their own 99 cent stories on Amazon are sadly catering to them. It may just mean the end to legitimate publishing.
What do you think?
(And I was asked to republish this blog that first appeared on my own Rhys's Pieces site. If you've already read it, I hope you'll forgive this repetition.)

Read It and Weep

Hank: Its True Crime Tuesday. And I have a big fat True Crime for you.
Bookstores closing.

Right?
How many of your most wonderful and rewarding experiences came in bookstores? All your lovely books piled on a table, the anticipation of how many wouldn't be left by the time the signing was over! And how many times you'd see a new reader tuck your book into their shopping cart and take it home. You'd wonder--will they fall in love? Will they tell a friend?

(We won't talk about the people who chatted us up for fifteen minutes, asked for our agent's name, and then DIDN'T buy a book. That's another blog for another day. )

And readers? How many wonderful new books could you simply not resist? How many
new authors did you meet at bookstores? How many lifelong friends did you make?

One of my very first signings was at the beautiful Borders in Braintree, Massachusetts. The manager is--well, was--Stacey Toon. She was marvelous. Caring. Really knew her stuff. And treated me like a real author.This photo was taken in April, 2007! (Hmmm. I still wear that jacket.) I loved this signing, and the many more that came afterwards. And I know it was life-changing.

But I won't be signing there anymore--and neither will you. That store is closing. And it's incredibly sad. Sad for me, sad for customers...and especially sad for the devoted employees. So I asked Stacey to tell us about it.

CLOSING CHAPTERS
Reflections on my time as a bookseller
By S.E. Toon

“Blindsided”

I didn’t see it coming, not that our store became just another unit number of over two hundred stores shuttering their doors. Sure, we were a profitable store when others wallowed in the red during the recession, so yeah, I was a bit dumbfounded by the news. What took me more by surprise was the importance my bookstore had in my life and the lives of the regulars who frequented it.

I was confident that we would ride the storm of corporate restructure with nary a scratch. I was a veteran of downsizing, having three companies in my career go through the motions. Two companies did the bankruptcy mambo and one avoided having their dance ticket punched. The end result was always the same, me having to again redefine myself.

There was an unintentional cruelty to it this time though. The List was posted online for the world to see. We were not on the list. Huzzah! My team was elated and quickly worked at fluffing down the feathers of our skittish patrons. “It’s because of you that we still are here! “ It was all about the love. Because of the numbers, a product of our customer’s loyalty, we dodged a bullet. Gratitude re-energized the staff.

Then the hammer came down.

The landlord of every remaining unit were approached and asked to come to the table to renegotiate the lease. Twenty-eight refused, twenty-eight were slated to be closed. It was business and we were about to get struck with the business end of the stick.
What was I going to do? I was currently being paid 50% less than my last career job, barely enough to pay the bills (welcome to the world of retail). If something didn’t happen and quick I would see my mortgage, already a monkey on my back, slip quickly into foreclosure. I spent over six years of my life slaving for this company and for what, to be collateral damage of some real estate overlord’s tax write-off?

All those years wasted… or so I thought.

It would be so easy to hold a pity party my every waking hour if it wasn’t for my staff. Each had their own situations, many far more dire and urgent than mine. I am humbled in their presence not only by their coping mechanisms but how they continued to do their jobs unflinching. Damn, they make me proud.

Our fate hit the news. Customers arrived in droves, heads hung low; emotional husks approaching each and every one of my booksellers to pay their respects. Each day that I made announcements to the shoppers it felt like a Twilight Zone episode where I was the lead character who for reasons unbeknownst to her was doomed to be the director of their own funeral. The wake is 9AM – 10PM, come as you are.

The patrons shared the same emotion we all felt, loss. At first it seemed rude and absurd that they would come up to us with, “I just feel horrible about this store closing.”

Each member of my staff fought back the response, ‘You feel horrible!’ The customers after all were just losing a local haunt, we were losing our livelihoods. I pictured myself in a month or two homeless, galumphing in the rain while playing with a stick and contemplating the moral of Ferdinand the Bull. It was hard to be empathetic.

As they fumbled with their words, it became clear that their sadness wasn’t just self-serving. We had become a fixture in the community, more the spirit of a library than a retail store. We were a part of their lives, the good part. It was here they escaped the day to day grind for a cup of joe, a comfy chair, and a momentary escape into a world of intrigue, romance or heady meandering.

When I was young my mom told me “You can go anywhere between the covers of a book” That was in part an excuse for the family not going on any fancy, shmancy vacations, but as I lived my life no truer words have ever been said to me.

My regulars (or irregulars depending on the given day) took those words to heart as well. They would find a place in the store and prepared to be transported. I would recommend titles based on their likes, more a travel agent than a bookseller. Many would head to the registers to take their newfound destinations home. We didn’t sell books, we sold dreams; some escapes, some aspirations, some meditations on or from this thing called life.

Our closing wouldn’t just be another empty storefront, a blight on the landscape of the American dream. It would be the removal of a part of the town square. Each customer (and I mean our customers not the myriad of bargain hunters who never frequented our store in the first place) shared their sadness in their own way while trying to keep a lid on their pent up anger. Then there was the silence, nothing more to say and they would leave to find new treasure in our now depleted stacks..

We cared. We made them feel welcome. We love books and were willing to share that love with them. We sold books and we were good at it.

It made no difference now. It was over. The weeks that would follow would just be a long stream of farewells and crowd control.

All my staff and I can do is what we do. My store is well into its second week of liquidation, its stock growing increasingly lean. Still, I can commune with my guests, perhaps pull out of the rubble a small gem to capture their imagination and for a few moments take them away from lower pay, higher prices and an undetermined future.

Perhaps they can find passion in a war torn land, rise out of poverty and abuse by their bootstraps or discover just how cellophane the human experience while contemplating the miracle of the opposable thumb.

Then, for as long as those pages turn, everything will be alright.

*****************
Stacey Elizabeth Toon is a soon to be ex-bookseller and the author of the YA novel The Pirates of Lobster Cove presently seeking representation. Friend Tales of Lobster Cove on Facebook or email at TalesofLobsterCove@comcast.net .


So, dear REDS: What can you say to Stacey--and your pals at bookstores? Are any in your neighborhood closing? Do you think that's a TRUE CRIME?

iPadless in San Francisco

RHYS: I have a confession to make. I was not one of those people sitting on the sidewalk all Friday night in order to be one of the first to buy an iPad. Neither, I suspect, were my blog-sisters.

In our past discussions we seem to be conservative bunch (in the non-political sense)when it comes to new technology. Maybe cautious sums it up better. Maybe sensible is closer to it. I've never been a gadget person, never lusted after the latest gizmo. In fact by the time I acquire and learn to use a piece of technology, it's just about to become obsolete. And the only reason I buy new is when the old one gives up the ghost (as computers are inclined to do about every three years).

Okay, I do have another confession: I did once yearn for a technological wonder--and this will date me horribly--it was when transistor radios came out when I was a teenager. They were so expensive that I didn't dare ask for one for Christmas. But in my stocking I found a battery. I couldn't think what it could be for and then the hope and wonder spread through me. It couldn't be....but it was! I still remember the utter joy of it. So maybe now I understand a little better those who sat on the sidewalk all night for their iPads.

So dear Jungle Red sisters and friends--have you bought an iPad yet? Are you going to? Did you ever lust after a gizmo of any kind?

JAN: As the new owner of an iPhone, I have respect for gizmos. Still, the iPad does too much stuff for me. I don't need one more connection to the Internet. But I do fantasize about the Kindle.

HALLIE: Like you, Rhys, I hate throwing anything away as long as it's still working. I had an ancient cell phone that mortified my children who threw a party when it finally gave up the ghost.

It took me years to get an iPod and though I like it I hate that I can't just plug the darned thing in and play music. Earplugs and chargers and downloads and docking stations...lots of overhead with that contraption. And though I do occasionally lust for a Kindle (when packing for a trip) the truth is I am perfectly happy without one.

What I want to know is where do all those kids get all that money? We're talking expensive gizmos.

RO: This is why Americans are carrying such credit card debt...but THAT's another blog.

Yes, I'm a late adapter. Got my Ipod late (why would I ever want to burn cds?) Blackberry is only 2-3 years old (But I don't want anyone to reach me everywhere..) Haven't been paying that much attention to the whole IPad thing, it just looks like a minicomputer which I bought last year. Now I'll have to check it out so that I don't feel like such a loser, although it's probably not in my future. I owned an IPhone for about six hours and then returned it. Horrible experience - and I don't enjoy being around a bunch of pimply kids who think they're "geniuses."

The real thing that's changed my life is the GPS. How did I live without that thing? How did writers go on tour?

BTW The battery in the stocking is so sweet!

RHYS: Ro,I completely agree with the GPS. Apart from Mildred's annoying and critical voice when I make a wrong turn, she is invaluable.

HANK: I lust for an iphone every day. But I'm not getting one, because I'd be on it all the time. It's purely self-preservation. And thumbs down on the ipod, too. It drives me crazy that's eveyone's so plugged in, they can't hear anything going on in the real world.

How-ever. I'd kinda like to have an ipad. And a Kindle. Okay, I wouldn't line up for one. And I'm perfectly happy without either one. Um, for now.

And hey: Did you see the Modern Family episode about the iPad? The MOST amazing product placement ever in history, it's just got to be. (But I still love Modern Family.)

And iPad is a dumb name. Just my opinion.

RHYS: I asked for an iPod for Christmas last year as I thought it might be plesant to listen to music while I was waiting for a flight, in a doctor's office etc. I told John I wanted a simple mp3 player. He bought me the iPod touch, which is essentially the iPhone without the phone. So far I have put a lot of photos on it to show other people my trip to Australia and my grandkids, and I have put tons of music on it, but I haven't touched any aps yet--Jan, I'm tempted to download the virtual tennis game and waste time trying to beat Serena.
But from what I read the iPad has been described as the iPod on steroids--it browses the web, sends emails, plays DVDs and music, acts as a Kindle to read ebooks. So the only fuction I don't already have is a good ebook reader--and I like the feel of a real book in my hands, although I have to confess that maybe, just maybe on a trip a Kindle might be nice...

Small pleasures in time of Recession

RHYS: I've just been traveling around the country, attending two big mystery celebrations--the first, Malice Domestic, honors the traditional mystery as written by Agatha Christie (hence the Agatha awards for which both Rosemary and I were nominated, but unfortunately didn't win this time). The second was the festival of mystery in Oakmont, PA. This wonderful event brings together readers and writers and it's so good for a writer's ego. One sits surrounded by large stacks of books and signs copies all evening as the stacks get lower and lower. I was interested to see that the number of attendees was not down this year, however I sold fewer hardcovers than usual. Readers told me they are getting their hardcovers from the library this year and only buying paperbacks. So it's hard to know how much the recession will affect our sales. In past recessions book buying was up because it was an affordable escape. But now, with Netflix and all the things one can do with a computer, we have stiff competition.

It's interesting that one of my series (the Royal Spyness books) is set in the Great Depression, and shows people making similar economies in hard times. My heroine's sister-in-law, the duchess, has been reduced to toast at tea time instead of crumpets but still has to have her Fortnum's jam on it. Of course there is no comparison between the level of hardship during those years and what we are going through now--unless we are the unlucky ones who have lost our jobs or homes, of course. Then this time is every bit as bleak. My own daughter has been unemployed for over a year, and a large chunk of her unemployment money goes on Cobra, trying to keep up her health insurance. Let's hope that health reform comes quickly as this is ridiculous.

I've been lucky enough that my books are still selling well, but I believe I could live very simply if I had to. We eat healthily but my husband loves to shop for weekly specials so we have a freezer full of things that were on sale. I don't buy many clothes. I could actually live for many years with the clothes I already have (but I wouldn't want to do that, of course). I don't use many cosmetics. We have Netflix and rarely go to the movies. However we do love to travel. That would be the one thing I'd hate to give up--and of course there are fabulous travel bargains at the moment.

So what have you cut back on, or given up? What are you unwilling to give up? What small pleasures do you still allow yourself? Are you still buying books or getting them from the library? Have you invested in a Kindle yet?

ROBERTA: We don't have a vacation planned for this summer--we'll see if that holds! And we've bandied about the idea of a new car--that's been put on ice, too. I know plenty of people run their car's mileage up over 100,000--I just don't like the idea of having to rely on a guardian angel in case the thing breaks down. In general, we're thinking more and buying less. Trouble is, my husband is convinced this is exactly the kind of behavior that will keep the country's economy from really picking up. What do you all think of that? (And by the way, one thing I refuse to cut out is shopping at our local farmer's market. I've been waiting all winter for that to open back up!)

HANK: So interesting! Well, okay, confession. I still buy lattes. I still buy my perfume (Hermes 24 Faubourg). However: Our car is from 2001! And I'm not really interested in a new one. I, too, am shopping in my closet. I'm hoarding my Jo Malone bath gel. And every grocery shopping trip, I pick up the 4.99 a pint blueberries...think about them longingly...and put them back. And then I get so annoyed. I miss the blueberries.Hmm. Does that make any sense? Perfume yes, blueberries no?

JAN: I'm not sure how we economize ever makes a lot of sense. I'm really big on shutting off lights, and sometimes if you heard me talking to my kids, you'd think this WAS the great depression. But I'll spring for a totally unnecessary cashmere cardigan - I mean, I had to... it was just exactly the right coral color....

So how about it, dear blog visitors--are you cutting back or doing without?

On Book Clubs

JAN: I joined a book club about ten years ago in hopes of getting greater insight into the way different readers respond to different books.

But the funny thing about book clubs is they get to be about a lot more than just books.

Our group is all women. About twelve of us now, and at least half of us have been together for ten years. We’ve given each other advice on hair dressers, yoga teachers, ski lodges, and the best New York hotels. We’ve supported each other over miscarriages, divorces, parents' deaths, and trouble with our children. We’ve celebrated birthdays and book launches and major promotions.

Last summer, one of our members, Beth was promoted from commander to captain in the Navy Reserves. We all attended a military ceremony on the USS Constitution in Boston. It was an emotional and beautiful event, illuminating service and dedication. We were all blown away with pride. Afterwards, we got a private tour of the historical battleship, and toasted Beth's promotion with champagne cocktails at brunch aboard the cruise ship Odyssey.

Last week, our book club got together for a different kind of party. This one was to say goodbye. Beth was assigned to a command post in Iraq. She’ll be gone for at least a year.

Because of Beth's attitude about the assignment – that it was an exciting opportunity – we treated it as a celebration. Rose hosted, we all brought food and wine, and even spouses were invited. Beth arrived in a terrific black cocktail dress accessorized with Navy issue desert boots.

We did not cry. At least not at the party. We gave Beth a gift certificate for her new Kindle so she could keep up with the books we were reading. We were quite bossy about expecting her opinion of each month’s choice by email.

We will be thinking about what we can send her, and what we can do for her family left behind. But mostly, we’ll be reading all news out of Iraq with a new intensity. We'll start seeing the war a lot closer up, holding our breath after each new terrorist attack, and praying hard until the day she comes home.

What are we reading for next month? I can't remember.