Bring it, 2024 -- And by "it" I mean BOOKS!

JENN MCKINLAY: It’s that time again, Reds, to tabulate the total of our bookstore gift cards received during the holiday season (woo hoo!) and plan our purchases for 2024! So, what are your most anticipated reads (excluding the Reds because of course we’re on the top of each other’s lists) for the coming year?

I’ll go first:

ONCE UPON A MURDER by Samantha Larsen

I absolutely loved, loved, loved the first in this new series - A NOVEL DISGUISE - An impoverished woman masquerades as a male librarian to an earl to keep the roof over her head, set in 1754. Brilliant!

ONE OF US KNOWS by Alyssa Cole

I really enjoyed WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING and am eager to see what this author does next for a suspense/thriller read.

JUST FOR THE SUMMER by Abby Jimenez

I've read all of Abby's books - she is fantastically funny, poignant, and delightful. I will read anything she writes, even her grocery list.

All right, Reds, your turn! What titles are you most looking forward to? 

HALLIE EPHRON: Top of my list: I’m looking forward to reading a book that slipped by me this year, a memoir by Patrick Bringley, All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me. 

It’s Bringley’s first book. In it he tells the story of how, after his younger brother died, grief-stricken and lost, Bringley quit his job in publishing and took a job at the Met as a guard–where  he found the time and space (and the beauty of the works of art) that he needed to grieve and heal.

I love the Met. Spent untold hours there when I was an undergrad and an art history minor at Barnard. I’ve become intimately acquainted with grief in the last two years. I don’t know how I missed this book when it came out but I’ll be making up for that in January. 

RHYS BOWEN:  with various health concerns looming over us, including a new knee for me sometime soon I need good suggestions for comfort reads!

But I am looking forward to Jackie Winspear’s last Maisie Dobbs novel. That will be bitter-sweet reading as I’ve enjoyed Maisie’s journey.

LUCY BURDETTE: Rhys, have you tried the Lane Winslow series set in western Canada? I just finished the first, A KILLER IN KING’S COVE. After a slow start, I loved the book.

I’m also hoping Santa brings me Richard Osman’s THE LAST DEVIL TO DIE, and François-Régis Gaudry’s LET’S EAT PARIS. And I’m finally going to read ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, which is already waiting on my nightstand.

JENN: I loved ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE but haven't watched the Netflix version - afraid they'll ruin it. Anyone see it?

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I'm looking forward to Deborah Harkness's THE BLACKBIRD ORACLE, the long-awaited fifth book in her All Soul's series, but that's not out until July. A little sooner is Natalie Jenner's, EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, out in May. And I am hoping there will be a new Ben Aaronovitch Rivers of London novel in 2024, although I haven't seen anything about a release yet. 

In the meantime, maybe I will get to the copy of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE on MY nightstand!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I am about to devour my idol Lisa Scottoline’s THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS, which I know will be fabulous. Oh, what else–Soon I’m going to interview Elizabeth Gonzalez James about her new THE BULLET SWALLOWER, which is billed as a magical realism Western. What?  Yup. It is fabulous so far!   SWIFT RIVER by Essie Chambers, so looking forward to it. And the wonderful Mary Kubica’s new SHE’S NOT SORRY. One more? Michael Koryta, one of my favorite authors ever, has a new novel which he’s written as Scott Carson called LOST MAN’S LANE. Cannot wait! 

(Don't you love how our choices are different?)

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Hank, I didn’t know about the Michael Koryta book - he’s one of my faves, so thank you or the heads up!

As one of our resident SF fans, top of my list is THE MERCY OF GODS by James S.A. Corey, the pen name for the writing duo that brought us the brilliant Expanse series. Humans become the captive and unwilling helpers of their alien conquerors as the latter attempts to dominate the galaxy. No one does realistic political space opera like these guys, so I’m already pre-ordered, and the book doesn’t come out until August.

And my most anticipated “haven’t read it yet but will in 2024” is YELLOWFACE by R.F. Kuang. I think Jenn has read this? It’s gotten major attention since it came out at the beginning of last summer, but of course, I’m always reading a year behind or a year ahead…

JENN: Yes, I did read Yellowface. Let me just say, it is a wild ride. There is some very cutting observations made about publishing that I enjoyed tremendously.

All right, Readers, your turn. What are you most eager to read in 2024?

What We're Reading

 LUCY BURDETTE: It's been a while since we’ve talked about what we’re reading and I miss it! I will describe a couple of the ones I’ve enjoyed recently. But first I must admit that I have stacks and stacks of books in my TBR file (see photo–it’s embarrassing.) I’m an addict. But I am always happy to hear your recommendations and add to the pile.

Laura Hankin’s THE DAYDREAMS: We’ve had Laura visit the Reds several times and I love all of her books. This one is about a teenage TV show that ended dramatically–the characters have been enticed to come back for a reunion ten years later. Lots of drama, revenge, old flames, and so on, plus a dose of understanding the damage that fame can do, especially for young people. I loved it!

J. Ryan Stradal’s SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB: Stradal writes beautifully about the Midwest, with quirky characters and food. If you enjoyed listening to Garrison Keillor's The Prairie Home Companion, this is a book for you. Great characters, delicious homemade food and restaurant life, and a solid Midwestern vibe.

Also I am listening to Julia Whelan read THANK YOU FOR LISTENING, which was recommended by Debs and Jenn. I am enjoying it very much (especially the discussion of the life of a narrator) but realizing I’m not really an audio book reader. For one, at night I fall asleep. And I think I must be a faster reader on the page. How about you Reds, anything to recommend?

JENN McKINLAY: Oh, I loved that audiobook, Lucy. I listen mostly while at the gym or walking the dogs. You can also speed up the audio if the narrator’s pace is too slow for you. Personally, I have been on a reading bender (I believe it is also known as deadline avoidance). 

I just finished the Mary Higgins Clark award winning A DREADFUL SPLENDOR by B.R. Myers. It was fantastic - all the Gothic spookiness my heart desired. I also read THE GAY BEST FRIEND by Nicolas Didomizio. For anyone who has suffered being in a wedding party (seven times for me), this book is for you! 

Next up on my TBR is THE LIBRARY AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Felicity Hayes-McCoy. It’s set in Ireland. What more do I need to say about it? Nothing. Then, I have A NOVEL DISGUISE by Samantha Larsen on deck. The premise of this one has me so intrigued. Set in 1784, a spinster has to disguise herself as her late half-brother and assume his role as the personal librarian to a Duke while searching for a lost family heirloom or she loses her home. And then, even though I say I never read literature, I have R.F. Kuang’s YELLOWFACE in the queue because the premise of one author taking another author’s work upon her death and claiming it as her own – well, I’m all in!

HALLIE EPHRON: I’m reading a book I’ve been meaning to read forever: GILEAD by Marilynne Robinson. I loved her HOUSEKEEPING when I read it eons ago. Also reading Kwei Quartey’s first novel, WIFE OF THE GODS, a murder mystery set in Ghana. I was supposed to spend a summer working in Ghana when I was in college, but the trip never happened because the airline overbooked the plane. I’m visiting it now, virtually.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ooh, you know how sometimes you get an especially lovely TRB? Welp. I have Ruth Ware’s upcoming ZERO DAYS (I’m interviewing her in person soon), JUST ANOTHER MISSING PERSON, which is the new Gillian McAllister (if you did not read her WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME, do that instantly!). And I am deeply in the midst of THE PUZZLE MASTER by Danielle Trussoni, which is so twisty and thought provoking! And so clever. Kind of... Dan Brown meets Tom Stoppard. Love it. And oh, do not miss BEWARE THE WOMAN by Megan Abbott. It is life changing and she is incredible.

And I have to add that I am always so enchanted by our different choices.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Of course I picked up books at the California Crime Writers Conference in LA weekend before last! I'm reading (my signed copy of) Jeri Westerson's Holmes pastiche, THE ISOLATED SEANCE, which is such a treat. I hope to see lots more of Badger and Watson! I also bought Adam Sikes' LANDSLIDE, an espionage thriller, as I really enjoyed Adam's panel. Going in a completely different direction, I couldn't resist Syrie James' THE MISSING MANUSCRIPT OF JANE AUSTEN. And then I heard Michelle Gagnon read from her new thriller, KILLING ME, at Noir at the Bar, and there was no way I could pass up the book after that excerpt. I predict big things for this one!

RHYS BOWEN: I am so envious of you ladies. How do you find time to read what you want to? Books you actually choose? Ah, maybe it’s because you are not crazy enough to write two and a half books a year, to agree to blurb every book that takes place in the first half of the twentieth century. I have brought my Kindle loaded with all kinds of juicy books, including Donna Leon’s and Kate Morton’s latest, but the day we arrived I was sent the Sisters in Crime anthology to which I’d agreed to write an introduction, a 1940s mystery novel going to be re-released, to which I’d agreed to write an introduction, and then the page proofs of my upcoming book. So no vacation reading for me yet. One day I’ll say no to everything and sit and read to my heart’s content! 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I wish I could send you a photo of my stack o' books, but I'm also away from home, and therefore relying on my trusty Kindle. Right before I left, I had the honor of interviewing Carla Neggers, so my reading that week was loads of her backlist, including the Sharp & Donovan novels and the Black Falls series. Also on the "just read" list, SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Emily St. John Mandel, who continues to be THE most amazing and inventive novelist working today, and CITY UNDER ONE ROOF by Iris Yamashita, a mystery set in the real town of Point Mettier, AK, where everyone and everything is housed in one high rise building. Highly recommended.

Next up for me: ALL THE DAYS OF SUMMER by Nancy Thayer, because summer isn't summer without a Nantucket book. I'm continuing in that theme with BAD SUMMER PEOPLE by Emma Rosenblum, a mystery described as "The Real Housewives of Fire Island." Who could resist that?

 

What are you reading, Reds?

A Mixed Bag of What? From Jess and Shannon

What We Wished We Knew Then

This is Jess

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Do you know Jess Lourey and Shannon Baker? If I had a million hours, I could not begin to list the superlatives that they deserve. Hilarious, first, and talented. And loving, and thoughtful, and spiritual, and authentic and genuine.

I was trying to think of a funny thing to say about them, some anecdote or experience to explain how fabulous they are, but it’s—well, Jess and I have criss-crossed the country together as part of MWA University (Hallie, too), have eaten ridiculous food and (sometimes) great wine, have taught and listened and commiserated and laughed and planned and plotted and shared the terribles and the fabulousness. Fabulousnesses.

And then along comes Shannon, who shares an editor with me—as well as an outlook and a joy and an enthusiasm to see what’s coming next.

This is Shannon

Their books are terrific.

And today, hurray, here they are on Jungle Red. And they are so fabulous, they wrote their own intro. At least—they thought they did.

THE INTRO THEY WROTE:

Today's guest post features thriller writers Jess Lourey (Salem's Cipher) and Shannon Baker (Stripped Bare), both of whose latest books hit shelves on September 6, 2016. They are embarking on their whirlwind, 30-day Lourey/Baker Double-booked Blog Tour in celebration of their dual release date. Today, they’re joining Jungle Red Writers to share what they wished they knew way back when, in the land and time before they’d written and published 19 books between them.

Jess here. I wish I had known at age 18 that youth is its own beauty, and that 125 pounds is not fat no matter what the magazines tell you. I wish I had known in my 20s how great dating would become in my 40s (all the guys have jobs and vasectomies; I am now happily married, but the point remains). Even more important than those two tips, I wish I knew three very specific things about writing way back in 2003 when I was hand-mailing query letters (featuring licked stamps! remember when?) out into the world.

   1. Writing novels is a marathon, not a sprint. May Day, my first book, hit shelves in 2006 to some good reviews (notwithstanding Kirkus, who I swear keeps ellipses in business). Twelve novels later, ten of those traditionally published, and I’m still working my day job. I don’t think the awareness that building a writing career takes time would have changed anything for me because like most writers, I write for the love of the story, not the money. Still, I maybe wouldn’t have gotten so down on myself if I hadn’t expected I’d have made it big by at least my tenth book.

   2.   I wish I had known I would make lifelong friends by joining the crime fiction community. I might have jumped in this pond sooner if someone had told me how cool all the fish are. I have all sorts of theories about why mystery writers are the best human beings you’ll ever meet, but bottom line, writing novels has brought amazing people into my life who I’m lucky enough to call friends, including Shannon, Hank, and Hallie.

   3. Everyone thinks their book is crap at various times when writing it. (If this isn’t true, don’t tell me.) Write through that stage. It is the equivalent of me at age 12 (through 19), when I thought claw bangs, frosted lipstick, and pinned jeans were the way to go. Keep moving forward, in writing and in life. Things always get better.

Shannon, you’re working on your second series, which is earning rave reviews, and you’ve been in this business as long as I have, right? What pearls of wisdom do you have to share?

Shannon: First of all, what are pinned jeans? And secondly and more importantly, huge congratulations on your recent marriage. One thing I know now that I didn’t back then is that you can find the love of your life in your middling years and it’s even better than in your twenties.

HANK: Yay Yay Yay!

Shannon: Damnit, Jess. You went first and got all the good ones. But here’s my first turd of wisdom:

   1.  Know when to quit. That’s right. I have this little disaster I call Ashes of the Red Heifer. I started writing that sucker in 1997. It’s a great premise. The TV series, Dig, is based on the same ideas. But I didn’t have the craft to carry it off. I kept working on it, though. Every time I’d learn something new, I’d rewrite the doomed thing. It went through so many critique groups it became completely homogenized. At one point, a New York agent picked it up. But 9/11 hit and no one would touch it. I hate to admit I rewrote that for over 10 years and finally sold it to a nanopress. It is out of print and shouldn’t have ever been in print. To use a Biblical reference, you can’t put new wine into an old wine skin. Let it go and start something new.

   2.  Your journey is your own. If I could internalize this point, I’d be happier and wiser than I am now. Other writers are better, luckier, smarter, more successful, prettier, thinner, have more friends…. Do what you can, be who you are, and don’t worry about someone else’s path. The Desiderata says it best. (You remember all the hippies loved that in the 70’s, right? In my new series, Kate’s mother lives by it.)

“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”  Namaste.

.        3. I'll try to stay away from quoting ancients on this one. Again, this is a do as I say, not as I do kind of thing. Try to maintain a sane perspective on this writing gig. So much of the business is out of our control. One of my friends decided in the fourth grade that she wanted to be a novelist. She is in her 50’s and hasn’t published a novel, yet. She battles depression, literally, over this. She can’t make the markets yearn for her work or force a publisher to take her on. No one knows what makes one book a runaway bestseller and a better book languish. What’s the worst thing that can happen if you don’t hit that goal you’ve set for yourself? The sun will come up, your children will still be brats, sex will still feel great, and you keep writing books. It’s writing, people, not life.

Haha! Jess here.  That's me and Shannon for you, a mixed bag of wisdom, turds and sex.

What we wished we knew then ...  

HANK: Wait, wait, I hear you wrapping up. But yeah, what are pinned jeans.

JESS: Anyone out there know? 

Thank you for joining us today! I am giving away a Salem’s Cipher and Shannon is giving away a Stripped Bare. Tell us what you wished you knew when, writing-related or otherwise, or leave a comment for a chance to win.

And because we love you best of all, we’ve got more:

If you order Salem's Cipher before September 6, 2016, you are invited to forward your receipt to salemscipher@gmail.com to receive a Salem short story and to be automatically entered in a drawing to win a 50-book gift basket mailed to the winner's home.

If you order Stripped Bare before September 6, 2016, you are invited to forward your receipt to katefoxstrippedbare@gmail.com to receive a Kate Fox short story and be entered for a book gift basket mailed to your home.

You’re welcome to enter both contests.  

HANK:  Love to you both, too. Reds--instead of trying to match their advice--lets talk about pinned jeans. What they heck are they? Did you wear them? What's the clothing choice you most regret? Shoulder pads don't count.

Mine: The lavender linen hot pants suit (very conservative) I wore to a wedding in 1972. WHAT was I thinking?

Or okay…their advice is so great. DO you have any? 

A copy of my new DRIVE TIME to once lucky commenter.

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Jessica (Jess) Lourey is best known for her critically-acclaimed Murder-by-Month mysteries, which have earned multiple starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist, the latter calling her writing "a splendid mix of humor and suspense." She is a tenured professor of creative writing and sociology, a recipient of The Loft's 2014 Excellence in Teaching fellowship, and leads interactive writing workshops all over the world. Salem’s Cipher, the first in her thrilling Witch Hunt Series, hits stores September 2016. You can find out more at www.jessicalourey.com, or find Jess on Facebook or Twitter

Shannon Baker writes the Kate Fox mystery series. Stripped Bare, the first in the series, features a sheriff in rural Nebraska and has been called Longmire meets The Good Wife. Baker also writes the Nora Abbott Mystery Series, a fast-paced mix of murder, environmental issues and Hopi Indians published by Midnight Ink. Baker was voted Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2104 Writer of the Year. She writes from the Colorado Rockies to the Nebraska Sandhills, the peaks of Flagstaff and the deserts of Tucson. Visit Shannon at www.Shannon-Baker.com

Pop on over to the Midnight Ink blog Monday as we continue the Lourey/Baker Double Booked Tour.

ON GOOD NEWS

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.
**Stephen King


It's BSP Day on Anything Can Happen Friday.
We're so delighted with all the good news you sent us! Congratulations to all from Jungle Red Writers. And keep us posted. We love to hear the latest.....

Elizabeth Zelvin's debut mystery, DEATH WILL GET YOU SOBER, will hit bookstores on April 15. That's just around the corner, especially if you haven't started working on your taxes yet. The book is available for pre-order at online bookstores and some bookseller websites. And everybody in New York is invited to the launch party at Otto Penzler's Mysterious Bookshop, says the veteran psychotherapist and addictions professional author. It's not just Liz's launch date and Income Tax Day--it's also her birthday.

http://www.elizabethzelvin.com/

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Murder On The Mind, by L.L. Bartlett
The mind is a complex entity; it can play strange tricks. Jeff Resnick's recurrent visions of a slaughtered buck take on terrible new meaning when a local banker is found in the same condition. Jeff sets out to find the killer--no matter what the personal stakes.
Dead In Red, 2nd in the series, debuts June 2008
http://tinyurl.com/3yp5xv

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Keep an eye out for the first book in Sarah Atwell's Glassblowing Mystery Series, appearing in March 2008! In Through a Glass, Deadly, glassblower Emmeline Dowell has made a home for herself among the artists of Tucson's Warehouse District. Between teaching her craft and selling her wares, Em has plenty to do–not to mention the occasional murder to put a crack in her routine. (Berkley Prime Crime, ISBN 978-0425220474)
(Sarah Atwell is the pen name of Sheila Connolly, whose Orchard Mystery series will appear in August.)

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From: Earl Merkel
My new website at Redroom.com: Where The Writers Are?? is now up and running with several audio interviews I've done for a talk-radio show I co-hosted and produced-- one of them involving Mr. Larry Block, MMA Grand Master.
On this audio segment, Lawrence Block talks about his work as a mystery-writing legend, his writing habits, and the ageless tips he first provided in his ageless writing guide TELLING LIES FOR FUN AND
PROFIT.
Another features Neil Gaiman (ANANSI BOYS, AMERICAN GODS) talking about his novels, graphic novels, screenplays... and the system he uses when he writes in collaboration.
What both writers share about their writing and their insights into the world of books is, I believe, well worth the listen.
They're available at http://www.redroom.com/author/earl-merkel
along with some other interesting stuff (including interviews with Alice Walker and Martin J. Smith, neither of whom write mysteries-- but are mysteriously intriguing in their own ways.)
For those in DL who are among the writers I'll be taping interviews with at next week's LOVE IS MURDER conference, you'll also find out just how crazy some of these segments can be.
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Felicia Donovan, author of THE BLACK WIDOW AGENCY series, continues her fundraising efforts on behalf of the Greater Squamscott Womenade . This dedicated group of women works tirelessly to provide grass roots assistance to neighbors in crisis or who have reached a stumbling block in their lives, without the complexity of red tape. Assistance can go towards things like groceries, automobile repairs, prescriptions and the like. Felicia is donating a portion of the proceeds from every book sold between Oct. 1, 2007 and Oct. 1, 2008. "Women helping other women is a subject very near and dear to the Black Widows' hearts," Donovan said. "It's a perfect fit to send the message that women are empowered when they help each other out." For more information, please visit Felicia Donovan's website at http://www.feliciadonovan.com/ .
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Susannah Charleson's SCENT OF THE MISSING, chronicling the author's adventures with her golden retriever as members of an elite Texas-based canine search and rescue team, taking readers from the wreckage of the space shuttle Columbia to the cold trail of a girl gone missing, to the trials and joys of living with a gifted search dog who isn't especially well suited to the role of obedient house pet, has sold to Houghton Mifflin for hardcover release in 2009.

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From: Jeffrey Cohen
SOME LIKE IT HOT-BUTTERED, the first in the Double Feature Mystery series (Berkley Prime Crime, ISBN: 042521799X) has been nominated for the Lefty Award for Most Humorous Mystery, to be presented at the Left Coast Crime conference in Denver on March 8. And that the second in the series, IT HAPPENED ONE KNIFE, will be available July 1. And I'm tickled to death about both those things.


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Betty Webb's new Lena Jones mystery, DESERT CUT, will be released February 10. Like all the Lena Jones books, it's set in the desert near Phoenix, Arizona, and this time, takes an entirely new look at immigration issues. As a journalist, Betty came across some information that shocked even her.
But for the cozy crowd, Betty is delighted to announce that an entirely new series of hers will hit bookstores early next year (March, 2009). "The Anteater of Death," is just the first. The books are all set in a California zoo, and star a new protagonist -- a non-neurotic zoo keeper who lives on a boat. These books will NOT be as dark as the Lena Jones books. Instead, they're actually cozies! And because they're so warm and fuzzy, Betty's editor at Poisoned Pen Press wants her to use a pen name, so Lena Jones fans won't get a nasty shock (well, a warm and fuzzy shock). So next year, be on the lookout for "The Anteater of Death," by Jo Howell -- Betty's new pen name.
Website at http://www.bettywebb-mystery.com/Blog at http://bloggingwebb.blogspot.com/

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From Jessica Park Conant and Susan Conant:
The Gourmet Girl returns to solve the murder of one bad egg when TURN UP THE HEAT, the third book in the Gourmet Girl series, arrives on March 4th.
Chloe Carter has a lot on her plate-exams for grad school are coming up, and her chef boyfriend needs her support as his fledgling trendy restaurant comes into its own. The staff of Simmer gets along like petits pois in a pod, everyone pulling pranks on one another now and then. Everyone, that is, except for Leandra, a waitress who treats the busboys like chopped liver-and can never take a joke. One morning, Leandra's dead body is found in a fish truck. So people start to wonder:
was this just a prank gone awry? Or did somebody actually want her to sleep with the fishes?
************************************ From Clea Simon:
OK, it's not much of a contest, but sort of...
I'm looking for ideas for the title of my next mystery and somehow I seem to have run out of cat pun/literary references. There are countless "claws/clause" variations I can use for a legal angle, but nothing is clicking yet. And while I love "Bright Lights, Big Kitty," I can't quite make that work either.
Anyway, I'm taking suggestions over at my blog - http://cleasimon.blogspot.com/ . If I choose yours, I'll send you a signed book and thank you in the acknowledgments. (Final title approval is up to my publisher, but if I like it, I'll send you the books and thank you anyway.)

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Pari Noskin Taichert will have the launch party for her third Sasha Solomon novel, THE SOCORRO BLAST, in Albuquerque this weekend. She'll be busy for the next few months with book signings throughout the West (and Alabama).
For more info: http://www.parinoskintaichert.com/

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I will be appearing on panels at Love Is Murder in Chicago the first weekend of February, Murder in the Magic City in Birmingham, AL the second weekend, and the Smyrna, TN library for SINC authors the last weekend of the month to speak about my new book, Fifty-Seven Heaven.
Lonnie Cruse
http://www.lonniecruse.com/

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The large-print edition of Beth Groundwater's A REAL BASKET CASE wasreleased by Wheeler Publishing on January 22nd, she signed the contractfor the sequel, TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET, last month and it will bereleased in early 2009, and her VIRTUAL DEATH manuscript is asemi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest and can be readand reviewed at: https://mail.whdh.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011ZCAME.

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From: Ayn Hunt
I'm being interviewed Friday, Jan. 25th by Melissa Alvarez on her radio show on the Net from 11 to 12 noon EST at http://blogtalkradio.com/MelissaAlvarez We'll be talking about a few paranormal things like the ghost who took up residence at our house when I was writing my first Gothic about ghosts LOL. Talk about first hand experience! And we'll also be talking about my other books and my life down here in Texas as well.
The call-in number for anyone who'd like to ask questions or make comments is 347-215-8473. Thanks!
Ayn Hunt also writing as Ayn Amorelli
Author of Unwilling Killers, Obsessed, The Haunting and
Contract Bride
www.AuthorsDen.com/aynhunt
www.GottaWriteNetwork.com/aynamorelli

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Ken Isaacson’s SILENT COUNSEL was nominated for the Arty Award for best cover art on a mystery published in 2007, to be awarded at Left Coast Crime in March. The New Jersey attorney reports that the book has been doing exceedingly well, hanging in there this month on Amazon’s list of Bestselling Legal Thrillers behind only Harper Lee’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and John Grisham’s soon-to-be released THE APPEAL. He tells us that SILENT COUNSEL has gone into its second printing. Check out his TV interview on Good Day Arizona at www.KenIsaacson.com/GDAZ_Video.htm, listen to his radio interview on WBTC Talk Radio at www.KenIsaacson.com/WBTC.htm, or hear him read a chilling excerpt from SILENT COUNSEL at www.KenIsaacson.com/Excerpt.htm .

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You’re invited to join Rosemary Harris to celebrate the publication of Pushing Up Daisies
The first in The Dirty Business Mystery series from St. Martin's Minotaur

February 5, 2008, 7pm
Wine, nibbles, & dirty(business) martinis
Partners & Crime
44 Greenwich Avenue
New York City
212-243-0440
RSVP Hector.DeJean@stmartins.com

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Got Friends? Have them stop by the comments section--we'd be happy to include them. Should we do it again? Let us know!