FreshFiction...for today's reader

Robert M. Edsel | “Finally, A Woman!”

2009-11-20T02:15:00.001-05:00

I recently appeared on the Morning Joe program alongside legendary historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to discuss my new book, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. I had just finished telling the hosts, Mika Brzezinksi and Willie Geist, how excited I was to write about a woman heroine in the dramatic story of this small group of museum directors, curators, art historians, architects and artists who volunteered to save so much of the great cultural treasures of our western world, including paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and sculpture by Michelangelo, from the destruction of World War II and theft by Hitler and the Nazis. In fact, I stated my belief that Rose Valland was the greatest heroine of World War ll. Upon making that statement, Doris Kearns Goodwin raised her fists triumphantly and said, “Finally, a woman!”

This small group, numbering no more than a dozen men on the ground within about a month of the D-Day Normandy landings, and no more than 60 or so in all of Europe responsible for protecting structures (hence the moniker “Monuments Men”) and other works of art, were faced with an impossible task. With an average age of about 40 years, most all with accomplished careers and families, these men and women had every reason not to volunteer for service in harm’s way. Still, they felt they had an important contribution to make; they wanted to serve. Without vehicles, (many hitchhiking their way from place to place) and supplies, they depended on their resourcefulness and creativity in solving problems never before confronted by an army attempting to fight a war on the one hand while mitigating damage to cultural treasures on the other.

Upon arriving in Paris, one of our heroes, Monuments Man James Rorimer (who, like most other Monuments Men and women would make significant contributions to the cultural development of our nation, in this instance as only the sixth director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art) would meet Rose Valland, a French woman who worked under the watchful eyes of the Nazis for four long years making secret records as they stole tens of thousands of works of art from collectors and dealers in Paris. Unbeknownst to the Nazis, Rose understood German. Had she been caught---and there were several close calls, she would surely have been executed. Her relationship with Rorimer was a key element in the success of the Monuments Men locating and ultimately returning to France many of the works stolen by the Nazis.

Read the rest of the fascinating story of the Monument Men (and women)

Fresh Pick | MOONBURN by Alisa Sheckley

2009-11-20T01:59:00.000-05:00

June 2009
On Sale: May 19, 2009
Featuring: Red Mallin; Abra Barrow
368 pages
ISBN: 0345505883
EAN: 9780345505880
Mass Market Paperback
$6.99

Fantasy Urban
Buy at Amazon.com

Moonburn by Alisa Sheckley

Some instincts are too powerful to deny. Except when the moon is full...

Some instincts are too powerful to deny.

In the past year, veterinarian Abra Barrow has gone through some major changes: She’s left Manhattan for the deceptively quiet small town of Northside, ditched her cheating husband, and discovered that he has infected her with the rare werewolf virus. Now Abra is finally beginning to feel as if she has her life under control–except when the moon is full.

But then, all of a sudden, Abra starts losing her temper–and her inhibitions–even when the sun is shining. Her new man, shape-shifting wildlife expert Red Mallin, seems to know more about her condition than he’s letting on, but he’s a little preoccupied with strange creatures that have been crossing the dimensional border.

With her hormones in overdrive, Abra finds herself releasing the beast in all the men around her. As life in Northside becomes increasingly more peculiar–and more perilous–she must decide whom she can trust . . . when she’s not even sure she can trust herself.

A darker and more satisfying fantasy than your typical tale of urban weres.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Manhattan is not the center of the universe. It only feels that way. But outside of the immense gravitational pull of that small island, there are whole other realms of existence.

For the past year, I’ve been living in the town of Northside, which is two hours from the city but subscribes to an alternate reality. Winter arrives earlier and tests your resourcefulness. The moon is more of a presence. Your regular waitress not only knows exactly what you’re going to order, she also knows how much money you have in the local bank, the status of your divorce negotiations, and your entire medical history, down to the name of the prescription cream you just called in to the pharmacy.

Yet there are also secrets that are easier to conceal here, buffered by trees and mountains and distance Read More... Previous Picks

DAILY DOSE | The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

2009-11-19T17:44:00.003-05:00

Everyone once and a while, you discover an extraordinary piece of prose. The work captivates your imagination with history, compelling characters, rich, vibrant settings and language so alluring that you cannot put it down. I do not review books often for the Daily Dose, but I really want to share this book with you.

Best Read of 2009

Presumptuous as the statement may be, considering we’re six weeks out from 2010, but for me, THE SPLENDOR FALLS was hands down the best book I’ve read all year. The first thirty pages captivated me, inviting me in to sit and stay a spell. Because I was only able to read in drips and drabs, I was forever grumbling about having to close the book to work, to drive, to eat and yes, even to sleep.

In three pages, we meet Sylvie Davis, embrace her talent and cringe as she breaks her leg on the stage. The visceral crunch of the bones made me wince, the fall made me cringe and referring to the incident forever as The Accident made me sad. I danced when I was younger, I was not a prime ballerina, but I danced pretty well. I tore my knee when I was fifteen and that ended any future in dancing that I might have had because the knee would never be strong enough to take that type of punishment.

When Sylvie Davis stared at the bleak road that detoured away from the bright, dedicated future, she was lost. Her mother marrying a shrink and everyone urging Sylvie to just ‘get over it’ compounds her depression, a natural extension. The loss of dance, hot on the heels of losing her father is more than enough to send a girl into a tailspin. At her mother’s wedding reception, she chased a Vicodin with some champagne, drowning her sorrows and in one, quiet, unguarded moment, she lets herself feel all the pain, misery and loss wishing and hoping that a magical solution could repair what an accident of fate has torn in her.

Preemptive Literature

Enthralled with the story of Sylvie Davis, the plantation of Bluestone Hill and Old Cahawba, I literally couldn’t stop thinking about the book. My own story began to stutter because images of kudzu, Gigi barking and even the smell of lilacs wafted to me from the book. I finally conceded to temptation, stopped fighting the magic and finished the book.

Rosemary Clement-Moore, your work astounds me! Every vivid description, every tense moment, every hand thrown up in frustration and at the heart of it, the history of both the land and the stones … I could go on and on and on. Marketed as young adult, THE SPLENDOR FALLS is a suspenseful, rich gothic tale ---ageless as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and even more engaging. If you haven’t picked up THE SPLENDOR FALLS, you really have no idea what you’re missing.

A Little History

In September, I met an author named Rosemary Clement-Moore. I picked up her first book PROM DATES FROM HELL and her most recent release. I devoured PROM DATES FROM HELL, laughing all the way through the book. The heroine’s plucky, snarky humor was laugh out loud funny even in the darker situations. I did not start THE SPLENDOR FALLS right away. In fact, the first time I cracked open the book was last Saturday waiting to go to lunch with some friends before attending the "Getting Fresh with Vampires" panel. I made it about thirty pages before people started arriving, but that was just long enough for the siren to begin calling.

Have you read THE SPLENDOR FALLS?

A lifelong writer turned author, Heather Long's first book Remembering Ashby is available for purchase at Sapphire Blue Publishing. Coming soon is the urban fantasy: Prime Evil. The Daily Dose explores books, television, writing and more -- all topics that Heather enjoys.

Elisabeth Naughton | Getting a Bonus, Two Love Stories for Price of One!

2009-11-19T01:10:00.000-05:00

Who isn’t look for a good deal? Especially in this day and age where the economy’s in the toilet and we’re all searching for ways to save a buck or two? I have always been a fan of great love stories. So it’s always a plus when those stories I love include not only a main romance but a secondary one as well. Two of my favorite contemporary books include secondary romances-Perfect, by Judith McNaught and Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Often times, when rereading old books (which I tend to do when I just want to relax), I skim over sections that aren’t related to the main plot. But I never skip the secondary love stories in these two books. And it’s a testament to these writers that their secondary characters have sucked me in as much as the main characters.

There will always be a debate among readers as to whether or not secondary romances have a place in romance novels or if they’re just "filler". Sometimes-I will admit-that’s what they feel like. A way for the author to stretch their page count. But if done right, a secondary romance is tightly interwoven into the main plot and adds to the main romance. It doesn’t detract. It adds substance and balance that may not be there otherwise. That’s not always easy to do. But you know when you’ve seen it done right, and you remember those authors who do it well.

Read the rest and learn how to win!

Fresh Pick | ETERNAL MOON by Rebecca York

2009-11-19T01:04:00.001-05:00

Moon #10

April 2009
On Sale: April 7, 2009
Featuring: Renata Cordona; Jacob Marshall
304 pages
ISBN: 0425227006
EAN: 9780425227008
Paperback
$7.99

Romance Paranormal, Romance Suspense
Buy at Amazon.com

Eternal Moon by Rebecca York

They are destined to be together for all eternity—if they can defeat the evil stalking them.

Determined to stop a madman, P.I. Renata Cordona is undercover when she’s almost attacked by a pack of vicious dogs. A lone wolf saves her. Then, out of nowhere, a man with an electrifying touch appears—the man who is clearly her destiny.

Good and evil clash down through the ages in a struggle for supremacy. Renata Cordona is the reincarnation of an ancient goddess. Werewolf Jacob Marshall is a dog whisperer and her true consort. They have met countless times through the centuries in different lives. And each time, a demon steps into the equation to keep them from fulfilling their destiny. They've never been strong enough to fight the ancient evil. But can a werewolf change the equation? Or will they repeat the pattern of destruction and doom humanity along with themselves?

Previous Picks

Daily Dose | Tis the Month Before Christmas

2009-11-18T13:11:00.002-05:00

'Tis the month before Christmas, and all through the 'Net

Every creature is stirring, including our Vets;

Virtual shopping and wish lists are begun with care

In hopes that packages will soon be shipped there;

The children want everything they see,

While parents wrestle with decorations, stockings and tree;

And I in my pajamas, with mocha for a treat

Settle in for a long winter’s Tweet,

When out in the living room there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the computer to see what was the matter.

Away to the front room, I flew like a flash,

Banging my toes and cursing balderdash.

The kids bouncing on the sofa like our dog the collie

Pointing to the television and the commercial ads and folly,

Santa Claus and his elves hard at work in their shop,

Creating toys and wonders from previous years at the top,

With video drivers, transformers and Barbie too

I knew in a moment just what to do

Sliding on the iPhone I sent text messages too

My husband, he laughed and called me a name

It was funny and jolly and little bit beyond tame

I waved to the kids and back to the computer I went

To share the experience in a tweet and vent

Moms and dad the world round

Nodded their heads at what I had found

For Christmas is coming in shops, commercials and decorated websites

And my credit cards are groaning … now what did I do with the lights!?

A lifelong writer turned author, Heather Long's first book Remembering Ashby is available for purchase at Sapphire Blue Publishing. Coming soon is the urban fantasy: Prime Evil. The Daily Dose explores books, television, writing and more -- all topics that Heather enjoys.

Anna DeStefano | Legacies Are Amazing Things

2009-11-18T00:10:00.001-05:00

As a writer, I hope creativity will be one of the gifts I pass on to my son. It can be a scary venture, weaving story together from nothing, then sharing that vision with the world. But the results can be nothing short of amazing. Whatever your passion and gift, everyone can find a creative outlet to challenge and sustain them. The wonder of seeing others respond to your gift is a miracle you should experience at least once in your life.

By definition, a legacy is a gift of property, or anything handed down from the past. My paranormal romantic suspense series from Dorchester is an exciting escape into the lives of psychic twins who are just discovering the power of their legacy: the ability to feel and control what others are feeling, and to harness others' dreams. They spent Book One-Dark Legacy -fighting to keep a secret team of government scientists from shaping their minds into direct-strike psychic weapons. In Book Two, Secret Legacy, Sarah and Maddie Temple are still on the run. Only now the government has a psychically gifted child in its grasp-another piece of the Temple Legacy the twins never knew existed. Instead of fighting to escape the danger their powers have brought them, the twins must embrace and risk what they are, or an innocent life will be lost.

At it's core, my psychic series is about exactly what I want to pass on to my child, and hopefully his children one day-dreams. I'm having a blast as I draft Secret Legacy, delving deeper into the dream theory I could only touch on in Book One. Instead of spooky forests, Sarah Temple is dreaming of oceans and currents and being drawn toward either darkness or light. Is it nightmare that she's seeing? A premonition of danger to come? Or the chance to redeem her questionable gifts, for the sake of a child she's never met, and an unsuspecting world that doesn't realize how close to reality psychic warfare has become?

Success hinges on whether Sarah can embrace her dreams, rather than hiding from what she was created to be. And whether she can learn to trust the people who would help her grow into her full power, including Secret Legacy's hero, Dr. Richard Metting-Sarah's soul mate, and the person she's most determined to run from.

There's a key message at the core of this series (and at the center of all of our lives, I suspect): we were born to bring something to the world no one else can. We're here to create and share what is uniquely us, and to fight for that individuality--every dark and light part of it. Artists from the beginning of time have shown us the beauty that results when a person bravely embraces her latent gift to create. But there have been countless masterpieces lost, too, because one sensitive soul after another was too frightened of trying and failing, to even begin.

Read the rest and learn how to win Anna's contest

Fresh Pick | DEADLY DESIRE by Keri Arthur

2009-11-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

Riley Jenson, Guardian #7

April 2009
On Sale: March 24, 2009
Featuring: Riley Jensen
368 pages
ISBN: 0553591150
EAN: 9780553591156
Mass Market Paperback
$6.99

Romance Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Deadly Desire by Keri Arthur

Seduction that kills. Pleasure to die for.
She just can’t resist . . .

Guardian Riley Jenson always seems to face the worst villains. And this time’s no different. For it’s no ordinary sorceress who can raise the dead to do her killing. But that’s exactly what Riley expects to find at the end of a trail of female corpses used—and discarded—in a bizarre ritual of evil. With pressure mounting to catch one fiend, another series of brutal slayings shocks the vampire world of her lover, Quinn. So the last thing Riley needs is the heat of the upcoming full moon bringing her werewolf hormones to a boil—or the reappearance of a sexy bounty hunter, the rogue wolf Kye Murphy.

Riley has threatened Murphy with arrest if he doesn’t back off the investigation, but it’s Riley who feels handcuffed by Kye’s lupine charm. Torn between her vamp and wolf natures, between her love for Quinn and her hots for Kye, Riley knows she’s courting danger and indulging the deadliest desires. For her hunt through the supernatural underworld will bring her face-to-face with what lurks in a darkness where even monsters fear to tread.

An action-packed, emotionally charged addition to the brilliant Riley Jenson Guardian series

Previous Picks

Shanna's Road Journal | Exploring 'Suburban Fantasy'

2009-11-17T16:34:00.001-05:00

I've been on a deadline, so I've barely left the house lately, which rules out being "on the road," and I haven't even been around much online, but there was a panel topic from FenCon back in September that's been churning around in my brain ever since then. The panel was on "suburban fantasy," and that's brought up some thoughts about where contemporary fantasy novels take place.

The current "urban fantasy" genre seems to draw heavily from the hardboiled detective novels, with a somewhat outsider hero (or heroine) who is tough and street smart, dealing with the underworld. In urban fantasy, that hero usually has some kind of supernatural powers or status, and the underworld is the world of the paranormal. But what about contemporary fantasy stories that don't use the city as a setting?

The suburbs would seem like an ideal place to explore the idea of the "other." In our culture, we think of the suburbs as a place of sameness and conformity. The houses all look alike, and every shopping area has the same national chain stores and restaurants. Anyone who doesn't quite fit in can be made to feel very left out. Now multiply that by hundreds of times by making the "other" be not just someone who dresses differently and likes different music, but also is some kind of supernatural or magical being who has to keep that status a secret. In an urban setting, at least all the oddballs manage to find each other and establish a kind of community, but what does a vampire, werewolf, faery or wizard do in suburbia? Then there's the small town environment, which may not have quite the same level of physical sameness but which does tend to be a place where it's hard to keep secrets. These settings might create even more conflict for our supernatural main characters.

There have been a few books that take the urban fantasy type stories or mythology and put them in different contemporary settings. Julie Kenner's demon- hunting soccer mom series, starting with CARPE DEMON, involved a suburban housewife who was also a retired demon slayer forced out of retirement. I'm currently reading a book called ELFLAND by Freda Warrington, which explores a fae magical culture in a modern English village. And I do have my suspicions about a large "fairy ring" of toadstools that keeps appearing in my suburban neighborhood. I know there's a story there.

Shanna Swendson writes "Fairy Tales for Modern Times" and is the
author of the Enchanted, Inc. series about a Texan in New York City, a
magical NYC. Visit her
website or blog
for more information.

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

2009-11-17T03:49:00.001-05:00

We all have our comfort zones. We have stores we like to shop in. We have shows we like to watch. We have books and authors we like to read. So tempt us or tease us with new authors and new genres and we'll still hesitate.

Discovering New Authors

There are many ways to discover a new author. For example, you may meet them via a book signing. A few months ago, my daughter went to an American Girl meeting at the local Barnes and Noble, a young lady, just fifteen years old was signing a book she wrote about how she and her family came to America. My daughter was fascinated. They spent thirty minutes talking and she autographed the book for her, a book that my daughter eagerly read when she came home.

More than a year ago, I stopped in at another Barnes and Noble where an author by the name of Rick Riordan was signing books. I listened to him talk while I was browsing, the more I listened, the more interested I became. I ended up picking up two of his books – PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTING THIEF and PERCY JACKSON AND THE SEA OF MONSTERS. I gave the books to my nephew and he fell in love. I’ve since read them and love them too,

Similarly I’ve discovered other authors including Candace Havens, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Michele Bardsley and more – just by going to book signings. Funnily enough, I found Dakota Cassidy completely by ‘accident’. My mother-in-law checked out THE ACCIDENTAL WEREWOLF because the blurb on the back made her laugh out loud.

It made me laugh too!

Recommended by the Ones You Love

My husband is another great source of new authors. He’s picked out Sherrilyn Kenyon, Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine and Sharon Shinn – all of which he gave me as presents over the years. He’ll often pick up books on a whim, bringing them home so I can check them out and read them. Some are successful, some are not. In return, I’ve introduced him to Kelley Armstrong and Jim Butcher.

The great part of receiving a book as a gift is that you may never have picked it up for yourself, but since it’s a gift, you have a risk-free ticket to visit that author’s vision. In tough economic times, it’s really hard to turn down a free ride on the imagination train

Over the last couple of years, you can add book bloggers, Twitter and Facebook to my book recommendation sources that expand my comfort zone despite the protests of my bookshelves.

What sources invite you to step outside your comfort zone?

A lifelong writer turned author, Heather Long's first book Remembering Ashby is available for purchase at Sapphire Blue Publishing. Coming soon is the urban fantasy: Prime Evil. The Daily Dose explores books, television, writing and more -- all topics that Heather enjoys.

Fresh Pick | MORTAL SINS by Eileen Wilks

2009-11-17T00:13:00.000-05:00

World of the Lupi #5

February 2009
On Sale: February 3, 2009
Featuring: Lily Yu; Rule Turner
352 pages
ISBN: 0425225526
EAN: 9780425225523
Mass Market Paperback
$7.99

Romance Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Mortal Sins by Eileen Wilks

FBI Agent Lily Yu and her werewolf lover are embroiled in a series of murders, each linked to a form of dangerous “death magic.”

FBI agent Lily Yu is in North Carolina with her lover and mate Rule Turner, lu nuncio of the Nokolai werewolf clan, where he is to take custody of his son from the boy’s grandmother. It’s a purely personal trip until Rule, in wolf form, finds three bodies in a shallow grave. They carry the stench of death magic, which makes the murders a federal crime. Lily takes charge of the investigation, and soon realizes that nothing adds up—not the motives, not even the accused killer, who’s behind bars when death strikes again.

But murder, however bizarre, is an everyday affair for Lily, who was a homicide cop before being recruited into the FBI’s Magical Crimes Division. A more personal shock arrives in the person of Rule’s son’s mother. Why is she challenging Rule’s long standing plan to bring his son to live among the Nokolai?

But family must take a back seat when the violence escalates, and there’s no rhyme or reason for the killer’s next strike—a killer who may not even be of this world...

Another suspenseful tale in the excellent World of the Lupi series.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Southern air holds on to scent. Scent is vapor, after all, a chemical mist freed by heat to hang, trapped, in moist air. In his other form, Rule knew this.

In this form he knew only the richness. His world was more scent than sight as he raced through silver-shadow woods, through air heavy with moisture and fragrance. Layers and layers of green overlaid the complex stew of water from a nearby stream with its notes of kudzu, rock, and fish. Rhododendron’s subtle vanilla scent jumbled with moss, with dogwood and buckeye and the sugary scent of maple, punctuated by the cool tang of pine.

But it was the musk, blood, and fur scent of raccoon he chased.

A three-quarter moon hung high overhead as he leaped the stream, muscles reaching in exhilarated approximation of flight. He Read More... Previous Picks

Shobhan Bantwal | How Do You Handle Malicious Reviews?

2009-11-17T00:06:00.000-05:00

As a new author, one of the most valuable and painful lessons I learned was that not every soul in the universe is going to adore my books. Before becoming published writers, many of us who eventually get there harbor delusions about throngs of fans clamoring to read our books and that every one of them will fall in love with our stories. Alas, that dream vanishes with a quiet, rueful sigh.

The agony of reading that first acrid review is something only a published author knows and lives with. Knowing full well that Amazon and other sites, especially blogs, will serve up reviews crawling with fangs, talons, needles, and venom, we still visit the sites with anxious yet hopeful hearts. Every time we see terms like cheesy, poorly-written, clichéd, total waste of time and money, tawdry, tedious, and pedestrian, we wince and try to quell the tears burning our eyelids.

To read more of Shoban's blog about reviews please click here.

Sharon's Cozy Corner | Interview with Laura Childs

2009-11-16T15:17:00.003-05:00

Do you remember who wrote the first “cozy mystery” you ever read? I do – it was by the late, great southern author Anne George, who wrote the sassy Southern Sisters Mystery series. It was after enjoying her delightful writing style that I began to seek out more books in this genre.

I was thrilled to discover there were “cozies” written using all types of settings – catering businesses, bakeries, flower shops – and then, be still my heart – I found a series set in one of my all-time favorite towns, Charleston, South Carolina, and in one of my favorite types of places – a tea shop!

And so I was introduced to the wonderful mystery world of author Laura Childs – it was love at first read!

Gerry Schmitt, who writes as Laura Childs, is the author of the Tea Shop Mystery series which features Theodosia Browning, the owner of the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston. She also writes the Scrapbooking Mystery series, in which Carmela Betrand is the owner of the Memory Mine scrapbook shop in New Orleans, Louisiana.

And if those series weren’t enough to keep her busy, Childs’ has recently introduced a new series, the Cackleberry Club Mysteries, which features not one, but three lovely ladies, Suzanne, Toni and Petra, who manage to solve a crime or two while running a delightful café/book shop/knitting shop.

Needless to say, Gerry/Laura Childs is one busy lady. So I was honored when she accepted my request to be my very first author interview here at the Cozy Corner.

Sharon: At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Laura: I wrote a short story, George, the Ghost, at age 7. I’ve been writing (advertising, screenplays, novels) ever since!

Sharon: How did you get interested in writing “cozy” mysteries?

Laura: My first thriller received a fairly lukewarm reception, but when I submitted a cozy, things took off like a rocket. I guess I just found my calling.

Sharon: What inspired the themes of your series? The Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbooking Mysteries, and your new series, the Cackleberry Club Mysteries?

Laura: All are part of the “Mystery and . . .” genre, which is so popular right now and is exactly what publishers drool over. Also, my characters and story ideas just seemed to drive these concepts.

Sharon: What appealed to you about the genre of cozy mysteries as opposed to hardcore mysteries or suspense stories?

Laura: Oh, I like all kind of mysteries. And my deep, dark little secret is that I really don’t write classic cozies. I write a hybrid cozy- thriller that I call a “thrillzy.”

Sharon: You write three separate series – is it hard to keep all your characters in their places?

Laura: No problem there. When I was CEO of my marketing firm, I had 20 to 30 clients at any given time, so I was used to juggling different concepts and broadcast campaigns.

Sharon: Have you ever thought of combining characters from say, the Tea Shop Mysteries and the Scrapbook Mysteries into one story.

Laura: I’ve already touched on that. Theodosia, from the Tea Shop Mysteries, has ordered bags and stickers from Carmela in the Scrapbook Mysteries. And, of course, Carmela ordered tea from Theo. All very simpatico.

Sharon: What do you do to keep your readers coming back for more?

Laura: Try to combine well-written prose with a carefully thought out plot and then sprinkle in lots of twists and tension. Also, I try to make my books extremely character-driven. I want readers to think of my characters as dear friends they want to stay in touch with.

Sharon: Who are some of your favorite authors? Who inspires you?

Laura: R.D. Zimmerman and Mary Higgins Clark helped me get started. Stephen King for sure sets the bar for plot twists. John Sandford just tells a whopping good story.

Sharon: What do you have coming up in the future?

Laura: My 11th Tea Shop Mystery, THE TEABERRY STRANGLER, will be out in March 2010, and (Scrapbooking Mystery) FIBER & BRIMSTONE and (Cackleberry Club) BEDEVILED EGGS will follow. Plus 9 more mysteries are in the works, so I guess I’ll be staying busy!

Many thanks to Laura for taking time out of her busy schedule to allow us to get to know her a little better.

Next up for the Cozy Corner – December releases (Dec.1st) and an interview with Joanne Fluke, author of the Hannah Swenson Mystery series. Until then, cozy reading ya’ll!

Sharon Galligar Chance

Michele Bardsley | Thanks, Grandma

2009-11-16T00:10:00.002-05:00

When hinking about a topic for my Fresh Fiction blog, naturally my thoughts turned to the holidays. Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, and I have wonderful memories of sharing gut-stuffing meals with my family at my grandmother’s house. That woman could cook! She grew up on a farm in Texas, the daughter of German Americans. She told me that at the age six, she was cooking meals for the family and caring for her infant brother.

I can’t even get my 11-year-old to fix his own peanut butter sandwich.

My grandmother taught me to cook. She also taught me how to eat. Because of her, I have very little food fear. I’ve even eaten fried chicken livers. (And once, a goat’s rump, but that’s another story. Thanks, Mom.) Grandma made the best sauerkraut and sausage on the planet. She made heavenly banana bread-a treat I would look forward to when I visited her home. What is it about a grandma’s house that smells like comfort and love? It’s like inhaling baby powder and cinnamon and jasmine. The minute I walked in the door, I felt like I’d gotten a hug, even before she wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek.

To read the rest of Thanks Grandma and to comment for a chance to win a prize please click here.

Daily Dose | Getting Fresh with Vampires

2009-11-16T00:04:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I attend the Fresh Fiction sponsored panel at our local Barnes and Noble. The topic discussed: getting fresh with vampires. No, not that fresh (although Robert Pattinson’s name did come up more than once). Instead, the panel explored the sensuality of the vampire, the appeal of the bad boy and the evolution of the trope that began with vampires as the villains.

Fresh Looks, Fresh Thoughts

Some of the questions asked included why do vampires appeal? Particularly as romantic leads? Does your first experience with vampires color the rest? For example, if you watched the Lugosi vampire films or Langella, would you have a different perspective from the person who may have read Anne Rice’s angst ridden gothic vampires?

Potentially, the answer is yes. In the 80s, vampires were still very much powerful, creatures of the night. It was rare to trust one and rarer still that the vampire would be worthy of the trust. No matter how good their intentions, their blood lust was a biological imperative – they had to have blood. Grief could send them into a tailspin or make them go dormant. Many vampires went to ground or to the sun when they could no longer bear their existence. Yet the bane in those days was not the drinking of blood or taking of lives – the bane was their longevity.

It was the endless nights without the kiss of the sun to mark time and watching civilizations decay while they remained ever the same. It was living as observers in a world where ever-mercurial humans changed in fashion, music, the arts and even religion on whims. Time was the bane of the vampire’s existence. This angst ate away at his or her sanity, driving them to connect with other vampires to assuage the loneliness within and finding that even that was not enough.

Read the rest of the Daily Dose...

Fresh Pick | THE BETTER TO HOLD YOU by Alisa Sheckley

2009-11-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Abra Barrow #1

March 2009
On Sale: February 24, 2009
Featuring: Abra Barrow; Red Mallin
336 pages
ISBN: 0345505875
EAN: 9780345505873
Mass Market Paperback
$6.99

Fantasy Urban
Buy at Amazon.com

The Better To Hold You
by Alisa Sheckley

Being Married to a Werewolf Gives New Meaning to the Words "High Risk Relationship."

SHE KNOWS WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

Manhattan veterinarian Abra Barrow has more sense about animals than she has about men. So when her adored journalist husband returns from a research trip to Romania and starts pacing their apartment like a caged wolf, Abra agrees to move with him to a rural mansion upstate in order to save her marriage.

But while there are perks to her new life, particularly in the bedroom, Abra soon discovers that nothing in the bucolic town of Northside is what it seems. The local tavern serves a dangerous, predatory underworld. Her husband has developed feral new appetites and a roving eye, and his lack of humanity isn’t entirely emotional. As the moon waxes full, Abra must choose between trusting the man she married, taking a chance on a seductive stranger, or following her own animal instincts.

An intense werewolf story with some interesting new twists.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

There are many different Manhattans. Which one you happen to live in depends partly on geography and partly on perception. I live on the Upper West Side, in the midst of an eccentric animal kingdom.

In my Manhattan, people like their animals big: aristocratic hunting dogs with wide, soft mouths, overfed guard dogs and pit bull mixes, sled dogs that have kept the look of a wolf about them. These are large animals for large apartments: six- room prewars, with a couple of children and possibly a weekend home in the Hamptons. Nobody has time to go jogging with the dog anymore, and the nanny refuses to pick up feces from the sidewalk, so a walker is hired.

Elsewhere, on the East Side, are toy breeds Read More...

Previous Picks

Smackdown: Cornick vs. Danvers

2009-11-15T14:03:00.002-05:00

Bantam Spectra hosts a smack down on Twitter between characters as diverse as Captain Kirk (Star Trek) versus Captain Mal (Firefly) and more. So borrowing a leaf from his playbook, I want to have some fun over the next few weeks in a smack down of our own. I will post the contestants and my thoughts, you get to vote and post your own. Commentators are automatically entered in a drawing for a special prize. Also, don’t miss tomorrow’s Snips and Clips where the Daily Dose Holiday Giveaway will be announced!

Saturday Smackdown: Shape Shifters in the Ring

For our inaugural Saturday Smack Down we’re looking at shape shifters, specifically werewolves because there are many other types of shifters out there. First two contestants: Clayton Danvers (Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Other World) and Charles Cornick (Patricia Briggs’ Alpha and Omega series).

Read the rest and make your choice

Sandi Shilhanek | The Survey Says Part One

2009-11-15T00:05:00.000-05:00

This week I’ve decided that I want to know something about your reading preferences. I feel as though since I’ve been contributing to this blog that I’ve told you something of my preferences, and now it’s time to find out a bit about you. Some of the things I want to know about you are ideas that I’ve gotten from my various yahoo groups…so much thanks to those!

Are you an end peeker? Do you have to know that the story will end the way you want before you read it? I used to peek at the end of the story, not to determine whether or not I would read the book, but just for the heck of it. For the most part I’ve given that up, but if I find my interest in a book waning I will peek ahead to try to find the motivation to keep on reading, or perhaps read faster to get to that part.

To read the rest of The Survey Says....Part One please click here.

Fresh Pick | BIG BAD WOLF by Christine Warren

2009-11-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

The Others #8

October 2009
On Sale: September 29, 2009
Featuring: Missy Roper; Graham Winters
320 pages
ISBN: 031294795X
EAN: 9780312947958
Mass Market Paperback
$7.99

Romance Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Big Bad Wolf by Christine Warren

Every good girl deserves something a little wicked...

Graham Winters is a werewolf with a problem. His idiot cousin Curtis wants to take over as Alpha of the Silverback Clan because of an archaic Lupine tradition that says an unmated Lupine can't lead a pack. So what is Graham supposed to do? Pull a mate out of his hat? Where else will he find the perfect woman for him in time to thwart Curtis’s plans?

As it turns out, the answer is right under his nose.

Six months of unrequited lust for a playboy werewolf have gotten Missy no closer to fulfilling her fantasy of becoming the love of Graham Winters’s life. But when her four best friends decide to dress her up for a blind date the night of Reggie and Misha’s engagement party, everything changes. Suddenly Graham is declaring his undying lust, the members of his pack are calling her Luna, and his cousin and rival are trying to kill her. Clearly, a little adventure can go a long way.

Now the question is whether Missy is willing to risk her heart and her life for a chance at finding out whether werewolves really do mate for life...

Previous Picks

Gayle Trent | FreshFiction + Fresh Cake = A Delicious Combination!

2009-11-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

I’m thrilled to be a part of FreshFiction and to have the opportunity to introduce you to my series, the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating Mystery Series. The first book in the series is MURDER TAKES THE CAKE.

In MURDER TAKES THE CAKE, Daphne Martin returns home to Brea Ridge, Virginia, looking forward to realizing her dream of starting a cake decorating business. But when the meanest gossip in Brea Ridge dies mysteriously, suspicions turn to Daphne. But all Daphne did was deliver a spice cake with cream cheese frosting–and find Yodel’s body. Now Daphne’s got to help solve the murder and clear her good name. Problem is, her hometown is brimming with people who had good reason to kill Yodel, and Daphne’s whole family is among them.

MURDER TAKES THE CAKE was published in 2008 but was released on October 16, 2009 in large-print hardcover by Thorndike. BBC Audiobooks in England has also commissioned large-print rights to the book.

Click here to read more and learn how to win a copy of DEAD PAN!

Fresh Pick | THE WICKED DUKE TAKES A WIFE by Jillian Hunter

2009-11-14T00:18:00.000-05:00

Boscastle Family #9

November 2009
On Sale: October 27, 2009
Featuring: Lord Griffin Boscastle; Harriet Gardner
336 pages
ISBN: 0345503953
EAN: 9780345503954
Mass Market Paperback
$7.99

Romance Historical
Buy at Amazon.com

The Wicked Duke Takes A Wife
by Jillian Hunter

From London’s ballrooms to its sizzling bedrooms, award-winning author Jillian Hunter spins a seductive dance of desire and breathtaking romance.

Lord Griffin Boscastle has no intention of ending his glorious career as a rakehell now that he has inherited a dukedom. Still, there are responsibilities he must discharge before his pleasures resume, including finding a bride, and depositing his incorrigible niece at a relative’s academy outside London. It is at this so-very-proper finishing school that flame-haired instructress Harriet Gardner awakens in Griffin emotions so dangerously intoxicating that he must avoid her at all cost. Yet when Harriet finds work in the townhouse where Griffin resides, her presence tempts him at every turn.

Harriet has survived London’s streets far too long to let an arrogant duke woo a bride he doesn’t want when she desires him for herself, and she has seen too much of life not to recognize a man ripe for redemption. But just as Harriet finds the perfect cure for His Lordship’s devilish ways, a vindictive enemy intervenes, and the duke whom Harriet has plotted to save suddenly becomes her devoted protector.

Previous Picks

Get Fresh With VAMPIRES! A lively Discussion & Celebration of Pop Culture Literature with Candace Havens, Rosemary Clement-Moore & Gwen Reyes

2009-11-12T12:09:00.002-05:00

Fresh Fiction and Barnes & Noble presents...

Getting Fresh with Vampires

Saturday, November 14th @ 5:00 PM

Barnes & Noble Lincoln Park

Join Fresh Fiction’s Gwen Reyes for a lively discussion about vampires in
today’s literature & pop culture with Special Guests Candace Havens & Rosemary Clement-Moore

They'll be taking on the Twilight crowd and talking about vampires, Bella,
Diaries, Edward and much much more! Special treats available!!!

click here for Flyer

Jane Odiwe | Mr Willoughby's Return

2009-11-12T00:06:00.010-05:00

Thank you so much for welcoming me to the blog and giving me a chance to talk about Willoughby’s Return!

I loved writing this book. Sense and Sensibility is one of my favourite Austen novels and I enjoyed revisiting all the characters and places associated with them all. Writing the plot and thinking about how the characters interact with one another is one of the biggest joys-another is weaving in clues about what the characters look like and how they dress. It’s important in a historical novel to give a feel of the costume and clothing. The fashion at this time was wonderful. I’m sure part of the success of the recent spate of Austen films and adaptations is down to the accuracy and beauty of Regency dress. Who hasn’t imagined themselves dancing at a candlelit ball in white muslin, silk slippers on their feet, and an ivory fan to flutter?

To read the rest of Jane's blog and to comment for a chance to win please click here.

Fresh Pick | HOW TO DAZZLE A DUKE by Claudia Dain

2009-11-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

The Courtesan Series #4

September 2009
On Sale: September 1, 2009
Featuring: Duke of Edenham; Penelope Prestwick; Marquis of Iveston
336 pages
ISBN: 0425229688
EAN: 9780425229682
Paperback
$15.00

Romance Erotica Sensual, Romance Historical
Buy at Amazon.com

How To Dazzle A Duke by Claudia Dain

New in award-winning author Claudia Dain's dazzling Courtesan series.

Miss Penelope Prestwick wants a duke for a husband and clearly the dashing Duke of Edenham is the best choice. Just as Lady Dalby is clearly the best person to arrange the match. But how exactly should Penelope go about dazzling a duke? Surely a show of cleavage never hurt anyone. Perhaps a kiss or two, just to make a lasting impression. And a bit of competition usually helps move things along.

To that end, Penelope approaches the Marquis of Iveston with a request. Would he kindly appear interested in her so that the Duke of Edenham will take note of it? Alternately amused and annoyed, Lord Iveston agrees; he even places a wager on White's betting book to draw attention to the fact that he is pursuing Penelope.

Soon, it's wagers and counter wagers as all of Society tries to determine who will actually marry Penelope. Edenham she’s been hotly pursuing or Iveston she’s been hotly kissing? Who will claim the lady’s heart...all in all it’s the most entertaining—and most contested--dance to the altar Sophia has yet choreographed.

Excerpt

London 1802
Chapter One

Miss Penelope Prestwick stood in the middle of the conservatory of her father’s Upper Brook Street home and stared at the roses. The roses were a disaster.

The roses, purchased to make a pleasing and, one hoped, impressive display of her horticultural talents to the marriageable men of the ton, none of whom had any need to know she did not possess horticultural talents until one of their number was securely married to her, had not done the job at all. All her roses had done was to somehow become involved in getting Lady Amelia Caversham married to the Earl of Cranleigh.

Which, actually, was perfectly lovely as Lady Amelia had been rather obviously on the market for a duke. As Penelope was also on the market for a duke, it would Read More...

Previous Picks

Fresh Teen Takes | Best Bets in November

2009-11-11T01:22:00.003-05:00

Fresh Takes from the Teen Shelves

I was lucky enough to cap off my October with an invitation to speak at the Texas Book Festival on a panel called “Hot Reads for Cool Chicks.” A flattering invitation, indeed, not least because it presumes I’m cool enough to hang with some pretty neat chicks… Er, authors.

Rosemary, Katherine Marsh, Victoria Laurie (holding Peaches), and Isobelle Carmody

Katherine Marsh’s novel, THE NIGHT TOURIST won the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. It’s a modern twist on the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, told in the underground of New York City. When lonely ninth-grader Jack is injured in an accident, much like the one that killed his mother, his father sends him to a specialist in New York. There he meets Euri, a ghost who becomes his guide to the Underworld that exists beneath the streets of Manhattan. Jack wants to find his mother, but the hazards of searching for her are immense. With witty dialogue, realistic characters and plenty of action, Marsh crafts a charming tale about love, loss and heroic adventure.

In THE TWILIGHT PRISONER, Jack revisits the Underworld, taking with him Cora, a girl he hopes to impress. I’m sure there are no flaws in THAT plan. With more guest (ghost?) appearances by historical and mythological figures, this will especially appeal to anyone who loves the Percy Jackson novels by Rick Riordan, plus anyone who loves mythology, New York, or wondrous stories. (I downloaded THE NIGHT TOURIST for my e-reader when I got home from Austin, and I’m in love with this book already.)

Isobelle Carmody is an acclaimed and award winning author in Australia for her Obernewtyn series, and her newest novel, ALYZON WHITESTARR, was recently released in the US. The titular character is extremely ordinary, especially compared to her artistic family, until an accident (Another accident!) leaves her with an extraordinary sense of smell. Unlike me and my super-sniffer, Alyzon is not merely ambushed by people’s overuse of aftershave. She can smell emotions. Her best friend smells of a comforting sea breeze, her father like warm brown sugar. But the cutest boy in school has this strange, rancid smell about him. She wants to like him, but her ESSP (Extra-Sensory-Smell Perception) says there is something off about him.

Isobelle has a great way of describing what Alyzon senses, and the story is, according to reviews, a fun mystery thriller with a touch of romance and an exciting climax. (This has also found a place on my e-reader.)

Victoria Laurie has two best selling adult mystery series going already, but THE ORACLES OF DELPHI KEEP is her first foray for younger readers. Set in pre-World War II England, it incorporates Greek legends, prophecy, ominous figures and horrible pursuing beasts. Ian is a 13-year old boy growing up in an orphanage in Dover, and he’s all about exploring and breaking rules. Ian discovers a box in a cave where (of course) he’s forbidden to go, and inside is a prophecy. About him. Soon he and his sort of adopted little sister Theo (who has a knack for seeing the future) are on the adventure of a lifetime, pursued by a menacing evil and a ferocious beast. By the end of the story, they’re off to Morocco, and a fast and furious climax to the adventure.

Victoria says she was inspired by J.K. Rowling, and it shows in the spirit of the book. The young characters are plucky, resourceful, and sometimes unwisely impetuous. As they should be. I was pleased to get to read an advance copy of this book and I found it as enjoyable as other books for the same younger YA market (the aforementioned Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books, for example).

Other quick picks from the crop of November releases:

Two ongoing series get new installments this month. One is FADE OUT, book 7 in the Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine. Even if you think you’re tired of vampires, give this a try. It predates the blood-sucking glut on the market, with an edgier, fully fleshed out fantasy premise. I know that everything gets compared to Buffy, but there’s a distinct vibe in the smart writing and engaging cast of characters. GLASS HOUSES is the first in the series, but FADE OUT wouldn’t be a bad place to jump in. (The series has been optioned for television. Yay!)

Another fantasy series, The Immortals, by Alyson Noel, continues with SHADOWLAND. In the first book, Ever survives a car accident (another one!) that kills her family, leaving her with the ability to see auras and hear thoughts. She learns she is immortal, and guiding her into this new special world is Damen… mysterious, rich, worldly, magical. Fantasy, mystery, love all mix together in a beautiful story. Fans are awaiting SHADOWLAND (which comes out November 17th) with a frenzy, but I suggest you start with the first book, EVERMORE.

If you’re not into paranormal, check out HOW TO RUIN YOUR BOYFRIEND'S REPUTATION by Simon Elkeles. This follows up two earlier books about half-Israeli Amy Nelson-Barak, and in this one, Amy volunteers for a ten-day military training camp in Israel, mostly to be near her boyfriend, who is in the Israeli army. Only it’s a lot harder than she expected, and oh yeah, a lot less romantic, too. While I’m raising an eyebrow at the premise, I really like that this funny series features a heroine with an interesting ethnic background. (November 1)

These next ones are courtesy of my librarian friend Jenny Martin (who has a great blog that includes recipes with all her book reviews!). I asked her what November releases had caught her Librarian-slash-aspiring-YA-writer eye.

I would not have picked ANGEL IN VEGAS: THE CHRONICLES OF NOAH SARK, by Norma Howe, solely by the cover. But the premise sounds irresistible! A guardian angel (whose previous charge was Princess Diana) is demoted and stuck in Las Vegas in the body of a teenage boy. As if Elvis impersonators, a psychic fair, casino volcanoes and pirate ships aren’t enough, he’s supposed to protect a teenage girl named Barbara, but he doesn’t know from what. Kirkus says this is a spirited tale that carries off the premise with “humor and verve.” (November 10^th)

On a darker note is THE BETRAYAL OF NATALIE HARGROVE, by Lauren Kate. The tagline? “Cruel Intensions meets MacBeth in this tale of conscience and consequence.” I’m intrigued. Natalie would do anything to be the Palmetto Princess, but a prank meant to eliminate competition for the crown goes horribly (indeed, fatally) wrong and she becomes embroiled in a quicksand of deception and cover-up. Natalie is a flawed heroine, a bratty sort of Lady MacBeth, so this book isn’t for everyone. But for those who love the backstabbing and bitchery of Gossip Girl, Booklist calls this a decadent guilty pleasure. (November 11.)

THE PALE ASSASSIN by Patricia Elliott is a historical novel set in the French Revolution. It’s a kind of riff on THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, only the heroine is a privileged girl who gets embroiled in political intrigue. Eugenie is an unlikely heroine, as she has to shake off her somewhat spoiled upbringing as the adventure ramps up and she and her compatriots race to escape an Inspector Javert type of relentless villain. Spying, deception and romance as revolution rages in Paris. Kirkus Reviews loved this book, and it definitely sounds promising for lovers of historical adventure novels. (November 15)

That should hold you through Thanksgiving Weekend (when I hole up in my house and stay away from the mall). Until then, happy reading!

Rosemary Clement-Moore writes Young Adult books because she loves to read them. Visit her webpage or blog to find out more about her award winning Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series, and gothic romance, The Splendor Falls