It was truly a thrill to spend some of my Saturday with suspense authors Tess Gerritsen and Lisa Gardner who were in
Dallas to promote their new books with a book signing at Borders and a radio
interview. While in town, they made time for dinner with the DFW Tea Readers
Group.
The
book
signing was standing room only but I managed to snag a chair from the
café so I could enjoy the event in relative comfort. Tess and Lisa spoke about
their new books before a Q and A with the audience and book signing. Tess’s
latest book, Ice Cold
(the 8th book in the Rizzoli and Isles series) was inspired by two real life
events: problems caused when GPS systems give incorrect and potentially
dangerous instructions and the Dugway Incident in Utah involving the mysterious
and sudden deaths of various birds and livestock. Moving the characters out of
Boston, this book finds Rizzoli traveling to Wyoming to search for the missing
Isles who has encountered a mystery of her own.
Anticipating
questions from the audience, Tess discussed the new TNT
series “Rizzoli and Isles” which is based on her characters. Tess visited the
set during the filming of the pilot which was based primarily on The Apprentice, the 2nd
book in the series and the one to introduce Isles. She believes that both Angie
Harmon and Executive Produce/Screenwriter Janet Tamaro embody the essence of
Rizolli. The character of Isles has been softened for TV and to take advantage
of the chemistry between Harmon and Sasha Alexander. Tess indicated she was
pleased to be associated with a TV show that has strong women both in front of
and behind the camera. Other than the pilot, the TV show will primarily follow
story lines different from those found in the books. The pilot of R&I was
the highest commercial-supported cable premiere to date with an estimated 8
million viewers. I thought the premiere episode was great and enjoyed hearing
the behind-the-scenes stories.
Having just read The
Surgeon, the first book in the Rizzoli and Isles series, I was interested
to hear that this book had been inspired by a reader who wanted Tess to write
about something of interest to the reader. When Tess asked her what that was,
the reader responded, “serial killers and twisted sex,” which I think sums up
The Surgeon very
neatly. According to Tess, Rizzoli was a secondary character who was supposed
to die at the end of the first book but she grew on Tess so she kept Rizzoli
around. Tess stated that many people don’t really like Rizzoli in the first
book. I agree that she’s is prickly and has a chip on her shoulder, but I think
it seems realistic for a woman trying to survive in a profession dominated by
men and guns. Maura Isles, introduced briefly The Apprentice, also
started as a minor character who took on a life of her own.
Lisa Gardner spoke
about her latest book Live
to Tell, and The
Neighbor (just out in paperback) both of which are part of the D.D. Warren
series. I just finished reading The Neighbor and thought it was brilliant. It features complex
and flawed characters involved in a plot that kept me guessing until the very
end. Gardner shared that The Neighbor was the winner of the 2010 Thriller Award for Best
Hardback. I want to congratulate Lisa for this much deserved recognition and
for being the first woman ever to receive this award.
Lisa
discussed that her writing is often inspired by social issues. At 17,
while writing her first book which featured a former hooker, she and a friend
went “hooker shopping” in the red light district to find out about what it
means to be a hooker (seeing as she had no personal experience). Needless to
say, few of her questions were answered and her research methods have become a
little less dangerous. Live
to Tell, the latest book in her DD warren series, deals with the issue of
mental illness in young children a topic inspired by the experiences of a
friend.
The DFW Tea Readers Group met Tess and
Lisa for dinner at Natalie’s off of Preston and Royal in Dallas. If you haven’t
been there I would recommend a visit. I had the lasagna (awesome!) but must
confess I was coveting the chicken fried steak (maybe next time). Tess and Lisa
were wonderful dinner companions who switched places half-way through dinner to
insure they spoke to everybody. I learned that in her free time, Tess likes to
read non-fiction especially ancient texts and books about archeology. Lisa
discussed her growing following among fans of car racing that has come from
being a sponsor of her husband’s race car. Her books and name have been
featured on various race cars and in car racing magazines.
All-in-all it was a great way to spend a Saturday. What did you think about the
premiere of Rizzoli and Isles? What are your favorite Gardner and/or Gerritsen books?
Maria
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