Readers Polled

Today’s Reading Tuesday centers around a few reading-related questions.

1) Are you a peeker? Meaning, do you peek at the end of a book before you should?

2) Do you have an ideal reading environment?

3) Do you read multiple books at a time? If so, what’s the most you’ve had going at one time? And how do you keep track of the plots?

4) Are you a traditional book reader or an e-book reader? And why?

I must admit I’m very curious to read your answers…

~Elizabeth

It’s Here, It’s Here

It’s official. DEATH THREADS–the second book in my Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series–hits bookstores nationwide today.  Woo-hoo!!! 

And, if you don’t mind me saying…I adore this book. It’s funny, it’s unexpected, and the characters ran all over me with this one.

(Click on the cover for a better look)

Here’s what it says on the back cover:

Tori Sinclair is basking in the warmth of her new circle of friends. That is until local author Colby Calhoun reveals an unflattering secret about the town’s historic past. He soon finds that when you fray the stitches on the ladies’ cloak of southern hospitality, things are bound to fall apart…

Then Colby disappears, leaving a trail of blood but few clues to his possible murder. Tori looks to her sewing circle to help her cut through Sweet Briar’s tight weave of ancient feuds and alliances to find him. But when she sees a pattern of townsfolk’s age-old southern pride standing in the way of justice, she knows it’s time to unravel the mystery.

So there you have it.  My book.

And remember, don’t forget my launch-week-challenge (scroll down two days for more details), there’s a possible t-shirt in it for you.

Oh, and one more thing… I’m celebrating today’s launch with some guest blogs. First up, I’m over at Meritorious Mysteries (www.mysteryheel.blogspot.com) talking about whether I’m like my protagonist or not.  And then, at some point today, you can find me on Random Thoughts (www.skmayhew.blogspot.com) talking about writing.  So come on over and say hi, okay?

~Elizabeth

A Heaven Lined With Books

I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven. Truly.

For the past few days, in between post-deadline cleaning and way too many pre-launch tasks, I’ve been reading.

Reading. Can you believe it?

It’s been entirely too long since I’ve been able to pick up a real book. And truly, it’s been amazing… I’ve read while waiting for my daughter to get off the school bus, I’ve read while sitting outside (in an actual lounge chair, no less), and I’ve read while doing absolutely nothing.

I chose MAGNOLIA WEDNESDAYS by Wendy Wax as my inaugural read because I love this author. I stumbled across her book, ACCIDENTAL BESTSELLER, early in 2009 and adored ever word of it…prompting me to call a number of friends and beg them to track it down and give it a whirl for themselves.

A year later, she’s back with another wonderful read in Magnolia Wednesdays. And, once again, I’m thoroughly enjoying Wendy’s descriptive (and fun!) prose and loving every moment of my favorite self-indulgence of all time (yes, reading comes in above chocolate on my list of personal favorites).

I’m hoping to talk  more specifics about the book next week (after I’ve finished reading it–boo hoo), but, in the meantime, tell me something good you’ve read in the past week or two.

~Elizabeth

With the Simple Click of a Mouse

Ever feel like being spontaneous? Deciding something on a whim? Trying something unexpected and new?

Well, here’s your chance…

The wonderful Sharon Gallagher Chance over at Freshfiction.com sat me down for an interview the other day. We talked about writing, we talked about process, we talked about the upcoming release of my latest title, DEATH THREADS, and we talked about lots more.  So today, instead of reading a blog here…how about you click on THIS LINK  and check out our interview!!

Hope to see you there!

~Elizabeth

A Library of Memories

In honor of National Library Week, I’d like to do something a little bit different with today’s “Reading Tuesday.” It requires everyone to play along…  Consider it our collective way of saying “thank you” to librarians everywhere!

Okay, here goes. What is one of your most special library memories from when you were a child (the more detailed, the better)?

Mine? It would be the Northvale Public Library in Northvale, New Jersey. It was an old house-like building that I remember being my favorite place to go. I remember the smell, the rule about being quiet (I was little), and the nice ladies who read stories to me. I remember taking one of my all-time favorite storybooks off the shelf for the first time in that library. And, to this day, THE GIVING TREE has a very special place in my heart.

In fact, it was this memory that made the notion of a librarian as a lead character in my series so attractive, and why I had such a good time helping Tori create a very special children’s room in the Sweet Briar Public Library.

Your turn.

~Elizabeth

THE One

If you could recommend just one book to someone, what would it be? And why?

Give me an all-timer…and then, after that, one you’ve read just this past year.

~Elizabeth

Reading From the YA Pile…

When I had kids at home, I used to go through backpacks after school. Mostly to make sure there wasn’t a parent-teacher conference the next day. Or to find homework assignments my son or nieces had forgotten to tell me about. I told them I was looking for drugs. Now, I’m afraid I’d afraid I’d be searching through their bags for a different type of contraband–their novels.

Yes, that’s right, I’ve fallen in love with young adult books. Books like Harry Potter and Twilight that take the reader to another world. A world where dinner doesn’t have to be on the table at six after working a nine-hour day. A world where food magically appears, and, in the Lightning Thief Series, it’s good-for-you food. Being at Half-blood Camp seems like a spa weekend, except for the sword fighting and wrestling lessons.

I’ve always loved the idea of a fantasy world–a world within our own. Probably brought on by too many readings of A Wrinkle in Time or, later, Lord of the Rings, where both Frodo and Sam were thrown headfirst into a hero’s quest. Stephen King and Peter Strauss picked up the quest for The Talisman and The Black House. Maybe it’s this hero’s quest I crave while I search through the YA stack at the library? A return to the belief that good can overcome evil?

Or maybe they’re just darn good stories? You don’t get a lot of background or scene set up (Lord of the Rings aside and Twilight’s Debatable) but mostly just throw you into the action and the reader has to wonder…what’s in the letter Harry’s uncle won’t give him that keeps arriving?

All I know is it’s not just me. Looking at the books people at the day job are reading, I see a lot of the Twilight sereis,  PC Cast’s House of Night series, and now, The Lightning Thief. I’m reading The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson. And the addiction is spreading…

So please forgive my asking, but have you been bitten by the YA bug? If not, what were your favorite books when you were a kid? Or, better yet, what are your kids reading? I might have to add one or two books to my overflowing TBR pile.

Lynn Cahoon’s work has appeared in Grit, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and True Romance. She is currently polishing two romance novels, working on a cozy mystery, and waiting for a call from the slush pile. She lives in the St. Louis area with her husband, three dogs, and a cat whose secret name is Marty.

What Have You Read Lately?

At the moment, I’m busy writing Sewing Circle Mystery # 4 (due April 1st) and proofing the final copy edits for # 3 (due today), so to say I’ve not been reading lately is a bit of an understatement.  

Which means I’m turning today’s blog over to you. Tell us about a book you’ve read recently (its title, the author, and what you thought of it).  I’m going to flag this on my Facebook Fan Page so hopefully we’ll all come away with some great reading suggestions!

~Elizabeth

See the Book! Read the Movie!

Disney was a master of the tale retold.

Be it Cinderella, The Little Mermaid or 101 Dalmatians, the powers-that-be at Disney were uniquely successful in transferring classic and contemporary stories from print to film.

Studio animators used light and shadow to establish mood and paint scenes. Casting directors found pitch perfect voice talent to breathe emotion into scripts. Writers infused familiar plots and themes with new ideas and timely twists.

Yes, Disney took liberties with folk tales, de-emphasizing the darker elements. But the emotional cores and themes remained, which is why the films still resonate.

Like anyone who elevates skill to art, Disney made reimagining stories look easy.

The film industry will tell you it isn’t.

No longer content to poach fables and fairytales, Hollywood has moved to a new stalking ground–the New York Times Bestseller List. In the last year alone, Harry Potter, Coraline, The Lovely bones, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Sherlock Holmes and Rick Riordan’s sword-swinging Percy Jackson have leapt from page to screen.

The results?

Mixed.

Lovely Bones came under fire from readers when a key scene from the book was excised from the film. Some Conan Doyle aficionados avoided Holmes for fear of seeing their Baker Street sleuth transformed into an action-adventure hero. And here at home, despite loving the Percy Jackson books, my children are still undecided about seeing The Lightning Thief after hearing lukewarm reviews from friends.

The migration from publishing house to production company is a hero’s journey, fraught with mangled plots, clipped character arcs, changes in tone and pace and mood, memorable lines shoehorned into ill-fitting exchanges of dialogue, and–on rare occasion–retellings that are somehow both faithful and fresh, satisfying stalwart fans while drawing new readers into the fold.

In the quest to mine blockbuster gold from a literary favorite, many have tried, and many have fallen.

Now it’s your turn.

On the heels of a Hollywood disaster, a producer is running away from home. He’s passing through your town, standing in line behind you at Gas n’ Go. He comments on the book tucked under your coat.

“Some nitwit made a move from it and botched it,” you say.

He introduces himself as the nitwit. He’d like to know:

*How he botched it.
*What he got right.
*And another book, new or classic, that would make a great film.

Leave your thoughts in the comment section. But be quick about it. By the time you post, your pick already may have hit the production listings of imdb.

~Joe

Joe Richardson has written for newspapers, magazines, trade journals and broadcast media. When not at his desk, he can be found photographing his family and other forms of wildlife. He lives in rural Illinois.

The One Well Read

I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. I read all types of books but always had my favorites…

You know, the ones you’d return to again and again, the pages getting more and more worn with each passing. When I was a kid, those well-read copies were generally my Little House books (still have them today). I loved Laura Ingalls and everything about her life.

In fact, on my bucket list, is a visit to as many of her houses as I can go (to date, I’ve only been to the one in Mansfield, MO so I hope I don’t die anytime soon).

But I digress.

Anyway, I have a book that I return to again and again as an adult, too. And, like my Little House books, the pages are worn and tattered and yellowed with age. I could buy a new copy, but I don’t want to. There’s a comfort in knowing that’s my book. 

The book–with the actual cover I have–is this one right here…   I absolutely adored A Cry in the Night by Mary Higgins Clark the first time I read it. And I love it just as much with each subsequent read (and there have been many). I’m not sure what it is that pulls me to this story. But I’ll try to explain.

The sense of place in this book is strong, the characters so layered you can’t help but feel as if you’re walking alongside them in the book. And even though I know what happens now, it still packs a wallop.

Oh, and there’s one more thing. It’s this book that made me decide to pilot my writing dream in the direction of mysteries.

So what’s your book? The one you’ve re-read time and time again? And while you’re at it…tell us why.

~Elizabeth