Tanzey Talk
April 2003
Please note that the store has a new e-mail address - oldbookbarn@insightbb.com - since Cheryl went to a broadband provider. Sue says it sure speeds things up for them, and she wants to make sure everyone knows how to contact them.
The RT convention planning is in full swing and promises to be educational, as well as loads of fun. You can register on-line at www.romantictimes.com, then click the convention link. Remember - Cheryl, Sue and I will be doing a bookseller workshop. But the biggest news is that Cheryl will be honored as Bookseller of the Year! I think she's quite deserving of this award, but then I'm probably a bit prejudiced.
Before I start in with newsy tidbits, I'd like to make some personal reading recommendations. Eileen Dreyer is back in stride, after a couple years off, with her excellent medical drama, With a Vengeance (March 2003). The characters are so realistic and the plot so gripping, I couldn't put it down. I've always loved Merline Lovelace's military romantic suspenses, and her latest, After Midnight (Feb. 2003) is explosive - literally. Wonderful characterization and storyline development made me feel like I was in the Florida panhandle experiencing it all. The other book I can't say enough about is the debut my Jessica Hall - The Deepest Edge. Oh, my gosh! This is another "read until I was done" contemporary romantic suspense. It originally caught my attention because the hero is Chinese - something unique - who owns a rare and priceless collection of Asian swords. He's the target of his powerful father's tong, who wants him to return to the family. When a lovely art curator approaches him about displaying the swords, she becomes caught in the middle of tong assassins, government agents and the overpowering hero. This is one book you have to read! A sequel, The Steel Caress, is coming in May. The ARC for this one just arrived. I can't wait to read/review it!
Deborah Hale announces, "In addition to a three-book contract I accepted from Harlequin Historical in November, I recently accepted a two-book offer from Harlequin's new fantasy imprint, which will launch in the spring of 2004. My books will be set in a pre-industrial otherworld and involve a quest. I've completed the first of my historicals, a medieval titled The Last Champion, and am hard at work on the first of the fantasies."
The release date for Suzanne Brockmann's debut hardcover, Gone Too Far - Sam and Alissa's story - has again been changed. The on-sale date is now July 15. You can see the cover art and read an excerpt on her web site. Suz has a new promo photo, too.
Congrats to Julia Quinn, who kicked you-know-what and won $79,000 on The Weakest Link. This actually occurred over a year ago, but it took forever for the show to finally air. Besides figuring out what to do with the loot, Julia's been putting the finishing touches on her July release, To Sir Phillip, With Love.
The February 3 issue of Publishers Weekly reported that Karen Drogin, aka Carly Phillips, has filed suit in Federal district court to block Kensington from republishing some of her earlier books (originally released under her real name) using her Phillips pseudonym. She claims the publisher doesn't have the right to use her pseudonym. The author goes on to say that she's proud of her previous work, but "they are not new books and I don't believe they reflect my current writing quality and style as Carly Phillips."
For those of you anxiously waiting for Betina Krahn's next tale about the convent of the Brides of Virtue, you'll be glad to know that The Wife Test will be a July release.
And June is when Christina Dodd's contemporary novel, Just the Way You Are, is set to go on sale. The store already has this ARC, so watch for the upcoming review.
Nita Abrams was totally surprised and delighted when her sister, Rachel, presented her with tickets to Europe, where Nita will be researching an upcoming novel.
Linda Lael Miller has been finishing up the second book in her McKettrick trilogy. Titled Shotgun Bride, it's due to hit stores this November/December. And September is the scheduled publication of her next contemporary hardcover, Don't Look Now.
Stay tuned 'til next month… and check out what readers are saying below
Tanzey Cutter
Editor of the Old Book Barn Gazette
For those of you who do not subscribe to the paper publication of Old Book Barn Gazette, where my column originates, I'd like to include some of the interesting readers' comments we occasionally receive.
Anne Grieveson of England, "In my recent reading, I can say that The Deepest Edge by Jessica Hall was excellent, with a Chinese hero, which is a first, I think. He's very sexy, and the author really carries it off. Another good book was See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson. It reminded me of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, which can only be a good thing. I've started Hot Pursuit by Christina Skye, but was diverted by Rachel Lee, who always writes a good story. I loved the latest Suzanne Brockmann, Into the Night, so much so that I read the first chapter of her new book (previewed in the back) that comes out in hardcover later this year. Big mistake. I wanted to read the whole book right then! A new writer for MIRA, Bonnie Hearn Hill, has written a book called Intern, which is excellent. Unfortunately, it only comes in hardcover, but I think it is well-worth the money. Finally, I loved Patricia Potter's Twisted Shadows. But then, I like everything this author writes."
Cathy Fernandes of Illinois, "I haven't had the time recently to invest in new authors, but I did buy Cindy Dee's SIM, Behind Enemy Lines. Romantic Times recommended it as an enjoyable read, and I'm looking for more books by her. I also notice that she's a nominee for RT's Best First Series Romance. It just proves that Romantic Times is still a good investment, as well as your newsletter!"
Mycal Austin of South Carolina, "Tanzey, great to see your column on the front page, since it's always the first thing I read anyway. Keep up your great work on the newsletter - I love it! You inspired me to dig into my "to be read" pile, and I found a true gem to recommend - Volcano by Patricia Rice. I loved the setting, all of the characters and the wonderful writing."
Patricia Atkinson of Australia, "Tanzey, I enjoy your column very much. You help me choose many a book that I have passed over. I recently read, one after the other, the last two Karen Marie Moning books - Kiss of the Highlander and Dark Highlander. Whew!! She has certainly gotten into her stride with these, her 4th and 5th books. I couldn't put them down. Apart from being really great read, her twin heroes were something else. After finishing the second one, I was sorry they were only twins and not quadruplets. I also recommend Too Much Temptation by Lori Foster. This is a very hot book! It did have a story in between the sex romps, and I really enjoyed it."
Julie Kahler of England, "I've recently finished Dee Henderson's The Healer and I have to say, although I didn't find it quite so enjoyable as the previous titles in the series, I still read it in one sitting! I've really enjoyed following the O'Malley clan through their trials and tribulations and have gone through many a tissue. Ms. Henderson's books are absolutely fantastic for their emotional impact. I've also just finished reading the latest of her Uncommon Heroes series, too, which is more my style - those navy SEALs are wonderful guys, aren't they? These are written as inspirational stories, and I think she's hit the right balance between preaching and storytelling in all her titles to date. She has very strong characters, and I've found her books to be very enjoyable reads. On a totally different subject, I recently read Susan Grant's Contact. A good twist on the alien abduction plot, although pretty predictable. All in all, a good, fun novel for any of you out there who dream of good-looking aliens visiting Earth and whisking you away to far off places (even if they do bring you back again later!). I have to admit that out of all the books I've read lately, my favorite has been an old(ish) keeper of mine. You know, the ones that sit on your shelves and never gather dust as they are picked up so often? Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series is the most enjoyable, exciting and all-round fun paranormal series on the market at the moment, from my point of view. They just keep getting better. How does she do it? If you like vampires and werewolves, witches and zombies, guns and kick-butt females and haven't read one of her books yet - jump to it! The first book in the series sets the scene for the following 10 titles and each one just improves on the last. I've just read Narcissus in Chains, and I'm amazed at how a story can be so jam-packed with action that you're always on the edge of your seat. I've read the books a gazillion times, and I still sit there tensed for the next page! There aren't many authors on the market today that I can say I will buy their new releases in hardback and then have them shipped to England, airmail postage, but this one is the exception!"
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