Tanzey Talk

June 2004

To start things off this month, I have a couple of personal recommendations to make for those of you who like your reading to be taut and suspenseful. PLAY DEAD by Anne Frasier (Onyx, 6/04) is set in Savannah and has one of the most unique plot devices I've read lately. DARK WATER DIVE by Kathy Brandt (Signet, 7/04) is the second book in this author’s Underwater Investigation series set in the Caribbean. This one had me gasping for breath, literally. I've also read some really great ARCs, but you'll have to look for my reviews of them online at www.TheBestReviews.com.

I can tell you that one of them is the debut title for Dorchester’s new chick-lit line, dubbed Making It, due for release in August as a trade-size paperback. The title is AMERICAN IDLE written by new author Alesia Holliday, and it’s a fantastic, fun read. A new book will be released every other month, to start with. In September, watch for another new line from Dorchester, tentatively called Vortex, which will feature a wide range of fantasy novels. Then this fall/winter, they plan to launch Hard Case Crime, a line of reprinted "dime novel" mysteries, as well as new titles. Lots of big things going on at this publishing house!

On June 9, I drove to Kansas City for a booksigning that Rainy Day Books was sponsoring for one of my favorite authors, Sarah Strohmeyer, who writes the Bubbles Yablonsky series. I've included a photo of Sarah in Bubbles regalia, as well as one of the real her and me. She’s just as funny and lively as her books—BUBBLES UNBOUND, BUBBLES IN TROUBLE, BUBBLES ABLAZE, and the newest release, BUBBLES A BROAD. Sarah told us that the next book in the series has been given a title—BUBBLES BETROTHED—but not to assume too much from that choice. It’s slated for release in spring 2005.

Linda Lael Miller has announced a fun new contest on her web site to name the third Clare and Tony book. She says the title has to contain the word "Look" in it. Book two of this series, NEVER LOOK BACK, is set to go on sale in July. Linda is also hard at work writing the next McKettrick installment, McKETTRICK’S CHOICE, which is slated for release next year from Harlequin’s new single-title imprint, HQN.

Gaelen Foley is thrilled to have recently signed with Ballantine for another three books—the stories of Alec, Jack and Griff. She also wants readers to be sure to keep an eye on the advertising slides that pop up on select movie screens before the Previews start. It seems RWA has instituted a new advertising program for authors where for six weeks (all of June and the first two weeks of July), in certain selected cities across America, promos for romance novels will be featured.

Nancy Cohen’s next Bad Hair Day mystery, DIED BLONDE, is set for release in December 2004. Doing research for this book, Nancy visited an Indian bingo parlor and consulted a psychic at a spiritualist camp in Central Florida. In March 2005, she'll have a romantic mystery novella, titled Three Men and a Body, featured in the Kensington Brava anthology WICKED WOMEN WHODUNIT. Other authors included in this trade paperback release are MaryJanice Davidson, Amy Garvey, Jennifer Apodaca and Nancy J. Cohen. Following that will be DEAD ROOTS in December 2005.

Mary Balogh is just as sad as her fans are to see the Bedwyns go with SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS, on sale this month in hardcover. However, she is currently writing a quartet of stories about four teachers at a school in Bath, and two of them—Claudia Martin and Anne Jewell—first appeared in SLIGHTLY SCANDALOUS, Freyja’s story. So readers will have a chance to catch up with Bedwyns again in one or more of the new books. Mary says she’s already written Frances Allard’s story, titled SIMPLY UNFORGETTABLE, which is due out next spring. And she’s now working on SIMPLY LOVE, Anne Jewell’s story.

Jo Beverley is putting the finishing touches on her next new book, titled A MOST UNSUITABLE MAN, which is about Damaris and Fitz from WINTER FIRE. It’s slated for a February 2005 release date.

Sandra Hill wants readers to know that Dorchester will be reissuing LOVE ME TENDER in August. It seems this contemporary novel had a very small print run when first published, so many people missed it the first time around. Also, Dorchester has plans to reprint all of her out-of-print Viking books, so that the entire line should be available soon. Coming this October will be Sandra’s new Viking Navy SEAL story, called WET AND WILD, featuring Ragnor Magnusson. Then in April 2005, look for Rene LeDeux’s story to be told in THE RED-HOT CAJUN.

In September, the fourth installment in Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series is set for release. 44 CRANBERRY POINT is Bob and Peggy Beldon’s story, and Debbie says the mystery surrounding the dead man at the Thyme and Tide Bed & Breakfast will finally be resolved. If you haven't checked out Debbie’s Store on her web site, you should, since it features a Farmers Market section with products made in Cedar Cove.

Dee Davis said she was writing like a fiend as she was recuperating for three months from surgery. She finished the second book in her series that involves a specialized task force that tackles cases no one else can handle. Titled ENDGAME, ENIGMA and EXPOSURE, and set to come out in March, June and September 2005, they tell the stories of Gabriel, Payton and Harrison, three men who'll stop at nothing to protect the women they love. Dee will also have a newly revamped web site by September, just in time for the release of her holiday novella, Still of the Night.

In July, Rosanne Bittner’s third Early American novel from Forge, INTO THE PRAIRIE, will go on sale. It touches on The War of 1812 and the conflicts with the famous Shawnee spiritual leader, Tecumseh. I find this quite interesting, since the small town near me is named Tecumseh and it’s located in Shawnee County.

It’s been a bit hectic around here as Allen and I have been working to get things caught up in order to be gone the final two weeks of this month on vacation. After returning the first of July, I'll then be preparing for my trip to Dallas for the Romance Writers of America National Conference the last week of July. I can't wait to meet up with old friends and make new ones, as well as see the Writerspace gals again.

Until then, stay tuned............

Tanzey

Tanzey Cutter