Harlan Coben Does It Again - Missing You, Coming Out in March

There may be better authors than Harlan Coben.  But there is nobody better at murder mysteries/thrillers (Greg Iles is a close 2nd).  I just finished Coben's 25th novel, and I've read all but 2 (and those are his 2 YA novels featuring Myron Bolitar's nephew, Mickey).  I've enjoyed every single one of them, without exception.  But this one is right near the top. Here is Goodread's thumbnail sketch of Missing You, due out March 18.

It's a profile, like all the others on the online dating site. But as NYPD Detective Kat Donovan focuses on the accompanying picture, she feels her whole world explode, as emotions she’s ignored for decades come crashing down on her. Staring back at her is her ex-fiancé Jeff, the man who shattered her heart—and who she hasn’t seen in 18 years.

Kat feels a spark, wondering if this might be the moment when past tragedies recede and a new world opens up to her.  But when she reaches out to the man in the profile, her reawakened hope quickly darkens into suspicion and then terror as an unspeakable conspiracy comes to light, in which monsters prey upon the most vulnerable. 

As the body count mounts and Kat's hope for a second chance with Jeff grows more and more elusive, she is consumed by an investigation that challenges her feelings about everyone she ever loved—her former fiancé, her mother, and even her father, whose cruel murder so long ago has never been fully explained. With lives on the line, including her own, Kat must venture deeper into the darkness than she ever has before, and discover if she has the strength to survive what she finds there.

I am in awe of how Coben can create books that have so many pieces to them but never seem too complicated.  And that I can never figure out (I can't figure out what's going to happen in movies either).  Plus, in a literary world that typically features male protagonists, with some very notable exceptions (and not counting romances), it's nice to have a nationally renowned male author feature a female lead.

I have read a lot of books in the last couple of years by debut authors, book club authors, and local authors.  This has led me to miss out on some of my stand-by authors.  But I never miss a Coben.  And I know I've said this before.  If you have a chance to see him up close and personal, don't pass up the opportunity.  He's just south of a stand-up comedian.  I may have told you this one before, but we saw him a couple of years ago at Book Passage in Corte Madera.  He started by saying "I live just east of here - New Jersey.  And when he told the story of his teenage daughter coming into the kitchen, seeing Coben's picture on a book cover, and saying "Ewwww," the entire audience cracked up.  A very good author and a very entertaining speaker.  Most importantly, read Missing You when it comes out in March.  And if you haven't read him before, and if you start with this one, you will definitely be hooked. It's a 3.5/4 and will be in my list of top books for 2014.

Author Events at VHOB - Tonight and Next Wednesday

How's that for a snappy title?

We've got JoAn T. Smith appearing tonight at 7:00.  JoAn wrote Chopstix, her experience in China after the break-up of her 27-year marriage.  She will be bringing food and beverages that she was introduced to in China and will also be giving away a gift basket. The basket will consist of her book, a fancy bookmark, and a paper cutting of a panda bear.  She's going to give us all insight into a country that most of us have never been to.

Next Wednesday night at 7:00, Helene Wecker will be joining us.  Helene is the author of The Golem and the Jinni.  This is a very good book that gives us a look at New York City's Little Syria in 1899.  But it also is very magical because it introduces us to a golem, which is a creature made out of clay in Jewish culture, and a jinni, which is a mystical creature in the Arab world.  Their connection is mesmerizing.

Helene's book has received a lot of publicity:

Amazon Best Book of the Month, April 2013

Amazon Top 20 Pick for Best of 2013

Finalist, 2013 NBCC John Leonard Prize for First Book

Finalist, 2013 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction

Finalist, 2013 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy

Finalist, 2013 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Debut

We hope to see you for these events.

A Review of Playing St. Barbara, by Marian Szczepanski (see, I still do reviews!)

Marian Szczepanski's debut novel, Playing St. Barbara, is quite a book.  It's difficult to describe and was difficult to rate.  But I'll get to that.  1st, here is a synopsis of the book from Goodreads:

The secrets, struggles, and self-redemption of a Depression-era coal miner's wife and three daughters play out against a turbulent historical backdrop of Ku Klux Klan intimidation and the 1933 Pennsylvania Mine War. Their intertwined lives eerily mirror the 7th century legend of St. Barbara, patroness of miners, reenacted annually in the town pageant. Tested by scandal, heartbreak, and tragedy, each woman will write her own courageous ending to St. Barbara's story.

It took me almost 100 pages to get into the rhythm of this book.  But here's the thing:  The next 100 pages really picked up, and the last 180 pages flew by.  Despite the slow start, I'm very glad I read it, and I still gave it a 3/4.  Goodreads and Amazon readers were more generous with their ratings than me.  Goodreads averaged 4.4/5 with 15 ratings.  Amazon averaged 4.55/5 out of 9 people.  But that's a bit misleading.  8 people gave it a 5, and 1 gave it a 1 (a ridiculous rating for a ridiculous reason).  By and large, that's a lot of love.

Let me tell you what I particularly liked.  I really liked the setting and the history.  Marian makes you feel the brutal nature of the mining industry in the late 1920's through the early 1940's.  I also really liked some of the ancillary characters, especially the ones associated with the eldest daughter, Norah.  In fact, I felt the most emotional connection with Norah, more so than her 2 sisters, Deirdre and Katie, and their mother, Clare.  The father, Fin, was a beast.  Some of what he did was tough to read (after just seeing the movie 12 Years a Slave, what Fin did to his family was not so different from what many of the slave masters did to their slaves).

So, all in all, it's a very good read.  If the 1st part of the book hadn't been a bit slow, I would have given it a 3.5.  As it is, there's nothing wrong with a solid 3.  If you can pull yourself away from Coben, Brown, Child, Baldacci, et al, then pick this one up.  It's different from the usual cast of literary characters.  And it's got some meat to it.

P.S.  I LOVED the ending.

List of Characters:  If you go to Marian's website - www.marianszczepanski.com - and click on the heading For Reader, you can actually get the entire list of characters.  This can be very helpful, take my word for it.  

Another Independent Bookstore - Be Still My Heart

I spent this past weekend in the Sacramento area - specifically Folsom, El Dorado Hills, and Roseville. We have very close friends moving to EDH, and we spent Sunday afternoon seeing the house (under construction) and exploring the town.  They took us to the El Dorado Hills Town Center, a very cool shopping center.  And there I was exposed to Face in a Book, a bookstore that's been open for about a year and half now.  I met the owner, Tina Ferguson (see her blurb and pic below), and got a chance to walk through the store. Tina has done a great job.  She has a nice variety of books, and the store is very inviting.

The store already has a whole bunch of programs each month.  They have 2 book clubs, called Daytime Book Club and Evening Book Club.  They may not be original names, but what a great way to make sure that all of their customers can belong to a book club if they are so inclined.  They also have author booksignings (3 authors in January and 5 in February) and Storytime for toddlers and preschoolers (3-4 times each month).  And a Reader of the Week along with Staff Recommendations.  Plus, I love their website name - www.getyourfaceinabook.com.

You know how I feel about independent bookstores.  Every time I come across one, and especially when I learn that it is succeeding, I feel even more optimistic about the future of print books and community bookshops.  I am a strong supporter of ebooks and audiobooks (anything that gets people reading), but there's something special about a local independent bookstore.

Tina Ferguson

I've been called everything from courageous to crazy for opening an independent bookstore 12 months ago.

I have been so overwhelmed by the community support we've received! My in-store playlist of favorites includes my staff, our customers and whatever book I've currently got on my nightstand.

Stop in sometime and say hello - Face in a Book is YOUR community bookstore...I am so grateful to be able to share this bright and cozy place with all of you!

We exist for one simple reason: For the love of books.

Face in a Book is a different kind of bookstore hub for reading enthusiasts and novices alike seeking books on every subject. Located in the heart of Town Center in El Dorado Hills, California, Face in a Book aims to delight readers of all ages. In addition to over 3000 titles to choose from, Face in a Book is your new destination for fun, affordable gifts, greeting cards, stationery, and custom-branded school apparel for any occasion.

- See more at: http://www.getyourfaceinabook.com/about.php#sthash.Dg84kEfa.dpuf

"Share" - A Cookbook That Everybody Needs to Know About

Last month, Lauri Pastrone came to Village House of Books.  Lauri, and 4 collaborators, put together a cookbook, called Share, that she was promoting, and that VHOB was highlighting in the store.  After listening to Lauri, several of us bought the cookbook - and more.

What is Share all about?  Women for Women International is an organization whose mission is to support women in a number of war-torn countries.  The idea is to give women training over the course of a year that allows them to be independent and productive members of their society when that year is up.  By paying $30/month for one year (plus a $30 start-up fee), you are giving these women a chance to turn their lives around.  Joni and I were certainly sold.

What does the cookbook consist of?  There are numerous recipes from:  nationally-renowned chefs, celebrities, and 2 women from each of the 8 war-torn countries.  In fact, Meryl Streep wrote the forward for the cookbook.  So, not only are you supporting the organization by buying a cookbook ($40) or maybe even taking the next step by supporting a woman from the program, but you're also getting a beautiful, coffee table book with fantastic recipes.  Let WfWi explain about the cookbook and the program:

Share – the cookbook that celebrates our common humanity 

Since 1993, Women for Women International (WfWI) has transformed 

the lives of nearly 400,000 women survivors of war.  

About the Cookbook  

 

 An uplifting and beautifully designed cookbook that includes a collection of nearly 100 recipes and 

inspiring stories from women who have gone from victims to active citizens.  

 

 Foreword by Meryl Streep. 

 

 International chefs participating include: Alice Waters, Jamie Oliver, Yotam Ottolenghi, René Redzepi, 

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jesse Ziff Cool, Maggie Beer, Judy Wicks, Susan Spicer, Greg Higgins, Ann 

Cooper, and Nora Pouillon.  

 

 Activists, philanthropists and humanitarians contributing recipes include: Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson 

Mandela, Sir Richard Branson, Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, 

Muhammad Yunus, Ashley Judd, Emma Thompson, Annie Lennox, Livia Firth, Christiane Amanpour, Ben 

& Jerry, Kate Spade, Trudie Styler, Jennifer Buffet, Sheryl WuDunn, Craig Kielburger, Alice Walker, Dame 

Judi Dench, Lisa Shannon, Mia Farrow, Robin Wright and Helen Bamber, among others. 

 

 Published by Kyle Books, Share is being sold in the US, UK, Ireland, Romania, Croatia, Holland, Saudi 

Arabia, Dubai, Lebanon, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, New 

Zealand, and Germany (translated).  

 

 Share is the 1st cookbook to be placed on the JP Morgan Summer Reading List (2013). 

 

 Sold at Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores and on Amazon.    

 
All royalties and 100% of publisher’s profits will go to the work of Women for Women International. 

Goals  

 

 To generate new sponsorships for women victims of war through sales and publicity of the cookbook 

and to raise money for ongoing training programs.  

What Is Women for Women International? 

 

 WfWI provide victims of war the opportunity to transform their lives through a year-long skills training 

programme, which includes job skills and business training to earn a living.  

 

 Women in the programme also receive tools and support to deal with the social and emotional 

consequences of war. A key component is information regarding their rights -- what they are and how 

to fight for them in their homes, their communities and their nations.  

 

 Through WfWI’s extensive sponsorship programme, sponsors pledge $30 (£22) per month and 

exchange letters with their assigned ‘sister.’  

 

 Women graduate with a breadth of skills. The variety of trades offered include: organic farming, small 

animal husbandry, tile production, tailoring, cooking, bee keeping, bread making, and more. 

 

 WfWI has training centres in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, the Congo, South Sudan, Nigeria, Rwanda, 

Afghanistan and Iraq. (WfWI has centres only in countries of conflict or post-conflict.) 

Women for Women International’s Scope  

 

 WfWI has corporate partnerships and collaborations with many organisations. e.g., Google, Neal’s 

Yard, Harper’s Bazaar, Kate Spade, Browns and others. 

 

 Zainab Salbi, Founder of WfWI, frequently appears on CNN, the BBC, and other international networks 

and was on Oprah many times. In addition to receiving the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian prize, she has 

been named a member of the Clinton Global Initiative by former President Clinton.  

For more information in the USA, contact Tracy Craighead  

+1 (845) 260-2672 or +1 (914) 533-2079  

tracycraighead@hotmail.com  Sold at Barnes & Noble and independent bookstores and on Amazon.  

Do yourself a favor and, at least, buy this book.  Your $40 will get you an amazing cookbook and will do a lot more good than that.  And, if you feel particularly moved, you may want to consider the 1-year sponsorship, at $30/month.  I guarantee that either way, you will feel great.

Tim Myers - Coming to VHOB Tomorrow Night at 7:00

Tim J. Myers has over 32 years' experience as a classroom and university teacher in English and education, was a university teacher educator for 17 years, and is now full-time in English.  

He's also a widely-published writer for children and adults.  He has 11 children's books out (one of which was aNew York Times best-seller and was read alound on NPR) and five on the way.  He's published two books of adult poetry out (one got a great review from poet Grace Cavalieri), has published over 120 poems, and his Glad to Be Dad:  A Call to Fatherhood was featured on the Parents Magazine website, won the inaugural Ben Franklin Digital Award, and came in at #5 on Amazon's "Hot New Releases in Fatherhood."  Tim's been nominated for two Pushcarts, won a prize in the Writers of the Future Contest for science fiction/fantasy, and has published much other fiction and nonfiction.

He's also a professional storyteller and a songwriter; his "When Lady Smiled at Me" won the Dan Howell Song of the Year for the Saratoga chapter of the West Coast Songwriters.  And he's the oldest of 11 children and can whistle and hum at the same time.

Here is an interview with Tim: 

Why is good children's literature so powerful, so magical?  How can the complexities and force of great language and art be presented to young readers?  How do we best use the master-power of Story itself to enrich not only the lives of children but our whole culture as well?

If you're interested, check out my interview with the wonderful TV series "The Better Part"--it's on YouTube here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Iz27TcQK6A

Tim Myers author of delightful children's books for all ages

An Author's Account of How Authors Get Paid

Taylor Stevens, who wrote The Informationist, and who I have quoted in the past, has given a detailed account of how she gets paid for the sales of her books and how she can monitor whether the publisher and literary agent have been honest in their accounting.  I found it to be fascinating.  Here it is.

Why this ad?

I recently received the following question: Q: I find your “business of writing” emails fascinating. So many published writers start blogs about writing techniques, but being a former businesswoman, I am intrigued by your angle. I have questions about how the accounting works between publisher, agent and author: Do the checks that a writer receives come from his/her agent? Or the publisher? Or someone else? In other words, does the publisher pay the agent, who then takes his/her cut, and then forwards on the rest? If that is the case, does the writer have any proof that the agent is completely honest? Does the writer know exactly how much the publisher pays the agents? I'm sure most agents are above board, but if there is no oversight, this could become mighty suspicious. A: Excellent questions! Publishing is definitely mired in murky accounting—there seems to have been a perpetual outcry over this since writers began scribbling on cave walls. Generally speaking, though, the murkiness lies with the publishers themselves. Outside of an external audit (and authors do have the right to call for one if they feel they are being cheated, but that is a double-edged sword, opens a whole other can of worms, burns bridges, and many more metaphors for might-not-always-be-the-best-idea) both agents and authors have to take it on faith that the publisher is accurately accounting for number of books sold. This is even more pronounced when it comes to eBooks and digital audio. From what I’ve heard among the industry professionals, it’s the general feeling that publishers do notdeliberately cheat when it comes to reporting book sales, but there are tremendous time lags (again with eBooks this is especially pronounced) and yes, there are mistakes. The good agents are experienced in sussing out the inconsistencies, and I know that every royalty statement I receive is combed over for anomalies at the agency. Once the money actually leaves the publisher’s hands, it’s a whole lot easier to keep track of. Do the checks that a writer receives come from his/her agent, the publisher or someone else?This depends on what is stipulated in the book contract, and this may be predetermined by the author’s contract with the agency. [Side note: Not all agencies require the authors to sign contracts—at least mine doesn’t—my agent simply let me know what their terms were—which were quite honorable by industry standards—and that was that.] The two basic ways that the money division can be done is for the publisher to send the agent’s portion to the agent and the author’s to the author according to the percentages spelled out in the book contract, or they can send it all to the agent and let the agent take care of what happens next. My contracts call for it to all go to the agency, which then cuts me a check for the total minus commission. From a business perspective (if I were an agent) that’s what I’d want to see done, as it allows the agent to stay on top of everything. I am fortunate because my agency is very fast in their turn-around time and usually has a check to me within days of having received payment from the publisher. I don’t think it always works like that, though it should. Does the writer have any proof that the agent is completely honest and does the writer know exactly how much the publisher pays the agents? Yes, and yes—at least as it pertains to dealing with the big five—I don’t have any experience in dealing with a smaller press, but I assume it must work similarly. The author gets paid in two ways: a) When a milestone in the contract has been reached (contract, delivery/acceptance, publication, etc.), at which point the author already knows the total amount s/he will be receiving so there’s no question there. And b) Royalties after a book has earned out. In the case of royalties, these payments are always accompanied by a statement that breaks down exactly how many books were sold and for what price and at what percentage to the author, what foreign rights at what percentage, etc. etc. One of my recent royalty statements for INFORMATIONIST totaled 9 pages of this type of detail. The statements can take a little while to decipher, but considering the level (depth?) they go into, they are actually very straightforward, and the one thing that is very clear from the very first page is how much money the check is for. So basically, the author always knows how much money has gone to the agent. Even if there is no money involved (the book hasn’t earned out) these royalty statements still account for all of the print runs and sales, so you can keep track of where you stand.