The Poisoned Pen Bookstore's Posts - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T09:58:48ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstorehttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/60991670?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://crimespace.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=3e2wpu03lmzjj&xn_auth=noTim Myers as Chris Cavender first in a new series A Slice of Murdertag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-07-09:537324:BlogPost:2067952009-07-09T17:06:01.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
A Slice of Murder ($22 Kensington) is the first in a new series from author Tim Myers as Chris Cavender, aka Elizabeth Bright of the Card-Making Mysteries and Melissa Glazer of the Clay and Crime mysteries. If you haven’t discovered these then you are in for a treat!<br />
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Not too much happens in the sleepy little town of Timber Ridge, North Carolina - which is fine with pizza-purveyor extraordinaire Eleanor Swift. The spunky owner of A Slice of Delight is trying to mend her broken heart and could…
A Slice of Murder ($22 Kensington) is the first in a new series from author Tim Myers as Chris Cavender, aka Elizabeth Bright of the Card-Making Mysteries and Melissa Glazer of the Clay and Crime mysteries. If you haven’t discovered these then you are in for a treat!<br />
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Not too much happens in the sleepy little town of Timber Ridge, North Carolina - which is fine with pizza-purveyor extraordinaire Eleanor Swift. The spunky owner of A Slice of Delight is trying to mend her broken heart and could use a little quiet time. But when a late night delivery customer turns up dead, she's in for just the opposite in this delicious mystery series debut, featuring pizza as the prima character...Eleanor figures somebody must have been really mad at Richard Olsen to bury that kitchen knife in his chest. But when Kevin Hurley - her ex-boyfriend and Timber Ridge's police chief - starts eyeing her as a prime suspect, Eleanor knows she better get to the bottom of things before the gossipy townspeople decide to stop ordering her specialty pies. With her sassy and occasionally married sister Maddy by her side, Eleanor finds the list of suspects begins to outnumber the ingredients on the Slice's famed Smorgasbord Special pizza. Like Richard's eccentric sister, who appears out of nowhere to learn she's the heir to $100 grand...in what looks like dirty money. Richard worked for a shredding business - and it seems he read before he shred, and very well could've been a blackmailer. What about Richard's boss, who now stands to lose his shredding company? And then there's that steamy scented letter from none other than the mayor's wife. But when someone takes a shot at Eleanor on a late-night delivery run, she and Maddy know time is running out. To find the killer - and keep the pizzas rolling out of A Slice of Delight's ovens - she'll need to put it all one the line and hope that her search for the truth doesn't end in an unmarked grave...<br />
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I really enjoyed spunky Eleanor and her gutsy, smart-mouthed sister Maddy. They filled the pages with snappy dialog in this fun, lively paced mystery. If you are a fan of Diane Mott Davidson, Joanne Fluke or Laura Childs then this story is sure to please.<br />
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And you can meet this author at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore on Wednesday, July 29 at 7 pm where we are hosting his book launch for A Slice of Murder. Don’t miss this fun event with pizza, prizes and fun!One of our authors was kind to send this to me...tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-07-06:537324:BlogPost:2065312009-07-06T20:15:16.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
Author Dolores-Gordon Smith talks about her new book, As If By Magic; the third Jack Haldean mystery<br />
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As If By Magic; the third Jack Haldean mystery by Dolores Gordon Smith<br />
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“Where do you get your ideas from?” is a question that’s often asked at book festivals and – be warned! – infuriates some writers. I don’t know why; I think it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to ask.<br />
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I know exactly where the ideas for As If By Magic came from. Every Christmas the corporate world breaks out into a mass of…
Author Dolores-Gordon Smith talks about her new book, As If By Magic; the third Jack Haldean mystery<br />
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As If By Magic; the third Jack Haldean mystery by Dolores Gordon Smith<br />
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“Where do you get your ideas from?” is a question that’s often asked at book festivals and – be warned! – infuriates some writers. I don’t know why; I think it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to ask.<br />
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I know exactly where the ideas for As If By Magic came from. Every Christmas the corporate world breaks out into a mass of dinners, dances and parties and I’m invited to a couple. This particular dinner featured a Magic show as an after-dinner entertainment. Members of the audience were invited to take part and, nothing loath, I joined in. I’d never been so close to a “real” magician before and I was struck by the edge between illusion and reality. There’s something else, too. The dove that the magician produces from the empty box is real; the box is real. It’s how they’re put together that makes the illusion. That thought stayed with me. Jack Haldean (who, oddly enough, has virtually the same thought when he sees a street magician!) uses it to work out what’s real and what’s illusory in the tangled web his poor friend George finds himself in.<br />
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George, you see, has it tough. Not only is he completely destitute, starving and on the verge of a serious illness, he also sees a beautiful woman apparently agree to her own murder in the deserted kitchen of a house in Mayfair. When the police arrive minutes later, the body has disappeared - as if by magic.<br />
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That was one plank of an idea in the story. The other idea came, quite simply, from a book. I was poking around in a second-hand bookshop in Manchester when I found All About The Aircraft Of Today written by one Frederick Talbot and published in 1921. I’ve always been interested in old aeroplanes and All About The Aircraft Of Today was a must. I was the first person to read it; I had to cut the pages. As I read the book, I realised that here was the other element I’d been looking for. Aviation and that great surge in civilian flying in the 1920’s, when another record was broken seemingly every month, was exactly the sort of background I was looking for. Not only that, but Frederick Talbot included a wonderful description of the Crossley Aircraft factory and this sort of detail was pure gold. I was so grateful to Frederick, I gave him a walk-on part in As If By Magic as an aviation reporter. As a matter of fact, I bet that’s what he was in real life.<br />
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The rest of the book is, of course, where the Plot happens and Plots, which I brood over like an old mother hen, are where the real hard work kicks in. It’s absorbing though and a real thrill when it all comes together and you know it works. That takes a year or so, writing, discarding, trying it again, but at the end – well, it’s Magic!<br />
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If you’d like to know more about Jack and catch up on the latest news, I’d be delighted if you visited my website, www.doloresgordon-smith.co.ukMalice Domestic from St. Martin's Presstag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-02-27:537324:BlogPost:1852672009-02-27T15:30:00.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
Hey all you mystery writers, have you heard of the <a href="http://www.malicedomestic.org/">Malice Domestic contest</a> from from St. Martin's Press?<br />
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This contest provides a previously unpublished writer an opportunity to launch his or her career with a major mystery imprint, St. Martin's Minotaur. The winner will receive a one-book, $10,000 contract.<br />
<a href="http://www.juliaspencerfleming.com/recommended_reads.html#malicewinners">Here is a list of previous winners…</a>
Hey all you mystery writers, have you heard of the <a href="http://www.malicedomestic.org/">Malice Domestic contest</a> from from St. Martin's Press?<br />
<br />
This contest provides a previously unpublished writer an opportunity to launch his or her career with a major mystery imprint, St. Martin's Minotaur. The winner will receive a one-book, $10,000 contract.<br />
<a href="http://www.juliaspencerfleming.com/recommended_reads.html#malicewinners">Here is a list of previous winners</a><br />
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<a href="http://us.macmillan.com/Content.aspx?publisher=smpminotaur&id=4933">St. Martin’s Minotaur/Malice Domestic Competition</a><br />
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Here are the rules for the Martin’s Minotaur/Malice Domestic Competition for the Best First Traditional Mystery Novel (2009) The 2010 dates should be posted soon!<br />
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1. The contest is open to any professional or non-professional writer, regardless of nationality, who has never been the author of a published traditional mystery, as defined by the guidelines below, and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a traditional mystery. Only one manuscript entry is permitted per writer.<br />
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2. All manuscripts submitted: a) must be original works of book length (no less than 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words) written in the English language by the contestants; b) must not violate the rights of any third party, and c) must generally follow the guidelines below.<br />
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GUIDELINES<br />
Murder or another serious crime is at the heart of the story, and emphasis is on the solution rather than the details of the crime.<br />
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Whatever violence is necessarily involved should be neither excessive nor gratuitously detailed, nor is there to be explicit sex.<br />
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The crime is an extraordinary event in the lives of the characters.<br />
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The principal characters are people whom the reader might not like, but would be interested in knowing.<br />
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The suspects and the victims should know each other.<br />
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There are a limited number of suspects, each of whom has a credible motive and reasonable opportunity to have committed the crime.<br />
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The person who solves the crime is the central character.<br />
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The “detective” is an amateur, or, if a professional (private investigator, police officer) is not hardboiled and is as fully developed as the other characters.<br />
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The detective may find him or herself in serious peril, but he or she does not get beaten up to any serious extent.<br />
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All of the cast represent themselves as individuals, rather than large impersonal institutions like a national government, the mafia, the CIA, etc.<br />
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(The decision of the contest’s judges as to whether or not a manuscript qualifies will be final.)<br />
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3. Nominees will be selected by judges chosen by the editorial staff of St. Martin’s Press, with the assistance of the organizers of MALICE DOMESTIC, and the winner will be chosen by St. Martin’s editors. The decision of the editors as to the winner of the contest will be final. St. Martin’s reserves the right not to select any winner, if in the sole opinion of the editors, none of the manuscripts submitted are of publishable quality.<br />
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4. An attempt will be made to notify the contest winner, if any, no later than April 1, 2009.<br />
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5. If a winner is selected, St. Martin’s Minotaur will publish the winning manuscript by offering to enter into its standard form author’s agreement with the contestant. The winner will receive an advance against future royalties of $10,000. Those terms of the offer not specified in the printed text of the St. Martin’s Press standard form author’s agreement will be determined by St. Martin’s Press at its sole discretion. The contestant may request reasonable changes in the offered terms, but St. Martin’s shall not be obligated to agree to any such changes. St. Martin’s may, but will not be required to, consider for publication manuscripts submitted by other contestants.<br />
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6. All entries must be received or postmarked no later than October 15, 2008 and must include:<br />
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A double-spaced and neatly typed copy of the manuscript (photocopies are acceptable), with pages numbered consecutively from beginning to end.<br />
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A letter or cover sheet containing the name, address, and telephone number of the contestant and the contestant’s previous writing credits, if any.<br />
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The application form, duly completed, and an SASE.<br />
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All entries must be mailed to the judge whose address is on the application form. Do not send the entry to St. Martins’ Press. For additional copies of the rules and entry blank only, please send a stamped, self addressed envelope to:<br />
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Malice Domestic Competition<br />
Thomas Dunne Books<br />
St. Martin’s Press<br />
175 Fifth Avenue<br />
New York, NY 10010<br />
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*Each contestant must keep a copy of the manuscript for his or her own protection. St. Martin’s Press will not be responsible for lost, stolen, or mislaid manuscripts. Because of the great volume of submissions our judges receive, the fact that they are volunteers with full-time responsibilities elsewhere, and the fact that most writers now have their work saved on their computers, manuscripts will not be returned. Please do not send return postage or envelopes.<br />
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7. No critical evaluation or commentary will be offered by the judges or the editorial staff of St. Martin’s Press unless, in the sole opinion of the editorial staff evaluation or commentary is appropriate in the case of a manuscript being considered for publication.<br />
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8. This contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.<br />
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*It is important that you submit your manuscript as early as possible. Our judges are volunteers who are extremely busy with their primary concerns, and it is inevitable that your submission will get a more careful reading if the judge does not have to contend with a flood of last-minute entries. However, it is not necessary to send it the most expensive way. We judge its on-time performance by the post-mark or equivalent, not by the date the judge receives the manuscript.<br />
Good luck!<br />
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The nominees for the 2009 Agatha Awards (for traditional mysteries). Winners will be chosen by attendees at the Malice Domestic 21 convention (May 1-3), and will be announced Saturday, May 2. Click here for more information.<br />
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Best Novel<br />
• Six Geese A-Slaying, by Donna Andrews (Minotaur Books)<br />
• A Royal Pain, by Rhys Bowen (Penguin Group)<br />
• The Cruelest Month, by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)<br />
• Buckingham Palace Gardens, by Anne Perry (Random House)<br />
• I Shall Not Want, by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Minotaur Books)<br />
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Best First Novel<br />
• Through a Glass, Deadly, by Sarah Atwell (Berkley Trade)<br />
• The Diva Runs Out of Thyme, by Krista Davis (Penguin Group)<br />
• Pushing Up Daisies, by Rosemary Harris (Minotaur Books)<br />
• Death of a Cozy Writer, by G.M. Malliet (Midnight Ink)<br />
• Paper, Scissors, Death, by Joanna Campbell Slan (Midnight Ink)<br />
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Best Non-fiction<br />
• African American Mystery Writers: A Historical and Thematic Study, by Frankie Y. Bailey (McFarland & Co.)<br />
• How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries, by Kathy Lynn Emerson (Perseverance Press)<br />
• Anthony Boucher, A Bibliography, by Jeff Marks (McFarland & Co.)<br />
• Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories, by Dr. Harry Lee Poe (Metro Books)<br />
• The Suspicions of Mr. Whitcher, by Kate Summerscale (Walker)<br />
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Best Short Story<br />
• “The Night Things Changed,” by Dana Cameron (from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner; Ace)<br />
• “Killing Time,” by Jane Cleland (Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine, November 2008)<br />
• “Dangerous Crossin,” by Carla Coupe (from Chesapeake Crimes 3, edited by Donna Andrews and Marcia Talley; Wildside Press)<br />
• “Skull and Cross Examination,” by Toni L.P. Kelner (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine [EQMM], February 2008)<br />
• “A Nice Old Guy,” by Nancy Pickard (EQMM, August 2008)<br />
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Best Children’s/Young Adult<br />
• Into the Dark, by Peter Abrahams (HarperCollins)<br />
• A Thief in the Theater, by Sarah Masters Buckey (American Girl)<br />
• The Crossroads, by Chris Grabenstein (Random House<br />
Children’s Books)<br />
• The Great Circus Train Robbery, by Nancy Means Wright<br />
(Hilliard and Harris)Hey all you writers out there...have you heard of HarperCollins' Boing Boing?tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-02-16:537324:BlogPost:1825202009-02-16T15:30:00.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
HarperCollins has opened a slushpile at Boing Boing <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/02/harpercollins-authon.html">(read story here)</a><br />
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Getting your book to a Harper Collins editor is nigh on impossible even with an agent...So in an attempt to uncover writing talents and editorial/critical talent HC has set up a site that gives unpublished authors a place to share their work and allows readers to promote their favorite writers, perhaps all the way to a book deal...<br />
<br />
"Want to get…
HarperCollins has opened a slushpile at Boing Boing <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/02/harpercollins-authon.html">(read story here)</a><br />
<br />
Getting your book to a Harper Collins editor is nigh on impossible even with an agent...So in an attempt to uncover writing talents and editorial/critical talent HC has set up a site that gives unpublished authors a place to share their work and allows readers to promote their favorite writers, perhaps all the way to a book deal...<br />
<br />
"Want to get published?<br />
<br />
Or want to make a name for yourself as THE expert and better-than-New-York-Times-critic of Sci Fi books? of Chic Lit? of Memoir? Here's your chance.<br />
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With this site, we’re aiming to help unpublished authors promote or publish their work, and encourage curious/independent-minded readers to back new writers and become involved in the decision of what finally makes its way to publication, all in ways that haven’t been available before now. The hope for us is that authonomy will uncover some writing talent for publishing and also some critical/editorial talents. "Graphic Novel Mysteries - From Patrick Kingtag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-02-03:537324:BlogPost:1798202009-02-03T16:00:00.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
<b>Graphic Novel Mysteries</b><br />
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It’s been great to see that graphic novels (i.e. comic books) have become much more respected over the past few years. Gone are the days when comic writers treated the reader like an eight year old with classic lines such as, “Thank gosh for utility belts!” or “My spider-senses are tingling, that must mean Dr. Octopus is near!”; instead, the writers have realized that their audience has grown up and so has the dialogue and the art work. I have recently read four…
<b>Graphic Novel Mysteries</b><br />
<br />
It’s been great to see that graphic novels (i.e. comic books) have become much more respected over the past few years. Gone are the days when comic writers treated the reader like an eight year old with classic lines such as, “Thank gosh for utility belts!” or “My spider-senses are tingling, that must mean Dr. Octopus is near!”; instead, the writers have realized that their audience has grown up and so has the dialogue and the art work. I have recently read four great mystery graphic novels that are sure to please the palate of young and old alike.<br />
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<a href="http://www.poisonedpen.com/products/scifi/9780785122609/?searchterm=Powers">Powers: Cosmic vol 10.</a> $19.95<br />
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Brian Michael Bendis, author of this series, was nominated for the Eisner Award (best graphic novel) for this series. Homicide Detective Christian Walker is called in whenever a murder of a Power (super hero or heroine) occurs. With his partner, Deanna Pilgrim, they delve into the heart of the super-powered community which is often not as sparkly clean as believed. Powers: Cosmic vol 10 is a great starting point for new readers but is not for the faint of heart and is definitely intended for older readers!<br />
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<a href="http://www.poisonedpen.com/products/scifi/9781401213596/?searchterm=Batman">Batman- Ego and Other Tales</a> $17.99<br />
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Darwyn Cooke, Eisner Award nominee for The Spirit comics, brings together four short stories featuring Batman, the original comic detective. In the first story, Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) has a conversation with his ego after witnessing a man commit suicide who had helped him put away the Joker. This psychological drama neatly draws in the reader with a discussion on the duality of the caped crime fighter. Futhermore, the 1940’s style artwork brings the reader back to the original stories without the campy dialogue The other four stories, though not as strong as Ego, are all drawn in the 1940’s or Art Nouveau fashion and create a strong compilation of Batman shorts.<br />
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<a href="http://www.poisonedpen.com/products/scifi/9780785128892/?searchterm=Daredevil">Daredevil- Cruel and Unusual</a> $14.99<br />
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Ben Donovan is on death row at Sing Sing prison for a particularly gruesome murder of three children. When Matt Murdock (a.k.a Daredevil) is brought in to look into the case his heightened sense of hearing can detect that Donovan is lying about his relationship to the case. With the assistance of private detective Dakota North, the two delve deeper into a case that leads them into the heart of a Mafia/CIA conspiracy. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka (one of the store’s favorite thriller writers) compile a noir mystery using Daredevil at his best.<br />
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<a href="http://www.poisonedpen.com/products/scifi/9781401219277/?searchterm=Teen%20Titans">Teen Titans- Year One</a> $14.99<br />
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Nostalgia has been a big theme in 2008-2009 with publishers DC and Marvel publishing the “early years” of the super-hero groups. In this compilation of “Teen Titans Year One”, Robin brings together an unlikely group of young super-powered teens to create the Teen Titans. The group of five superheroes must figure out why the adult super-heroes personalities have changed and have started to act like super-villains rather than super-heroes. Full of humor, a light mystery, and terrific art-work, Amy Wolfram brings you back to what comics used to be- a light escape for an hour on a Saturday afternoon. Great for young and older readers alike!Future of the Printed Wordtag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-01-30:537324:BlogPost:1788022009-01-30T19:13:35.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
For hundreds of years people have documented their existence, passing on messages, history, and ideas through print form. Now the crumbling economy is threatening to make printed news a thing of the past...<br />
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Just recently the New York Times announced that they are facing dire circumstances and "that it is possible that The Times and other newspapers will have to move to digital-only distribution."<a href="http://www.bookbrowse.com/news/detail/index.cfm?news_item_number=637">(read…</a>
For hundreds of years people have documented their existence, passing on messages, history, and ideas through print form. Now the crumbling economy is threatening to make printed news a thing of the past...<br />
<br />
Just recently the New York Times announced that they are facing dire circumstances and "that it is possible that The Times and other newspapers will have to move to digital-only distribution."<a href="http://www.bookbrowse.com/news/detail/index.cfm?news_item_number=637">(read story)</a><br />
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Closer to home the Tucson Citizen has announced they will close the Tucson Citizen on March 21 if it can’t find a buyer. <a href="http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-gannett-will-shut-tucson-citizen-if-assets-not-sold-by-mar.-21/">(read story)</a><br />
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Other papers are taking desperate measures and have been forced to cut staff and popular sections.<br />
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The Washington Post is ending regular publication of its weekly Book World section, eliminating one of the few stand-alone book review sections left among daily newspapers. <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28898951/">(read story)</a><br />
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"Whether or not print dies, its business model will", <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2008/12/the_print_media.html">says Jeff Jarvis, Buzzmachine.com</a>. "Physical wares—newspapers, books, magazines, discs—will no longer be the primary or most profitable means of delivering and interacting with media: news, fact, entertainment, or education."<br />
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Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has now gone out on a limb and made some pretty bold predictions in a recent discussion with Washington Post editors, the biggest of which, by far, is his proclamation that he thinks there'll be "no media consumption left in 10 years that is not delivered over an IP network." So as not to leave any doubt about that, he also went to further clarify that means there "will be no newspapers, no magazines that are delivered in paper form. Everything gets delivered in an electronic form." <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/06/ballmer-sees-the-end-of-print-media-in-ten-years/">(read story)</a><br />
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So what does this mean for the Book World?<br />
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We know publishers have been forced to cut cost by shortening tours, buying less manuscripts, and spending less on publicity. Which interprets to bookstores as fewer events, fewer posters, fewer books, and few sales. If bookstores all are to survive, they need customers who don't define themselves as customers simply by reading newsletters or attending programs, but by taking it a step further and buying books.<br />
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"The other day as a luncheon speaker I sat down by a man, a familiar face, who said he was a Poisoned Pen customer. And he said, I've just read a good book. In fact, I've read 100 books lately. Wonderful I said. And he said, Yes, all on my kindle.<br />
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And I said, Then you will be okay when we close the store. And he said, Why would you do that? Close the store? How will I know what to read?<br />
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Retail businesses need to sell product, not just services. We are not public institutions or free information providers. No bail out is likely to come our way. It's important to make this decision now when it counts and to stick to it.<br />
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You may love your Kindles and e-readers, but we hope you love us, too." said Barbara Peters owner of <a href="http://www.poisonedpen.com">The Poisoned Pen.</a><br />
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Stuart Evers of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2009/jan/08/murder-one-closing-crime">the guardian.co.uk,</a> said it best in his moving story titled "Murder One closing: did we commit this crime? The loss of one of Charing Cross Road's best bookshops is as much down to customer neglect as the economic climate. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2009/jan/08/murder-one-closing-crime">(read story)</a><br />
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Some are fighting for what they hold dear. More than 100 writers have banded together asking The Washington Post not to shut down its stand-alone Sunday Book World section. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ik97NLK44tgNcjGcH3-aYBWDAfAAD960UTK00">(read story)</a><br />
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Are we entering an era in which magazines and books will be reduced to flickering video displays? Will this be a brave new world or a step back into the dark ages? I for one do not want to give up the comfort of curling up with a good book. Yes, for the moment I am safely surrounded a surplus of "to read" books and I take comfort in having a choice at the ready.<br />
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I do not want to be forced to do my recreational reading in a digital format. I take no comfort from a glowing screen, reaping only headaches and weak vision...Finally Some Positive Newstag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-01-13:537324:BlogPost:1764872009-01-13T18:25:38.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
I found this article on The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/books/12reading.html?partner=rss&emc=rss">Fiction Reading Increases for Adults</a><br />
After years of bemoaning the decline of a literary culture in the United States, the National Endowment for the Arts says in a report that it now believes a quarter-century of precipitous decline in fiction reading has reversed.<br />
The report, “Reading on the Rise: A New Chapter in American Literacy,” being released Monday, is…
I found this article on The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/books/12reading.html?partner=rss&emc=rss">Fiction Reading Increases for Adults</a><br />
After years of bemoaning the decline of a literary culture in the United States, the National Endowment for the Arts says in a report that it now believes a quarter-century of precipitous decline in fiction reading has reversed.<br />
The report, “Reading on the Rise: A New Chapter in American Literacy,” being released Monday, is based on data from “The Survey of Public Participation in the Arts” conducted by the United States Census Bureau in 2008. Among its chief findings is that for the first time since 1982, when the bureau began collecting such data, the proportion of adults 18 and older who said they had read at least one novel, short story, poem or play in the previous 12 months has risen.<br />
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The news comes as the publishing industry struggles with declining sales amid a generally difficult economy.<br />
<br />
The proportion of adults reading some kind of so-called literary work — just over half — is still not as high as it was in 1982 or 1992, and the proportion of adults reading poetry and drama continued to decline. Nevertheless the proportion of overall literary reading increased among virtually all age groups, ethnic and demographic categories since 2002. It increased most dramatically among 18-to-24-year-olds, who had previously shown the most significant declines.<br />
<br />
“There has been a measurable cultural change in society’s commitment to literary reading,” said Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “In a cultural moment when we are hearing nothing but bad news, we have reassuring evidence that the dumbing down of our culture is not inevitable.”<br />
<br />
In fact it seems that "Reading is again become a brilliant tool for self-expression. "<br />
A BBC survey suggests that nearly half of all men and one-third of women have lied about what they have read to try to impress friends or potential partners. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7776046.stm">Click here to read this amusing story</a>Don't Miss the Sizzling Debuttag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-01-09:537324:BlogPost:1759632009-01-09T19:21:24.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
Well, Barbara has once again picked a winner in <b>Beat the Reaper:</b> a debut by Josh Bazell<br />
<br />
Not only is this <a href="http://bookclubsatthepen.blogspot.com/">First Mystery Club Pick</a> getting rave reviews:<br />
"I didn't want to like it. I mean, a doctor writing a novel is kind of obnoxious. What, you don't have enough to do already? But maybe that's me. Anyway, I didn't want to like BEAT THE REAPER, but I did; I loved it. It is completely original, an utter page-turner, bold, shocking,…
Well, Barbara has once again picked a winner in <b>Beat the Reaper:</b> a debut by Josh Bazell<br />
<br />
Not only is this <a href="http://bookclubsatthepen.blogspot.com/">First Mystery Club Pick</a> getting rave reviews:<br />
"I didn't want to like it. I mean, a doctor writing a novel is kind of obnoxious. What, you don't have enough to do already? But maybe that's me. Anyway, I didn't want to like BEAT THE REAPER, but I did; I loved it. It is completely original, an utter page-turner, bold, shocking, hilarious, complex and even educational. It's that book you wish you had with you when you were trapped in an airport for a three-hour flight delay. My only complaint is that I've already read it." (Lisa Lutz, author of THE SPELLMAN FILES )<br />
<br />
"BEAT THE REAPER is terrific-fresh, original, funny, and a dynamite read. Dr. Peter Brown-aka Pietro Brnwa, aka 'the Bearclaw'-is my new favorite character." (Robert Crais, author of CHASING DARKNESS )<br />
<br />
"BEAT THE REAPER is a blast. Josh Bazell blew me away with this story that is as relentless as a bullet." (Michael Connelly, author of THE BRASS VERDICT )<br />
<br />
"Fast, fun, furious, fierce... or better yet, stop reading the accolades for BEAT THE REAPER, open up to page one, and start reading. See you at the cash register." (Harlan Coben, auhtor of HOLD TIGHT )<br />
<br />
"BEAT THE REAPER is way cool and ice-cold. A ferocious read." (Don Winslow, author of THE DAWN PATROL )<br />
<br />
It is about to be a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio! <a href="http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/01/08/leonardo-dicaprio-aims-to-beat-the-reaper-with-mob-adventure/">(Read story)</a> The protagonist in the novel penned by Josh Bazell is a Manhattan emergency room doctor, whose life becomes complicated when a mobster recognizes the doc from his former life as a hitman who went into the witness protection program. <a href="http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117998164.html?categoryid=13&cs=1">Read more here.</a><br />
You can meet author Josh Bazell at <a href="http://www.poisonedpen.com/event-calendar/bazell-josh">The Poisoned Pen Bookstore</a> on Tuesday, January 27 at 7pmCALL FOR ENTRIES!tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-01-09:537324:BlogPost:1759582009-01-09T19:07:08.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
I found this call for entries on the <a href="http://www.usabooknews.com/2009bestbooksawards.html">USA Book News</a> site:<br />
The National “Best Books 2009” Awards are specifically designed to garner SIZZLING MEDIA COVERAGE & BOOK SALES for the winners & finalists throughout the 2009 holiday retail season and 2010! Winners & finalists will be announced October 2009.<br />
They are celebrating their 6th Year of Honoring Outstanding Mainstream & Independent Books!<br />
Last years winners…
I found this call for entries on the <a href="http://www.usabooknews.com/2009bestbooksawards.html">USA Book News</a> site:<br />
The National “Best Books 2009” Awards are specifically designed to garner SIZZLING MEDIA COVERAGE & BOOK SALES for the winners & finalists throughout the 2009 holiday retail season and 2010! Winners & finalists will be announced October 2009.<br />
They are celebrating their 6th Year of Honoring Outstanding Mainstream & Independent Books!<br />
Last years winners were:<br />
<br />
<b>Fiction & Literature: Mystery/Suspense</b><br />
<br />
<b>Winner :<br />
Blood Harves</b>t by Brant Randall<br />
Capital Crime Press<br />
978-0-9799960-1-6<br />
<br />
Finalist:<br />
<b>Anatomy Lesso</b>n by Raymond Obstfeld<br />
Iota Publishing<br />
978-0979372001<br />
<br />
Finalist:<br />
<b>Blood Island</b> by H. Terrell Griffin<br />
Oceanview Publishing<br />
978-1-933515-21-2<br />
<br />
Finalist:<br />
<b>Eyes of the World</b> by Rob Palmer<br />
Dorchester (Leisure Books)<br />
978-0-8439-5676-4<br />
<br />
Finalist:<br />
<b>Island Life</b> by Michael W. Sherer<br />
Five Star<br />
978-1-59414-633-6<br />
<br />
Finalist:<br />
<b>Sonnets</b>: A Novel by Robert K Brown<br />
Brown Books Publishing Group<br />
978-1-933285-79-5<br />
<br />
Finalist:<br />
<b>Spa Deadly: An Allie Armington Mystery by Louise Gaylord<br />
Little Moose Press<br />
978-0-9720227-1-2<br />
<br />
Finalist:<br />
Stuff Dreams Are Made Of by Don Bruns<br />
Oceanview Publishing<br />
978-1-933515-16-8<br />
<a href="http://www.usabooknews.com/2009bestbooksawards.html"><br />
Click here for more information</a></b>Doom and Gloom in the Book Worldtag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-01-08:537324:BlogPost:1757242009-01-08T16:00:00.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
When Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co announced a freeze on the purchase of most new manuscripts <a href="http://www.smartbrief.com/news/bio/companyData.jsp?companyId=302">(story here)</a> and Harper Collins and Pearson, parent company of Penguin Group (USA), announced they were freezing wages and considering layoffs <a href="http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/12/04/2177537-hmh-cuts-jobs-penguin-harpercollins-freeze-wages">(story here)</a>, we knew times were tough.<br />
The bad economy has…
When Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co announced a freeze on the purchase of most new manuscripts <a href="http://www.smartbrief.com/news/bio/companyData.jsp?companyId=302">(story here)</a> and Harper Collins and Pearson, parent company of Penguin Group (USA), announced they were freezing wages and considering layoffs <a href="http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/12/04/2177537-hmh-cuts-jobs-penguin-harpercollins-freeze-wages">(story here)</a>, we knew times were tough.<br />
The bad economy has hurt us all and unfortunately another bookseller has been forced to close...<br />
Stacey's Bookstore, the iconic San Francisco shop that called Market Street home for all of its 85 years and had carved out a niche for technical publications, announced Tuesday evening that it would close in March. <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/07/BAFN154UV2.DTL">(read story)</a> <span style="font-size:100%;">And Murder One,</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">One of the most famous bookshops on London's Charing Cross Road will close within weeks following declining sales brought on by the credit crisis. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/4125973/Murder-One-crime-bookshop-to-close-within-weeks.html"></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/4125973/Murder-One-crime-bookshop-to-close-within-weeks.html">(story here)</a><br />
<br />
And this morning David Fulmer wrote saying that, "Yesterday brought the announcement that the entire staff of the <a href="http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2009/01/06/mitchell_history_center_cuts.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13">Margaret Mitchell House</a> in Atlanta was laid off. It appears that this is terminal. In addition to the site of dozens of A-List author events every year, the literature center at the MMH hosted writing classes and workshops for adultsand writing camps for kids, including my Fiction Shops. I'm working on a way to keep the classes going elsewhere, but the loss of this facility and its programs is a blow to the book community in this part of the world."<br />
<br />
We are feeling the ripples at <a href="http://www.poisonedpen.com/">the Poisoned Pen</a> with fewer ARCs, posters and author tours. This morning Harper Collins wrote to say they had to shorten some of their author's tours and drop several cities, Scottsdale being one.<br />
<br />
The New York Times has announced that they are facing dire circumstances and "that it is possible that The Times and other newspapers will have to move to digital-only distribution."<a href="http://www.bookbrowse.com/news/detail/index.cfm?news_item_number=637">(read story)</a><br />
For the past five hundred years, humans have used print to archive ideas. So what’s next in the life and future of books and just what would a post-book world be like? Will we be doomed to a electronic future?</span>Well It's Time To Vote For the 2009 Dilys Awardtag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-01-07:537324:BlogPost:1754292009-01-07T18:05:18.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
The Dilys Award has been given annually since 1993 by the IMBA to the mystery titles of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Dilys Award is named in honor of Dilys Winn, the founder of the first specialty bookseller of mystery books in the United States.<br />
<br />
Last years winner was William Kent Kruger with Thunder Bay. The nominees were: Rhys Bowen, HER ROYAL SPYNESS (Berkley), Lisa Lutz, THE SPELLMAN FILES (Simon & Schuster), Deanna Raybourn, SILENT IN THE GRAVE…
The Dilys Award has been given annually since 1993 by the IMBA to the mystery titles of the year which the member booksellers have most enjoyed selling. The Dilys Award is named in honor of Dilys Winn, the founder of the first specialty bookseller of mystery books in the United States.<br />
<br />
Last years winner was William Kent Kruger with Thunder Bay. The nominees were: Rhys Bowen, HER ROYAL SPYNESS (Berkley), Lisa Lutz, THE SPELLMAN FILES (Simon & Schuster), Deanna Raybourn, SILENT IN THE GRAVE (Mira), and Marcus Sakey, THE BLADE ITSELF (St. Martin’s Minotaur).<br />
<br />
There were some great mysteries last year. it will be hard to pick just who will win. I know here at the Poisoned Pen we had a great time selling:<br />
<br />
The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell. A charming Irish country comedy about a pig who digs up a human skeleton buried in the backyard. <a href="http://mostlyfiction.com/humor/caldwell.htm">(More here)</a><br />
<br />
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. A story written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, that won the hearts of reader across the country. <a href="http://www.litlovers.com/guide_guernsey_literary_potato_peel_pie_society.html">(Article Here)</a><br />
<br />
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. A book Ron Charles of the Washington Post calls "Grand and unforgettable." <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26290690/">(Article Here)</a><br />
<br />
and The Little Book by Selden Edward A delightful mental escape full of surprises. <a href="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/fiction/article5153609.ece">(Article Here)</a>Speaking of Crime...tag:crimespace.ning.com,2009-01-07:537324:BlogPost:1754162009-01-07T16:43:32.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
There has been some interesting buzz on the net about Herman Rosenblat's memoir, <a href="http://www.tnr.com/story_print.html?id=f458c2c8-0d4f-4dc7-8cba-15e465c2201a">Angel at the Fence,</a> being canceled(<a href="http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/12/27/publisher-cancels-rosenblat-memoir-after-tnr-exposes-hoax.aspx">Click here to read story)</a> after receiving information that the story was made up. Oprah had Rosenblat and his wife, Roma Radzicki Rosenblat on her show.…
There has been some interesting buzz on the net about Herman Rosenblat's memoir, <a href="http://www.tnr.com/story_print.html?id=f458c2c8-0d4f-4dc7-8cba-15e465c2201a">Angel at the Fence,</a> being canceled(<a href="http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/12/27/publisher-cancels-rosenblat-memoir-after-tnr-exposes-hoax.aspx">Click here to read story)</a> after receiving information that the story was made up. Oprah had Rosenblat and his wife, Roma Radzicki Rosenblat on her show. Oprah said their romance was “the single greatest love story” she’d ever heard. Oops...Remind you of <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/books/01/27/oprah.frey/index.html">Million Little Pieces?</a> and the event where Oprah Winfrey rebuked James Frey and kicked him out of her book club...(<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/27/books/27oprah.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all">click to read story)</a><br />
<br />
I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. Real life it pretty boring. I sure don't want to read many true bios. If Rosenblat's book is entertaining then why not label it as a fictionalized memoir and be done with it? Books are supposed to be entertaining. Isn't there some merit of it being “the single greatest love story”? <a href="http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1844724,00.html">Oprah has the power to create bestsellers.</a> Her book club is one of the greatest force in publishing today "Having an Oprah Book Club selection is pretty much like the pinnacle for the industry," says Michael McKenzie, publicity director for Ecco, the small HarperCollins imprint that published The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.And indeed Oprah has picked some great books:<br />
<br />
2008<br />
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski<br />
<br />
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle<br />
<br />
2007<br />
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett<br />
<br />
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez<br />
<br />
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides<br />
<br />
The Road by Cormac McCarthy<br />
<br />
The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier<br />
<br />
<br />
2006<br />
Night by Elie Wiesel<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/pastselections/20080701_orig_list">Click here for her list.</a>Our Favorite Books of 2008tag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-12-31:537324:BlogPost:1744472008-12-31T19:18:19.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
<b>David S</b><br />
1. Adiga, Aravind. <b>White Tiger</b><br />
2. Wrobleweski, David. <b>The Story of Edgar Sawtelle</b><br />
3. Greer, Andrew Sean. <b>The Story of a Marriage</b><br />
4. Bommersbach, Jana. <b>Bones in the Desert</b><br />
5. Lamb, Wally. <b>The Hour I First Believed</b><br />
6. Harrison, Jim. <b>The English Major</b><br />
7. O'Flynn, Catherine. <b>What Was Lost</b><br />
8. Estleman, Loren. <b>Frames</b><br />
9. McMahon, Jennifer. <b>Promise Not to Tell</b><br />
10. Burke, James Lee. <b>Swan Peak</b><br />
<br />
<b><br />
John</b><br />
1. Ferrigno,…
<b>David S</b><br />
1. Adiga, Aravind. <b>White Tiger</b><br />
2. Wrobleweski, David. <b>The Story of Edgar Sawtelle</b><br />
3. Greer, Andrew Sean. <b>The Story of a Marriage</b><br />
4. Bommersbach, Jana. <b>Bones in the Desert</b><br />
5. Lamb, Wally. <b>The Hour I First Believed</b><br />
6. Harrison, Jim. <b>The English Major</b><br />
7. O'Flynn, Catherine. <b>What Was Lost</b><br />
8. Estleman, Loren. <b>Frames</b><br />
9. McMahon, Jennifer. <b>Promise Not to Tell</b><br />
10. Burke, James Lee. <b>Swan Peak</b><br />
<br />
<b><br />
John</b><br />
1. Ferrigno, Robert. <b>Sins of the Assassin</b><br />
2. Atkins, Ace. <b>Wicked City</b><br />
3. Connolly, John. <b>Reapers</b><br />
4. Cook, Thomas H. <b>Master of the Delta</b><br />
5. Burke, James Lee. <b>Swan Peak</b><br />
6. Gischler, Victor. <b>Go Go Girls of the Apocalypse</b><br />
7. McMurtry, Larry. <b>Books, a Memoir</b><br />
8. Silva, Daniel. <b>Moscow Rules</b><br />
9. Hunter, Stephen. <b>Night of Thunder</b><br />
10. Bulow, Ernie. <b>Uncle Ernie’s Guide to Old Time Rodeo</b><br />
<br />
<b><br />
John Nadeau</b><br />
1. Ghelfi, Brent. <b>Volk's Shadow</b><br />
2. Leather, Sephen. <b>Dead Men</b><br />
3. Burke, James Lee. <b>Swan Peak</b><br />
4. Gage, Leighton. <b>Blood of the Wicked</b><br />
5. Ludlum, Robert. <b>Bourne Sanction</b><br />
6. Demille, Nelson. <b>Gate House</b><br />
7. White, Randy Wayne. <b>Black Widow</b><br />
8. Sandford, John. <b>Phantom Prey</b><br />
9. Winslow, Don. <b>The Dawn Patrol</b><br />
10. Wambaugh, Joseph. <b>Hollywood Crows</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Lea</b><br />
1. Sakey, Marcus. <b>Good People</b><br />
2. Caldwell, Joseph. <b>Pig Did</b><br />
3. Wall, Carolyn. <b>Sweeping Up Glass</b><br />
4. Floyd, Bill. <b>Killer’s Wife</b><br />
5. Cain, Chelsea. <b>Sweetheart</b><br />
6. Lamb, Wally. <b>The Hour I First Believed</b><br />
7. Grimes, Martha. <b>Dakota</b><br />
8. Baldacci, David. <b>Divine Justice</b><br />
9. Deaver, Jeffery. <b>Bodies Left Behind</b><br />
10. Piccoult, Jodi. <b>Change of Heart</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Lorri</b><br />
1. Caldwell, Joseph. <b>Pig Did It</b><br />
2. Shaffer, Mary Ann. <b>Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</b><br />
3. Levitt, John. <b>New Tricks</b><br />
4. Caine, Rachel. <b>Gale Force</b><br />
5. Millar, Martin. <b>Lonely Werewolf Girl</b><br />
6. Carey, Mike. <b>Vicious Circle</b><br />
7. Kent, Kathleen. <b>Heretic's Daughter</b><br />
8. Edwards, Selden. <b>Little Book</b><br />
9. Cox, Michael. <b>Glass of Time</b><br />
10. Morton, Kate. <b>House at Riverton</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Pat King</b><br />
1. Butcher, Jim. <b>Small Favor</b><br />
2. Caldwell, Joseph. <b>Pig Did It</b><br />
3. Butcher, Jim. <b>Welcome to the Jungle</b><br />
4. Hart, John. <b>Down River</b><br />
5. Johnson, Kim. <b>Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday</b><br />
6. Meltzer, Brad. <b>Book of Lies</b><br />
7. Winspear, Jacqueline. <b>Incomplete Revenge</b><br />
8. Sakey, Marcus. <b>Good People</b><br />
9. Koryta, Michael. <b>Envy the Night</b><br />
10. Falcones, Ildefonso. <b>Cathedral of the Sea</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Patrick</b><br />
1. Grant, Richard. <b>God's Middle Finger</b><br />
2. OConnell, Jack. <b>Resurrectionist</b><br />
3. McDonald, Craig. <b>Toros and Torsos</b><br />
4. Harrington, Kent. <b>Good Physician</b><br />
5. Connelly, Michael. Brass Verdict<br />
6. Mosley, Walter. <b>Right Mistake</b><br />
7. Pelecanos, George. <b>Turnaround</b><br />
8. Revoyr, Nina. <b>Age of Dreaming</b><br />
9. Zeltserman, Dave. <b>Small Crimes</b><br />
10. Welsh, Irvine. <b>Crime</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Will</b><br />
1. Bruen, Ken. <b>Once Were Cops</b><br />
2. Klinger, Leslie S. <b>New Annotated Dracula</b><br />
3. Connelly, Michael. <b>Brass Verdict</b><br />
4. Burke, James Lee. <b>Swan Peak</b><br />
5. Pelecanos, George. <b>Turnaround</b><br />
6. Ghelfi, Brent. <b>Volk’s Shadow</b><br />
7. Gischler, Victor. <b>Go Go Girls of the Apocalypse</b><br />
8. Card, Orson Scott. <b>Ender in Exile</b><br />
9. Abbott, Megan. <b>Queenpin</b><br />
10. Le Carre, John. <b>Most Wanted Man</b>Magical Series Not To Missedtag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-12-24:537324:BlogPost:1736562008-12-24T16:46:16.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
I was Reading Rachel's Blog at Changing Hands and saw that she had posted a list of the Top 5 Books to Reread and Rediscover and while I agreed with some of her selection (see below) I just had to add a few.<br />
<br />
From Rachel:<br />
<br />
1. <b>The Stand,</b> Stephen King<br />
2. <b>Outlander</b>, Diana Gabaldon<br />
3. <b>Swan Song</b>, Robert McCammon<br />
4. <b>The Mists of Avalon</b>, Marion Zimmer Bradley<br />
5. <b>Sunshine</b>, Robin McKinley<br />
<br />
While this is a good list I would have to add Charlaine Harris's Sookie Series…
I was Reading Rachel's Blog at Changing Hands and saw that she had posted a list of the Top 5 Books to Reread and Rediscover and while I agreed with some of her selection (see below) I just had to add a few.<br />
<br />
From Rachel:<br />
<br />
1. <b>The Stand,</b> Stephen King<br />
2. <b>Outlander</b>, Diana Gabaldon<br />
3. <b>Swan Song</b>, Robert McCammon<br />
4. <b>The Mists of Avalon</b>, Marion Zimmer Bradley<br />
5. <b>Sunshine</b>, Robin McKinley<br />
<br />
While this is a good list I would have to add Charlaine Harris's Sookie Series and Kim Harrison's <b>Dead Witch Walking</b> and two authors I recently discovered who were an absolute treat:<br />
Rachel Caine and John Levitt<br />
<br />
Rachel Caine is the author of the YA Morganville Vampire series but it was her Weather Warden series that caught my fancy.<br />
The first in series is <b>Ill Wind.</b> Meet Weather Warden, Joanne Baldwin. Usually all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now Joanne is trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life ...<br />
<br />
Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful Warden of them all. Unfortunately, he's also on the run from the World Council. It seems he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn -- making him the most wanted man on earth. And without Lewis, Joanne's chances of surviving are as good as a snowball in -- well, a place she may soon be headed. So she and her classic Mustang are racing hard to find him because there's some bad weather closing in fast ..<br />
<br />
This series is fresh, fun and magical Be warned, there is a slow part in the middle of book one but if you hang on until David makes his entrance it's all up from there. I devoured this series in less than a week...<br />
<br />
John Levitt has written two so far in a wonderful urban series featuring Mason, a magical musician and member of San Francisco's self-appointed "enforcer" group.<br />
<br />
"Jazz, scotch, and dark magic, it's all waiting around every unfamiliar corner and at the end of every shadowed alley in a world that has both bark and bite. The supernatural lives, breathes, and slithers in a San Francisco where the dog days don't just get you down; they eat you alive."<br />
-- Rob Thurman, author of Nightlife and Moonshine<br />
<br />
<b>Dog Days</b> is the first in this urban fantasy series-with a bite as magical as its bark.<br />
Mason used to be an enforcer, ensuring that suspect magic practitioners stayed in line. But now he scrapes out a living playing guitar. Good thing he has Louie, his magical...well, let's call him a dog. But there are some kinds of evil thateven Louie can't sniff out. And when Mason is attacked by a supernatural assailant, he'll have to fall back on the one skill he's mastered in music and magic-improvisation.<br />
<br />
<b>New Tricks</b> continues Mason's story<br />
Former enforcer Mason would normally be concerned with finding ghosts and vampires stalking the Castro section of San Francisco. Fortunately, Halloween provides the perfect explanation for the abundance of ghouls. But someone is trying to possess his old flame, Sarah. Now, with the help of his magical dog Louie, Mason must uncover the black magician responsible.Happy Holidays From The Poisoned Pentag:crimespace.ning.com,2008-12-24:537324:BlogPost:1736542008-12-24T16:40:29.000ZThe Poisoned Pen Bookstorehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ThePoisonedPenBookstore
Greetings!<br />
<br />
Good morning. Happy Holidays to all!<br />
We hope your season is filled with health and happiness!<br />
The store is decorated, holiday and gift book ideas are everywhere, our Best Books of 2008 Lists are posted, gift wrap is at the ready. We hope to see you!<br />
<br />
Don't Miss These Fun Holiday Mysteries<br />
Ballard, Mignon F. <b>Hark The Herald Angel Screamed</b><br />
It’s Christmastime in the seemingly tranquil town of Stone’s Throw, South Carolina, but amid all the caroling, cookies, and cheer, a…
Greetings!<br />
<br />
Good morning. Happy Holidays to all!<br />
We hope your season is filled with health and happiness!<br />
The store is decorated, holiday and gift book ideas are everywhere, our Best Books of 2008 Lists are posted, gift wrap is at the ready. We hope to see you!<br />
<br />
Don't Miss These Fun Holiday Mysteries<br />
Ballard, Mignon F. <b>Hark The Herald Angel Screamed</b><br />
It’s Christmastime in the seemingly tranquil town of Stone’s Throw, South Carolina, but amid all the caroling, cookies, and cheer, a murderer casts a not-so-jolly pall on the holiday season. Augusta Goodnight, guardian angel, sometime sleuth, and welcome boarder with longtime resident Lucy Nan Pilgrim, comes to the aid of her friends when, as Lucy Nan is searching for the perfect Christmas tree on her grandmother’s abandoned estate, a mysterious stranger plummets to his death from the mansion’s balcony. Lucy Nan can’t shake off childhood stories of the ghost of a girl who fell from the same spot long ago---has the ghost come back to haunt the living, or is there an all-too-human murderer at work?Mysterious events are soon heating up faster than spiced punch left on the burner, and it will take Augusta’s help, not to mention some celestial Southern cooking, for peace to be restored and Christmas lights to shine once again in the little town of Stone’s Throw.<br />
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Bary, Dave. <b>The Shepherd the Angel and Walter the Christams Miracle Dog</b><br />
In this “hilarious” (USA Today) national bestseller, Pulitzer Prize–winning humorist Dave Barry pens one of the warmest, most delightful Christmas stories ever. The year is 1960, and the Christmas pageant at St. John’s Episcopal Church is a very big deal. Doug Barnes is a shepherd this year, which is better than being a Three King, because you get to carry a stick. There are problems, however. The girl he likes is playing Mary opposite a Joseph who is depressingly smart, athletic, and cute; the family dog is doing poorly, and they have no idea what they’re going to tell Doug’s little sister, Becky; and his dad’s just gotten a flat tire, which means they might not even get to the pageant. But Christmas is a time of miracles. And for Doug and his family, this will be the most miraculous Christmas of all.<br />
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Brown, Rita Mae. <b>Santa Clawed</b><br />
As Harry well knows, there's santahardly a place on earth cozier than Crozet, Virginia, at Christmastime. The snowflakes drifting lazily down, the soft glow of the winter light, the sound of old carols in the streets...even cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter get into the spirit batting ornaments and climbing the holiday tree. In fact, it's this year's tree that Harry and her husband, Fair, have gone to fetch when they find the one they've chosen grimly decorated with a dead body.<br />
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The tree farm is run by The Brothers of Love, a semimonastic organization that tends to AIDS patients. The brothers live in a monastery atop the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. Harry is surprised to find an old high-school friend associated with The Brothers of Love. Christopher Hewitt wasn't a bad man, but good works weren't exactly one of his priorities. But then, if even Scrooge could turn over a new leaf, certainly Chris could. And after the scandal that all but destroyed his life, there were probably few in Crozet who needed the gift of a second chance more.<br />
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Harry knows she shouldn't take it personally, but it was her tree under which someone left the corpse...<br />
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Carl, Joanna <b>The Chocolate Snowman Murders</b><br />
Lee McKinney Woodyard knows that being in the luxury chocolate business isn’t all sweetness and light, and neither is the holiday season. But she tries to draw the line at cold-blooded murder.As treasurer of WinterFest, Lee is up to her elbows in the arguments, egos, and last-minute mix-ups that happen behind the scenes. But she’s coping, even when the guest juror of the art show shows up drunk. Lee leaves him to sleep it off, and is stunned the next day when her husband, Joe, discovers someone has put the visiting dignitary into a permanent state of repose...<br />
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Morrell, David <b>Spy Who Came For Christmas</b><br />
It’s Christmas Eve in Santa Fe, but among the revelers on Canyon Road, a decidedly unholy scene is taking place. A desperate man, dressed all in black, feverishly seeks refuge for himself and the squirming bundle he holds tightly against his breast. Agent Paul Kagan’s bundle is a baby who has the power to change the course of global events. His pursuers are his former colleagues—members of the Russian mafia who will stop at nothing to accomplish their mission. Now Kagan is a spy on the run—he must ensure this baby’s survival, even if it will cost him his own life.<br />
Just a short distance away, Kagan will find an unexpected pair of allies—a mother and her young son, who huddle together after a horrible episode of domestic violence leaves them home alone, with no means of transportation.<br />
And so, with the exquisitely honed skills of his profession and the help and good faith of a weary woman and a disillusioned boy, Kagan must take on forces that will stop at nothing. In the course of a wild and violent night, the unlikely trio learn lessons of generosity, courage, and selflessness, discovering within themselves the luminous strength of the true Christmas spirit.<br />
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Murphy, Shirley Rousseau. <b>Cat Deck the Halls</b><br />
Molena Point, California, makes Christmas a traditional affair but the dead stranger the village tree puts feline PI Joe Grey and his tabby lady into a pickle....<br />
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Sefton, Maggie <b>Fleece Navidad</b><br />
A special holiday knitting mystery from the national bestselling author of <b>Dyer Consequences</b>—with delicious recipes and knitting patterns!It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for the knitters of Fort Connor, Colorado, who are furiously working on their holiday projects. Juliet, the town’s “little brown wren” librarian, is known for her beautiful handmade Christmas capes, and she has extra reason to be joyful this year—she’s in love. But as soon as she finds happiness, death finds her.Suspicion falls on a newcomer to the knitting group, but Kelly Flynn and the rest of the crew aren’t convinced of this person’s guilt. It’s up to them to separate the true lion from the lambs— before someone else gets fleeced…<br />
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Washburn, Livia J. <b>The Christmas Cookie Killer</b><br />
Christmas comes to Weatherford, Texas, in this delicious new entry in the national bestselling series.Yuletide is here—and retired teacher cum amateur sleuth Phyllis Newsom looks forward to finishing up this unlucky year. But she won’t be hanging up her apron just yet—because this year’s Christmas bake-off is going to be cutthroat.Phyllis would like to think she’s entering the Christmas cookie contest for the fun of it—but that’s not exactly true. She can’t imagine anyone beating her snowflake-shaped lime sugar cookies. Then, during her annual Christmas cookie exchange, Phyllis heads over to the elderly Mrs. Simmons’s home and finds her dead, in a pile of lime sugar cookies. But with a number of names on Santa’s naughty list, this case may be a hard cookie to crumble.