giveaway: the heretic's daughter

Happy Halloween!! Thanks to Hachette, I have five copies of The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent to giveaway.

Here's the starred review from Publishers Weekly:
"A family's conflict becomes a battle for life and death in this gripping and original first novel based on family history from a descendant of a condemned Salem witch. After a bout of smallpox, 10-year-old Sarah Carrier resumes life with her mother on their family farm in Andover, Mass., dimly aware of a festering dispute between her mother, Martha, and her uncle about the plot of land where they live. The fight takes on a terrifying dimension when reports of supernatural activity in nearby Salem give way to mass hysteria, and Sarah's uncle is the first person to point the finger at Martha. Soon, neighbors struggling to eke out a living and a former indentured servant step forward to name Martha as the source of their woes. Sarah is forced to shoulder an even heavier burden as her mother and brothers are taken to prison to face a jury of young women who claim to have felt their bewitching presence. Sarah's front-row view of the trials and the mayhem that sweeps the close-knit community provides a fresh, bracing and unconventional take on a much-covered episode."

There's a Reading Group Guide for The Heretic's Daughter.

1. How was Sarah changed by living with her cousin Margaret? How was she changed by returning to her family?

2. What was it about Martha's character that seemed to antagonize so many neighbors?

3. What do you think was the most compelling reason that Martha was eventually brought to trial?

4. Discuss the various factors that lead to the witch hysteria.

5. Why did Martha choose to take a stand of innocence knowing that a refused confession meant death?

6. Why did Thomas, despite his size and capabilities, not seek to persuade or deter Martha from her course of action?

7. Why did the community of Salem, and the magistrates, so easily believe in and rely on "spectral evidence”?

8. How has reading the book changed your opinions about the men and women hanged as witches?

9. Are there modern day "witches”?

10. Can we, or should we, redefine the meaning of the word "witch"?

The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on November 21. Winners will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.

review and tour: wisdom hunter by randall arthur

Pastor Jason Faircloth lost his only daughter twice in as many years. As a teenager Hannah decided she could no longer tolerate her father’s extremely religious hardline rules, so she ran away. Jason went on preaching as he always had until news of his daughter’s whereabouts finally arrived. Unfortunately, the news was that Hannah died during childbirth. Hannah’s husband doesn’t want her family to have anything to do with the baby. Jason’s wife is so distraught by the news that she immediately falls ill and dies shortly thereafter. Having lost everything in this world, Jason also turns his back on the faith he had so zealously subscribed to all his life. He leaves the church and begins his hunt for his granddaughter. Will his search for his last family member also restore his faith?

Jason undergoes a great change when faced with the loss of his family. It’s terrible that he had to lose so much in order to recognize his faults, but he definitely became a better man. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case for all the characters. When first introduced Hannah’s husband seemed very loving; it was clear he adored Hannah and was excited they were going to have a child. Cody’s personality changed drastically after Hannah’s death. Yes, he was grieving, but he became a very cruel man who later commits a horrific act. I found the change difficult to believe especially since Cody had a veterinary clinic and obviously loved the animals he treated. This is where I felt Randall Arthur failed. It seemed that Cody became such a horrible man only to force the reader to side with Jason. I felt Cody could’ve been a nice man, struggling to raise his daughter and readers still would’ve wanted Jason to find his granddaughter simply because Jason became an admirable character.
4/5
Check out these other participating sites:
writesthoughts.blogspot.com
luxuryreading.com
kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com
writingcanvas.wordpress.com
books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com
myredapron.com
booknookclub.blogspot.com
backcovereviews.blogspot.com
myfriendamysblog.com
nmgills.blogspot.com
berlysue.blogspot.com
homeschoolblogger.com

review and tour: shadow government by grant r. jeffrey

A bit of a confession: I like to freak myself out late at night by watching those Armageddon and Nostradamus specials The History Channel sometimes runs. So I kind of love all the conspiracies and indications of end times Jeffrey writes about in Shadow Government. He proposes that we are very close to the end times. Jeffrey references biblical passages that predict what will happen leading up to the Antichrist appearing then points out how recent events could be interpreted to fit those passages.

It’s clear Jeffrey put a lot of research into Shadow Government; what’s not so clear is how legitimate the sources are as most are websites. Of course one can argue that it would be quite difficult to prove a secret shadow government using only reputable, verifiable sources. If you could, then it wouldn’t be worth writing about since everyone would know. Still, I need a bit more evidence before I start believing the government is spying on me. I’m sure Jeffrey is correct that the technology exists for them to do so; it’s just that I think our government officials have better things to do.
3/5
Check out these other participating sites:
kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com
writingcanvas.wordpress.com
books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com
booknookclub.blogspot.com
backcovereviews.blogspot.com
myfriendamysblog.com
nmgills.blogspot.com
berlysue.blogspot.com
homeschoolblogger.com

review and tour: japan took the j.a.p. out of me by lisa fineberg cook

When Lisa Fineberg Cook agreed to move to Japan immediately following her wedding, her friends thought she was crazy. She knew it would be different, but imagined living a glamorous life eating sushi and drinking sake. Immediately upon arriving, Cook discovers that an apartment considered large in Japan doesn’t exactly meet her standards.

I was onboard from Cook’s first laundry experience in Japan. (I kind of wanted to smack her husband at times though with his “I’m a better person for having lived overseas as much as I have” pompousness.) As someone who hates to do laundry in the full-sized machines conveniently located between my bedroom and bathroom, I was horrified at her discovery of a tiny washing machine that destroyed her bra. And then to have to hang the wet clothes on a line out on the balcony…well, let’s just say I won’t be moving. Cook’s descriptions of her experiences in Japan were so vivid that there were times I could really picture the scenes even though I’ve never been to Japan.

Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me details Cook’s many funny experiences (the description of Cook attempting to use the clothespins even though her fingers were numb from the cold washing machine water was fantastic), but there were also some serious moments. I especially loved it when she tried to rally her senior students (all female at a private school) to stand up for themselves and fight for equality. Cook was also dealing with the first year of marriage, which was of course made more difficult since she was struggling with the culture and was initially bored to death since she didn’t have a job right away. Moving to Japan immediately after marrying definitely changed Cook, which affected at least one friendship back home, but the interview included at the end of book indicates she would do it again. Since Japan Took the J.A.P. Out of Me only documents the first year in Japan, I hope Cook writes a second book about the second year.
5/5
Check out the other participating sites:
The Life (And Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object
The Neverending Shelf
Drey’s Library
A Sea of Books
Libby’s Library News
Bookin’ With Bingo
Readaholic
That’s A Novel Idea
Starting Fresh
Just Another New Blog
Blog Business World
My Friend Amy
Chick With Books
Book N Around
So Many Books, So Little Time
Keep on Booking
Reading at the Beach
Found Not Lost
Brizmus Blogs Books
I Read

giveaway: prime time

Author of the Charlie McNally series, Hank Phillippi Ryan, is letting me host a giveaway for her Agatha-winning first novel, Prime Time. There are three copies up for grabs. Additionally, one person will win a tote bag along with the book.

My review of Prime Time is here. And here's the description from Amazon:
"In the cutthroat world of television journalism, seasoned reporter Charlotte McNally knows that she'd better pull out all the stops or kiss her job goodbye. But it's her life that might be on the line when she learns that an innocent-looking e-mail offer resulted in murder, mayhem and a multimillion-dollar fraud ring.

All too soon her investigation leads her straight to Josh Gelston, who is a little too helpful and a lot too handsome. Charlie might have a nose for news, but men are a whole other matter. Now she has to decide whether she can trust Josh…before she ends up as the next lead story. "

The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. Two bonus entries can be gained by commenting on the interview. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on November 7. Winners will be selected at random. Winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.

author interview: hank phillippi ryan

This post contains affiliate links.

How excited was I went Hank Phillippi Ryan, the author of the fantastic Charlie McNally series (if you've read my reviews, you know how much I love the books), agreed to an interview!! She's also letting me host a giveaway.

What inspired you to write the Charlie McNally series? Did you intend to make it a series?

It was really a special moment--and I remember it all perfectly. First--let me say I’ve always wanted to be a mystery author. Yes, I’ve been a TV reporter for more than 30 years, but ever since I read my first Nancy Drew...well, you can imagine the rest. But even though TV became my life, there was always the mystery-possibility simmering in the back of my brain.

One day, I got a strange email. It was clearly SPAM, sent to millions of people, but the subject line and the subject matter inside didn’t match. Why would someone put lines from a play from Shakespeare in an obvious spam about mortgage refinancing?

It crossed my mind--maybe it's a secret message.

And then I thought: My plot! And from that moment I was obsessed with writing what become the Agatha-winning PRIME TIME.

Nope, it wasn’t a series to begin with. But then one day I thought--Face Time. Air Time, Drive Time. And I couldn't resist.

In addition to writing the Charlie McNally books, you’re a reporter in Boston. How do you balance the two careers? Do you have a writing routine?

Ah—that’s the big question! Quick answer—I work all the time. I haven’t had a vacation in four years. Sleep was the first casualty, then cooking, then fun. Oh, and exercise. And going to movies. Luckily I have a very very patient and supportive husband.

My routine? I get up at say, 7. (Couldn’t possibly write that early—I’m always so impressed by the authors who get up at 4am and dash off some chapters before the sun rises. Sigh. My head would be klonked on the keyboard. Could not do it!) But on workdays, I head to the office, and get home about 7pm. When I’m in writing mode, I write til about 10, then make dinner! My husband and I always have dinner together, then I write a bit afterwards. (I’m definitely a late night writer. All those years of reporting for the 11 pm news, I guess.) Weekends, I write. (Luckily I have a beautiful study, lined with books, working fireplace, antique desk in a bay widow, looking out over a now-bright yellow-gold maple tree.)

Right now I’m in promo mode! So after work I usually have a signing or a reading. It’s wonderful to meet so many new people, and introduce them to the books.

Charlie’s cat Botox behaves a lot like my cat. The parts with Botox are some of my favorites because of how true to life they are. Do you have a cat?

Oh, thanks, Nicole. We don’t have a cat now, but I did have the hilarious and clever Leon, who died at age 14. (I named him Ponce De Leon because I found him, as a tiny kitten, dumped on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta.) I also had the one-of-a-kind neurotic but wonderful Lola—who chose me when I saw her at the animal shelter as kitten, then died in my arms at age 20. I still almost cry when I think of it—and that was 7 years ago! So yes, Botox is a very dear character to me, too, and I love her relationship with Charlie.

As a child, Charlie stayed up late reading Nancy Drew. What was your favorite book as a child?

Ah—well, certainly Nancy Drew! But I also loved any book about horses, there was a series the started with—Silver Birch, something like that? And all the Black Stallion books. And Donna Parker and Vicki Barr—anyone remember those? Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, certainly. Ivanhoe. Anything about King Arthur. Books by Edward Eager. And Jane Langton’s The Diamond in the Window. Amazingly, I had a signing with her recently—I could barely believe I was in the same room. She’s such an icon.

What book (your own or someone else’s) has had the most impact on your life?

Well, it’s odd to say my own. But it might really be PRIME TIME! I’ve been a reporter for 30 years—and to write a mystery that’s successful opened the door to me to such a new part of my life! I’m truly the poster child for following your dreams. I t would be lovely if someone else, seeing how I made a career addition in mid-life, got the courage to do the same thing. Shows you how books can change your life in many ways.

If I had to pick a book that taught me about storytelling, it would with be Steven King’s The Stand, which was so pivotal to me! (I literally called in sick in 1980 to stay home and read it—the only time that’s ever happened. To Kill A Mockingbird. Winds of War. Ann Lamott’s Bird by Bird. My favorite book is The Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin. Anyone read that?

What’s up next for Charlie in Drive Time?

Ah, big changes in the works. Just as Charlie begins to believe that she might be able to have it all—career and a happy marriage—it all begins to fall apart. Lots of choices for Charlie—and lots of changes for those closest to her. Some, I promise, will surprise you. (And some I cried while I wrote.)

DRIVE TIME is fast-paced, tense and suspenseful…Is there a deadly and sinister plot unfolding at the prestigious prep school where Charlie’s fiancé teachers? And is he the next murder victim? Or what if he’s a suspect? And—Charlie’s tackling another big story—what really happens to your car in valet parking?

Award-winning investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan is currently on the air at Boston's NBC affiliate, where she's broken big stories for the past 24 years. Her stories have resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in refunds and restitution for consumers.

Along with her 26 EMMYs, Hank’s won also won dozens of other journalism honors. She's been a legislative aide in the United States Senate (working on the Freedom of Information Act) and at Rolling Stone Magazine (working with Hunter S. Thompson).

Her first mysteries, PRIME TIME (which won the prestigious Agatha Award for Best First Novel, was a double RITA nominee for Best First Book and Best Romantic Suspense Novel, and a Reviewers' Choice Award Winner)and FACE TIME(a Book Sense Notable Book), were best sellers. They were both re-issued this summer from MIRA Books. Her newest book is AIR TIME (MIRA Sept. 2009)which is already an IMBA bestseller. (Sue Grafton says: "Sassy, fast-paced and appealing. This is first-class entertainment.") Drive Time will be published in February 2010. Her website is http://www.hankphillippiryan.com

giveaway winners: tall, dark, & fangsome and fierce style

Congratulations to all the winners. Haleyknitz, ladystorm, wwrk, slangdon, and Alison each win Tall, Dark, & Fangsome while Bingo wins Fierce Style.