Michael Koryta on THE RIDGE

Last week I reviewed Michael Koryta's latest novel, THE RIDGE. Me, being the busy body that I am, had some questions I wanted to ask Michael about his experience of writing this novel. Once again, Michael tolerated my "inquisitive" nature and humored me.

By the way, if you'd like to see other times Michael has been generous to share his time with me, you can check out this written interview and this video interview.

Q. Since you're working in a realm outside of our normal reality, how do you go about establishing the "rules" of that realm?

MJK: I struggle with this element of the supernatural books, which is the fun part. I'm a natural skeptic, so there is great challenge in trying to create this realm and then convince the reader to float along in it. I think that challenge is what appeals to me, and it certainly has forced me to write books that feel -- to me, this is a personal answer, I'm not trying to speak for the reader -- bigger in thematic and symbolic ways. Early on, I have nothing but visions of "Twilight Zone" kind of moments on unreality. I'll think, "Oh, nice, that's creepy." But then I write on and remember that I have to explain them, and then you'll find me face down on the floor, announcing plans to retire. (Really, ask my fiancee, this happened multiple times during The Ridge. She and the cat are very understanding of it; the dog is more concerned...) So it's a great test of "practice what you preach" to me. I always say that I believe the subconscious understands the book you are trying to write, and if you can get out of your own way, you'll see it. The intellectual challenge is in finding what is already there and in releasing a little bit of control. That's not easy for me, I want to guide it all along, and so I fight myself through the whole process. With The Ridge, it took me draft after draft after draft. Around 2,500 pages to end up with, what, 320? It was the hardest book for me, as far as rewriting is concerned. Maybe the hardest, period. I blew it up and started over many times. Cut POV characters from it after spending months on them. Threw out favorite scenes and favorite plot threads. That sort of thing.

Q. Besides that supernatural realm of your creation, you worked with the world of the felines. What were the greatest challenges for you and what was the most fun about creating those non-human characters that were so integral in the plot?

MJK: The big cats were by far the most fun and most difficult element of this book for me. I'd seen the real preserve (www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org) so many times and I was very aware of how incredible it was and how beautiful and intimidating. To replicate that as a setting was fairly easy. To make it work as something integral to the core of the story, though, was different. I worried a lot about tipping over and delving too deeply into their world, but Michael Pietsch, my editor, kept saying, "more cats." He was like Christopher Walken in the "more cowbell" Saturday Night Live skit with Will Ferrell. "I've got a fever, and the only prescription is..." But because he's Michael Pietsch, and in my opinion the best editor working today, as evidenced by both his successes (Infinite Jest comes to mind) and his willingness to take on hopeless causes (Michael Koryta) I am generally willing to listen. He might disagree with this depiction of my cooperation, but he's not on the mike right now, so I can get away with it. What finally clicked for me was when I went back and made Audrey less trustworthy of the cats. Then they became part of her arc, her development, and began to feel more organic.

I went easy this time, but I love these responses. And if you go check out the website for the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, you'll see you can stay overnight there. I totally want to go...even after having read The Ridge!

As I mentioned in my review, The Ridge is truly my favorite book from Michael's bibliography to date. His passion about what he's doing comes through in his books, as it does in these responses. If you haven't checked out a Michael Koryta book, I hope you do...soon!

Happy Reading!

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP - S.J. Watson

First line: "The bedroom is strange."

Everyday Christine wakes up to remember nothing of her adult life. She wakes up with a strange man in her bed who is actually her husband. She wakes up in a room she does not recognize. She has to learn each day who she is.

Christine is also seeing a doctor, Dr. Ed Nash. He has convinced Christine to start keeping a journal each day. And then each day he calls to remind Christine of her journal, so she can reread the previous days and write in the present. Little by little, the journal helps Christine to know who she is and to uncover the secrets she has buried deep in her subconscious mind.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is an extraordinary debut novel. Told from the perspective of Christine, mostly through the pages of her journal, the reader stays as much in the dark as the narrator. Just as Christine relies on her husband Ben and her doctor to know herself, we rely on the scribblings in her journal to know who she is. This creates a great sense of suspense and to some level, anxiety. While Christine is afraid to go to bed at night because she will once again forget who she is, we are afraid to close the pages of the book not knowing what is coming next.

That sense of not knowing what comes next also contributes to the reader being able to empathize with Christine. Most of us reading this book have never had to deal with no recollection of our adult selves. How can we empathize with a situation so foreign? By experiencing it, in a sense, through the story structure. Watson does an exemplary job of depicting Christine's experiences and emotions as she would feel them as opposed to how an outsider would observe her experiencing them.

And overall the story looks at the theme, "What are we, if not an accumulation of our memories?" What kind of an existence does a person have if everyday he/she wakes up with a blank slate?

My only disappointment of BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP came in the conclusion. It was not a bad conclusion, but compared to the extraordinary body of the novel, the ending was very ordinary. I will leave my comments at that to avoid any spoilers, but I'll open up this question to the comments (please don't give away the ending): if you've read the book, did you feel at all let down by the ending, did you predict the ending or did you think it was in line with the rest of the story and it was just amazing?

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is a debut you should check out. S.J. Watson is an extremely talented suspense writer and I foresee great things from him. BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is just the beginning!

My review of BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is part of the TLC blog tour. Check out the other blogs participating in the tour for a variety of views on this novel. You can also check out the BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP Facebook page.

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP is available in hardcover from Harper (ISBN: 978-0-06-206055-6) and is also available as an audiobook from Harper Audio, narrated by Orlagh Cassidy (ASIN: B0055QAF54)

A Final "June is Audiobook Month" Giveaway

For me, every month is audiobook month. I so enjoy the experience of having someone read me a story and bring that story to life in my mind's eye. It makes mundane tasks fun, makes working out bearable, it makes drive time seem less wasteful.

As a final celebration of the audiobook this month, I have a grand giveaway, courtesy of Hachette Audio. I have 7 audiobooks to giveaway:

1 unabridged copy of James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge's NOW YOU SEE HER
1 unabridged copy of Kate Atkinson's STARTED EARLY TOOK MY DOG
1 unabridged copy of Pete Hamill's TABLOID CITY
1 unabridged copy of Michael Connelly's THE LINCOLN LAWYER
3 abridged copies of Michael Connelly's THE FIFTH WITNESS

If you're an audiobook enthusiast, hopefully there's something new in this list for you to try out. If you're an audiobook newbie and are ready to give one a try, this is a great opportunity for you.

I will take entries through the holiday weekend and pick winners on July 5th. Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents. Simply complete the form below with your contact information and which audiobooks you'd be interested in winning. All contact information is for mailing purposes only and will be destroyed following the contest.

And don't forget that you can still enter to win a copy of Karin Slaughter's FALLEN through July 8th.

If you have any questions, drop me an email. Good luck and happy listening!

A Slew of Wonderful Events

As most of you who read the blog regularly know, I kinda like author events. Oh, alright, alright! I have a bit of an addiction. I admit it. :-)

One of the goals I set for myself was to average one event a month this year - I'm ahead of schedule for this year. Not only do I find them fun and informative, I also find that they add to my reading experience after. On a very rare occasion one has turned me off of an author, but the good experiences far outweigh the bad. I also like to support the authors I read and admire; attending their events is a great way to do that.

Well, June was a busy month for events and I have lots of fun to share with you from those events, starting with Chicago's Printers Row event that was held the first weekend in June.

This was my second year attending Printers Row and I really enjoy the event. Seems to rain at least a little every time, but that's o.k. I was none too happy when they outlawed the taking of pictures during the sessions, but I found a way to get a few pictures anyway.

First, I had the chance to meet Lesley Kagen after her wonderful panel. She is so passionate about writing and that comes through in everything she says. Lesley is one of our xuni authors, which is how I found out about her. Listening to her read from her book resulted in me being very excited to hear she will be reading her own audiobooks. I don't usually get excited about an author reading his/her own audiobooks, but I have a feeling Lesley is going to be the best choice for these!

Later that day, Judy Bobalik and I attended a conversation with Sean Chercover and Marcus Sakey. How much fun! First, I know many of you will be excited to hear that Sean has finished his third book and we'll be hearing more about publication of that soon. But the basis of the story is a revivalist, con-man preacher who begins to spew predictions that are coming true. The root of the idea came to Sean in 1996 when he was having to take numerous pain killers and was also drinking whiskey. - See, you always wondered where authors get their ideas. Now you know!

Marcus also revealed where the seed for THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES came from.  Sean had actually shared a story about Satchel Paige who didn't know his age but was asked at one point by a reporter, so his response was, "How old would ya be if ya didn't know how old ya was?" That question led Marcus to the question, "WHO would ya be if ya didn't know who ya was?"

There was a fun early-release party for Marcus' THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES afterward. I was really excited to be able to celebrate the release of this book with him.

The next day at Printers Row, Judy and I attended a panel with Andrew Gross, Kevin Guilfoile, Keir Graff and Jamie Freveletti.

Andrew talked about his upcoming novel EYES WIDE OPEN. He explained that he typically works around ideas that come from news headlines, but this book deals with two events a bit more personal to him. The first being the death of his nephew from suicide and the other being the time he met Charles Manson when he was 12. The revelation of this meeting elicited quite a startled response from Jamie who was moderating the panel.

The week after Printers Row was just as busy. It started with Craig Johnson's event in Oakmont at Mystery Lovers Bookshop on Tuesday. There was a full house for Craig, which is fitting because he's so entertaining and fun!

Craig spoke about the fact that he does indeed plan story elements well in advance of the actual book he's working on. When he created Virgil in ANOTHER MAN'S MOCCASINS he had intentions of using him with another storyline later (a.k.a. HELL IS EMPTY).

HELL IS EMPTY was challenging for Craig to write in that he was relaying on another book's structure to put his own together, since HELL IS EMPTY ties in allegorically with DANTE'S INFERNO.

Craig also addressed the pilot of LONGMIRE and how much involvement he had in the process. When he saw the auditions for the role of Henry, Lou Diamond Phillips was the only actor who didn't instinctively create contractions out of Henry's speech.

Craig charmed the audience and it was a wonderful evening!

The following night was Michael Koryta's event. Luckily that one was in Westlake, about 20 minutes from my house. And this was an event that was originally scheduled for the CYPRESS HOUSE release but had to be canceled twice because of weather. The weather was cooperative this time around and all went as planned.

Michael shared a few fun tidbits about THE RIDGE, including the fact that his mother use to take Michael and his sister to see lighthouses whenever they traveled. According to Michael, she dragged them to every lighthouse she possibly could. So having the lighthouse in THE RIDGE was a bit of payback to Mom for those excursions.

Michael also gave some advice to anyone visiting a feline rescue like the one in the book. "Don't wear perfume." Micael's publicist wanted to visit the rescue facility that influenced the writing of THE RIDGE, and when she did she wore nice clothes and perfume, which attracted the cats to...well...mark her. Once one cat had left its mark, many more decided they needed to as well. YIKES!

The next book Michael's working on is going back to traditional crime fiction. It may be out as early as 2012 or may be later into 2013.

I had a short break after Michael's event, which gave me time to take my dogs to the vet for their overdue vaccinations and celebrate my mom's birthday and Father's Day. The family was appreciative of that.

This past week brought Karin Slaughter to the Cleveland area. Aside from the nasty woman who sat next me, this was a tremendous event. Karin Slaughter is fun, humorous and energetic. You can see how much she loves what she does. I think that's one of the most amazing things to experience. She takes nothing for granted and is appreciative of every fan and every circumstance that got her to where she is.

This event was held at the North Olmsted library, which is part of the Cuyahoga County library system. Many of you are probably familiar with the work Karin has done on behalf of libraries; many of her events for this tour are taking place in libraries, and I was thrilled that one of those libraries was near me.

Karin talked about the role libraries played in her childhood and her road to publication. She acknowledged the role her father played. His hard work provided her with a life that allowed her to go to the library and read books instead of having to work to support their family. He also taught her how to do more than "be pretty."

I think anyone who has ever had a chance to listen to Karin Slaughter speak knows without any doubt that she is a born story-teller. Her abilities go beyond the written word to the spoken word as well. She's absolutely amazing and I encourage you to see her if you have the chance. I assure you, she's worth going out of your way, driving a longer distance than usual, whatever. It is a fabulous experience.

So that's been my June of author/book events. Who have you all seen recently that you really enjoyed? Did they do anything special or unique that made the experience extra special? I really encourage all of you to check out an author event at a local bookstore or library. Show some support to those folks who provide you with hours and hours of entertainment.

Now for a little down time when I can catch up on the reviews of books I've been reading, plot some fun project ideas, and update this darned blog. Have you been wondering when in the heck I'm going to get on the ball? Holy cow I need to update. Thanks for being patient with me and for coming back to visit regularly.

Happy reading everyone!

FALLEN Audiobook Giveaway

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had the opportunity for a short chat with Karin Slaughter, so I'm excited to share that with you now. Here's a glimpse into the women of FALLEN:

Q: In Fallen, you have a central story about Faith and her mother Evelyn, both of whom have served as detectives. It’s fairly common in fiction to see men who follow in their father’s footsteps and join the force or even daughters who follow dad’s, but a family of female cops is quite unique. When/why did you decide to make Faith’s mother a cop as well? Also, Amanda and even Evelyn’s neighbor came up through the ranks of the force at a time when women were really trailblazing if they joined the police force. Can you talk about those times and how they shaped their characters? (I know that Criminal will delve into Amanda’s backstory, feel free to talk a little about that here if you like.)

Karin:  Women tend to pass down the job just as often as men. The thing to remember is that women on the force—particularly in Atlanta—are a fairly new thing in the world of policing. Atlanta didn’t even allow women to train in the police academy until the early seventies, which is squarely in Amanda’s generation. It’s a catch-22, because senior police officers are generally the ones who’ve been on the job for a while. That pipeline was clogged with men for a very long time, and now we are finally seeing women being promoted to top jobs. Beverly Harvard, for instance, was (as far as I know) the first female African American police chief of a major American city.

I made Faith a cop because she didn’t have a lot of options when she was in her early twenties. She had a child. She was a single mom. The police force was a steady paycheck and her mom was able to smooth the way. In my next book, Criminal, I go back to 1975, when Amanda was a police officer on the Atlanta force. We’ll find out that Amanda’s father was a cop, and that’s why she chose her vocation. We’ll also find out that Evelyn became a cop because her neighbor, Roz Levy (whom we first meet in Fallen) told her to go sign up. I’ve had a lot of fun talking to folks about Atlanta in the 70s. It was so difficult back then for female officers. Sometimes, they would roll up onto a call and the victim would laugh and ask when the real cops were going to get there. What’s been shocking was finding out that, though a lot of things have changed, for many women, it’s still the same.

Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour to learn more about Karin Slaughter and FALLEN. You can also check out her website.
 

The other fun part of this blog tour I have to share with you is a giveaway. The AudioGo folks provided me with SIX unabridged copies of FALLEN on audiobook.  I'm very thrilled to have the chance to share this great audio with six of you. The contest is open to folks in the U.S. and I'll ship to Canada, but folks, I have no idea when they would get there with your postal strike going on. You can still feel free to enter, though.

I will take entries through the duration of the blog tour. The final post will be July 6th, which is a Wednesday, so I'll take entries until July 8th and pick the winners on the 9th. If you have any questions, drop me an email or leave them in the comments. Many, many thanks to the folks at AudioGo for providing this generous giveaway!

FALLEN - Karin Slaughter

First line: "Faith Mitchell dumped the contents of her purse onto the passenger seat of her Mini."

GBI Agent Faith Mitchell returned home late from a training seminar to find her four-month-old daughter locked in a shed, her mother missing, and a man being held at gun-point in her mother's house. Forced into a life-threatening situation, Faith shot and killed both men, the only people who could tell her where her mother was. As Faith, Amanda Wagner and Will Trent begin to uncover clues in an attempt to rescue Faither's mother, Evelyn, the evidence points them back to Evelyn's tainted career in the NARC squad of the Atlanta Police Department.

FALLEN is the third book in the "Georgia" series that combined the characters from Slaughter's "Grant County" and "Atlanta" series. In addition to combining the series, Slaughter has combined all the best elements of her writing to create a captivating, exciting crime novel.

I've always been a fan of Sara Linton. While she's a smart, beautiful woman, she's also awkward and quirky. She can't cook and she loves dogs. There are so many details about her character that draw the dimensions of a real person. Likewise, Will Trent, with his extremely unmasculine chihuahua, dysfunctional marriage and dyslexia, breaks all the stereotypes of the law enforcement hero. These are the kind of characters that make a story rich, that entice readers to engage with that story.

Second only to her characters is Slaughter's ability to tell a good story. The plot is action-packed with strong twists that add to the layers of complexity and keep the reader turning pages - or in my case they kept me listening to the audio. Bad things happen in Karin Slaughter's books; that's no secret, but her novels also drive the reader to seek justice for the characters.

The final element that is a definite stand-out in FALLEN, as all of Slaughter's novels before this, is the author's humor. She incorporates a dark, kind of dry humor that catches the reader off guard at times. It works to create Slaughter's signature style and adds to the enjoyment of the novels.

I listened to FALLEN on audio as part of AudioGo's blog tour for the novel. I was excited to be asked to participate because I've enjoyed Karin Slaughter's work for years now. But the greatest surprise was the narrator of this audiobook, Shannon Cochran. This is my first experience hearing Cochran narrate and I have to say I may have found a new favorite female narrator. She does an exceptional job with both genders, with the tone of the novel, the humor. She understands what Slaughter is trying to accomplish. Her reading helped me to lose myself in the story as I was driving, working out, working in the yard. I would look forward to listening and find reasons to extend whatever task allowed me to listen. The other effect I discovered was my tendency to start elongating my vowel sounds after I would listen to a section of the audio. Cochran's dialect is authentic and consistent. This is definitely an audiobook experience I recommend to crime fiction fans.

I'm very excited that I was able to kick off this blog tour. I'm not always able to give rave reviews on a blog tour because I commit to being honest about my reactions to a book. But with FALLEN, I highly recommend not only the book but the audio experience as well. It's dark and gritty with fantastic characters and an action-packed plot.

FALLEN is available starting today from Delacorte Press in print (ISBN: 978-0345528209), and the audio is available from AudioGo (ISBN: 978-1609982645).

I'm very excited because I have an AMAZING giveaway sponsored by the generous people at AudioGo. In an effort to keep this post readable, I'm going to have a second post a little later today with the details for that giveaway as well as short chat with Karin Slaughter. So, check back for that. In the meantime, the remainder of this audiobook tour is:

6/22/2011 -- In Reference to Murder

6/23/2011 -- Book Addict Reviews

6/28/2011 -- Dew on the Kudzu

6/30/2011 -- Beth Fish Reads

7/01/2011 -- Teresa's Reading Corner

7/05/2011 -- You've GOTTA Read This!

7/06/2011 -- Girls in the Stacks

THE RIDGE - Michael Koryta

First line: "Kevin Kimble made the drive before dawn, as he always did, the mountains falling away as dark silhouettes in the rearview mirror."

Kevin Kimble is the deputy sheriff in Blade Ridge. It's a quiet little town for the most part, but it claims a significant oddity: Wyatt French and his lighthouse, in the middle of the forest. The quiet little town starts to come apart at the hinges about the time Audrey Clark begins moving her big-cat sanctuary in near the lighthouse. In order to serve and protect his town, Kimble has to face challenges he hasn't seen the likes of since he was shot on duty years ago.

I've been a fan of Michael Koryta's almost as long as I've been reading crime fiction. When Koryta branched out to try his hand with the supernatural, I followed despite the fact that it wasn't my cup of tea. His work in this area intrigued me and captivated me, due in large part to the qualities that make him such a fabulous crime writer as well. He tells a superb story with fascinating, well-developed characters. However, when asked what my favorite work of his was, I always went back to his second crime novel, SORROW'S ANTHEM, followed closely by ENVY THE NIGHT. Until now.

THE RIDGE is the work of an exceptionally talented story teller coming into his own. The richness of the characters, the depth of the symbolism, the strength of the atmosphere all combine to suck the reader into Koryta's world. You fall down his rabbit hole and land in a world you logically know doesn't exist, but the reality of what you experience convinces you otherwise.

Whether writing in first person, or as in THE RIDGE from third person, Koryta allows his reader to intimately understand the mind of his protagonist, which in turn helps a bond form between reader and character. Now the reader is invested. Kevin Kimble is no different. What makes THE RIDGE different is Koryta's inclusion of the big cats and their roles as characters. Each cat is distinct with its own personality. Symbolically, those cats begin to have parallels to their human counterparts.

The lighthouse, featured prominently on the novel's cover, is also an important symbol. Koryta plays tug-of-war with good and evil - light and dark, leaving both sides covered in the mud of ambiguity.

With these elements of depth, the plot can't help but be multi-layered. Surfacely, Koryta had constructed an entertaining plot with well-timed twists and exciting action. Below that is a look into the human condition. The phrase "bound by balance" is repeated throughout the novel, and Roy Darmus, a reporter, tells Kimble, "You must be able to believe in a great evil." These underlying symbols and themes lodged themselves in my brain and still tumble around, demanding me to pay attention.

There are so many incredible strengths to this novel, but the one I believe holds them all together, like a tendon in the body, is Koryta's beautiful demand of the language. So often I will stop and simply marvel at the construct of a sentence, at how a simple compilation of words can create such a powerful effect:

"She took her seat again, and he pulled up a plastic chair that screeched coming across the floor and sat beside her. Not all the way at the opposite end of the table, but not too close either. Purgatory distance."

I was caught off guard the first time I read this passage, having to re-read it several times. But it wasn't until I came back to the passage after finishing the book that I could appreciate all the nuances and meaning packed into it. Koryta is an author who demands re-reading to completely appreciate everything nestled into his work.

Koryta has built upon his strengths in THE RIDGE, making this his most powerful novel to date. Now when people ask me what my favorite book of Koryta's is, I'm going to have to answer THE RIDGE.

THE RIDGE is available in hardcover from Little, Brown (ISBN: 978-0-316-05366-2) and on audio, narrated by Robert Petkoff from Hachette Audio (ISBN: 978-1-609-41234-0).

What's Been Going On?

Things are finally starting to slow down for me. I was doing a lot of traveling there for a couple months...a lot for me, anyway. I think I've traveled more in the past year than the whole rest of my life combined. Anyway, it's time to start catching up.

Hopefully you've already pre-ordered your copies of Alafair Burke's LONG GONE and Gregg Hurwitz's YOU'RE NEXT. If you haven't, time is running out on their pre-order incentives. Alafair has this wonderful members-only book group that's she's going to be doing and Gregg has a chance for you to win all of his previous books (1st edition, hardcovers) personalized. Alafair's offer ends today, so get your pre-order NOW! And Gregg's ends on Thursday. These are two of my highest recommended books this summer and they will definitely be on my favorites list for the year. Don't miss out on them!


Also, Alafair Burke's Duffer Awards are still going on, so be sure to check each day and cast your votes. Leave comments for your chance to win prizes!

The first Shelf Awareness for Readers came out on Friday. If you didn't catch it, you can see it here and sign up to have it e-mailed to you. It'll come twice a week: Tuesdays and Fridays. It's a great source of book information for consumers.


Another great source of book info is out xuni.com Facebook page. Have you been by to "like" us? I keep thinking about all the trouble it's getting me into. I've added to my TBR list and the great stuff just keeps on coming. A good example is THE GENESIS KEY by James Barney or TOMORROW RIVER by Lesley Kagen. Not to mention Boyd Morrison and Will Lavender and Chris Mooney...and then there are the reminders about Michael Koryta and Sophie Littlefield and Brad Parks and Lee Child and John Connolly. See, it's kind of a one-stop shopping for amazing crime writers. But there's also a lot of young adult authors as well. There's never a shortage of great stuff to discover with xuni authors, so check us out!

The Watery Grave Invitational short story contest hosted by Naomi over at The Drowning Machine blog has announced winners. Some excellent short stories were submitted. Be sure to check them out and congratulate the winners!

That's about it for this post. I'm hoping to be back later today to share some snippets from events I've been attending lately. I'll see you then! Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there and happy reading to everyone!

Audiobook Thursday - STILL MISSING

First line: "You know, Doc, you're not the first shrink I've seen since I got back."

Annie O'Sullivan tells the story of her abduction and captivity through sessions with her psychologist. A realtor, Annie was hosting an open house when a man posing as an interested buyer, kidnapped Annie at gunpoint. He held her captive in a secluded cabin for a year before she escaped. Through her sessions with the psychologist she attempts to come to terms with what happened to her and how she can assimilate back into her normal life.

Chevy Stevens' debut novel made a lot of noise when it was released last year. It took me awhile but I finally was able to experience it for myself. She definitely set her bar high with Book 1. Stevens' choice to tell the story in first person and all through monologue of Annie talking to her psychologist brought out the mixture of anger, frustration and fear. It also works to take the reader out of his/her comfortable position as observer. STILL MISSING is a very powerful and uncomfortable read.

Another effect of Stevens' choice of narration is the 360 degree view that the reader sees of Annie. Then the flatter view of those around her heightens the good and bad of their characters. I think that really ramps up the emotion of the story.

The plot is well developed and tightly written. For the feint of heart, this might be a little challenging. Stevens doesn't coddle her reader; she's exploring an ugly subject and the events reflect that, but they never reach a gratuitous level.

There were a rare few oddities for me throughout STILL MISSING but nothing that deterred me from enjoying the experience of reading it. For those who are like me and a wee bit behind, let me recommend for you STILL MISSING. Chevy Stevens second novel is coming out in a few weeks and I'll definitely be following up with that one.

I listened to STILL MISSING on audio, narrated by Angela Dawe. This was my first experience with Dawe as a narrator and I think she did a splendid job. The style of the novel didn't challenge her with a lot of character voices but it was a highly emotional text. Dawes balanced the emotions of the novel expertly and enhanced the effect. STILL MISSING is a great book for audio.

STILL MISSING was produced for audio by Brilliance (ISBN: 978-1455838530) and is available in print from St. Martin's Press (hardcover ISBN: 978-031259567) and St. Martin's Griffin (trade paper ISBN:  978-0312573577).

Tuesday Potpourri

Goodness gracious there are a lot of things going on in crime fiction around the web. It is a good time to stop and point some of them out.

First is a short story collection that was coordinated and edited by Timothy Hallinan for the victims of Japan's recent natural disasters. The collection is called SHAKEN and is available on Kindle for $3.99, with all the royalties going directly to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund. Some of the participating authors are well known to Jen's Book Thoughts: of course Tim, Kelli Stanley, Rosemary Harris, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Cara Black, among others. The cover art was designed by the multi-talented Gar Anthony Haywood.

My friend and fellow blogger Pop Culture Nerd posted a very nice interview with several of the contributing authors and you can check that out here.

Next, the folks at Spinetingler have launched Snubnose Press, an e-publisher of crime fiction. According to their press release:

"Spinetingler Magazine has been publishing new and emerging writers since 2005. Building from that foundation Snubnose Press will seek to publish only the best in short crime fiction. With the traditional publishing market contracting, Snubnose Press will fill this gap by publishing original anthologies, novellas and short novels."

The debut title of Snubnose Press will be SPEEDLOADER, an anthology of six original short stories.

Visit the Snubnose Press website for more information.

Have you been voting in the daily Duffer Awards at Alafair Burke's website? Yesterday Kaye Scarpetta squared off against Moe Prager for the best wine taster award. Be sure to visit each day for a different competition.

Speaking of awards...or rather prizes, I have winners to announce from the SIXTH MAN audiobook giveaway. The three lucky winners are:

• Sheila D from Minnesota
• Deborah C from Ohio
• Pam K from Pennsylvania

I'll get those audiobooks in the mail this week. Keep your eyes peeled; there are more fun giveaways to be had during Audiobook Month!

Huge congrats go out to Craig Johnson. HELL IS EMPTY earned its way to #24 on the New York Times Bestseller List. Yay Walt!

Don't forget to register for Bouchercon 2011 if you have not already. The list of attendees is something to see. It's going to be one heck of a crime party in St. Louis this September.

And finally for this post, I would like to encourage you to sign up for the Shelf Awareness for Readers. The debut issue will be this week. I will occasionally be reviewing for them, as well Pop Culture Nerd. You can sign up here.

Hope your reading week is off to a great start!

The Ranger - Ace Atkins

First line: "Quinn headed home, south on the Mississippi highway, in a truck he'd bought in Phenix City, Alabama, for fifteen hundred, a U.S. Army rucksack beside him stuffed with enough clothes for the week and a sweet Colt .44 Anaconda he'd won in a poker game.

Quinn Colson left Tibbeheah County to join the Army and fight in Afghanistan. He returns home to his uncle's funeral to find a completely different place than he left. Forced into circumstances he had no hand in creating, Quinn tries to reign in evil forces only to uncover secrets that hit far too close to home.

THE RANGER is the first book in a new series for Ace Atkins. And it's an explosive way to start a new series. Quinn Colson is a complex characters with many jagged edges, but a few soft, rounded parts, too.

Lillie Virgil, a supporting character, in Atkins' cast is a wonderful female battling for her place in a region that still hasn't come to fully embrace women. Atkins balances her ambition and drive with her compassion without turning either characteristic unbelievable.

On the flip side of Atkins' protagonist is the brutal ugliness of the methamphetamine business. As complex as Atkins creates his hero, he matches that complexity in the antagonists. And a slew of characters are trapped somewhere in between where the good and evil blur boundaries.

The plot of THE RANGER makes for a compulsive read; the audience simply has to keep turning pages. But there's trepidation with every turn, like sitting in a movie theater knowing something is going to jump up at you; covering your eyes with your hands but not being able to resist peaking through your fingers. And when it finally does jump out at you, the anticipation makes the scare even greater.

Atkins creates that anticipation with his atmosphere. In the opening sentence I heard echos of Faulkner. Atkins follows in the southern tradition, creating the pacing and tone in the setting as well as the action. THE RANGER is a perfect example of a book transporting its reader to a new world. Whether you're intimately familiar with Mississippi or not, you'll feel as though you are after reading this novel. Through his protagonist, Atkins illustrates a love of a region that is far from perfect.

The dialogue drips with various sounds of the South, adding to the dimension of the characters. An audio version of this may be a difficult sell for me because the characters were so vividly alive in my imagination and most especially so through their voices. Atkins does a meticulous job of giving each character a distinctive voice.

I'm extremely excited about this series. Quinn Colson and Lillie Virgil are characters I can embrace, root for, and look forward to. Here's to the start of a beautiful series!

THE RANGER is available now in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0399157486) from Putnam.

The Alienist - Caleb Carr

First line: "Theodore is in the ground."

In 1896 New York City a serial killer is on the loose killing boy prostitutes. The corrupt police department has found ways to write off these killings, especially since these are boys no one cares about. But police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt is determined to stop the killings and bring the murderer to justice. He ventures outside the department, enlisting the help of a psychologist - also known then as an 'alienist' - Dr. Kreizler and a journalist, John Moore. Roosevelt charges them with putting together a psychological profile in an effort to find and stop the psychopath murdering the young boys.

One of the great joys of reading for me is discovering great works for the first time. THE ALIENIST was first published in 1994, so many of you will have already read this classic psychological thriller.

Carr does an exquisite job of balancing character and plot, neither outshines the other. Carr's eccentric cast of characters ranges from a mute housekeeper to a reformed felon to a grandmother who's convinced an imprisoned murderer on death row, whom she's never met, is going to come to escape and kill her. The reader sees all of these characters through the eyes of John Moore as the novel's narrator. John is able to empathize with those around him, making him an empathetic character as well. And when John faces a life-altering event, readers can't help but be affected by it as well.

I was especially fond of Carr's depiction of his female characters. They battle the barriers of their era, their positions, etc. And each still maintains her own person. Carr isn't unrealistic about the limits women had at this time; he illustrates those limits well. He also illustrates how women were fighting those limits each and every day.

Balanced perfectly with his robust characters was a suspenseful plot. The interplay of crime, politics, social status and science make for layers of development and intrigue. Part of that intrigue is built through Carr's use of his setting, New York City. The building rooftops, the shadier neighborhoods, even the restaurants and opera work to create the world where corruption, power, and position all had long-range effects.

Carr meticulously pieced this historical suspense novel together, much the way his infamous Dr. Kreizler pieced together the profile of a serial murderer. It's a great treat to experience the final result.

It is also a treat to experience a fine book read by an incredible narrator. George Guidall narrates the Recorded Books unabridged version of THE ALIENIST and I loved his narration as much in this book as I've loved his work with Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series.

There have been quite a few occasions where I really enjoyed a narrator in one book but when I picked up another audiobook with the same narrator, it was a disappointment because I could only envision that narrator in the first book, the first role. With George Guidall, you can pick up a new audiobook and have a whole new listening experience. I did not see or hear Walt Longmire once through the duration of THE ALIENIST and I feel that's one of the strongest indicators of a great narrator.

Tied directly to that idea is the sense that you truly understand the characters of THE ALIENIST. It isn't just a man reading the words from the book. Instead it is a performer understanding the roles he's acting. That brings the characters to life in an audiobook.

Guidall's tone and pacing work with Carr's building suspense, and his understanding and appreciation of the setting allow for it to be a backdrop but at the same time a huge influence on the characters and the plot. Guidall always strikes me as the man behind the curtain. He knows all the controls to manipulate so that your imagination comes to life, but he as a narrator never gets in the way of the story. And THAT is a great audiobook experience.

THE ALIENIST is available from Recorded Books on audio (ISBN: 978-1-4025-8903-4). However, the version available through Audible downloads is the abridged version from Simon and Schuster. Your library may be a great place to look for Guidall's unabridged recording!

Audiobook Resources

For the final day of Audiobook Week 2011, Jen at Devourer of Books wants to know:

Where do you learn about great audiobook titles? Find reviews? Buy your audiobooks? 

My audiobooks come from a variety of sources. I'm a member of Audible and download quite a few with them. This is a great resource because they come ready to go on my iTouch. I don't need to do any special formatting for Audible downloads.

However, a less expensive option for me is my public library. I feel very fortunate to be a ClevNet member. The network of great libraries enables me to borrow from a system of over 40 different libraries without any special fees. That really expands my selection to choose from.

Another great place I go to for audiobooks is the used bookstore. They also carry used audiobooks, which they guarantee.

As far as how I make my audiobook choices goes, I have a group of friends on Twitter who recommend great audios and narrators; I participate on Audiobook.com; but my greatest resource for recommendations is definitely my friend Michael Alatorre who is simply my audiobook guru. He understands technical nuances better than anyone I know. He appreciates fine detail in narrators and production. He simply knows so much in this realm and I'm continually learning from him.

Don't forget that I want to be a resource for some of my readers and I'm giving away 3 abridged copies of David Baldacci's SIXTH MAN, so get your entries in! AND I actually have a review of an audiobook that will be posted later today. Please be sure to check back.

Happy Listening!

Audiobook Week: Audiobooks for the Uninitiated

Today's topic from Jen at Devourer of Books deals with giving advice to those who don't already listen to audiobooks:

Whether you just started listening or have a long history with audiobooks, you probably have some suggestions for those new to audio whether for narrators, titles, or ways to experience the medium.

I often have people tell me that they "can't listen to audiobooks" or they don't think they can pay attention. And I use to be one of those people myself. I gave audios a try because I was driving so much every day to and from work. It didn't click immediately...no more than opening a book and seeing scribbles immediately turned into understanding words and sentences and stories. But I gave it a fair chance and tried out different narrators, different types of books and different environments for listening. Now I listen to audios during a lot of times when I can't be reading print: while I'm driving, working out, doing yard work or house work, crafting, etc.

Some of the narrators I find easy to listen to: George Guidall (who I mentioned yesterday), Jeff Woodman is absolutely amazing as well. Andy Caploe is great and so is Joe Barrett. A couple recent additions for me are MacLeod Andrews and Mark Bramhill. Last year I asked a couple audiophile friends of mine to share in a post on narrators and we created this.

Just this week I commented at Craig Johnson's event that regardless of how folks feel about audiobooks, I think everyone should experience a Walt Longmire on audio at least once. They are always a wonderful experience for me. Those are the ones I want to sit in the driveway and listen to longer or walk an extra couple miles just to have more audio time.

Thriller or suspense novels are also good starting points, especially if you think you'll have trouble paying attention. The pacing and intensity of those novels help to keep you focused on the story as you WANT to find out what's going to happen.

So, if you've not listened to audiobooks before, I encourage you to give it an honest try. Visit your library. You don't have to make a major investment to give it a try!

People have heard me say this many times, and I think it's become my audio motto: "As adults we often forget that we learned to love reading by first having others read to us." I still enjoy that. And the very best audios help me to see things in the books I wouldn't have seen on my own. That's a fulfilling listening experience!

Happy Listening!

Audiobook Week Meme

Today Jen from Devourer of Books has put together a short meme for Audiobook Week. Here are my responses:

Current/most recent audiobook: I am presently listening to TABLOID CITY by Pete Hamill, narrated by Peter Ganim and Ellen Archer.
Impressions: This is a wonderfully produced audio of a so-so novel. The dual narrators works amazingly on this audiobook and each narrator seems to have a firm understanding of the characters and tone of the novel. The novel itself has a rather loose plot. There's a central concept that the multitude of sub-plots revolve around, but the cohesiveness is lacking. I find myself disliking almost all the characters and the author is unnecessarily crass at times, actually rather frequently. The production is actually what has kept me listening. In print, I would have put this book down already.
Current favorite audiobook: Yikes! This is a hard one. I would have to say any of the Walt Longmire books (written by Craig Johnson) narrated by George Guidall. A close second would be both THE LOCK ARTIST (written by Steve Hamilton) narrated by MacLeod Andrews and A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS (written by R.J. Ellory) narrated by Mark Bramhill. These are all excellent examples of great books paired with great narrators who completely understand what the authors are trying to achieve in the books.
One narrator who always makes you choose audio over print: George Guidall, definitely.
Genre you most often choose to listen to: This is a trick question, isn't it? Just kidding. Of course for me it is crime fiction.
If given the choice, you will always choose audio when: I don't know that I have a hard and fast "always" rule here. I do love to catch up on a series that I come to late in audio, whenever I am able.

If given the choice, you will always choose print when: Again, I don't know that there's an "always" for this one. If I run into a narrator I can't listen to, then I will always choose print. An example of this for me is James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series. I listened to Mark Hammer narrate these books for years and I felt he embodied Robicheaux to a "T." His accents and dialects were spot on. He flowed seamlessly between characters. He illustrated the life-weary character and all his struggles in exactly the way I envisioned Robicheaux. When Mark Hammer passed away Recorded Books began using Wil Patton who narrates the series for Simon and Schuster. I can't listen to Wil Patton. I don't interpret Dave Robicheaux the way he does and it's nails on a chalk board for me to listen to him. So, I always choose print on this series now.

Audiobook Narrators

The topic for today is Sound Effects in Audiobooks. I'm kind of indifferent to the sound effects. Rarely, if present, have they ever bothered me, but if they aren't there the audiobook is just as great. On occassion when producers put music at the end of a disc and I'm listening on my iTouch, the music will kick in and I'll wonder where the heck the sound is coming from. But other than that, I really don't take much notice. So, I chose one of the alternate suggestions and I'm going to talk about single narrators vs. multiple narrators.

I'm a great advocate for multiple narrators. I like for one person of each gender to be involved in the production of an audiobook. Very, very rarely can one person do both genders well enough that it isn't painfully noticeable to me. Women doing male characters make me think of a drag queen show, and men narrating female characters sound quite butch - or in their efforts to sound feminine all the females become whiny and driveling.  I grow use to it after a duration, but the best situations are when a man and a woman narrate together, each taking their respective gender roles. An excellent example of this is the audio of  Marcus Sakey's GOOD PEOPLE, narrated by both Joyce Bean and Dan John Miller. How about you? What are your audiobook narrator preferences?

Of course the multiple narrator approach also involves greater expense. That didn't prevent Hachette Audio from recording David Baldacci's THE SIXTH MAN with two narrators, though. And I have 3 abridged copies to give away, courtesy of Hachette. THE SIXTH MAN is narrated by veterans of the crime fiction novel: Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy.

To be entered for a chance to win one of the three copies, simply complete the form below by Saturday, June 11, 2011. US and Canadian mailing addresses only. If you have any questions, drop me an email or share them in the comments section.

Welcome to Audiobook Week

As I've mentioned, June is Audiobook Month. Jen at Devourer of Books is hosting a special week dedicated to audiobooks this week and I'll be participating as much as I can. This will also be the first week of fabulous audiobook giveaways I will be doing. Some very generous folks from Hachette and AudioGo have provided me with great crime fiction audios to give away this month, so make sure you're checking in for those contests!

All right, so Audiobook Week...Jen's first discussion topic for this week is "2010-2011, Your Audiobook Year." And the description for this discussion topic is:


Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening to them forever but discovered something new this year? Favorite titles? New times/places to listen? This is your chance to introduce yourself and your general listening experience. 

I have actually been listening to audiobooks for almost six years now. 2010 was the second year I kept records of my audiobooks. In 2009 I listened to 36 audiobooks, which was 38% of my total reading for that year. In 2010 I listened to 48 audiobooks, which was 48% of my total reading. This year at the almost half-way point, I've listened to 19 audiobooks, which is about 43% of my total reading.

What are the titles that stand out? Well any of the Walt Longmire books. They are all narrated by George Guidall, and he brings the book to life more than my own imagination did. They are simply incredible sound recordings from Recorded Books.

I also adored Steve Hamilton's THE LOCK ARTIST on audiobook. It was narrated by MacLeod Andrews. A great novel coupled with an amazing narration. And that was put out by Brilliance Audio.

ROOM, written by Emma Donoghue, was an audiobook that could have been a disaster, but was beautifully narrated by a team of readers: Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Suzanne Toren and Robert Petkoff. Hachette Audio gets the hat tip on creating that audio.

There are many, many wonderful audiobooks out there; the last one I'll mention for today's post is A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS. I listened to this one last year and with THE LOCK ARTIST, they were both my favorite books overall and my favorite audiobooks. A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS is written by R.J. Ellory and narrated by Mark Bramhall. Blackstone Audio put this one out and I challenge anyone to listen to this book and not be affected by it. It's incredible.

Those are some of my regular go-to recommendations right now as far as audiobooks. And for me, I listen to audiobooks pretty much any time I can't be reading a print book. So while I'm working out, I listen to audiobooks, driving in the car, working in the garden, doing housework, crafting, shoveling snow or mowing the lawn. I love to have great narrators reading me great books!

My great audiobook discovery last year, though, was my iTouch. I started listening to audios on the iTouch and for me it's revolutionary. I have an armband for it as well as a docking station with wireless speakers, so I can listen to it anywhere in the house. I have an outlet in my car that allows me to listen to my iTouch through the car speakers, so my iTouch literally goes everywhere with me.

A fun story to share about a learning experience with audiobooks this past year. I use an mp3 to iPod converter for my files. It converts the mp3 files to MPEG-4 audio files which are smaller (I can fit more books on my iTouch) and so incredibly easy to use on the iTouch. Anyway, I was having problems with some audiobooks where they would start out just fine and then all of a sudden I would lose all sound. I could not figure out what the heck was happening. But let me just tell you how frustrating that is. You get caught up in and book and then SILENCE! Well, turned out, I needed to stop making one big MPEG-4 file for the longer audiobooks and break them into 2 or 3 files. I'm not exactly positive why, but it fixed the problem, so I'm a happy audiobook listener now!

So there's my introduction to my listening habits. How about you all? What are the great audios you've discovered in the last year? Where do you listen to your audios?

If you don't listen to audios, I'd like to challenge you to listen to one some time this month. If you'd like to write about your experience, I'll be happy to post it here at the blog! But check out the recommendations from audiobook listeners blogging this month and find something that could be of interest to you and give it an honest try! I was one of those people who use to say, "I can't listen to audios; I'd never be able to pay attention. I have ADD for crying out loud." But, when I had to drive 45 minutes one way to work, I gave audiobooks a try. It was an adjustment, but now I can't imagine my life without them!

So today, I say to you all Happy Listening!!

Stuff to Check Out

I'll be in Chicago this weekend for the Printers Row event. It will be my last major trip until Bouchercon; I'm hoping to do a lot of catching up here after this weekend. But while I'm away, here are some fun things to check out around the web.

I've been squeeling about this wonderful news from Marcus Sakey this week. Then I found out yesterday about this wonderful news from Michael Koryta. Great things happening for great people.

I mentioned Alafair Burke's Duffer Awards earlier this week. Have you been voting? A new match-up everyday. Be sure to check them out.

I don't think I mentioned yet about Chris Grabenstein's summer reading contest for young readers. If you have kids home on summer break and need a motivator for them to read, this is a great opportunity!

Next week I'll be able to see Craig Johnson (Tuesday) and Michael Koryta (Wednesday) at events close enough to my home. Have you taken a look at your favorite authors' tour schedules? Are they going to be close to you? They love the support of having readers come out and see them, so maybe you could pick someone to see this summer!

Don't forget June is Audiobook Month. I'll be participating in Devourer of Books' Audiobook Week next week. I hope you'll stop by to check out all the fun.

All the summer "beach read" lists are coming out now. I don't really discern between a "beach read" and any other kind of read. I read what I want, when I want. It doesn't matter to me if I take Dickens or Doyle to the beach. So, I thought I'd quickly run down books I've read - and highly recommend - that are coming out this summer:

• Alafair Burke's LONG GONE
• Marcus Sakey's THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES
• Craig Johnson's HELL IS EMPTY
• Michael Koryta's THE RIDGE
• Gregg Hurwitz's YOU'RE NEXT
• Ace Atkins' THE RANGER

And these are books coming out this summer that I'M still looking forward to reading:

• Lisa Unger's DARKNESS, MY OLD FRIEND
• John Verdon's SHUT YOUR EYES TIGHT
• James Barney's THE GENESIS KEY
• Joe Finder's BURIED SECRETS
• Andrew Gross' EYES WIDE OPEN
• Val McDermid's TRICK OF THE DARK
• Jo Nesbø's SNOWMAN
• R.J. Ellory's A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE
• Duane Swierczynski's FUN AND GAMES
• Thomas Young's SILENT ENEMY

Uh oh, I think I may need some more summer! This is not even close to all the great books that are coming out this summer, so let me know in the comments what books you're looking forward to reading.

I'll wrap this up with a video of Gregg Hurwitz talking about his upcoming YOU'RE NEXT. Have a great weekend!

Hilary Davidson - Crime Readers Caught Reading Crime...

...in an indie bookstore.

As I sit here writing this today's reader is attending the Ellis Awards Banquet in British Columbia. Hilary Davidson's THE DAMAGE DONE was nominated for the best first novel Ellis Award and I'm crossing fingers and toes that she walks away with the skeleton.

It is my great pleasure to finish up this year's Get Caught Reading project with an author I admire and a person I in awe of.

Hilary is caught here at the BookHampton and here's what she has to say about the store:

Thanks to Linda Fairstein, I was lucky enough to be invited to BookHampton for the store’s annual “Mayhem at BookHampton” book festival. The store on East Hampton’s Main Street is stunning, but what impressed me most was the thoughtful staff, who seem to have read just about everything on their shelves and make wonderful recommendations. Linda Fairstein moderated a panel with me, Karen Bergreen (author of FOLLOWING POLLY), and Cara Hoffman (author of SO MUCH PRETTY) and I now want to read both of their books based on Linda’s high praise of them!

Sending good vibes up North (and West from me). Many thanks to Hilary for giving us a beautiful send off on the series.

Happy Reading!

Teresa Krueger - Crime Readers Caught Reading Crime...

...in and indie bookstore.

We're winding down this year's "caught reading" series. Today and tomorrow will be the final posts.

Today I welcome Teresa from Teresa's Reading Corner. Her favorite indie bookstore is Old Firehouse Books, where the slogan is "Saving the World One Book at a Time" and the building is actually an old historic firehouse! Old Firehouse Books is located in Fort Collins, Colorado. I love that we've had stores from all over the country represented this month! Who's ready for a bookstore tour of the U.S?

As for the book Teresa's been caught reading, she's indulging in Alexander McCall Smith's most recent No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novel, The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party.

Many thanks to Teresa for hangin' out with us and being part of the "caught reading" fun! Tune in tomorrow for a fabulous grand finale!

Lots to Share!

Wow! I had a pretty exciting week last week with my first experience at BEA and my first Book Bloggers Conference. I had an incredible time seeing friends, meeting cyber-friends in person for the first time, attending sessions and enjoying New York City.

I thought I'd just share it with you through my pictures, so brace yourself for a photo-heavy post. Here we go:

I don't know what the Dork Diaries are, but I found this fitting for me, as you'll realize through my photo montage.

My first night in New York City was stupendous. I was seriously worried that everything else would be a disappointment. I met my wonderful friend Erin Mitchell for the first time in person. Then she and I had dinner with Alafair Burke and Michael Koryta. Fabulous evening!

Megan Abbott and Hilary Davidson kicked off the signings at the Mystery Writers of America booth. Margery Flax organized that whole ordeal and let me tell you, it ran smooth and wonderful all week! Some other faces at the MWA booth:

James Barney is also a xuni author. The danger of working with xuni is discovering writers like James!

Katia Lief is also a xuni author. More temptation.

Persia Walker, Margery, Sophie Littlefield and Todd Ritter - a great crime fiction crew!

I do not know how Ken Isaacson escaped all of my pictures, but he also helped keep the booth signings running smooth. And Ken is one of those people who never let you feel unappreciated!

I attended my dear friend and fellow blogger, Lesa Holstine's panel but arrived too late to hear her part. You can read what she shared here, though. The woman sitting next to Lesa - the one talking in the photo - got brownie points with me since she gave a shout-out to Marcus Sakey's THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES. Woo hoo!

Tuesday night, Ben LeRoy accompanied Erin and I to the Apple Store in SOHO where we got to see David Baldacci, Brad Meltzer and Michael Koryta. I have to openly admit that meeting Brad in person was truly a highlight of my week. He is as wonderful in person as he is online and via email. Amazing person.

I attended the author tea with my super great blogging friends, Jenn (Jenn's Bookshelves) and Candace (Beth Fish Reads). Thanks to the wonderful Megan Fitzpatrick, we were able to meet Scott Brick and she took our picture with him. Meeting Megan for the first time in person was also a tremendous treat. I enjoy talking with her via social media and she's even more charming and fabulous in person!

Each day there were special ticketed signings you could try to get tickets for. The tickets were available before the show floor opened and one day you were eligible for 5 tickets and the other day 6. I only took interest in two: Ridley Pearson/Dave Barry and Tom Wilson.

I have to admit, I wasn't real big on standing in the lines. But there are some people worth waiting for no matter what. Val McDermid and Cara Black are definitely among those folks. Even getting to see them for a very brief time was worth the effort. They are super ladies!

While I didn't have an opportunity to take pictures during the Book Blogger Conference - I was taking notes, interacting and being a panelist, I enjoyed my day with other book bloggers. It's always a great experience to share ideas and stories and questions.

I told you that I started my trip out wonderfully and worried about the rest of the week keeping pace. Obviously I had some outstanding experiences. I was truly blessed to cap off my trip with an evening just as spectacular.

Hilary Davidson and I shared dinner at her favorite restaurant Friday night. The restaurant is Bistango and if you ever have the chance to go, do it! The owner took this picture of us and everything about this Italian restaurant was amazing. The food was wonderful, the ambiance was charming, the prices were affordable, the service was out of this world. And it is also a gluten-free friendly restaurant.

Hilary walked back to my hotel with me and we detoured to see the New York Public Library. I saw the lions and couldn't help but think of Linda Fairstein. We walked through Bryant Park, which is very lovely. And we enjoyed our time together.

This week was definitely an experience I have to treasure forever. A whole week with people who love books as much as I do. How can you top that?

Thanks for tolerating my vacation slide show here. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I want to quickly mention that today also kicks off Audiobook Month. I'm going to be doing some special posts throughout the month with giveaways and reviews. Maybe I can snag a narrator interview. But I hope you'll celebrate audios along with me this month.

Happy Reading every one!