Saturday, June 27, 2009

Celebrate ThrillerFest with an Audiobook giveaway of Swimsuit by James Patterson




Thanks to Anna at Hatchette Books Group, we're having a giveaway of Swimsuit by James Patterson. Thanks so much, Anna and Hatchette for your generosity!

About the Book, courtesy of the author's website:

THE BEACH...
A breathtakingly beautiful supermodel disappears from a swimsuit photo shoot at the most glamorous hotel in Hawaii. Only hours after she goes missing, Kim McDaniels's parents receive a terrifying phone call. Fearing the worst, they board the first flight to Maui and begin the hunt for their daughter.

...WILL NEVER BE...
Ex-cop Ben Hawkins, now a reporter for the L.A. Times, gets the McDaniels assignment. The ineptitude of the local police force defies belief—Ben has to start his own investigation for Kim McDaniels to have a prayer. And for Ben to have the story of his life.

...THE SAME FOR YOU AGAIN.
All the while, the killer sets the stage for his next production. His audience expects the best—and they won't be disappointed. Swimsuit is a heart-pounding story of fear and desire, transporting you to a place where beauty and murder collide and unspeakable horrors are hidden within paradise.



Listen to an excerpt of Swimsuit at
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/_swf/hbg_audioplayer.swf?mediaPath=/_swf/audio/adults/Swimsuit_Webclip.mp3&imgPath=&titleVar=Listen%20to%20an%20excerpt&


CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, please share your favorite fictional detective or detective series or detective novel.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to become a follower and mention this in your comment. If you're a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
3. For an extra entry, become a subscriber and mention this in your comment. If you're a subscriber, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
4. For an extra entry, follow me on twitter (startingfreshny) and let me know that you do.
5. For an extra entry, blog about this contest and post the link.
6. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to U.S. and Canada. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends on midnight of Tuesday, July 14, 2009.

My Forbidden Desire Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway!



Thanks to Anna at Hatchette Books Group, we are giving away 5 copies of My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel this July. Thank you so much to Anna and Hatchette Books Group for your generosity!


About the Author, courtesy of Author's website: Carolyn Jewel has been writing stories ever since she could scribble. Now that she's grown up (mostly) she writes historical and paranormal romance because she loves history and imagining the lives of people who lived in years past, and because she's fascinated by the loves and travails of the not-exactly-human in any time period.

Visit Carolyn Jewel's website to learn more about the author, her road to publication, her writing tips, and to read an excerpt of her book.

Synopsis:
Alexandrine Marit is a tall, beautiful, platinum blond witch with fluctuating magical ability and a difficult past. When the story opens, she is face to face with her adopted brother, Harsh Merit, surprises her after having believed him to have died years before. Alexandrine has the ability to sense danger and is alerted to a deadly threat which she learns was triggered by her attempt to find and contact her to track down Rasmus Kessler, her biological father and a powerful mage. Harsh Merit is enemies with Rasmus Kessler and hopes to protect his sister with the help of Xia, a former mageheld, fiend, and friend.

As a mageheld fiend, Xia had been captured and controled by Rasmus Kessler. His experience has taught him to hate all mages and witches deeply and without exception. Xia agrees to protect Alexandrine and it is this vow that keeps him from attempting to kill her or to seduce her. Though Xia is recovering from abuse by Rasmus Kessler and despises witches, he finds himself powerfully attracted to Alexandrine.

Alexandrine and Xia must work together to outwit and survive the attacking fiends, magehelds, and mages all the while battling their growing attraction for each other. Or will their growing bond somehow help them save themselves?

Review:
Tough but caring and rather gullible, Alexandrine is a sympathetic heroine. Her interaction with Xia is quite explicit and heated. Carolyn Jewel created a complicated history for her world of mages and fiends which makes this paranormal romance different from others that I've encountered. I personally did not find the battle between the mages and the fiends very compelling, but the book is an interesting read overall.

Publisher: Forever (June 1, 2009), 384 pages.

Participating Sites:

http://bridget3420.blogspot.com - June 28 review and giveaway
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/ - June 28 review and giveaway
http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com - June 28 review and giveaway
http://debbiesworld.wordpress.com - June 28
http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/ - June 28 giveaway
http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com - June 28
http://www.morbid-romantic.net/2009/06/28/blog-tour-my-forbidden-desire-carolyn-jewel/
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/ - June 28 review, giveaway, and Q&A
http://undercoverbooklover.blogspot.com/ - June 28 giveaway and Q&A
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com - June 28
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/ - June 28 review and giveaway
http://www.mgpblog.com/ - June 28 review and giveaway
http://trinsnook.blogspot.com - June 28 review and giveaway
http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/ - June 29 review and giveaway
http://www.loveimpossible.com - June 29 review and Q&A
http://seductivemusings.blogspot.com/ - June 29 review and giveaway
http://reviewfromhere.com/ - June 29 review
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/ - June 29 review; giveaway
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/ - review, giveaway, and Q&A
http://reesspace.blogspot.com - review and giveaway
http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/ - June 29 review, giveaway, and possible Q&A
http://horrorandfantasybookreview.blogspot.com - June 29 review and giveaway
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset - review



CONTEST DETAILS:

To enter, just let me know that you want the book.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to become a follower and mention this in your comment. If you're a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
3. For an extra entry, become a subscriber and mention this in your comment. If you're a subscriber, let me know and you'll get the extra entry.
4. For an extra entry, follow me on twitter (startingfreshny) and let me know that you do.
5. For an extra entry, blog about this contest and post the link.
6. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to U.S. and Canada. No P.O. boxes. The contest begins on June 28 and ends on midnight of Tuesday, July 14, 2009.


Thank you, Anna and Hatchette Books Group!

New Audiobook Giveaway: How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell



Through Anna at Hatchette Books Group, we are holding a giveaway of the audio book of How Successful People Think by John C. Maxwell. Thank you so much, Anna and Hatchette Books for your generosity!

The perfect, compact listen for today's fast-paced world, How Successful People Think (derived from Maxwell's previous book, Thinking for a Change) will teach listeners the 11 secrets successful people know. Arranged in an easy-to-follow format, America's leadership expert, John C. Maxwell, will teach listeners how to expand their thinking and achieve their dreams

We are also conducting a giveaway of the book version of How Successful People Think which ends on June 30, 2009.

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, please name someone who you personally consider to be successful and tell us why. Or share your favorite Michael Jackson song, album, or music video.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, follow me on twitter (startingfreshny) and let me know that you do.
5. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
6. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at midnight of Sunday July 19, 2009. July 31, 2009.

Note: Due to the delay in the book review, I've extended the deadline of the giveaway to allow readers of the review to enter the contest.

Thank you, Hatchette Books Group for this giveaway!

Celebrate Thrillerfest with an Audiobook giveaway of The Juror by George Dawes Green



Thanks to Anna at Hatchette Book Group, we are giving away audiobooks of The Juror by George Dawes Green read by Lolita Davidovich and John Heard.

Annie Laird is Juror 224. A good citizen who has been summoned to what looks like a routine tour of civic duty. But the trial she is called to serve on is a mob trial, whose outcome has been meticulously orchestrated by a man of insidious power and deadly precision. THE JUROR is a tour de force of crime and obsession, evil and innocence -- a story that taps into fears so primal they linger long after the last page has been read.

Available in CD and Digital Download formats.
Listen to an excerpt.


CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, please name your favorite legal thriller whether book or play or movie.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, follow me on twitter (startingfreshny) and let me know that you do.
5. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
6. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at midnight of Sunday July 19, 2009. July 31, 2009.
Note: Due to the delay in the book review, I've extended the deadline of the giveaway to allow readers of the review to enter the contest.

A huge thank you to Anna and Hatchette Book Group!

Celebrate ThrillerFest with an Audiobook giveaway of Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Deception


Thanks to Anna and Hatchette Books Group, we're having an audio book giveaway of ROBERT LUDLUM’S™ THE BOURNE DECEPTION by Robert Ludlum and Eric Van Lustbader, read by Jeremy Davidson. Thank you so much, Anna and Hatchette Books Group!

A quick blurb:
After Bourne is ambushed and nearly killed while in Indonesia, he fakes his death to take on a new identity and mission- to find out who is trying to assassinate him. Across the globe, an American passenger airliner is shot down over Egypt. A massive global team lead by Soraya Moore is assembled to investigate the attack. When Bourne's search for his would-be assassin intersects with Soraya's search for the group behind the airplane bombing, Bourne is thrust into a race to prevent a new world war. But it may already be too late.

Listen to an excerpt.
Visit Eric Van Lustbader’s website at www.ericvanlustbader.com

CONTEST DETAILS

To enter, either tell us about a favorite hero or anti hero from a book or movie.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader or blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, follow me on twitter (startingfreshny) and let me know that you do.
5. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
6. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at midnight of Sunday July 19, 2009. July 31, 2009.

Note: Due to the delay in the book review, I've extended the deadline of the giveaway to allow readers of the review to enter the contest.

The Friday 56: Week 6










Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions
on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*
Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends here or at http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


Here's mine:

The legging were tight and their thick rough cloth scratched Seikei's legs. As he walked gingerly about, Bunzo grinned. "Merchant's son, aren't you?" "How can you tell?" said Seikei. "You're used to soft clothes. That's what merchants wear. They get rich by selling at high prices, cheating people."

-The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

Friday, June 26, 2009

Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales available in July



Just a quick mention of the July release of Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales, an audio book with 23 folktales read by an outstanding group of performers: Alan Rickman, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Forrest Whitaker, Helen Mirren, Samuel L. Jackson, DebraMessing and Hugh Jackman are just a few of the participants. The audio book is a project of Artists for a New South Africa and Hatchette Books Group. The proceeds from the book will be used to benefit children who have been orphaned by HIV and AIDS in South Africa.

To learn more about the audio book, listen to excerpts, and to order a copy for yourself, visit Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales website at
http://mandelasfavoritefolktales.com/

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Michael Jackson

"For my generation, the greatest moonwalk had nothing to do with NASA."
-Yancey, comment on NY Times June 25, 2009

Like everyone around me, I thought he was brilliant. I remember waiting to catch the release of each of his early MTVs. I grew up with his music and always wished that I could have told him how much I believed in him and how much happiness he brought to the world. I am so sad that all the sensationalist press and mean comments might have kept him from knowing how loved he really was.

As a show of love and respect for Michael Jackson, his genius, and his kind soul, my site will temporarily switch from white to black.




Book Review: I HATE PEOPLE: Kick Loose from Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41aW%2BuSkVVL._SL160_.jpg

Review of I HATE PEOPLE! Kick Loose from Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job by Jonathan Littman & Marc Hershon

Synopsis:
Designed for navigating pitfalls and stop signs in the workplace, I HATE PEOPLE! helps you identify the top drains on your time and resources and teaches office jujitsu tactics to help wrest back your time.

Divided into four parts, the book first identifies and classifies each of The Ten Least Wanted who pose the greatest threat to getting your work done in the office. Without going into a full discussion of The Ten Least Wanted, here they are:

  • Stop Sign (like the Kodak executive who predicted digital cameras had no future)
  • Flimflam ("expert at identifying people to do her bidding")
  • Bulldozer ("wrong decision is better than indecision")
  • Smiley Face (think Batman's Joker - constantly smiling with something up his sleeve)
  • Liar Liar
  • Switchblade (Judas)
  • Minute Man ("Do you have a minute, I just have one thing...")
  • Know-It-None (full of facts, but most of which are useless or wrong)
  • Spreadsheet (Obsessive micromanager)
  • Sheeple (avoids making decisions)

The second part of the book introduces the concept of Flying Solo. If you enjoy your work but not distractions from people around you, then your best solution would be to become a successful Soloist. As a soloist, on your best days, you are someone who works effectively with small groups and on your own. By sharing the stories and techniques of successful soloists from a broad range of industries and companies, the book develops a clear picture of how a soloist works.

The last half of the book deals with the work environment. The third section, Office Life, incorporates The Ten Least Wanted with the constraints and demands of office life, such as constant interruptions, disruptions, unreasonable expectations and demands, and excessive rules and red tape. While the last section, Spaces and Places, discusses the need to carve out your own "personal cave" - whether you work in a bull pen, a cubicle, office with a door, or occasionally from home.

Review:
The advice and strategies are interspersed with enough anecdotes from successful soloists to make I HATE PEOPLE! both helpful and interesting read. I'll spare you the comments about how I would have loved to read this while working at Big Law or any similarly predictable remarks. I do think the book's strength is that it helps identify the difficult people and situations that we absorb, acquiesce and live out on a regular basis. I look forward to trying out several of the suggested strategies, such as being more sensitive to and wary of the Switchblades around and trying a "hard stop" with my Minute Man.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who feels frustrated in the office and is looking for ways to eke out more time and autonomy.


Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (June 10, 2009), 272 pages.
Courtesy of Hatchette Book Group.

The book giveaway for I HATE PEOPLE continues until June 3o!

Many thanks, Valerie and Hatchette Book Group for this opportunity!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Two weeks until THRILLERFEST!

ThrillerFest 2009

The International Thriller Writers Inc. is holding its fourth ThrillerFest in just two weeks. I'd first read about Thrillerfest on Wendy's Minding Spot and since I love detective novels, I did some digging of my own.

Here's the official press release:


THRILLERFEST 2009


RETURNS FOR ANOTHER BITE OF THE BIG APPLE July 8 - 11 The Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City Open to all Thriller fans, Thriller authors, and would-be Thriller authors. ThrillerFest is the premier thriller event of the year! Featuring the world's most popular authors of fiction's blockbuster genre. Over 150 of the best loved and best selling authors will be in New York City to mix and mingle with fans during this unprecedented event.

In recognition of his legendary career, David Morrell will receive the ThrillerMaster 2009 Award at the gala banquet on July 11. Presenting the award to him will be ThrillerMaster 2008 Sandra Brown.
Awards will be presented for Best Novel and Best First Novel.

ThrillerFest includes a multitude of author panels, signings, a complete bookstore on premises, and a reader's reception. Meet attending thriller writers Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, M. Diane Vogt, Joe Moore, M.J. Rose, Barry Eisler, Steve Berry, David Hewson, Jim Rollins, Christine Kling , D.P. Lyle, Shane Gericke, Kathleen Antrim, Christine Goff, Jon Land, Shirley Kennett, and many more.


Registration for ThrillerFest, CraftFest and AgentFest is open to everyone with fabulous money-saving packages.


Opening ThrillerFest Reader's Evening Reception-July 9

ThrillerFest-July 10-11

CraftFest--July 8-9

AgentFest-July 9


The event will culminate Saturday night, July 11, at the Thriller Awards Banquet at 7:00 p.m. Day passes are available for July 10 and July 11.
Complete details and date/rate schedule can be found at www.thrillerfest.org.

ThrillerFest 2009. July 8-11 Grand Hyatt Hotel New York City
www.thrillerwriters.org, www.thrillerfest.org

Online registration is available until Tuesday, July 7. ThrillerFest video is posted on YouTube, you can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il4f2UlN8pM.

Though not directly related, I always associate the word thriller with that old Michael Jackson video. In case you would like to see it again too, here's Michael Jackson's original Thriller MTV.

Listen to Alec Baldwin while hanging out on the Great Lawn

Just in time for summer, as you explore Central Park you use your cell phone to hear more about your favorite spots. I just read about the Central Park Conservatory's newest project in the today's NY Times and immediately tested the Jerry Seinfeld recording for my favorite spot, the Mall.

Now we can all listen to Jerry Seinfeld talk about the Mall, Julia Louis-Dreyfus while on the Bow Bridge, Alec Baldwin on the Great Lawn, Sarah Jessica Parker at the Pond, and Candace Bergen while visiting the Conservatory Garden. Perhaps you'd prefer to hear about Strawberry Fields from Yoko Ono?

Just dial 646-862-0997, and select your extension from this list:

Extension/Location: Narrator
  • 1/Alice in Wonderland: Whoopi Goldberg
  • 2/Arsenal: Commissioner Adrian Benepe
  • 3/Balto: John Stossel
  • 4/Belvedere Castle: Lee Goldberg
  • 5/Bethesda Fountain: George C. Wolfe
  • 6/Bow Bridge: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
  • 7/Carousel: Kelly Ripa
  • 8/Cherry Hill: Nonworking
  • 9/Chess & Checkers Mandy Patinkin
  • 10/Children’s Glade Kelly Ripa
  • 11/Conservatory Garden Candice Bergen
  • 12/Conservatory Water Glenn Close
  • 13/The Dairy: Danny Meyer
  • 14/Delacorte Theater: Anne Hathaway
  • 15/Grand Army Plaza: Regis Philbin
  • 16/Great Lawn: Alec Baldwin
  • 17/Harlem Meer S. Epatha Merkerson
  • 18/Heckscher Ballfields: Scott Clark
  • 19/Ladies’ Pavilion: Tea Leoni
  • 20/The Lake: Penn Jillette
  • 21/Loeb Boathouse: Meredith Vieira
  • 22/The Mall: Jerry Seinfeld
  • 23/Minton Tile Ceiling: Sigourney Weaver
  • 24/Naumburg Bandshell: Paul Shaffer
  • 25/North Meadow: Jimmy Fallon
  • 26/Obelisk: Philippe de Montebello
  • 27/The Pond: Sarah Jessica Parker
  • 28/The Pool: Susan Lucci
  • 29/The Ramble: Isabella Rossellini
  • 30/The Ravine: David Copperfield
  • 31/Reservoir: Kevin Bacon
  • 32/Arthur Ross Pinetum: Martha Stewart
  • 33/Rumsey Playfield : Neil Patrick Harris
  • 34/Shakespeare Garden: Marcia Gay Harden
  • 35/Sheep Meadow: Matthew Broderick
  • 36/Strawberry Fields: Yoko Ono
  • 37/Tennis Courts: John McEnroe
  • 38/Tree Care: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
  • 39/Turtle Pond: Jason Alexander
  • 40/Wollman Rink: Whoopi Goldberg
  • 41–47/Park Entrances: Doug Blonsky
Here's a glimpse of and the link to the NY Times article on Celebrity cellphone tours of Central Park

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/celebrities-offer-tour-of-central-park-by-cellphone/


City Room: Celebrities Offer Tour of Central Park, by Cellphone
Published: June 24, 2009
Now hear this: Guided tours are available from some famous people of Central Park's highlights -- from Wollman Rink to the Alice in Wonderland statue -- all via cellphone.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Book Review: Good Things by Mia King

good-things-book-cover

Review of Good Things by Mia King

Synopsis:
At 40, single and the host of
Live Simple and Seattle's Martha Stewart, Deidre McIntosh is living the good life - until she's not. Suddenly, as a younger, thinner, and blonder and wealthier Marla launches a competing show Deirdre's life comes apart. Deirdre's show is cancelled. And as she's mourning with a pint of icecream, she's evicted from her beautiful apartment.

It's a stroke of luck leads her to meet Kevin. After a chance encounter, he offers her the use of his cabin by Lake Wish. Surprising herself, Deirdre accepts Kevin's offer. As she spends time in Lake Wish and living simply, Deirdre slowly regains confidence and starts building her life again. And as she does so, she comes across love.

Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed Good Things! The tone and style was reminiscent of Watermelon by Marian Keyes. Like Watermelon, I had found Good Things serendipitously and found myself chuckling and unwilling to put it down.

Deirdre is a sympathetic character and I found myself hoping that things would work out for her, silently cheering with each small victory. Kevin is an ideal romantic lead, too. I thought it great fun go through each of the small hurdles that came their way.

I'd rate Good Things 4.5 out of 5 and would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, romantic read! It'd be great on the beach, at the park, or just lazing around at home.

Publisher: Berkley Trade (February 6, 2007), 352 pages.
Courtesy of the Brooklyn Public Library.


Mia King is holding a contest for Table Manners, the sequel to Good Things and a copy of Good Things on her website. To learn more about the contest, Mia King and her other books, visit
Mia's website
.

Book Review: The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos


Review of
The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos

Synopsis:
The book opens with glimpse at a crime scene in a community garden in Washington D.C. in 1985 where Pelecanos introduces three key detectives. T.C. Cook, a sergeant with 24 years on the force, known as "The Mission Man" with a 90% closure rate. Dan Holiday, known as Doc, is tall, thin, and is results oriented but with little respect for the rules. Gus Ramone, like Doc Holiday is on his second year at Metro DC police force, but he prefers to follow the playbook, stay safe, put in his time and move on. Holiday and Ramone are handling crowd control. T.C. Cook is examining the crime scene surrounding Eve Drake, a young black teenager and the third and latest victim of the "Night Gardener". There is considerable pressure to solve and catch the culprit of the "Palindrome Murders".

Pelecanos then takes the readers to Washington D.C. in 2005. Doc Holiday has been eased out of the police force and instead owns and manages a limo company while Ramone has remained on the force and risen up. As a senior detective, Ramone plays on his strengths to close cases and liberally relies on the skills of those around him. His life centers on his wife and their young daughter and their fourteen year old son who is undergoing some adjustment problems in his new Maryland school.

With Holiday's accidental discovery of another teenage corpse in a community garden in the Southeast D.C. area twenty years later, Holiday and Ramone's paths intersect. Ramone's teenage son had been friends with Asa Johnson, the victim, and Ramone takes an interest in the case.

The Palindrome Murders had suddenly ceased in 1985 but the Night Gardener had never been caught. Holiday suspects that the Night Gardener may have become active again and that Asa was his latest victim. Though he'd left the police force years ago, Holiday finds himself thinking about Asa Johnson and the Palindrome Murders and doesn't trust that Ramone and the detectives will solve the case. Holiday reaches out to retired T.C. Cook to see if together they can help the police locate the killer.

Review:
George Pelecanos has built a strong reputation for authentic dialogue and interesting characters through fifteen Washington D.C. based detective novels and his Emmy-nominated show The Wire.
The Night Gardener is my first experience with his work and I can see how he's developed a strong and loyal fan base.

The Night Gardener is carefully crafted and comes together smoothly. While the three main detectives and Asa Johnson's murder is the primary storyline, there are several other narratives and crimes that occur simultaneously. Even the subordinate plot lines and characters are well developed, which heightens the level of suspense. I couldn't tell until the ending how everything would fit together. But when I reached the end, then the details that were floating around in the periphery somehow made sense and I realized how The Night Gardener was so carefully crafted.

I would recommend this book to people fond of forensic and police thrillers, and detective novels. I think it would have special appeal to those familiar with the Washington D.C. area.

Publisher: Back Bay Books (June 10, 2009), 400 pages.
Courtesy of Hatchette Books.


Learn about George Pelecanos and view excerpts from The Night Gardener or his upcoming book, The Way Home, on the George Pelecanos website.


George Pelecanos Giveaway ends on June 30. Here's the link:
http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/2009/06/giveaway-night-gardener-by-george.html

Thank you so much for this opportunity, Valerie and Hatchette Books!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Bloggiesta - Final Summary

blogiestaToo ambitious yet again! Here's my final post for the Bloggiesta festival conceptualized and executed by Natasha at Maw Books Blog.

Here's a quick summary of my Bloggiesta stats:
  • spent 14 hours (that I counted) on Bloggiesta
  • commented on and visited 28 blogs, though about only 18 were new to me
  • completed and posted 1 review
  • completed for future use 1 review , 5 giveaways, 1 list post
  • prepared templates for 2 reviews
  • have read up on and prepared for my upcoming author interview this Wednesday.
Perhaps I shouldn't have prepared such a comprehensive to do list. The items that remain to be done are overwhelming and a bit of a downer. I won't list them here! Hopefully, my exhaustive to do list will serve me well as I work at improving my blog....


Mini-Challenges completed
  • created gravatar --> mini challenge by Trish @ Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?'s
  • visited and commented at over 10 new blogs --> mini challenge by Jill @ Fizzy Thoughts
  • prepared and saved a list post --> mini challenge by Beth @ Beth Fish Reads
  • set up google alerts --> mini challenge by Emily @ Emily's Reading Room
  • registered with 2 more blog directories --> mini challenge by Lynn @ Chronicles of an Infant Bibliophile
  • created an About Me section and updated my most viewed posts --> mini challenge by Jenn @ Devourer of Books
  • have improved my anchoring habits --> mini challenge by Michelle @ Galleysmith
  • read 6 articles suggested and identified some habits to break and some to grow --> mini challenge by Andrea @ Book Blather
  • underwent the Website Grader review and report and created mega tags --> mini challenge by Ruth @ Bookish Ruth
  • cleaned up my feedreader and installed greasemonkey (but couldn't install the second item) on Firefox. I usually use Safari though --> mini challenge by Rebecca @ Book Lady's blog
I enjoyed the sense that so much can be accomplished in these few days. I loved visiting the other participants' blogs and seeing their blogs, reading what they'd like to accomplish and their posts. It helped me to see other items to improve, add and delete from my blog. It was also good to be more sociable and reach out to other bloggers and to get a few new visitors/commenters on Starting Fresh.

I also loved all the generous tips and suggestions from Natasha @ Maw Books Blog, from the hosts of the mini challenges, and from the articles and posts that the hosts would steer us towards. These will be a huge help in the future, so I've marked these posts for future reference.

A huge thank you to Natasha at Maw Books Blog,
Rebecca at The Book Lady’s Blog, Beth from Beth Fish Reads, Jill at Fizzy Thoughts, Emily from Emily’s Reading Room, Deborah from Books, Movies, and Chinese Food, Lynn from Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile, Jen from Devourer of Books, Amy from My Friend Amy, Trish from Hey Lady! Watcha Readin’?, Michelle from GalleySmith, Andrea from Book Blather and Ruth from Bookish Ruth for giving so generously of your time, energy, and expertise!