Tanzey Talk
November 2003
If you want to contact me directly through this column's site, please be sure to click on my personal link - Contact Tanzey - and not the store's link. For those of you who don't know, I do not work from the store. In fact, I live in Kansas and the store is located in Illinois. Thanks for your interest!
 The recent RT convention was quite a bash with lots of
interaction between authors, readers, booksellers and publishing personnel. The
hotel and its convention center were wonderful, with comfy beds, easily
navigated venues and a three-story shopping center attached. The weather was
warm, the fall colors beautiful. At the Thursday luncheon, it was a lovely
presentation when Cheryl received her
Bookseller of the Year Award. Then all 65 of the booksellers in attendance were
recognized with special #1 Bookseller pins, huge goody bags and asked to come on stage as their
names were read. A group photo was taken afterward. What a nice tribute to
these hardworking people!
Then I was
surprised and delighted when another favorite friend of mine, Cissy Hartley,
founder of www.writerspace.com, was awarded RT’s Melinda Helfer Fairy
Godmother Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Romance Genre at the Friday
luncheon. She is so deserving of this prestigious award. And I am very proud to
be associated with both Cissy and Cheryl.
I’ve got some
more tantalizing personal reading to recommend. First on the list is the debut
novel by Shari Shattuck - Loaded (Pocket, 8/03). Several
of our readers have told me about how much they enjoyed this book, so I had to
see for myself. Yes, it’s a great one! Since it’s the start of a new series
featuring the sexy, filthy rich Cally Wilde, we can look forward to more
adventures with this self-deprecating, witty heroine. Secondary characters are
vibrant and interesting, as is Cally’s hero, the equally sexy LAPD detective
Evan Paley - truly a guy to die for!
I’ve already
told you about the double-edition hardcover by Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb,
titled Remember When (Putnam, 9/03), so you know I was going to
read it. Well, it’s a totally fantastic reading experience! Nora says "the
project was a huge challenge," but she’s done a brilliant job with this writing
concept. The blending of a present-day romance with a futuristic (2059)
suspense involving con men, jewel thieves, Eve Dallas and Roarke is a classic.
You seriously need to consider buying this one for your keeper shelf.
Speaking of J.D.
Robb, a transition to hardcover occurs with the next installment in her Eve
Dallas saga - Divided in Death - set to go on sale January 26,
2004. You should also note that the first three books of this bestselling
series will be reissued in hardcover editions with new cover art starting with Naked
in Death (3/04), Glory in Death (6/04) and Immortal
in Death (11/04). However, I know some readers (me included!) who will
not replace those original seven paperback books that have the shadowy "blue
lady" covers. Real collector’s items.
More about
this author’s latest work can be found in a special text box on page 8
featuring Lory’s reviews of Nora Roberts’ new paranormal Keys trilogy.
I’m running both reviews this month since the first book, Key of Light,
goes on sale October 28, while the second book, Key of Knowledge,
is set for sale November 25. The review for the final book, Key of Valor,
will appear in the January issue, since it’s scheduled for release on January
6, 2004. Take it from me and Lory, you do not want to miss these books!
I know you’re
wondering if I’ll ever finish telling you about Nora, but hey, this lady is phenomenal.
Just as I was finishing this newsletter, I received a copy of The
Official Nora Roberts Companion. This is a trade-size paperback edition
from Berkley that went on sale in October for the cover price of $16. After
glancing through it, I have to say, if you’re a fan, you will definitely want
this book. It contains a time-line of Nora’s career, with snapshot photos, as
well as a complete, cross-referenced list of her books with trivia, quotes and
family tree. It also has stories from fans about how her books have changed
their lives. Nora has written the introduction and relates the inspirations for
some of her most popular novels. Julie Garwood provides the foreword,
and it’s edited by Denise Little and Laura Hayden. I can’t wait
to read this in-depth.
I finally got
the chance to read The Sinner by
Tess Gerritsen - another book highly recommended by other readers,
especially by Lenore Howard. Well, it’s everything everyone said it would be,
and more. This follow-up to her bestselling The Surgeon and The
Apprentice is just as
mind-blowing, gritty and suspenseful as they are. Once I started, I did not
want to put it down. And the evolution and growth of the ongoing characters in
each successive book makes the reading experience even more enjoyable. I’m
hoping there’ll be another installment.
Madeline
Hunter has agreed to write four more historical romances for Bantam, and
she’s hard at work on the next one. It’s also connected to the series she’s
just completed - The Seducer (10/03), The Saint (11/03),
The Charmer (12/03) and The Sinner (1/04). However,
the next three after this one are currently unplanned. Madeline says she’s
delighted to be continuing her relationship with Bantam and her editor.
In February
2004, the first three books in Catherine Spangler’s award-winning
futuristic Shielder series - Shielder, Shadowerand Shamara - will be
reissued to coincide with the release of the fifth book in this saga - Shadow
Fires. The fourth installment- Shadow Crossing - is still
available. If you haven’t read these spellbinding books, February will be a
great time to acquire all five and read them in sequence.
Next month
(December), Maggie Price returns with a new Silhouette Intimate Moments
- Sure Bet - the first story of a new trilogy in the Line of Fire
miniseries. Her stories center on the McCall sisters, with book #2 - Hidden
Agenda - coming in January, and book #3 - The Cradle Will Fall set for February. Of course, Maggie will be
writing about what she knows best - cops and law enforcement. I can’t wait to
read them!
For those of
you anxiously awaiting the next Deirdre Martin story about those hunky
hockey players (following her debut of Body Check), I can tell
you I just got the ARC for her February book, Fair Play. The
cover blurb is very enticing: beautiful, brainy girl from a large Italian
family never dates Italians, guys from her old neighborhood or professional
athletes; popular hometown hero and winger for the Stanley Cup hockey champs is
all three of these, and totally crazy about her. Convincing her that he’s the
one for her will take all the savvy, guts and patience he can muster. Sounds
like another winner! Watch for the review in February.
November is
the month when we give thanks for all the wonderful things in our lives. I
am most especially appreciative of all
the people I interact with in this industry who make this endeavor such a joy.
And again be sure to scroll down for some of our readers’ comments.
Stay tuned . . .
Tanzey Cutter
Editor of the Old Book Barn Gazette
Anne Grieveson, England: I have a few comments about my current
reading. Catch the Moon by Diana Dempsey was
excellent, as was Loaded by Shari Shattuck, another
name to add to my growing list of favorites. I also loved Whispers and
Lies by Joy Fielding. She has the knack of creating
suspense from the most innocent situations.
Stephanie Chase, Alaska: I have to say, Linda Lael Miller’s Don’t
Look Now was a disappointment. The heroine, supposedly a savvy lawyer,
took nearly 300 pages to discover something a reader could have told her on
page one, and although the sex was good, the story was just a bit contrived in
my opinion. Conversely, Off Limits by Michele Albert and Out
of Sight by Cherry Adair were great entertainment, and the
latest by Karen Robards, Beachcomber, is one of her
best. Another hardcover, I’m afraid, but I think she’s worth it.
Author Bonnie Hearn Hill: Thanks for the mention in your [March 2003]
newsletter. In response to your reader from England, my novel Intern
will be out in paperback in January, followed by the hardcover release of Killer
Body (also from MIRA). Thanks again.
Reviewer Lenore Howard: Tanzey, I saw in your column that you’re
planning to read the new Tess Gerritsen [The Sinner]. I
just got it and devoured it over the weekend. It’s another winner, as far as
I’m concerned, although pretty grim. I really love her female characters -
they’re tough and yet have a certain vulnerability that makes them human. I
didn’t want the book to end!
Author Pamela Clare: Tanzey - Thanks so much for your column [on
Writerspace] and everything you do to support romantic fiction. I just
discovered the comments by reviewer Suzanne Tucker about my debut novel, Sweet
Release, and I want to thank her.
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