The Book Review Club (September 2014)

Summer is over. And September is here. Trivia you may not have known about September: Neptune was discovered on Sept. 23, 1846. The first comic strip was published in a US paper on Sept. 11, 1875. The First Continental Congress began Sept. 5, 1874.*  AND our first-Wednesday-of-the-month online book review club has returned from its summer hiatus.  Welcome! Weirdly, this month is heavy on reviews of adult fiction. Who knew?
(*creators.com/health/answer-man-andy-seamans/september-trivia.html)

DEATH IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES (adult, mystery)
 by Kathy Aarons

Kathy Aarons is the pen name for my very talented critique partner, Kathy Krevat. Our critique group, Denny's Chicks, has been together several years (8??), during which time we've managed to remain youthful and beautiful. (cough, cough). Here's a link to Kathy's first post on this blog. 

Something incredibly special happens when a critique partner publishes, especially when she publishes her very entertaining debut cozy mystery. The critique group puffs up with pride. We remember when this book was just a teeny, tiny germ of an idea. We reminisce over all the changes in the various revisions. We laugh about who disagreed with whom over what. We even tear up.

DEATH IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES in a nutshell: Two best friends, Michelle and Erica, own a chocolate shop + bookstore (Chocolates and Chapters) in fictional West Riverdale, Maryland. The town photographer is murdered in their store, poisoned by one of Michelle's truffles. The women must work together to clear Michelle's name.  

What I loved: 1. the humor: In real life, Kathy is laugh-your-head-off funny. It totally translates to the page. 2. the twists and turns: I can't tell you what they are; that would ruin it! Let's just say, Kathy thinks outside the box. Waaay outside. Sometimes it's scary. 3. the details: Kathy did a bunch of research to make sure she got the facts straight. For example, she actually went to Maryland. She interviewed the police there. And she spent an inordinate amount of time at Dallmann Fine Chocolates. 4. It's the first book in a series: And I already know EVERYTHING about book #2. Ha!

I'm not the only one who recommends this book. Mysterious Galaxy, a wonderful local indie bookstore, chose DEATH IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES for their Fabulous Firsts book club, saying, "This fast-paced, entertaining read demonstrates all sides of small town life, and introduces a cast of characters with complicated, messy, interwoven lives. I found every page compulsively readable and couldn't put it down until the final stunning conclusion."

You want to meet Kathy in real life? You're in luck if you live anywhere near San Diego! She's got a signing at Mysterious Galaxy at 4pm on Saturday, September 6. Yes, there will be chocolates.

 And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Stacy Nyikos: ANNA WAS HERE by Jane Kurtz (middle grade)

Linda McLaughlin: LAUNCH WINDOWS by Debra Caldwyl (YA, romance)



ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Alyssa Goodnight: THE OUTSMARTING OF CRIMINALS by Steven Rigolosi (cozy mystery)

Ellen Booraem: EUPHORIA by Lily King

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: THE SENSE OF DARKNESS by Cinzia De Santis

Patti Abbott:  BIG LITTLE LIES by Liane Moriarty (women's fiction)

Stacy of the Cat's Meow: FROG MUSIC by Emma Donoghue (historical)



NONFICTION REVIEW

Sarah Laurence: HOW TO SPEAK BRIT by Christopher J. Moore


Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

My Town Monday: Living the LIfe of Riley in San Diego

Cats, playing at the San Diego Civic Theater (photo credit: http://www.mamarazziknowsbest.com)

Late yesterday afternoon, Kathy Krevat, one of my writing critique partners phoned with an extra ticket for the play Cats.

As I'm not usually given to bouts of spontaneity, the Summy family was surprised that I agreed to go. But am I ever glad I did!

Kathy has special, high-falutin' President's Club tickets for the San Diego Civic Theater!


Here Kathy and I are entering the theatre through the special President's Club door. This leads to our close-to-the-stage seats. (I don't think my Droid camera likes the rain; hence the blurry photo)

Before the show, we ordered our complimentary drinks so that they'd be waiting for us at intermission.

Our drinks were indeed awaiting at a little table with Kathy's name.

I enjoyed Cats. Although definitely light in the plot area, I loved the singing and dancing and costumes. But, mostly, I loved hanging out with Kathy. On the spur of the moment.


Here's wishing you a very happy Monday. I'm this week's hostess. If you toss up a My Town Monday post, let me know here or on the official My Town Monday blog, and I'l link to you on both.

My Town Monday: Dana Point, CA

Welcome to this week's My Town Monday post!

Dana Point has a population of about 37,000 and is located on the coast in the OC, roughly halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles. It was named after Richard Henry Dana (1815-1882), a lawyer, a seaman and an author. Mr. Dana wrote the first book about California in English. The book was published in 1840 and was titled TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. Mr. Dana described Dana Point (then called Capistrano Bay) as "the most romantic spot on the California coast."

Here are a few more interesting tidbits about Dana Point:
-It's a great whale-watching place. Depending on the time of year, you can see gray whales or blue whales.
-It's a great spot for surfing.
-The historic area, called Lantern Village, has many streets named after different colored lanterns (Blue Lantern, Amber Lantern, you get the idea). A couple of hundred years ago, ships used colored lanterns to guide traders safely into Dana Point's harbor.

You might be wondering what I was doing in Dana Point. It was my writing critique group's (Denny's Chicks--so named because we often meet at Denny's) getaway weekend!!


Here we are hard at work!

Stacey Goldblatt! Not only is Stacey an amazing writer, but she's also a very talented baker...of desserts. We encourage her in both pursuits. P.S. Stacey is the author if two Young Adult novels: STRAY and GIRL TO THE CORE (both published by Delacorte Press/Random House).

Kathy Krevat! Kathy wins for Most Words Produced This Weekend! Congrats to Kathy and her twinkle fingers.


Kelly Hayes! Kelly brought very delicious homemade soup. Very delicious. She also prepares mouth-watering appetizers. And she has a good sense of direction.


Me in my pink, fuzzy writing socks. (Kathy also has a cute pair.)

Here's what awaited me when I arrived home. That Child #4...so thoughtful!

Here we (me, Kelly, Stacey, Kathy) are in our natural habitat (at Denny's)! Just for fun, can you name the ONLY Denny's Chick who eats red meat?


Oh, oh, oh! If you haven't had a chance to check out the book trailer for I SO DON'T DO FAMOUS, here's a link. I'm really proud of it.

Please click here for links to more My Town Monday posts. Have a great day!



sources:
http://www.ocexecutives.com/Cities/danapointrealestate.html
http://www.danapointtimes.com/view/full_story/7059770/article-Once-Upon-This-Coast
http://www.danapointharbor.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Point,_California

Denny's Chicks or My Writing Critique Group

This past weekend was the Denny's Chicks' Annual Potluck Holiday Party. What? you say. Isn't it January? Yes, yes, but we were all so busy during December that we put off our get-together until the new year.

The Denny's Chicks' Annual Potlock Holiday Party is the one time of year when we force our husbands to hang out with all of us at the same time. We drag them out for an evening of good food, good drink, good conversation (of course!) with four talented and cute authors (that's us!).

Interestingly enough, over the years, the husbands have gotten chattier and chattier. For the first time ever, the party went past midnight!

By the end of the evening, the Denny's Chicks chose the saying on Mr. Summy's t-shirt as our theme!


Here's a very blurry photo of the Denny's Chicks. Left to right, it's me, Kathy Krevat, Stacey Goldblatt, Kelly Hayes. Stacey, author of the YA novels STRAY and GIRL TO THE CORE (published by Delacorte Press/Random House), joined us in September. We love her to death! (Despite her scary, feral eyes! Kidding.)

If you've been following this blog, you may have a question about Denny's Chick Sandy Levin. Sandy is setting fiction writing aside to pursue other creative outlets, such as gorgeous work with glass. She was busy on the weekend, but was, of course, invited to the party. Because once a Denny's Chick, always a Dennys Chick! (Photo credit: Mr. Summy took this with my blackberry, following two cans of orange crush.)

Here's a photo of Stacey with normal eyes. This is the first time we met--at the San Diego Book Awards where her book, GIRL TO THE CORE, won an award!!!

Disclaimer: Our critique group actually meets at Panera's now, not Denny's.

Kathy, thank you for hosting the holiday party!

I'm wondering if we should start having a mid-year party...

The Book Review Club (November 2010)

Please give a warm welcome to my critique partner, the wonderful and talented Kathy Krevat. Kathy stopped by to post about one of her favorite adult mystery authors. Thank you, Kathy! Oh, and in case you were counting on your fingers and toes....this is our TWENTY-THIRD meeting! Yowser!

DATING DEAD MEN by Harley Jane Kozak

Were you ever sad when a book was over? All Harley Jane Kozak’s books starring Wollie Shelley made me wish I had more of Wollie’s antics to read.

If you’ve never read Harley’s books, you’re in for a treat. And you have four books to enjoy!

In DATING DEAD MEN, Wollie is hilarious and immediately likeable as a struggling greeting card artist who takes part in some questionable dating research – 40 dates in 60 days -- to earn five thousand dollars to fund her store. Trying to impress the corporate honcho who can give Wolley what she wants most, to buy her own greeting card store, is almost impossible, especially when he hears the message her mentally ill brother leaves announcing a murder at his state mental hospital.

When Wollie drives to the hospital, she stumbles across a dead body and is kidnapped by a fake doctor, “Doc,” who drags her into a wacky mystery. Poor Wollie has to help solve the murder while avoiding the men trying to kill Doc, taking care of her paranoid schizophrenic brother, pleasing the secret shoppers who will verify that Wollie runs a quality store, and figuring out how to feed the pet ferret Doc left in her care.

Harley’s writing is wonderfully funny with entertaining details about L.A. and approaching 40 as a single woman. The secondary characters are even more colorful and just as fun as Wollie.

And when you finish DATING DEAD MEN, you have DATING IS MURDER, DEAD EX and A DATE YOU CAN'T REFUSE! Enjoy!

Thank you, Kathy! I loved DATING DEAD MEN and didn't realize there were so many more Wollie books. Speaking of more, please click through to the reviews below. You'll be glad you did!

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-do-well: DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney (middle grade)

Sarah Laurence: THE HUNGER GAMES, CATCHING FIRE and MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins with an interview with the trilogy's editor, Kate Egan!!!

Stacy Nyikos: GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray (young adult)

Keri Mikulski: PINNED by Alfred C. Martino (young adult)

Jody Feldman: FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Antony John (Young Adult)

ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Patti Abbott: THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett

Scott Parker: NAKED HEAT by Richard Castle (mystery)

Alyssa Goodnight of the Writers' Road Less Traveled: ROYAL BLOOD by Rhys Bowen (historical mystery)

Linda McLaughlin: HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON by Naomi Novik (fantasy)

Jenn Jilks of My Muskoka: CAROL 'A WOMAN'S WAY' by Kathy Ashby

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and RavingMINI SHOPAHOLIC by Sophie Kinsella

NONFICTION REVIEWS

Kathy Holmes: THE ACCIDENTAL BILLIONAIRES: THE FOUNDING OF FACEBOOK

GRAPHIC NOVEL

Staci of Life in the Thumb: THE EXILE: AN OUTLANDER GRAPHIC NOVEL by Diana Gabaldon



Note to Reviewers: Leave a comment if I missed you or made a mistake concerning your review. I'm pretty disorganized these days, so it wouldn't surprise me if I dropped the ball somewhere! I'll rectify the situation the second I get a chance.

ENJOY!

Why I love my critique partners

Why do I love my Denny's Chicks?

Do I love them because they're great writers and plotters and friends? Yes.

Do I love them because they're great at critiquing and finding all the holes and monstrosities in my work? Yes.

And gently, or not!, pointing out said holes and monstrosities? Yes.

And, of course, I love Kelly for her fantastic handmade birthday cards and the delicious little nibblies she bakes for our holiday get-together? And, of course, I love Kathy for always hosting said holiday get-together?


And I also love them because they buy me treats like this...



Oh, how I love my Marmite!

And here is a delightful Marmite website. Enjoy!

The Book Review Club (April Meeting)

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

It's the THIRD meeting of The Book Review Club. We are really getting good at this. Look at the coffee already percolating in the corner. And the cute little basket of assorted flavored creams. And another cute little basket filled with muffins. Not to mention all the very amazing book reviews we've written! (I divided them up by Children's, YA, Adult this month. Let me know what you think.) A HUGE thank-you to all our dedicated reviewers!

And who is this walking through the door? One of my very own critique partners? One of the Denny's Chicks? Yes, it's KATHY KREVAT. And she's saying something to me, "Go away and write I So Don't Do Makeup! I'm doing the book review this month."

Awww. Do I have the best critique partners or what? Last month, Kelly took the reins. And, now, Kathy. Yes, I do understand that I'm picking up the tab at Denny's. Grand slams all around! BTW, if I missed linking to anyone's review, it's totally my bad. Nothing to do with Kathy. Leave a comment and I'll fix you right up.

Take it away, Kathy....

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos is my favorite book of all time. I'm so in love with this book that I'm having a hard time writing a review that does it justice.

From the cover copy: A devoted city dweller, Cornelia Brown surprised no one more than herself when she was gripped by the sudden, inescapable desire to leave urban life behind and head for an idyllic suburb. Though she knows she and her beloved huband, Teo, have made the right move, she approaches her new life with trepidation and struggles to forge friendships in her new home.

De los Santos weaves together the lives of Cornelia, queen bee Piper, the enigmatic Lake and her gifted son Dev with an intricate plot that moves the reader toward the startling conclusion demonstrating the power of love, family and friendship.

I love de los Santos' writing styles. As an award winning poet, her prose is true artistry.

Here's an example from page 53: What I mean by the first day of fall is that day when you suddenly understand with your whole body that the season has changed. When the air feels snappier against your skin and the sky's blueness turns wistful, and the humming of insects shifts pitch, and you just know like you know your own name that summer is over.

I love the characters who are genuine and true as they feel their way through the various complexities of life. I immediately appreciated Cornelia's wit and humor. I came to understand and even like Piper, especially when she commits herself so whole-heartedly to her dying friend. We get to be in the point of view of Cornelia, Piper and Dev. De los Santos is amazingly accurate in the feelings and thoughts of a brilliant, thirteen-year-old boy finding his way in a new school, his first love, and solving a family mystery.

I read this book three times. And I cried at the ending all three times.

My husband bought me a signed first edition for my birthday. I'll treasure it forever.

And, now onto the intrepid Book Review Club reviewers! They've gone all out to bring you some interesting books. Please visit them one and all!

Oh...and sending speedy recovery wishes for her knee replacement surgery to our reviewer Ellen Booraem of Freelance Ne'er-Do-Well

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEWS

Beth Yarnall: AND TO THINK THAT I SAW IT ON MULBERRY STREET by Dr. Seuss 


YOUNG ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Thao of serene hours: I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE by Stephanie Kuehnert

Sarah Laurence: THE WILD GIRLS by Pat Murphy--includes author interview

Sarahlynn of Yeah, but Houdini didn't have these hips: THE DEBS by Susan McBride

Keri Mikulski: EVERMORE by Alyson Noel

Jody Feldman: JUST ONE WISH by Janette Rallison

Kathy Holmes: APRIL FOOL'S DAY (NANCY DREW AND THE CLUE CREW) by Carolyn Keene (Middle Grade)

Stacy Nyikos: THE SUMMERLANDS by Michael Chabon (Middle Grade)


ADULT BOOK REVIEWS

Scott Parker: DROOD by Dan Simmons

Patti Abbott: THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP by John Irving

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin of The Tainted Archive: HOMBRE by Elmore Leonard

San Diego Momma: LOVING FRANK by Nancy Horan

Kaye of The Road Goes Ever Ever On: THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk

Jenn Jilks: PLAIN TRUTH by Jodi Picoult

D.A. Riser of the Writing Greek: THE SEVENTH SCROLL by Wilbur Smith

Alyssa Goodnight: REVENGE OF THE SPELLMANS by Lisa Lutz

David Cranmer of The Education of a Pulp Writer: TALES FROM DEADWOOD:THE TROOPERS by Mike Jameson

Blue Violet's Book Blog: THE BROKEN PARACHUTE MAN by Robert Bolin

Introducing...Dennys' Chicks!

Hey, bloggy friends! The time has come for a melding of my online and offline life. I'm dying to introduce you to my three real-life critique partners: Kathy, Kelly and Sandy. That's them, in alpha order. And today Kathy's going to post here on the blog.

We call ourselves Dennys' Chicks because, uh, we meet at Dennys. Where we genteelly sip gulp gourmet mediocre coffee and carry on civilized literary discussions hack each others' manuscripts to death. (Don't worry; Kathy, Kelly and Sandy are used to my sense of humor!)

Actually, we have fun together. You'd love to hang with us. Ask our spouses. We hold an annual Christmas do and invite force our DHs to attend. (Can you tell I have just figured out the strike format??)

Anyway, without further ado, I'm handing over the blog to one of the Chicks. Take it away, KATHY! (Although I might do some LIGHT editing in this blue font.)

Hi! I’m Kathy Krevat, one of Barrie’s critique partners. Kelly, Sandy, Barrie and I have been working for a few years, meeting every other week at Denny’s. Why we originally chose Denny’s and why we’ve been relatively faithful (except for some illicit side trips to Panera’s), I don’t know. Perhaps because we live pretty much on the four corners of San Diego and Denny’s is right in the center, and we had the misguided idea that Denny’s would learn to make real coffee. And because our favorite waitress Holly always remembers how we like our veggie omelets (egg beaters, no oil used to cook the veggies or the eggs). (Note from Barrie: Can you say DRY omelet?)

We met at RWA-San Diego’s boot camp weekend where we successfully plotted out four books. Back then, Barrie was planning a chicklit about [censored], Kelly was writing a historical romance about a cross dresser, and my mystery was driving me crazy. [Okay, I didn’t really need to censor Barrie's chicklit – just trying to spice things up.]

We stayed up way too late that weekend, laughing at just about everything, and annoying our other boot camp partner, and began a friendship that has survived betrayal, divorce and rehab – sorry, that’s my Mom’s Night Out group.

With the welcome addition of Sandy (from my previous group), our critique group has survived something tough – telling each other the truth about how to improve our work. And through it all, we still believe that the publishing industry will one day recognize our genius.

We all knew that Barrie’s book, I So Don’t Do Mysteries, would make it. She has an amazing voice, beautifully timed humor, and a unique concept that kids will love. Add in her incredible work ethic and knowledge of the publishing industry and she couldn’t miss. (Note from Barrie: Kathy, the check is in the mail.)

And she’s just as charming, funny and downright likeable in person as she sounds in her blog. (Note from Barrie: It's a big check.)

I’m currently working on getting an agent for my first book, a humorous mystery called PTA Meetings Are Murder while writing the next two, Moms’ Night Out Was Murder and Stage Moms Are Murder. In PTA, recently-divorced Tiffany Luce must track down the murderer of the PTA president, while juggling three kids, rekindling a romance with her ex-husband, and producing a news segment, “Don’t Get Nailed By Your Contractor.” In Mom’s Night Out, Tiffany’s talented new hairdresser is suspected of murdering her fiancé and Tiffany must find the real killer before her highlights grow out. In Stage Moms, Tiffany learns that the Sunny Ridge Youth Theater is full of something more than theatrical drama kids, ruthless stage moms, and insincere tech people – someone is trying to stop the building of a new theater, and they’re willing to murder to make sure the show does not go on. (Note from Barrie: These mysteries are BRILLIANT!)

From my books, you can probably tell that I’m a mom. I have two wonderful daughters who are far more creative, brilliant, and daring than I ever was – they both have beautiful voices and act in musical theater productions, perform improvisational comedy, write books and scripts in their spare time, and are amazing sisters. My fantastic husband Lee (the girls get the brilliant and creative from him) supports all of my writing efforts, even buying a new house so I could have my own office instead of the dining room table. Okay, there were many other reasons, but that’s the one he tells people.

We are all SO excited about the release of I So Don’t Do Mysteries! (Note from Barrie: I couldn't have done it without these chicks!)

Thanks for having me on the blog, Barrie!

Anytime, Kathy! It's great getting to introduce you to the blogosphere. And, everybody, here's a link to Kathy's fantastic article Criminal Opportunities--Dramatic License.

Watch for posts from Kelly and Sandy!

Criminal Opportunities: Dramatic License by Kathy Krevat

Criminal Opportunities:
Dramatic License


By Kathy Krevat 



All the world’s a stage. And readers are fascinated by what happens behind the velvet curtain of the theater.

Researching children’s theater for my work-in-progress Stage Moms Are Murder was easy. With two teenage girls in many productions over the last few years, I had plenty of hands-on experience. I questioned professionals who have worked in children’s theater for many years, along with volunteer parents who dedicate lots of time and money to making sure the show goes on.
Being a mystery writer, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if any of the important players―the director, manager, fundraiser, board members, tech people―were targeted for murder. To tell the truth, it was difficult to find strong enough motivation for murder in a children’s theater group regardless of what people say about stage moms.
But adult theater seemed rife with possibilities. In my research, I learned that while fame and fortune is the goal for many actors, and the threat of losing it creates a strong motive for murder, plenty of people are in the business for other reasons―love of the art form, self-glorification, power, control over others, an exciting lifestyle―and the opportunities for criminal behavior abound.

Finding Focus

Research
The concept of theater is huge, giving authors a lot of rich material. Theater has existed since the dawn of man, from storytelling around the campfire through the passion plays of ancient Egypt, the theater of the ancient Greeks (who formalized theater as an art form), the theater of ancient China and India, the early Christian theater in Europe, the folk theater of minstrels, fairs, and festivals, Renaissance theater, Shakespeare, French classicism, Italian opera, the circus, avant-garde theater, puppet theater, today’s Broadway, and so much more. Many of these periods have been the setting of mysteries, such as Simon Hawke’s series about a young William Shakespeare and Edward Marston’s Elizabethan Theater Mysteries.
Contemporary theater is integral to every culture throughout the world and encompasses everything from a one-man show in a church attic to a multimillion-dollar production in New York or London. Every city has a rich history of theater, ready to be drawn on as the base for a mystery with a little research in the right places, including local libraries, historical societies, and newspapers.
Plays have been written that expose just about every imaginable human condition, and the play a writer chooses to be the centerpiece of the mystery is the most important decision. Famous or unknown, or even fictional, plays can be exploited by the writer to emphasize the main theme, provide important clues about characters, and illustrate the message the writer wants to get across.


(Reprinted with permission from First Draft, a publication of the Guppies, Sisters in Crime)