What Kind of Magazine Are You?

You Are a Home & Garden Magazine

You are a total homebody who loves to create things. You're very handy. You're always cooking something new in the kitchen or making up a funky new craft. Your home is your castle, and you are always looking for more inspiration. Your place probably doesn't look like those in home and garden magazines... it looks more unique!

What Kind of Magazine Are You?

Me? Always cooking something new in the kitchen? *snort*

 

Scene of the Crime with Author Stephen Miller!

If you like to read books that are nail biters, have I got the book and the author for you. Stop by tomorrow to read my review of The Messenger, a book that puts a face, a heart, and a mind to a terrorist who plays a part in a deadly plot against the United States. Today, we get to learn more about The Messenger's author, Stephen Miller.

Stephen Miller

I chose this shadowy photo of the author because he's not big on social media, although he does have a website. Born in Durham, North Carolina, he now spends his time between that city, Hawaii, and his home in Vancouver, British Columbia.

He has no problem staying busy either. Miller hasn't always been a writer; he's also a professional actor who has appeared in "Da Vinci's Inquest," "The X Files," and "Outer Limits." All this, and he writes a darned good thriller, too!


What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special?

I could read at an early age; we lived in the country so I went through all my parents' books.  I discovered "Landmark" books, which were sort of YA non-fiction, biographies and histories.  I spent all my allowance on them.  Then I got into Tom Swift Jr. and bought the entire series as they came out.  Highlights of early reading were all of Jules Verne that i could find in the library, the same with Sherlock Holmes, Orwell's 1984, and then at some point I was blindsided by Oliver Twist, which I just fell into.  It really was the most amazing experience.  So, maybe I have to say Dickens is really the starting point for me, even though there were many others before him.




Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?  

There's very little free time, but I try to fit in the Formula 1 races during their season, (only on TV, I can't afford to travel the world), and my wife and I can often be found at the movies.  Vancouver is a great outdoor city, and we are near the beach.  We walk.  We cook.  It's very domestic and peaceful, not too exciting, but very rewarding.  We're actually shopping for a place out of town, and have been for some time, so for fun we go out and pester the realtors.


If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.)

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  Just going outside is the best thing.  If you bicycle, a huge portion of the city can be toured via the sea wall.  It's also a great food city with some world class restaurants.  Tojo's is world famous for sushi and everything Japanese, for example.  I always tell people to go from Vancouver to Victoria via the ferry which is just a fantastic ride.  You spot the occasional orca, plus seals and eagles.  Lovely.   Flying from the harbour in downtown Vancouver is also a fantastic tour...you're so low that you see everything. 



You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?

Robin Williams

Well, Robin Williams, who I met while shooting RV, is a great guy and a bit of a goof and so am I.  Oliver Platt is a great character actor and I'd approve his casting.  Jim Broadbent if he could master the Southern accent would be a wonderful choice.  All of them could do me better than I could.


Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?

Le Carré's George Smiley, hands down, not counting my own Pyotr Ryzhkov, of course.  I also like Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther.


If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?

I think I'd most like to have George Stewart's Earth Abides.  It's a not very well known science fiction novel about the end of the world.  Very un-sensational.  Sort of Eco-fiction.  I think he wrote it in the 40s.   A great book.  I tried to get the film rights on two or three different occasions.  It's the most peaceful, grounded, and sane post-apocalypse book you'll ever read.


How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published? What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore? 

With the birth of each book there is a bottle of very expensive champagne.  I do sort of lurk in the bookstores to see if there are copies, and how they are displayed.  I know a lot of the owners and staff around town-- they see me coming.  One of my books, (I will not say which) had a sort of mediocre cover and I remember going into Chapters and seeing it displayed against all the other "good" covers.  It was pretty much invisible and that was a real bummer.  I'm getting better about it, and don't obsess as much as I did in the beginning.


Name one thing on your Bucket List.

I want to drive a very nimble, very fast car around the Nurburgring race course.









You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?

I'll either go to White Dwarf, Dead Write, or Pulp Fiction if in Vancouver.  Or The Regulator if I'm in Durham, North Carolina (where I was born and have family)  All are independents, fabulous selection with great staff.

ON SALE NOW!

Thank you so much for spending this time with us, Stephen. We appreciate the opportunity to get to know you a little better.

May your book sales do nothing but increase!


If you'd like to see the book trailer for The Messenger, just scroll on down a bit and take a look-- and don't forget about my review tomorrow!

Saturday Snapshot: Going Fishing

Stop by At Home With Books to find out how easy it is to participate in this fun meme!

While some parts of the world are shivering and wading through snowbanks, there's still plenty of fishing to be had at the Gilbert Riparian Reserve here in metropolitan Phoenix. I thought I'd show you some of the fishermen I met there one afternoon. Click on any of the photos to view them in larger sizes.

Has anyone ever seen a happy egret?

This osprey was happy with its lunch.

Then there are the fishermen who crave peace and quiet. See him?

Oops. He just came out to tell me to be quiet. Shhh!

The Great Blue Heron moved away, but he doesn't need to know about zoom lenses!

The Weekly Link Round-Up at the Beginning of a Busy January

Twelfth Night fast approaches, the time when I pack up all the Christmas finery for another year. I'm already hard at work on handstitched gifts for next Christmas, and I hope to finish them before I run out of steam. January always flies by for me, what with the packing up of Christmas at the beginning of the month and the annual week long celebration of my birthday/ our wedding anniversary at the end. This year January will be even busier because there are several author signings at The Poisoned Pen that I plan to attend. The first one is with Betty Webb this coming Sunday. Better make sure the camera batteries are charged after I round up this week's links!

Bookish News & Other Interesting Stuff

• Michael Bourne's New Year's Resolution? To read fewer books.
• Some authors aren't reacting well to Amazon's new online review crackdown.
• How a new generation is leaving physical books, DVDs and CDs behind.
• Libraries try to update the bookstore model while others are wondering if we still need libraries at all.
• Stephen King autographs a book to help needy Maine households.
• One writer on his blurbing problem.
• Author Betty Webb talks about llamas, cozies and outlines.
• The bookstore strikes back.
• Goodreads tells us which was the most reviewed book of 2012 in a fun infographic.

Digital Reading & Tech Stuff

• The hidden powers of your mouse.
• Print sales rose over the holidays, but what does this mean for physical versus eBooks?
• Libraries are starting to emerge as bookstores.
• Is the eReader revolution over just as it began?

I  ♥  Lists

• Some British authors reveal their favorite reads in 2012.
• 15 literary resolutions for 2013.
• 3 books to read before the end of the world.
• 15 great vintage book covers.
• America's best bookstores.
• More of the best books of 2012 from Salon.
• The best literary adaptations of 2012.
• The 25 most anticipated movies of 2013.
• Words and phrases people would love to ban from the English language.

Book Candy

• Room divider bookcase ideas.
• Furniture made from shredded magazines (just think of the extra money doctors' offices could make by recycling theirs).
• A Louis Vuitton bookcase trunk.
• Book cakes.

New to My Google Reader

• Retired and loving it

That's it for this week. Don't forget to stop by next weekend when I'll have a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure!

The Llama of Death by Betty Webb

First Line: "Alejandro, you spit in my face!"

Once again, the owner of the Gunn Zoo has strong-armed zookeeper Theodora "Teddy" Bentley into doing something she'd rather not. Not only does Teddy have a weekly program called "Anteaters to Zebras" on the local television station, not only does she have to keep on cleaning animal enclosures and feeding the animals, now she has to dress like a trollop and lead Alejandro the llama around while he gives children rides at the Renaissance Faire. Alejandro adores children, but-- as can be seen by the spit on Teddy's face-- he has an entirely different opinion of human adults.

Is Alejandro's low opinion of adults what caused him to stomp to death the owner of the local wedding chapel? Fortunately not-- closer examination shows that the man dressed as Henry VIII was killed by a crossbow bolt to the neck.  Teddy's fiancé may be the sheriff, but the CIA has him in Langley, leaving the investigation to a completely incompetent deputy who likes Teddy's mother as the killer. Teddy has to do her own investigating before the deputy can tie her mother to the railroad tracks, and what she begins uncovering makes for one very long suspect list... and puts her right in the killer's sights.

Author Betty Webb may be better known for her more serious Lena Jones mystery series set in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her Gunn Zoo series, set on the central California coast, features a beautifully done comedic touch and lots of down-to-earth information on animals. I've read each book in this series, and they just keep getting better. From smiles and chuckles, I've now progressed to laughing out loud while reading this third book. I also feel that Alejandro is the best "feature creature" so far in the series.

I've known Betty has a wonderful sense of humor just by reading her blog. Her Lena Jones series, which tends to focus on human rights issues, is excellent, but it is good to see her put her talent for laughter to good use. Wonderful characters, interesting animals, intriguing plots, and comedy, too. Let Betty tickle your funny bone at the Gunn Zoo, too!

The Llama of Death by Betty Webb

ISBN: 9781464200663

Poisoned Pen Press © 2013

Hardcover, 250 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Gunn Zoo mystery
Rating: A
Source: NetGalley

The Man Who Died Laughing by David Handler

First Line: I was dreaming about Merilee when the phone woke me up.

Stewart Hoag (call him "Hoagy" for the cheese steak) is a one-hit wonder in the world of publishing. He just can't seem to get a second novel written, but he's going to have to do something if he wants to pay the bills and provide his basset hound, Lulu, with the food she craves.

A way to pay those bills sweeps in one day in the form of Sonny Day, one half of a comedy team that was the greatest thing since sliced bread in the late 1940s through the 1950s. Sonny's career needs a shot in the arm, so he convinces Hoagy to ghostwrite his autobiography. In it, Sonny promises to reveal what made him split with his partner, straight man Gabe Knight. This division rocked Hollywood and would guarantee phenomenal book sales once the book is published.

Against his better judgment, Hoagy finds himself (and Lulu) swept up in the whirlwind of Sonny's personality and ensconced in his guest house in the California sunshine. Work is going well until odd things begin to happen. It's crystal clear to Hoagy that someone is willing to kill in order to stop the book. Hoagy doesn't want anyone to die, but he's so close to finding out Sonny's secret that he really doesn't want to stop now.

This first book in the series doesn't really read like a mystery, but I didn't particularly care. Yes, I caught the thing that Sonny let slip one day that Hoagy couldn't remember, so I wasn't surprised at the reveal. Yes, I caught Lulu's reaction at a crucial moment, which further lessened the shock value. It's almost as if Handler hadn't started out with the intention of writing a mystery. I still don't care. I enjoyed this book because Handler knows how to write characters, and he knows how to tell a story. Hoagy immediately had me on his side, and all Lulu had to do was bat her big brown eyes and she had me wrapped around her paw.

The other thing that really won me over was the way that Handler gives the reader a sense of how to ghostwrite a book. Most of The Man Who Died Laughing is parceled out through the recordings Hoagy has for each person's interviews. We learn about Hoagy-- and we learn about the subject of the interview-- through their conversation. The interviews concentrate on Sonny in the beginning, and I got a feel for Hollywood during World War II through the 1950s-- what it was like to star in hit movies and a variety show on television. I really came to care about Sonny Day-- until Hoagy began interviewing other people, and I was set back on my heels. I'd been seeing everything through Sonny's eyes, and it was enlightening to see the same things through the eyes of the other people in his life. Very, very effective, Mr. Handler! (Just reel me in and put me in a net.)

I'm glad that this volume also contains the second book in the Hoagy and Lulu series because I really want to see what happens to these two next!

The Man Who Died Laughing by David Handler

from the 2006 edition of the first two Stewart Hoag and Lulu mysteries

ISBN: 9780976715788

Busted Flush Press © 2006 (Originally published in 1988 by Bantam Books.)

Trade Paperback, 340 pages

Amateur Sleuth, Humorous Mystery, #1 Stewart Hoag and Lulu

Rating: B

Source: Paperback Swap

A Graph-tastic 2012 Year End Reading Post

It's a brand-new year, and my spreadsheet now has a page labelled "2013".  I'm not a person that makes resolutions, but I do love maps, so that must mean that I like to take a look now and then to see where I've been. I also love to make graphs, so watch out-- I'm about to take you on a tour of last year's reading, and I've gone graph happy!



I'll start off by showing you the number of books I've read each of the past three years. It's been an unofficial goal of mine to read 200 books in one year. I came close in 2011, but lost a bit of ground in 2012. Do I know why? Yes, I think I do. I had a difficult time adjusting to a change in my husband's work schedule, and it threw me off stride. Will I make my goal in 2013? Who knows, but thirteen has always been my lucky number!



Those of you who've been reading my blog for a while (bless your hearts!) know that I'm an armchair traveler when it comes to the books I read.

I do like to seek out books set in new-to-me countries, and I did find a few of those this year.

New settings were scattered around the globe: the Caribbean, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia... my motto is Have Book, Will Travel! (Literally and figuratively!)

Some of the settings that stick in my mind the most? The Switzerland of Jon Steele's The Watchers, The Iran of 1979 in Libby Fischer Hellmann's A Bitter Veil, and American Samoa in John Enright's Pago Pago Tango.

Of course the graph also makes it easy to see where some of my favorite stops are!





When I saw the number of books I read that were set in the United States, naturally I had to do a breakdown by state to see where I was visiting most often. I visited 39 states, and seem to have a decided preference for California. (When reading, anyway!) You can see the state-by-state breakdown below:







Since I am now the owner of both a Nook and a Kindle, I wanted to see how much my reading had shifted from physical books to eBooks. As you can see, I did read more eBooks in 2012, but physical books are still the winners by a large percentage.

Do I predict a change in 2013? Yes, I do. Denis and I have trips planned, and I am determined to travel with eBooks. Something tells me I won't know what to do with all the extra space in our luggage!







I also wanted to take a look at how my book ratings have fared over the past three years.  As you can see, I like most of the books I read. At this point in my life, I can read a book synopsis and pretty much tell you whether or not I'm going to like the book. Book cover art really doesn't draw my attention. Book titles do, and then I head right for that synopsis. They're much like movie trailers. Read enough of 'em, and you can deduce which ones contain all the best parts in the advertising. Is that how you are with book synopses?

By the way... for any of you who wonder what the titles of those A+ books were for 2012, you can check out my Best Reads of 2012 page. I refuse to choose just one from that list to be the Best of the Best. I loved 'em all!






Wow! Maybe I'd better list my reading by pages read instead of by books read! These numbers are much more impressive!

The only bad thing about this graph is that it makes 2010 and 2012 look like years of horrible reading slumps!













Another thing I always want to know is-- how am I when it comes to finding new authors to read? The past three years show that just about half the books I read are by new-to-me authors. I like that.



Male and female authors is another statistic that I like to track simply because in 2009, the vast majority of the authors I read were male! I remember thinking to myself that I needed to make a bit of an effort to read more female authors, and that thought obviously took root because, for the past three years, I've read more female authors. By looking at the graph above I can see that the gap did narrow in 2012.



My reading in the sub-genres of crime fiction seems to be rather stable. I see a bit of a preference for cozies and police procedurals, but thrillers and historical mysteries seem to be on the rise. I'm looking forward to seeing the results for 2013!




As many of you are aware, I am definitely a serial reader, and the graph above proves it. In fact, the ratio of series to standalone has remained fairly stable the past three years. I find it a bit odd that this stability recurs so often throughout the statistics when I'm not making a conscious decision to do so.



The last thing I wanted to know is-- where did all my books come from? As you can all see in the graph up there, one category has risen steadily the past three years: Advance Reader Copies. The dew is decidedly off the ARC lily. I have been pulling away from situations in which publishers just send me countless ARCs to read. In fact, I no longer feel obligated to read ARCs that I have not personally requested. There were at least three times during 2012 when I turned into a grouch because it seemed as though ARCs were the only books I was reading. I still buy books, and I still receive plenty of lovely books through Paperback Swap-- and they've been languishing on my to-be-read shelves.  No more! When I type up my year end post for 2013, I want to see a drastic shift in that ARC category. Make it so, Cathy!

And on that note of empowerment, I hope each and every one of you has a fantastic reading year ahead of you!

A Bitter Veil by Libby Fischer Hellmann

First Line: Anna was deeply asleep, which was unusual for her.

It is 1979. The Shah has fled, and the Ayatollah Khomeini is in control of Iran. A Bitter Veil opens as Anna is awakened early one morning by the pounding of Republican Guards at the door of her home in Tehran. When she opens the door, she is immediately whisked away to prison, charged with the death of her husband Nouri.

Anna and Nouri met while studying in Chicago. They fell passionately in love, married, and moved to Tehran, living close to Nouri's wealthy family. They'd barely begun their married life when everything is thrown into turmoil. Everyday existence becomes increasingly restricted, none of the familiar Western rules apply, and Anna's marriage begins to fall apart as Nouri's behavior becomes more and more erratic. Women are required to wear hijab. Random arrests, torture, even Nouri's contempt become the norm. Now Nouri is dead, Anna is alone-- in prison in a hostile country-- and there is no one she can trust.

This book has an explosive start then immediately changes gears to explain how Anna and Nouri met and came to be living in Tehran. This "filling in the details" is fascinating stuff because we learn the two main characters' personalities as well as the unbelievably tense atmosphere in Iran during the overthrow of the Shah. As Anna stumbles in learning the unfamiliar traditions of her new family and her new country, so do we. But always lurking in the background is the knowledge that Nouri is dead... and Anna is in prison. The need to know Anna's fate keeps the pages turning to the very end.

Hellmann's research is impressive. She put me in the midst of the Iranian Revolution to watch a naive young outsider become trapped by things beyond her control. What I liked the most about this book is that it's so complex. Anna isn't automatically the heroine; these things don't happen to her simply because she's a poor American girl trapped in an evil Islamic country. Anna acts first and thinks about the consequences when it's too late-- and while I may have wanted to sit her down and talk some sense to her, I never felt contempt for Anna because there are good reasons for her reckless behavior.

Although this is Anna's story, Hellman also shows how the frightening political unrest affects the many Iranian characters in the book. Some fall under the Ayatollah's spell. Some escape. And some are unbelievably kind.

If you're in the mood for a fast-paced thriller with complex characters that engages both your mind and your emotions, I advise you to get a copy of Libby Fischer Hellmann's A Bitter Veil.

A Bitter Veil by Libby Fischer Hellmann

ISBN: 9780983193821

Allium Press © 2012

eBook, 311 pages

Thriller

Rating: A

Source: the author