I'm writing from the official BEA librarians' hotel in NYC (Holiday Inn Midtown) and there are a lot of librarians here. The publishers are even marketing to us, here in the hotel - after check-in, the desk clerk gave me a bag of goodies with a hardcover kids' book about libraries, a galley of a Jewish women's fiction novel, and promo material from Holtzbrinck, who are hosting an author breakfast here (in this hotel) tomorrow morning.
I guess this is technically day two, rather than day one, of the trip because we flew from Indy last night at 8:30 (after a day of shopping, which included some nice purchases at the Half Price Books in Castleton) and got into Hartford just after 11pm. Then, after less than 12 hours at my parents' house, we took Amtrak to Penn Station via New Haven, which was a surprisingly pleasant ride.
Tomorrow morning I expect to meet up with a few HNS people at the Javits Center, after which the grabbing of galleys will commence. I do plan to talk to a number of publishers, too, about their fall historical fiction titles, and get catalogs so that I can request ARCs later on of what they don't have here.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Two reviews online, finally
It's only been six weeks since they were published... Amazon must have hiccupped somewhere.
From Booklist: my reviews of Jonis Agee's The River Wife (one of my favorite reads so far this year) and Laura Dietz's In the Tenth House. The latter credits "Roberta Johnson" rather than me, but the print magazine has it right. Susan, Sally, Sadie, Sandra, Sondra, I've gotten, often (sigh), but Roberta is a new one.
Added later - to see what else we've been doing this holiday weekend, see Randomography (including a picture of me holding a garden cat that demanded attention) and Greasy Spoons.
From Booklist: my reviews of Jonis Agee's The River Wife (one of my favorite reads so far this year) and Laura Dietz's In the Tenth House. The latter credits "Roberta Johnson" rather than me, but the print magazine has it right. Susan, Sally, Sadie, Sandra, Sondra, I've gotten, often (sigh), but Roberta is a new one.
Added later - to see what else we've been doing this holiday weekend, see Randomography (including a picture of me holding a garden cat that demanded attention) and Greasy Spoons.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Oh, all right
Since both Tess and Rachel tagged me for the "8 random things about me" meme, I'll stop dithering and post already :)
Eight random facts about me:
1. My nickname on Yahoo and Librarything, Ariadne02, dates back to 1989, when my college boyfriend ran a BBS and I had to choose a handle to post under. I'd just read June Rachuy Brindel's novel Ariadne and thought the name was cool. The "02" was added later, because some other Ariadne had gotten to Yahoo before me.
2. I've seen every episode of American Idol since Season 2, except for the early auditions when they show the people who really suck.
3. When I worked as a temporary secretary for the Michigan Dept of Transportation, I read a book a day, making my way through every novel written by Jean Plaidy, Valerie Anand, and Norah Lofts that the East Lansing Public Library owned.
4. I was a vegetarian for about six years but gave it up when I left Ann Arbor and finding food to eat became too much of a chore.
5. My most infamous ancestor is Alice Bishop, one of the first women executed in the American colonies (again, "hanged" - not "hung").
6. I have scars on both of my knees after slipping on pavement while running to take my final exam in medieval English history during grad school. Rather than stop at the infirmary, I took my two-hour final, trying not to get blood on anything (sorry), after which my knees got badly infected. I got a B+ in the course. I'm not sure what the moral of this story is.
7. During middle school, I wrote a program in BASIC on my family's Apple IIe that did a fair job of mimicking ELIZA (a computer program that manipulates strings of text to emulate a psychotherapist's responses to statements).
8. I can bake a mean baklava.
I'm not tagging anyone else because this one's been around the block for a while, but if anyone else wants to join in, please do.
Eight random facts about me:
1. My nickname on Yahoo and Librarything, Ariadne02, dates back to 1989, when my college boyfriend ran a BBS and I had to choose a handle to post under. I'd just read June Rachuy Brindel's novel Ariadne and thought the name was cool. The "02" was added later, because some other Ariadne had gotten to Yahoo before me.
2. I've seen every episode of American Idol since Season 2, except for the early auditions when they show the people who really suck.
3. When I worked as a temporary secretary for the Michigan Dept of Transportation, I read a book a day, making my way through every novel written by Jean Plaidy, Valerie Anand, and Norah Lofts that the East Lansing Public Library owned.
4. I was a vegetarian for about six years but gave it up when I left Ann Arbor and finding food to eat became too much of a chore.
5. My most infamous ancestor is Alice Bishop, one of the first women executed in the American colonies (again, "hanged" - not "hung").
6. I have scars on both of my knees after slipping on pavement while running to take my final exam in medieval English history during grad school. Rather than stop at the infirmary, I took my two-hour final, trying not to get blood on anything (sorry), after which my knees got badly infected. I got a B+ in the course. I'm not sure what the moral of this story is.
7. During middle school, I wrote a program in BASIC on my family's Apple IIe that did a fair job of mimicking ELIZA (a computer program that manipulates strings of text to emulate a psychotherapist's responses to statements).
8. I can bake a mean baklava.
I'm not tagging anyone else because this one's been around the block for a while, but if anyone else wants to join in, please do.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Continuing my indiscriminate reporting on books
To get the context for this post's title, see GalleyCat from yesterday. I'm very amused by it all. Ah well. The author's comments aside, my Booklist review of Bluebird (linked from the sidebar) still stands, obviously, and I'd already planned to talk it up at the HNS conference in two weeks.
One good thing about the GalleyCat post, besides alerting me to the NBCC interview and to Shirley Dent's well-reasoned piece from the Guardian on the blogger/print critic divide, was that I learned about novelist Michelle Moran's blog, History Buff (cute graphic). Michelle's been interviewing current historical novelists about women's roles in history. She'll be speaking at the conference, too.
I'll be giving a workshop about the appeal of historical fiction at the Western Mass. Library System on June 5th. It looks like registration has closed already.
The gallery of reusable cover art has been updated. For the Rap Sheet: I'll see your two long-skirted women and raise you two more. (Check the Rap Sheet link for more examples of this type, mostly from crime fiction.)
But without further ado, some new Publishers Marketplace deals.
Kathleen Kent's debut novel THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER, about one family's courage and defiance during the Salem Witch Trials, based on the author's own family history and the story of her grandmother nine generations back who was hung for being a witch, to Reagan Arthur at Little, Brown, at auction, by Julie Barer at Barer Literary (NA).
"Hanged," please, not "hung." Of course, maybe "hung" is acceptable now in this context - that, "orientate," and "irregardless" always get me, especially when I see them in historical fiction.
DL Armstrong's THE LAST TROUBADOUR, set against the flames of a rising medieval Inquisition, a heretic, an atheist and a pagan are the last hope to save the holiest Christian relic from a sainted King and crusading pope, based on true events, plus THE LAST QUEST and THE LAST STAND, to James McKinnon for Kunati, in a good deal (world English).
One good thing about the GalleyCat post, besides alerting me to the NBCC interview and to Shirley Dent's well-reasoned piece from the Guardian on the blogger/print critic divide, was that I learned about novelist Michelle Moran's blog, History Buff (cute graphic). Michelle's been interviewing current historical novelists about women's roles in history. She'll be speaking at the conference, too.
I'll be giving a workshop about the appeal of historical fiction at the Western Mass. Library System on June 5th. It looks like registration has closed already.
The gallery of reusable cover art has been updated. For the Rap Sheet: I'll see your two long-skirted women and raise you two more. (Check the Rap Sheet link for more examples of this type, mostly from crime fiction.)
But without further ado, some new Publishers Marketplace deals.
Kathleen Kent's debut novel THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER, about one family's courage and defiance during the Salem Witch Trials, based on the author's own family history and the story of her grandmother nine generations back who was hung for being a witch, to Reagan Arthur at Little, Brown, at auction, by Julie Barer at Barer Literary (NA).
"Hanged," please, not "hung." Of course, maybe "hung" is acceptable now in this context - that, "orientate," and "irregardless" always get me, especially when I see them in historical fiction.
DL Armstrong's THE LAST TROUBADOUR, set against the flames of a rising medieval Inquisition, a heretic, an atheist and a pagan are the last hope to save the holiest Christian relic from a sainted King and crusading pope, based on true events, plus THE LAST QUEST and THE LAST STAND, to James McKinnon for Kunati, in a good deal (world English).
Publisher website here.
And Journalist Sherry Jones's debut historical novel A'ISHA, BELOVED OF MUHAMMAD, set in seventh-century Arabia, the story of the favorite wife of the Prophet Muhammad, recreating her marriage at the age of nine, her struggle for personal freedom in a society where women had few rights, and her dedication to The Prophet's vision of a true faith, to Judy Sternlight for Ballantine, in a pre-empt, for two books, by Natasha Kern of the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.
I'm home today, attempting to catch up on email, getting HNR tearsheets out, and general housecleaning. I leave for my big conference trip a week from today - I'm not sure if I'm ready.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Book meme du jour
I finished up my "romancing the past" chapter yesterday morning, and my brain hurts from writing almost continuously for the past three weeks. This meme on Susan's blog caught my eye, so I thought I'd break my blogging silence by participating. Besides, this way you get to see how obscu-- er, wide-ranging, my reading tastes are.
A book that made you cry: Liz Curtis Higgs' Thorn in My Heart. This novel (a retelling of the biblical Jacob-Leah-Rachel triangle set in the 18th century Scottish lowlands) ought to be sold with some small packets of tissues.
A book that scared you: Rett MacPherson's Died in the Wool. Very creepy, especially for a cozy mystery, where I don't usually expect such things.
A book that made you laugh: James Morrow's The Last Witchfinder. The introduction, in which Newton's Principia Mathematica describes the secret lives of books (and what they write about when humans aren't watching) is hilarious. Also Jane Harris's The Observations.
A book that disgusted you: It's a toss-up between Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front and Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Ugh. I read both in Miss Lerner's 9th grade English class, which was held right before lunch. I didn't eat very well that year.
A book you loved in elementary school: I'm sure we read books in elementary school, but I can't think of any specific titles. One book I enjoyed when I was that age, though, was Lorraine Beim's Just Plain Maggie, written sometime in the 1950s I think, about a girl named Maggie and her experiences going off to summer camp. My grandmother used to work at an education library and saved me a bunch of the discards. This was one of them.
A book you loved in middle school. Why can't I remember reading anything in middle school? I graduated, didn't I? Need to come back to this one.
A book you loved in high school: James Hilton's Lost Horizon, which may be my favorite book of all time. Dryly witty, tragic, romantic, well told, plus a great "what if" storyline you're tempted to believe in - what more can be said? I don't think I realized how truly clever the writing was until I reread it years later.
A book you hated in high school: Way too many, but see above, under "books that disgusted me."
A book you loved in college: I didn't take any English lit courses in college, only French lit, which probably explains a lot. I don't know if I'd say loved, but I thought Alain Robbe-Grillet's La Jalousie was very creative in terms of technique. Driss Chraibi's La Civilisation, Ma mère was enjoyable. And who can forget Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Le Petit Prince.
A book that challenged your identity: Beats me. I must be reading the wrong books.
A series that you love: Rett MacPherson's Torie O'Shea mystery series - I pre-order these and buy them in hardcover (extremely rare). Also, Katheryn Kimbrough's Saga of the Phenwick Women. This is a 40-book gothic romance series, an extended family saga covering 300+ years of American history. All of the book titles are named after women from the same family. I should probably be ashamed to say I learned a lot about US history from these books because I know they're potboilers, but they were also great fun.
Your favorite horror book: Can't read the stuff, it creeps me out.
Your favorite science fiction book: Probably Dan Simmons' Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion. Or anything by Sheri S. Tepper, Grass in particular.
Your favorite fantasy book: I'll probably get flak for this, but it has to be Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. Followed closely by Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies.
Your favorite mystery book: Barbara Vine's Anna's Book.
Your favorite historical novel: I think I covered this a while back.
Your favorite biography: Anything by David Duff, such as The Shy Princess about Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest, or The Hessian Tapestry, about Princess Alice and her family. I don't read all that many biographies.
Your favorite “coming-of-age” book: I may have to come back to this one.
Your favorite classic: Lost Horizon, see above. Also Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop. For short stories, Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," which I wrote an essay on in 10th grade.
Your favorite romance book: See link for "favorite historical novel" above, plus Rebecca Ryman's Olivia and Jai and Laura Black's Ravenburn. Laura Black is a pseudonym for Roger Longrigg, who also wrote as Domini Taylor. Never say that men can't write romance.
Your favorite book not on this list: Way too many to name. For reference: (besides my own book, of course) Alison Weir's Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy, which I consult pretty often. I'm sure I'll think of more.
A book that made you cry: Liz Curtis Higgs' Thorn in My Heart. This novel (a retelling of the biblical Jacob-Leah-Rachel triangle set in the 18th century Scottish lowlands) ought to be sold with some small packets of tissues.
A book that scared you: Rett MacPherson's Died in the Wool. Very creepy, especially for a cozy mystery, where I don't usually expect such things.
A book that made you laugh: James Morrow's The Last Witchfinder. The introduction, in which Newton's Principia Mathematica describes the secret lives of books (and what they write about when humans aren't watching) is hilarious. Also Jane Harris's The Observations.
A book that disgusted you: It's a toss-up between Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front and Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Ugh. I read both in Miss Lerner's 9th grade English class, which was held right before lunch. I didn't eat very well that year.
A book you loved in elementary school: I'm sure we read books in elementary school, but I can't think of any specific titles. One book I enjoyed when I was that age, though, was Lorraine Beim's Just Plain Maggie, written sometime in the 1950s I think, about a girl named Maggie and her experiences going off to summer camp. My grandmother used to work at an education library and saved me a bunch of the discards. This was one of them.
A book you loved in middle school. Why can't I remember reading anything in middle school? I graduated, didn't I? Need to come back to this one.
A book you loved in high school: James Hilton's Lost Horizon, which may be my favorite book of all time. Dryly witty, tragic, romantic, well told, plus a great "what if" storyline you're tempted to believe in - what more can be said? I don't think I realized how truly clever the writing was until I reread it years later.
A book you hated in high school: Way too many, but see above, under "books that disgusted me."
A book you loved in college: I didn't take any English lit courses in college, only French lit, which probably explains a lot. I don't know if I'd say loved, but I thought Alain Robbe-Grillet's La Jalousie was very creative in terms of technique. Driss Chraibi's La Civilisation, Ma mère was enjoyable. And who can forget Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's Le Petit Prince.
A book that challenged your identity: Beats me. I must be reading the wrong books.
A series that you love: Rett MacPherson's Torie O'Shea mystery series - I pre-order these and buy them in hardcover (extremely rare). Also, Katheryn Kimbrough's Saga of the Phenwick Women. This is a 40-book gothic romance series, an extended family saga covering 300+ years of American history. All of the book titles are named after women from the same family. I should probably be ashamed to say I learned a lot about US history from these books because I know they're potboilers, but they were also great fun.
Your favorite horror book: Can't read the stuff, it creeps me out.
Your favorite science fiction book: Probably Dan Simmons' Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion. Or anything by Sheri S. Tepper, Grass in particular.
Your favorite fantasy book: I'll probably get flak for this, but it has to be Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. Followed closely by Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies.
Your favorite mystery book: Barbara Vine's Anna's Book.
Your favorite historical novel: I think I covered this a while back.
Your favorite biography: Anything by David Duff, such as The Shy Princess about Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest, or The Hessian Tapestry, about Princess Alice and her family. I don't read all that many biographies.
Your favorite “coming-of-age” book: I may have to come back to this one.
Your favorite classic: Lost Horizon, see above. Also Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop. For short stories, Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," which I wrote an essay on in 10th grade.
Your favorite romance book: See link for "favorite historical novel" above, plus Rebecca Ryman's Olivia and Jai and Laura Black's Ravenburn. Laura Black is a pseudonym for Roger Longrigg, who also wrote as Domini Taylor. Never say that men can't write romance.
Your favorite book not on this list: Way too many to name. For reference: (besides my own book, of course) Alison Weir's Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy, which I consult pretty often. I'm sure I'll think of more.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
In search of historically accurate romances
No, this isn't a rant; it's more of a plea.
I'm in the middle of my book chapter on historical romantic fiction, specifically the section dealing with the historical romance subgenre, and am having trouble finding examples of romance novels set in certain places/periods. I'm looking for titles published between mid-2004 and now (well, up through mid-2008 - my deadline) in which the author takes reasonable care with historical accuracy. "Wallpaper historicals" have their audience, but this is a guide for historical fiction readers, and I'm not interested in them here. I'm also limited to novels that libraries are apt to own (which means mainstream and library publishers only, for the most part).
The time periods for which I have little or nothing: England/Europe during the Elizabethan period/Renaissance (I know about Susan Carroll's Dark Queen series, but have her in the "romantic historical" chapter); World Wars I and II and other 20th century settings; early America; early modern Europe (basically 1650-1900); medieval England and Europe. Actually, I have a handful of medieval romance novelists down already, but I don't want to miss anything or anyone major. I'm aware that these time periods aren't exactly popular nowadays, but...
Suggestions on other periods/places welcome, too. I've noted an absolute ton of Regency novelists already, but if there are any authors/novels I should be sure to include, please let me know.
Not sure how many responses I'll get, if any, but I figured it was worth a shot. Meanwhile, I'm going to hunt through my back issues of Romantic Times for titles I've missed.
I'm in the middle of my book chapter on historical romantic fiction, specifically the section dealing with the historical romance subgenre, and am having trouble finding examples of romance novels set in certain places/periods. I'm looking for titles published between mid-2004 and now (well, up through mid-2008 - my deadline) in which the author takes reasonable care with historical accuracy. "Wallpaper historicals" have their audience, but this is a guide for historical fiction readers, and I'm not interested in them here. I'm also limited to novels that libraries are apt to own (which means mainstream and library publishers only, for the most part).
The time periods for which I have little or nothing: England/Europe during the Elizabethan period/Renaissance (I know about Susan Carroll's Dark Queen series, but have her in the "romantic historical" chapter); World Wars I and II and other 20th century settings; early America; early modern Europe (basically 1650-1900); medieval England and Europe. Actually, I have a handful of medieval romance novelists down already, but I don't want to miss anything or anyone major. I'm aware that these time periods aren't exactly popular nowadays, but...
Suggestions on other periods/places welcome, too. I've noted an absolute ton of Regency novelists already, but if there are any authors/novels I should be sure to include, please let me know.
Not sure how many responses I'll get, if any, but I figured it was worth a shot. Meanwhile, I'm going to hunt through my back issues of Romantic Times for titles I've missed.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
More galleys to grab, and HNS updates
I probably won't be around here much until my whirlwind conference tour of New England is over in mid-June, but here are some quick updates.
Publishers Weekly just posted its BEA issue with their "galleys to grab" picks. All the ones I'm interested in are ones I mentioned earlier, so I'll let that list stand. In addition, I'll be at the show looking for galleys of many novels on HNS's forthcoming books list, which I spent four hours updating last night with titles through December '07. Not all publishers have their fall catalogs out, so there'll be some updates down the road.
I posted the editors' choice reviews from HNR's May issue last weekend, if you want to take a look and see what novels our reviewers enjoyed the most. I admit I don't understand the cover design for Harding's The Solitude of Thomas Cave, UK edition, and having read it, I agree wholeheartedly with Mary Sharratt that the UK cover design for Michael Wallner's April in Paris is inappropriate. It's a historical thriller, not a frilly romantic wartime saga. Oh well. It is a good book, though.
Publishers Weekly just posted its BEA issue with their "galleys to grab" picks. All the ones I'm interested in are ones I mentioned earlier, so I'll let that list stand. In addition, I'll be at the show looking for galleys of many novels on HNS's forthcoming books list, which I spent four hours updating last night with titles through December '07. Not all publishers have their fall catalogs out, so there'll be some updates down the road.
I posted the editors' choice reviews from HNR's May issue last weekend, if you want to take a look and see what novels our reviewers enjoyed the most. I admit I don't understand the cover design for Harding's The Solitude of Thomas Cave, UK edition, and having read it, I agree wholeheartedly with Mary Sharratt that the UK cover design for Michael Wallner's April in Paris is inappropriate. It's a historical thriller, not a frilly romantic wartime saga. Oh well. It is a good book, though.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Three new historical novel deals
Thought that these might be of interest to readers here...
Bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance, Philippa Gregory's THE WHITE QUEEN, for publication in 2010, followed by THE WHITE PRINCESS, and THE RED QUEEN, covering the War of the Roses period, again to Trish Todd at Touchstone Fireside, and now moving to Suzanne Baboneau at Simon & Schuster UK, by Anthony Mason (world).
BTW, Philippa Gregory discussed The Boleyn Inheritance on Barnes & Noble's online bookclub forums in February. The posts are still online.
Beneath a Marble Sky author John Shors's THE POET MAKERS, set in the South Pacific during WWII after a torpedo sinks a U.S. hospital ship and nine survivors manage to swim to a nearby island threatened by the traitor among them, by hurricanes and by the imminent arrival of the Japanese navy, again to Kara Cesare at NAL, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, by Laura Dail at Laura Dail Literary Agency (World English).
The Last Boleyn and the Elizabeth I mysteries author Karen Harper's WILL'S OTHER WIFE, the story of a Anne Whateley of Stratford, who married Shakespeare in secret less than a week before his shotgun wedding to Anne Hathaway, and who lived with him in London when his career was at its height, to Rachel Kahan at Putnam and Ellen Edwards at NAL, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, by Meg Ruley at Jane Rotrosen Agency (NA).
Bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance, Philippa Gregory's THE WHITE QUEEN, for publication in 2010, followed by THE WHITE PRINCESS, and THE RED QUEEN, covering the War of the Roses period, again to Trish Todd at Touchstone Fireside, and now moving to Suzanne Baboneau at Simon & Schuster UK, by Anthony Mason (world).
BTW, Philippa Gregory discussed The Boleyn Inheritance on Barnes & Noble's online bookclub forums in February. The posts are still online.
Beneath a Marble Sky author John Shors's THE POET MAKERS, set in the South Pacific during WWII after a torpedo sinks a U.S. hospital ship and nine survivors manage to swim to a nearby island threatened by the traitor among them, by hurricanes and by the imminent arrival of the Japanese navy, again to Kara Cesare at NAL, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, by Laura Dail at Laura Dail Literary Agency (World English).
The Last Boleyn and the Elizabeth I mysteries author Karen Harper's WILL'S OTHER WIFE, the story of a Anne Whateley of Stratford, who married Shakespeare in secret less than a week before his shotgun wedding to Anne Hathaway, and who lived with him in London when his career was at its height, to Rachel Kahan at Putnam and Ellen Edwards at NAL, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, by Meg Ruley at Jane Rotrosen Agency (NA).
Monday, April 23, 2007
Galleys to grab at BEA 2007, Part One
I'd been watching the BookExpo America website lately for their autographing schedule, because they usually announce it in April, but didn't spot it until yesterday. It's hidden under Show Info and Features -> Autographing. Just like I did last year, I thought I'd post about the titles I'd planned on getting copies of at the show. Not all of these will be galleys, though. If the pub date is June 2007 or earlier, publishers will be giving away the finished book.
The Publishers Weekly issue that gives a preview of BEA is probably out now, but it hasn't crossed my desk yet. PW lists the high-profile galleys that publishers will be giving away on the show floor (quite literally - you have to grab them off the floor in an embarrassing sort of feeding frenzy) in addition to those available at the autographing sessions.
As I'm attending partly to find out about new historical fiction titles, these are the ones that caught my attention. (I'll also be picking up books and ARCs on behalf of my library, but I don't think you'd be interested in hearing about those.)
In the main autographing area, Friday:
Deanna Raybourn, Silent in the Sanctuary. Second in the Victorian mystery series after Silent in the Grave (read my interview with Deanna here). From MIRA in Jan '08. I fully expect a headless woman cover.
Robert Barr Smith, Blood of the Eagle. "Race to uncover the secret of the murder of Hitler's mistress."
Cynthia Polansky, Far Above Rubies. "Holocaust novel based on true story of courage and survival." I believe this is a re-release.
Rick Atkinson, The Day of Battle. "The second volume of epic trilogy about the liberation of Europe in WWII." This is nonfiction, but I know some reviewers who'd love to read it.
Michael White, Soul Catcher. "A tracker, a runaway woman slave and the heart-rending journey home that will change them forever." A copy is going out for review any day now, but I wouldn't mind having my own. September, from Morrow.
Jennifer Donnelly, The Winter Rose. "A sweeping saga of an idealistic young female doctor who tends to the poor of Limehouse." I have the Australian edition already but need a copy to send for review. Out from Hyperion in Jan '08. It's about time. I picked up the galley of The Tea Rose at the first BEA I attended, in 2002. It was very good. Judging by the Australian edition, Winter Rose is quite the epic story (>700pp).
On Saturday:
Pete Hamill, North River. "A love story set against the backdrop of some of New York City's toughest streets." June '07 from Little Brown; my Booklist editor loved this one.
Katie Roiphe, Uncommon Arrangements. "Seven unconventional marriages in England at the beginning of the 20th century." Nonfiction. Bantam July '07.
William Martin, The Lost Constitution. "A thrilling race to find a lost draft of the Constitution!" May from Forge. This publisher has some great books and is very enthusiastic about them. Lots of exclamation points in their descriptions.
Robert Dunn, Meet the Annas. "Musical novel about a '60s girl group: romance, mystery, music." Coral Press, June.
Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing. "The final installment in the Gemma Doyle trilogy." A paranormal Victorian series for young adults. Random House Children's, Dec.
Lisa Sandell, Song of the Sparrow. "The tale of fiery, sixteen-year-old Elaine of Ascolat—who will one day be known as 'The Lady of Shalott.'" Scholastic, May. Another YA title.
Mitch Silver, On Secret Service. "This unique debut thriller links Ian Fleming's world of spies in WWII and today's headlines." Simon & Schuster, June.
And on Sunday:
Clare Clark, The Nature of Monsters. "An irresistibly modern sixteen-year-old heroine in London of the 1700s." Harcourt, May. Descriptions I've read make it sound creepy, but I'm curious.
Matt Bronleewe, Illuminated. "A rare-books dealer must unravel a secret that has been hidden in the illuminations of the Gutenberg Bible." Aug from Thomas Nelson, which means it has a Christian emphasis.
And we also have autographing at publishers' booths. For Friday:
Jenny McPhee, A Man of No Moon, Counterpoint. "A lush, cinematic novel set in post-War Italy."
Peter Melman, Landsman, Counterpoint. "A stirring, evocative epic novel of the Civil War." Blogged about this one a while back, and some of the author's students at Hunter College High School turned up to comment.
Anita Amirrezvani, The Blood of Flowers, Little Brown. "Dazzling debut set in 17th-century Persia." Am I greedy for wanting a hardcover when I already have an ARC?
Saturday:
Clare Clark, Nature of Monsters (again), Harcourt. Making note in case I can't make it to Sunday's signing, noted earlier.
Stephen Hunter, The 47th Samurai, S&S. "A shoot-em-up thriller combining the grittiness of 1945 Iowa Jima with the mystique of samurai culture." Yes, it does say "Iowa Jima" on the website. Spell-check gone bad, I think.
Gail Tsukiyama, The Street of a Thousand Blossoms, St. Martin's. "The story of two families in Japan before, during, and after World War II."
Andrea Barrett, The Air We Breathe, Norton. "An exquisite new novel set during WWI by the National Book Award winner for Ship Fever."
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A great makeover
Different title, different name on the cover. But they're the same book. Which do you prefer, the 1979 or the 2006 version?
For a synopsis, see Amazon. (Yes, I own copies of both.)
For a synopsis, see Amazon. (Yes, I own copies of both.)
Monday, April 16, 2007
Monday deals
I don't think I've posted any historical novel deals in a while, so here are some from today's Publisher's Lunch.
Barbara Pope's CEZANNE'S QUARRY, a historical thriller that explores the cultural conflicts in provincial France through the murder of Solange, a young woman who has been graphically depicted in several of Cezanne's paintings, to Jessica Case at Pegasus, by Mollie Glick at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency (NA).
Rose Melikan's THE BLACKSTONE KEY, set in 18th century England, in which a penniless, clever teacher is summoned to meet her rich, estranged uncle and becomes embroiled in a plot involving spies, smugglers, a pair of identical watches, puzzles, codes, an inheritance, and very real danger, to Trish Todd at Touchstone Fireside, in a good deal, in a three-book deal, by Clare Alexander at Gillon Aitken Associates (NA).
Historian C. W. Gortner's THE LAST QUEEN: The Story of Juana La Loca, based on the life of the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit the throne, to Susanna Porter for Ballantine, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in June 2008, by Jennifer Weltz at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency (world English).
[congrats, Christopher!]
Teacher of classical history at Lincoln College, Oxford Harry Sidebottom's FIRE IN THE EAST, KINGS OF KINGS and LION OF THE SUN, a trilogy of adventure novels of ancient Rome pitched as in the tradition of Mary Renault and Patrick O'Brian, featuring espionage, treachery and desperate, last-gasp, bloody warfare, and centering around a soldier who has risen to be a Roman General despite his northern barbarian origins, sent to the Eastern edge of the Empire to defend against the looming Persian threat, to Alex Clarke at Michael Joseph, in a significant deal, for publication in summer 2008, by James Gill at PFD.
Darren Craske's THE EQUIVOQUE PRINCIPLE, a dark Victorian fantasy about a man and his traveling circus who get embroiled in a series of grisly murders on the streets of London, the first in a trilogy, discovered online when the author posted the opening chapters on the writers' community forum, to Scott Pack at The Friday Project (world).
German and Spanish rights to Janet Paisley's WHITE ROSE REBEL, to Rowohlt and Espasa-Calpe, respectively, by Jessica Jefferys at Penguin UK.[Check out the forthcoming UK edition, too, and it's about Jacobites, not Yorkists... the subject is Anne Farqharson, a chieftain who led her clan into battle at Culloden.]
Friday, April 13, 2007
Read my book online for free
I'm too swamped to post anything of greater literary significance now (not that my book's insignificant, but you know what I mean). As an FYI, my publisher's offering free access to their Reader's Advisor Online database during National Library Week. Just follow this link, click on The Reader's Advisor Online, and choose "Historical Fiction" from the right-hand menu. Use the little arrows to choose the subgenre/subtopic you're interested in, and click Search to see related titles/annotations from the first edition of my book. The section intros are a little harder to find, but most of the text of my book's in here, somewhere.
The Daily Life through History database may be of interest, too. Free access lasts through April 22nd. Enjoy!
The Daily Life through History database may be of interest, too. Free access lasts through April 22nd. Enjoy!
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Adventures in medieval castle building
Reay Tannahill, Having the Builders In. London: Headline Review, 2006. £17.99, ISBN 978-0755333042. 279pp.I've decided to stop grousing about my pile of review books because, in all honesty, so far in 2007 the novels I've been asked to read have been much more enjoyable than ones I've picked up on my own. This novel, an example of the latter, was an exception.
If you're familiar with Reay Tannahill's serious biographical fiction (The Seventh Son, Fatal Majesty) or her sweeping romantic sagas (A Dark and Distant Shore, In Still and Stormy Waters, etc.), then prepare to be surprised. Having the Builders In is a lighthearted, witty account of one medieval family's personal experience with home renovation. Tannahill goes out of her way to make comparisons between the late 14th century and today plainly obvious, but the novel is no less amusing for it. As anyone who's ever arranged for an addition to their house knows, the process can be stressful. You have builders entering your home, disrupting your regular schedule, and creating a racket at ungodly hours. Not to mention the interminable delays, which make you regret that you're paying the workers by the hour; disputes between management and subcontractors; and fears that you may have underestimated the budget.
Dame Constance de Clair, the 39-year-old owner - in her son's name, of course - of Vine Regis, a castle in England's West Country at the end of Edward III's reign, has all these problems and more. With her husband dead and her son, Lord Gervase, content to let her do as she wishes, she craftily sees a way to add an extension to her property. She agrees to give money to the local church to endow a chapel (to house yet another holy relic) if Abbot Ralph lets her use stone from the abbey quarries in her home construction. Then Lady Susanna, her son's naïve, pretty 15-year-old betrothed, arrives on the scene, pouting at not being greeted more warmly at her new home. Lord Gervase, not exactly an attentive fiance anyway, heads to London to pay homage to the new boy king, Richard II -- leaving Constance to deal with Susanna and her penchant for embarrassing social blunders. The family's valuables are disappearing, and they wonder if the builders are to blame. The master mason in charge of the renovation continually argues with the castle steward about proper construction methods. And then there are the accidents. Is someone trying to sabotage the project?
All of the characters are delightful, from the overly eager-to-please Susanna (from whose viewpoint, for the most part, we see the story unfold) to secondary ones like Hamish MacLeod, the Scotsman taken prisoner by Constance's late husband many years before, but who liked Vine Regis so much he decided to remain on staff. It's hard not to feel for Susanna, having to deal with a future mother-in-law who thinks she's always right (and usually is) as well as Gervase's two young daughters, one of whom is a real brat. Susanna wishes to be treated like the future Lady of the Castle, and you can almost understand why she slyly hints to Abbot Ralph that Constance might be wanting to found a nunnery sometime soon (which isn't true at all, but it makes for a very funny scene). Meanwhile, readers will get a real education in medieval castle building, and it's a fairly sophisticated process.
This isn't a long novel, but it's a fast-paced, lively read with a pleasantly unexpected ending. Give this a try if you've been reading serious historicals for a while and are in the mood for something different.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Another mystery solved
Fresh upon the revelation of the true killer of the princes in the tower, we have just learned about another exciting news development.
Readers have long been pondering the "headless woman" trend in historical fiction cover art. "I appreciate how publishers are attempting to accurately reflect the customs of the time by showing us women's fancy gowns and stuff," said one informed reader, who preferred to remain anonymous, "but what I really want to know is, where do all the extra heads go?"
As it happens, this issue has greatly concerned publishers as well. When asked, a representative from HarperCollins, who began the trend with their striking cover of Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl in 2001, admitted: "Honestly, it is a big problem. We never knew it would come to this... and now we have all these spare heads sitting in boxes around the office. Our graphic artists have no use for them. Not to be too graphic - sorry - but they're starting to go bad."
Fortunately, a coalition of publishers have banded together to solve the problem. "As environmentally conscious individuals, we believe in conservation whenever possible," said a spokesman for Carroll & Graf, publisher of Hunger's Brides, the mammoth novel about the 17th century Mexican nun, Sor Juana de la Cruz. Additional American publishers have responded to the call. Due to their diligence, the "disembodied head" look is set to become a brand new trend.
Plans are in motion, for example, to reuse Mary Boleyn's missing head from The Other Boleyn Girl on the jacket art of Before the Sword Strikes, a breakout work of fiction about her sister, Henry VIII's tragic second wife. This epic stream-of-consciousness novel promises to reveal Anne's innermost thoughts during her final moments. "Much has been written about Anne Boleyn's life, but hardly anyone about her death," said the publisher. "And we know that readers want to know all they possibly can about her."
Still, despite the cautious optimism in the publishing arena, some issues linger. "Recycling issues aside, I don't see that anyone will ever have use for the missing eyes and forehead from our cover of Jane Harris's The Observations," a representative from Viking said. "We preferred to use a completely intact head for our cover of Margaret George's Helen of Troy instead."
Any freelance artists or enterprising readers who might wish to use these spare body parts (or pieces thereof) for their own designs, or even for collages or scrapbooking, should contact the Coalition for Reusable Cover Art through the owner of this blog.
Readers have long been pondering the "headless woman" trend in historical fiction cover art. "I appreciate how publishers are attempting to accurately reflect the customs of the time by showing us women's fancy gowns and stuff," said one informed reader, who preferred to remain anonymous, "but what I really want to know is, where do all the extra heads go?"
As it happens, this issue has greatly concerned publishers as well. When asked, a representative from HarperCollins, who began the trend with their striking cover of Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl in 2001, admitted: "Honestly, it is a big problem. We never knew it would come to this... and now we have all these spare heads sitting in boxes around the office. Our graphic artists have no use for them. Not to be too graphic - sorry - but they're starting to go bad."
Fortunately, a coalition of publishers have banded together to solve the problem. "As environmentally conscious individuals, we believe in conservation whenever possible," said a spokesman for Carroll & Graf, publisher of Hunger's Brides, the mammoth novel about the 17th century Mexican nun, Sor Juana de la Cruz. Additional American publishers have responded to the call. Due to their diligence, the "disembodied head" look is set to become a brand new trend.
Plans are in motion, for example, to reuse Mary Boleyn's missing head from The Other Boleyn Girl on the jacket art of Before the Sword Strikes, a breakout work of fiction about her sister, Henry VIII's tragic second wife. This epic stream-of-consciousness novel promises to reveal Anne's innermost thoughts during her final moments. "Much has been written about Anne Boleyn's life, but hardly anyone about her death," said the publisher. "And we know that readers want to know all they possibly can about her."
Still, despite the cautious optimism in the publishing arena, some issues linger. "Recycling issues aside, I don't see that anyone will ever have use for the missing eyes and forehead from our cover of Jane Harris's The Observations," a representative from Viking said. "We preferred to use a completely intact head for our cover of Margaret George's Helen of Troy instead."
Any freelance artists or enterprising readers who might wish to use these spare body parts (or pieces thereof) for their own designs, or even for collages or scrapbooking, should contact the Coalition for Reusable Cover Art through the owner of this blog.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Happy blogiversary to me, and other news
I should have noted this on my last post, but Reading the Past effectively went "live" on March 25, 2006. Now, about 22, 000 visitors later, we're at 187 posts and I don't know how many comments. Thanks for reading and commenting, everyone.Penguin's fall catalogs for 2007 just went online, and sometime this weekend I'll be updating the usual forthcoming books page with all the juicy details. There are a number of historicals of note, such as Robin Maxwell's latest, at left, appearing from NAL in November. Maxwell's an expert on the Tudor period, and she seems to have mined the one part of Anne Boleyn's life not yet overdone in fiction: her youth (and sexual awakening) at the French court. This sounds like it could be a unique take, but apart from this, I admit to feeling Tudored-out, and I haven't even gotten to The Boleyn Inheritance yet. And with Alison Weir (per historicalfiction.org) and Margaret George both working on novels about Elizabeth I - though different aspects of her life, to be sure - I'm wondering whether there'll be anything new to read about there, either.
Other upcoming historicals: Ken Follett's World Without End, a sequel to his The Pillars of the Earth (October); S. Thomas Russell's Under Enemy Colors, "a sweeping novel of maritime mutiny" set against the backdrop of the French Revolution (September); Lian Hearn's Heaven's Net is Wide (August), a prequel to her Otori novels set in an alternate feudal Japan (I love this series); and Jennifer Ashley's The Queen's Handmaiden (October), the story of Kat Ashley's niece,who becomes a confidante to the young Elizabeth Tudor. It does look interesting, which makes me feel conflicted about my comments earlier, but if we have to have more Tudors - and it looks like we will - I'd rather read about people on the periphery of the court.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Things I can't read at the reference desk
... because I find these literature- and history-related pieces very funny. It can be embarrassing to sit and laugh at your computer screen when you're in a room full of people trying to study.
Sometimes I make my coworkers read these articles, just so it looks like there's more than one of us in on the joke.
Who reads what and why, from Car Talk.
What would happen if ancient Rome had the Internet.
John Bloom on book reviews, from the National Review back in May '02. I've been known to enjoy certain works of literary fiction, but this article about book reviewers' pet phrases is priceless.
I'd hoped to post more last week, but things like work and editing kept getting in the way. In the meanwhile, hope you enjoy these.
Sometimes I make my coworkers read these articles, just so it looks like there's more than one of us in on the joke.
Who reads what and why, from Car Talk.
What would happen if ancient Rome had the Internet.
John Bloom on book reviews, from the National Review back in May '02. I've been known to enjoy certain works of literary fiction, but this article about book reviewers' pet phrases is priceless.
I'd hoped to post more last week, but things like work and editing kept getting in the way. In the meanwhile, hope you enjoy these.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Older Anya Seton covers
These are all Fawcett Crest paperbacks from the 1960s (not '70s as I'd thought). Unfortunately, I couldn't locate my copies of Green Darkness, My Theodosia, and The Turquoise. I'd purchased all of these copies from a hole-in-the-wall used bookstore called The Printer's Devil that used to be located in Meriden, Connecticut. It was run by a red-haired woman who was a mad soap-opera watcher, because that's what she'd be doing whenever my dad and I would stop by. I bought many older historical novels there when I was in high school, and it was a sad day when it went out of business.
Anyway, this is what the older paperback covers of Seton's look like. I think most of them aren't bad, though some are designed to appear like romances when, according to today's definition, they are not. How many authors these days set epic novels in places as diverse as colonial Connecticut, 10th century Iceland, 14th century England, 1720s England and Virginia? And how many publishers would be as accepting of authors' desire to change the historical setting with each new book, if the authors wanted to?
Anyway, this is what the older paperback covers of Seton's look like. I think most of them aren't bad, though some are designed to appear like romances when, according to today's definition, they are not. How many authors these days set epic novels in places as diverse as colonial Connecticut, 10th century Iceland, 14th century England, 1720s England and Virginia? And how many publishers would be as accepting of authors' desire to change the historical setting with each new book, if the authors wanted to?
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Pretty covers
Over the past few years, Chicago Review Press has been issuing reprints of Anya Seton's best known historical novels, in addition to classic historicals from other authors. A galley for Devil Water, to be released in May, arrived in yesterday's mail, and the book is just gorgeous.
I'm seriously tempted to replace all of my 1970s mass-market paperbacks with these versions. All are trade paperbacks. Philippa Gregory has written new forewords to most (if not all) of them, introducing the novels' historical background and analyzing their impact on the historical fiction and romance genres. Gregory, unlike most authors asked to introduce novels, is quite honest about what she perceives as their flaws.
What do you think of these?
I'm seriously tempted to replace all of my 1970s mass-market paperbacks with these versions. All are trade paperbacks. Philippa Gregory has written new forewords to most (if not all) of them, introducing the novels' historical background and analyzing their impact on the historical fiction and romance genres. Gregory, unlike most authors asked to introduce novels, is quite honest about what she perceives as their flaws.
What do you think of these?
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
People Who Don't Know They're Dead, and other notable books
From The Independent on March 9th comes this story about The Bookseller magazine's annual contest for the Oddest Book Title of the Year. The 2006 shortlist contains some mighty amusing choices. (This post's title was last year's winner.)
The historical fiction field, unfortunately, can't boast many unusual titles. They're all rather normal and comparatively sedate. Looking at the list of historical fiction I compiled for 2006, these seem like the only real contenders: Carl-Johan Vallgren's The Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot, from HarperCollins last April, or maybe Gordon Dahlquist's The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, from Bantam US/Viking UK.
If anyone has better suggestions for this award, from 2006 or prior years, I'd love to hear them.
The historical fiction field, unfortunately, can't boast many unusual titles. They're all rather normal and comparatively sedate. Looking at the list of historical fiction I compiled for 2006, these seem like the only real contenders: Carl-Johan Vallgren's The Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot, from HarperCollins last April, or maybe Gordon Dahlquist's The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, from Bantam US/Viking UK.
If anyone has better suggestions for this award, from 2006 or prior years, I'd love to hear them.
Monday, March 12, 2007
If only it were this easy
Check out the cover of the University of Nebraska Press's spring/summer 2007 catalog (warning, large PDF file alert) for a really cute cartoon.
If you're on dialup, there's a smaller version posted at the main U of NE catalog page.
If you're on dialup, there's a smaller version posted at the main U of NE catalog page.
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