The Printed Page

Suite 606, Ritual in Death (anthology) Web site for J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) Berkley, November ’08 352 pages/I read only the J.D. Robb section (approx. 88 pages) Mystery

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One of my all time favorite series. This is one series that I read as soon as the books are released. This selection from the In Death series is part of an anthology. I read only the J.D. Robb selection from these anthologies. Once again I’ve read another ‘book’ (part of) from the vacation stash. I have the newest J.D. Robb, Salvation in Death, loaded on the Kindle but didn’t want to deprive myself of some serious poolside reading so I read a teaser to get my Lt. Eve Dallas and Rouke fix.

A Wallflower Christmas Web site for Lisa Kleypas St. Martin’s Press, October ’08 224 pages Historical fiction, romance Book #110/08

********** This is purely guilty pleasure reading for me. I only started reading Lisa’s historical romance books this year and I’m hooked. It was one I was saving for vacation but alas I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to feed the carving.

I can’t believe we’re 11 months through 2008 and celebrating Thanksgiving Day here in the US. I’m posting a touch early as I don’t expect to finish another book before the month comes to an end. I finished the month reading 12 books, 4,068 pages and DNFing two. An average month for me.

Historical fiction The Nigh Villa by Carol Goodman Beside A Burning Sea by John Shors Etta by Gerald Kolpan A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

Action/Thriller/Suspense Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo by Dave Donelson Fault Line by Barry Eisler The Dharma King: The Thrilling Novel of One Man’s Quest to Save Tibet–and Himself by B.G. Stroh

Women’s fiction/Romance/Chick-lit Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter The Frog Prince by Jane Porter Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson by Maria Murnane

Humor When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes by Kelly Epperson

DNF The Shack by William P. Young A Jolly Good Fellow by Stephen V. Masse

My favorite A toss up between Beside A Burning Sea and Etta

A Jolly Good Fellow Stephen V. Masse Web site for Jolly Good Fellow Good Harbor Press, 2008 203 pages Fiction DNF/114 of 203 pages Book provided by the author ********** So if it’s taken me more than 3 days to read 114 of 203 pages obviously this isn’t the book for me. As much and as fast as I read I should be done with this book. I can’t say whether it’s the book or me. I’ll admit my attention is a divided right now. I’m more than ready to be gone on vacation and dive into books I really, really want to read.

My apologies to the author as I probably haven’t given this book my full attention but it just hasn’t grabbed my interest.

Even though I’m enjoying the fun and sun in Mexico there is still plenty happening here at The Printed Page and over at Up For Grabs so don’t despair. Check out what’s going on over the next couple of weeks.

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Mailbox Monday  will still post so be sure to stop by and check out what books your fellow bloggers have gotten in the past week. The anticipation of not knowing what shows up on my doorstep over the next week or two will almost be more than I can stand.

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I’m also going to post for the first time Waiting on Wednesday hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. I’ve seen this around recently and thought it looked like fun. A little reminder to myself of all those wonderful books upcoming that I’m excited to get my hands on. A little somethin’ to look forward to.

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Tour stop & guest post for Jane Porter (already posted). Her book, Flirting with Forty has been made into a Lifetime movie staring Heather Locklear. Check out my post with all the fun details. Don’t forget to stop by these other blogs (listed at the bottom of my post) on December 5th and check out their tour stops.

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I have posted two great giveaways over at Up For Grabs. Be sure to check each of them out. As it’s the season to give I’m throwing in 4 Amazon gift cards with a value of $25/each. Two per giveaway.

~ 2 signed copies of Matrimony courtesy of the author Josh Henkin. Enter the giveaway here.

~ 3 complete sets of Jane Porter books published by 5 Spot. Enter the giveaway here.

Jane Porter’s book, Flirting With Forty has been adapted into a movie, staring Heather Locklear, premiering on the Lifetime Movie Channel Saturday, December 6th. As I won’t be here for the official tour stop December 5th I’m posting a tad early.

I’d like to welcome Ms. Porter to The Printed Page and thank her for taking time from her busy schedule to write this guest post.

Flirting with Books that Become Movies by Jane Porter

Having a book out is huge. 

Having a book get turned into a movie is well, nothing short of miraculous. 

Not every book gets optioned, and of those that do, very few actually go into production.  The fact that Flirting with Forty was published in July ’06, and by July ’08 it was already a film in post-production waiting for its December premiere blows my mind.  It all happened so fast that I still find it hard to absorb.  But in the two years of activity highlights spring to mind:

The offer from Sony.

The email that told me Julia Dahl had been hired as the screenwriter.

Julia’s outline that would become the script.

My first glimpse of the script.

The phone call with the news that casting had begun and then the announcement that Heather Locklear had signed on to play Jackie.

And then the biggest news of all—the movie would go into production and begin filming April 1st for a December air date.

Pretty cool.  And so very amazing.

Equally amazing was the week I spent on the set in Hawaii this past April.  I had the chance to be an extra in my own movie and doing the wardrobe call every morning was illuminating (lots of people take the role of being an extra very seriously!) and then there was the discovery that being an extra is actually quite tedious, as there’s tons of standing around and waiting, and more waiting, and even more waiting.  I also discovered after watching the rough cut of the movie that most extras are merely background blur, or worse, extra footage that lands on the editing floor.

But I did feel special that week in Hawaii.  Once people knew who I was, I got the red-carpet treatment, including invitations to sit in the director’s chair to watch filming and the chance to cut to the head of the food service line at lunch instead of waiting with all the other extras.  I didn’t ever take advantage of cutting the catering truck line, but I did watch filming every chance I could get.  I loved wearing the heat-set and listening to direction. 

The movie’s wonderful, and while different from the novel, it’s such a fun, feel good holiday film and it captures the book’s spirit beautifully.

I don’t know if I’ll ever have another book made into a film, so I relish this one and count my lucky stars to have been part of such a fantastic production.  Working with Sony and Lifetime was a very positive experience, and the finished product inspires me to keep writing and pushing that edge of creativity.

********** Speak live with Jane Porter, author of FLIRTING WITH FORTY, on Blog Talk Radio on December 5th at 1PM ET. If you have a question for Jane, please email it to miriam.parker@hbgusa.com. Then call into (646) 378-0039 on December 5th at 1PM. If you’d like to listen online or sign up for a reminder, visit: Blog Talk Radio

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Be sure and stop by Up For Grabs and enter the giveaway of these great Jane Porter books.

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Please stop by these great blogs on Friday, December 5th and check out their tour stops.

http://www.myfriendamysblog.com

http://BermudaOnion.wordpress.com

http://bookcritiques.blogspot.com/

http://sharonlovesbooksandcats.blogspot.com/

http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/

http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com

http://Books-Movies-Chinesefood.blogspot.com

http://AllisonsAtticBlog.blogspot.com

http://Skrishnasbooks.blogspot.com

http://blog.literarily.com

http://www.bookingmama.blogspot.com

http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/

http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/

http://booksbytjbaff.blogspot.com/

http://exlibrisbb.blogspot.com/

http://www.marjoleinbookblog.blogspot.com

http://bookopolis.blogspot.com

http://www.anovelmenagerie.com

http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com

http://thebookczar.blogspot.com

http://www.thebookgirl.net

http://acircleofbooks.blogspot.com

http://01crazymomma.wordpress.com/

http://ablogofbooks.blogspot.com/

http://www.bookthoughtsbylisa.blogspot.com

http://enroutetolife.blogspot.com/

http://athomewithbooks.blogspot.com

Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson Web site for Maria Murnane WINK’S INK, February 29, 2008 (self-published) 320 pages Women’s fiction, romance, chick-lit Book provided by the author Book #109/08

From Amazon: Anything can look perfect…on paper. When her fiancé calls off their wedding at the last minute, Waverly Bryson wonders if her life will ever turn out the way she thought it would…or should. Her high-powered job in sports PR? Not so perfect. Her relationship with her dad? Far from it. Her perfect marriage? Enough said. Perfect…on Paper is a humorous tale of Waverly’s efforts to cobble the pieces of a broken yesterday into a brand new tomorrow. What does the future have in store for her? Will she finally find what she’s looking for? *Her dates? Cringe-inducing at times, definitely entertaining *Her friends? Often amused, definitely supportive *Her new crush? Possibly intrigued, definitely a catch *The results? Hardly perfect, definitely just right.

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As I have tour stop of Ms. Murnane in mid-December this won’t be a full-blown review. Let me just say this: the publishing houses that turned down this author missed out. Don’t take just my word check out the reviews at Amazon.

Waverly is funny, sexy, gutsy, refreshingly human just like us gals. I was entertained from front cover to last page. I wanted more Waverly, along with her great cast of supporting characters, the minute I finished Perfect on Paper. Unfortunately we readers may not be able to read a followup as Ms. Murnane is self-publihsed and her father handles her PR. This is a great family effort that deserves recognition and not to go unnoticed. Read an inspiring interview with this author here at Betty Confidential.

The Dharma King: The Thrilling Novel of One Man’s Quest to Save Tibet–and Himself B.G. Stroh Web site for The Dharma King iUniverse, June 30, 2008 204 pages Fiction Book provided by the author Book #107/08

From Amazon: An American. A baby. The Chinese Government. And the Race to Save Tibet. The eldest son of a wealthy San Francisco family, Samuel Falk Simms, Jr. has just graduated from college with a life of privilege and power ahead of him. On a whim, he books a flight to Kathmandu that will leave him changed forever. Barely off the airplane, he is fighting for his life while following an obscure map slipped to him by a Buddhist monk. Samuel must find his way in foreign lands and escape from the Chinese Colonel intent on stopping him, as he struggles to forge an authentic path for himself in order to help Tibetans reclaim theirs. “You know ‘Dharma’? Dharma means ‘The Way.’ Each man will have his own way. Each man is ruler of his own way. Each man is his own Dharma King.”

********** I enjoyed this book. It was a fast read and kept my interest. Admittedly this isn’t a world topic I know a lot about. I can’t say that normally this topic would be my first choice in reading material but it most certainly wasn’t a waste of time. I thought for a debut novel the author did a fine job with his material.

‘What on Your Nightstand’ is hosted over at 5 Minutes for Books.

My November nightstand is toppling as I’ve loaded up the Kindle for our annual winter vacation. Two blissful weeks of white sand beaches and turquoise blue water.

Here’s what I’m taking along. Most likely I’ll get through a tad more then 1/2 of the what I’m taking but it never hurts to have a good selection to choose from. I tend to take along a lot of ‘comfort food’ authors and genres on vacation. This way I’m assured of almost never meeting up with a book I don’t like especially when it can be difficult to get English language books where we’re headed.

Historical fiction ~ Soul Catcher: A Novel by Michael C. White

Suspense/thriller ~ Killer Instinct by Joseph Finder

Suspense/thriller ~ Last Known Victim by Erica Spindler

Memoir ~ Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist’s Wife by Irene Spencer

Suspense/thriller ~ Exposed (Maggie O’Dell Novels) by Alex Kava

Women’s fiction ~ The Bright Side of Disaster: A Novel by Katherine Center

Historical mystery ~ When Gods Die: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery by C.S. Harris

Historical fiction ~ The Lace Reader: A Novel by Brunonia Barry

Historical fiction ~ The Lady Elizabeth: A Novel by Alison Weir

Historical fiction ~ The Other Queen: A Novel by Philippa Gregory

Historical romance ~ A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

Historical romance ~ Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways, Book 1) by Lisa Kleypas

Historical romance ~ Seduce Me at Sunrise (The Hathaways, Book 2) by Lisa Kleypas

Action/thriller ~ Extreme Measures: A Thriller by Vince Flynn

Police mystery ~ Suite 606 by J.D. Robb. (Eve Dallas novella)

Historical thriller ~ The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose

Police mystery ~ Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

Fiction ~ Matrimony by Josh Henkin. This is for my Raved-About Reads challenge. Might as well do a little ‘work’ while I’m poolside.

Women’s fiction ~ Five Things I Can’t Live Without by Holly Shumas

Fiction ~ The Nora Roberts Sign of Seven trilogy: Blood Brothers, The Hollow, and The Pagen Stone.

Women’s fiction ~ Five Things I Can’t Live Without by Holly Shumas. I’m hosting a tour stop in January for Holly.

Memoir(?) ~ The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton

Women’s fiction ~ The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik

Women’s fiction ~ Good Luck by Whitney Gaskell

Suspense ~ Your Heart Belongs To Me by Dean Koontz

Fiction ~ Elvis Takes A Backseat by Leanna Ellis. I don’t know a darn thing about it but the pdf file was free so why not?

Fiction ~ The Ride by Jane Sutton. Along with J. Kaye the week of January 12th I’ll be hosting a Noontime Book Chat.

********** What books are currently on your nightstand?

Picture courtesy of Sandrapots.homestead.com

In anticipation of my upcoming vacation Mailbox Monday is going with a beach theme. We board the plane for beautiful sunny Mexico one week from today.

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Thank you to everyone who stops by Mailbox Monday. Whether you comment or visit I appreciate your taking the time to drop in.

Here’s what come into my house last week. None of these will be making the trek south but I’ll have lots of reading to do once I get home.

Fiction ~ Conscience Point by Erica Abeel

Historical fiction ~ Freeman Walker by David Allan Cates

Historical & contemporary fiction ~ The Melancholy Fate of Capt. Lewis by Michael Pritchett

Nonfiction(?) ~ The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

Fiction ~ The Misadventures of Oliver Booth: Life in the Lap of Luxury by David Desmond

Memoir ~ Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni

Fiction ~ This One Is Mine by Maria Stemple. For those of you who also got this one from Miriam take a look at pages 183-214.

Historical fiction ~ The Gates of Trevalyan by Jacquelyn Cook

Memoir ~ Mighty Queens of Freeville, The: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them by Amy Dickinson

and finally this last one is really a bit of surprise as I don’t remember requesting it:

Suspense/thriller ~ Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins **********

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What books came into your house last week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Mailbox post or a list of books if you don’t have a blog.