Out of the Mouth of Babes

Yesterday, my husband and I were talking, and I mentioned jokingly that I could go back to work if he wanted to start a second career in politics. My 3 1/2 year old son says in all seriousness,"Mommies don't work." I'm not sure how to take this since I think stay-at-home moms "work" pretty hard. So I asked him what does his mommy do, and he answered "Go to book club." At the very least, he does know what I enjoy!

As I was writing this, I remembered another funny story about my son. His daddy asked him what I needed for Christmas, and he answered, "A BREAK!" Needless to say, I fell over laughing. After thinking for a few seconds he changed his answer and said, "Mommy needs books for presents." I don't know about you, but I consider both answers to be awesome gifts!

Review: No One Heard Her Scream

Summary: Burdened by Grief, She Hunts a Killer
They never found her sister's body, but Detective Rebecca Montgomery knows her murderer is still out there. In the five months since Danielle went missing, there have been two more brutal abductions. A savage menace stalks the women of San Antonio, and the relentless detective will do anything to find him.

And a Seductive Stranger Shadows Her Every Move
But her latest case—the discovery of a young woman's remains inside the wall of a burned-down theater—plunges Rebecca from her grief into a brand-new nightmare. She soon meets handsome, mysterious Diego Galvan at the crime scene, and his shadowy connections will lead to her first break in both cases. But when Rebecca submits to his considerable powers of seduction, she will leave herself vulnerable to a merciless killer . . . and when he attacks, no one will hear her scream. - harper collins

I finally scored another book from Harper Collins First Look Program. This time it was an ARC of NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM by Jordan Dane. This book is technically considered a Romantic Suspense book, so I was a little concerned that I wouldn't appreciate the "romance" parts in it. I actually thought the suspense aspect of the novel was very interesting, and the romance part was really secondary.

I don't want to say the the plot was entirely predictable to me because it wasn't; however by the end of the novel, I had a feeling where it was going. That's not to say that I lost interest in the mystery -- the book kept my interest until the very end. I especially liked the characters of Rebecca and Diego, and I wanted their relationship to work out. The author did a very good job of letting the reader into the minds of the main characters. I felt like I had a great deal of compassion for their situations.

I have to warn you that this is not a book that deals with very serious issues including stalking and murder. I thought the crimes that were committed were incredibly atrocious -- I can't go into more detail because I would spoil the ending. At times, I found myself very uncomfortable while reading the story. I think that is exactly effect that Ms. Dane wants the reader to feel.

The book takes place in San Antonio, Texas -- the city where Ms. Dane grew up. It is very clear that San Antonio holds a very close place to her heart. She mentions a lot of historic places in her novel and does a wonderful job of describing them to the reader. Ms. Dane has a very nice website where she explains the "Story Behind the Story" and provides pictures of the places she mentions in the novel. I enjoyed seeing how closely the pictures matched her descriptions.

NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM is currently available at all book outlets for $6.99 (that's a bargain.) Ms. Dane has two more books coming out in the next few months -- NO ONE LEFT TO TELL in April and NO ONE LIVES FOREVER in May. I definitely thought her first book was an enjoyable read, and I wouldn't hesitate to read her next two novels.

Hello...You Won Calling Home

And the winner of the CALLING HOME giveaway is... Karlie! Here is how I picked the winner: I assigned a number to each post in the order they appear. Then I went to random.org and let it generate the winning number. Congratulations, Karlie! I really enjoyed reading this novel, and I hope you do as well.

Review: The Kindness of Strangers

Summary: A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life.

Jordan, a quiet, reclusive elementary school classmate of Sarah's son Danny, has survived a terrible ordeal. By agreeing to become Jordan's foster mother, Sarah will be forced to question the things she has long believed. And as the delicate threads that bind their family begin to unravel, all the Ladens will have to face difficult truths about themselves and one another—and discover the power of love necessary to forgive and to heal. - harper collins

One of my very favorite blogs Book Club Girl had an offer too good to refuse. A few weeks ago, she announced that she would be hosting Katrina Kittle, author of THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS, on her BlogTalk Radio show. She would send us the book if we were willing to read it and participate in the discussion. Of course, I jumped at the chance! I had listened to her show with Jamie Saul author of LIGHT OF DAY, and I thought it really enhanced my understanding of the book.

I loved THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS; and I was hooked on the story from the first page. The book dealt some horrific issues, but the author handled them extremely well. That's not to say that it wasn't difficult to read parts of this book, but there was absolutely no way that I could put it down. After I finished this book, I could not stop thinking about it or the characters in it. I think this story is going to stick with me for quite awhile.

The main characters were extremely likable, despite their issues; and I loved that everything ultimately worked out for them. Please don't think that I'm giving away the ending because Ms. Kittle's first chapter takes place in the present and the rest of the book is a flashback. (Thank goodness she wrote the book that way because I don't know if I could have handled reading the book otherwise). I truly loved that both Jordan and the Laden family were ultimately healed by helping each other --I was so touched by this story.

I thought the book was extremely well written, and I really liked how Ms. Kittle tackled a delicate situation. Each chapter was told from the third person perspective about a different character in the book. The reader really gets to know and care about each character because of the way it was written. I felt that all of the characters were very believable; and it's very apparent that the author understands children.

I was really looking forward to hearing Ms. Kittle discuss her book last night. I was very curious about what inspired her to write a book such as THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS. Her answer makes an incredible story too. I loved listening to her talk about her book, and I think I even like the book more (if that's possible) after the show. If you want to hear Ms. Kittle talk about this book on BlogTalk Radio, click here.

I think this book would be an amazing book club selection. Of course, there is a reading guide with lots of questions to get you started. I actually found myself wanting to talk about it with my book club the other night, even though none of them read it! There is just so much to talk about and reflect on. It's not a book that I will forget anytime soon.

April 2008 Book Club Meeting and May Selection

Summary: Wisconsin, 1961. Evelyn “Button” Peters is nine the summer Winnalee and her fiery-spirited older sister, Freeda, blow into her small town–and from the moment she sees them, Button knows this will be a summer unlike any other. Much to her mother’s dismay, Button is fascinated by the Malone sisters, especially Winnalee, a feisty scrap of a thing who carries around a shiny silver urn containing her mother’s ashes and a tome she calls “The Book of Bright Ideas.” It is here, Winnalee tells Button, that she records everything she learns: her answers to the mysteries of life. But sometimes those mysteries conceal a truth better left buried. And when a devastating secret is suddenly revealed, dividing loyalties and uprooting lives, no one–from Winnalee and her sister to Button and her family–will ever be the same. - bantam dell

Last night, the Preschool Moms Book Club met to discuss THE BOOK OF BRIGHT IDEAS by Sandra Kring. We all agreed that it was a wonderful book, and we had so much to talk about. It says something about the quality of the book that we actually discussed it rather than venturing off on other subjects. We started out using the reader's guide to get the discussion flowing; however, we found there was still more that we wanted to talk about.

Our entire book club found that, by the end of the book, we loved almost all of the main characters. I can't tell you how unusual that is for us! We actually spent a lot of time discussing the personalities and traits of the characters and how they changed throughout the book. I don't want to give anything away, but our discussion kept coming back to the themes of redemption and friendship. There were just so many other issues that we touched on including self confidence, mother-daughter relationships, mothering skills, and "bright ideas."

I loved Ms. Kring's writing style, and I have much appreciation for how she set up the story. Her first person narrative, by a nine year old girl, seemed very real to me as did many of the characters. Even though there were some sad parts of this book, there was also a great deal of humor woven in. While we were a little upset in how the book ended (because we wanted what we thought was best for the characters, not because it was a bad ending), I found Ms. Kring's overall messages very uplifting. I strongly recommend thinking about THE BOOK OF BRIGHT IDEAS for a future book club selection.

Our May selection is MATRIMONY by Joshua Henkin. I am just thrilled (and very nervous) that Mr. Henkin will actually be meeting with my book club to discuss his book. I have heard wonderful things about this book and can't wait to read it.

Summary: From the moment he was born, Julian Wainwright has lived a life of Waspy privilege. The son of a Yale-educated investment banker, he grew up in a huge apartment on Sutton Place, high above the East River, and attended a tony Manhattan private school. Yet, more than anything, he wants to get out–out from under his parents’ influence, off to Graymont College, in western Massachusetts, where he hopes to become a writer.

When he arrives, in the fall of 1986, Julian meets Carter Heinz, a scholarship student from California with whom he develops a strong but ambivalent friendship. Carter’s mother, desperate to save money for his college education, used to buy him reversible clothing, figuring she was getting two items for the price of one. Now, spending time with Julian, Carter seethes with resentment. He swears he will grow up to be wealthy–wealthier, even, than Julian himself.

Then, one day, flipping through the college facebook, Julian and Carter see a photo of Mia Mendelsohn. Mia from Montreal, they call her. Beautiful, Jewish, the daughter of a physics professor at McGill, Mia is–Julian and Carter agree–dreamy, urbane, stylish, refined.

But Julian gets to Mia first, meeting her by chance in the college laundry room. Soon they begin a love affair that–spurred on by family tragedy–will carry them to graduation and beyond, taking them through several college towns, over the next ten years. Then Carter reappears, working for an Internet company in California, and he throws everyone’s life into turmoil: Julian’s, Mia’s, his own.

Starting at the height of the Reagan era and ending in the new millennium, Matrimony is about love and friendship, about money and ambition, desire and tensions of faith. It asks what happens to a marriage when it is confronted by betrayal and the specter of mortality. What happens when people marry younger than they’d expected? Can love endure the passing of time?

In its emotional honesty, its luminous prose, its generosity and wry wit, Matrimony is a beautifully detailed portrait of what it means to share a life with someone–to do it when you’re young, and to try to do it afresh on the brink of middle age. -- random house

Review: The Secret of Lost Things

Summary: Eighteen years old and completely alone, Rosemary arrives in New York from Tasmania with little other than her love of books and an eagerness to explore the city. Taking a job at a vast, chaotic emporium of used and rare books called the Arcade, she knows she has found a home. But when Rosemary reads a letter from someone seeking to “place” a lost manuscript by Herman Melville, the bookstore erupts with simmering ambitions and rivalries. Including actual correspondence by Melville, The Secret of Lost Things is at once a literary adventure and evocative portrait of a young woman making a life for herself in the city. -- random house

THE SECRET OF LOST THINGS by Sheridan Hay is a truly unique book. I can't really say that I've ever read a book quite like this one, and I think that's what made this book so special (in a good way.) I guess I could say that the story was a coming-of-age tale about a young woman who finds herself in New York City after the death of her mother. But that description doesn't really seem to do it justice. It was so much deeper than that!

I don't even know where to begin talking about the cast of characters in this book. I found that most of the characters that worked in the bookstore were extremely eccentric and flat out weird. Even though I didn't really like many of the bookstore employees, their oddities did provide some opportunities for humor. It was very entertaining the see the jealousy and pettiness of the characters once they realized that there was a letter claiming a "lost" manuscript by Herman Melville.

I did like Rosemary quite a bit, and I wanted her to find happiness; but I found myself getting frustrated with her involvement/infatuation with a co-worker. Having said that, I really enjoyed the scenes at her apartment with her new friends -- she had never had real female relationships growing up. I also loved watching Rosemary find herself and become an independent woman by the end of the book.

There were many references to Herman Melville in this book, and I was a little worried that I wouldn't understand them because I am not very familiar with any of Melville's books -- of course, I've heard of that little book MOBY DICK but I haven't actually read it. I am happy to say that my lack of knowledge didn't affect my understanding of the book at all. The author did a terrific job of using actual letters that Melville wrote to Nathaniel Hawthorne to explain the concept of the "lost" book. In addition, she wove many literary references (including Shakespeare) throughout the entire book -- it's pretty safe to say that I didn't catch most of them, but I still have an appreciation of what she did!

I actually really enjoyed reading this book. I thought the idea of the plot was brilliant, and I thought Ms. Hay did a wonderful job with writing the book. Of course, I'm sure that I was drawn to the book in part because much of it took place in a bookstore. But I also loved how the book ended -- I thought it was just perfect. I found myself reading that last 120 pages straight through just to find out what happened. This book had a little bit of everything in it -- fairytale, mystery, intrigue, romance, humor, and even a few surprises.

THE SECRET OF LOST THINGS would make a very interesting book club selection. I promise that there would be a lot to talk about, but there are also discussion questions to help get the conversation jump-started. It's hard to believe that this is Ms. Hay's first novel, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Also reviewed at:
Passion for the Page

Review: Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club

Summary: Life at the top of the A-list is fabulous, but it’s a long way to the ground if you fall—and the cameras are always waiting to publicly humiliate you if you do. Jessica, Mary Anne, Lydia, and Celeste have stayed at the top by sticking together. The last time they collaborated on a project, the film was a huge success, launching über-agent Jessica’s boutique management company, making Mary Anne the hottest new screenwriter in Hollywood, landing Lydia the top spot at Worldwide Pictures, and solidifying Celeste’s position as the queen of Tinseltown. But this time, as these powerful movie mavens are called to the set, each of them has a lot more to lose.

At thirty (ahem . . . thirty-six), actress Celeste Solange is starting to feel her age. Tiny lines are beginning to appear near her eyes, and she’s wondering how long she can hold on to her A-list status. But that’s not her biggest problem—not by a long shot. A compromising DVD she made with her husband during the wild early days of their marriage is making the rounds, threatening to break out onto the Internet and ruin her image and her career. So Celeste turns to her girlfriends for help—good thing they’re some of the most powerful players in town.

Mary Anne, Lydia, and Jessica have troubles of their own. Mary Anne has started seeing Holden Humphrey, the hottest leading man in Hollywood, and everyone in America is watching—including his crazy young stalker, who wants Mary Anne out of the picture. Lydia is busy running a studio, putting out fires, and playing politics with the big mouths and big egos of the entertainment elite, and now someone is trying to blackmail her. Jessica is juggling a family, a demanding career, and an even more demanding list of clients. And meanwhile, publicist Kiki Dee seems to have a hand in all the secrets . . . and she’s willing to do anything to keep her spot at the top of the Hollywood PR machine. Can the Hollywood Girls Club hold their lives together and get a film made amid all the craziness?

That’s life in Hollywood—where the right friends, and the secrets they know, can make or break a career. - random house

When Alisha from Crown asked me if I was interested in reading SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB by Maggie Marr, she described it as a "vivid insider novel about the struggles of four female power players in the stiletto-wearing, black-card carrying upper echelons of the entertainment industry." I thought that sounded like a light, fun book perfect for the pool or beach. I admit that I have a little bit of interest in the whole "Hollywood thing" -- I mean I sometimes read People and watch Entertainment Tonight to catch up on the celebrity gossip (much to the chagrin of my husband.)

I actually found this book to be very entertaining. The characters were all powerful women with different roles in movie-making business, so the author was able to show you different aspects of Hollywood business -- actress, screenwriter, studio head, manager-producer and even a publicist. A few of the characters were over-the-top (by Central PA standards), but they were all smart and funny. I thought the author did a good job of incorporating the "whodunit" element into the storyline as well. Ms. Marr wrote each chapter from the point-of-view of the different women which gave us futher insight into their actions. I found the chapter titles very amusing -- each chapter was focused around various "rules" for surviving in the movie business.

I especially enjoyed "getting the scoop" on Hollywood celebrities, and Ms Marr certainly knows the industry. She is currently a writer and producer; and before that she was a motion picture literary agent. I have a feeling that she's seen more than a few weird things take place in Hollywood. Even as outrageous as a few of the characters were, I'm sure that you will recognize some current actors' and actresses' behavior in them.

I am extremely flattered that Ms. Marr took time out of her busy life (she's a mom too) to answer a few questions for me. If you want to learn more about her, read this Q&A from her website -- no, she doesn't name any names, but she has worked on some interesting movies.

Booking Mama: What inspired you to write SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB?MM: This is a great question. I think, in part, it must be this fantastic crazy world of entertainment that I stumbled into when I went from being an attorney to an agent. Plus, I started to hear this voice in my head, telling me this great story that became Hollywood Girls Club.

Booking Mama: SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB is the second book that you've written with this cast of characters. Do you intend to write more "HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB" books?
MM: I’d love to write at least one more book in the Hollywood Girls Club series. I think the ladies should go to Cannes. And I definitely want to see more of Kiki. I just love her so much as a character.

Booking Mama: Was it harder or easier to write the second novel in the series?
MM: Challenging is the word I’m going with. Book two was definitely more challenging. First writing with a deadline is much different than just writing as a hobby. Second the final draft and now book Secrets of The Hollywood Girls Club, is so different (thankfully) than the first draft of the manuscript. I rewrote Secrets several times, cutting and reworking. The book really turned out tighter than the first draft.

Booking Mama: You started your career as an agent in Hollywood. How much of this story is based on reality?
MM: 99% But I never consciously take a story and use it. My unconscious, I believe, shapes, twists, and reforms all the stories and secrets that I know and creates something very similar to real life but with a twist.

Booking Mama: Are any of your celebrity characters based on real-life stars?
MM: Yes.

Booking Mama: Which character do you relate to the most?
MM: One of my good friends, told me that he saw a little of me in each of the characters. I think when I wrote Hollywood Girls Club I related most to Jessica. She is an attorney turned agent. But now, I relate most to Mary Anne, perhaps because we’re both Midwestern and writers.

Booking Mama: How did you decide to make the switch from an agent to an author?
MM: After both books sold, I really thought I could do both; agent and write. But as I mentioned writing with a deadline is much different than writing as a hobby. Plus, I love my clients (now former clients) and I didn’t ever want them to worry about how I divided my time. Being an agent, a really good agent, is a lifestyle and the commitment to your clients is 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Booking Mama: Is there any chance that we'll see the HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB characters in a movie?
MM: Yes, of course. Film or television. We are in talks.

Booking Mama: Are you a member of a book club?
MM: I was before moving to LA. But LA is really a movie town, I haven’t found one here....so if anyone has one...

Booking Mama: What type of books do you enjoy reading? Who are your favorite authors? What book are you currently reading?
MM: I read everything. I love Joan Collins, Carl Hiaasen, Sarah Mlynowski, Marian Keyes, Jennifer Weiner, Pete Dexter, Tom Perrotta, Toni Morrison, Janet Evanovich, Ally Carter...the list goes on and on and on. Right now I am reading two fabulous books: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart and High Five by Janet Evanovich

Booking Mama: Do you write everyday at set times (like a job) or just when an idea hits?
MM: I write everyday unless we have company or are traveling. And I mean every day. I like to be at my computer by 8 am. I work form 8 to noon. Then my daughters come home and we have lunch and I put them down for their naps. I then try to write again from 2 to 4. I always say I’ll write once the girls go to bed, but I’m usually too tired. So I try to get some reading done in the evening or television watching...yeah I’m a tv addict.

Booking Mama: What are you working on now?
MM: I just finished a television pilot for Mandeville Films. I’m writing a young adult paranormal thriller with a director friend of mine, and I’m almost finished with a stand alone women’s fiction book; Mothers & Daughters. After I finish these, I’m thinking I’ll use my legal background and knowledge of Hollywood to write a thriller.

Booking Mama: What do you want the reader to take away from your book?
MM: Pleasure, lots of pleasure. I want them to close the back cover, sigh, smile and think, ‘wow that was fun. I can’t wait for Maggie’s next book!’

I'd like to thank Ms. Marr for taking the time to answer my questions! SECRETS OF THE HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB will be available on April 15th; however, if you want a head-start on meeting the cast of characters, HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB is available in trade paperback right now.