PODCAST: Escape to Christmas Island with author Natalie Normann

21 December 2020

LISTEN HERE!!!

Natalie Normann is a Norwegian writer and writes historical romance series in her native language. She has also written crime novels and children’s books before turning to romance full-time.

She grew up in a shipping town on the west-coast of Norway and always wanted to be a writer. Actually, she wanted to smoke cigars and drink whiskey like Hemingway but settled for chocolate and the occasional glass of Baileys.

Her writing journey started with short stories in women’s magazines until her first book was published in 1995.

Summer Island is her first romance written in English and her latest book, Christmas Island, is out now.

You can find Natalie at Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Gothic Literature – Cemetery Confessions

Sheila English

20 December 2020

My new obsession is Cemetery Confessions and this episode – Gothic Literature is perfect for Reader’s Entertainment! The Count talks to Adrienne and Michelle who talk about what defines Gothic literature and about classic stories. This is a smart and interesting discussion of Gothic literature you must check out!

If you love Cemetery Confessions please do consider supporting them either on Patreon or by sharing their content, joining them on social, etc. You can see the main website here- The Belfry.

Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

Jocie McKade

20 December 2020

This week was the birthday of author Jane Austen, and here are a few titles written about the iconic author and few written in the same style.

Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort. – Jane Austen

Happy Birthday Jane Austen! Born December 16, 1775, in Hampshire, England Jane Austen is known best for her 6 major novels beginning with SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. We are hard-pressed to think of a more beloved author, one who continues to influence so many writers, filmmakers and readers. 245 years after her birth, Austen-mania continues because of Jane Austen’s universal and timeless themes and social critiques. Take a tour through some of her most famous novels and the contemporary books they’ve inspired:

Sanditon and Other Stories by Jane Austen SANDITON AND OTHER STORIES by Jane Austen, Margaret Drabble

In time for the highly-awaited TV series, a new edition of Jane Austen’s delightful final work, set in a newly established seaside resort with a glorious cast of hypochondriacs and speculators. This volume includes Sanditon, as well as two other lesser-known works, Lady Susan and The Watsons. With three vital and less familiar works by one of the most important novelists in the English language, this book is a must-have for Austen fans.

Emma by Jane Austen EMMA 200TH-ANNIVERSARY ANNOTATED EDITION by Jane Austen; Edited by Juliette Wells

The culmination of Jane Austen’s genius, a sparkling comedy of love and marriage.

THE ANNOTATED PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: A REVISED AND EXPANDED EDITION by Jane Austen

The first-ever fully annotated edition of one of the most beloved novels in the world is a sheer delight for Jane Austen fans. Here is the complete text of Pride and Prejudice with thousands of annotations on facing pages, including maps and illustrations, rules of etiquette, citations, letters, chronology et al…

Persuasion by Jane Austen PERSUASION by Jane Austen: Foreword by Audrey Niffenegger, Colm Tóibín

A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition of Jane Austen’s final novel written during her race against failing health. Persuasion tells the story of Anne Elliot, a woman who – at twenty-seven – is no longer young and has few romantic prospects. Eight years ago, she was persuaded by her friend Lady Russell to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a handsome naval captain with neither fortune nor rank. When Anne and Frederick meet again, he has acquired both, but still feels the sting of her rejection. A brilliant satire of vanity and pretension, Austen’s last completed novel is also a movingly told love story tinged with the heartache of missed opportunities.

The Complete Novels by Jane Austen THE COMPLETE NOVELS by Jane Austen; Introduction by Karen Joy Fowler

Now in Penguin Classics Deluxe: a treasure trove of Jane Austen’s novels

Few novelists have conveyed the subtleties and nuances of their own social milieu with the wit and insight of Jane Austen. Here in one volume are her seven great novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Lady Susan. Through her vivacious and spirited heroines and their circle, Austen vividly portrays English middle-class life as the eighteenth century came to a close and the nineteenth century began. Each of the novels is a love story and a story about marriage—marriage for love, for financial security, for social status. But they are not romances; ironic, comic, and wise, they are masterly evocations of the society Jane Austen observed. This beautiful volume covers the literary career of one of England’s finest prose stylists of any century.

Introduction by bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club Karen Joy Fowler

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB by Karen Joy Fowler

In California’s central valley, five women and one man join to discuss Jane Austen’s novels. Over the six months they get together, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her eye for the frailties of human behavior and her ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Karen Joy Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships.

Longbourn by Jo Baker LONGBOURN by Jo Baker

The servants take center stage in this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice. While Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters fuss over balls and husbands, Sarah, their orphaned housemaid, is beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When a new footman arrives at Longbourn under mysterious circumstances, the carefully choreographed world she has known all her life threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended. Mentioned only fleetingly in Jane Austen’s classic, here Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Regency England and, in doing so, uncovers the real world of the novel that has captivated readers’ hearts around the world for generations.

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal UNMARRIAGEABLE: A NOVEL by Soniah Kamal

In this retelling of Pride & Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan, feminist schoolteacher Alys Binat has sworn never to marry—until an encounter with one Mr. Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider.

All Stirred Up by Brianne Moore ALL STIRRED UP: A NOVEL by Brianne Moore

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion. She returned to save her family’s dying legacy—but found the ghosts of her past alive and well.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld ELIGIBLE: A MODERN RETELLING OF PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Curtis Sittenfeld

This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray. Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show “Eligible”.

FOR YOUNGER READERS

Who Was Jane Austen? by Sarah Fabiny and Who HQ WHO WAS JANE AUSTEN? by Sarah Fabiny, Who HQ, Jerry Hoare

Step into the world of Georgian England and learn more about the genteel life of this beloved author.

The Next Great Jane by K. L. Going THE NEXT GREAT JANE by K. L. Going

From award-winning author K. L. Going comes a happily-ever-after story of a girl who discovers the true secret to all good writing—through an unlikely friendship, some well-intentioned matchmaking, and little bit of science.

For more on these and other Jane Austen titles visit Jane!

The Gothquisition

Sheila English

19 December 2020

I came across this podcast & vlog called Cemetery Confessions that is a dark and Goth community ran by The Count. I was mesmerized! The podcasts and the vlogs are so entertaining it pulled me in and I ended up signing up for their Patreon and watched the crap out of the vlogs and now am going through the podcasts.

I chose to share a few of these with you. I know, I know…it’s the holiday season, but really, not everyone is looking for tinsel and Santa. These are so smart and entertaining and … addictive.

This particular podcast is entirely satirical and so freaking smart I can’t stand it! It’s called Gothquisition.

If you’d like to have a taste of the dark side this is a great one to check out. It’s dark comedy and satire that makes you think!

INVISIBLE MEN: THE TRAILBLAZING BLACK ARTISTS OF COMIC BOOKS

Jocie McKade

19 December 2020

INVISIBLE MEN: THE TRAILBLAZING BLACK ARTISTS OF COMIC BOOKS
Sheds Light on the Struggles and Triumphs of Black Pioneers

During the formative years of the comic book industry, talented Black artists worked behind-the-scenes to create thrilling tales of superheroes, horror, and romance. Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books, a new hardcover book by comics historian Ken Quattro, is a riveting exploration of this little-known history, published by Yoe Books, an IDW imprint, and debuting tomorrow, December 15th.

Using primary source material from World War II-era Black newspapers and magazines, this compelling book profiles pioneers like E.C. Stoner, a renowned fine artist of the Harlem Renaissance and the first Black artist to draw comic books; Owen Middleton, whose life sentence in Sing Sing became a cause célèbre championed by historian Will Durant, leading both to freedom and a career in comics; Matt Baker, who drew Vooda, the first groundbreaking Black comic book hero; and many more. Each man’s personal struggles and triumphs are represented as they broke through into an industry formerly occupied only by whites.

Gorgeously illustrated with rare examples of each artist’s work, Invisible Men features Ken Quattro’s impeccable research of the social and cultural environments in which these extraordinary men lived and worked, plus full stories from mainstream comic books, rare reprints from titlles including All-Negro Comics and Negro Heroes, and unpublished artist’s photos.

“The Black artists profiled in this book lived and worked among the white population but remained unseen and unknown to those same people. My research, taken mostly from sources within the contemporaneous Black media, was for me both revealing and humbling. I hope that by sharing these revelations, others will be inspired,” says Quattro.

“Ken Ouattro’s engrossing writing, based on over two decades of impeccable research, finally gives foundational black comic artists their due. This unknown but vital part of comics history which Ken has so stunningly revealed will make the timely Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books one of the most talked about and important books of the comics field,” says Yoe Books editor, Craig Yoe.

Early reviews from Quattro’s peers in the arena of comics history have been overwhelmingly positive, and include:

“An indispensable contribution to the history of American comics, for fans and scholars alike.” — Qiana Whitted, editor of Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies, and author of EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest

“A long neglected chapter of comic book history brought to light by a master scribe!” — Prof. William H. Foster III, comic book historian and author of Looking For A Face Like Mine

“The book is a revelation because of the sheer number of talented artists Quattro has discovered, and it’s a memorial because of his meticulous research, which he has used to document the lives and accomplishments of a generation of barely- to completely-unknown Black comics artists.” —Calvin Reid, senior news editor of Publishers Weekly and co-editor of PW Comics World

“Dogged research and choice archival reprints make this volume an essential reference for pop culture history. Eighteen African American comics creators receive overdue hero treatment in this collection that documents their essential roles in the rise of graphic pulp literature within the struggle for Black equality in postwar America.” — Publishers Weekly

“This is the most complete list of Black Golden Age artists I’ve ever seen, complete with photos and examples of their work… a crucial historical document.” — Reginald Hudlin, Producer/Director

”A timely and information-packed book giving tribute to a host of unsung Black creators of fabulous four-color art and comics.” — Karen Green, curator for Comics and Cartoons, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University

“Invisible Men highlights forgotten yet essential figures in our industry. Bravo to Mr. Quattro for finally giving them their due.” — Keith Knight, Creator of The K Chronicles and Woke

Invisible Men: The Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books
by Ken Quattro
ISBN 978-1-68405-586-9
$34.99 US / $53.99 CAN
240-page, full color hardcover, 8.5” x 11″
December 15, 2020

BOOK REVIEW: I Am a Secret Service Agent by Dan Emmett

Jocie McKade

19 December 2020

I Am a Secret Service Agent by Dan Emmett

I picked this up at a reader conference I was attending. It’s intended audience is for younger readers….teens and tweens, but I found it a very wonderful read. The author is a retired Secret Service agent and a man who truly loved his job, was patriotic, and gives readers an insight into the sometimes boring and exhausting life of an agent.

I found myself intrigued by the nuances of the job, but the dedication of the agent. The assassination of President Kennedy began his desire to become an agent — he was a Captain in the U.S. Marines, A CIA Agent, and a top Secret Service agent. Dan Emmett shows any person, especially young readers exactly what dogged determination can lead to….your dream.

I highly recommend this book for readers of all ages!!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Adapted from Within Arm’’s Length for a younger audience, a rare inside look at the Secret Service from an agent who protected Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

Dan Emmett was just eight years old when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. From that moment forward, he knew he wanted to become a Secret Service agent, one of an elite group of highly trained men and women dedicated to preserving the life of the President of the United States at any cost, including sacrificing their own lives if necessary. Armed with single-minded determination and a never-quit attitude, he did just that. Selected over thousands of other highly qualified applicants to become an agent, he was eventually chosen to be one of the best of the best and provided protection worldwide for Presidents George Herbert Walker Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, and George W. Bush.

I Am a Secret Service Agent skillfully describes the duties and challenges of conducting presidential advances, dealing with the media, driving the President in a bullet-proof limousine, running alongside him through the streets of Washington, and flying with him on Air Force One. With fascinating anecdotes, Emmett weaves keen insight into the unique culture and history of the Secret Service with the inner workings of the White House. I Am A Secret Service Agent is a must read for young adults interested in a career in federal law enforcement.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Mary Shelley

Sheila English

18 December 2020

Mary Shelley wrote the legendary novel Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus in 1816. The novel was completed and then published in 1818. The book was revised twice more during Mary’s life, once in 1821 which was the first time Shelley’s name appeared on her novel (previously it was published anonymously), and once more with an introduction by the author in 1831.

Mary was the daughter of two respected and celebrated literary parents. Her mother, a famous feminist, died only a few days after Mary’s birth.

There’s so much about Mary Shelley, born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin in 1797, that is remarkable it’s like she lived out a full novel herself. Here are five little-known or discussed facts about this famous author you may not know.

She was 16 when she ran away from home with a married man (Percy Shelley)
Her first born was a daughter who was premature and only lived for a few days. Mary wasn’t even 18 when this happened and her grief never really left her.
A large portion of her journals were lost in Paris. It is said she left them behind by mistake and was very upset to have lost them.
She kept Percy’s heart after he died. After his drowning in 1822 his body washed ashore and was cremated, as was the norm of the time. But his calcified heart did not burn (some say it was his liver but that doesn’t sound as romantic).
She helped a transgender couple escape persecution. Mary Shelley, it is suspected from some of her journal notes, was bi-sexual. She helped procure fake ID for two friends – Isabel Robinson and Mary Diana Dods to avoid persecution and run away to Paris to live as husband and wife.

RANDOM HOUSE AND ROC NATION LAUNCH A NEW PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP

Jocie McKade

18 December 2020

Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC and Roc Nation, the preeminent modern entertainment company founded by Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, are thrilled to announce a new publishing partnership to be called Roc Lit 101. The venture is an imprint devoted to publishing books at the dynamic intersection of entertainment and genre-defying literature, including exhilarating, innovative work from some of the biggest artists and most imaginative and incisive writers of our time on a wide range of subjects such as music, sports, pop culture, activism, and art. This new imprint will be overseen by Chris Jackson, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of One World books, an imprint of Random House, and Jana Fleishman, EVP of Roc Nation.

“The goal of Roc Lit 101 is to provide a creative outlet for acclaimed wordsmiths and artists to share their visions with new audiences” says Fleishman. “There are so many untold stories and we consider it a true privilege to be able to amplify diverse voices while exploring the uncharted worlds that are about to open to us.”

Jackson adds, “Our aspiration for the imprint is to create books that draw from the best of pop culture—its most imaginative and talented storytellers, innovators, and literary chroniclers—to create beautifully written and produced works that will entertain and enthrall readers, but also illuminate critical issues. But the partnership isn’t just about the books – it’s also about audiences: we want to find new voices and new stories, but also new readers.”

The inaugural list for Roc Lit 101 will launch in Summer 2021 with TILL THE END, CC Sabathia’s raw, compelling memoir of baseball, family, fame, addiction, and recovery, written with Chris Smith; and legendary music journalist Danyel Smith’s SHINE BRIGHT, a brilliant weave of memoir, criticism, and biography that tells the story of black women in music as the foundational story of American pop.

The Roc Lit 101 lineup will feature creative work across a wide variety of interests. Future lists include fantastical illustrated fiction from world-creating artists like Lil Uzi Vert; personal narratives that take on the biggest issues of the day like Meek Mill’s story of criminal justice and survival; illuminating and pulse-pounding coming-of-age memoirs from brilliant storytellers like Fat Joe and Yo Gotti; illustrated books and cookbooks; books for children and books that defy genre altogether.

Roc Lit 101 and One World are imprints of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Cozy Mysteries with Holiday Style!

Jocie McKade

18 December 2020

Hollyberry Homicide – A Berry Basket Mystery #5
by Sharon Farrow

A cold wind is blowing off Lake Michigan, and murder is scaring the dickens out of everyone . . .

Considering her name, Marlee Jacob is an obvious choice for the role of Jacob Marley in Oriole Point’s production of A Christmas Carol. It’s just sad that the role has opened up because of the death of the elderly actor who’d originally been cast.

But Marlee, the proprietor of The Berry Basket, will do her best to keep spirits high—that is, until clues start mounting that there’s danger behind the scenes. There are accidents on set, the tree in the village square topples over, and worst of all, a body is found with a sprig of holly draped over it. If Marlee can’t wrap up the case, she may not have a berry merry Christmas . . .

Includes Berry Recipes!

You can purchase Hollyberry Homicide at:
Multiple Retailers

Mistletoe, Moussaka, and Murder — A Kebab Kitchen Mystery #5
by Tina Kashian

Not even her impending nuptials can keep Lucy Berberian, manager of her family-owned Kebab Kitchen, from the Jersey Shore’s annual Polar Bear Plunge. But her dive into the icy ocean is especially chilling when she finds a fellow swimmer doing the dead man’s float—for real . . .

Who would kill a man in cold blood during Ocean Crest, New Jersey’s most popular winter event? When Lucy learns the victim is Deacon Spooner, the reception hall owner who turned up his nose—and his price—at her wedding plans, she can’t help wondering who wouldn’t kill the pompous caterer . . .

Perhaps the culprit is the wedding cake baker whose career Deacon nearly destroyed? Or the angry bride whose reception he ruined? With her maid of honor, Katie, busily planning Lucy’s wedding without her, Lucy will have to get to the bottom of this cold-hearted business in time for Kebab Kitchen’s mouthwatering Christmas celebration—and before her hometown’s holiday spirit washes out to sea . . .

Recipes included!

You can purchase MISTLETOE, MOUSSAKA, AND MURDERA at:
Multiple Retailers

Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past — A Salem B&B Mystery #3
by Traci Wilton

Salem, Massachusetts B&B owner Charlene Morris is looking into a holiday hit-and-run, with a little help from her ghostly housemate . . .

Charlene’s parents are in town for Christmas, and her mother is driving her up a tree. Her bed-and-breakfast’s resident ghost, Jack, isn’t fond of her either—and he’s showing it with some haunting high jinks. But when Charlene takes her mom and dad out for dinner, the less-than-seasonal spirits take a deadly turn.

David Baldwin has just won a fortune in the lottery—and it adds a lot of drama to the charity auction he’s hosting at his restaurant. When he caps off the evening by playing Santa and handing out checks to some of the attendees, the mood shifts . . . and Charlene observes mysterious tensions between David and his flashy, bleached-blonde wife, his neglected teenage son from a previous marriage, and his hostile business partner, among others. And they’re only a few on the long list of potential suspects when David runs into the road and is mowed down by a fleeing motorist. Now it looks like it’s going to be homicide for the holidays . . .

You can purchase MRS. MORRIS AND THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST at:
Multiple Retailers

1...391392393...937 Page 392 of 937