Welcome to the fascinating and talented Eric Asher! Eric’s not only a writer but a cellist, a toy collector and gamer. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek into his life and books! There is also a FREE ebook download as of this posting on Eric’s webpage……
REPOSTED WITH PERMISSION FROM LORI FOSTER
Reversing its customary order of presentation, following the previous unveiling of this year’s “10 Best Books,” the New York Times Book Review has posted its list of “100 Notable Books of 2019” selected by its editors across the Adult Fiction & Poetry and Nonfiction categories. Nearly half the list—45 titles—are ours, our highest collective total ever.
The list, to be published in the Book Review’s December 8 print edition, is available online in its entirety now.
Here are this year’s Penguin Random House NYTBR “Notable Books”:
Fiction & Poetry
Nonfiction
“Honor &…” by Sandra Brown and C.J. BoxIf you read this blog, you know that Joe Pickett is a Wyoming Game Warden, he can’t shoot a pistol to save his life, he is not afraid of anyone or anything, has a wife and three daughters, and has a VERY deadly friend….Nate Romanowski (cover your ears!).
Lee Coburn is with the FBI, is recovering from a gunshot wound, and if you read Sandra Brown you know the meaning of “Honor &…”.
Helping a friend near Jackson Hole, Joe is roaming unfamiliar territory on the lookout for illegal elk hunters when he hears gunshots and the unmistakeable sound of a bullet hitting flesh.
Investigating, he is confronted with a dead body in a log cabin and a .45 pistol aimed right at him. Joe, being Joe, tells the guy to drop the gun so he can arrest him. Arrrghhhh. 
Lee Coburn drops the gun when they both come under withering fire from above forcing a retreat into the log cabin after jumping over the dead body in the doorway.
What happens next is……
Oh, you will have to read the short story to find out.
It is very short and spectacularly great.
Andrew Kirtzman to Write Biography of Rudy GiulianiSimon & Schuster announced today that Andrew Kirtzman, an author and veteran political reporter, has been signed to write an authoritative biography of Rudy Giuliani. The book will cover the arc of Giuliani’s life and career, up through his current role as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney and pivotal figure in the Ukraine scandal. Bob Bender, Vice President and Executive Editor, bought English-language book and audio rights from Philippa Brophy, President of Sterling Lord Literistic literary agency. The book is slated to be published in 2021.
Kirtzman wrote his first book, Rudy Giuliani: Emperor of the City 19 years ago at the end of Giuliani’s mayoralty (it was republished a year later with Kirtzman’s first-person account of his experience with Giuliani on 9/11). It is considered the authoritative account of Giuliani’s mayoralty. He is also the author of Betrayal: The Life and Lies of Bernie Madoff, a biography about the Wall Street con man published in 2009.
“Giuliani has led an operatic life,” said Mr. Bender. “His story is a tale of epic events in the life of the nation that now include his central role in the current impeachment inquiry. Andrew has been writing about him since his days as a City Hall reporter in the 1990s, and has an intuitive understanding of this extraordinarily polarizing figure. It’s a perfect match of author and subject.”
Giuliani has led many lives and gained enormous fame at each turn. He was combative, controversial and hugely effective as U.S. Attorney and New York City mayor; an international hero for his leadership on September 11th; a failed presidential candidate; a conservative commentator; a confidante to a president and now a potential criminal defendant.
“At various points in his life Giuliani has been one of the country’s most revered and reviled men. He is a fascinating subject for a writer,” said Kirtzman.
Kirtzman, who runs a public affairs consulting firm, served as a political journalist for much of his career. He covered more than a dozen national political campaigns for print and television and hosted two of New York’s most widely-watched television political shows, Inside City Hall for New York 1 News and Kirtzman and Co. for WCBS-TV in New York. He is a multiple Emmy Award-winner who has written for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Republic, and frequently appears on CNN and MSNBC to discuss news and politics.
Previously, he served as a government reporter for The New York Daily News, an investigative reporter for The Houston Post and city editor of The Hudson Dispatch in New Jersey. He was born and raised on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and currently resides in Noho with his husband, Kyle Froman.
You flew on the wings of dragons, now soar into a sea of stars. Tor Vice President and Publisher Devi Pillai announced the acquisition of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, a new science fiction novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Paolini via Simon Lipskar of Writers House Literary Agency in a seven-figure deal. The book will be jointly edited by Devi Pillai and Executive Editor William Hinton.
During a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, xenobiologist Kira Navárez finds an alien relic that thrusts her into the wonders and nightmares of first contact. Epic space battles for the fate of humanity take her to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and, in the process, transform not only her—but the entire course of history.
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is an exciting departure from Paolini’s global phenomenon epic fantasy series; it’s a story of enormous intergalactic weight and consequence, but also of deeply personal human strength, compassion, and awe. Of the acquisition, Pillai remarked, “The opportunity to publish authors of Christopher Paolini’s caliber do not come along often. I have been a tremendous fan of The Inheritance Cycle, and I am thrilled to work with him on his first adult novel and first foray into science fiction. I can’t wait for his fans to read #TSIASOS and enter the amazing world he has created.”
Paolini says of the novel, “I am extremely excited to be working with the awesome folks at Tor Books to publish To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. This book is my love letter to the genre of science fiction. With it, I wanted to capture the sense of wonder I feel when looking at the stars…or when thinking about the future of humanity as it expands beyond Earth. I’ve been working on this story for over six years, and I can’t wait for people to read it!”
Pan Macmillan’s Tor imprint will publish the book in all formats in the UK, and it was acquired by Publisher Jeremy Trevathan with Editorial Director Bella Pagan. Of the acquisition, Trevathan commented, “Christopher Paolini’s new science fiction novel is a complete triumph; everything you’d expect from a writer of his stature and more. We are delighted to be embarking on this publishing adventure together.”
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is planned for publication in the US across all formats on September 15, 2020
Book Review: “Hellbent” by Gregg Hurwitz BY “Y.A.S, Y.A.L”
Evan Smoak was “recruited” into a secret government organization as a 12 year old, and taught the skills he needed to become an off-the-books assassin: Orphan X.
A few years ago, Evan left the Orphan program to become “The Nowhere Man”. A person who would help anyone who called 1-855-2-NOWHERE and asked for help.
Evan now leads two lives: A hard-working cleaning supply salesman and apartment dweller with a sometimes girlfriend, Mia, and her son Peter, and his real job as “The Nowhere Man”.
As the book starts…..Evan gets a call on his special, highly secure cell phone, meant only for NOWHERE calls. It is his mentor, in the Orphan program, Jack Johns…the closest person on earth that Evan has to family.
The Director of the Orphan program, Van Sciver (and Evan’s oldest and most dangerous enemy), has found Johns and will eliminate him in order to get to, and kill, Orphan X.
But, before Johns dies, he leaves a message for Evan:
“Get Package” 3728 Oak Terrace #202, Hillsboro, OR
That package turns out to be Joey…….and what follows is a breathtaking story of revenge reaching all the way to the top of the political spectrum.
To see what happens, you will need to read the book. 
To say that “Hellbent” is hella-great is an understatement, as it takes the reader on a journey of (unwanted) self-discovery as the bodies of Evan’s enemies pile up in his wake: Nothing and no one is going to stop “The Nowhere Man” from killing those who killed his “father”.
But along the way…..can it be that Evan realizes that he has found the meaning of true love?
“The hard part isn’t turning you in to a killer.
The hard part is keeping you human”
OMFG, give me some tissue and a shot of vodka!
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM TracyReaderDad: Book Reviews
Marry Christmas Murder: A Wedding Planner Mystery #5 Stephanie BlackmooreAs professional wedding planner Mallory Shepard organizes a Christmas Eve gala for her best friend, Olivia, the obstacles are starting to outnumber Santa’s reindeer…
Olivia’s dreaming of a white Christmas—as in a white wedding gown and all the trimmings. But that’s not the only event that’s keeping everyone busy. Olivia’s family are in real estate development, and they’re sponsoring Paws and Poinsettias—a benefit for the Port Quincy animal shelter. Meanwhile, Mallory’s mom wants to use her daughter’s connection to snag a job staging homes for the company . . . and the current stager is not filled with holiday cheer at the news that she might be replaced.
When the endangered employee downs some antifreeze-spiked punch at a party, Mallory has a murder to solve—among other mysteries including a missing cat, a toy-drive heist, and a baby found in a manger thirty years earlier…
You can purchase MARRY CHRISTMAS MURDER at:
Kensington Books
Murder In The First Edition: A Beyond The Page Bookstore Mystery #3 Lauren ElliottAddie Greyborne is preparing for the holidays at her bookstore in seaside New England—but a winter storm is coming, in more ways than one….
Addie’s getting into the spirit for the upcoming Charity Auction—especially since she’s got an 1843 copy of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol to donate. Her former colleagues at the Boston Public Library have confirmed that its worth runs toward the high five figures, which should help with the new pediatric wing. Her mood darkens, though, when a visitor from the past appears—Jonathan Hemingway, the father of her late fiancé. His presence stirs up sad memories for Addie, but also has her fuming when Jonathan, true to his womanizing ways, runs off for a lunchtime liaison with Teresa Lang, who’s in charge of the auction.
Soon after, Addie heads to Teresa’s office at the hospital—and finds the poor woman’s dead body. What she doesn’t find is her valuable first edition. What sort of Scrooge would steal from sick children and commit murder in the process? As a Nor’easter bears down and a mystery emerges about Jonathan’s past, Addie must find out if she can appraise people’s motives and characters as well as she can appraise rare books…
You can purchase MURDER IN THE FIRST EDITION at:
Kensington Books
‘Tis The Season Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery Leslie MeierChristmas has come to Tinker’s Cove, Maine, and sleuthing skills are at the top of Lucy’s Stone’s wish list in these two beloved mysteries—now collected in one festive volume for the very first time!…
New Year’s Eve Murder
After the annual parade of Christmas presents in Tinker’s Cove has ended, Lucy Stone and her daughter are ready to ring in the new year in style. Elizabeth has won mother/daughter winter makeovers in Manhattan from Jolie magazine! But the all-expenses-paid trip is bound to have some hidden costs—and one of them is murder. Soon it will be up to Lucy to dress down a killer before the ball drops in Times Square…
Christmas Carol Murder
Lucy Stone is excited about acting in the town’s production of A Christmas Carol. But a real-life Scrooge has everyone feeling frosty. While Tinker’s Cove has fallen on hard times, Downeast Mortgage owners Jake Marlowe and Ben Scribner are raking in profits from misfortune. So when Marlowe is murdered, the suspects are many. But Scribner claims Marlowe’s ghost has come to warn him of his own impending demise—and he’s soon receiving death threats. Now Lucy will have to solve the case faster than she can say “Bah! Humbug!” …
You can purchase ‘TIS THE SEASON MURDER at:
Kensington Books
Apple Cider Slaying: A Cider Shop Mystery #1 Julie Anne LindseyApples are at the core of the family business run by Winona Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe. But this year’s crop is unseasonably ripe with murder . . .
One Rotten Apple
Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny’s beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. But any way you slice it, it’s struggling. That’s why they’re trying to drum up business with the “First Annual Christmas at the Orchard,” a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike—until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny’s long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder…
“The characters are delightful . . . Plenty of action and suspense.” —RT Book Reviews on Murder in Real Time
Includes Recipes!
You can purchase APPLE CIDER SLAYING at:
Kensington Books
Silent Knit, Deadly Knit: A Knit & Nibble Mystery #4 Peggy EhrhartWhen murder silences the Christmas cheer in charming Arborville, New Jersey, Pamela and her Knit and Nibble pals must unravel the most bone-chilling mystery this side of the North Pole . . .
Pamela has been in merry spirits since her artsy daughter Penny returned home from college for the holidays. But their mother-daughter bonding time gets cut short when a terrified Penny stumbles upon the dumped body of Millicent Farthingale, a wealthy craft shop owner who was popular for all the wrong reasons. From a scheming business partner to a seedy husband several years her junior, Millicent attracted scammers so in love with her assets, they’d toss her down a chimney to get their paws on them. Now, with only a hand-knit red scarf connecting the killer to the crime, Pamela and the Knit and Nibblers could use some extra creativity as they find out who’s really naughty or nice in Arborville—because going up against a looming culprit is DIY or die!
Knitting tips and delicious recipe included!
You can purchase SILENT KNIT, DEADLY KNIT at:
Kensington Books
4 Tips for Designing a Home Library by Guest Blogger — Brooke ChaplanBuilding a quiet and peaceful library in your home doesn’t need to be a time-consuming or expensive process. With a little bit of planning and a few inexpensive upgrades, you will be able to create the perfect environment for storing and reading books.
Find the Perfect Room
As a general rule, libraries should be as quiet as possible, and that means that you should choose a room that is away from busy streets and loud areas of your home. Your library also needs to have plenty of natural light or enough outlets for ample lighting. While you can always soundproof a bedroom and put up a few extra lights, it will be much easier to find a room that is already cozy.
Ensure the Right Temperature and Humidity Levels
Many people never even think about the ambient temperature and humidity levels when building a home library, and that can be a major mistake. At the very least, you must be able to control the temperature inside the library with some type of heating and air conditioning system, like something from Robison Air. You should also consider investing in a humidifier so that you can keep the library between 30 and 50 percent humidity.
Install Ample Storage
Storing a few hundred or even a few thousand books is going to require quite a bit of space, and freestanding bookcases might not be adequate. Luckily, many companies now sell modular storage systems that can easily be attached to your home’s walls. One of those systems will allow you to use various shelves, cabinets, and display cases depending on the size and layout of the room. Shelves that are attached to the walls are also going to be much safer than standalone bookcases that can sometimes fall over.
Upgrade Your Seating
Finding the perfect seats is going to come down to your personal preferences, and there are many different options to choose from. The best way to find the right seats for your library is to head to a local furniture store where you can try various models and designs. If multiple people are going to be using the library at once, then you might want to consider a larger lounging couch.
In addition to these simple tips, you must also ensure that your library isn’t going to attract any pests. Many pests will eat book pages or use that material to make nests, and you will need to speak with an exterminator who can help you come up with a long-term plan for keeping those unwanted bugs and rodents out of your home.
There are plenty of ways to make yourself a book-haven in your own home. Forget finding random places to store your books—follow these tips to design your own home library.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
Penguin Random House, in partnership with Special Olympics and the American Library Association, is participating in a pilot program that supports Special Olympics Young Athletes through a donation of 1,000 children’s books: 500 copies each of WE’RE ALL WONDERS by R.J. Palacio and THE SNEETCHES by Dr. Seuss. These titles will contribute to efforts that bring inclusive learning and play to communities across the country through local libraries.
To continue this engagement at home, participating libraries will have Young Athletes backpacks available for checkout, with physical activities resources and children’s books on differences and inclusion, including those donated by Penguin Random House.
Special Olympics Young Athletes is a sport and play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities, ages 2 to 7 years old. Through play, SOYA not only help kids develop important skills for development but support families, teachers, caregivers and others to ensure inclusive communities.
The inaugural list of titles from Andy Cohen Books, his new eponymous imprint at Henry Holt, will launch in 2020 featuring three nonfiction works by women, including global superstar Mariah Carey’s much-anticipated and yet untitled memoir; “The Queen V” by Dr. Walters (coming in February) who is featured on Bravo’s TV hit “Married to Medicine”; and “Bodacious Dreams and Bevelations,” by Bevy Smith, a former co-host of “Page Six TV” and host of “Bevelations” on Sirius XM’s channel Radio Andy, it was announced today by Henry Holt and Company. Holt is the publisher of Cohen’s three New York Times best sellers: “Most Talkative,” “The Andy Cohen Diaries,” and “Superficial.” The imprint was announced in 2016.
Carey’s memoir will be about her improbable and inspiring journey; a story of her one-of-a-kind talent, unshakable faith and unconditional love. “The Queen V: Everything You Need to Know About Sex, Intimacy and Down There Health Care” reveals the 12 principles behind a happy and healthy vagina and other lady parts, by Dr. Walters, an Atlanta OB-GYN with many A-list clients. In “Bodacious Dreams and Bevelations” Smith describes her metamorphosis from a business woman into a nationally known motivational speaker, brand ambassador, pop culture aficionado and media personality.
The imprint will showcase Cohen’s unique ability to discover compelling personal narratives, as shown by the tremendously popular programs he has brought to millions in his role as a Bravo producer and executive, and more recently on his Sirius XM channel Radio Andy. “My not-so-secret passion is writing, and through my wonderful partnership with Holt, I’ve become obsessed with the business of publishing,” said Cohen, adding “I could not be more thrilled to bring the stories and voices of these three singular women into the world.”
Cohen is the host and executive producer of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” the only live talk show in late-night, which continues to welcome A-list celebrity guests. He is also the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning TV producer behind the “The Real Housewives” franchise and host of that series’ enormously popular reunion shows. He curates his own Sirius XM channel, which features programs hosted by him, most notably “Andy Cohen Live,” as well as shows hosted by comedian Sandra Bernhard, Dan Rather, Jim Parsons, Bevy Smith, and Jeff Lewis, among others. Cohen also cohosts CNN’s highly rated New Year’s Eve coverage live from Times Square with his friend Anderson Cooper, and the two have been on tour with “AC2: Deep Talk and Shallow Tales” since 2015.
In his 10 years as an executive at Bravo, his team was responsible for shows like “Project Runway,” “Top Chef,” “Queer Eye” and “Vanderpump Rules,” among others. He received an Emmy Award when season six of “Top Chef” won Outstanding Reality Competition Program in 2010 at the primetime ceremony. Before that, he ran Original Programming and Development for the pop culture and arts cable channel TRIO. He was a producer at CBS News from 1990-2000 and worked on “CBS This Morning” and “48 Hours.” He was named to Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business List in 2013, and in 2010 he was listed as one of TV Guide’s “25 Most Influential People in Television.” Cohen has more than six million followers on social media and can be followed on Facebook, Twitter (@andy), and Instagram (@bravoandy).
