This and That and a Writing Update

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As you can imagine, I'm getting really excited. My debut novel Thicker than Blood is due to hit stories officially in about a month and a half (January 1, 2010). However, I suspect it'll be available online at places like Amazon.com and CBD.com mid December. If you pre-order (hint hint) you'll be the first in line. :) But even though the official release date is in the future, there's still a lot going on.

I'm excited that Publisher's Weekly chose to review Thicker than Blood in yesterday's issue. They did a great job summarizing the plot, said some nice things about the rare books angle, but they had their criticism too. That's okay. I'm just honored to be featured.

Christianbook.com has recently posted a writing how-to article I wrote for them. If you're an aspiring author, you might like to read Are You Called to Be A Writer? I share some of what I've learned (and am still learning) about how God often calls us very early in life to our specific calling, but sometimes we don't realize it until later in life.

If you're looking for a good suspense read, check out Terri Blackstock's Intervention. I recently reviewed it for TitleTrakk.com, and that can be read here.

In case you didn't know, I have a free e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all the writing stuff. Usually my newsletter subscribers are the first to know about new projects, reviews, features, etc. You can subscribe by going here and entering your info (sign up for the TitleTrakk.com newsletter too!). I plan to unveil the summary of my next novel to newsletter subscribers sometime in the coming month or two, so don't miss out.

Thanks for all your wonderful support!

The Rivers Run Dry by Sibella Giorello

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My review of The Rivers Run Dry by Sibella Giorello won't be officially posted on TitleTrakk.com for weeks (and the novel doesn't release until late Feb., early March), but I just had to share my thoughts on this terrific novel with someone.

So, friends, here's an excerpt, and the top secret link to the full review. :)

Sibella Giorello’s first book The Stones Cry Out placed her on our radar. It won a Christy award for 1st novel and introduced us to an author whose storytelling ability and knack for description caused me to call the book “one of 2007's most compelling novels”. Needless to say, Giorello had a lot to live up to in The Rivers Run Dry. Would Raleigh Harmon remain the interesting, three-dimensional character we’d come to love?

Find out what I thought by reading my review.

Become a Book Reviewer for Thomas Nelson

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Today at his blog From Where I Sit, Michael Hyatt (President & CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers), unveiled their new website just for book review bloggers. This is an intriguing concept -- #1 that Thomas Nelson is seeing such a potential in bloggers, #2 because there are some great incentives here to review their books. Here are three as outlined in Michael's post:

If you are a blogger, this new site has at least three benefits:

1. Free copies of our best books. We will send you a free copy of the book you are interested in reviewing. In addition, after you have requested a review copy, we will email you a PDF of the first two chapters so you can immediately get started. Meanwhile, we will drop a physical copy of the book in the mail.
   
   
2. Content resources for your blog. We will provide you with free resources to use in your review. These include things like cover art, video or audio clips (when available), external links to other related items, etc. Frankly, this is the part of the site that we need to expand upon the most.
   
   
3. External links to your blog. We will provide a link back to the your actual review of the book. As you may know, external links are what drive up your blog’s ranking on Google. In general, the more links the better.

And here's what they require of you after you request a book:

Bloggers must agree to write a 200-word review—good, bad, or ugly—and post it on their blog and on the Amazon detail page for that book.

I'd say that's a great deal, since most of us already write reviews of the books we read anyway. If you're interested in participating, there are several great books (fiction and nonfiction) being offered. Check out the site today!

#9,999

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I've been posting my reviews on Amazon.com for a couple years now. I've always thought it would be cool to be a top reviewer there someday. Novelist Eric Wilson has a Top 500 reviewer badge (he's actually at #201). But here's the thing. He's written 620 reviews! And received 7280 helpful votes!

Okay, so I know we shouldn't compare ourselves to others and all, but . . .

The other day I was visiting my Amazon profile and saw I'd made it to the reviewer rank of 9,999! I've hovered in the ten thousands for awhile now, so changing that digit was fun to see. Of course, I only have 67 reviews posted and 380 helpful votes. It's probably going to be awhile before I see any sort of a badge. Sigh. :)

Just in case you're interested, here's a link to my reviews on Amazon. I've mostly done books but some movies and a stray CD are featured as well.

New Interviews and Reviews!

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Hi, friends. I've been super busy lately with my work at TitleTrakk.com. Just to keep you abreast, here are links to some of my recent reviews and interviews. If you're interested in more, I have all my work linked in the right hand column of this blog. Enjoy!

Randy Singer Interview
Randy talks about his latest novel By Reason of Insanity, shares one of his embarrassing courtroom moments, how he got involved with street preaching, all about his writing process, his infamous guffaw at the Christy Awards, and a whole lot more.


To coincide, I've written a review of By Reason of Insanity, a terrific legal thriller.

"The verdict is in---Randy Singer is guilty of writing some of the best legal fiction on the market."


Wanda Brunstetter Interview
Wanda shares facts about the Amish readers might not know, how she married her husband after knowing him for only a month, the research that goes into her books, and more!



My Soul Cries Out by Sherri L. Lewis
Book Review

"Lewis is a talented new author who's breaking ground that's needed breaking for quite some time."


The Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Ernie Malik
Book Review

"Think of this book as a 4 disc DVD collector's edition only on paper."


Stephen Kendrick Interview
This is the guy, who along with his brother Alex, founded Sherwood Pictures, which is behind the movies Facing the Giants, Flywheel, and the upcoming Fireproof. He had much to say on the moviemaking process, Christians and media, and so much more.

Clear Blue Sky by F.P. Lione review

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I have a review up on TitleTrakk.com of F.P. Lione's novel Clear Blue Sky. I'm excited to help spread the word about the Lione's books. To read an interview I did recently with them, click here.

My review begins thus:

"I’ve said before that reading an F.P. Lione novel is like watching an un-cut taping of COPS, only you follow the cops home. But in a way that’s doing their writing a disservice. A Lione novel is about much more than the domestic disputes, car chases, and gun wielding criminals often found on the tv show. That isn’t to say these types of situations don’t make it into the pages. They do. But a Lione novel digs deeper than that. By following police officer Tony Cavalucci on and off duty, the Lione’s reveal the heart and soul of a cop. Tony’s story has already filled three Midtown Blue novels (The Deuce, The Crossroads & Skells), and his saga continues in Clear Blue Sky, the unofficial 4th book."

Read the rest of the review here.

Hallie's Heart by Shelly Beach

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My book review for Hallie's Heart by Shelly Beach is now up at TitleTrakk.com. Click here to read the full piece.

My review begins thus:

Most weekends find flame-haired Mona VanderMolen scouting for rare finds. A former teacher who quit her job after a family tragedy, she’s been the owner of Stewartville Antiques for eighteen months now and is finally learning the ropes. But life isn’t easy in the antique business. Dealers often outbid her at auctions, and things are tight. Someone has already offered to buy her out. But she’s a fighter, and she intends to make it through the tough times.

"...a touching family story and a refreshing debut novel."