Re-read?

By day, I'm a manager in a department of eight or nine analysts, affectionately known as propeller heads, number crunchers, that group in the corner, etc. We are the quiet people at a party. As a group, we are rather vanilla, bland even.

As individuals, there are some really great minds and thinkers in there.

For example, I'm working with one analyst that usually reports to the other department manager. He was the right fit for the project in front of us and it gave me the opportunity to work with someone new. This gentleman -- let's call him Matt -- is the right fit because he thinks through the project from multiple angles, questions the way the numbers fit together, and finds the right solution for the client. No matter what question is posed from either the client or the internal team, Matt is right there with examples, walking everyone through the answer.

It was incredibly interesting to me then, during a long car ride, Matt asked why anyone would re-read a book. "You like to read, right? I don't get why anyone would buy a book. What's the point of reading it again if you already know the answer?"

At the time, I probably said something about liking characters or enjoy the story or something to that effect.

But further reflection has lead me to a different answer. It's not much different, to me, than all of the analysis and number crunching that Matt's done on this project. In order to truly understand all of the pieces, to answer the questions, to know everything inside and out, you have to look at it again and again. To live and breath it.

When it comes to books, the only way to do that is to re-read. Maybe it's a series. Maybe it's a single title. Maybe it's a childhood favorite that is re-discovered through the eyes of your child. I'm betting that readers of this blog have favorites to read again and again.

What's the story behind yours? Next time I'll share one of my favorite re-reads and that story.

Author Answers Line-Up

The new, expanded crew here at Word Nerd is planning our fall/winter line-up of guest authors.

So -- we want to know, who do you want to hear from? Are there topics that you want to know about and we'll find the authors/experts to address them?

Or, are you an author with a new book out or coming out before the end of the year? Put yourself on the Word Nerds' hot seat for an interview or a guest blog post. You'll be in good company -- from mega-millions selling author Janet Evanovich to the quirky Jasper Fforde to the self-published and up-and-coming.

We can't make promises, but we'll do our best to get authors you want to hear from.

Book Banter -- Lake in the Clouds

Title: Lake in the Clouds
Series: Book Three of the Wilderness Saga
Author: Sara Donati
Genre: Historical or Romance
Length: 655 pages
Where Stacie's Copy Came From: Purchased

Plot Basics: Several years have passed since the reader last saw the Bonner family. Hannah has grown-up and is well on her way to becoming a doctor. Enough that Richard Todd is willing to send her to New York in order to learn the procedures for the small pox vaccination. Elizabeth has lost loved ones to the harsh winters, including her son Robbie. Nathaniel continues to be amused and entertained by those he loves.

The Bonner family finds themselves in a variety of troubles, including runaway slaves, the blackbirders looking for them, and a vindictive girl who is jealous of them all.

Banter Points: Word Nerd recommended this series as I am a fan of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Both series fit my main reading criteria: Fat books that are well written.

That being said, I can see where this book will disappoint some readers. The first two titles, Into the Wilderness and Dawn on a Distant Shore, occur very close together - the two stories cover two or three years of the Bonner's lives - while this title introduces an eight year lag. After the jammed backed adventures of books one and two, it's tough to believe that nothing novel-worthy has happened to the family.

However, I liked the lag. Elizabeth, Hannah and Curiosity have had to live their own lives without the reader knowing the events that have shaped them. What has changed? Are they still the same people? Will they react in the same way? The eight year delay enhanced the story for me by introducing some very unknown elements. Elizabeth, for example, holds much tighter to her family now than ever before. The reasons are readily understood, but the details are not shared. Isn't Elizabeth allowed some of her own secrets?

Bummer Points: This is not the epic love story of Jamie and Claire Frasier. Readers wanting another series of with a grand and wide stretching love story won't find it here. Donati's focus shifts to her other characters like Hannah and Liam Kirby, and new characters like Strikes the Sky. Personally, I don't see this as a fault in the novels; others may.

Stacie's Recommendation: Well-written, fat books should be on every readers list.

2010 Shamus Award Nominees

It might be old news by now, but the list of 2010 Shamus Award nominees was released last week.

I've only read a couple of these (and by a couple, she really means two) but when I unbury myself from the current TBR pile, these might be some good books to track down.

The full list of nominees, borrowed (ok, copied) from Mystery Book News. The name of the PI is in parenthesis.

Best PI Hardcover
◊ The Silent Hour by Michael Koryta (Lincoln Perry)
◊ Where the Dead Lay by David Levien (Frank Behr)
◊ Locked In by Marcia Muller (Sharon McCone)
◊ Schemers by Bill Pronzini (Nameless Detective)
◊ My Soul to Take by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Thora Gudmundsdottir)

Best First PI Novel:
◊ Loser's Town by Daniel Depp (David Spandau)
◊ The Last Gig by Norman Green (Alessandra Al Martillo)
◊ The Good Son by Russel D. McLean (J. McNee)
◊ Faces of the Gone by Brad Parks (Carter Ross)
◊ Chinatown Angel by A. E. Roman (Chico Santana)

Best PI Paperback Original:
◊ Dark Side of the Morgue by Raymond Benson (Spike Berenger)
◊ Sinner's Ball by Ira Berkowitz (Jackson Steeg)
◊ Red Blooded Murder by Laura Caldwell (Izzy McNeil)
◊ Vengeance Road by Rick Mofina (Jack Gannon)
◊ Body Blows by Marc Strange (Joe Grundy)

Best PI Short Story:
◊ "The Dark Island" (Boston Noir) by Brendan DuBois
◊ "Deadline Edition" (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine) by S. L. Franklin
◊ "Blazin' on Broadway" (Phoenix Noir) by Gary Phillips
◊ "Suicide Bonds" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) by Tim L. Williams
◊ "Julius Katz" (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine) by Dave Zeltserman

Any of you read any of the rest of these that the Nerds should be sure to check out?

In the meantime, I'm pulling for Brad Parks and Laura Caldwell.

Book Banter -- Alice I Have Been

Title: Alice I Have Been
Author: Melanie Benjamin
Genre: Literary Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Where Stacie's Copy Came From: Oshkosh Public Library

Plot Basics: Charles Dodgeson -- better known by his sobrequiet Lewis Carrol -- Alice in Wonderland is a children's classic that intrigues children and grown-ups like since its original publication in 1865. A fair amount of mystery remains around who Alice really was and his relationship with the Liddell family. If the Alice who fell through the looking glass really was based on Alice Liddell, what does it mean when Alice grows up? Benjamin explores one possibility, focusing on the ruined relationship between Alice and Charles Dodgeson.

Banter Points: Watching Alice grow up and enter into "society" and manage her own house was rather strange. It was amusing to see how relationship between Alice and her older sister Lorina changed as the focus of both girls changed from childhood play to suitors and families. The importance of their relationship is signaled by the start of the novel and the eventually revolution of what exactly transpired between Dodgson and Alice.

Bummer Points: While Benjamin does an excellent job of navigating what little is known about the years Dodgson and Liddells were friends, it left this reader wondering what really happened. The lack of information is extremely disappointing, but also is the large cause for the intrigue surrounding them. The details likely aren't to be exciting as the rumors.

Recommendation: Well worth the time, especially if you are a fan of any version of the Alice story.

Book Banter -- Original Sin

Title: Original Sin

Author: Allison Brennan

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: 472 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Moira O'Donnell is having vision of a hellacious future -- literally. She's on the trail of her mother's coven who's attempting to raise the Seven Deadly Sins to earth. Moira's got her own magic and her own secrets, but she's not apt to reveal either of those things. Instead, with the help of a demonologist, a local sheriff and mysterious member of the secret St. Michael's Order, she's going to go up against the sins raised to the Earth.

Banter Points: Brennan does a great job of writing fight scenes. Those were always good in her more romantic/suspense book and she carries on with that trend now that she's got characters fighting demons.

Bummer Points: So that whole fighting demons thing... Word Nerd's a fan of Buffy and Angel so it's not as if she's against the premise of people fighting demons. That said -- she had trouble with this book on a bunch of levels.

First, there's the whole spiritual side of things. The whole idea of a coven raising demons just didn't sit well with Word Nerd in this book. Word Nerd fully believes that there really are demons and angels and a spiritual battle going on. The problem she had was that this book just felt like it was toying too close to the edge of things that are real. Maybe the difference is that in a show like Buffy, Word Nerd knows that the bad guys are just people dressed up in costume (and awfully campy costumes, sometimes) whereas with the written word actually has a lot more power.

Second, well, then there's the writing itself. Brennan's niche is romantic suspense between a victim and the cop/sheriff/FBI guy tracking a serial killer. She's gotten good at those. Sure, are they all a bit the same? Yes -- but when Word Nerd picks up one of her books, she knows what she's going to get. This book had character whiplash every few pages trying to keep up with her huge cast (this is a multi-book series starting here) and Brennan often repeated information. The plot was all over the place as backstories for characters were introduced and POVs switched.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Skip it in favor of Brennan's earlier romantic suspense stuff.

Recognition of Self

It's a grand feeling to read something and recognize yourself in the words.

Whether it is a personality profile test -- like Myers Briggs or DiSC -- or in a book, it validates who you are.

With luck, it was not the psycho stalker deranged killer in the that mystery novel that kept you up late last night.

For me, it has been a combination of things. Both of the above referenced personality tests and a book on project management.

The fun part of the Myers Briggs was learning that all of the order and logic I seek to find in the world is part of the Thinking and Judging characteristics that I'm strong in. All of you disorganized people out there drive me crazy, AND IT'S OKAY. Now I know why, and I can organize you into that bucket of stuff that is hopeless to tackle. All is right with the world again.

(T's show a preference for organizing and structuring information to decide in a logical, objective way and J's show preference for living a planned and organized life. The counterparts, respectively are F's showing preference for organizing and structuring information to decide in a personal, values-based way and P's showing Preference for living a spontaneous and flexible life. I live with a P. There are benefits to being spontaneous, but don't tell him I said that.)

The fun part of the DiSC profile is that I am a 7-1-2-5 or rather a High D who is likely to be focused on shaping your environment by overcoming opposition to achieve results.

Shake or stir the above characteristics and out comes a natural project manager who likes structure, order, planning, thinking through possibilities and is good at getting what they want.

In a sense, the three items validated that the bossy, manipulative, follow my directions persona really wasn't a bad thing. It's more about finding a place where your talents and personality are rewarded and liked for who or what they are.

Being part of Word Nerd's blog is like that. Talking books and language and how the systems work to make a really good read is something I've done offline with WN for a while now. I'm thrilled to be part of it. Especially to be able to share my bookish thoughts with fellow word nerds.

Where did you recently find yourself? Where do you want to find yourself?

Book Banter -- Lost Light

Title: Lost Light (Harry Bosch #9)

Author: Michael Connelly

Genre: Mystery

Length: ~400 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Retired from the LAPD, Harry Bosch just can't let an old murder case go. Armed with his private eye license, Bosch starts looking into the murder of a young woman -- Angella Benton -- and the disappearance of $2 million from a movie set, years after he was pulled off of the original case. As he digs, the two cases -- once unrelated -- seem to be converging. But in the post-9/11 world, Bosch's one-man investigation triggers anti-terrorism alarm bells. Bosch gets warned off the case more than once, but he's not letting the FBI get in his way of recovering his old thrill of solving a case.

Banter Points: Word Nerd can't really remember, but she thinks this might be one of the only Bosch books so far in first person which was a really interesting switch to see Bosch in his own head. The switch really made sense given the fact that Bosch isn't surrounded by police procedures anymore and has to work it all out in his own head. It was also neat to see the switch after 9/11 changed the way the FBI can operate and Bosch reacting to the anti-terrorism ideas. And as always, Connelly pushed the character in a new direction by having him alone and having to rely on others instead of his usual partners.

Bummer Points: Connelly drops a huge revelation on his readers at the end of the book. Word Nerd ever knew this entered the story line from hearing Connelly speak at Bouchercon 2009 and still found it shocking. It's not necessarily bad, just that she's got to go find the next book to resolve things.

Word Nerd Recommendation: The Bosch series is a committment (Word Nerd's maybe halfway through now...) but it's well-worth the time. Harry Bosch is going to be one of the detectives that gets remembers with Holmes, Poirot and Lord Peter.

Book Banter -- MythOS

Title: MythOS (Ravirn bk 4)

Author: Kelly McCullough

Length: 289 pages

Genre: sci-fi/fantasy

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Computer hacker and Greek god descendant Ravirn is trying to fix Necessity -- the supercomputer that controls the Greek pantheon -- and gets sucked into another reality with his webgoblin and his Fury-girlfriend, Tisiphone. The new world operates on the whims of a different set of gods, specifically ones of a Norse origin. Ravirn has to maneuver his way around the tricks of Loki, the plans of Odin and Thor and try to prevent the ultimate battle of Ragnarok if he wants to try to get home.

Banter Points: It had been a while since Word Nerd read any of this series and this was a great entry back in because it didn't rely so much on the plot of the books that came before it, nor was it a throw-away book in the series. Sure, Ravirn wasn't in his home turf, but the plot moved along and forced him to grow as a character still, understand his new powers in a different light. Word Nerd's not a big Norse mythology buff, but it was a great way to get a bit of that story too.

Bummer Points: Word Nerd doesn't know what's coming in the next book, of course, but she's kind of disappointed that it seems like Ravirn won't interact with these characters anymore. They were fun.

Word Nerd Recommendation: The Ravirn series is a great pick for sci-fi or fantasy fans because it crosses both lines. Heavy on mythology and computer stuff, it's got appeal for lots of readers.

July 2010 Bibliometer

Another month, another tally of books.


July 2010
6 books
2,348 pages
avg. 76

YTD
44 books
15,928 total pages

Book Banter -- Chimera

Title: Chimera

Author: Rob Thurman

Length: 331 pages

Genre: crime/sci-fi

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Stefan Korsak's younger brother, Lukas, was abducted when he was a kid and he has spent the rest of his life vowing to find his brother. He's got the contacts too to keep up an unofficial search for a missing person, since he joined the family business -- a bodyguard for a Russian mobster in south Florida. When a contact finally spots a teenage boy fitting Lukas' description, Stefan will stop at nothing to rescue his brother and keep him out of his captors' hands. Only the Lukas he finds is less than enthusiastic about getting rescued and possesses a deadly talent that will keep them on the run.

Banter Points: So, it's not Cal and Niko, or Trixa, but it's a Rob Thurman book, so thumbs-up right there. While the exploration of family dynamics felt a little familiar (a la Cal and Niko), this book was cool because it was different from Thurman's other stuff. Rather than an urban fantasy book, this is pretty much a straight-up mystery/thriller with just a dash of sci-fi twist. It's nice to see an author go a very different route with a story. Plus, Thurman writes great action sequences and the chases and escapes pulled off by Stefan read like an action movie.

Bummer Points: According to Thurman's website, there may only be one more book in the Chimera-verse, which is a bummer of a slightly different sort. As far as the story-telling went, there were a few places were the plot skipped forward and back that felt a little jerky, but once Word Nerd got used to the style, it was fine.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you are expecting kick-butt urban fantasy, you aren't going to find it here. However, if you just like good story-telling, no matter the genre, then check it out.

Book Banter -- Feed

Title: Feed

Author: Mira Grant

Length: 571 pages

Genre: sci-fi/horror

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: In the not too distant future, humanity has cured the common cold and cancer, but in the process, unleashed a virus across the planet that makes the dead not stay dead and compels them to feed on the living to spread the virus more. Humanity becomes isolated, and it's up to the bloggers to bring out the truth in a way that traditionally journalists no longer can. Brother and sister team Georgia and Shaun Mason get the blogging assignment of a lifetime -- covering a presidential campaign from the inside, which no blogger has done before. But the campaign takes them straight into a conspiracy as they dig for the truth about the virus that's wreaked so much havoc across the planet.

Banter Points: Can we say, zombie-pocalypse? That's exactly why Word Nerd read this book. After vampires, zombies are the next big undead thing to hit the literary market and Word Nerd hadn't really jumped on that bandwagon until now. The great part of this book is the double-meaning title that carries through the plot -- zombies feeding on people and the constant feed of the bloggers to promote the truth. No doubt, it's the recovering reporter in Word Nerd that made her like that twist. It's zombies and reporters and presidential politics.

The other great part of this book is that Grant doesn't hold back. Word Nerd won't say more because of spoilers, but know this: Nobody is safe in this book. Nobody.

Bummer Points: It's a trilogy. The story isn't done. Occasionally, Grant leaps ahead in the narrative, filling things in with telling, rather than showing. But, it's forgiveable because her actions sequences are top-notch. And there might have been a few tears shed over a zombie-pocalypse novel.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Feed is a fun read. It's not too scary on the horror end of the spectrum and will keep you turning pages.

Book Banter -- The Serialist

Word Nerd's again over at PopSyndicate, this time with a review of David Gordon's The Serialist.

Not to spoil the fun of reading the full review, but here's something to keep in mind: Word Nerd will put this book in her top 10 reads of the year.

Book Banter -- Dragon Haven

Word Nerd's over at PopSyndicate today, with her review of Robin Hobb's Dragon Haven.

Author Answers with Julie Wachowski

Give a hello to Julie Wachowski today as she tells us about her new book and the world of e-publishing as one of Carina Press's new authors!

WN: What's "In Plain View" about and where did you get the idea for this story?
WACHOWSKI: ‘What’s it about?’ is a tricky question!

I had friends and family over for a party recently and someone asked me, “So what’s your book about?”

My Dad was bartending that day, which means I was feeling a little relaxed and philosophical. “It’s about how we are fundamentally altered by what we see. It’s about being a witness to pain.”

My friend pursed his lips. “Uh-huh. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s cool.”

I laughed! I was trying to answer his question. “It’s about a news videographer who returns the Midwest to care for her niece. Her first story is investigating the death of a man dressed in Amish clothes hanging from a tree--with porn at his feet.”

“Wow. Sounds good.”

As a writer, a mystery lets you play with writing about process. Working in television gave me a lot of specific knowledge about a process that I thought people would be interested in—how television gets made. Of course, I was (mostly) a good-girl, cream-puff on the job. So I invented Maddy. She got to say all the things I was thinking.

The death at the beginning of In Plain View came from a true event. A friend of mine used to run a small town newspaper in Michigan. She sent a reporter to follow up on a police scanner call. A man in Amish clothes hanging from a tree with men’s magazines on the ground around him. I found the whole image so disturbing—I knew I had to write about it.

WN:What kind of reader will this book be appealing to?
WACHOWSKI: Well, the auto-erotic suicide kind of eliminates the Amish niche, I’m afraid. Readers who appreciate a little humor and a taste of social commentary in their mystery will appreciate In Plain View.

WN: In a blog post, you lay out your life in the mystery books you've read, from Trixie Belden on. What is it about mysteries that you like so much?
WACHOWSKI: I believe all genre fiction is about satisfying basic needs of the human brain--whether it’s curiosity, a sense of mastery, pure endorphin rush or the soothing patterns of genre. Story is how the brain organizes itself. Stories give the brain the food it needs to survive and thrive.

Mysteries provide sustenance for the need for stimulation, curiosity, problems to solve. They also satisfy our emotional need for justice. One of the first sentences a kid learns to say is: “That’s not fair!” When the universe is particularly unknowable and unfair, I believe a good mystery recharges your mind. It helps you pick up and carry on creating the just world we all want to live in.

WN: You're one of Carina Press' new totally e-book authors. Did this take getting used to, that your name wasn't going to be on a tangible book?
WACHOWSKI: I’ve had the great good fortune to make a lot of professional writing friends, many of whom started their careers a few years before me. They were able to take advantage of the 1980-90’s boom years when Barnes & Noble and Borders were everywhere and books were great business.

That model has changed, like it or not. I recently heard Sara Paretsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski mysteries, speak about this. When she started out, she said there were over forty mainstream publishers she could send a book to—now there are seven. I’ve heard industry experts predicting there will be four major publishers when the current market contraction finally stabilizes. It’s a whole new world.

I love to hold a book in my hand. But it’s pretty clear that how we read—whether it’s our newspapers or our fiction—is being altered by technology. 100 years ago, the post office stopped delivering twice a day because of the telephone. 2000 years ago, Plato grumped about how no one would bother to remember long saga poems if people wrote everything down on scrolls. The world turns. Things change. E-books are the future of the industry.

I was excited by the announcement of Carina Press. Carina is the first major publisher to go after the e-market. As an off-shoot of Harlequin, the biggest guerilla out there in the genre marketplace, they have some real advantages. Harlequin is ahead of the curve on e-books. They already have significant online marketing presence. These people are social media artists! And I’d met Malle Vallik, the woman in charge of Carina, at a writing conference. She struck me as really smart and right on target with her taste in story.

As a business person, submitting my book to Carina was my opportunity to join the next boom wave. Now, all I have to do is teach my parents how to download.

WN: What's the best book that's captured your attention so far this year?
WACHOWSKI: You do know that’s like trying to pick your favorite flower in the garden? I’m kind of a PIA about this kind of question. Hmmm…here goes:

Essays: A Very Bad Wizard, Tamlar Sommers
Personal: Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity, David Whyte
YA: The Underneath, Kathi Appelt
Mystery: Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
Romance: The Forbidden Rose, Joanna Bourne

WN: What's next for you as a writer?
WACHOWSKI: I’m working on a re-write of a novel and a new screenplay right now. I wish there were 30 hours in a day!

Book Banter -- Our Lady of Immaculate Deception

Title: Our Lady of Immaculate Deception

Author: Nancy Martin

Genre: mystery

Length: 310 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library

Plot Basics: Roxy Abruzzo is trying to make a living through architectural salvage -- so when the great Hyde family mansion goes up in flames, she'll take what's save-able to resell to others in Pittsburgh's upper crust. Even if that means some things end up in her truck that shouldn't. But when Hyde heir, Julius, ends up shot to death, Roxy is on the short list of suspects. She's got stolen property that's too hot to unload and she's got family drama coming out her ears -- both with her own teenage daughter and from the Hyde family trying to put their wealth back together.

Banter Points: Word Nerd was a fan of Martin's Blackbird Sisters mysteries, so seeing a new series was exciting. And the book is funny. Martin's got a great eye for the difference between people in economic brackets and how they will behave in the same situation.

Bummer Points: The book was funny, but Word Nerd can't say she really like Roxy Abruzzo. Roxy was just a little to harsh for her... too crass, too into men who aren't good for her, too much of a fixer for everyone's problems but her own. Maybe Martin will take her to the point of changing her life, but the stories likely wouldn't be funny then, so Word Nerd kind of doesn't see the story headed that way.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Roxy reminds Word Nerd somewhat of Stephanie Plum, though not quite so clumsy. Fans of Evanovich's light mysteries could very well find a new heroine to love in Roxy Abruzzo.

June 2010 Bibliometer

Word Nerd did some number-crunching over her holiday weekend and came up with June Bibliometer readings.

June 2010:
6 books
2,501 pages
averge 83 pages/day

YTD 2010:
38 books
13,580 pages

Happy Fourth of July

E-Book for a Good Cause

Word Nerd doesn't often pass on this type of story, but she thought this one was interesting. As e-books become part of the literary culture, author Paul Levine is using the e-book of release of one of his novels in a good way -- to give back.

Rather than Word Nerd summing it all up, Levine explains it himself.

Jake Lassiter and the Four Diamonds Fund, by Paul Levine

In the United States today, one in 300 children will be diagnosed with some form of cancer. All of us have friends or family members who have fought that grueling battle. These days, with great advances in medicine, there's a increasing chance the fight has been successful.

Yet, progress seems excruciatingly slow for those on the front lines.

A few years ago, one of my dearest friends, the godfather of my son, lost his daughter Margaux to Ewing's sarcoma, a rare but vicious bone cancer. The survival rate for Ewing's sarcoma that metastasises is a disheartening 10 per cent.

Ten per cent!

In this age of medical miracles, how can that be?

After Margaux's death at age 14, I dedicated a book to her. Such a feeble gesture. I wanted to do more. Still do. Here's how.

Twenty years ago this month, my first novel, “To Speak for the Dead,” was published to a decent amount of fanfare. The legal thriller introduced the world to Jake Lassiter, a linebacker-turned-lawyer who seeks justice but seldom finds it. The book facilitated my career change from lawyer to novelist and has always held a special place in my heart. Now, good old Jake can help a cause that's also dear to me.

I will donate all proceeds of “To Speak for the Dead” to the Four Diamonds Fund, a charity that pays for treatment of pediatric cancer patients at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. In addition to providing world-class medical care, the Fund supports research in immunotherapy, carcinogenesis, and several other fields I can barely spell, much less understand.

In basic terms, the Fund helps sick kids. I don't know a more worthy cause.

I'm hoping that the e-book will sell for years, bringing enjoyment to readers and support to a life-saving cause. Hoping, too, that others will be moved to directly contribute.

Here's a little background about the Fund. In 1972, a 14-year-old boy named Christopher Millard was an aspiring writer. Or rather, he was already a writer. He'd penned a mythic tale about “Sir Millard and The Four Diamonds,” in the tradition of Sir Galahad and Sir Lancelot. What are those Four Diamonds? Wisdom. Courage. Honesty. Strength. All are needed in our daily lives, especially in children's battles with a dread disease.

You have probably figured out that Chris wrote the story while in the throes of cancer. The diamonds of his story were allegorical. The quest was for life itself. After a three-year battle, Chris died, but his memory lives in the name of the Fund established by his family.

Penn State students have contributed an astonishing $61 million to the Fund through their annual dance marathon. This year's event raised $7.8 million alone. The motto of “Thon” is “For the kids.” And that, too, is the dedication of “To Speak for the Dead.”

Even if you don't own an e-reader, you can download the book to your laptop or desktop. So, if you'd like a “breathlessly exciting” read (Cleveland Plain Dealer) or a “genuinely chilling” one (Washington Post), please give it a try. For a limited time, the book is only $2.99. Purchase information here: http://www.paul-levine.com/content/jake-lassiter.asp.

One last thing. If each of us can contribute - just a bit - of courage, wisdom, honesty, and strength, maybe we can reach the goal of Conquering Childhood Cancer.

For more information on the Four Diamonds Fund, click here.

Book Banter -- Naamah's Curse

Title: Naamah's Curse

Author: Jacqueline Carey

Length: 567 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Plot Basics: Moirin is miles from her Alban home in Ch'in, and missing the other half of her soul -- which is inside her peasant-boy lover, Bao. Desperate to be re-united to him, she sets off alone across the get Ch'in wildnerness and the northern Tatar steppes. The reunification is a lengthy process that pits Moirin and Bao against a zealous priest, determined to convert her, and then against a warlord and his army of assassins and an evil queen with an enchanted gem that bends mens' wills to her.

Banter Points: Word Nerd has mixed feelings about this book. She liked it, but there were parts where it seemed desperately slow. All of Carey's books are these grand sweeping epics and it's impossible for them to be all action, all the time because of that scale. The action sequences in this book were great and the thing that kept me reading was how Carey propelled things with Moirin's impatience to be reunited with Bao.

Bummer Points: That said, it was kind of slow. Moirin had to meet and talk to all kind of people in all these different locales. Word Nerd's hoping that book three in this series will be good, that two was kind of the boring middle bit.

Word Nerd Recommendation: The Naamah series, so far, just hasn't been as good to Word Nerd as the six books in the two Kushiel trilogies. That said, Carey creates a lush world that's fun to visit from time to time. It's likely worth sticking with the series to see what happens next.