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.

We have Winners!

Thanks to all who entered the contest for Sean Munger's books.

Word Nerd is pleased to announce the winners.

The grand prize trilogy set of all three Giamotti books goes to.... Gothika!

The e-book version of the first Giamotti book goes to S Penney!

Please email your contact info to Word Nerd at bkwarner at gmail dot com and you'll get your prize!

Word Count Meter

The Word Count meter says Word Nerd's half done writing her current WIP. Yes, another one. Except not, really.

It's the NaNo2009 manuscript and the WIP from about 2006 come back around again.

It doesn't feel very half done, actually.

But, hopefully, the word count meter will continue to tick upwards. It is fun to update the progress.

For the record, the goal for June is to hit 50,000 total words and July will be 70K.

Book Banter -- The Whiskey Rebels

Title: The Whiskey Rebels

Author: David Liss

Genre: Historical fiction

Length: ~500 pages

Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Her personal collection

Plot Basics: Late 1780s America -- the Revolutionary War has been one, the country is expanding and an investment craze is underway as the new Bank of the United States is formed. Unconcerned with banks, Ethan Saunders a spy during the war, would be content to drink his days away, disgraced now as a supposed traitor. But when the woman he would have married asks for his help, Ethan stumbles into a plot that he can't let go. Someone, it seems, would sink the Bank before it gets off the ground, financially ruining his young country. Ethan puts the spy craft he knows so well to work to unravel the conspiracy.

Banter Points: Word Nerd heard Liss on a panel at Bouchercon 2009 and put this book on her TBR list. She's getting more into historical fiction and the Revolutionary War period and shortly thereafter has always been a time that interested her. While she vaguely remembers reading about the Whiskey Rebellion during AP American History in high school, not remembering the details didn't hurt this story at all. What makes this book is how amazingly modern the plot is -- it's about stock market and people betting against investment futures... the same kind of scheme that's got guys on trial today. Ethan is a great voice for telling this story as he is not a man of means or power, but doesn't want to see money sink his country.

Bummer Points: Word Nerd took this book as her airplane book on vacation and it's not really a good airplane book. The plot is fascinating, but sometimes Liss descends into long explanatory passages that don't do much to make the time go by when feeling stuck in a window seat at 30,000 feet.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like historical fiction (of the non-romantic kind) this is a good read. Also, an interesting mystery-style book all built around greed, not murder.

Varied Voices -- Sean Munger

Say hello today to Sean Munger and stick around after his blog to find out about how you can snag some copies of his Giamotti books.

Why I Will Never Have A Life Without Giamotti

By Sean Munger

One of the great—and terrible—things about writing is that what you write never really goes away. Just this month (June 2010) the new ebook version of my science fiction novel Life Without Giamotti has been released, marking another milestone on what I can hardly believe has been a twenty year odyssey with these stories and their eponymous main character.

Life Without Giamotti was first published in paperback form by Buffalo Fetus Productions in 2006, but the story and the character of Giamotti have been around for much longer than that. In high school I had the curious idea for a character, a sort of darkly intelligent and devious biker who becomes sentient, realizes he is a fictional character and sets about trying to bring himself out of his novel and into reality. From the beginning the character of Steven Giamotti seemed different than any other character I’d created. He is not just devious; he has a total lack of human emotions and the capacity for empathy, making him capable of true evil. He isn’t just arrogant and ambitious, he’s megalomaniacal. And I quickly learned over the various early drafts throughout the 1990s that he had his sights set a lot higher than I appreciated at first. Becoming a real person in the real world was only a first step. Ultimately he wanted to become God: omniscient, immortal, and all-powerful.

The story of how Giamotti sets out to do exactly that finally jelled in Life Without Giamotti, but there are so many facets to his journey that the leftovers from the sixteen years of labor on the first book quickly became the two sequels, All Giamotti’s Children (published in 2008) and Giamotti in Winter (published in 2009). Now, after three novels, twenty years, and Giamotti’s adventures across time and space ranging from the American Revolution to the swanky nightclubs of Manhattan in the 1950s, it feels like the whole thing is starting over again with the publication of the ebooks. The first ebook is already out, available from Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/life-without-giamotti/11179131) and the others will be released in digital format soon.

Buffalo Fetus Productions, working through the web-based printer Lulu, has proven to be a terrific option for the publication of the Giamotti books. The publishing business has changed radically in the last ten years, with traditional brick-and-mortar publishing houses struggling to adapt to a new environment largely defined by technology and with multiple new ways to access books. Life Without Giamotti is a very unusual book with a non-linear narrative, complex characters that drift in and out of the plot at unpredictable times, and deals with a lot of mind-bending metaphysical concepts that go pretty far beyond traditional science fiction tropes—not the kind of stuff traditional publishers are likely to take a chance on. The rise of technology-based book presses like Lulu have suddenly made it possible for tiny publishers to capture niche markets, and that makes all the difference with non-traditional books like the Giamotti trilogy. I never set out to be on the New York Times’ bestseller list, but I’m amazed that the story of Life Without Giamotti has found its way from my laptop in suburban Oregon to bookshelves across the Americas, in Norway, in Germany and all places in between. The books have been read at both poles of the Earth: I once got an email from someone reading Life Without Giamotti at a research outpost in Greenland, and a copy of All Giamotti’s Children can be found in the library at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. All in all, that’s pretty satisfying.

I proclaimed myself “done” with Giamotti when I finished All Giamotti’s Children in 2009. A year later I wonder who I was kidding. Even as I move on to other projects—my new book, The Valley of Forever, which is not part of the Giamotti saga, will be released sometime later this year—I know that Giamotti, being omniscient and all-powerful as he is, will never leave me. I wrote him to be immortal, and for better or for worse, he probably is. With the ebook versions giving him another lease on life, I’m sure he’ll be around for quite some time to come.

So -- now it's your turn. Sean talked about how he hasn't been able to let go of the character of Giamotti. What character from your reading has stuck with you over the years?

Post a comment and you could win! We've got two prizes this week -- first, the whole Giamotti trilogy in print for the grand prize winner and second, a e-book copy of Life Without Giamotti for the runner-up. The contest is open to everyone, even if you've won something here from Word Nerd before. Contest ends on Tuesday, June 29.

Returned

Word Nerd has returned from a lovely vacation out East -- Providence and Newport RI, and Cape Cod, MA. Lovely, lovely places.

She'd happily take a summer home out there if anyone's got some spare millions lying around that they would like to funnel her way.

Coming up this week on Word Nerd:
-- A review of David Liss' "The Whiskey Rebels"
-- A guest blog and contest with author Sean Munger
-- And more!

Word Nerd is...

... somewhere in this general vicinity.

She will return to regularly scheduled blogging the week of Juen 21.

Book Banter -- Speak No Evil

Title: Speak No Evil

Author: Allison Brennan

Genre: Romantic suspense

Length: 412 pages

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

Plot Basics: The body of a woman is found on a San Diego beach, wrapped in garbage bags, her mouth glued shut. Detective Carina Kincaid suspects the victim's evasive, older ex-boyfriend as the killer. When Sheriff Nick Thomas comes in to town to support his brother who's accused of murder, he begins to think the case has the markings of a potential serial killer. As killer strikes again, Carina and Nick try to outwit the killer and not let their growing feelings for each other get in the way of the investigation.

Banter Points: Allison Brennan is like reading candy for Word Nerd. It's not as delicious as a really good meal, but it tastes good while you're eating it. Her books aren't the highest quality literature, but there's something appealing about them from time to time. She's got broken characters (the sheriff with the knee trouble, the cop with family baggage) and a generally compelling plot.

Bummer Points: Word Nerd has to suspend a great deal of disbelief for these books. Not because of the prevalence of serial killers and cops with baggage, no, for the romance. Cuz... dashing sherff and sexy cop are going to go get all horizontal in the middle of a murder investigation.

Word Nerd Recommendation: It's like that bag of M&M's you want. Read it and don't feel bad about it every so often.

Book Banter -- Dragon Keeper

Word Nerd tackled Robin Hobb's latest -- Dragon Keeper -- over at Popsyndicate.com.

Check out her review there.

Winner the Second --CJ West/End of Marking Time Contest!

There is another winner to announce this week on Word Nerd!

Thanks for all the comments about brain-bending readings in anticipation of CJ West's new book, "The End of Marking Time."

And, as promised, one lucky commenter has won a copy of CJ's new book. The magic hat -- or in this case, drinking glass of winning -- produced the following winner:

christinebonner2 who commented about how much she likes Lee Child's Reacher books because it's unclear whodunit until the very end.

Christine -- e-mail me your shipping address at bkwarner at gmail dot com and I'll pass it along so you can get your copy of End of Marking Time.

Don't forget, if you didn't win, check out CJ's virtual launch party tomorrow, June 10, where CJ's got a great contest of his own announced.

Book Banter -- Secret Society Girl

Title: Secret Society Girl

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Genre: Chick lit/mystery

Length: 291 pages

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

Plot Basics: Amy Haskel, Eli University junior and editor of the literary magazine, is sure that if she gets tapped into one of the school's secret societies it will be Quill & Ink, the haven for the literary set. But when she receives a summons from the school's most infamous secret society -- Rose & Grave. There's just one problem with this -- Rose & Grave doesn't take girls and Amy discovers that such a change is going to shake up the whole notion of secret...

Banter Points: A few years ago, Word Nerd interviewed Diana Peterfreund back when Secret Society Girl debuted and thought the book sounded fun. Last week or so, Word Nerd spotted the 4th one in the series on a new book shelf and she suddenly remembered this series and thought she'd check it out. And what fun it was. Word Nerd started reading on Saturday afternoon/evening and finished the book Monday morning because it was just a hoot. Reminiscent of Megan McCafferty, Secret Society Girl is just a fun read all around with a quirky and loveable protagonist. And who doesn't love the idea of secret societies? Amy is a great narrator with a strong voice. The chapters are punctuated by Amy's lists which give great insights into how she thinks.

Bummer Points: Word Nerd's got nothing. It was a delightful read.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you are looking for a fun read with an engaging main character that manages to be a page turner without involving serial killers, Secret Society Girl is it.

Winner the First -- The Name Game

Congratulations!

Word Nerd has a winner in her Name Game contest from last week!

Drumroll please!

Johnny Dangerous (aka, John Desjarlais) you are the winner.

E-mail Word Nerd at bkwarner (at) gmail dot com with your mailing address and the copy of The Eternal Ones will soon be on its way to you!

To all who entered -- THANK YOU! All your suggestions were fantastic! Now Word Nerd just has to choose which one(s) she likes the best. Good thing pegasus polo ponies come in teams because all those choice were especially good.

Book Banter -- Without Fail

Title: Without Fail (Reacher bk. 6)

Author: Lee Child

Length: ~400 pages

Genre: Thriller

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

Plot Basics: Drifter Jack Reacher is hired by the US Secret Service to conduct an audit of the Vice President's security and see if and where he might be vulnerable. Only what starts as a training exercise becomes a life and death race as true assassins plan to kill the VP. But Reacher is determined to stand in their way.

Banter Points: Word Nerd started reading the Jack Reacher books because she heard that despite the violence in them, women tended to like them. Or maybe it's that women like Reacher... Either way, she's now 6 books in likes them, but probably not for the same reasons other women do. They are darn good thrillers. Fast-paced. Interesting plots. And they don't all read the same. Sure Reacher's going to foil some plot every time and along the way, shoot some guys or beat them up, but the storylines truly are different each time. That said, Word Nerd does not have a fictional crush on Reacher. He's a scary guy. The bad boy thing is supposed to be appealing, but in Reacher's case... yipes.

Bummer Points: One of the early Reacher books was told in first person and it was even more amazing to be inside Reacher's head when he metes out his personal brand of justice. Word Nerd's bummed that we haven't gotten back there yet. (Later ones are first person again... apparently...)

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like thrillers and can stand some violence in books and aren't reading Reacher, what are you waiting for?

Welcome back, CJ West

Give it up for author CJ West who's been a writing maniac lately and has another new book out.

CJ's got a virtual launch party on June 10th, click here for details.

In the meantime, the man himself explains a little bit about what's different with his new book, The End of Marking Time. Oh, and want to read it for yourself? Stay tuned at the end of the CJ's guest blog to see how you can win a copy of your very own.

The End of Marking Time has elements of first, second, and third person perspective and I wanted the packaging to shout that this book is unusual. The front cover hints at Michael’s release from prison and I think Sarah Carroll, my cover artist, did a great job putting together a classic cover that warns of danger.

When you turn the book over, it gives you a good stiff poke in the cranium. You won’t notice the little trick I’m playing on the men when they handle the book cover, but I’ll tell you in a moment how you can test it out with your friends. The first thing you’ll notice is that the text is landscape (sideways if you’re not a graphic artist.) When you turn the book 90 degrees to read the text, I’m telling you that you’re going to have to think about this book differently. The second indication that this book will make you think, is that Michael immediately introduces himself and begins talking to you as if you already know him. One of the mysteries of this book is you. Not who you are, but who Michael thinks you are.

Michael is locked in a room facing a large window set into a concrete block wall. The back cover subtly shows the window and the wall, which are the setting for the entire book. Michael believes that you are behind the window, listening to his story and that it is your job to decide whether he is worthy of another chance. That is why there are two big buttons on the back cover. One red. One green. If you press the green button, Michael gets to go free. He doesn’t know what will happen if you press the red button, but he knows it’s not good.

If you knew about the buttons before you picked up the book, you might realize that I’ve tricked many of you into pressing the green button when you turned the book over. This works surprisingly well for men. Try handing the book to your friends and asking them to check out the cover front and back and tell you what they think. Most of the men will have their thumb on the green button when they first turn it over. You have to pay attention, because they will turn the book as soon as they realize the text is landscape. I can’t make women press the button consistently because they are too darn unpredictable. But if I could figure out women, I’d be writing a different sort of book, wouldn’t I?

I’ve created a Facebook group called, I pressed the (RED) (GREEN) button for you to share your own results. Stop in, tell me what you think of the cover, and which button you pressed. Enjoy The End of Marking Time and please join me for the virtual launch party on June 10th.

So... you've hung on just for the contest, right? Right. Here's how to win:

In the comments, post your favorite brain-bending book and why you liked it. All commenters will be thrown into a hat (well, not literally, but you get the idea) and a winner will be chosen on June 9 in anticipation of the launch party. You can only enter once, but everyone is eligible to win.

What's in a name?

Word Nerd's madly writing again, going back and making something viable out of what she wrote during NaNoWriMo in November. It's going well, but she needs some names.

Rather than spending hours (hours? Yeah, maybe...) pouring over choices at behindthename.com, she's going to turn to you, her faithful readers for some help.

Here's what she needs:

• A police woman. First and last name... Sgt. ??? ???
• Her protagonist's middle name. Ainsley ??? Doran. It's used one whole time in a legal document. But, it looks funny without it.
• A black pegasus. She asked for help on this before and got the helpful suggestion of Charlie. Charlie was a unicorn, not a pegasus. This pegasus is a part of a polo string and needs a name sounding like a champion. Cuz he is.

So, what do you get for your help? An advance copy of Kirsten Miller's "The Eternal Ones." Straight from the publishers. Before it comes out in August.

Anyone who puts a name suggestion in the comments is entered! Winner will be chosen at the end of this week!

May 2010 Bibliometer

Despite Word Nerd's sporadic posting lately, she really has still been reading books, so with the end of May comes another Bibliometer reading.


May 2010
6 books
2,234 pages
72 pages/day

YTD
32 books
11,079 pages

Book Banter -- The Deceived

Title: The Deceived

Author: Brett Battles

Genre: Thriller

Length: 358 pages

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

Plot Basics: Cleaner Jonathon Quinn is called on a job to dispose of a dead body in a shipping container. Only when he arrives on the scene, he knows who the dead man is, a former intelligence officer who helped Quinn out of jam in the past. Quinn wants to know what's happened to his friend, so he investigates, starting on the trail of the officer's girlfriend. As he pursues her, the trail leads him across the US and overseas. Her trail is tangled with a rising political star and Quinn will have to figure out which side is lying.

Banter Points: Word Nerd read the first Quinn book back in October and then forgot about him until she wanted something to break up an urban fantasy jag she'd been on and the Lee Child book she wanted wasn't on the shelves. She thinks that says alot that she'd pick this one right after Lee Child. And it didn't disappoint. Fast-paced, good characters, page-turning plot that's reminiscent of the Bourne book.

Bummer Points: Wow, the ending. It's always a good/bad thing to Word Nerd when an author truly puts a character in peril and has them suffer some kind of permanent consequences. To avoid spoilers, she won't say more, but she's interested and sad to see what happens to one of the characters in the next book.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you're looking for a good action book, Battles' series delivers. And, so far, at least, while the characters cross books, the plots are relatively insular so you could start in the middle of the series.

Book Banter -- Changes

Title: Changes (Dresden Files bk. 12)

Author: Jim Butcher

Length: 438 pages

Genre: Urban fantasy

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

Plot Basics: Chicago's professional wizard, sometimes Warden of the White Council, and generally smart-mouthed Harry Dresden gets a call from his former lover Susan, letting him know that their daughter has been kidnapped by Red Court vampires. Harry vows that he will save his little girl -- who he knew nothing about -- and swings into action, bringing with him all allies he can muster. But, the powers he is up against is greater than Harry may be able to bring down unless he makes some radical choices that will change his life forever.

Banter Points: Some people, supposedly, yell at the TV during sporting matches. Word Nerd yelled several times at Harry (or maybe at Jim Butcher), unhappy with what he was doing or incredulous that Harry did was he did. Yelling sounds like the mark of a bad book, but it's not. It was that Word Nerd has gotten so engrossed in Harry's story that she couldn't believe what Butcher was putting his character through. Word Nerd's guess is that Butcher likes Harry as a character -- obviously, he's been writing this series for 12 books. It takes guts to do that to a beloved character. GUTS. And he did it well with all the panache and verbal reparte that characterizes this series.

Bummer Points: One word -- cliff-hanger. It's bad enough that Harry had to do what he did during the 438 pages of this novel but then, it just leaves off and there is now WAITING for the next book. Butcher also sprinkles these books with pop-culture references of the sci-fi variety, but the Lord of the Rings comparison just was a bit much.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Hold on to your seat while read this one. And this feels like the appropriate place for Word Nerd as well to go back and re-read the whole series before the next one because it ain't going to be the same from here on out.

Other reactions: When was your "No he didn't" moment as you read this one? Try to avoid spoilers in comments if you can, but Word Nerd's curious...

Book Banter -- Chasing the Dime

Title: Chasing the Dime
Author: Michael Connelly
Genre: mystery
Length: ~400 pages
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: Researcher Henry Pierce gets a new phone number when breaks up with his girlfriend who is tired of his long hours in the lab. As soon as he plugs his phone in, he begins receiving calls for Lilly -- all from men who seem eager to find her. Even as his research into nanotechnology is poised to take off, Henry become obsessed with Lilly, determined to find her. Henry delves into the shady world of Internet escorts and finds himself using every bit of his scientific smarts to avoid getting slapped with a murder rap for a crime he didn't commit.

Banter Points: Word Nerd is still reading through Connelly's backlist in chronological order by publication date. She's really more interested in the Bosch books, but likes reading the one-offs too.

Interestingly, it explained in the back of the book that this story was inspired by events in Connelly's own life -- that he got a new phone number and started receiving calls for a woman, including the woman's mother who was trying to find her. It's an interesting glimpse into a writer's head to see what it is that catches their attention and how a book is crafted around a real event.

Bummer Points: Unfortunately, in this case, fictionalizing this story just didn't work well. All the characters were so flat. Whereas the Bosch and Co. characters have great backstories and rough edges and grow over time, Henry and his friends were boring. The premise of the plot was so good, it was sort of wasted on one-off characters.

Word Nerd Recommendation: Unles you are a die-hard Connelly fan, this one is worth skipping in favor of sticking with the Bosch storyline.

April 2010 Bibliometer and 2009-10 Literary Year Totals

April ended last week, so bibliometer reading time again.

April 2010 --
7 books
2229 pages total
avg. 74 pages/day

2010 YTD Totals:
26 books
8845 pages

Year-to-Year
April 2009, 29 books

Word Nerd's pretty close to last year's pace of reading.

Also, Word Nerd missed reporting back in March the end of her literary year (like a fiscal year, but with books.) She started tracking books read on March 20, 2002, so the literary year is March 20-March 19.

For LY 2009-10, Word Nerd read 82 books. Her eight year total since the list began is 655.

That's a lot of books.

Book Banter -- Lord Sunday

Title: Lord Sunday (Keys to the Kingdom bk.7)

Author: Garth Nix

Length: ~300 pages

Genre: Juvenile fantasy

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

Plot Basics: Arthur Penhaligon has fought his way through six days, collecting Keys and parts of the Architect's will to save the House and find a way back to his world. The cost has been great, losing his humanity as he does sorcery. Now, he must face the last and most powerful of the House Trustees -- Lord Sunday -- when he is stripped of his friends and allies. And as the battle that will save the world and his family rages, Arthur must make a choice that will impact them all.

Banter Points: The imagination of Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series that first captured Word Nerd's attention is still great, even seven books later. Nix created such a fascinating place with the Nithlings and the Denizens and the sinister clock puppets and the Piper and monsters that are plants... and well, you get the idea. It's nice to see a fantastical world with really new and different creatures instead of the same old elves/dwarves/dragons kind of mix.

Bummer Points: Word Nerd started reading a number of years ago (back when maybe only the first three books were out?) and this time, she didn't go back and reread the whole series before finishing it. The ending was a little predictable and Word Nerd wasn't as much of a fan of all the skipping around the plot did in 7. The bummer is more that Word Nerd had to wait and sort of forgot what was going on than a bummer for a bad book.

Word Nerd Recommendation: These really are great books for older kids, a non-Harry Potter magical read. Would be good reading aloud material too for parents who like this sort of thing. And now that the series is all finished, you wouldn't have Word Nerd's problem of waiting for the series to finish.

Conference Time

Word Nerd's off to a writer's conference again this weekend.

This time, she's at Mo*Con V presented by the Indiana Horror Writers (the same folks she was hanging with two weeks ago for that Neil Gaiman thing...)

The primary organizer of the conference is in her writers group and after going to Mo*Con IV last year, there was no way Word Nerd was skipping it this year. Small group, great conversations, a chance really pick the brains of people in the writing biz.

If you're in Indianapolis, it's not too late to come.

And Word Nerd will let you know how it was next week.

Book Banter -- Working for the Devil

Title: Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine bk. 1)
Author: Lilith Saintcrow
Genre: Urban fantasy
Length: ~300 pages
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: Necromance Dante Valentine is willing to accept bounty hunter-type jobs on the side, but on one rainy Monday, it's the Prince of Hell himself who asks for her services. Lucifer needs Dante to track down the Egg and gives her a demon familiar to protect her during her search. But it's not a blind search, because Lucifer knows that the Egg has been taken by one Santino Vardimal -- who nearly killed Dante the last time she went up against him.
Banter Points: Word Nerd hadn't read much great urban fantasy (or even mediocre urban fantasy) in a long time, so this was a welcome treat. Dante's inner monologue (that often comes out) is fun. Plus, Saintcrow has created a future world that she throws readers into full force and just runs with. Slicboards, the legislation protecting people with psi powers.... it's all great stuff and never fully explained, but the reader feels so immersed in the world, it doesn't matter.
Bummer Points: Word Nerd can't say what bummed her out about this book without giving away a major plot piece at the end. Other than that she was SURPRISED and gives much respect to Saintcrow for doing that, because very rarely does that happen in this sort of book.
Word Nerd Recommendation: If you like kick-butt heroines, cool future worlds, slick dialogue and authors who don't pull punches, Working for the Devil is definitley for you.

Book Banter -- Wild Hunt

Word Nerd reviewed Margaret Ronald's Wild Hunt for Popsyndicate.com and LOVED this book. Probably one of the kick-butt-est urban fantasy books she's read in a long time. Definitely will be looking for more from this author.

Here's the review of Wild Hunt.

Book Banter -- The Bone Chamber

Word Nerd's reviewing over at PopSyndicate again.

Check out her take on Robin Burcell's "The Bone Chamber."

In which Word Nerd becomes a horror writer

Last week, Neil Gaiman was in town to deliver a big lecture through an Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library program.

Not one to pass up such an opportunity to hear a famous writer speak, Word Nerd contacted one of her writers group members to see about a group outing. At which point, he tells her, the Indiana Horror Writers are sitting down with Neil Gaiman for about 30 minutes before the event.

"Can I be a horror writer today?" Word Nerd asks.

To be fair, Word Nerd did attend their conference last year and is attending their conference again this year. She's even written things in the past involving zombies.

In short, Word Nerd got to hang with the horror writers.

Oh, and Neil Gaiman too.

Book Banter -- Dawn on a Distant Shore

Title: Dawn on a Distant Shore (Wilderness, bk 2.)
Author: Sara Donati
Length: 461 pages
Genre: historical fiction
Where Word Nerd's Copy Came From: Indianapolis Marion County Public Library
Plot Basics: (Can't help the spoilers here, given how closely this book picks up after the first one...)

Soon after becoming the mother of twins, Elizabeth Bonner must once again go to her husband's aid. Nathaniel, along with his father and outdoorsman Robbie MacLachlan, are being held in a Montreal jail. Elizabeth, along with her step-daughter Hannah and Curiosity Freeman, set out with the babies to Montreal to get them out of jail. But their captivity is part of a giant ruse to get the Bonner family back to Scotland to determine if they are they can be heirs to an earl. They cross the Atlantic, plagued by pirates, homesickness and fear of what lies ahead for them in Scotland.

Banter Points: A good second entry in this sweeping historical epic. Donati takes her readers -- who love Nathaniel and Elizabeth -- and puts them in an entirely new setting. Also, it's a great hook because this plot doesn't wrap up some of the loose ends from Into the Wilderness meaning a third book has to happen to resolve those things.

Bummer Points: Maybe it's because Word Nerd read this one too close to the first one, but it felt long. The sea voyage got cumbersome (pages and pages of crossing the Atlantic) when much of the action happened right at the beginning and right at the end. Yes, there were pirates, but not memorable ones and the plot sort of dragged for a time.

Word Nerd Recommendation: She's going to take a short break from this series and then come back to it. She really likes the characters, but spreading out the immersion into 1794 New York will help keep the story fresher.

March 2010 Bibliometer

Word Nerd's a little late posting her reading stats for last month. She's not been reading as much especially now that it's spring and she has a lawn and flowerbeds to maintain. Nevertheless, she's still squeaking in books here and there.

March 2010 Bibliometer reading:
5 books
2163 pages
70 pages/day average

YTD
19 books
6616 pages

Year over year
Last year, Word Nerd had read 23 books total by the end of March.

NaNoWriMo Revisted

In the past week, Word Nerd has re-read the 50,000 words she wrote during November and the madness that is National Novel Writing Month.

A bunch of life stuff happened in between NaNo and now (like, say, buying and moving into her first house). She putzed around back in December with some of the early chapters. Yet honestly, she didn't really even remember what happened in her whole story. And, Word Nerd is not one who likes leaving projects unfinished.

The plan is to get back into the book -- move some scenes around, spruce up the first 50K words and finish telling this story. Word Nerd doesn't exactly remember all the things she thought she might do in the second half of the book (oh, the dangers of no outline and writing at NaNo speeds), but she's given herself bread crumbs all over the place to pick up and run with. (Like the thing with still, as-yet-unnamed Pegasus. Or the miniature knight. Who also needs a name.)

Now that's she's done with the reread, the next step is an outline. For the whole thing. Word Nerd actually likes a lot of what she wrote during NaNo, but not the placement. The flow feels a little disjointed. So, a full out map of the story is in order. She's also got one minor character who needs sorted out (what's her role in the story? Does she even belong there?). But it's all good problems to solve.

Book Banter -- Into the Wildnerness

Title: Into the Wildnerness

Author: Sara Donati

Genre: historical fiction

Length: 876 pages

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

Plot Basics: Elizabeth Middleton has come to the small village in upstate New-York where her father serves as judge. Her plan is start a school and remain unmarried. But that's before she meets Nathaniel Bonner -- a rugged trapper and outdoorsman who moves between both the village and the local Mohawk Indian tribe. Nathaniel interests Elizabeth in ways she's not expecting and she becomes caught up in his cause to save the land for the Mohawk people. The fight takes them across the wilderness of 1793 New York, trying to outrun and outwit those who would see the Mohawk forever gone from the land. And as they run, Elizabeth and Nathaniel realize they are stronger together as a team.

Banter Points: Word Nerd won a copy of the sixth book of Donati's series in a contest, but she hadn't read any of the rest of the series. So, she went back to the beginning and has thoroughly enjoyed getting immersed in this world.

Historical fiction isn't usuall Word Nerd's thing, but this one is so compelling because the characters are so real. It's easy to get swept up in the lives of this village and the conflicts of the time. Donati gives flesh to all her characters, even the minor ones. Nobody is a throw-away character and they all have roles to play in this epic story she's woven.

The amount of research she must have done for these books is astounding. Word Nerd vaguely remembers studying what happened after the Revolutionary War in her American History class in high school, but it's all sort of fuzzy. Donati's created a vibrant world with believable details for how life must have been like then.

Bummer Points: This first one is long and feels in the second half a little bit like Donati didn't quite know where to end the story. Luckily, book 2 (Dawn on a Distant Shore) picks up really soon after where she ended book 1.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you are looking for a series to really sink into, this might be the answer. Action, adventure, some romance, political intrigue -- it's got it all.

Author Answers with CJ West

Say hello to CJ West this week. His latest book, Gretchen Greene, released at the end of March and he's got a terrific summer tour lined up with it. It's a little non-traditional and he's giving us the scoop on what he's got planned, what's got his attention in the book world and when we can see his books on the big screen. (The photo is CJ and yours truly, Word Nerd, at Bouchercon in Oct. 09.)

WN: What's the "Who Wants to Be a Hero" tour all about? How did you think of it?

WEST: The tour promises to teach readers how to be like Randy Black. Randy is an expert driver, marksman, and poker player. He comes from a family of winemakers and his girlfriend works as a crime reporter for a local paper. I thought that all of these things are interesting in fiction, why not do them in person, so when I began planning my tour this year, I decided to focus on these skills and make the tour fun. My work is written to entertain people and I wanted my events to do the same. By partnering with local vendors, I'm offering some one-of-a-kind events. The kickoff is a high performance driving class by a well-respected driving and security firm that teaches professional drivers. They are going to give us a three-hour course and allow us to get out on the track and drive. It's going to be great and it gives readers a chance to "hang around" with me for hours as opposed to shaking my hand and asking a few questions in a book store.

WN: What's the response been so far to this kind of tour instead of the traditional sit-behind-a-table-and-sign-books approach?

WEST: The response has been tremendous. I know all authors have had book signings where very few people show up. It's a hazard of the job and a sign that there are more fun things for people to do with their time. Readers are signing up for my Texas Hold 'em lessons two and three months in advance to make sure they get a seat. I never expected that. I will be all over New England this year. Anyone who wants to come and see me can find an event at www.22wb.com/events.htm

WN: Your newest book, "Gretchen Greene" recently released -- what's it about?

WEST: Gretchen Greene is the 3rd book in my Randy Black series and it offers a major transition in the storyline. The first two books, Sin & Vengeance and A Demon Awaits, define Randy as a troubled anti-hero. Gretchen Greene is Randy's first adventure as he travels the country trying to redeem himself by saving others. Gretchen is an ecoterrorist turned alternative energy researcher who has stolen a breakthrough solar technology. Her entire team is gunned down and only Randy can save her. The fun part about writing this book for me is the relationship between Randy and Gretchen. She's a bit prickly and goes about preaching environmentalism to anyone within earshot. She and Randy disagree on so many things that it made their relationship fun to write.

WN: You've got a four books out now, what's changed in how you approach writing in that time? WEST: My beta readers tell me that my writing improves with every book. It's also clear that I'm writing significantly faster. My second book took about sixteen months to complete. My most recent was completed in less than six months. I do think that particular book was something of an anomaly because the ideas came so fast, but I see myself finishing a book each year going forward where this was really difficult for me prior to 2008.

WN: In addition to writing and touring, what books have captured your attention lately?

WEST: I had the pleasure of meeting Meg Gardiner last year and interviewed her on my Blog Talk Radio show (22wb.com/btrshows.htm). Her book The Dirty Secrets Club really impressed me both in terms of writing and story. Meg is also a very nice woman and it has been a delight getting to know her.

WN: What's happening with the movie?

WEST: Beantown Productions has optioned the film rights to Sin & Vengeance and they are working to finance the production of a feature film. I hope to have more information soon about the fundraising and a production schedule.

WN: Where can readers find you?
WEST: I spend most days on Facebook while I write. Find me at www.facebook.com/cjwestfans.

Book Banter -- Roadkill

Title: Roadkill (Cal Leandros bk. 5)

Author: Rob Thurman

Length: 388 page

Genre: urban fantasy

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

Plot Basics: Cal Leandros is finally feeling free from his monstrous relatives. His older, watchful brother, Niko, is letting Cal take responsibility for himself. But, when a gypsy crone shows up looking for their help -- after nearly getting Niko killed -- Cal drives a hard bargain to agree to go after an anti-healer The Plague of the World, responsible for the Black Plague. The brothers -- along with Robin G,oodfellow -- start on a road trip racing against time to catch up with him, hoping their healer friend Rafferty has enough good mojo to save them all. But the Plague of the World won't let Cal get away without showing him what he truly is.

Banter Points: Rob Thurman is one of the best urban fantasy writers out there right now -- why? Because the monsters in her books are SCARY. Unlike lots of urban fantasy where things that should be monstrous tend to be the romantic entanglements, Thurman's monsters really are creepy. And she put that creepiness right in the reader's face with her protagonist, since Cal is half-monster. And you can't help but root for him. Even when he's having a creepy moment. (Of which he has a couple in this book...Word Nerd will refrain from saying anymore to avoid spoilers.)

Also, this book was a great turn in the series. She could have ended the story in book 4, but this one took the big plot in a great new direction. While there's still external baddies to deal with, Thurman opened up a whole new perspective on the characters' internal monsters. Makes for some great reading.

Bummer Points: So, without giving away too much, you might want to have a box of kleenex handy if you're a cry-er at books. Yep, even in urban fantasy. Word Nerd was warned, so she's didn't blubber too much, but it's very possible.

Word Nerd Recommendation: If you haven't read Rob Thurman, what are you waiting for?