Library Love Fest

Guest Post: Why Libraries Matter by Cynthia Sax

Cynthia Sax is the author of the upcoming The Seen Trilogy, on sale in July starting with Part I: He Watches Me (7/2). She stopped by to discuss how important libraries have been to her.

***

I grew up dirt poor in rural Canada. Our house didn’t have running water. If the chickens didn’t lay eggs in the winter, we didn’t eat. We didn’t have money for ‘extra’ things like new clothes (we benefited from donations), and fancy school supplies. We certainly didn’t have money for TV or entertainment.

What we DID have was a library within walking distance.

At least once a week, I’d visit the library and spend hours there, driving the very patient librarian crazy. I’d return home with as many books as my little arms could carry. When I saw those books stacked up on the bedroom floor, I felt rich, the equal of anyone else. Those books allowed me to see exotic places and experience new things.

Because it was a small library and I was a fast reader, I soon read every single book in their circulation. I read a Spanish-English dictionary, a book on small engine repair, and the autobiographies of successful people. Many of those successful people started out like me with no money.

We Interrupt the Radio Silence for an ALA Update

I'm so sorry it has been so boring around here! There have been an influx of projects in the last few weeks, and my sad little blog has suffered. 

So, who's excited for ALA?!?!  I AM!  We have a rock star line-up for you guys this year.  Here is the schedule of events we have planned, so check them out and/or stop by Booth 2308 for lots of goodies!

Friday, June 28

4:00-5:15pm
Opening General Session
Steven Levitt, author of FREAKONOMICS
McCormick Place Convention Center, Hall B1

Saturday, June 29

8:30-10:00am
HarperCollins Title Presentation
McCormick Place Convention Center/Room E350

9:00-10:00am
Laura Lippman booth signing

9:00-10:00am
Richard Kadrey booth signing

10:00-11:00am
Booth signing/photo op with:
Molly McAdams - author of TAKING CHANCES
Shannon Stoker - author of THE REGISTRY
J. Lynn - author of WAIT FOR YOU

New Adult Fun at ALA

For all you lovelies who will be at ALA next week,we have a treat for you!

Here is a sneak peek of a photo opportunity that shouldn't be missed...

You too could have the chance to pose with Hunky McSleeve Tattoo on Saturday, June 29th in Booth 2308. 

Saturday, June 29th:

10:00-11:00am: Signing/photo op with:

Molly McAdams, author of Taking Chances, Shannon Stoker author of The Registry, and J. Lynn, author of Wait for You.

And then follow them all to the LIVE! Reading Stage where from 11:30-12:30pm they will be speaking and reading from their steamy, New Adult novels.

Ok, enough embarrassment for one day.  See you next week!

- Annie

What I'm Reading: Miss Anne in Harlem by Carla Kaplan

I get so caught up in the great fiction titles we publish, that I forget about my love for non-fiction, so I figured it was about time to read something...enter Miss Anne in Harlem by Carla Kaplan.

Miss Anne refers to a group of white women - many of whom were educated and wealthy - who participated in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s. They were often portrayed as either manipulative or crazy, and misunderstood by both black and white people.  At a time when social respectability was so important, they eschewed (I don't use that word enough) the norm, and often risked complete ostracism to embrace the culture Harlem had to offer. 

Miss Anne in Harlem is the first book to tell the vibrant story of this small band of white women, and Kaplan does an impeccable job with her research. She follows a select group of them from Anne Nathan Meyer, who founded Barnard College to Josephine Cogdell Schuyler, a liberal white Texan heiress who married George Shuyler, one of the most important figures of the Harlem Renaissance.

Publishers Weekly gave Miss Anne a starred review and said, “an empathetic and skillful writer, Kaplan has produced a valuable addition to the history of the period.” She certainly introduced me to a part of it that I wasn't aware of. 

Miss Anne in Harlem is out in September, but you can download an egalley on Edelweiss.

- Annie

Oh, my stars!: Help for the Haunted Edition

No surprise, we love John Searles and his wonderful book, Help for the Haunted, but we are not alone! Besides everyone who met him at BEA, Publishers Weekly AND Booklist are jumping on the bandwagon with their starred reviews.

“Unsettling … [Help for the Haunted] keeps the reader on edge while Sylvie bravely uncovers her family’s many secrets.” - Publishers Weekly

"Superlative storytelling” - Booklist

“A somber, well-paced journey, wrapped in a mystery, that will keep readers guessing until the revealing conclusion.” -Kirkus

Egalleys are available for download on Edelweiss, and I highly recommending adding this to your shelves come September.

- Annie

Guest Blogger: David Wellington

You might be familiar with David Wellington's Monster Island Trilogy, but you might not know that Mr. Wellington is a card carrying member of the MLS club.  Today he has stopped by to share his tale of "The World’s Most Dangerous Library."

Don't miss out on David's latest thriller Chimera, out in July. If you like a little sci-fi mixed with your action, you'll love this suspenseful story of a small band of fugitives who escape from a secret upstate NY military facility, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Dun, dun dun!

Interested in some sneak peeks?  You can find an excerpt of Chimera here, and (this is cool!) check out Minotaur, an e-short original here! 

*** 

When I finished grad school in Creative Writing, my professors took me aside.  I was never going to make it as a writer, they told me, and I had received a B in a class on Medieval Poetry (unacceptable!) so I was never going to be a teacher.  They wished me luck and asked what I would do next.

I had no idea.

So I moved to New York City in 2002 with no skills and no future.  All I really had was my love for books.  I decided I would go to library school and get yet another degree, which would raise my job prospects from non-existent to, well, poor.  I enrolled at the Pratt Institute for the MLS degree, full of hope (it’s free, unlike the degree).  I did not know at the time that I was beginning an adventure that would expose me to snipers, terrorists and foreign spies.

No, really.

Get in the Loop! 

Learn about the hottest new titles at the HarperCollins Adult Book Buzz!

What the “L” will we be talking about? Join us and find out! 

Saturday, June 29^th 
8:30-10am
McCormick Place Convention Center
Room MCP-E350

Get the inside track on your favorite authors and discover some new ones along the way. 
Light refreshments will be served.

Space is limited, so please RSVP to librarylovefest@harpercollins.com with the subject line
“ALA Book Buzz.”

Hope to see you there!

What I'm Reading: The Absence of Mercy by John Burley

Based on the editor's description I was immediately intrigued by John Burley's debut thriller, The Absence of Mercy, so I was excited to finally be able to pick it up over the weekend. 

I loved the prologue; the very first line is "this is not the beginning," which sets the stage for some eerie thoughts because, knowing it's a murder mystery, what is the beginning? What has already happened to lead to this horrific killing in the first three pages? Read on...

The murders are gruesome and savage, which makes the reveal of the killer more powerful, and I like how Burley, a doctor (cause who doesn't have the time to be an emergency medical doctor and write a novel?), incorporates his scientific knowledge into the mix with his main character, medical examiner Ben Stevenson.

Also, while the killer is revealed with 1/5 of the book left, the reasoning and explanation adds another layer to the story; it becomes more than just a murder mystery.

I definitely would recommend checking it out. Egalleys are available on Edelweiss.

- Annie