March 2014

Cynthia Sax writes some very racy, fun books and her latest, Breaking All the Rules recently received a starred review from Library Journal…HOTT! Cynthia stopped by to share some of her thoughts on her heroines with us….

****

Camille, the heroine of Breaking All The Rules isn’t your typical erotic romance heroine. She has green hair, multiple piercings, tattoos and she certainly isn’t submitting to anyone, not even to Nathan Lawford, Blaine Technologies’ hunky yet uptight, rule-drafting CFO. 

As Library Journal shares, “Hot, darkly funny, and slightly crass, Sax’s novella stands out for its excellent character development and refreshingly different female protagonist. Camille is brassy, unprofessional, and far from perfect, but her eccentricities create a nevertheless likable figure who feels more relatable, more real than many of the “cookie cutter” female characters in erotica, who are sugary sweet with no discernible flaws or problematic coping mechanisms.” 

None of my heroines are perfect. They are all flawed because I think ALL women deserve happy ever afters. We don’t have to be perfect or classically beautiful or supermodel skinny. We can dress in faded frayed suits, listen to extremely vulgar hip hop music, leave for three hour breaks in the middle of a work day.

And we can express our sexual selves. We can be a little freaky in the bedroom (or on the boardroom table or in the elevator) and still be worthy of lasting love. My heroines (and, in Nate’s case, my hero) often struggle with the perception of who society thinks they should be (a ‘good’ person) versus what makes them unique and truly happy. This exploration is one of the reasons I love writing and reading erotic romance. Everyone has an intimate secret that we worry other people won’t accept.

This is also why I think erotic romance belongs in libraries. Librarians are trusted to recommend stories that make a difference. Assisting a patron to embrace his or her sexual self changes lives. 

Cynthia

****

Thank you, Cynthia! Be sure to snag a copy for yourself (winky, winky).

– Annie

A lovely debut novel, great for book clubs, Vintage tells the story of a Midwestern vintage clothing shop and a group of women who meet there and cultivate an unlikely but steadfast friendship.

Violet struggles with the desire to run her store herself and the realization that she needs to ask for help to keep it going.

18 year-old April Morgan is pregnant and alone when she discovers unexpected possibilities and people who won’t let her give up on her dreams.

Betrayed by her husband and with a grown daughter who doesn't understand her traditions, Amithi Singh fears her life has passed her by with nothing to show for it.

These three very different woman come together to form an intense bond in a story that really captures the essence of female friendships. Cause if you don't have your girlfriends, what do you have?

– Annie

I was an obsessive Barbie lover when I was younger (Barbie mansion with elevator, bright pink sports car, the whole deal), so I was super intrigued when I first heard about The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton.  Set in 17^th century Amsterdam—with all the oppressive religious zeal and overblown trading of the Dutch East India Company of the era—The Miniaturist opens with the marriage of young, country-bred Nella to Johannes Brandt, one of the top merchants in Amsterdam.  As a wedding gift, Johannes presents Nella with a cabinet-sized replica of their home and charges her with furnishing it.  Nella originally orders only a few harmless pieces from an elusive miniaturist, but soon additional packages begin to arrive, and these pieces aren’t nearly so innocent.  These unsolicited figures mirror the house’s inhabitants in unexpected and seemingly impossible ways, and as Nella receives more and more pieces, she is drawn further and further into the secrets of her new family. 

The Miniaturist is a character cloaked in mystery who seems to have hidden knowledge and power over the rest of the Brandt household, even stretching her cryptic influence throughout the rest of Amsterdam.  I loved how The Miniaturist was this omniscient, seemingly omnipresent figure in everyone’s life, steering Nella towards more and more revelations.  Jessie Burton’s Amsterdam is both dazzling and dark, with rich dinners and successful merchants juxtaposed with religious fervor and vindictive neighbors constantly watching for sinful behavior.  This book is mysterious and tragic, dark and empowering, and I definitely recommend it for fans of atmospheric mysteries in the tradition of Emma Donoghue, Sarah Waters, and Sarah Dunant.  Check it out today on Edelweiss!

-Amanda

Only three weeks to go before we lace up our boots and head down to Texas where we will have a bunch of super-fun, happy time activities for you to partake in. So come by Booth 1739 and say Hi!

Wednesday, April 9th

Noon-12:50pm: Opening Author Session with James Rollins
Grand Hyatt 

2:00-3:00pm: James Rollins booth signing (#1739)

2:00–3:50pm: Author Panel: Oh the Horror! with Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box

4:00-5:00pm: Josh Malerman booth signing (#1739)

Thursday, April 10th

8:00–9:50am:Author Panel: The New Adult Genre with Cora Carmack, Sophie Jordan, and Molly McAdams

11:00-Noon: Cora Carmack and Molly McAdams joint booth signing (#1739)

3:15-4:00pm: Sophie Jordan booth signing (#1739)

6:30-8:30pm: Evening with the Authors (Ticketed Event)
Crunch! An Evening with the Zombie Authors.
with David Wellington

Friday, April 11th

8:00-9:50am: TLA Book Buzz

10:30am-Noon: Book Giveaway in Booth 1739

12:30-1:20pm: Author Speaker: Greg Iles

Can't wait to see you there!

Hey Everyone!  It was great to see many of you at last week's 2014 Public Library Association conference!  I hope you all had as good a time as we did and discovered many promising new books.  For any of you who weren't able to make it to Indianapolis, here is an overview of the upcoming Summer/Fall 2014 titles we're excited about.  Please let us know if you have any questions, and we hope to see you this summer in Las Vegas for ALA Annual!

-Amanda

I have some serious mystery/thriller suggestions for your reading pleasure!

June
The Death of Lucy Kyte by Nicola Upson: When beloved British mystery author Josephine Tey inherits a rural cottage from her godmother, she finds herself tasked with unraveling a chain of secrets linking the present and the past.

July

September
Angel Killer by Andrew Mayne: FBI agent Jessica Blackwood believes she has successfully left her old life as a rising star in the magic world behind her until the Bureau encounters a killer whose crimes are so baffling, some think he’s supernatural.

I don't know about you, but this weather is the pits. I am OVER it. So you know what makes for a pleasant break? Delicious looking cakes with fun middle parts! Enter, Suprise-Inside Cakes by Amanda Rettke.

From the founder of the popular blog I Am Baker, here are dozens of stunningly inventive cakes with surprises inside for every occasion—it’s a very impressive talent, and makes for beautiful pictures.

Butterfly Cake, Balloon Cake, Rainbow Cake, Daisy Cake
Kiss Cake, Candy Cane Cake, Pumpkin Candle Cake, Vampire Cake, Zebra Cake…the list is endless and you will immediately feel the need to create them (albeit, you might lack the patience as I do).

If you do happen to bake any of these, please send me pictures.

– Annie