The Best Friend I Never Met

If you read crime fiction, you'll be noticing a lot of books coming out that are dedicated to David Thompson. Having read Duane Swierczynski’s touching and heartfelt Acknowledgements in FUN &GAMES the other day, I'm inspired to share my own testimonial about David, the best friend I ever had whom I never met.

Some might think it terribly forward for me to call someone a friend when he had no idea who I was, save a goofy avatar. But I don't think David would mind. You see, David was a community leader in the truest sense of the term. He shared his gifts freely and with great joy, even through the infinite distance of cyberspace.

For those who aren't familiar with his story, David was a bookseller, publisher, crime fiction advocate and the ultimate crime fiction aficionado. His untimely death last September was a deep and traumatic loss to the crime fiction community that will be felt forever. His life, however, will continue to be celebrated.

David's joy in great books was infectious. He supported and encouraged authors and readers every day via Twitter, Facebook and email. He hand sold books to those lucky enough to meet him at Murder by the Book in Houston, as well as to people like me online.

David gave a great many gifts to more people than will ever be counted, and after his death, I learned some of the magical stories about him from those who knew him well and were kind enough to share. He gave me a gift too, probably without even knowing he was doing so.

His unabashed enthusiasm for books and the people who make them and his humor and Texas charm--evident even in 140 characters--showed me that my nerdy fangirl self was not alone. That being deeply and truly excited about great stories didn't make me an outcast, but rather quite the opposite. That I could do things to support the authors, books, and even publishers I love, and those things are worthwhile and can make a difference.

If you’d like to read some of the many amazing tributes to David from authors and readers, you can find a great list here. You’ll find that each celebrates an incredible person. And you’ll find inspiration in his life and his memory.

I'll never know exactly how many of those books I love exist in part because of David, but I am forever grateful to him for them. His was a life lived fully and cut short far too soon, and I hope you'll pay special attention to the books dedicated to him. When you see his name, give him a wink and a wave and say a word of thanks.

Interview with a Character: Will Trent

A tall, quiet, thoughtful man in a suit walked into my life last year. He's as brilliant as he is flawed, and Karin Slaughter's Will Trent quickly became one of my favorite crime fighters.And with an 89% clearance rate, Will is a force of crime fighting nature.

Will is an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation based in Atlanta, although in BROKEN he ventures to Grant County. Will has a complicated back story, and his relationships are far from simple...but he has a true gift, one that is almost supernatural, when it comes to unraveling the intricacies of murder.

I continue to be overwhelmed by the kindness of authors who are good enough to make their characters available to answer a few questions, and Karin was certainly no exception. Enjoy!

What's the most challenging situation you've ever faced as an investigator?

Cases involving children are the most difficult for me, but I think that's true of any investigator.

If you weren't an investigator, what would you like to be?

I've always thought I'd make a good pilot. I got into the cockpit of a small plane once and it took a while to get used to having my knees in my line-of-site, but that'd be a small price to pay.

Is there anywhere in the world you would especially like to visit?

The Netherlands looks like a nice country, and their language isn't rooted in anything logical, so I think I'd blend in well.

You’re a tall, good-looking guy. Do you think that helps you in most investigations?

Well, I'll give you tall, but I don't know about the other. I think what helps me in most investigations is I'm determined to do everything I can to make sure the case is solved. But, again, that's what most good investigators do.

Have you ever had a case where it created more problems than it solved?

It goes back to those cases involving kids. Even when you manage to take a child out of a bad situation, you know in your heart that putting them in state care isn't the ideal life for them. It's never good to be forced to choose between the lesser of two evils.

What’s your favorite band or song?

I've been enjoying listening to Red Molly lately. I didn't know I was a little bit country. Most of my musical tastes lean toward heavy guitars and drums.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, what kind of stories do you like?

I prefer to read books, but I enjoy the occasional audio. I think the best book I've ever listened to is Annie Proulx's Accordion Crimes.

Remember, Karin Slaughter's new book, FALLEN, is out on June 21. I've heard great things about it already!

BROKEN by Karin Slaughter

I’ll admit it: I was late to the Karin Slaughter party. Not sure how exactly it happened, but it wasn’t until last year I started reading her books. Since then, I’ve been making up for lost time because she is one of those rarities, a hugely successful internationally bestselling author who does not compromise her stories or characters, and treats her readers we’re even smarter than we might think we are. She’s also one of the bravest authors around…while lesser authors was making jokes on "Castle" about killing off lead characters, Karin killed a main character in one of her series. And this was no Bobby-on-Dallas-style killing; the dude is good and truly dead. The series, though, continues on unabated…

From her Facebook page, proof that Karin is funny as heck

Karin is also an amazing advocate for reading-focused organizations, especially libraries. She also has a wicked funny sense of humor. I hope this has something to do with she and I being born within 4 days of each other (see how I snuck that little bit of trivia in there).

Karin’s books comprise three series, but they overlap. This artful intertwining of locales, storylines and characters is evident in each of her novels. If you’re new to her books, it probably is a good idea to start at the beginning, but I didn’t, and I’ve enjoyed her work no less as a result.

Karin’s latest, FALLEN, hits shelves on June 21. I’m including this one in my money-back-guarantee group (preorder it, and if you don’t like it, donate it to a local library and I’ll get you a gift certificate for a new book) not because I’ve read it (haven’t yet) but rather because her last book, BROKEN, was such a good read that I can’t imagine that its anything less than brilliant.

And about BROKEN…

Something is rotten in Heartsdale, Georgia (don’t look it up—it’s a fictional town, which Karin describes as, “an amalgamation of the small towns of my childhood”). People are dying…the police are corrupt…and everyone is guided by their own private demons. The result is a cast of characters who apparently share a common goal—catching a killer—but whose interpersonal histories might stop them from doing just that. Even Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigator Will Trent, an outsider, is challenged to let his spooky-good detecting skills shine through layers of the deceit that simmers all around him.

BROKEN doesn’t have any vampires or zombies, but if you’re into that sort of thing, you’ll like this book because it has loads of atmosphere. BROKEN’s cast of characters is compelling because not a one of them is one-sided. As I was reading, I was not sure whom to trust, and just when I started liking someone, s/he did something that made me mad.

Truth is, I was hooked on BROKEN from the first page. And I can’t wait to read FALLEN.

Blurb: A smart whodunit that moves at a breakneck pace

Author’s Website: www.karinslaughter.com


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LONG GONE by Alafair Burke

LONG GONE is the first stand-alone novel from Alafair Burke, author of the Ellie Hatcher and Samantha Kincaid series. I’m a little skeptical when established authors venture into new territory—I am a creature of habit—but I like Alafair’s writing a lot, and so I charged headlong into this one.

From the first pages, one thing is clear: Alafair Burke has become a novelist to be reckoned with. Her storytelling and use of language is far from formulaic; she clearly has found a voice that is her own. And she’s not afraid to use it.

Astronomical Clock

LONG GONE is a complex tale that is artfully constructed, almost more like a group of interlinked novellas that gradually come together with exquisite timing. In hindsight, the construction of LONG GONE brought to mind the Astronomical Clock in Prague’s Old Town Square, which has been doing its animated, intricate dance since 1410. Many moving parts, moving in seemingly different directions, that all work perfectly together.

I like books that make the reader uncomfortable by pulling them in and giving them specific story elements to which they can relate, and LONG GONE certainly does just that. You’re going along, living your life, having your day-to-day trials and tribulations and..bam! Nothing is what you thought it was. Not people or places or, well, anything. This is the plight of our heroine, Alice Humphrey, along with characters in several of LONG GONE’s storylines.

All of Alafair’s books have a strong sense of place, and LONG GONE is no different. But this New York is a little frayed around the edges. It’s glamorous, yes, but a tad dirty, too. It is rife with detail without being cumbersome. LONG GONE has quite a lot of characters—something I usually don’t love in books—but in this case, each is written with a clarity that makes keeping track of them a joy rather than a chore.

LONG GONE is an ideal summer read for two reasons: It’s a “lose yourself” book, and it’s also one you’ll want to recommend to your friends. Reading it leaves one with a distinct sense of discovery. Even though Alafair isn’t a new author, her voice in this book is stronger and more clear that it has been before. I see bestseller lists in her future.

Karin Slaughter said it better than I ever could: "Long Gone is the type of book that should come with a warning. It's a compulsively readable, highly addictive story. The ending will leave you breathless."

LONG GONE comes out on June 21. You should pre-order it. If you do, and if you don’t like it, I’ll buy you a new book. Yes, really.

Blurb: A sure-to-be bestseller you’ll want to share.

Author’s Website: www.alafairburke.com


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Money, Sex, Death, Religion, and Politics in June

Ok, so this isn’t really about any of those things…but it sounded so much more interesting than “How I Learned to Love Preordering Books.”

Next month there are a bunch of amazing books being released. To wit:

• HELL IS EMPTY by Craig Johnson on June 2
• THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES by Marcus Sakey on June 9
• FUN AND GAMES by Duane Swierczynski on June 20
• BURIED SECRETS by Joe Finder on June 21
• FALLEN by Karin Slaughter on June 21
• LONG GONE by Alafair Burke on June 21

June 21 is the Summer Solstice and National Go Skateboarding Day. Not sure which caused publishers to schedule so many big releases on the one day.

And that’s not even to mention Lawrence Block’s A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF, which comes out this very week (Thursday, May 12).

I didn’t used to care much about book release dates. The simple truth is that there are more books in this world that I would like to read than I’ll ever be able to read, and so going to the bookstore was always a happy, surprising adventure (it still is, by the way, even in light of what I'm about to write). And, truth be told, I was kinda snobby about not preordering because I wasn't into Harry Dan Potter Brown, thanks very much.

Then the internet happened. And then I learned a bit about how publishing works. And got to know some authors.

Now, I preorder.

If you read (and you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t), chances are good that you have certain authors whom you like and want to support. One of the best ways to do just that is by pre-ordering new titles. I first became aware of this when Alafair Burke explained it, and so I asked her to share that explanation again. Here it is:

No matter where readers purchase their books, preorders help authors by sending a message to retailers that the book is going to be a big seller once it's published. That might persuade the retailer to increase their order. With online retailers, high preorders will push the book higher in the rankings, which can lower the price and also earn it better placement on the retailer's website. (And to be clear, if the price moves after the reader preorders it, the retailer does give the customer the lower price.) Preorders also help both the readers and author on timing. The reader gets the book as soon as possible, and the author has sales attributed to the critical first-week sales period, when most books have the highest likelihood of hitting the bestsellers' lists.

If that’s not enough of a reason for you, consider Antiques Roadshow. Yes, the BBC/PBS series. First Editions—especially signed ones—are often worth some big bucks. And if you collect an author’s work, there’s a certain thrill that comes with having a first edition. The only sure way to get one? That’s right. Preorder.

Recently, too, a friend pointed out something I-of-the-no-wifi-ereader had not considered. If you preorder an ebook, come release day, it magically appears on your reader. That’s cool.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be making my case for books I’ve been lucky enough to get early copies of and that I think warrant a preorder. How’s about this: If you preorder a book I recommend (like any of the seven mentioned above) and don’t like it, donate it to a library or charitable organization, and I’ll give you a gift certificate so you can get a new book.

Deal?

On Language and My Dad

Dad and his Grandma

My dad has been an English teacher for almost 40 years. Not a research-driven, theoretical professor, but a hands-on teacher who has dedicated his life to encouraging young people to read, to think, and to express their thoughts clearly. And to edit.

My dad gave me my love of reading. He introduced me to crime fiction. He taught me that it's ok to stop reading a crap book. He showed me how to choose a book by reading a random page in the middle--not the first page. He showed me the joy of browsing in indie bookstores.

My dad illustrated for me the value of newspapers, and the importance of understanding differing points of view. He also instilled in me an appreciation and respect for technology, starting with typewriters.

When I read Brad Parks' fantastic article, "A Slip of the Tongue," in Sunday's New York Post, I immediately sent it to Dad. I knew that he would agree with much of it and disagree with some of it, just like I did.

Me and Dad, circa 1973

I am admittedly biased, but his response was both thoughtful and insightful. It made me proud to be his daughter. And so I'm sharing it here.

Here's what he said:

Brad is right that grammar "rules" are not cast in stone. In fact, they are more in the nature of conventions than laws. The problem with  Brad's article is that he is confusing informal writing with formal, academic writing. He was being taught how to write academic papers to prepare him for college. That kind of writing has many conventions which are expected, and those who do not follow those conventions are, often, not taken as seriously as more conventional writers are and are at risk of being misunderstood.

Elmore Leonard, a writer I greatly admire, said in an interview that he ignores grammar "rules" whenever he needs to, and Cormac McCarthy, an important literary writer, confusingly left out nearly all the punctuation in his Border Trilogy. Journalism too has conventions which sometimes violate the conventions employed in academic writing.

The purpose of the conventions in academic writing is to encourage precision and to avoid potential ambiguity. Unfortunately, that kind of writing can be dull and lackluster. Some of it is as dense as concrete and just as colorless.

Brad is wrong about the rules prohibiting split infinitives and ending a sentence with a preposition. The New Fowler's Modern English Usage 3d edition, the bible of English grammar, now allows both.

Brad is right that grammar changes along with the people who use it, and dictionaries often make adjustments to reflect the changes; so many of the "rules" Brad might object to are no longer "rules."

Strunk and White, while outdated (it has been revised since White's death), is worthwhile because it takes the stuffiness out of grammar. It is quite possible for a teacher to recommend the book simply as a beginning for understanding how written language may be composed.

Writing can and often does reflect the way people speak, but more importantly, academic writing is intended to represent how they think. In that setting, writing is a visual representation of thought, and if it is not clear to the reader, the writer's thinking might be hazy or important information may be missed or confused by the reader, which is why some understanding of how to compose thoughts in an unambiguous form which will be understood by the majority of readers is important. The only way to do that effectively is to rely on mutually agreed upon conventions.  If, for example, we all agreed to abandon punctuation as McCarthy did, confusion would reign.

Every day I read student writing so tangled that the meaning is buried in an unmarked grave, and yet that writing often represents how they speak.  My job is to help them to understand how to reveal what they are thinking by using the conventions of academic writing.