Review: The Price of Freedom

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom by A.C. Crispin


Publication Date: May 2011
Publisher: Disney Press
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Adventure/ Young Adult
Pages: Hardcover, 672pp
ISBN-13: 9781423107040
ISBN: 142310704

(Received for an honest review from Disney Press)


Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


A.C. Crispin on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter


Excerpt from The Price of Freedom
Book Trailer: Very Interesting Interview with Ann Crispin and how she got started writing and how she came to write the Pirates of the Caribbean prequel.(12:09)

Synopsis:

Twenty-five year-old Jack Sparrow is a clean-cut merchant seaman pursuing a legitimate career as a first mate for the East India Trading Company. He sometimes thinks back to his boyhood pirating days, but he doesn't miss Teague's scrutiny or the constant threat of the noose. Besides, he doesn't have much choice - he broke the Code when he facilitated the escape of a friend who had been accused of rogue piracy, and he an no longer show his face in Shipwreck Cove.

When Jack's ship is attacked by pirates and his captain dies in the altercation he suddenly finds himself in command. The wily sailor's skillful negotiations with the pirate captain - who turns out to be a woman from his past - result in a favorable outcome that puts Jack in line for an official promotion. 

After making port in Africa, Jack is summoned by Cutler Beckett, who makes him captain of the ship called the Wicked Wench. Beckett gives Jack an assignment. He has heard a legend about a magical island named Kerma whose labyrinthine bowels are said to contain a glorious treasure. Beckett suspects that one of his house slaves, a girl named Ayisha, is from Kerma. He asks Jack to take her along on his voyage and seduce her into divulging the island's whereabouts. In payment for his services Beckett promises Jack a share of the treasure. 

But this task isn't as easy as Jack initially believes. Before Ayisha agrees to reveal the location of her home she insists that Jack take her to the New World to rescue her brother, who has been sold into slavery in the Bahamas. Their voyage is long and arduous, an and as they weather a vicious storm and a surprise attack from an old pirate foe, Jacks grows to respect Ayisha and admire her bravery. He knows that Beckett intends to enslave her people after robbing them of their treasure, and Jack's moral compass is repelled by the idea. It might be possible to deliver Ayisha safely to Kerma, obtain some of the treasure, and convince Beckett that he never found it... but the greedy E.I.T.C. official has eyes everywhere, and if he learns that Jack has foiled his plans, he could take away the thing that Captain Sparrow loves most: his ship - and his freedom. 

Thoughts:

Is it possible to capture the essence and personality of a movie character on the written page? A.C. Crispin proves in her latest novel, The Price of Freedom that it more than possible, it's attainable! The iconic character, Captain Jack Sparrow has been immortalized in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise and exceptionally acted by Johnny Depp. But movie goers may ask themselves, "How did Jack become a pirate?" "Why does he react the way he does?" "What makes him tick?" A.C. Crispin writes a very in depth and personal account of Jack Sparrow's early days in this brilliantly researched prequel to the popular Pirates movies. 

Jack Sparrow left his childhood pirating days behind him when he rescues a friend accused rogue piracy. Cast out and banished, he leaves Shipwreck Cove. Now he spends his time aboard a merchant ship for the East India Trading Company, earning an honest wage and staying far from the reaches of the noose. But when his ship is attacked by pirates, he is once again thrust into the clutches of Cutler Beckett, a man who uses his position in the E.I.T.C. to fill his own pockets. Beckett has ulterior motives for making Jack the Captain of the Wicked Wench. He wants to use Jack to find a magnificent treasure on a secluded island that few people know exists. Beckett employs Jack to seduce the slave girl, Ayisha into telling him where the island of Kerma is, so that he can steal the treasure and enslave it's inhabitants. But first Jack must journey to the New World to free, Ayisha's brother. Can Jack sit back and watch Beckett destroy these people? How can he save both Ayisha and still remain a Captain? Is there any choice but to make a deal, with the devil?

Author A.C. Crispin is well known for work with the Star Trek and Star Wars series'. She has made a career of taking popular film and book characters and providing elaborate and interesting back stories. Taking on such iconic characters as Spock, and Han Solo. This time she takes on Disney's favorite pirate, Jack Sparrow. The Price of Freedom is essentially a prequel to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. 

We first meet Jack Sparrow as twenty-five year old merchant seaman, not a pirate. I thought the author did an amazing job of capturing the spirit and personality that Johnny Depp instills into the character of Jack Sparrow. Depp has created a pirate, that has no compunctions about piracy, but still has an inner moral compass that he can't seem to deny. Crispin picks up on everything from Depp's speech patterns to his swagger and employs them in her book. Crispin takes readers into Jack's mind and heart as she portrays him as a younger and less jaded man. The Pirates movies are more about Jack's adventures as a pirate and less about Jack the man. Crispin delves into what makes Jack tick, what causes him to be that pirate we meet in the Curse of the Black Pearl and she pulls it off with style. 

The amount of research alone, needed to write a full length Pirates novel is astounding. Crispin seems to have knowledge about everything from ship layouts to the inner workings of the slave trade. Her writing is believable and rings true with an authenticity that readers will appreciate. She didn't just take the little information found in the movies and try to rehash and rework it into a plausible story. She breaks new ground with this novel, making it her own and creating a background for a character that many know and love. Fans of the Pirates movies will not want to miss this book. 

The overall plot of the story almost seems secondary to what readers find out about Jack. But in and of itself the plot is rollicking pirate adventure, that even brings up some moral issues involving slavery and the true meaning of piracy. This book is appropriate for young readers as well as adults who love a good pirate yarn. At over 650 pages this may seem like too much of a chore to take on, but you won't be disappointed with this one from a Pirates fan perspective or from an adventure standpoint. The pages fly by, as Crispin takes the reader by the throat and doesn't let go til the final pages of the book! Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum... Jack Sparrow is one hell of a pirate!

The Price of Freedom is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

A.C. Crispin is a New York Times best-selling author who has worked in many film and television-related universes, in addition to writing books set in her own science fiction or fantasy worlds. She's the author of the Han Solo trilogy, the prequel novels about one of Star Wars' most popular characters. She also wrote the story of Mr. Spock's father in h Star Trek Novel, Sarek.

Crispin novelized the original miniseries of V, a million-copy best seller, as well as the fourth film in the Alien Series, Alien Resurrection. Besides fleshing out the back story for film and television characters, she's the creator of the StarBridge universe, a series of books about a school for young people of different specie's, set on a an asteroid in deep space. She writes fantasy as well, including two Witch World novels with SFWA Grand Master Andre Norton.

Ac. C. Crispin is a frequent guest at science fiction and fantasy conventions and writing conferences, including the mega-convention DargonCon, where she often teaches writing workshops. 

A past vice president of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Ms. Crispin co-founded a volunteer service that helps writers avoid Internet writing scams.

Review: Lady of the English

Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick


Publication Date: September 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: Paperback, 544pp
ISBN-13: 9781402250927
ISBN: 1402250924


(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Elizabeth Chadwick on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter

Excerpt from Lady of the English
Book Trailer:

Synopsis:

 

One Queen. One Empress. One Country

Matilda, daughter of Henry I, knows that there are those who will not accept her as England's queen when her father dies. But the men who support her rival Stephen do not know the iron will that drives her.

Adeliza, Henry's widowed queen and Matilda's stepmother, is now married to a warrior who fights to keep Matilda off the throne. But Adeliza, born with a strength that can sustain her through heartrending pain, knows that the crown belongs to a woman this time.

In the anarchy, in a world where a man's word is law, how can Adeliza obey her husband while supporting Matilda? How long can Matilda fight for the throne that she has struggled so bitterly to win?

Thoughts:

Highly acclaimed historical fiction novelist, Elizabeth Chadwick brings readers the tale to two women, bound by friendship, but separated by political loyalties. Lady of the English follows the story of Matlida, Henry I's only legitimate heir, after the death of his son and Adeliza, Henry's second wife. Chadwick's ability to bring medieval England to life is unparalleled in historical fiction circles. She brings the 12th century into stark reality in this book, about the engrossing saga of war and hatred that nearly tore England apart. 

King Henry I had two very important women in his life and on his death he tried desperately to see that they were both safe and provided for. Adeliza, Henry's second wife was unable to bear him an heir, and he names his daughter, Matilda as his successor. But Matilda is a woman and at this time in history many of the nobleman do not want to be ruled by a woman. Matilda's cousin Stephen is waiting in the wings, ready to usurp the throne once Henry is dead. But he underestimates the resolve and determination of Matilda, who plunges England in to Civil War. Adeliza and Matilda are good friends and though she loves Matilda and believes she is destined to be Queen, her new husband fights to keep Stephen in power. Will their friendship be able to stand against the maelstrom of hatred and war?

As many of you know I am a huge fan of historical fiction and I'll have to say that Elizabeth Chadwick is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. There is just something about her writing style that appeals to me. She takes complicated historical drama and makes it accessible to the reader. I don't know about you, but even as a former history major, I still sometimes have trouble keeping all of the English Kings and personages straight in my head. One of the things that strikes me so much about Chadwick's works is that they are easy to understand and follow. Though the may center around a complex series of events, they bring clarity to the period and its historical significance. Lady of the English is no exception to the rule. Chadwick brings the struggle between Stephen and Matilda into such clear focus that the reader will easily be able to place it in history when reading other novels about the period. Quite a feat!

Lady of the English is essentially the story of two very different women who's friendship is tested beyond belief in a power struggle that divided a country. Chadwick's portrayal of both Matilda and Adeliza is compelling and heartbreaking in some respects. Matilda comes home after her husband the emperor dies, to meet her father's new wife, Adeliza who is close to her age and willing to be a loving stepmother. The two women strike up a fast friendship that becomes a life long bond. When Henry dies it is obvious to both women that they will be separated. I loved the way that Chadwick allows the reader to see the deep feelings that these women have for each other. And even though they are not on the same side in most of this novel, they still believe in each other. 

Matilda is known throughout history as relentless and determined. She brooks no interference to her goals and stands out as a very strong woman in her time. One of the things I think Chadwick is able to do with Matilda's character, is to show her more as woman, than a figurehead. We learn in history what links Matilda goes to to try to win back the crown, but we don't often see her as a doting mother or as a loving stepdaughter. Chadwick is able to show Matilda's personality and who she may have been internally. With Adeliza, Chadwick brings readers the story of a woman torn between loyalty to her new husband and love for her former stepdaughter. Adeliza is portrayed as loyal and loving. Her honor to her country and to God being so important in her life that she struggles with her feelings that Matilda should rule England. Chadwick brings both women to life in this book and makes their story resonate with readers from many backgrounds.

 

I liked the fact that Chadwick stays true to history and does not add or take away from what became known as one of England's most bloody periods. The anarchy was vividly described in this novel and leaves little to the imagination. This was a difficult time in England's history and I was impressed that the author was able to make the story of friendship kind of supersede it's circumstances. The relationship between these two women takes center stage here and I think readers will love that about this book. I recommend this one to readers of historical fiction and those who love stories about women's relationships. This novel isn't short at over 500 pages and is a little hard to follow as to where one is in history, but the chapter titles help and I think readers will really be able to delve into this book and enjoy what Chadwick brings to the table. 

Lady of the English is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

 

 

 

Elizabeth Chadwick lives in Nottingham with her husband and two sons. Much of her research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, an early medieval reenactment society with the emphasis on accurately re-creating the past. she also tutors in the skill of writing historical and romantic fiction. Her first novel, The Wild Hunt won a Betty Trask award. She was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelist's Award in 1998 for The Champion, in 2001 for Lord of the White Castle, in 2002 for The Winter Mantle, and in 2003 for The Falcons of Montabard. Her sixteenth novel, The Scarlet Lion, was nominated by Richard Lee, the founder of the Historical Novel Society, as one of the top ten historical novels of the last decade.

Winner's Post!

One of the winner's I chose yesterday, already had a copy of the book she won here at Debbie's Book Bag, which means I had to choose a new winner... Great news for somebody LOL!

I always use random.org to choose the winner. Thanks again to everyone who participated and without further ado... the new winner is:

Northwest Corner by John Burnham Swartz

New Winner:  Kathy P. / PoCoKat

Review: Rules of Civility

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Publication Date: July 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: Hardcover, 352pp
ISBN-13: 9780670022694
ISBN: 0670022691

(Received for an honest review from Viking)


Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Amor Towles on the WEB: website, facebook

Excerpt from Rules of Civility
Book Trailer:

Synopsis:

On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar with her boardinghouse roommate stretching three dollars as far as it will go when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker with royal blue eyes and a tempered smile, happens to sit at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and it's startling consequences propel Katey on a yearlong journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool toward the upper echelons of New York society and the executive suites of Conde Nast - rarefied environs where she will have little to rely on other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve.

Wooed in turn by a shy, principled multimillionaire and a an irrepressible Upper East Side ne'er do well, befriended by a single-minded widow who is ahead of her time, and challenged by an imperious mentor, Katey experiences firsthand the poise secured by wealth and station and the failed aspirations that reside just below the surface. Even as she waits for circumstances to bring Tinker back into her life, she begins to realize how our most promising choices inevitably lay the groundwork for our regrets. 

Readers will quickly fall under the spell of this sophisticated and entertaining novel with its sparkling depiction of New York's social strata, its intricate imagery and themes, its finely crafted unfolding of the unforeseen, and its immensely appealing heroine - a character you will not soon forget. 

Thoughts:

How can one chance meeting determine the course of your future? Amor Towles explores this question in his debut novel, Rules of Civility. A sophisticated and elegant picture of New York in the late 1930's, this novel will have readers waxing nostalgic for a time when America was on the cusp of discovery. Vividly descriptive, engaging plot, refreshing, original characters, this book has it all!


On the eve of 1938 Katey Kontent is ready to take on the world. She and her roommate Eve Ross are two young women on a mission to make it in New York City, a town that offers opportunity and the realization of dreams. Tinker Grey is a promising young banker, who can introduce them to the upper echelons of society. Becoming fast friends, the three make the rounds in the Upper East Side, meeting everyone from multimillionaires to wannabe's. That one fateful meeting changes Katey's life forever as she struggles to rise above her lower class upbringing to become an editor, re-inventing herself and adapting to the ever-evolving world that New York presents to her. A tragic accident veers Katey's dreams off-course but she continues to strive to get everything she can out of her life, even if Tinker can't be in it...


On the whole I generally give debut novels a bit of grace. A lot of times they are windows into what a writer will become in the future. And every once in a while that first novel is so exceptional that it points to greatness. Rules of Civility may be Amor Towles' first book, but it certainly won't be his last. This novel is so descriptive and evocative of what New York was all about in the 1930s from the music to the clothes and even down to the social moors. Towles transports readers back in time with finesse and elegance, showing them Manhattan in its prime, when anything seemed possible. Vivid and descriptive, full of nuance and innuendo, this novel denotes power and wealth and what they can do for a young woman on her own in a city that never sleeps. 

I was impressed with Towles' power of description and thought that was the most interesting part of this book, but his ability to create engaging characters that bring the story to life is just as amazing. Katey Kontent is one of those characters that make readers believe they can accomplish the impossible. She is witty, intelligent and full of sass. She see's the world as her own, to do with as she will. Her positive outlook and determined spirit will resonant with readers and allow them to consider their own aspirations and how to make them reality. Towles' portrayal of Katey is fresh and original. She isn't a saint, and that makes her all the more interesting. I believe that readers will find her irresistible. 


There are several ongoing themes in this novel, two of which are very obvious and will draw the readers attention. The idea of how one chance encounter, can change the course of a person's life has always been interesting to me. Towles explores this idea by using Katey's first meeting with Tinker to set in motion the rest of her life. There are those times in our lives when everything seems to change and it can happen in the blink of eye, causing a ripple effect that changes every aspect of who we are. I can think back to times like that in my own life.


The second theme involves how people can choose to re-invent themselves, adapt and change given the circumstances and situations life throws at them. Katey takes her own aspirations for a better life and doesn't sit around wondering how to make them happen. She does something about it. She takes that first step that sets in motion events that take her where she wants to be. I really found this book inspirational as well as entertaining. I can change my life today, this moment, if I am willing to take that first step... a remarkable thought!


I loved this novel and I would recommend it to all of my readers. The descriptions of New York alone are enough to carry this book. So vivid, so realistic and easy to see in the minds eye. But there's a lot more to this debut, there are some powerful themes here that are worth thinking about. Katey is a character you won't soon forget, she's inspiring and entertaining. This was certainly a lot more than I was expecting in a debut, which makes me long to see what Towles chooses to write about next.

Rules of Civility is available NOW from your favorite bookseller. 

I'm obviously going to give this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Check out the Q & A with Towles for your chance to win a copy of this exceptional book!

Amor Towles was born and raised just outside Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Yale University and received and MA in English from Stanford University. He is a principal at an investment firm in Manhattan, where he lives with his wife and two children. This is his first novel.

Q & A and a Giveaway: Amor Towles

Please join me for Q & A with Amor Towles author of the novel, Rules of Civility (Viking, July 2011). The publisher has offered one copy of Rules of Civility for giveaway, please see details at the end of the post. Look for my review later today!


Q: Why did you decide to write a book set in the late 1930s and how did you research the period?
A: I've always had a great interest in the period between 1900 and 1940 because it was an era of such incredible creative combustion.

In retrospect, the pace of change in the arts and industry in the 19th century seems pretty glacial. Painting, music, the novel, architecture were all evolving, but at a pretty observable pace. Then in the span of a few decades you have James Joyce, Nijinsky, Cubism, Surrealism, jazz, Henry Ford, Sigmund Freud, the Russian Revolution, movies, airplanes, skyscrapers and the general upending of received forms in almost every area of human endeavor.

Over the years, I listened to the music, saw the movies, read the novels and manifestos, lingered in front of the paintings. So I really didn't do any applied research for the book. Rather, I tried to rely on my secondhand familiarity with the period to orient my imagination.

Q: Why did you decide to write a book from the perspective of a young woman?

A:  Some writers like John Cheever and Raymond Carver seem to draw artistic energy from analyzing the realm of their own experiences - their social circles and memories and mores. I'm one of those who draw creative energy from the opposite. I prefer to put myself in an environment that's farther afield and look through the eyes of someone who differs from me in age, ethnicity, gender and/or social class. I think a little displacement makes me a sharper observer. it's that challenge of trying to imagine what's on top of the dresser - the small things that's always there on the periphery that somehow bring events into focus.

Q: Were there any personal influences from the 1930s that informed the book?

A: None of the characters in the book is based on anyone in particular. But three of my grandparents and a great grandmother lives into their late 90s or early 100s. My maternal grandparents lives across the street from me in the summers and I'd see them every day. Over lunch when I was in my twenties, it was great fun to talk with them about their lives between the Wars - when they were young adults. My grandmother, who simultaneously a woman of manners and verve, fended off marriage proposals until she was 30 because she was having too much fun to settle down. Like the book's narrator, she pushed a rival in furs into the drink before ultimately accepting my grandfather's proposal.

To some degree, these conversations (with my grandmother in particular) solidified my view that her generation was less Victorian than my parents' generation. I think the 1920s and 1930s had a certain openness that was countered by the conformity of the 1950s. 

Q: Talk about the role of chance encounters in the book. 

A: One of the central themes in the book is how chance meetings and offhand decisions in one's twenties can define one's life for decades to come. I think there is something universal about this dynamic, but it was certainly my experience.

In 1989, I had a fellowship to teach for Yale in China for two years. I came back from California to New Haven to spend the summer learning Chinese, but because of Tiananmen Square, Yale cancelled the program. They gave us each a few thousand dollars and sent us on our way. I had all my belongings in my car and had no idea what to do with myself. As it turned out, an old friend needed a roommate in New York to split the rent, so I moved here.

My first night in the city, I got invited to a party at the home of an acquaintance. There, I met a few people who ultimately became close friends. In retrospect, a number of careers and marriages sprang from the intersection of social circles at that party - but we certainly didn't realize the importance of the encounters at the time. We were just meeting for drinks, making haphazard alliances and cursory decisions, shaping our futures unwittingly.

Q: Do you think Katey's story could have occurred somewhere other than New York?

A: I certainly hope so. I think the book's themes of self-invention, aspiration, love and loss, are recognizable in any corner of America. But one interesting aspect of New York is that it is a leading capital for advertising, art, broadcasting, fashion, finance, food, journalism, music, publishing, theater etc. This means that every year, young people from all over the world with very different backgrounds, interests and ambitions descend on the city. They are all looking to establish connections (in the E.M. Forester sense as well as the networking sense). This just increases the odds that the person you sit next to at a dinner could change your life.

Q: Tell us about George Washington and his Rules of Cvility...

A: I'm very interested in periods where there is a density of creative invention: like the early Renaissance in Tuscany (with Massacio, della Francesca, Botticelli and Donatello), or jazz in the late 50s in New York (with Davis and Coltrane and Monk and Gillespie); or crime drama on TV in the 70s (with Kojak, Rockford, McGarrett, and Columbo). Throughout history there seem to be these brief periods when a group of varied talents come together and advance a whole art form by leaps and bounds. In some semi-competitive or cooperative dialogue, the players bring out the best in each other by spurring inspiration and risk taking, while defining new forms and frontiers. When I find a period like this I like to delve.

One of these periods for me is the revolutionary period in America. Jefferson, Adams, Washington, Hamilton, Madison, Franklin were all men of such sweeping talent and character. In an incredibly short period, they formulated a system of ideals and practical applications, which has served us well for centuries.

Intitially, I imagined Tinker as an avid student of the period. But once into the book, I happened to pull a collection of Washington's writings off my shelf, which led off with his "Rules of Civility" - and I knew right away the the "Rules" should be the primary thing that Tinker had studied.  My book investigates social stratification and manners, character and appearance, ideals and compromise - and Washington's youthful list somehow seems at the heart of the whole crazy matter.

Q: The book investigates the nuances of social strata in the 1930s. Do you think the influence of class is the same in today's America?

A: I'm not a sociologist, but it seems to me that the composition of America's social strata has changed in meaningful ways since the first half of the century. The Second World War and the GI Bill were great leveling influences, in which many working class individuals migrated from their ethnic communities towards a more homogeneous middle class. At the same time, the aristocratic families of the 1920s began to abandon the outward pomp of cotillions and tails. Wonder Bread (TM) Budweiser (TM) and Chock Full o' Nuts (TM) found their place in pantries high and low (with consistency and low price being attained at the expense of differentiation and flavor). this convergence has had weird byproducts: The vast majority of Americans, spanning a wide array of economics (from the statistically rich to the statistically poor), now identify themselves as "middle class." And where in the first half of the century the struggling youth would have aspired to the narrow circles of aristocracy, in recent decades the affluent youth have aspired to the fashion and the cadences of the streets.

But having made these rough generalizations about transformation, I'd say that many aspects of 1930s social behavior prevail. We clearly still live in an aspirational society. We have just existed half a decade when virtually every tier of the American population has borrowed money in order to buy bigger cars and bigger houses with better fixtures. And we still have American youth in pursuit of success and stature, though success and stature today may mean wearing sneakers at a start-up, rather than a tuxedo at a country club.

Q: Could you describe how the book was written?

A: In my late thirties and early forties, I wrote a novel set in the farmlands of Stalinist Russia, which I ultimately stuck in a drawer. It's pretty depressing to work on something for seven years and dislike the outcome...

That book had five points of view and a series of complex events that had been roughly outlined. As an investment professional with two young children, this structure proved hellish. Every time I sat down to work on the book, I needed two hours just to figure out where I was. Worst of all, in re-reading later drafts, I often found that the material from the first year was the best.

So in launching a new book, I decided it would be a distinctive first person narrative; all events and characters would be carefully imagined in advance; and it would be written in one year. After a few weeks of preparation, I started Rules of Civility on January 1, 2006 and wrapped it up 365 days later. The book was designed with 26 chapters, because there are 52 weeks in the year and I allotted myself two weeks to draft, revise and bank each chapter.

I revised the book thoroughly three times over the next three years (mostly making it shorter); but the original constraint of a 12 month draft proved a much more effective artistic process for me than an open-ended one. Not coincidentally, the book opens on New Year's Eve and ends a year later.

Q: What have you been reading?

A: Around the time I turned 40, in reading Where Shall Wisdom Be Found, Harold Bloom's tribute to reading literature for wisdom, I was struck by how little time I had left to read seriously. I figured I was lucky if I could read one book deeply per month. If I lived to 80, that was 480 more books. With that shocking consideration as a backdrop, three friends and I formed a group to read extraordinary works of literature.

The acid test for books of inclusion has been that they have been proven by history to merit multiple readings in a lifetime. We started with Remembrance of Things Past and then read works of Twain, Whitman, Dickinson and Thoreau as a precursor to reading works of Faulkner. Then we did Cervantes and Borges before reading Marquez. Last year we read Nabokov's American period and we have now moved on to Chekhov and Tolstoy. 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

The publisher has offered one copy of Rules of Civility to one lucky winner from Debbie's Book Bag. 

~ You must be a Google Friend Connect follower to participate.
~ U.S. Addresses only! NO P.O. Boxes (Publisher Request)
~ Deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST Sept. 22nd. 


1. Please leave a comment in appreciation to the author on THIS post.
2. Please fill out the FORM.

Winner's Post!

It's time for another big winner's post! Lately I have had to post these altogether instead of using separate posts to save time. My schedule is thankfully about to slow down a bit and I can spend some much needed time updating several things on the blog, including the Cozy Mystery Challenge and the challenges I'm participating in. Look for updates in the near future. 

I have several winners today and I would like to thank everyone for their participation. Winners will receive their books directly from the publisher. Winners will be notified by e-mail later today and publishers will be forwarded information the following day. 

Please note that if you notice the same winners every time it is probably because these people are the ones who get extra entries for promoting the giveaway other places like facebook and twitter or on their own blogs. I use random.org to choose every winner and try to make everything as fair as possible, but the more comments, the more opportunities I get to promote and giveaway other books... so tweet and facebook and increase your chances!! 

There are some notes in red on some of these you may want to be aware of...



Enjoy!

Northwest Corner by John Burnham Swartz
Winner: nfmgirl

Red's Hot Cowboy by Carolyn Brown
Winners: Lisa Garrett 
              Ann 
Note: (The publicist will be out of the office until after September 12th, so be patient as you wait for your book)

Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Townsend
Winner: Zee - A Voracious Reader
Note: (The winners information will be sent to the author and then forwarded to the publicist, so this may take a little longer than usual)

A Killer Column by Casey Mayes
Winner: Linda Kish

Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle
Winner: Carol Wong
Note: (The book itself will be sent out by the publisher but the author will be sending the winner a signed bookplate!)

Review: Deadly Pursuit

Deadly Pursuit (Guardians of Justice - Book 2) by Irene Hannon


Publication Date: September 2011
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Genre: Christian Fiction/ Romantic Suspense
Pages: Paperback, 341pp
ISBN-13: 9780800734572
ISBN: 0800734572

(Received for an honest review from Revell)


Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Irene Hannon on the WEB: website, twitter


Excerpt from Deadly Pursuit 



Synopsis:


A stalker with deadly intent... A woman who protects children... An ex-Navy SEAL turned police detective.


Social worker Alison Taylor has a passion for protecting children. But now it seems she needs protecting. When her tormentor's attentions take a violent turn, she calls in reinforcements - her police detective brother, Cole, and his new partner, ex-Navy SEAL Mitch Morgan. As her relentless stalker turns up the heat and the danger intensifies, Mitch takes a personal interest in the case. Because protecting Alison has become more than a job: his future depends on keeping her safe.


Filled with nail-biting suspense and heart-melting romance, Deadly Pursuit is Irene Hannon's storytelling at its very best.


Thoughts:


Irene Hannon once again thrills fans with her latest installment in the Guardian's of Justice series. Deadly Pursuit is a suspense novel that will have readers spellbound and on the edge of their seats. Hannon takes on a stalker in her latest book and shows readers just how dangerous obsession can be. With more twists and turns than a maze, a fast-paced plot, and multi-dimensional characters, this is one romantic suspense novel you won't want to miss!


Alison Taylor has spent her life protecting children as a social worker and children's advocate. But when she begins to receive threatening phone calls and a series of strange gifts, she knows this is serious. Enlisting the help of her brother, a police detective seems like the right thing to do. When her brother Cole and his new partner ex-Navy SEAL, Mitch Morgan take up the case, the stalker heats up and starts to spiral into more dangerous behavior. Mitch is determined to protect Alison, and to explore the attraction they seem to share. But questions remain... Is Alison ready to move on from a tragic past? And when did Bingo become such a dangerous game?


Irene Hannon is a novelist with a knack for well written plots and Deadly Pursuit is no exception to the rule. It is taut and riveting and will have readers biting their nails even from the first chapter. Readers met Alison Taylor and her brothers Jake and Cole in the first book in the series, Fatal Judgment. In Deadly Pursuit the focus shifts to Alison as the main character. Fans of Hannon's writing know that she can ramp up a plot at a moments notice and this book certainly goes on the offensive at just the right time. I know a book is a really suspense driven when I find myself holding my breath as I get close to the end of a particularly good chapter and Hannon's book always do that to me. She is a master of suspense!


Her characters are always very complex and multi-dimensional. Readers will enjoy pealing back the layers on her characters and finding out what is truly at the center of who they are. Alison is one of those women who are career and goal driven. It's obvious that she really cares about what she's doing and the kids that she comes into contact with. She knows the system isn't perfect but she tries to make a difference in every life she touches. Very admirable, but when you look a little further into her you see her motivations even more clearly. A tragic accident has taken away her ability to have children of her own and that makes her work all the more satisfying. Mitch is also a great character, an ex-Navy SEAL, he's seen the worst of what life can through at you on a daily basis. He is a man of steel, but he still has a heart of gold. Readers will find the contrast of hard and soft within him endearing and full of possibility. I think Hannon has created a perfect pair for this suspenseful book. Though romance may not be the main focus, it certainly adds to the overall draw of the book.


One of the things that I always appreciate about Hannon is her worldview. She doesn't have to include racy sex scenes or vulgar language or even blood and gore to pull of a well-crafted, suspenseful book. I don't necessarily think she started out to write Christian Romantic Suspense. I think she wanted to write clean, family-friendly books that sort of just fell into that category. She doesn't push an agenda or make the reader feel like they are lacking because they may not be affiliated with a church or religious group. Her writing isn't preachy or fabricated. It flows easily and any references to beliefs or ideas seem natural and unforced. I like the fact that she appeals to readers on a human level, not a religious one. 

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. 

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Irene Hannon is the author of more than 35 novels, including the bestselling Heroes of Quantico series and Fatal Judgment. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, the HOLT Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier Award, and two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. She lives in Missouri.