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Our November issue just shipped with a star-studded lineup of bestselling authors, including Linda Howard, Sandra Brown and Diana Gabaldon, as well as rising stars Nalini Singh, Kathryn Caskie and Joy Nash.
Joy Nash is a fascinating woman who left her career as an architect to become a stay-at-home mom and then got bitten by the writing bug in the process. She jokes about wanting to create a world where she had complete control, unlike the real world she was living in with three kids born in a four-year span. She is one of those success stories who began her career in e-books only to be snapped up by New York publisher Dorchester to write the ubersuccessful Druids of Avalon series. Book three, SILVER SILENCE, will be on bookstore shelves in November.
Sandra Brown surprised us with a book on the fall schedule, but not as much as she surprised her editor! She tells RT she was compelled to write this story, and when it was finished, she sent it off to her unsuspecting agent. Not only was the Depression-era historical a surprise to her agent and editor, it was also a departure for the author, who today is best known for her thrillers. RAINWATER received a Top Pick from our reviewer, who called it a two-hanky read!
Linda Howard took time out of her busy schedule (she was still putting the finishing touches on her November book!) to answer some questions we had about her latest release, ICE (Not yet available for review), pushing the boundaries with her books in general, balancing love and suspense in her novels and her beloved Mackenzies among other topics. As always, she answered the questions with complete candor and conviction which is what I love about this author.
It's been four years since we heard from Diana Gabaldon's most beloved characters Jamie and Claire so we jumped at the opportunity to find out more about book seven in the wildly successful Outlander series titled, AN ECHO IN THE BONE, which will hit stores in November. We summoned historical romance author and winner of our second American Title competition Gerri Russell to take charge of the interview, since she is among Gabaldon's legion of fans.
Rising star of paranormal romance Nalini Singh is our lead Clubhouse story this month. She talks about her popular Psy-Changeling series and how BLAZE OF MEMORY picks up with Dev Santos, the leader of the Forgotten, finding an unconscious Psy woman outside his apartment. There's plenty of adventure in this talented author's creative series.
In addition to this amazing lineup of authors, we also have three fabulous features in store for you this month. First up is one we had a lot of fun with: We match readers' passions or hobbies up with a cozy mystery. The idea came to us when we began to notice just how many cozies have to do with interests like crafts, home improvement, cooking, games and pets, to name a few. I think you'll enjoy this unique approach to helping you find just the right mystery, complete with recommended books.
Our next feature is on why women, from the United States and around the world, are in love with Scottish heroes and heroines. It's told by a Scottish reporter who researched the subject thoroughly only to find out that Scots are not as interested in these books as others are. She interviewed many familiar authors for the article - Bertrice Small, Monica McCarty and Sandy Blair, among others - and we supplemented her piece with comments from Hannah Howell, Jennifer Ashley, Karen Ranney and Sue-Ellen Welfonder about their love for the Highlands and what inspires their books.
As we were working on the Scottish article, an e-mail came in from Kathryn Caskie, who had just returned from Scotland where she and her new hubby were married in a castle. She asked if we'd be interested in an article she dubbed "Kilts, Castles and Happily Ever After." We said, of course! Her real-life wedding story is simply charming and a perfect way to wrap up the themed piece.
Since the holidays are upon us, we spotlight some cookbooks created by fan favorites Debbie Macomber, Patricia Cornwell and Joanne Fluke, complete with recipes you may consider for your festive menu. There's also a mention of Princess Diana's chef, Darren McGrady, who has just realeased a new cookbook, EATING ROYALLY, which sprinkles wonderful anecdotes about the royal family throughout the many delectable dishes it delivers. Perfect for the Anglophile on your gift list.
In this issue we begin our coverage of the workshops for our upcoming RT Convention in Columbus, Ohio, April 28 - May 2, 2010. This month the spotlight is on the genre workshops, which I think are our best to date. And wait until you see the speakers we have lined up!! Our complete agenda and the registration form is finally up on our convention website, so be sure to take a look. Hotel rooms may fill up this year so register early if you want to be in the convention hotel. There will be an overflow hotel adjacent to the Hyatt, so there will be room for everyone. This is just a heads up for those of you who want to roll out of bed and be right there at the convention!
We are working on the December issue now, the final one for 2009. Thank goodness we are a month ahead of the issue name, otherwise I would be in a panic about holiday shopping :)
There are two great features for December. One we are calling "Your Cheatin' Heart," which discusses fictional heroes and heroines who cheat, when it's forgivable and when it's not, and the appeal of this theme. The other is on a salute to the legends of historical romance. We hand-picked 10 authors who have been writing historicals since the '80s whose books are as beloved today as they were when they wrote their first. The staying power of these authors is quite amazing and it's our pleasure to pay tribute to them.
We will also have a holiday-themed section with original short stories, greetings from authors and a special gift guide with items specifically for book lovers.
And just in time for gift-giving, we will spotlight two amazing illustrators, Lynn Sanders and Cherif Fortin, who are the artists behind the graphic romance novels produced by Medallion Press. We will feature Heather Graham's illustrated novel THERE BE DRAGONS, with pages from the book that show Heather and her family portraying the characters. We will also have news about Angela Knight's graphic novel with original content that will come out in 2010 from Medaillion. These gorgeous books are the perfect gift for the book lover in your life.
At the end of the month I am off to St. Louis for the Novelists, Inc. conference (a splinter group of RWA for published authors). Senior Editor Elissa Petruzzi and I will be on a panel discussing the promotional opportunities RT Book Reviews has for authors - especially when our new website launches later this year. As I mentioned in the last newsletter the new website is awesome and every day we add something new to it to make it even more exciting! Can't wait for the launch, hopefully by December.
Enjoy the change of season and count your blessings, as I am sure we all have something to be thankful for.
 Happy Reading,
Carol Stacy
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RT Book Reviews Magazine
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