One writer's unique response to the book critics

Brad Meltzer's latest novel, The Book of Lies, is getting a lot of buzz. Unfortunately, not all of it has been good. But rather than rail against the critics, Meltzer did something truly unique: He used the bad press in a book trailer. Check it out:



Now doesn't that make you just a little bit curious?

Billy Mays joins the list of deceased celebrities

This has been quite a month in celebrity news. Five well-known celebrities have died in June, four of them in the last six days. Many other entertainment industry folks have also passed away, but these five fall into the household name category.

David Carradine - June 3, 2009
Ed McMahon - June 23, 2009
Farrah Fawcett - June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson - June 25, 2009
Billy Mays - June 28, 2009

You may wonder why I include Billy Mays in this group. After all, he was a pitchman, not an entertainer. I beg to differ. My son and I got quite a kick out of watching Mr. Mays effervesce over everything from Orange Glo, to Oxi Clean, to Mighty Mendit. He made infomercials an event. He was also the co-host a new series on the Discovery Channel called Pitchmen. For fun, check out this Hulu clip of Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. It's about eight minutes long, but make sure to watch to the end when Billy takes on the Sham Wow. Funny stuff.

Billy Mays was found unconscious in his Florida home by his wife this morning. He was pronounced dead at 7:45 AM. That's all we know. The family asks that the public respect their privacy. It's a simple request and one that I hope is honored.

Being the pop culture person that I am, I've got a lot of thoughts on Farrah, Michael, and the way we as a nation treat celebrities. For now, though, I'm staying mostly mum. I'm one who likes to know, and share, the facts. I'll give my opinions, too. But for now, I think I'll keep quiet.

New Moon Gets a New Look with Movie Tie-In Cover

It happens every time a book is made into a movie: the movie tie-in cover.

So here's the original version of the New Moon cover, followed by the new cover for the September rerelease (it's easy to tell which is which).

If you want to know more about the covers... how involved was Stephenie Meyer with the design? What the heck does that tulip mean?... check out my article on Examiner.com.

CFBA presents A BRIDE IN THE BARGAIN by Deeanne Gist

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingA Bride In The BargainBethany House (June 1, 2009) byDeeanne Gist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.

Since the debut of those novels, her very original, very fun romances have rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, two RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success.


ABOUT THE BOOK

The Wedding Is All Planned...
Someone Just Needs to Tell the Bride

In 1860s Seattle, redwoods were plentiful but women scarce. Yet a man with a wife could secure 640 acres of timberland for free.

Joe Denton doesn't have a wife, though. His died before she could follow him to Seattle and now the local judge is threatening to take away his claim. In desperation, he buys himself a Mercer bride--one of the eastern widows and orphans brought to the Territory by entrepreneur Asa Mercer.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Mercer is an escape from the aftermath of the Civil War. She signed on to become a cook--not a bride. When she's handed over to Denton, her stubborn refusal to wed jeopardizes his land. With only a few months before he loses all he holds dear, can he convince this provoking, but beguiling, easterner to become his lawfully wedded wife?

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Bride In The Bargain, go HERE

JEN'S THOUGHTS

Before I start reading a new book by Deeanne Gist, I make sure my schedule is clear - no deadlines looming, no appointments to get to - because I know once I start, I'm not going to want to stop.

In A Bride in the Bargain we meet Joe and Anna, two people who fall hard for each other, even though they're not looking for love. Despite their feelings, they're a stubborn pair, and the road to a happy ending is fraught with missteps, some comical, some nearly tragic. But the journey is a great one.

One of the complaints I hear most often about Christian romances is that they are no real emotion, no sparks. That everything is so squeaky clean and chaste that it's not real. Well, if you're looking for a wonderful book with a heap load of sexual tension, here you go. Gist does a skillful job at this in all her books. She shows us the honest emotions of her characters, including their passion and desire for each other, but never crosses the line into gratuitous sexual conduct. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping historical romance.

Weird Al's New Parody - Craigslist

I proudly admit to being a Weird Al fan. And I've brought my son over to the "Al" side. We can often be found cruising around town with White & Nerdy or Amish Paradise blasting from the car speakers (but we're polite and keep the windows rolled up).

According to his website, Al's new album won't be out until (maybe) next year, but over the summer, he's leaking five new songs on the Internet. The first, Whatever You Like, a T.I. parody, came out a month or so ago. The latest released today.

Craigslist is in the in the style of The Doors (original Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek plays). If I were to rank this with Al's other songs, I'd put it somewhere in the middle. Fun, but not as unique and catchy as the above mentioned ditties. And I much prefer his earlier Ebay parody. But this song did make me smile because both my sisters are on a Craigslist roll right now, selling everything from toddler beds to empty packing boxes. For me, it's relevant.





If you want to keep up with the latest Weird Al news, you can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Have fun, and parody on!

Resurrected Dream by Jill Elizabeth Nelson - WIN HER BOOK!

It's my great pleasure to welcome back suspense author Jill Elizabeth Nelson!

Resurrected Dream

“If God can bring an awesome dream to pass for this nobody-in-particular from nowhere special, He can and will do the same for you.” This is what I tell people at my speaking engagements. In fact, I autograph my debut novel, Reluctant Burglar, with the following words: Let your dreams soar! Mark 10:27.

That scripture promises that nothing is impossible with God. Many times my dream to become a published novelist looked unattainable, and I gave up on it. But the dream kept resurrecting, and then one fine day I got that first contract!

Obviously, the journey wasn’t without struggle, nor did it happen overnight. Far from it. My dream was born when I was eleven years old, but my first book wasn’t published until I was 46. That’s quite a time lag. But the Lord used those years to hone me as a person and build my skills as a writer. As I also tell my audience at speaking engagements, I completed my first mystery novel in the 6th grade, but not a shred of the manuscript yet exists . . . and the world is grateful.

In high school, I had my own column in the school newspaper, and I even placed in a poetry contest. However, those few pieces I sent out to publications in the wider world came back rejected.

My parents encouraged and believed in me, especially my dad, so off I went to college, seeking a degree in literature and creative writing. Then my dad passed away suddenly in my freshman year, and with him, a hefty chunk of my support base.

Even so, I wrote for the college newspaper and managed to get a few pieces published in local periodicals. You’d think I’d be flying high, but instead I continually compared myself with other writers who I felt were more gifted and skilled than I. Perhaps they were, or maybe they were just farther along on the writing road.

I received my degree then decided to take some time to look for what I could do with my training that would bring in a regular paycheck. Freelancing or novel-writing just didn’t seem possible. During that period, I met and married my husband. We soon had four children, and there was no time to write.

I’m so thankful for my husband and children. Those years were often hard, but something great was happening inside as I drew closer to the Lord through my constant need for wisdom to raise and care for my family. My confidence in what He could do through me was growing. I was no longer my own source. How foolish we can be that way when we’re young!

At last, around the turn of the century, the children were becoming more independent of me, and the embers of my dream to write books whooshed to life as if the Holy Spirit Himself had blown upon them. (I think He did.) I churned out one manuscript then another and another. Then in 2005, the contract came. Dream fulfilled! An ending, but also a beginning of a new phase of my life.

When Reluctant Burglar released, this is the dedication I wrote for the flyleaf: To my dad, who always thought I could make it as a writer. He is no longer on earth to see this day, but I trust he knows in heaven.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jill Elizabeth Nelson is an award-winning author of mystery and suspense. She writes what she likes to read—tales of adventure seasoned with romance, humor, and faith, earning her the tagline: Endless Adventure, Timeless Truth. Jill speaks at conferences, writer’s groups, library associations, and civic and church groups. She and her husband live in rural Minnesota where they raised four children and are currently enjoying their first grandchild.

Visit Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s website at http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/ for excerpts, book giveaways, and contests.


ABOUT THE BOOK - Witness to Murder

Poised for an interview, TV reporter Hallie Berglund walks into a murder scene instead. The victim’s boyfriend stands over the body, murder weapon in hand. Hallie couldn’t stop the crime, but as the star witness, she’ll see the man brought to justice . . . right? Not according to her colleague Brody Jordan, who is convinced the police—and Hallie—are targeting the wrong man. To prove it, he’ll need Hallie’s help. The victim was wearing a bracelet handcrafted by Hallie’s long-dead mother. Now Hallie is the only one who can unearth the secrets of the past—and bring the sinister truth to light.

You can order this book directly from your local bookstore, retail stores such as Walmart, or online at Amazon.com.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Witness to Murder, just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on June 22nd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Yes, I've been gone... Now let's talk about Hulu

In case you missed me - and I certainly hope you did - I thought I'd let you know why the blog's been quiet. I spent a week in North Carolina with family and decided not to do any work while I was there. I'll blog about my trip later, but for now, here's some miscellaneous stuff to ponder...

Remember when Nsync started out? Of all those guys, who would have expected Justin Timberlake to be the breakout? Check out the Immigrant Tale sketch from a recent episode of Saturday Night Live.

I got that link from Hulu.com. And speaking of Hulu... it's free now, but it's a fair bet they'll start charging eventually. So while you can, here's some cool stuff to check out:

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog - Remember the writer's strike? Remember how it killed some of your favorite shows? Well this is the one good thing that came out of it. With nothing else to do, Joss Whedon got together a bunch of his friends and put together a fantastic musical. Then he posted it to the Internet in three parts. Starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Alicia Day, it's full of stick-in-your-head songs, clever bits, and a very Whedon-esque ending.

Stargate SG-1: 1969 - The first three seasons are on Hulu, so start from the beginning if you haven't seen any of it. But for SG-1 fans, this is a great episode to revisit. When our four heroes get thrown back in time to 1969, they have to find their way back. Lots of fun.

New Moon Trailer - And for all you Twilight fans, here's the trailer for the next movie, New Moon. Okay, I gotta know... has anyone out there actually ever dripped blood from a paper cut? What did they wrap that present with, industrial strength tin foil?

That's it for now. Have fun!