The Amazonian Devil Device

Despite our protests that we would never, ever give in to modern-day technological trickery, the unthinkable has happened at Chez Reader's Respite:



Yes, A Reader's Respite has been Kindled.

In our defense, we did not part with our own hard-earned money for this Amazonian Devil Device. Rather, Mr. Reader's Respite parted with his hard-earned money and then gifted it to yours truly, ostensibly to make up for the fact that today was our birthday and there has to be some recompense for getting old.

Now before y'all start ooooohing and aaaaaaahing over Mr. RR's generosity, we feel compelled to tell you this was entirely self-serving for him. For the mere price of an Amazonian Devil Device, Mr. RR hopes to

a) never again have to schlepp 1000+ hardcover books across the country in our next household move, and

b) get lucky.

In the meantime, we admit that the Amazonian Devil Device has cast it's evil spell upon the household. We can't put the damned thing down.

So it does seem necessary to get some housecleaning done around here while we still can.....first up: some book winners!



Y'all know the drill.....zap me some addresses!




And speaking of contests, here's one for you: first person to correctly guess the very first book A Reader's Respite downloaded to the Amazonian Devil Device wins a $25 gift certificate to Amazon!

Review: Her Royal Spyness

Her Royal Spyness (Solves Her First Case), by Rhys Bowen




Is it just A Reader's Respite or is anyone else out there unreasonably attracted to cute book covers?

Most times our predilection for buying books based on cute covers comes back to bite us in the ass, but every once in a while we turn the last page feeling enormously pleased with ourselves.

This is one of those times.

Award-winning author Rhys Bowen - of Molly Murphy and Constable Evans fame - has hit a homerun with her newest mystery series, A Royal Spyness. Meet Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie. She is thirty-fourth in line for the throne of England, dead broke, and she will be the first to tell you that is not a desirable place to be, especially for a single gal in 1930s London.

But Georgie, as she's pragmatically shortened her name to, is nothing if not practical. She's blazing her own path by setting up her own housekeeping service (in disguise, of course), finding love with a completely unsuitable man, of course, spying on Wallis Simpson for the Queen, and solving the mystery of a dead man who turned up in her bathtub.

What follows is a lighthearted romp with minor royalty and the usual suspects lurking around every corner. It's simply delightful.

Don't expect a convoluted plot here, folks. This is simply a fun little mystery that's less about the mystery and more about the fun, eccentric characters.




Title: Her Royal Spyness
Author: Rhys Bowen
ISBN-13: 978-0425215678
324 pages
Publisher: Berkeley
Date: July 2008 (pbk)

Other peeps who've read it:

Reactions to Reading
Mysteries in Paradise
A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions
Nancy J. Cohen's Notes from Florida
Matt Fatal (en espanol)
Writing well is the best revenge
Mixed Book Bag
A library is a hospital for the mind...
and that's my Egypt!
What a Tragic Comedy
One Girl and Her Books
Scaling Mt. TBR

A Winner from Down Under.....

This week, Marg from Historical Tapestry has won a copy of To My Senses, by Alexandrea Weis.

Zap us your mailing address, Marg, and we'll send the book on the next slow boat to China Australia.

Review: The Glister

The Glister, by John Burnside

An abandoned chemical plant. A chemical wasteland left behind. Unemployed and uninsured, the townfolk left behind are slowly dying of mysterious ailments, which everyone seems to be willing to ignore. Strange, mutated animals have been sighted in the woods. And one by one, children are disappearing while local authorities are busy covering it all up.

Something evil is lurking out there.

John Burnside's latest novel easily captured A Reader's Respite's attention. A very promising, Stephen King-esque (his early stuff...you know, the good stuff) beginning immediately grabbed our attention.



Especially with literary references like these:

For some reason, the powers that be decided many years ago that Moby-Dick is some sort of kids' book, and they put it out in all kinds of weird editions, all abridged and illustrated and gutted to the bare bones of an "adventure." Worse still, they had Melville down as a one-book wonder, so I didn't even know about The Confidence-Man, or Bartleby the Scrivener or Billy Budd, until John came along. Nobody should ever forget the debt of gratitude they owe to whoever it was first got them to read Herman Melville properly. According to John, the real version of Moby-Dick was a page-turner, too -- and he was right about that, just as he was right about Proust and all those others. The definition of a page-turner really ought to be that this page is so good, you can't bear to leave it behind, but then the next page is there and it might be just as amazing as this one. Or something like that.
The Glister, by John Burnside

And then, just as we were preparing to really love this novel......


Nothing. Nada. Zip.

This book, folks, fell flat on it's face for A Reader's Respite.

While the characters were beautifully written, the atmosphere sufficiently creepy, the plot went absolutely nowhere for us. In fact, we're not even entirely certain what it was that actually happened in the end.

All is not lost, however. We're prepared to admit that it may just be us.

That's why we're going to give away two copies of The Glister to our brilliant readers who will have to come back and let us know if the novel is really a work of genius. Just leave a comment and we'll randomly draw two winners on Wednesday, April 29. International readers are encouraged!




Title: The Glister
Author: John Burnside
ISBN-13: 978-0385527644
240 pages
Publisher: Nan A. Talese/Random House
Date: March 10, 2009

Here are some more discerning reviews:

a lovely shore breeze....
Novels Now
Book Nook Club
Fyrefly's Book Blog
Rhapsodyinbook's Weblog
Book Lites
What I'm reading...
Pseudonymous

Diversifying My Bookshelves

Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read in School, edited by Carl Japikse


We're thinking that our education fell somewhat short and it is time to write a strongly worded letter to our local school board to rectify their educational oversights.

Hey Nely!

Kidnapped

Once again, A Reader's Respite has been bound, gagged, and tossed into a closet with only a book and a small reading light (jealous, are you?).

This has been done so that author Alexandrea Weis, a real writer and not a hack like A Reader's Respite, can talk to you about her fabulous debut novel, To My Senses (missed the review? Check here).....

*****

To My Senses has been called a romance by some and more than a romance, a love story if you will, by others. Is there a difference between a romance and a love story? I believe so, but do not get me wrong I support the romance genre. There is a formula for the characters and plot that is followed much to the relief of romance fans around the world.

But a love story gives us much more, emotionally from the characters and engages the reader on a deeper level. Romance brings predictability but a love story does not because as many of us know from experience love is never predictable. Some romances may be forgettable but a great love story will live on in the reader’s memory for many years to come.

But why are love stories so engaging? Perhaps it is because of the nature of love itself. Love changes us and can change our direction in life, as Nicci Beauvoir was changed by David Alexander’s love in To My Senses. Such great love can act like a sudden wind upon a calm sea, righting the sails of a ship, giving us a new course and a new horizon to aim for. We are penetrable souls, influenced and defined by whom we love.

When looking back upon our lives it has never been the house, car or other material things we reflect upon or long for, it has always been those individuals most cherished that we hold in our hearts forever. In that final moment of life we remember those we have loved and hope to carry that love with us to the other side.

And it is not to say that the love shared between the characters of an always happily ever after romance novel is any less sincere than the emotional ties binding two star crossed and sometimes tragically torn apart lovers. Maybe it is that when characters are taken to heart and become embedded within our psyche, they move from the light fragrance of a romance to the rich bouquet of a love story. Where romance may tweak at our hunger for passion and adventure, a love story reaches down to the inner workings of the soul and touches us in a way never expected.

And that is what I hope To My Senses does for the reader. Takes the reader on Nicci’s journey through the highs and lows of love, teaching her that it is the attainment of life’s greatest endeavor that matters most, everything else we garner simply pales in comparison.

And did Nicci’s tale mirror my own experiences with Cupid’s arrow? I have been asked that question a great deal by readers and friends alike. Suffice it to say that many author’s first novels are mostly autobiographical. And To My Senses does contain many elements of my own life experiences.

And David, you might be asking, did he really exist? Yes he did. He was as he is written. But who he was and what he meant to me will be forever sealed within the confines of my healing heart. To do otherwise, would be remiss of my own sweet remembrances.

*****

You can visit Alexandrea's website here. And don't forget to enter the drawing for a giveaway of her book, To My Senses!

We're very pleased to report that Alexandrea will be releasing a sequel for To My Senses. You can read an excerpt at Amazon!

Review: To My Senses

To My Senses, by Alexandrea Weis


One of the side benefits (or hazards, depending on your point of view) of being an airline pilot is that after ten or twenty years, you've pretty much seen most of the world.

And while at times it can seem as if most places are interchangeable, there are still quite a few locations that never stop drawing people back.

New Orleans is one of those places and this sultry and mysterious city still lures A Reader's Respite back time after time.

It's also the setting for Alexandrea Weis' debut novel, To My Senses, a rich tale about love in the higher societal circles of New Orleans. Nicci Beauvoir is a young society woman struggling to find her place in this world. She has the charming trait of being able to see New Orleans high society for what it is and possesses that rarest of gifts: the ability to laugh at it.

Courtyard at Hotel Provencial. A Reader's Respite married Mr. RR here at sunset many moons ago.

Nicci's world, however, is turned upside down when she meets David Alexander, a mysterious artist and, as it turns out, a local gigolo. Despite her better judgment, Nicci falls in love with David and as you can imagine, this presents a whole plethora of problems.

The story is driven by it's characters and their development, which Weis does with a deft pen. Nicci and David are written with honesty and depth and the secondary characters, if not always likable, are eccentric and essential to the story.

The Court of the Two Sisters. An excellent spot for a pre-wedding brunch for the whole wedding party.

The plot rises to a crescendo slowly and is reminiscent of a sweltering New Orlean's summer. Really, it becomes hard to put the book down. And the ending? We don't deal in spoilers around here, but we will say kudos to Ms. Weis for throwing us a curve-ball that we never saw coming!

The Royal Cafe provides a darned good wedding reception.

Okay, so who's up next to read this great debut novel? If you're interested, leave a comment here and on Wednesday, April 22, a random winner will be drawn. International entrants are encouraged!



Title: To My Senses
Author: Alexandrea Weis
ISBN-13: 978-1419661112
336 pages
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
Date: June 30, 2007


More discerning reviews you may be interested in (if you know of any more, leave a link!):

Bookopolis
You've GOTTA Read This!
Cheryl's Book Nook
Book Review Journal
Diary of an Eccentric

Quarterly Blog Report

Well the first quarter of the year has passed by and it's time for a Blog Report. You know, housekeeping for blogs. Let's see here.....

The neon-glowing links that Blogger has so delightfully bestowed upon us seem to come and go these days. Upon reflection (get it? ha), there are likely far worse things that could happen, but we wanted to let you all know that we are indeed working on the problem. If you are seeing neon blue, let me know (also tell me what browser you are using, if possible).

In the meantime, grab a pair of sunglasses and suck it up, buttercup.



Let's see here....what else....

Oh yes. Are there any Vicki Delany fans out there? If so, be the first to tell me if you'd like an ARC of Valley of the Lost, the latest in her mystery series and I'll send it to you.


Also, who's up for the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies read? The book has been released and A Reader's Respite thought we'd have a free-all-read of it around the first of May.

If you're interested, leave a comment. We'll call it the PP&Z Club and all participants will get a badge for your blog.

The badge means you're one of the cool kids.

Review: Etta

Etta: A Novel, by Gerald Kolpan


American historical fiction is a tricky genre. For one thing, there isn't too much American history to choose from. Two hundred years is a relatively short time frame and when much of that period was taken up by western expansion, you end up with a lot of novels grouped under the Western genre heading.

Not that there's anything wrong with westerns, it's just that rarely do historical fiction fanatics make this crossover. (Although if you ever decide you might want to give it a try, just ask A Reader's Respite and we'll be happy to recommend a couple that might just change your persepective!)

So what makes a novel a western and what makes a novel American historical fiction? Not simply the setting, that's for certain. After all, you can take a story about a lone woman trying to make it on her own on the American frontier, throw in a handsome guy and bingo, it becomes a romance.

Gerald Kolpan's debut novel, Etta, might have been just another western or frontier romance book but for one thing: Etta Place was an actual person.

Those of you familiar with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are bound to recognize her: Etta Place was Sundance's girl (possibly wife?). One thing is for certain, Kolpan couldn't have found a character more laced with possiblity.

Try not to lament over how young Newman and Redford are in this shot.



Very little is known about the real Etta Place, other than she did indeed exist. There's even a photo of her and Sundance. We know she was a member of Cassidy's Hole in the Wall Gang and a pretty darned good outlaw. But eyewitness accounts of the day also say that she was an incredibly refined woman with the manners and bearing of a well-bred young woman of wealth.


Sundance and Etta


But aside from this, nothing is known about Etta. Readers had to wait for Kolpan to come along, fill in the blanks with his rich imagination and give us Etta's story.

The story is beautifully presented and Kolpan's suppositions are surprisingly plausible. The journey from Etta's priviledged upbringing to a tough Hole in the Wall gang member is seamless and her great love with Sundance is both delicate and gritty, befitting the times.

If we had any complaints, it would have be the brevity of Butch, Sundance and Etta's time in South America. As the story drew to a close, it's as if Kolpan wanted to fit too much information in too few pages and the result was a slightly hurried ending that could have been more fleshed out.

But that complaint shouldn't stop you from reading Etta. It is a fabulous example of just how good American historical fiction can be....even if the cover suffers woman-with-her-head-cut-off-syndrome.



Want to read it? Leave me a comment saying so and A Reader's Respite will draw a random winner on Sunday! (International entrants are just fine by us!)


Title: Etta: A Novel
Author: Gerald Kaplan
ISBN-13: 978-0345503688
336 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date: March 24, 2009


More reviews for you to peruse:

Literary License, On My Bookshelf, Exiled at the Beach Book Reviews,Worducopia (with My Friend Amy), Medieval Bookworm, Book Lites, mybookdb, On the Same Page, stitch and bear, Literate Housewife Review, Breaking the Fourth Wall, The Right Book at the Right Time, Booking Mama, Book Chase, Somewhat Bookish, The Printed Page

Don't Eat the Chocolate Bunnies

HEY BLOGGER!

Am I the only one who noticed that Blogger decided to just randomly change the font color of A Reader's Respite?

Navigating the Publishing World

The path to publication ain't all roses, folks, as J.A. Hunsinger is here to tell you today. For anyone out there who has ever harbored dreams of seeing their name in print, Jerry's guest post should prove quite useful to you.

Take it away, Jerry!

******

“If he has the energy and already has a short pre-written something done (like something on the history of vikings or his road to getting published or whatever..l.”

I tell the story of the Greenland Norse people through their eyes, to give their individual lives, their very existence, a meaning in a manner that no novelist has ever undertaken. The Axe of Iron series is the continuing story about a medieval people whose lives are surprisingly like ours. They have the same basic desires for happiness, love, food, and shelter that has dominated the thoughts of generations of cultures the world over. These character-driven, historical fiction books tell of the adventures of Greenland Vikings as they struggle to establish a settlement in North America in the face of hostile native opposition.

The road to publication has been a nightmare because of the time and money wasted while I learned the business. I wish I could say that there is lots of help out there for the newbie’s, but actually, the reverse is true. You are prey swimming in the shark’s pool—take heed. Believe nobody, and get everything in writing, research, research, and research. Even then, you will have picked the worst time in the world’s economy to enter the business. Do your homework on the submission guidelines for any query. All agents will have their own guidelines; adhere to them absolutely. Do not ever send a manuscript unless it is requested. Hire professional editors to edit everything that another person will read, especially the final draft of your manuscript. An English teacher is not an editor and you cannot edit your own work, so hire someone. Your professionalism will determine whether you ever make the grade. A shabby cover letter on your submission packet will guarantee its demise. Agents and publishers are busy people and they have no time to waste on people who do not follow the submission guidelines.

*****

About the Author

J. A. Hunsinger lives in Colorado, USA, with his wife Phyllis. The first novel of his character-driven, historical fiction series, Axe of Iron: The Settlers, represents his first serious effort to craft the story of a lifelong interest in the Viking Age—especially as it pertains to Norse exploration west of Iceland—and extensive research and archaeological site visitations as an amateur historian. He has tied the discovery of many of the Norse artifacts found on this continent to places and events portrayed in his novels.

Much of his adult life has been associated with commercial aviation, both in and out of the cockpit. As an Engineering Technical Writer for Honeywell Commercial Flight Systems Group, Phoenix, AZ, he authored two comprehensive pilots’ manuals on aircraft computer guidance systems and several supplemental aircraft radar manuals. His manuals were published and distributed worldwide to airline operators by Honeywell Engineering, Phoenix, AZ. He also published an article, Flight Into Danger, in Flying Magazine, (August 2002).

Historical Novel Society, American Institute of Archaeology, Canadian Archaeology Association, and IBPA-Independent Book Publishers Association, are among the fraternal and trade organizations in which he holds membership.

You can visit his website at http://www.vinlandpublishing.com and his blog at http://www.vinlandpublishing.blogspot.com.