Tanzey Talk
March 2004
Just this month and April left for the publication of the Gazette [see February “Tanzey Talk”] In next month’s column, I’ll provide a brief history of the Old Book Barn’s newsletter publication, its evolution through the years and how I became involved with it.
My personal reading lately has included four recommendations. It took me awhile, but I finally got a chance to read Nora Roberts’ Birthright. It was a great story. So was Swimming with the Dead by Kathy Brandt. Set in the Caribbean and involving a Dive and Recovery expert, it’s an Underwater Investigation mystery that has me anxious for the next installment.
TV/movie actress Harley Jane Kozak made her writing debut this February with Dating Dead Men, a smart and sassy mystery that’s being compared to Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. I thoroughly enjoyed the heroine’s antics and the quirky cast of characters. We’re sure to see more of greeting card designer Wollie Shelley in subsequent stories.
Now, for the novel that really blew me away. I could not put it down! Retribution, by new author Jilliane Hoffman, is a nail-biting thriller about a sadistic serial killer. This story kept me riveted until the very end, and I’m recommending it to everyone who likes this type of storyline. It’s one of the best, so don’t miss it!
In July, Donna Kauffman will have her first single-title release from Brava. Titled Catch Me if You Can, it will take readers from Rogues Hollow, Virginia, all the way to Ballantrae, Scotland. Her Glass Slipper series returns in August with Dear Prince Charming and will continue with two more releases in 2005. She’s also involved in a number of anthologies this year and next, so stop by her web site - www.donnakauffman.com - for updates.
Roberta Gellis has signed with Harlequin’s upcoming Signature line to continue her much-loved Roselynde Chronicles series with a new historical romance titled Desiree. Don’t know for sure the date of release, but will keep you informed. I can’t wait for this one!
Jill Marie Landis has been writing nonstop to finish Heartbreak Hotel, the third book in her Twilight Cove trilogy, set to be published in 2005. The second hardcover release in this series, Heat Wave, goes on sale April 27, and the ARC just arrived for me to review. I can’t wait to get started on it!
I’ve just learned that the next new hardcover coming from Linda Howard is scheduled for release this July. Its title is Kiss Me While I Sleep. More exciting news for readers is that Linda will have an original mass market paperback release in December, called To Die For. So mark your calendars.
Other big-name authors with new hardcover releases to watch for this spring and summer are: Amanda Quick’s The Paid Companion (May), Debbie Macomber’s The Shop on Blossom Street (May), Kate White’s ‘Til Death Do Us Part (May), Patricia Gaffney’s The Goodbye Summer (May), Mary Balogh’s Slightly Dangerous (June), Johanna Lindsey’s A Loving Scoundrel (June), Elizabeth Lowell’s The Color of Death (June), Janet Evanovich’s Ten Big Ones (June), Kristin Hannah’s The Things We Do for Love (June), Carly Phillips’ Under the Boardwalk (June), Karen Robards’ Bait (July), Catherine Coulter’s Blowout (July), Tami Hoag’s Kill the Messenger (July), Sarah Strohmeyer’s Bubbles Abroad (July), Tess Gerritsen’s Body Double (August), J.D. Robb’s Visions in Death (August), Julie Garwood’s The Murder List (August), and Kay Hooper’s Hunting Fear (August). Quite an impressive list, isn’t it? Now to find the time I’ll need to read all of them!
Other surprises to tell you about are the debut hardcover releases of two of our favorite authors. In July, Christina Dodd will present the first installment in her new Lost Princess series, Some Enchanted Evening. Then in August, Karen Marie Moning combines romance, magic and deadly politics in The Immortal Highlander. Yes, this is the story we’ve all been waiting for, and even though it will be in hardcover format, it will sell for the affordable price of $15.
It doesn’t seem possible that the Gazette will soon be ending. Where have the past 10 years gone since I became involved with this venture? I can tell you that I’ve loved every minute of the experience! I guess there just comes a time in each of our lives when some things have to change.
See you here next month!
Tanzey
Tanzey Cutter
Editor of the Old Book Barn Gazette
Readers Comments:
· Wayne Jordan, Barbados: I just wanted to share some great news with you. BET/Arabesque has offered me a two-book contract. The first one, titled Capture the Sunrise, will be released in December 2005. Fortunately, I’ll be writing as the first Arabesque male author, so I can use my own name.
· Ginger Thomas, Nevada: Tanzey - I loved the new format with the January 2004 issue and agree it’s definitely easier to read. Is Leigh Bristol writing anymore or under another name? I’m finally getting to some of my old stuff and loving it. I’ve been hoarding for years and finally read my first Debbie Macomber book, Between Friends, and loved it. A definite keeper. I’ve been getting her Cedar Cove books as they come out and love each and every cover. I’ll buy anything with her name on it from now on. I’m definitely looking for more authors with her writing style. I also love Beverly Barton’s writing. I am looking for some gals who love to gab and talk books through letters, so I’d love to hear from others.
· Author Laura Bradley: Tanzey - I’m so sorry to hear about the demise of OBB Gazette. Even though I know the Internet is where all business is cooking, I still love print and paper! You can’t lose me, though. I’ll still follow your column on Writerspace.com. You’re intelligent, fair and entertaining with a wonderful insight. How could all of us booklovers not appreciate that!
· Author Dixie Browning: Tanzey, say it isn’t so!! OBB Gazette is such a special publication! I will miss it enormously.
· Reviewer Suzanne Tucker: Tanzey - I am so sad to think that the Gazette will not be printed anymore. I feel so honored to have been a part of it for the last three years. I’m thrilled to know that your “Tanzey Talk” column will still be carried on Writerspace.com. It’s wonderful that your experience, knowledge and expertise will still be published for all of us to enjoy and savor. I have always read your every word to keep me up-to-date on what’s going on and coming up in the publishing world. I will continue to count on your articles. Please know that I am available to you as a reviewer as long as you need my services. I’ve learned a lot and gained a great deal of knowledge and respect for the wonderful, generous authors penning remarkable and unforgettable stories. Thank you for the experience of a lifetime, for your support through the years, and for your encouragement when I didn’t think I was capable of writing anything worth being printed. BRAVA! my dear - you are a true gem.
· Author Catherine Mann: I’m so sorry to hear that the Gazette is ending, Tanzey! Authors and readers alike are going to miss it. I will certainly continue to follow your column on Writerspace! Many thanks again for all your help in the past couple of years with my book reviews.
Fiona Colquhoun: Are you offering an alternative when your newsletter ceases to be printed? If not, can we get onto a website to see what the latest books to be released are? This would help, especially as I want the next Suzanne Brockmann book that’s set to be released in October. Thanks for your help. Editor’s Note: Writerspace.com and TheBestReviews.com web sites are good ones, especially since I’ll be submitting to them. You can read my column each month on Writerspace and sign up for their e-newsletter to stay informed. Tc
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