It’s scary sometimes how many times I pause over some dialogue or description before choosing something for the graphic (I could just spend the day rereading). Today I kept coming back to Ford’s fluency in sarcasm, though. Just love that faintly skewed flirtation underlying the entire conversation. Are you more inclined to appreciate smart sarcasm or a very direct approach?
With Ford came Spock, the least identifiable breed of dog to be found. Which brings to mind: Which is your favorite dog character in a Nora book?
Laura
This go round for the Fall Into the Story BookChat our book is Tribute. And we’ll be trying something different this time. I’m setting this up to be simultaneous with our Tribute chat on Facebook. I’ll post a graphic with a question about Tribute each day in their own, numbered post. That should make it easy to follow.
I’m still figuring this format for the blog out, so if you have any suggestions (helpful is most appreciated), post them in the comments.
If you haven’t read (or reread) Tribute, here’s the book description:
Cilla McGowan, a former child star, has found a more satisfying life restoring homes. So she comes to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to save the dilapidated farmhouse of her grandmother—a legendary actress who died of an overdose there more than thirty years ago.
Plunging into the project with gusto, Cilla’s almost too busy and exhausted to notice her neighbor, graphic novelist Ford Sawyer. Determined not to carry on the family tradition of ill-fated romances, Cilla steels herself against Ford’s quirky charm, though she can’t help indulging in a little fantasy.
But it’s reality that holds its share of dangers for Cilla. A cache of unsigned letters found in the attic points to a mysterious romance in her grandmother’s life, and may be what sparks a frightening, violent assault. Now, if Cilla and Ford are unable to sort out who is targeting her and why, she may, just like her world-famous grandmother, be cut down in the prime of her life.
Here’s the first graphic, when Cilla meets Ford. I liked his instinctive protection of the rundown house and property. And Cilla’s direct questions.
Laura
Time for a second week of Birthright discussion! Do you like this book chat idea? Do you feel you need a new post per discussion prompt or are you ok with five prompts during the week? Any and all feedback is welcome as we figure this out!
MARCH 30: I do like a man with a plan. And Jake is full of them, isn’t he? I enjoyed their rhythm in work and conversation. You?
MARCH 31: I’m not sure how to describe my reaction to these lines. Sympathy for everyone involved is at the forefront, especially for Callie who is so pulled in many emotional directions.
APRIL 1 — Doug was so impatient and brusque when we met him, but these few lines gave him all my sympathy. So torn between past and present.
APRIL 2 — Courtship banter, Doug and Lana style.
APRIL 6 — for some reason I missed Friday! Sorry about that.
Lana’s observation is on the nose, but it’s fun to watch Callie and Jake wind around to the same conclusion together (we know they did separately).
APRIL 7: When her mothers meet, we see how nature AND nurture made Callie the woman she is.
APRIL 8: Dialogue always draws me in (can’t you tell with the quotes?). I loved how Lana flirted with Doug, from the start.
APRIL 10 Last graphic from Birthright. We’ll close with a declaration of love, Jake-style.
Laura
Time to start a new adventure: Book Chats here on the blog.
You’ll have to bear with me as I figure out the best ways to do this. For now, I’ll add a different graphic to this post Monday through Friday (and if we need more, I’ll make it so).
The first book is Birthright. If you haven’t read it in a while here’s the quick summary:
When five-thousand-year-old human bones are found at a construction site in the small town of Woodsboro, the news draws archaeologist Callie Dunbrook out of her sabbatical and into a whirlwind of adventure, danger, and romance.
While overseeing the dig, she must try to make sense of a cloud of death and misfortune that hangs over the project-fueling rumors that the site is cursed. And she must cope with the presence of her irritating-but irresistible-ex-husband, Jake. Furthermore, when a stranger claims to know a secret about her privileged Boston childhood, she is forced to question her own past as well.
MARCH 23: First conversation point: Is there anything you love — even with any discomforts — as much as Callie loves archaeology?
MARCH 24: Lana and Tyler Campbell are the first locals Callie meets in Woodsboro. Not sure I like Callie’s philosophy about kids or her immediate nickname for Tyler more. You?
MARCH 25: Doug Cullen considering how and why his family unraveled so completely. The hard part of these sentences is you can feel for everyone involved.
MARCH 26: I love a book in which I can’t wait to see what everyone is doing. For Birthright, watching Lana court Doug was so much fun. Are there secondary characters you’ve rooted on as much as you did the main couple?
MARCH 27: And then Jake Graystone swaggers on the page with his smug walk (Callie’s words). Here we have an example of Love Talk, Callie and Jake style. What appealed to you about Jake?
Laura
Life as we know it is a bit upended right now. I thought it would be fun to bring a little excitement of the book kind into this St. Patrick’s Day 2020 so I’m pleased to share the cover reveal video for The Awakening, the first book in the Dragon Heart Legacy.
Right now, all I can tell you is the Awakening is the first book in Nora’s latest trilogy where parallel worlds clash over the struggle between good and evil.
You can pre-order The Awakening at your favorite retailer now:
TTP: http://bit.ly/2M5qaAi
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/36k70ON
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2TjXnuE
BAM: http://bit.ly/3ckyqru
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Yy7oXb
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2S4kkCY
Kobo: http://bit.ly/38PbwXB
Google: http://bit.ly/2S382ej
Laura
In a first for me, we have the excerpt before the cover copy. Hideaway is Nora’s big book for the year and is out on May 26.
All I know is what Nora told me while she was writing it, but that’s about seven conversations spanning months. For now, here’s the one-sentence description:
A family ranch in Big Sur country and a legacy of Hollywood royalty set the stage for Nora Roberts’ emotional new suspense novel.
You’ll get more information from the first chapter, which you can find here: Chapter One
Laura
For a while now, I’ve run book discussions on the two Facebook pages. On the JD Robb page, we take each book and novella in the series in order — slowly. I started this in the fall of 2018 and we’re only up to Imitation in Death. There are pauses for new book information, Nora’s travel, my own travel, but on the whole I stick to the discussion Monday – Friday.
On the Nora page, with a far larger scope of books, I’ve bounced around through the backlist. Shelter in Place was our last discussion and that one took about 6 weeks.
How does it work? I choose quotes from the books, post them — with a comment or question — and let readers chat. It’s not really a book club, more a discussion session.
I recognize there are blog readers who choose not to use Facebook and thought maybe it was time to institute some discussions here.
Share your thoughts in the comments and we’ll see if there’s interest. Once that’s done, I’ll figure out the best way to do this — one post per book with quotes added regularly? Individual posts? The logistics are my area so I’ll consider all the angles.
In the meantime, I did a Facebook live from Inn BoonsBoro the other day and thought you all would enjoy.
Laura
We’re a week away from the Vendetta in Death release (see? it wasn’t that long). In a FITS tradition, I’ll share some teasers about the book over the next few days.
As always, these will not spoil the plot, they are just some Easter Eggs (as they say in the film business) to look out for when you read.
A quick reminder of the plot:
Eve’s up against a self-proclaimed Lady Justice. Once she chooses a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead to tempt him into her grasp. Once there, he’s powerless.
The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s HR department has paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims—but they don’t know his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice does. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price.
Eve and Roarke comb through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the secret to Lady Justice remains elusive. Her criminal crusade escalates rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled.
Tuesday, August 27:
That damn Icove movie gets in the way of everything.
Peabody shares some DLE experience.
Capt. Feeney, hero.
Wednesday, August 28:
Eve outlines a career goal for Peabody.
Eve presents her clear outline of justice.
Eve shares just a hint of Roarke’s fate if he ever cheated with Peabody.
Thursday, August 29
Peabody connects with a legend (who’s a fan – damn Icove Agenda!).
Peabody + Eve’s driving = mixed bag of reaction
AAC – Asses All Covered
Friday, August 30
Last one is three-in-one:
Every individual has specific definitions
For Eve — what is whimsy
For Bella — what is a toy
For Roarke — what is trauma
Find the answers to all of these things on Tuesday!
Laura
Today’s the day — Under Currents is available for your next summer read! And this is the place to discuss the book with other readers.
I know you read the excerpt a while back so here’s the book description to refresh your memory:
Zane Bigelow feels like a prisoner of war. While strangers and even Zane’s own aunt see his parents as the epitomes of a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, Zane and his sister Britt know there is something terribly wrong.
As his father’s violent, controlling rages and his mother’s complicity become more and more oppressive, Zane counts the years, months, days until he can escape. In fear for his life, he plays along with the insidious lie that everything is fine, while scribbling his real thoughts in a secret journal he must carefully hide away.
When one brutal, shattering night finally reveals cracks in the facade, Zane begins to understand that some people are willing to face the truth, even when it hurts. As he grows into manhood and builds a new kind of family, he will find that while the darkness of his past may always shadow him, it will also show him what is necessary for good to triumph and give him strength to draw on when he once again must stand up and defend himself and the ones he loves.
Share your all your thoughts in the comments — and be ware: spoilers ahead.
Laura
