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SHOBHAN BANTWAL

New Jersey
Email Shobhan Bantwal 
www.shobhanbantwal.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER (2008, Kensington, pb)
When a young widow refuses to comply with her in-law's dictate
to abort her unborn child, will her rebellion become the greatest mistake of her life, or a blessing in disguise?  Author Mary Jo Putney: “Bantwal's novel takes readers into a world…exotic yet completely accessible…makes a compelling and memorable story."

THE DOWRY BRIDE (2007, Kensington, pb)
The story of one young woman trapped in India's arranged marriage and dowry system, and a culture of fascinating contradictions.  Author Dorothy Garlock:  "Remarkable...imaginative, packed with detail, adroitly depicting passion, brutality, cultures in conflict.
The characters are splendid and convincing."

REBECCA BARRY

Email Rebecca Barry
www.rebeccabarry.net
Upcoming Appearances

LATER, AT THE BAR (2007; pb, Simon & Schuster, 2008)
In this sometimes hilarious, often poignant novel-in-stories set
in upstate New York, a group of barflies wander in and out of
the same bar and each other's lives. New York Times Book
Review: "funny, fast, and addictive. An intoxicating book,
beginning to end...Read this book." Elizabeth Gilbert, author of
Eat, Pray, Love: "Barry's prose is a delicate, beautiful balance of
wit and yarning. She is an artist of the everyday heartache." Booklist: "Barry's remarkably natural, charming, and wise
novel-in-stories is perfect for fiction lovers whose reading time
is tight." New York Times Notable Book, Booksense Reading
Group Pick, The Story Prize runner-up, Barnes & Noble Discovery Pick.

DOUGLAS BAUER

Boston, Massachusetts
Email Douglas Bauer

PRAIRIE CITY, IOWA: THREE SEASONS AT HOME
(2008, University of Iowa Press, pb)
At the age of 30, Douglas Bauer returned to the tiny rural village where he was raised but grew up barely knowing. Over the year and a half of his reunion, he met and remet the people and the places that defined where he'd come from and pointed him to where he might be going. Both recollection and reportage, the book evokes with wit and a fond but exacting eye a way of life that many, if not most of us, have little knowledge of.

DEATH BY PAD THAI AND OTHER UNFORGETTABLE MEALS
(2006, Crown, pb)
In this collection of essays by some the country's finest writers,
food is the central player in memories both exquisite and excruciating. Including pieces by Amy Bloom, Peter Mayle, Sue Miller, Jane and Michael Stern, Ann Packer, Richard Russo, and thirteen more, this unforgettable collection presents food as education, test, reward, bait, magnet, and, most of all, as gift!

Email S.A. Bodeen
www.rockforadoll.com

THE COMPOUND (Feiwel and Friends, 2008) YOUNG ADULT
Fifteen-year-old Eli and his family have spent the last six years living in an underground compound after a nuclear attack. But
all is not as it seems. Starred Review, Publisher's Weekly. 
Nominated for 2009 BBYA and Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers lists.

DEBRA BORDEN

Email Debra Borden
www.debraborden.com

A LITTLE BIT MARRIED (2007, Three Rivers Press, pb)
Bitsy Lerner had her whole life figured out: marry, have kids,
move to the suburbs, spend glorious days packing lunches and driving carpools.  Things have gone exactly as planned.  So why
is she plagued by worries?  So what if her husband's business dealings are vague, or her friends are shallow?  So what if her parents radiate disapproval and her mother-in-law finds new ways to torture her?  Is it a problem that her daughter's navel is never covered and her son will only talk about sports? One sunny morning, everything changes, and Bitsy will be forced to face these and other questions and instead of wondering when things will get back to normal, she'll wonder if things were ever normal in the first place.

LUCKY ME (2005; pb, Three Rivers Press, 2006)
Julie Berman seems to have it all: a beautiful home, loving
husband, budding career, and two great kids.  Little do the
neighbors know that behind the facade, things are falling apart.
A Redbook book club selection, LUCKY ME is for every women
who has ever felt, despite her most valiant efforts, less than perfect.  Chicago Tribune: “Domestic chaos at its best.”

MELODIE BOWSHER

San Francisco, California
Email Melodie Bowsher
www.melodiebowsher.com

MY LOST AND FOUND LIFE (2006; pb, Bloomsbury USA, 2007)
From homecoming queen to embezzler’s daughter — a spoiled
suburban teenager is horrified when her mother disappears with stolen money. College is out now as the teen must move into a camper and take a job in a quirky coffeehouse. Booklist:  “Part sexy romance, part urban survival adventure…Ashley’s first-person narrative is funny…readers will be caught up in the riches-to-rags turnaround in a materialistic world."

CARLEEN BRICE

Colorado
Email Carleen Brice
www.carleenbrice.com
Upcoming Appearances

ORANGE MINT AND HONEY (2008, Ballantine, pb)
With the help of a teenage boyfriend, the late Nina Simone and
the mother she thought she'd never forgive, a late bloomer finally blossoms. Essence magazine: "Carleen Brice's Orange Mint and Honey, a new novel about real mama drama, will have you hooked from page one. Taking on the fabled mother-daughter bond, the Denver author confidently strides onto terrain many lesser writers have tripped over--with winning results."

AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER: BLACK WOMEN EXPLORE MIDLIFE
(2003, Beacon Press, pb)
Featuring the writing of 40 of the finest black women writers,
this anthology ranges over every aspect of a woman's life--family,
friendship, love, sex, beauty, health, spirituality, work and many other topics.  Maya Angelou, J. California Cooper, Pearl Cleage,
Elyse Singleton, Tina McElroy Ansa, Nikki Giovanni and Patricia Raybon are just a few of the many writers showcased.  Iyanla Vanzant: "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number is my roadmap."

NONA CASPERS

San Francisco, California
Email Nona Caspers  
www.nonacaspers.com
Upcoming Appearances

HEAVIER THAN AIR (2006; pb, University of Massachusetts Press, 2008)
This is a collection of stories about desire and survival and the unexpected ways that people thrive.  A farmer on the cusp of a breakdown discovers unexpected solace in nature; teenagers find themselves amidst turkeys searching for meaning.  Booklist: "The simplest acts - even just noticing one's breath - become wondrous moments."  New York Times Book Review: “The beauty of the
prairie itself.” New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice. 
Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction.  

DONNA WOOLFOLK CROSS

Email Donna Woolfolk Cross
www.popejoan.com


POPE JOAN (1996, Ballantine Books, pb)
The dramatic story of the only woman ever to sit on the throne
of St. Peter. Los Angeles Times: "Fascinating. Explores the extraordinary life of an independent, intelligent, and courageous woman who overcomes oppression and ascends to the highest religious power." Library Journal: "Highly recommended."

KATHARINE DAVIS

Washington, DC area
Email Katharine Davis
katharinedavis.com

EAST HOPE (February, 2009, New American Library, pb)
Several months after her husband's sudden death, and troubled by one night's indiscretion, Caroline Waverly seeks refuge in the house she's inherited in East Hope, Maine. There she finds the courage to face the consequences of her choices-her precarious finances, her alienated college-age son, and the man she left behind.Will Harmon also puts his old life behind him, arriving in East Hope to run the local used bookshop. As he questions his desires and struggles with his failing marriage, Will yearns for the wisdom to do what is right. Then Caroline walks into Will's bookstore, and they establish a tentative friendship-with the promise of something more. As they seek to rescue what is most important in their lives, they cling to a distant hope-for understanding, for family, and for love. Kathleen Maloy, author of Every Last Cuckoo:"[A] captivating novel of loss and recovery..."

CAPTURING PARIS (2006, St. Martin's Griffin, pb)
After twenty five years of marriage, Annie and Wesley are living the type of elegant, sophisticated life in Paris that many Americans dream about. Their apartment in the Marais district is filled with wonderful food, accomplished friends, and good wine. All of this changes when Wesley loses his job and an attractive, magnetic woman enters their lives. Suddenly the sights, smells and sounds of Paris are cast in a different light, and may never be the same. Carolyn Parkhurst, author of The Dogs of Babel: ”Graceful and atmospheric." Katharine Weber, author of Triangle: "Haunting and evocative...an impressive debut."

BARBARA DELINSKY

Email Barbara Delinsky
www.barbaradelinsky.com
Upcoming Appearances 

THE SECRET BETWEEN US (2008; pb, Broadway, 2008)
Deborah Monroe and teenage daughter Grace are driving one
night in a raging rainstorm when their car hits a pedestrian who
later dies. They share a secret concerning the accident, a lie that takes on a life of its own and threatens both their everyday lives and the special bond between them. THE SECRET BETWEEN US is about making bad choices for the right reasons. It explores the limits of responsibility and the price we pay for denying the truth. Publishers Weekly: "Absorbing, unpredictable storytelling - a winning combination."

SEE BARBARA DELINSKY'S RECIPE FOR SoMA STICKIES

FAMILY TREE (2007; pb, Broadway, 2007)
When a white couple gives birth to a baby with distinctly black features, a family is thrown into turmoil. Hugh Clarke, born into a pedigreed New England family, devotes his professional life to championing minorities but is blindsided by his daughter's color.He urges his wife Dana, whose heritage is unknown, to start digging for answers. FAMILY TREE delves into issues of trust, privilege, and identity. The London Times: "A sensitive exploration of the prejudices that many hold but few express."

LESLEY DORMEN

New York City
Email Lesley Dormen 
www.lesleydormen.com

THE BEST PLACE TO BE (2007; pb, Simon & Schuster, 2008)
"Virginia Woolf meets Candace Bushnell in these funny, beautiful
written stories of one woman's struggle to get through the
business of ordinary life" said Elle magazine about Grace Hanford's quirky journey from 18 to 50, Ohio to Manhattan, unhappy to happy.
O, the Oprah magazine:  "Smack-your-forehead familiar, and
so crazily funny you could cry."

CAI EMMONS

Eugene, Oregon
Email Cai Emmons
www.caiemmons.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE STYLIST (2007, HarperPerennial, pb)
THE STYLIST is the story of a transforming friendship between
two Hoboken salon workers, Hayden, 25, and Emory, 40. Hayden
is a Harvard dropout turned hairstylist who is estranged from her family, and Emory is in the midst of hiatus on her journey to becoming a man. When the two travel to a Costa Rican eco-resort
to rescue Hayden’s injured father, what transpires there both heals and changes them.

HIS MOTHER'S SON (2003; pb, Harvest Books, 2004) 

An emergency room doctor conceals a secret past that she must confront when her 6-year-old son begins to manifest behaviors
that remind her of her incarcerated brother. O Magazine: "Gripping. Brings home the power and terror of maternal love."  Bookpage: "A gift of a book, an affecting story of violence and forgiveness." A Book Sense selection. Winner, 2003 Oregon Book Award.

JENNIFER CODY EPSTEIN

Brooklyn, New York
Email Jennifer Cody Epstein
www.jennifercodyepstein.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE PAINTER FROM SHANGHAI (2008, W.W. Norton)
A re-imagining of the astonishing life of Chinese artist Pan Yuliang, who escaped a Chinese brothel to study in Shanghai and Paris, and went on to become one of the most celebrated --and controversial--painters of her time. The New York Times: "An irresistible story..luminous". A Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers pick.

New York City
Email Ellen Feldman 
www.ellenfeldman.com

SCOTTSBORO (2008, W.W. Norton)
Based on a notorious case spanning half the twentieth century, apowerful novel of race, class, sexual conflict, and a lie that
refused to die. San Francisco Chronicle: "Riveting drama. Ruby belongs with the best of WilliamFaulkner's, or Alice Walker's, women." Atlanta Journal Constitution: "Emotionally charged...powerful."

THE BOY WHO LOVED ANNE FRANK (2005; pb, W.W. Norton, 2006)
A novel about the death of memory, the memory of death, and the
inescapability of the past. Chicago Tribune: “An ambitious novel about war, identity and the past.” The Boston Globe: “Inventive.” USA Today: “Engaging and morally questioning,” The Forward: “A page-turner.” A New York Times Book Review “Editor's Choice.”


LUCY (2003; pb, W.W. Norton, 2004)
A deeply affecting novel of the private lives behind a public marriage, and a love affair that almost derailed history. Baltimore Sun: “Lyrical...a gem." New York Times: “Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd is a wonderful creation.” Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.: “A touching and sensitive re-imagination of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.”

KATHLEEN FLINN

Email Kathleen Flinn
kathleenflinn.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE SHARPER YOUR KNIFE, THE LESS YOU CRY
(2007; pb, Penguin, 2008)
When the author loses her corporate job, she clears out her savings to pursue a lifelong dream – a degree from the famed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love:“Engaging, intelligent and surprisingly suspenseful.” Kirkus Reviews: “A fascinating look inside an elite institution.” Paperback includes book club menu guide.

SEE KATHLEEN FLINN'S RECIPE FOR POULET A LA MOUTARDE (CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD SAUCE)

New York
Email Martha Frankel
www.marthafrankel.com
Upcoming Appearances

HATS & EYEGLASSES: A FAMILY LOVE AFFAIR WITH GAMBLING (2008, Tarcher/Penguin)
HATS & EYEGLASSES is Martha Frankel's hilarious and heartbreaking tale of passion and addiction. Frankel, who grew up in a family of die-hard gamblers, came to her love of poker late in life. And like most obsessions, it nearly knocked her out. USA Today: “Honest, funny, lively..." The New York Times: "In five minutes you will feel not only as if you have known [Martha] all your life, but as if you still have one of her sweaters." O Magazine: “Intimate, exuberant."

SCOTT GAC

Greater Hartford area, Connecticut
Email Scott Gac
www.scottgac.com

SINGING FOR FREEDOM: THE HUTCHINSON FAMILY SINGERS
AND THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY CULTURE OF REFORM
(2007, Yale University Press)
Quick. Name the most famous American musical act of the 19th century. Don't know? Meet the Hutchinson Family Singers, John, Judson, Asa, and Abby Hutchinson. Starting in 1841 from their family farm in New Hampshire, these siblings went on to captivate antislavery supporters like Frederick Douglass and then the world with their sweet harmony. David W. Blight, Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition, Yale University: "Behold: a time long before Bob Dylan when lyrics
really mattered, and singing abolitionists were rock stars with political
clout.”

NANCY GOLDSTONE

Email Nancy Goldstone

FOUR QUEENS: THE PROVENCAL SISTERS WHO RULED EUROPE (2007; pb, Penguin, 2008)
The story of the four beautiful daughters of the count of Provence whose brilliant marriages made them the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily--a sumptuous buffet of glamour, intrigue, and feminine power. USA Today:  "The book’s charm comes from author Nancy Goldstone's witty tone and details about how these women lived.  Imagine history with a nice dollop of chick-lit charm."

JANE GUILL

Email Jane Guill
www.janeguill.com
Upcoming Appearances

NECTAR FROM A STONE (2005, Touchstone, pb)
A medieval Welshwoman murders her brutal husband, then flees. But visions warn her that the future might be even more dangerous than the past. Booklist: "Irresistibly interwoven with elements of passion, intrigue, and the supernatural." Rain Taxi: "A feminist manifesto for a time in which neither feminism nor novels existed. Luminous."

ELIZABETH EMERSON HANCOCK             

Email Elizabeth Emerson Hancock
www.elizabethehancock.com
Upcoming Appearances

TRESPASSERS WILL BE BAPTIZED: THE UNORDAINED MEMOIR OF
A PREACHER'S DAUGHTER (2008, Center Street)
Growing up Southern and Baptist in Eastern Kentucky, Elizabeth Emerson Hancock's world revolved around Sunday School, foreign missions projects, revival meetings and of course, the Kentucky Wildcats, who "glorified God through their goal-shattering, soul-shattering play." Hancock chronicles her childhood misadventures with sardonic wit, detailing her and her sister Meg's mischievous - if harmless - abuses of power (stealing Guess jeans from the Africa donation box, or hawking backyard swimming pool baptisms during her neighborhood's annual yard sale) and lovingly recalling the wisdom imparted by her long-suffering parents as they ministered to their unruly flock. TRESPASSERS WILL BE BAPTIZED marks the arrival of a talented new voice in a coming of age story that is by turns comical and affecting.

SEE ELIZABETH EMERSON HANCOCK'S RECIPE FOR MAMA'S "COURSE I REMEMBERED YOU WERE COMING" EMERGENCY PIE

THE GERMAN BRIDE (2008, Ballantine)
Inspired by a little-known period of American history, THE
GERMAN BRIDE follows Eva Frank, a Berlin Jewess, who accepts
a marriage proposal from Abraham Shein and embarks on a
journey to the wilds of Santa Fe, New Mexico in the 1860's. 
A nuanced psychological portrait of a marriage, THE GERMAN
BRIDE is also a gritty glimpse into the bar rooms and brothels
of a lawless frontier territory, where an unforgettable cast of characters struggles for survival and redemption in the brutal, glorious desert of the American Southwest.  Kirkus (starred review):"At once lyrical and heartbreaking...A beautifully written tale of small sufferings and redemptions."

THE OUTSIDE OF AUGUST (2003; pb, Ballantine, 2004)
For as long as Alice Green can remember, her elusive mother, Charlotte, has moved in and out of family life. Despite the exotic clutter of souvenirs from Charlotte's international travels, the home becomes progressively hollow.  Alice and her brother, August, react in different ways.  Years later, when her brother becomes strangely remote, Alice journeys to find him in an isolated beach town.  The New York Times Book Review: "Taut and suspenseful...Hershon succeeds in creating idiosyncratic characters and a story that won't let go of your attention."

SWIMMING (2001; pb, Ballantine, 2002)
When Aaron Wheeler brings his girlfriend Suzanne home to
meet his family in the woods of New Hampshire, tensions are
high, passions are misplaced, and within 48 hours, tragedy
unfolds on the shores of the Wheeler's pond. Ten years later,
Aaron's younger sister Lila - who was eight years old at the time
of this fateful visit - senses there is much she doesn't know about that terrible weekend. She begins a journey to find, among other people, her brother's ex-girlfriend Suzanne, in the hopes of reconciling with the past. Author Sheri Holman: "Intoxicating and
terrifying... an affecting tale of memory and loss. I couldn't put it down."

KIMBERLY WILLIS HOLT

Amarillo, Texas
Email Kimberly Willis Holt
www.kimberlywillisholt.com

KEEPER OF THE NIGHT (2003; pb, Laurel Leaf, 2005) YOUNG ADULT
Isabel's mother died peacefully. At least that's what Isabel likes to think, since no one will talk about the truth. But the truth has a way of revealing itself at night. Tata sleeps curled up on the floor right where her mother's body was found. Olivia wets her bed and wakes repeatedly from nightmares, and Frank starts carving his anger into the bedroom wall. It's up to Isabel to help her family get beyond the pain and loss — to be the keeper of the night. Publishers Weekly (starred review): "The author works magic, recreating the sights, sounds, and smells of Guam and encapsulating the essence of her characters through very few words." Kirkus Reviews (starred review): "Stunningly beautiful." School Library Journal (starred review): "A beautifully written description of sorrow and recovery that should appeal to a wide audience."

WHEN ZACHARY BEAVER CAME TO TOWN (1999; pb, Yearling, 2001) INTERMEDIATE
Toby Wilson is having a tough summer in his small Texas town when Zachary Beaver, "The Fattest Boy in the World," comes to town. It's a summer filled with heartaches and friendships. And it's Zachary who turns the town upside down and leaves everyone, especially Toby, changed forever. National Book Award Winner.


MY LOUISIANA SKY (1998; pb, Yearling, 2000) INTERMEDIATE
Set in the south in the late 1950's, this coming of age novel explores a twelve-year-old girl's struggle to accept her grandmother's death, her mentally slow parents and the changing world around her. Booklist (starred review): "This lyrical first novel brings fresh perspective to the guilt and anger and caring that surround the mentally disabled."

TARA ISON

Sherman Oaks, California
Email Tara Ison
www.taraison.com

THE LIST (2007, Scribner)

An in-love, ill-matched couple make a list of 10 things to do before saying good-bye.  But the list takes a dark turn when they realize they would rather destroy each other than let go. Meg Wolitzer: "THE LIST is both wise and wicked about love." Chicago Tribune:  "A tale of intoxicating love that turns toxic."

A CHILD OUT OF ALCATRAZ (1997; pb, Faber & Faber, 1998)
A mother and daughter story, set on Alcatraz Island. Boston Book Review: "A sad, often beatiful novel.  Ison renders the slow disintegration of a once-vital woman, and its effect on her daughter, with perfect, heartbreaking despair."

DAPHNE KALOTAY

Boston, Massachusetts
Email Daphne Kalotay
www.daphnekalotay.com
Upcoming Appearances

CALAMITY AND OTHER STORIES (2005; pb, Anchor, 2006)
Interwoven stories chronicling friends’ varied twists of fate. San Francisco Chronicle:  “Like short-story collections by Alice Munro and Lorrie Moore...Lovely [and] comic.”  New York Times Book Review:  “Kalotay’s collection builds force so quietly that when all the characters appear together in the final story you’re stunned—by how well it works and by how familiar these women now feel.”

RODGER KAMENETZ

New Orleans, Louisiana
Email Rodger Kamenetz   
http://kamenetz.com

THE HISTORY OF LAST NIGHT’S DREAM  (2007; pb, Harper One, 2008)
The culmination of decades of research, The History of Last Night's Dream is a riveting intellectual,  cultural and personal investigation of dreams and what they have to teach us. We discover how the age-old struggle between what we dream and how we interpret our dreams has shaped Western culture from biblical times… to last night's dream.  Times-Picayune:  "This smart, funny, and revolutionary book is filled with compassion for our dreaming minds, for the ways in which they reveal ourselves to ourselves, for the ways our dreams, nighttime or waking, can carry us back to love and so to God."  Andrei Codrescu, NPR:  “Reads like a thriller.”

THE JEW IN THE LOTUS (2007, Harper One, pb)
A landmark international bestseller and classic account of dialogue between rabbis and the Dalai Lama, now in a new plus edition with an afterword by the author. New York Times:  "A book for anyone who feels the narrowness of a wholly secular life or who wonders about the fate of esoteric spiritual traditions in a world that seems bent on destroying or vulgarizing them.”

ALISON LARKIN

Email Alison Larkin
www.alisonlarkin.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE ENGLISH AMERICAN (2008, Simon & Schuster)
Pippa Dunn is adopted by loving British parents and doesn't meet her American birth parents until she is twenty-eight. She discovers they are southern Americans and nothing at all like the practical Brits who raised her. Chaos ensues when reality collides with fantasy and Pippa finds herself struggling with two sets of parents, two opposing cultures and the fact that she is falling in love with two very different men. With a delightful, authentic adopted heroine at its center, Larkin's novel poses questions about how much of your character is nature, how much is nurture, and how much is individual choice. Redbook Magazine Book Club Selection. Vogue Magazine Most Powerful Book of the Season. Shape Magazine, Family Circle Magazine and Women's Wear Daily Scoop Best Book Picks. Chicago Sun Times: “A funny, charming and poignant book – the kind that you can’t resist reading in a single day.”

SEE ALISON LARKIN'S RECIPES FOR THE PERFECT POT OF TEA AND MY DAD'S ORANGE MARMALADE

JUDY LARSEN

St. Louis, Missouri
Email Judy Larsen
www.judymerrilllarsen.com
Upcoming Appearances

ALL THE NUMBERS (2006, Ballantine/Random House, pb)
When her son is killed, Ellen faces the unimaginable while remaining strong for her older son. First, she must heal herself. This emotional journey depicts Ellen s vulnerability and finding the grace to begin again. Author Cassandra King: "This powerful story of tragedy, grief, and redemptive love haunted me long after I read the final uplifting yet heartbreaking words."

MIN JIN LEE

Tokyo, Japan
Email Min Jin Lee
www.minjinlee.com
Upcoming Appearances

FREE FOOD FOR MILLIONAIRES (2007; pb, Grand Central Publishing, 2008)
Princeton grad Casey Han, the daughter of Korean immigrant parents, struggles with her culture and identity while trying to find her place in the world.  New York Times Book Review: "[An] accomplished and engrossing first novel."  People: "a first-rate read."  A Book Sense #1 Pick.

SEE MIN JIN LEE'S RECIPE FOR ELLA'S CHERRY SCONES

MARIE MYUNG-OK LEE

Providence, Rhode Island
Email Marie Myung-Ok Lee
www.marielee.net

SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER (2005; pb, Beacon Press, 2006)
Nineteen-year-old Sarah Thorson, Korean-born and adopted by a white American family as an infant, is determined to solve the mysteries of her past. Kyung-sook, the Korean woman who has always longed for her lost child, learns her daughter is searching for her. Will Kyung-sook risk destroying the life she's built for herself and her new family to regain her daughter? Booklist (starred review): "A grown-up gem of a novel where joy mingles with sorrow, and heartbreak is laced with hope."

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS (1996; pb, HarperTrophy, 1998) YOUNG ADULT
Chan Kim's family moves to a small town in Minnesota from Los Angeles. Chan, a soccer player, throws himself into the only game in town: football. On the field, it's "justifiable violence." Off the field, it's a whole different ballgame. Kirkus Reviews: "Gritty and moving...a strong and intelligent novel." An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.

FINDING MY VOICE (1992; pb, HarperTrophy, 2001) YOUNG ADULT
Ellen Sung, a Korean American girl growing up in the Midwest, learns to navigate between her own heart and that of her immigrant parents. Winner of the Friends of American Writers Award, The New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. The New York Times: "Deals with the subject of racism in a way that is both explicit and sensitive."

YAEL GOLDSTEIN LOVE

Cambridge, Massachusetts
Email Yael Goldstein Love
www.yaelgoldsteinlove.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE PASSION OF TASHA DARSKY (2007, published as OVERTURE; pb, Broadway Books, 2008)
A world-famous violinist confronts the sins she's committed toward music, men, and, most importantly, her daughter in this captivating glimpse into the world of classical music. The New York Times Book Review: "... A writer of great emotional precocity. . . The relationships she has created are genuinely affecting and complex. . . Shows signs of brooding genius. Los Angeles Times: "[A work of] fiction deeply involved with intellect and ideas, warmed by sensitively delineated emotions and propelled by strong storytelling... establishes Yael Goldstein as a writer with a distinctive voice of her own."

SEE YAEL GOLDSTEIN LOVE'S RECIPE FOR ARMENIAN KOFTA WITH MASHED POTATO, PINE NUTS, AND RAISINS

LISA LUTZ

San Francisco, California
lisalutz.com
Email Lisa Lutz

CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS (2008; pb Simon & Schuster,
February, 2009)
The Spellman family's adventures continue in CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS. Isabel Spellman is back and she's just been sprung from jail for the fourth time in three months. When she finds herself homeless and simultaneously barred from the Spellman offices-cum-residence by a very inconvenient temporary restraining order, Izzy meets with Mort Schilling, her octogenarian lawyer, to hammer out a defense and save her now endangered P. I. license. Over San Franciscos best New York-style deli fare, Izzy recaps the highlights of her recent past and her encounters with the man whose villainy she's determined to unveil—even if she must break the law to do it.

REVENGE OF THE SPELLMANS (March, 2009, Simon & Schuster)
Private investigator Izzy Spellman is back on the case and back on the couch—in court–ordered therapy after getting a little too close to her previous subject. Her newest client is a husband worried that his wife is cheating on him—a seemingly open–and–shut case that won't quite stay shut. When it finally explodes, the fallout reaches the highest levels of city politics. And takes Izzy into uncharted territory. Meanwhile, her brother, David, the family's most upright member, has left the country—and maybe his senses. When her wayward sister Rae aces her SATs, no one knows if it's just another scam. Even Izzy's mom might be running a con. Add to the mix a pair of mysterious women who don't quite seem themselves, a local PI out for revenge, and a car that never stays where Isabel parks it.

THE SPELLMANS FILES (2007; pb Simon & Schuster,
February, 2008)
In THE SPELLMANS FILES you first meet Isabel Spellman, private
investigator. This twenty-eight-year-old may have a checkered past littered with romantic mistakes, excessive drinking, and creative vandalism; she may be addicted to Get Smart reruns and prefer entering homes through windows rather than doors—but the upshot is she's good at her job as a licensed private investigator with her family's firm, Spellman Investigations. Invading people's privacy comes naturally to Isabel. In fact, it comes naturally to all the Spellmans. If only they could leave their work at the office. To be a Spellman is to snoop on a Spellman, tail a Spellman, dig up dirt on, blackmail, and wiretap a Spellman.

KATE MALOY

Yachats, Oregon
Email Kate Maloy
www.katemaloy.com

EVERY LAST CUCKOO (2008, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill)
At 75, after a grievous loss, Sarah Lucas is tempted to “lie back and go dark.” Instead, drawing on strengths gained from her long life in Vermont’s rugged terrain, she heals by helping an odd array of strangers in need. Publishers Weekly: "A moving debut novel..." Library Journal: "An excellent book club selection; highly recommended." Book Sense Pick. More magazine "Don’t Miss Book".

ROBERT MARSHALL

New York City
Email Robert Marshall
www.robertmarshall.net

A SEPARATE REALITY (2006, Carroll & Graf, pb)
Mark Grosfeld is a lonely twelve-year-old growing up in Phoenix, Arizona during the early 1970s.  His life begins to change when he meets Anna Voigt, a teacher who becomes his mentor.  An ex-hippie poet, Anna introduces him to a circle of teenagers who smoke pot and meet at her house for poetry readings.  She also introduces him to Zen Buddhism and the writings of the popular pseudo anthropologist, Carlos Castaneda.  Mark enters upon a semi-comic suburban vision quest, trying to conduct his middle school life according to the teachings he finds through Anna - most significantly, Castaneda's.  The Washington Post: "As good an encapsulation of adolescence as you're likely to read."

RUTHANNE LUM MCCUNN

San Francisco, California
Email Ruthanne Lum McCunn 
www.mccunn.com

GOD OF LUCK (2007; pb, Soho Press, 2008)
Ah Lung and his beloved wife, Bo See, are separated by a cruel fate when he is kidnapped, enslaved, and sent to the deadly guano mines off the shore of Peru. Praying to the God of Luck and using their own ingenuity, the couple struggles to reunite. Library Journal: “A real page-turner. Highly recommended.” A Book Sense Pick. A 2008 Kiriyama Prize Notable Book.

THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD (2004, Beacon Press, pb)
Lalu Nathoy’s father called her his treasure, his  “thousand pieces of gold,” yet he is forced to sell her during a famine. Polly, as Lalu is later called, is sold to a brothel, brought to America, auctioned off as a slave in San Francisco, taken to mining camp in Idhao, and wins her freedom in a poker game. Los Angeles Times:  “Enthralling.” A Quality Paperback Book Club Alternate. Washington State Library’s Washington Reads Program 2006.

THE MOON PEARL (2000, Beacon Press, pb)
Three girls - drawn from the lives of China’s real nineteenth-century heroines - make the radical decision not to marry but live as independent women. Publishers Weekly: "McCunn’s vivid, intimate portrait of early women’s liberation in China is, above all, a good story, lovingly told.” Washington Post: “Bewitches...utterly inspiring and captivating.” American Library Association 2002 “Best of the Best.”

DELAUNÉ MICHEL

Westchester County, New York
Email DeLauné Michel
www.delaunemichel.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE SAFETY OF SECRETS (2008, Avon A/HarperCollins, pb)
“Now we’re just alike.” So begins Fiona and Patricia’s friendship that morning in 1st grade in Louisiana, forged closer by Fiona’s abusive mother and Patricia’s neglectful one. Their friendship gives them continuity and strength as they pursue LA acting careers, romantic relationships, and fame. When their husbands’ needs and Hollywood pressures exact a toll, they wonder if their friendship can survive. But the true test is just beginning. A dark secret emerges from their past, threatening to destroy not only their bond, but all they’ve worked for as well.

AFTERMATH OF DREAMING (2006; pb, HarperCollins, 2007)
Other than the fact that she wakes up screaming at night, life is great for Yvette.  Her jewelry career is taking off, she’s back with her boyfriend, and she no longer thinks about her once-in-a-lifetime love, movie star Andrew Madden.  Until a chance encounter with him changes everything.  Swept up by memories of her estranged father, and juggling the demands of her bride sister and her male best friend, Yvette plunges into an obsession with Andrew that forces her to confront the past she thought she had left behind.

TEKLA DENNISON MILLER

Durango, Colorado
Email Tekla Dennison Miller
www.teklamiller.com
Upcoming Appearances

LIFE SENTENCES (2005, Medallion Press, pb)
There are men who take women's lives. There are men who kill their minds. Celeste Brookstone has the perfect life. On the surface when her daughter takes a job with the Michigan Prison System, she fears for Pilar's safety. But she's glad Pilar is away from the hell on earth Marcus Brookstone has created within his home. Pilar Brookstone is an idealist. She thinks she can make inmates' lives a little better. And never, ever make the mistake her mother made. Chad Wilbanks is a serial killer serving life. Eight young women were his victims. Is he about to take his ninth?

THE WARDEN WORE PINK (1996, Biddle Publishing, pb)
This memoir tells the story of Tekla's 20 year career in corrections and introduces the reader to the best and the worst among prison administrators, employees and inmates. Warden Miller's story is a sometimes shocking, sometimes hilarious, and always honest examination of the world of criminal justice. It relates one woman's courageous journey into a difficult, dangerous, often hostile environment.

JACQUELYN MITCHARD

Email Jacquelyn Mitchard
www.jackiemitchard.com

STILL SUMMER (2007; pb, Grand Central, 2008)
When four friends who ruled the school twenty years ago gather for an idyllic sailing vacation – meant to comfort Olivia, who has returned home a widow after twenty years abroad – they expect two weeks of gossip, sunbathing and drinks with little umbrellas.Instead, two days into their crossing, a single small mistake turns paradise a sun-baked hell.

The same elements that combined to make this trip an adventure in paradise combine in for survival. Surrounded by water, but with almost none to drink, with refrigerators filled with gourmet food rotting before they can used it, and a deluxe communication system ruined in an instant, the women must hide from the punishing sun and use all their strength and intelligence to try to outwit nature, their own demons and human predators.What happens when friendship must face the ultimate test? Does the better nature prevail or is it everyone for herself?

CAGE OF STARS (2006; pb, Grand Central, 2007)
12-year-old Veronica Swan's idyllic life in a close-knit Mormon
community is shattered when her two younger sisters are brutallymurdered. Although her parents find the strength to forgive the deranged killer, Scott Early, Veronica cannot do the same. Years later, she sets out alone to avenge her sisters' deaths, dropping her identity and severing ties in the process. As she closes in on Early, Veronica will discover the true meaning of sin and compassion, before she makes a decision that will change her and her family's lives forever.

THE BREAKDOWN LANE  (2005; pb, HarperTorch, 2006)
Advice columnist Julieanne Gillis lives a blessed life. But when she loses her husband, her health and her confidence, her season of despair is leavened by the grit and humor of her son, Gabe, and a startling new life begins. The Minneapolis Star Tribune: "An honest, moving, passionate portrait of what happens when we fall off the track. Not one false word in the whole book."

LOOK BOTH WAYS (March 2009, Razorbill) YOUNG ADULT
Look Both Ways continues the story of Mallory and Merry, begun in the first novel of The Midnight Twins trilogy. Mirror-image twins born a minute before and a minute after midnight on New Year's Eve, they're trapped in a near-fatal fire on the night they turn thirteen. Their "twin telepathy" that has allowed them to"talk without words" all their lives turns into a terrifying psychic gift to see the heart of evil in their small rural town. Mallory can see only the future; Merry can see only the past. But when they put their visions together, they learn that Mallory's best friend, Eden, is the embodiment of an ancient Indian legend. A shape-shifter, Eden must give up her life as an ordinary girl and serve her clan as medicine woman. Whoever should see Eden in her shape as a white panther is doomed to bad luck; but, as Mallory learns, anyone who actually sees her transform must die. How can the twins save Eden, who wants to run from her ancient destiny, without risking their own lives?

SEE JACKIE MITCHARD'S RECIPE FOR INDIAN FRY BREAD

THE MIDNIGHT TWINS (2007; pb, Razorbill, March 2009) YOUNG ADULT
Meredith and Mallory Brynn are mirror twins born on either side of midnight one snowy New Year’s Eve. They have always been inseparable. But after they are nearly killed in a mysterious fire on their thirteenth birthday, the bond that has always joined them unravels. They begin to have visions and dreams that reveal the deep secrets kept by the people around them. Meredith and Mallory realize they have each been given a gift: Mallory can see deep into the past; Meredith can see the future. But when they discover that one boy is not what they imagined, their lives will be changed forever. If they can survive . . .

NOW YOU SEE HER (2007, HarperTeen) YOUNG ADULT
On the surface, Hope is beautiful, a straight “A” student and a talented actress. But behind the scenes something strange is going on. When Hope is found in the woods and claims to have been abducted, her story does not make sense. Could it be that she faked her own kidnapping? As she tries to answer that question, Hope begins to doubt her own story and even her sanity. School Library Journal: "This riveting page-turner is sure to be in hot demand."

NOELLE OXENHANDLER

Glen Ellen, California
Email Noelle Oxenhandler
www.noelleoxenhandler.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE WISHING YEAR: A HOUSE, A MAN, MY SOUL A MEMOIR OF FULFILLED DESIRE (2008, Random House)
In the wake of a great life upheaval, Noelle Oxenhandler launched a year's experiment in wishing. Given her skeptical nature, it wasn't easy--but she persisted, and soon her wishes began to come true, in a ways that simultaneously met, subverted, and overflowed her expectations. Booklist (Starred Review): "She chronicles her surprising findings in 12 scintillating chapters...in a charmingly self-deprecating and anecdotal mix of the everyday ups-and-downs of a post divorce recalibration and profound questions of purpose and desire."

THE EROS OF PARENTHOOD (2001, St. Martin’s)
Tackling a very edgy subject, in tender and poetic prose, The Eros of Parenthood finds a way to celebrate the healthy physical love that exists between parents and young children. Between the poles of "too hot" and "too cold" it seeks to find the "just right" dose of nurturing affection.

KATHLEEN REID

Richmond, Virginia
Email Kathleen Reid 
www.KathleenReid.com

A PAGE OUT OF LIFE (2008, Berkley Books, pb)
A Page Out of Life is about love, friendship, heartbreak and scandal in the fictional city of Belloix, Alabama. It all starts when stressed-out mother of four Ashley Gates gets dragged by her best friend to a meeting of the local scrapbooking club. Ashley is surprised to meet such a diverse group of women from Tara, the single grad student looking for love to Libby, a retired schoolteacher, whose life is blown apart by scandal. These friendships become a source of strength as the women support each other through good times and bad and uncover a trail of secrets.

JEWELL PARKER RHODES

Scottsdale, Arizona and Natick, Massachusetts
Email Jewell Parker Rhodes
www.jewellparkerrhodes.com

YELLOW MOON (Atria, August 2008)
Jewell Parker Rhodes continues the magical, mystical story of legendary voodoo priestess Marie Laveau - begun in the best-selling Voodoo Dreams - and brings it into the New Orleans of the present day.  David Morrell, author of Creepers:  “Richly dark and vividly haunting…a magical, mysterious, and transfixing read."  Betty Webb, author of the Lena Jones mysteries:  “In this stunning novel, the author once again demonstrates that her gifts as a storyteller are unparalleled.”

SEE JEWELL PARKER RHODES'S RECIPES FOR SHRIMP AND HAM JAMBALAYA and HURRICANE COCKTAIL

DOUGLASS' WOMEN (2002; pb, Washington Square, 2003)
This historical reimagination of American hero Frederick Douglass focuses on the two women in his life and the love triangle formed as they lived under the same roof. His wife Ann, a free woman of color, bore him five children and remained at his side for over forty years, while Ottilie, his German mistress, provided him with intellectual companionship. It is a story of love and jealousy, resentment and union, and a vivid portrayal of history and a powerful man through this different lens. The Washington Post: "[A] courageous and beautiful book." Winner of the 2003 American Book Award.

VOODOO DREAMS (1993; pb, Washington Square, 1995)
Rhodes' debut novel describes the rise of Marie Laveau into the legendary voodoo practicioner of mid-nineteenth century New Orleans. Focusing on the woman behind the legend, the story weaves history and myth into its narrative fabric as Marie journeys from bayou to city in search of her lost grandmother, guided by dreams, and finds John, the voodoo doctor that opens the door for her legendary power. A bewitching read--erotic, atmospheric, exploring the intersections of race, class, gender, and feminine spiritual power. Publishers' Weekly: "Rivet[ing]"  

LAURIE VIERA RIGLER

Pasadena, California
Email Laurie Viera Rigler
www.janeaustenaddict.com
Upcoming Appearances

CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT (2007; pb, Plume, 2008)
After nursing a broken engagement with Jane Austen novels and Absolut, a modern L.A. girl wakes up as an Englishwoman in Austen’s time. Times-Picayune: "A delightful comic romp." Publisher’s Weekly:  "A winner." St. Petersburg Times: "Clever, cheeky." Book Sense Notable Book. Audiobook is a Publisher's Weekly Listen Up Award winner.

LISA PEARL ROSENBAUM

Los Angeles, California
Email Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum 
www.lisapearlrosenbaum.com

A DAY OF SMALL BEGINNINGS (2006, Little, Brown)
Who are we if we don't know where we came from? Set in Poland, a multigenerational story of a contemporary American family wrestling with their hidden history and the faith they left behind. The Los Angeles Times: “[a] breathtaking debut...a love story between a ghost and a Jewish family.” The Book of the Month Club: “...[it] will keep you flipping pages long after you should be in bed. We should all have a guardian spirit like Freidl - funny, unforgettable, and determined not to let us forget where we come from.” A Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection.

MICHELE SCOTT

San Diego, California
Email Michele Scott 
www.michelescott.com
Upcoming Appearances 

A VINTAGE MURDER  (2008, Berkley, pb)
Nikki and her boss-turned-boyfriend came to Australia to visit the Hahndorf Winery, but it seems they've also walked onto a movie set. And when lead actress Lucy Swanson is found dead in her trailer, bitten by a poisonous snake, Nikki must comb the vineyards of the valley to catch a killer with a venomous streak-before she's struck herself.

SEE MICHELE SCOTT'S RECIPE FOR SPICY LAMB BURGERS WITH WINE PAIRING

TACKED TO DEATH (2008, Berkley, pb)
A new tack shop and a gala polo match are reasons to celebrate for horse trainer Michaela Bancroft - until equestrian Sterling Tabor is found clubbed to death with a polo mallet. Worse yet, suspicion falls on Michaela...

The weapon belongs to Michaela, her prints are all over it, and rumors of her alleged affair with the victim aren't helping. With her boyfriend Detective Jude Davis out of town, Michaela doesn't stand a chance of proving her innocence and clearing her name unless she delves into Tabor's mysterious life and death on her own. But in unearthing a real suspect and a motive, she discovers a deadly past. And Tabor's shady friends are more than willing to throw Michaela off the track - for good.

SILENCED BY SYRAH (2007, Berkley, pb)
As the Vineyard Manager at Malveaux Estates, Nikki Sands knows a lot about wine pairings, but she has a harder time making matches in her own life. Is it finally time to give up her crush on her boss, Derek Malveaux, and commit to winemaker Andrés? With big changes afoot at the Estates, Nikki's days of wine and roses may be over sooner than she thinks.

Malveaux Estates has added a boutique hotel and spa to its beautiful grounds, and everyone in Napa is abuzz about the hotel's restaurant, Georges on the Vineyard. Its opening has been delayed a bit by the quirks of star chef Georges Debussey, better known for his cuisine than his couth. When Georges doesn't return to the kitchen after a relaxing Syrah bath splash at the spa on opening night, Nikki figures the bubbles must have gone to his head. But instead of bubbles, it was a bullet - leaving Nikki to wonder what kind of wine can be paired with murder.

KELLY SIMMONS

Pennsylvania
Email Kelly Simmons
www.bykellysimmons.com
Upcoming Appearances

STANDING STILL (2008, Atria)
When Claire Cooper begs to take her daughter's place mid-kidnapping, she has as much to hide - and bargain for - as her captor. Publishers Weekly starred review: "An exhilarating debut...the perfect read for a stormy night."

JODI THOMAS

Amarillo, Texas
Email Jodi Thomas
www.jodithomas.com
Upcoming Appearances

TWISTED CREEK (2008, Berkley, pb)
Bad luck's been biting at Allie Daniel's heels all her life, so when she inherits a tiny café in a small Texas lake community she's sure there has to be a catch. But Allie brings her grandmother along, and the cafe gives Nana a chance to do what she loves best - cook. As Allie settles in to try and make the best of what surely must be a mistake in an old man's will, the people of the lake drop by. Lonely folk discover there's always a "table for one" available, with down home food to warm the soul. An old maid, a shy young man, a drifter who races the moon across the lake: slowly, they become the family Allie never had. And when trouble comes, Allie finds she's not alone any more - and that sometimes, the only cure for bad luck is the courage to love.

TEXAS PRINCESS (2007, Berkley, pb)
Ever since he defended the Whispering Mountain Ranch as a boy, Tobin McMurray vowed to steer clear of outsiders. But something about Liberty Mayfield has made it impossible to keep his distance. Every minute spent with the vulnerable beauty has left him hungering for something he swore he'd never have - a wife and a family. Unfortunately, the woman who's ignited his desire is about to marry another man.


TEXAS RAIN (2006, Berkley, pb)
The first time Rainey Adams meets Texas Ranger Travis McMurray, she steals a kiss - and then his horse. Now Travis is determined to track down this intriguing woman and bring her back to the Whispering Mountain Ranch as his bride. But this renegade may be too much for even the toughest Ranger to handle.

MICHELE TORREY

South Bend, Washington
Email Michele Torrey
micheletorrey.com

VOYAGE OF MIDNIGHT (2006; pb, Yearling, 2008) INTERMEDIATE
Caught between his lifelong desire for a family and the promise of a better life, and the shocking brutality he witnesses aboard his uncle’s slave ship, Philip must open his eyes and decide for himself the true meaning of family, freedom, and humanity. School Library Journal: “A powerful, beautifully written tale.” Named one of the “Best Children’s Books of the Year” by CBC at Bank Street College.

VOYAGE OF PLUNDER (2005; pb, Yearling, 2007) INTERMEDIATE
Kidnapped by pirates, Daniel Markham must join the crew or die. Unprepared for the temptations of pirate life and for the captain’s inexplicable kindness toward him, Daniel knows only one thing for certain: one false step on a pirate ship could be deadly, and he’ll do anything to stay alive. Booklist: “A sea yarn that can stand solidly beside other classic pirate stories.” Finalist, Washington State Book Award.

VOYAGE OF ICE (2004; pb, Yearling, 2005) INTERMEDIATE
Life on a whaling ship is very different from what Nick expected. He is mercilessly overworked by a cruel captain and crew. And when an awful turn of fate leaves him stranded in the harsh Arctic winter, he must battle for his very survival. Booklist: “Torrey unspools a nailbiting adventure . . . those who like survival tales will be rapt.” Nominated for Sequoyah YA Book Award.

AMY WALLEN

San Diego, California
Email Amy Wallen
www.amywallen.com
Upcomging Appearances

MOONPIES AND MOVIE STARS (2007; pb, Plume/Penguin, 2008)
A laugh-out-loud romp across America pits a feisty Texas momma against the Hollywood machine. Ruby Kincaid is busy these days—running her late husband’s bowling alley, wrangling her pistol of a sister, and chasing after the two grandchildren her daughter abandoned. When she sees her runaway daughter Violet starring in a TV commercial, there’s only one choice and Ruby knows it—Hollywood or bust. Ruby packs a Winnebago with two friends, two unruly grandkids, and a mondosize package of MoonPies and hightails it to California to fetch her wayward daughter. In a madcap road trip from the dusty flats of Texas to the glittering aisles of The Price Is Right, Ruby survives with a little pluck and some Texas spunk. Fans of Lorna Landvik and Billie Letts will love this tender and side-splittingly funny story of indomitable spirit and unstoppable force.

Email Melanie Wells
www.melaniewells.com
Upcoming Appearances

MY SOUL TO KEEP (2008, Multnomah Books, pb)
Dylan Foster, the eccentric and slightly compulsive university psychology professor, is trapped in the mind games of Peter Terry, an unwelcome stranger who seeks to steal her peace of mind. Author Melanie Wells is a licensed psychotherapist who uses complex characters, deft humor and dead-on dialogue to keep readers on the edge of their seats.


THE SOUL HUNTER (2006, Multnomah Books, pb)
Dylan Foster, a psychology professor at Southern Methodist University, is preparing for a Saturday night date when she hears something at her front door. She opens the door - and a bloody ax falls into her entryway, bringing a young woman’s murder, quite literally, into Dylan's living room. Caught up in a desperate search for answers, Dylan must use her psychologist’s mind and acute spiritual radar to unearth the connections between the murdered girl; the accused murderer and convicted rapist Gordon Pryne; and Peter Terry, the elusive white man with the slash on his back. As Dylan draws closer to the answer she seeks, she stumbles upon a discovery that draws her ever deeper into danger. But Dylan cannot find the truth - not until she realizes nothing is as it seems in the fight for the human soul…

WHEN THE DAY OF EVIL COMES (2005, Multnomah Books, pb)
School is back in session, but for psychology professor Dylan Foster, the promise of a new semester is dying in the heat of the late Texas summer. First, there is the bizarre encounter with a ghastly pale stranger. Then her mother’s engagement ring turns up—the same ring that was buried with her mother two years before.  Soon, Dylan’s carefully ordered world is unraveling, one thread at a time. A former patient accuses her of impropriety, putting her career in jeopardy. A suicide plunges her deeper into shadow. Relationships with colleagues start to crumble. And then there are those flies in her house...Dylan Foster is about to get a crash course in spiritual warfare—and a glimpse of her own small but significant role in a vast eternal conflict. But when the dust settles, will anything be left of her life as she knows it?

JANET RUTH YOUNG

Gloucester, Massachusetts
Email Janet Ruth Young
http://janetruthyoung.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE OPPOSITE OF MUSIC (2007; pb, Simon Pulse, 2008)  YOUNG ADULT
Along with his mother and sister, fifteen-year-old Billy will do almost anything to save his father from a life-threatening depression. See author site for discussion guide. Boston Sunday Globe:  "This has been a year of tremendous debut novels, and The Opposite of Music…deserves its place at the top of that list."

MICHELE ZACKHEIM

Email Michele Zackheim
www.michelezackheim.com
Upcoming Appearances

BROKEN COLORS (2007, Europa Editions, pb)
Colored with moments of passion, heartbreak, and longing, Sophie Mark's journey takes her from World War II England, to Paris and the Italian countryside, the American southwest, and back again to Europe where she comes face to face with hidden memories. Vanessa Redgrave: "I loved Broken Colors . . . it went into my heart and stayed there."A Book Sense selection for 2008.

VICTORIA ZACKHEIM

San Francisco, California
Email Victoria Zackheim
www.victoriazackheim.com
Upcoming Appearances

FOR KEEPS:  WOMEN TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR BODIES, GROWING OLDER, AND ACCEPTANCE (2007, Seal Press/Perseus, pb)
Gifted authors write about youth, about pushing their bodies to the limit...and beyond. Martha Stewart's Body + Soul Magazine: "This surprising collection is full of moving takes on aging gracefully in a female body." StoryCircle Book Review: "A rare collection, uncompromisingly honest, ruthlessly real, uncomfortably raw, yet warmed with a very human compassion and brightened by the triumphs, small and large, that make each of these writers a heroine in her own right." San Francisco Chronicle: "...the excavation of memories is for a constructive end: to show the reader how women have managed to cope under circumstances beyond their control and, especially, under circumstances they have the power to alter."

THE OTHER WOMAN: TWENTY-ONE WIVES, LOVERS, AND OTHERS TALK OPENLY ABOUT SEX, DECEPTION, LOVE, AND BETRAYAL  (2007; pb, 2008, GrandCentral)
Featured twice on The Today Show, this anthology of personal memoirs offers intimate, poignant, sometimes hilarious revelations by such authors as Jane Smiley, Lynn Freed, Mary Jo Eustace (her husband left her for Tori Spelling, three weeks after they adopted a baby), Diana Abu-Jaber, Connie May Fowler, and 16 other gifted writers. "O" Magazine: an "unusually frank and furious collection." The Toronto Star :"Powerful, poignant, wrenching and yet weirdly uplifting, The Other Woman is an astonishing read that once again proves the old saw about truth being stranger than fiction."

THE BONE WEAVER (2001, Elton-Wolfe MissionBay Press, pb)
Following the death of her lifelong friend, professor Mimi Zilber sets off on a journey to discover how she came to this lonely place in her life and why she is running from the man who loves her. The Bone Weaver is a blend of history and fiction created around three generations of women, beginning with Mimi's great-grandmother Malka, and their struggles to survive pogroms, illness, and the violence of shtetl life in 19th Century Eastern Europe. The Midwest Book Review: "...a unique, powerful, moving, inspiring, and very highly recommended novel."

PETER ZHEUTLIN

Boston, Massachusetts
Email Peter Zheutlin
www.annielondonderry.com

AROUND THE WORLD ON TWO WHEELS: ANNIE LONDONDERRY’S EXTRAORDINARY RIDE (November 2007, Citadel Press/Kensington)