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www.bksp.org Backspace News - January
January Guest Speaker Publicity expert Bella Stander will visit the Backspace discussion forums January 15, and on the 15th of every month thereafter to answer members' questions as part of our ongoing guest speaker program. Bella is a writer and consultant to the Virginia Festival of the Book. Formerly the book editor for Albemarle magazine and a long-time contributing editor at Publishers Weekly, she has also reviewed books for Entertainment Weekly, People, The Wall St. Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle and other publications. She is a member of the Authors Guild, National Book Critics Circle, National Press Club and PubWest. See her writing website, BellaStander.com, and blog, Reading Under the Covers. February Guest Speaker Emmanuelle Alspaugh, a literary agent with Wendy Sherman Associates, will conduct a question and answer session with the group February 18 - 20. Before joining Wendy Sherman, Emmanuelle was an agent at The Creative Culture and an editor at Fodor's, the travel arm of Random House. She offers her clients the full breadth of her editorial experience, working closely with them to develop and polish their proposals and manuscripts. Her particular interests include literary and commercial fiction, memoir, and nonfiction relevant to contemporary issues. BATTLES AND BROWNE TALK WRITING An Ongoing Guest Speaker Q&A Internationally published thriller writers Robert Gregory Browne and Brett Battles have a series of podcasts on writing at their BATTLES AND BROWNE TALK WRITING website. Now they're bringing a more interactive version to Backspace members. Their forum, BATTLES AND BROWN TALK WRITING, is designed particularly for our not-yet-agented members who are keen on honing their craft. However, like our regular guest speaker visits, all members are welcome to ask questions and participate. 2008 Backspace Writers Conference Keynote speakers for the 2008 Backspace Writers Conference will be Mark Tavani of Random House, and New York Times bestselling author Lee Child. Others on the program include Richard Curtis, Simon Lipskar, M.J. Rose, Bella Stander, Jerry Gross, Hilary Rubin Teeman (St. Martin's), and Backspace members Harry Hunsicker, Jackie Kessler, Heather Brewer, Gail Konop Baker, Laurel Corona, Lisa McMann, A.S. King, and Jenny Gardiner. The conference will be held August 7 & 8, 2008, at the Radisson Martinique on Broadway, in New York City. Cost for the two-day, two-track event is $355 for early registration (through March 31) and Backspace members; $395 thereafter, and includes a cocktail reception Thursday evening. Attendance is limited to 200, and registration is now open. PLEASE NOTE: Published Backspace members who are planning to attend the conference and who would like a part on the program should email Karen Dionne as soon as possible. (
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) Parts will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers If you think Backspace should be named to Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers list for 2007, please send an email to:
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with "101 Best Web sites" as the subject line. Backspace has made the list all three years of our existence (2005 - 2007), and we’d love to make it four for four! New Content on the Backspace Homepages Four new articles have been posted to the Backspace homepages. Richard Curtis’s "Do Amazon Reviews Count?", Kate Epstein’s "An Agent Does the Math: Why Do Memoirists Face Such a Rough Market?", and two articles on writing craft by Robert Gregory Browne: "Building Your House," and "Reaching the Climax." The Backspace url will migrate to the new homepages sometime in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, these articles can be viewed at the newly redesigned and soon to be officially unveiled website. Backspace Short Story Contests The Backspace short story contests are open to subscribers of the Backspace discussion forums. Entries are written to a set of parameters determined by the previous contest winner and posted anonymously, then commented on and winners chosen by popular vote. During the past two years, dozens of stories written for the contests have gone on to see publication. The current contest has one simple parameter: your story must contain a character with a goal. Contest deadline is January 13. If you’re looking to build your publishing credits, why not give the current contest a try? Do You Have A New Book Coming Out? If you’re a Backspace member with a 2008 or 2009 release, please send Karen your book information so she can feature your book in the Backspace newsletter (circ 1000+) the month it is available. Send your information to
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in the following format: Karen Dionne - FREEZING POINT (Berkley, October 2008) Members’ New Releases Members who maintain a Backspace Bookshelf can add the following new releases this month to their collection:
 Lauren Baratz-Logsted - SECRETS OF MY SUBURBAN LIFE (YA Simon Pulse, January 2008)
And you thought your life had a dark side.... Everything changed for Lauren ("Ren") after Harry Potter killed her mom. No, it's not what you think—Harry Potter didn't come to life and stab her or anything. A stack of those thick books crushed her. Now Ren is stuck out in the suburbs of Connecticut, dragged out there because her father is too grief stricken to continue living in New York. Ren tries to fit in at her new school, but the most popular girl, Farrin, keeps icing her out. Then Ren discovers that Farrin has a secret: She's been communicating online with an older man, and they are actually planning to meet! Ren can't let Farrin go through with it—she's witnessed enough tragic events as it is. So she comes up with the perfect plan to stop the perv. But then she finds out who he is... "Baratz–Logsted has created a smart, sympathetic heroine readers will want to root for and a great, cheer-worthy ending. This is a fun, quick story." ~Romantic Times Magazine, 4 stars
 Patry Francis - THE LIAR'S DIARY (Dutton trade paperback, January 29, 2008)
What would you do if your best friend was murdered—and your teenaged son was accused of the crime? How far would you go to protect him? How many lies would you tell? Would you dare to admit the darkest truths—even to yourself? Jeanne Cross is an ordinary suburban wife and mother with a seemingly "perfect" life when Ali Mather arrives on the scene, breaking all the rules and breaking hearts. Almost against her will, Jeanne is drawn to this powerfully seductive woman, a fascination that soon begins to infect Jeanne's husband as well as their teenaged son, Jamie. Though their friendship seems unlikely and even dangerous to their mutual acquaintances, Ali and Jeanne are connected by deep emotional needs, vulnerabilities and long-held secrets that Ali has been privately recording in her diary. The diary also holds the key to something darker. Though she can't prove it, Ali is convinced someone has been entering her house when she is not at home-and not with the usual intentions. What this burglar wants is nothing less than a piece of Ali's soul. When Ali is found murdered, there are many suspects; but the evidence against Jamie Cross is overwhelming. Jeanne's personal probing leads her to the question none of us would ever want to face. What comes first: our loyalty to family—or the truth?" "Patry Francis writes with a quietly intimate voice, subtly weaving her spell as the tension slowly but surely builds to a fever pitch. Packed with jaw-dropping revelations, LIAR'S DIARY still manages to save one last walloping shock for the end." — Tess Gerritsen "The new questions and revelations just keep coming. But the final mystery is a twist you'll never see coming and one that is ultmately satisfying...Readers will be heartily rewarded." — Ladies' Home Journal
 Jenny Gardiner - SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER (Dorchester, January 28, 2008)
Claire Doolittle realizes her life hasn't quite met up with her expectations. Overwhelmed with the demands of motherhood and life in general, it doesn't help that the funny, romantic and thoughtful man she once married has turned into a real-life version of Ward Cleaver, the famously dull, bossy father from the 1950's sitcom Leave it to Beaver. And the last person in the world Claire ever imagined having to sleep with for the rest of her life is a man whose sex appeal more closely resembles that of George Washington than George Clooney. Throw in an ex-fiance who returns via e-mail to try to woo Claire back with promises of what was, and a sexy young colleague of husband Jack's, whom Claire suspects of some sort of hanky panky, and you have the ingredients for a mid-life crisis that threatens to plunge Claire's world into chaos. "Jenny Gardiner's debut novel offers a boisterous and engaging glimpse of the realities of marriage. As brash and funny as it is moving and insightful, SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER will leave readers wanting more from this delightful new author." -Kristy Kiernan, author of CATCHING GENIUS "You won't kick Jenny Gardiner's debut book out of bed for eating crackers! Sleeping with Ward Cleaver is a sassy and sexy read." - Eileen Cook author of UNPREDICTABLE
 Elizabeth Letts (writing as Elizabeth Alahou) - THE BUTTER MAN (Charlesbridge Publishers, January 15, 2008)
As young Nora waits impatiently for her mother to come home from work and for her father to serve the long-simmering couscous that smells so delicious, her father tells her about his childhood in Morocco. During a famine, when Nora's grandfather had to travel far to find work and bring food for the family, her father learned the valuable life lessons of patience, perseverance, and hope.
 Cornelia Read - THE CRAZY SCHOOL (Warner, January 10, 2008)
Madeline Dare has finally escaped rust-belt Syracuse, New York, for the lush Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts. After her husband's job offer falls through, Maddie signs on as a teacher at the Santangelo Academy, a boarding school for disturbed teenagers. Behind the academy's ornate gates, she discovers a disturbing realm where students and teachers alike must submit to the founder's bizarre therapeutic regimen. From day one, Maddie feels uneasy about smooth-talking Dr. Santangelo but when she questions his methods, she's appalled to find that her fellow teachers would rather turn on each other than stand up for themselves, much less protect the students in their care. A chilling event confirms Maddie's worst suspicions, then hints at an even darker secret history, one that twines through the academy's very heart. Cut off from the outside world, Maddie must join forces with a small band of the school's most violently rebellious students-kids whose troubled grip on reality may well prove to be her only chance of salvation. "Caustic, gripping and distinctive—intelligent entertainment..." -- Kirkus Reviews "Read's novel is fast-paced; once the action starts, don't even think about putting it down..." -- Library Journal "Read has rendered another swiftly plotted mystery peppered with wonderful one-liners..." -- Booklist, starred review
 Marcus Sakey - AT THE CITY'S EDGE (St. Martin's, January 22, 2008)
Jason Palmer loved being a soldier. But returned from Iraq with an "other than honorable" discharge, he's finding rebuilding his life the toughest battle yet. Elena Cruz is a talented cop, the first woman to make Chicago's prestigious Gang Intelligence Unit. She's ready for anything the job can throw at her. Until Jason's brother, a prominent community activist, is murdered in front of his own son. Now, stalked by brutal men with a shadowy agenda, Jason and Elena must unravel a conspiracy stretching from the darkest alleys of the ghetto to the manicured lawns of the city's powerbrokers. In a world where corruption and violence are simply the cost of doing business, two damaged people are all that stand between an innocent child—and the killers who will stop at nothing to find him. "Gritty and compelling, packed with action, AT THE CITY'S EDGE crackles and sears like a rip-roaring fire." – Tess Gerritsen, author of THE BONE GARDEN "Sakey's conspiracy and corruption scenarios twist together in startling ways in this ambitious thriller. It's fast paced from the get-go and just as good as Sakey's stellar debut. Highly recommended." – Library Journal "Goes from zero to sixty in a blazing rush. Sakey knows how to thrill a reader." – David Morrell, author of SCAVENGER
 Brett Battles, Allision Brennan, Robert Gregory Browne, Toni McGee Causey, J.T. Ellison, Patry Francis, Marcus Sakey -KILLER YEAR: STORIES TO DIE FOR...FROM THE HOTTEST NEW CRIME WRITERS, edited by Lee Child (St. Martin's Minotaur, January 22, 2008)
Killer Year is a group of 13 debut crime/mystery/suspense authors whose books will be published in 2007. The graduating class includes such rising stars as Robert Gregory Browne, Toni McGee Causey, Marcus Sakey, Derek Nikitas, Marc Lecard, JT Ellison, Brett Battles, Jason Pinter, Bill Cameron, Sean Chercover, Patry Francis, Gregg Olsen, and David White. Each of the short stories displaying their talents are introduced by their Killer Year mentors, some of which include bestselling authors Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen and Jeffrey Deaver, with additional stories by Ken Bruen, Allison Brennan and Duane Swierczynski. Bestselling authors Laura Lippman and MJ Rose contribute insightful essays. Inside you'll read about a small time crook in over his head, a story told backwards with a heroine not to be messed with, a tale of boys and the trouble they will get into over a girl, and many more stories of the highest caliber in murder, mayhem, and sheer entertainment. This amazing anthology, edited by the grandmaster Lee Child, is sure to garner lots of attention and keep readers coming back for more. Backspace Member Patry Francis Needs Your Help Many Backspace members are aware that Patry Francis was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. The paperback release of Patry's 2007 debut thriller, THE LIAR'S DIARY, is coming out January 29th. Given that Patry won't have much energy for promoting, a number of bloggers are planning a THE LIAR'S DIARY blog day on January 29th, asking folks to mention the book and link to Patry's website (www.patryfrancis.com) and the book's purchase page on Amazon, do a liars-theme blog, review the book, sponsor a contest, or do anything else they think might help Patry get some much-deserved notice. Bloggers are also asked to encourage their readers to buy one/buy one for a friend between January 29th and Feb 1. A list of bloggers who plan to participate will be sent to Patry’s publisher in the next few days. If you’d like to be included, please send your name, the name of your blog, and how many hits per day/week/month your blog gets (if you have those stats, and if you're comfortable sharing them) to Karen Dionne as soon as possible.
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Members’ News News in this section is a compilation of members news posted at the Backspace discussion forums. If you have news you’d like to share, send your announcement to
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Book Deals/Film Options: Gary King's book on Robert Pickton, the Canadian pig farmer recently convicted of second-degree murder and who is believed responsible for the murders of at least 49 Vancouver-area prostitutes, sold to Michaela Hamilton at Kensington, for publication in 2008, by Peter Miller at PMA Literary & Film Management (NA). Gregory A. Wilson’s debut THE THIRD SIGN sold last month to Five Star. Gayle Lynds' THE BOOK OF SPIES and a sequel, the first books in an espionage series based on the Library of Gold, the little-known vanished royal library of Ivan the Terrible, sold to Keith Kahla at St. Martin's, in a significant deal, for publication in summer 2009, by Aaron Priest and Lisa Vance at Aaron Priest Literary Agency (NA). Film rights to Martha O’Connor’s THE BITCH POSSE were optioned to Virginia Madsen's production company, MamaProductions. Virginia Madsen is known for her work in The AstronautFarmer and Sideways. Dutch and French rights to Lynne Griffin’s debut novel LIFE WITHOUT SUMMER sold recently, with French publication slated for around the same time as the North American version, to be published in winter 2009. Chinese rights to her recently released non-fiction THE NEGOTIATION GENERATION: TAKE BACK YOUR PARENTAL AUTHORITY WITHOUT PUNISHMENT also sold. Lynn’s editor at Penguin reports that Negotiation Generation has already gone back to press for a second printing. Jill Elaine Hughes’ (writing as Jamaica Layne) MARKET FOR LOVE sold to Adam Nevill at Virgin, in a nice deal, for publication in 2008, by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency (World). Agent Signings Jackie Kessler signed last month with Miriam Kriss, of the Irene Goodman Agency, and Kristina Riggle signed with Backspace’s Kristin Nelson, of the Nelson Literary Agency. Awards/Nominations/Honors Jon Clinch’s FINN made the Washington Post’s Top Five list, the Christian Science Monitor’s "2007 Books We Liked" list, and the Chicago Tribune’s general year-end list for fiction. Neilson ranks Sara Gruen’s WATER FOR ELEPHANTS as the #4 best-selling novel for 2007. Stephen King recommends WATER FOR ELEPHANTS twice: once on his short list for Borders, and in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly (Dec. 28. 2007/Jan. 4, 2008), in his column "The Pop of King," where he describes his top book picks. "For pure story, this colorful, headlong tale of a Depression-era circus simply can't be beat. Heroes, villains, romance, a wild-animal stampede! Big fun from page 1." And Bookscan ranks WATER FOR ELEPHANTS as #7 on their list of the year’s 50 top bestsellers. Adrienne Kress’s ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN was featured along with a dozen other "books that you should know about this holiday season if you don’t already" shortly before the holidays on the CBS Early Show by the president of The Book Report network. Karen Abbott’s SIN IN THE SECOND CITY was listed in the Chicago Tribune’s year-end "Books With Local Connections." Reviews Jenny Gardiner’s SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER was reviewed on Mama Lit and on Night Owl Romance. Melanie Lynn Hauser’s SUPERMOM SAVES THE WORLD was reviewed recently in January Magazine. Interviews You can read an interview with Allison Brennan on Muderati, and another with J.T. Ellison at Mouth Full of Bullets. Short Stories/Poetry/Anthologies Jackie Kessler has a "Hell" story in the new anthology LILITH UNBOUND (Popcorn Press, in January 2008 ) Roberta Beach Jacobson is one of 11 contributors to the anthology ALMOST PERFECT: DISABLED PETS AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM. Word Forge Books will release the book in September 2008 unde rtheir Cat 5 imprint. Terri Molina’s short story "Her Will. His Way" sold to Cobblestone Press for a 2008 release. This is Terri’s first publishing credit. Keri Clark's short story "Your New Fan," is featured in the Winter 2007 print edition of Mouth Full of Bullets. A.S. King’s "Harry's Giant" has been picked up by Eclectica for their January/February issue. Another short story will be coming out in January in the online magazine FRiGG. Rochelle Jewell Shapiro’s essay "The Teardrop" appears in the anthology FOR KEEPS: WOMEN TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR BODIES, GROWING OLDER, AND ACCEPTANCE, just released from Seal Press. Articles/Columns/Essays Sue Thurmanaka (aka Safari) has an online article in Golden Goblet this month is based on her on-air interview with the incredible real-life medium, Allison Dubois. The article will also be published in a book by Double Dragon Publishing. Eileen Cook has a full-page write-up in the First Impressions section of Writer’s Digest Magazine’s February issue regarding her debut novel UNPREDICTABLE (February 2008, Berkley Trade). Founder of the popular blog The Debutante Ball and Backspace member Kristy Kiernan is mentioned in the article as well. Karen Dionne is one of four authors featured in an article about eco-thrillers in the February issue of Writer’s Digest Magazine written by Writer's Digest editor and Backspace member Jordan Rosenfeld. Jordan's article "Novel Revision for the Faint of Heart," and an interview with Tess Gerritsen appear in the same issue. Backspace: The Writer’s Place www.bksp.org
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