Summer Beach Bag of Books Promotion

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

Elizabeth Joy Arnold's debut work of fiction, PIECES OF MY SISTER'S LIFE, explores the dynamic and complex relationship between twin sisters, and the one event that could potentially shatter their bond. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Alexis Burling, Arnold discusses how her fascination with the ways in which people cope with hardship prompted her to write this novel, and reveals the inspiration behind much of her main characters' interactions with one another. She also sheds light on their evolution over time, elaborates on the book's theme of forgiveness and shares details about her upcoming novel to be published next summer.

PIECES OF MY SISTER'S LIFE by Elizabeth Joy Arnold (Fiction)
Elizabeth Joy Arnold’s debut novel is the story of twins who were inseparable until their 17th birthday, when their lives on Block Island were shattered. Thirteen years later, one sister must put their differences aside to rally behind her twin when she really needs her. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

-Click here to read a review of PIECES OF MY SISTER'S LIFE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from PIECES OF MY SISTER'S LIFE.

Our newest featured One to Watch author is Markus Zusak, whose New York Times bestseller THE BOOK THIEF will be available in paperback on September 11th. This unforgettable story, set during World War II in Germany, is about a girl who steals to survive and discovers the power of books with the help of her accordion-playing foster father.

We have 10 copies of THE BOOK THIEF to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, August 24th.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE BOOK THIEF.
-Click here to see the reading group guide for THE BOOK THIEF.
-Click here to read fast facts about Markus Zusak.
-Click here to read Markus Zusak's bio.
-Click here to see Markus Zusak's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE BOOK THIEF.
-Visit the author's official website, www.MarkusZusak.com.

More about THE BOOK THIEF:
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery....

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist --- books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

It wouldn't be summer without sun, surf and sizzling reading. You supply the beach chair and the sunblock, and we'll provide the fantastic fiction in our Third Annual Beach Bag of Books feature and contests.

For the fourteenth and final week of our Beach Bag feature, we bring you our special surprise. We've gathered together an outstanding collection of 16 books --- thrillers, mysteries, women's fiction, historical fiction and nonfiction titles we love --- that were published this summer as our prize, along with a blue striped beach bag and a brightly striped beach towel. It's valued at $400, and we will be giving five away!

The selected titles are: THE BOURNE BETRAYAL by Eric Van Lustbader; DON'T MAKE A SCENE by Valerie Block; THE EVER-RUNNING MAN by Marcia Muller; HARD CALL: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them, by John McCain with Mark Salter; HELEN OF TROY by Margaret George; IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WHAT HE SAID by Eden Collinsworth; A KILLER'S KISS by William Lashner; NOT A HAPPY CAMPER by Mindy Schneider; POWER PLAY by Joseph Finder; THE REINCARNATIONIST by M.J. Rose; THE SANCTUARY by Raymond Khoury; THE SECRET SERVANT by Daniel Silva; SLIP & FALL by Nick Santora; SLIPKNOT by Linda Greenlaw; SPOOK COUNTRY by William Gibson; and THE TESTAMENT by Eric Van Lustbader.

To enter to win, answer the question below:
Which of these sixteen titles are you looking forward to reading?

See the book descriptions and excerpts here.

To enter, fill out this form by Thursday, August 23rd at 11:59PM.

M.J. Rose is the international bestselling author of nine novels, including LIP SERVICE and three titles in the Butterfield Institute series: THE HALO EFFECT, THE DELILAH COMPLEX and THE VENUS FIX. Her latest, THE REINCARNATIONIST, is a spellbinding, psychologically riveting epic thriller of secrets, history and murder that will challenge the way we think about who we are and who we were. It will be available in stores on August 28th.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE REINCARNATIONIST.
-Click here to read fast facts about M.J. Rose.
-Click here to read M.J. Rose's bio.
-Click here to see M.J. Rose's backlist.
-Visit the author's official website, www.MJRose.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE REINCARNATIONIST:
A bomb in Rome, a flash of bluish-white light and photojournalist Josh Ryder's world exploded. From that instant nothing would ever be the same.

As Josh recovers, his mind is increasingly invaded with thoughts that have the emotion, the intensity, the intimacy of memories. But they are not his memories. They are ancient...and violent. A battery of medical and psychological tests can't explain Josh's baffling symptoms. And the memories have an urgency he can't ignore --- pulling him to save a woman named Sabina...and the treasures she is protecting.

But who is Sabina?

Our fourth featured Suspense/Thriller author is Mark Gimenez, who wrote the bestselling THE COLOR OF LAW. His second novel, THE ABDUCTION, is an explosive thriller that revolves around the kidnapping of a young girl and the reunion of an estranged father and son who race against time to try to rescue her. The book will be available in stores beginning August 28th.

-Click here to read fast facts about Mark Gimenez.
-Click here to read Mark Gimenez's bio.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE ABDUCTION.
-Visit the author's official website, www.MarkGimenez.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE ABDUCTION:
Ben Brice lives alone in the New Mexico wilderness where he battles memories of Vietnam with oceans of Jim Beam. Miles away in Texas, his estranged son, John, an Internet geek-turned-billionaire, half watches his daughter Gracie's soccer game while conducting business on his cell phone. When her mother Elizabeth arrives, the coach reports that her uncle has already collected Gracie. But Gracie has no uncle --- she was kidnapped.

From international bestselling author Mark Gimenez comes a terrifying child-in-jeopardy thriller in which dark family secrets make the finding of ten-year-old Gracie Brice more uncertain with every passing minute. And so begins a furious race against time to save Gracie from unknown kidnappers. With the FBI camped out in the Brice mansion, the family offers a reward of $25 million. Somehow, Ben and John Brice must find Gracie before it is too late. As the story unfolds with riveting twists and turns, the reader discovers that behind the kidnapping is an extraordinary government plot that could change the course of American history. And time is running out…

Sarah Addison Allen's debut novel, GARDEN SPELLS, hits stores on August 28th. In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small, quiet house in an even smaller town, is an apple tree that is rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extraordinary people who tend it.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from GARDEN SPELLS.
-Click here to read Sarah Addison Allen's bio.
-Visit the author's official website, www.SarahAddisonAllen.com.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about GARDEN SPELLS:
The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their history was in the soil. But so were their futures.

A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants --- from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys --- except for Claire’s rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.

When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down --- along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy --- if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom --- or with each other.

Enchanting and heartfelt, this captivating novel is sure to cast a spell with a style all its own….

Gail Tsukiyama has written such bestsellers as WOMEN OF THE SILK and THE SAMURAI'S GARDEN. Her latest novel, THE STREET OF A THOUSAND BLOSSOMS, takes place in Tokyo, where two orphaned brothers are growing up with their loving grandparents. Life seems full of promise for these ambitious young men --- but then the attack on Pearl Harbor changes everything. This incredibly moving story that spans almost 30 years will be available in stores on September 4th.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE STREET OF A THOUSAND BLOSSOMS.
-Click here to read Gail Tsukiyama's bio.
-Click here to see Gail Tsukiyama's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE STREET OF A THOUSAND BLOSSOMS.
-Click here to visit the author's official website.
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about THE STREET OF A THOUSAND BLOSSOMS:
It is Tokyo in 1939. On the Street of a Thousand Blossoms, two orphaned brothers are growing up with their loving grandparents, who inspire them to dream of a future firmly rooted in tradition. The older boy, Hiroshi, shows unusual skill at the national obsession of sumo wrestling, while Kenji is fascinated by the art of creating hand-carved masks for actors in the Noh theater.

Across town, a renowned sumo master, Sho Tanaka, lives with his wife and their two young daughters: the delicate, daydreaming Aki and her independent sister, Haru. Life seems full of promise as Kenji begins an informal apprenticeship with the most famous mask-maker in Japan and Hiroshi receives a coveted invitation to train with Tanaka. But then Pearl Harbor changes everything. As the ripples of war spread to both families’ quiet neighborhoods, all of the generations must put their dreams on hold --- and then find their way in a new Japan.

In an exquisitely moving story that spans almost thirty years, Gail Tsukiyama draws us irresistibly into the world of the brothers and the women who love them. It is a world of tradition and change, of heartbreaking loss and surprising hope, and of the impact of events beyond their control on ordinary, decent men and women. Above all, THE STREET OF A THOUSAND BLOSSOMS is a masterpiece about love and family from a glorious storyteller at the height of her powers.

In Chelsea Cain's first novel, HEARTSICK, which releases on September 4th, Portland detective Archie Sheridan is finding it difficult to stay away from the beautiful serial killer who tortured him for 10 days before turning herself in. When another killer begins snatching teenage girls off the streets of Portland, Archie has to pull himself together enough to lead the new task force investigating the murders.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from HEARTSICK.
-Click here to read critical praise for HEARTSICK.
-Click here to read Chelsea Cain's bio.
-Visit the author's official website, www.ChelseaCain.com
-Click here to see our advance copy winners.

More about HEARTSICK:
Damaged Portland detective Archie Sheridan spent ten years tracking Gretchen Lowell, a beautiful serial killer, but in the end she was the one who caught him. Two years ago, Gretchen kidnapped Archie and tortured him for ten days, but instead of killing him, she mysteriously decided to let him go. She turned herself in, and now Gretchen has been locked away for the rest of her life, while Archie is in a prison of another kind --- addicted to pain pills, unable to return to his old life, powerless to get those ten horrific days off his mind. Archie’s a different person, his estranged wife says, and he knows she’s right. He continues to visit Gretchen in prison once a week, saying that only he can get her to confess as to the whereabouts of more of her victims, but even he knows the truth --- he can’t stay away.

When another killer begins snatching teenage girls off the streets of Portland, Archie has to pull himself together enough to lead the new task force investigating the murders. A hungry young newspaper reporter, Susan Ward, begins profiling Archie and the investigation, which sparks a deadly game between Archie, Susan, the new killer, and even Gretchen. They need to catch a killer, and maybe somehow then Archie can free himself from Gretchen, once and for all. Either way, HEARTSICK makes for one of the most extraordinary suspense debuts in recent memory.