Erin Hart - False Mermaid

FALSE MERMAID

By Erin Hart

Scribner

Pathologist Nora Gavin remains haunted by a cold case that nearly cost her sanity five years ago: her sister Tríona’s brutal murder. After failing to bring the killer to justice three years ago, Nora fled to Ireland, throwing herself into her work and taking the first steps in a new relationship with Irish archaeologist Cormac Maguire. She’s driven home by unwelcome news: Tríona’s husband—and the prime suspect in her murder—is about to remarry. Nora is determined to succeed this time, even if it means confronting unsettling secrets. As she digs ever closer to the truth, the killer zeroes in on Tríona’s young daughter. Back in Ireland, Cormac Maguire heads north to visit his ailing father, and seizes upon the local tale of a woman who vanished a hundred years ago. Was she a seal-maiden who returned to the sea, or was some more sinister force at work in her disappearance? As painful truths come to light, Nora is drawn deeper into a past that still threatens to engulf her and must determine how much she is prepared to sacrifice to put one tragedy to rest . . .and to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself.

BIOGRAPHY
Erin Hart writes a series of archaeological crime novels set in the mysterious boglands of Ireland. Her debut novel, Haunted Ground, introduced readers to pathologist Nora Gavin and archaeologist Cormac Maguire. In addition to winning the Friends of American Writers award and Romantic Times Best First Mystery, the book was shortlisted for Anthony and Agatha awards, and was named by Book-Of-The-Month Club and ALA Booklist as one of the best crime novels of 2003. The second in the series, Lake of Sorrows, was a Minnesota Book Award finalist in 2004. False Mermaid, the long-awaited third novel in the series, will be published in March 2010, and has already won critical accolades from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal. Erin’s works have been translated into 11 foreign languages around the globe. She lives in Saint Paul with her husband, Irish button accordion player Paddy O’Brien, with whom she frequently visits Ireland, carrying out essential research in bogs and cow pastures and castles and pubs.

APPEARANCES
March 2, 7:00 pm
BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
Once Upon A Crime
604 West 26th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55405
612-870-3785

March 3, 4:30-6:00 pm
TOTALLY CRIMINAL COCKTAIL HOUR
The Valley Bookseller (held at the Dock Café)
425 Nelson Street
Stillwater, MN 55082
651-430-3385

March 4, 7:30 pm
Common Good Books
165 Western Ave N #14
Saint Paul, MN 55102
651-225-8989

A complete list of Erin Hart’s schedule can be viewed at
http://erinhart.com/events.php


WEBSITE
http://www.erinhart.com

BLOG
http://erinhartbooks.blogspot.com


OTHER PUBLISHED BOOKS/ILLUSTRATIONS

HAUNTED GROUND
Irish archaeologist and American pathologist dig into parallel mysteries: preserved bog remains, and a landowner’s missing wife and son.
Awards
Friends of American Writers Award, 2004
Romantic Times Best First Mystery 2003
Award Nominations
Agatha, Best First Mystery 2003
Anthony, Best First Mystery 2003

LAKE OF SORROWS
Two bodies are discovered in an Irish bog – one ancient, one modern – amid rumors of ancient gold and ritual sacrifice.
Award Nominations
Minnesota Book Award 2004

UNIQUE FEATURE
I’m also a singer, mostly unaccompanied songs from the Irish and Scottish tradition.

PURCHASE LINK
Once Upon A Crime
Independent Mystery Booksellers
IndieBound
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Amazon

WRITERS' FESTIVAL AND BOOK FAIR

Bloomington Theatre and Art Center Presents
7th Annual Writers’ Festival and Book Fair

Saturday, February 27, 2010 – 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Free and open to the public!

The Author Book Fair (signing and selling) is from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The regional event is packed with outstanding workshops on essential aspects of writing and publishing your book. This year the focus is non-fiction, starting with “This Writer’s Life” keynote by Cathy Wurzer, author of Tales of the Road-Highway 61, and host of TV’s “Almanac” and MPR’s “Morning Edition,”

Everyone is welcome! With 11 workshops and panels, there is something for everyone who loves to write, wants to learn more about writing a book or just loves to read.

Look at a sampling of presenters: Peg Meier, author of Bring Warm Clothes; Roshini Rajkumar, TV host and media training consultant; Debra Orenstein, intellectual property attorney; and Don Leeper, digital/electronic book expert.

Workshops include:
- Writing non-fiction (for children/youth, memoirs/history, general)
- Publishing options
- Most common mistakes authors make
- Legal issues every author should know
- How to prepare for an interview
- The future of electronic publishing (for Kindles and Sony Readers)
- How to use social media to promote your book online.

Workshops start at 11 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. The Book Fair, featuring authors in numerous genres, is free and open to the public from 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Vendors and authors are available to talk with attendees. Authors also may read from their books for later cablecast on the City of Bloomington’s channel 14.

Pre-registration is required for the keynote, workshops and panels. Box lunches are $10. For details, to register or order lunches: www.BloomingtonArtCenter.com

The event is co-sponsored by Midwest Independent Publishing Association and Beaver’s Pond Press. The Literary Council hosts this event at Bloomington Art Center located in Civic Plaza, 1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd., Bloomington.

Lost Hills Books - Bruce Henricksen

LOST HILLS BOOKS

Duluth, MN

Owner - Bruce Henricksen

Founded by Bruce Henricksen in 2008, Lost Hills Books is dedicated to publishing fiction and poetry of the highest quality. The company’s first book was From the Other World: Poems in Memory of James Wright, ed. Bruce Henricksen and Robert Johnson. Some of Wright’s finest poems were written during his years in MN, and this collection appropriately features many Minnesota poets inspired by Wright as well as work by Wright’s best-known contemporaries. Last year, Lost Hills published Staying Blue by Gibbons Ruark. Gibbons, who lives in North Carolina, has had a distinguished career in American letters, and one of the poems in Staying Blue was chosen for Best American Poetry of 2009. In 2010 Lost Hills will publish a first poetry collection by Charmaine Donovan, President of the League of Minnesota Poets. A second poetry collection by various hands will be published, and, although most submissions to Lost Hills are read by invitation, open submissions are invited for this project. To learn more, visit http://www.losthillsbooks.com/books.html.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

From the Other World: Poetry in Memory of James Wright

After the Floods, novel by Bruce Henricksen

Estuary, poems by Barbary Chaapel

Staying Blue, poems by Gibbons Ruark

Two additional books are planned for 2010. Books may be purchased at the Lost Hills website http://www.losthillsbooks.com/books.html. Bruce’s story collection, while not published by Lost Hills, is also available here.

BIOGRAPHY
Bruce graduated from UMN Minneapolis, where he studied under James Wright and Allen Tate. He earned a Ph.D. in literature from the University of California and subsequently taught at Loyola University New Orleans, where he chaired the English Department and edited New Orleans Review.

Bruce is the author of Nomadic Voices, a study of the major novels of Joseph Conrad. Bruce’s short stories have appeared in many magazines, and his collection, Ticket to a Lonely Town, received second-place honors for the Grace Paley Prize in 2005. It was published the following year. He has also authored a novel, After the Floods.

Bruce has lived in Duluth MN since 1996. His blog reviews books, suggests writing exercises, and talks about author events: http://losthillsbooks.com/blog/

EVENTS
Since starting Lost Hills Books in 2008, Bruce Henricksen has done signings, readings, and has offered workshops at numerous locations in Minnesota, Louisiana, and Florida. Most recently, he conducted a three-hour workshop for the Brainerd Writers’ Alliance. The topic was voice and persona in poetry. He also does workshops on the craft of prose fiction, and he speaks on James Wright. His presentations can be directed at either reading groups or writing groups. Interested parties may contact him at info@losthillsbooks.com.

Rain Taxi - Publisher - Reviewer

RAIN TAXI

PO Box 3840
Minneapolis, MN 55403

RAIN TAXI is a nonprofit organization run by editor and executive director, Eric Lorberer. One of the only large-circulation nonprofit book reviews in the country, RAIN TAXI also sponsors the annual Twin Cities Book Festival.

They often feature MN authors and publishers in RAIN TAXI, and publish reviews of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels, and chapbooks, with special attention given to books not receiving attention from mainstream media.

A winner of the Alternative Press Award for Best Arts & Literature Coverage, RAIN TAXI is a quarterly publication that publishes reviews of literary fiction, poetry, and nonfiction with an emphasis on works that push the boundaries of language, narrative, and genre. Essays, interviews, and in-depth reviews reflect RAIN TAXI's commitment to innovative publishing.

Their print journal is distributed in over 250 locations nationwide-mostly independent bookstores-and is also available by subscription. An accompanying online edition, with completely different material, is posted on their website each quarter as well. Together, the two publications offer readers a broad look at the noteworthy writing and art being published today. RAIN TAXI also publishes a chapbook series, and hosts a wide range of literary events in the Twin Cities.

RAIN TAXI has been nominated five times for the Utne Independent Press Award for Arts & Literature Coverage. They won the distinctive award from Utne in 2000.

THE TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL
Saturday, October 16, 2010
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Minneapolis Community & Technical College

conveniently located in Downtown Minneapolis

This day-long autumn gala gathers the Twin Cities book community to celebrate and promote our region's literary culture. The Rain Taxi-sponsored Twin Cities Book Festival creates a unique opportunity for the great variety of area publishers, editors, book artists, writers, scholars, and critics to present their work and words.

In addition to an exhibit which showcases a wide range of local, regional, and national publications, regular features of the Twin Cities Book Festival include Book Arts Demonstrations run by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, a Used Book Sale, Local Author Signings, and a Literary Magazine Fair, all adding to the constant bustle of activity and discovery.

Although still growing, the Twin Cities Book Festival has put Minnesota on the map of national literary events. As Poets & Writers commented, "With events like the annual Twin Cities Book Festival… the Twin Cities are gaining the kind of reputation for scene-setting that the literary hubs of New York, Chicago, and San Francisco have long enjoyed."

WEBSITE
www.raintaxi.com

CONTACT
info@raintaxi.com

Derek Anderson - Hot Rod Hamster

Hot Rod Hamster

By Derek Anderson

Scholastic Press



Old car, new car, shiny painted blue car
Rust car, clean car, itty-bitty green car.
WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Newbery Honor-author Cynthia Lord and New York Times bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson put the pedal to the metal in this endearing, rhythmic, rip-roaring race to the finish line where a hamster creates a sizzling hot rod with a little help from his new furry friends and YOU!

BIOGRAPHY
Derek Anderson drew the very first picture he can ever remember drawing when he was in kindergarten. It was a picture of the Easter Bunny. When he finished it, he gave it to the principal of his school who hung it on the wall of his office for the rest of the school year. Derek's fate was sealed. From then on, he knew he would be an artist.

When he reached second grade, Derek wrote his very first story and he's never stopped writing or drawing since.

Derek illustrated Ready?Set.Raymond! by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Little Quack by Lauren Thompson, for which he received recognition as a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. Little Quack quickly became a New York Times bestseller and has gone on to great acclaim, winning such awards as the ALA/CBC Children's Choice Award and the National Parenting Publication Gold Award.

Derek has authored a number of books as well including Gladys Goes Out to Lunch, Blue Burt and Wiggles, How the Easter Bunny Saved Christmas and Romeo and Lou Blast Off, which was named one of the best books of 2007 by Parent & Child Magazine.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Hot Rod Hamster Launch Party
Saturday, February 20th, 10:30am
Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105


BOOKS PUBLISHED
Ready?Set.Raymond!
Little Quack
Little Quack's Hide and Seek
Little Quack's Bedtime
Little Quack's New Friend
Gladys Goes Out to Lunch
Over the River: A Turkey's Tale
Blue Burt and Wiggles
How the Easter Bunny Saved Christmas
Romeo and Lou Blast Off
The Potty Train
Ballyhoo Bay
The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry (contributed 10 illustrations
to this anthology)

WEBSITE
http://www.derekanderson.net/

Wendy Brown-Baez - Poet

Ceremonies of the Spirit

by Wendy Brown-Baez

Plain View Press

Ceremonies of the Spirit is a collection of love poems that travels a spiral from infatuation to consecration, from the romantic to the mystical. Ceremonies has been called "gorgeous", "exquisite", "flirty", and "joyous work that should be celebrated.” Michael Parker’s review in the summer issue of Oranges and Sardines called Ceremonies of the Spirit poetry that heals and transforms: “Here are poems that are living, breathing things; that invite us into them, welcome us into their elegant, ethereal dance, and walk us across the threshold into sanctuary where we look inward, feed the soul's spark, commune with enlightenment, and transform.”

“That’s what Wendy does, she connects us with words and wraps us in the safety of a shawl so we can fall in love with poetry once again.”--Gary Glazner, Founder of the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project.

Riddle

This is a love that has burned me,
consumed me, harvested me like a
wild bracket of grapes
to be trampled into wine. I am the wine,
I am the goblet blown from the crystalline
fire, I am the fire kindled from root,
I am the mouth that speaks in these riddles.
This is the love that cast me to my knees,
breathless and blackened like a tree
limb burnt on the hearth. I am the hearth,
the ash consummation, the warming of
bones, the coming of light. This is the love
that cast me into silver, molten pledge of illusive
grace, destined for beauty, destined for breath,
found in a treasure box of memory. I am the memory,
I am the song that pierces the twilight
and calls to the sky, I am the flute,
I am the river, I am the love that
weaves its way home.

from Ceremonies of the Spirit by Wendy Brown-Baez © 2009

BIOGRAPHY
Wendy Brown-Báez is renowned for her signature style as a performance poet. She takes you into her vibrant, colorful world with sensual imagery, elegant rhythms and poignant stories to celebrate the relentless quest of the human spirit for connection and joy. In 2004, Wendy released her poetry CD Longing for Home and since then, has performed poetry nationally, and in Mexico, in unique venues such as cafes, bars, galleries, schools, women’s retreats, parking lots, and cultural centers, solo and in collaborations.

She has published poetry and creative non-fiction in numerous literary journals, including Borderlands, Out of Line, Mizna, Minnetonka Review, The Awakenings Review, The Chrysalis Reader, Mississippi Crow, and Wising Up Press. Wendy was the recipient of 2008 and 2009 McKnight grants through COMPAS to teach writing workshops with at risk youth. She has performed locally in Minneapolis at Patrick’s Cabaret, The Loft, Magers and Quinn Booksellers, Stevens Square Center for the Arts, Altered Esthetics Gallery, Northeast Community Lutheran Church, Homewood Studios, and Banfill-Lock Center for the Arts.

Wendy has lived a dozen lives, it seems. She has managed shelters for the homeless, lived in Mexico and Israel, been a hospice volunteer, a preschool teacher, and has lost a son and a husband. Becoming a performance poet was a surprise, but her passion is to bring poetry to audiences that don’t usually attend poetry readings, such as at art festivals and women’s retreats. She dresses in costume and acts out her poems theatrically. Ceremonies of the Spirit has created a bridge from stage poetry to page poetry.

UP-COMING EVENTS
February 5 at 3:00 PM CST
Blogtalkradio interview
Nadia Giordana, author of Thinking Skinny and editor of Misissippi Crow literary journal will interview Wendy Brown-Baez on her blogtalkradio show called Extraordinary Women
www.blogtalkradio.com/extraordinarywomen

February 10 at 7:00 pm
Birchbark Reading Series
Birchbark Books
2115 West 21st St
Minneapolis, MN

WEBSITE
www.wendybrownbaez.com

BLOG
http://www.wendysmuse.blogspot.com

PURCHASE BOOK
amazon.com
Magers and Quinn Booksellers
Micawbers Books in St Paul