(Who has perpetrated these titles?)

I said that would be the last of my German reviews, didn't I? Oh, I can't resist! This is a one-star one (the German title translates to "One Heartbeat Til Death"):

Well, well, a thriller! If one "A heart beat to death" (Who has perpetrated these titles?) In this category, it must be redefined thriller. The basic idea is quite controversial and promises excitement. The readers will find in the beginning, but then looks for the next 200 pages exclusively exposed trivial chatter. The whole thing culminates in such an incredibly banal and abstruse resolution of the case that I lost the life that I have invested deeply regret. It is the first novel by the author and I hope it's also the last. I can empathize with the positive reactions at all. Stay away from this novel, unless you really want to frustration!

Oh, I Love My German Readers - Really

Really. These readers know how to write book reviews - even bad ones. (All from Amazon.de, reviews of my novel EIN HERZSCHLAG BIS ZUM TOD, translations courtesy of Google.)

After just a few pages the story has taken me captive. It is touching and exciting at the same, an unusual mix in a thriller or detective story. After reading this book I would place more in the detective novel as under the heading thriller. But basically plays no major role for me.
The writing style is fluid and you can imagine the events very vividly. It runs from a movie in your mind. The protagonists are all very understandable and drawn especially Troy and Paul were very sympathetic to me. Although there were no wild hunts criminals and police operations, was subliminally perceive the danger, hovered are taken to the perpetrators in the Troy and Paul. Until the spectacular finale, I could only conjecture on my left, which is only partially proven to be correct. I liked the book very well and I recommend it to anyone who would like to read the exciting books without much bloodshed and lurid shock elements.-von Hansi

And this one ...

On the whole, the story about Paul and I really liked Troy. Although Troy is sometimes very panicky, but this is something that makes her seem very human and likable. She relies entirely against the advice of her friends on her gut feeling and whether this was a blunder, you have already read about her own, French is unfortunately not one of the languages ​​I speak fluently, but you can follow the conversation dialogs are not overwhelmed. The deep affection between the two main characters I find very touching and I think he deserves it, he has won as a friend someone who he can trust blindly. I have already mentioned above, that I with people who show no emotion or feeling, so emphatically are, can not do anything, but just as someone will meet us in this story. I'm from middle of the book already had a slight idea, but hoped that I'm wrong and it was just a mistake that Paul is perhaps just fallen into the water, playing perhaps? But it is what it has to come back and leaves me speechless, with this end I have also not counted. -Mel.E.

Last one, I promise.

So why is this on the cover "Thriller" is written, I did not realize until the end. If you expect something so gory or extremely brutal super, which will be maybe disappointed when reading.

I read this book yet, I have not regretted a minute. The novel is exciting and holds up to the last page of the arc voltage.

Sara J. Henry at the love that makes the world a bit better, something I love to read! -Christian Doring

What a Lovely Sight

My novel, for sale in Germany ...

Photo by Martin Poggenclaas

Appearing at Brattleboro Literary Festival 10/16

I'll be one of the authors at the Brattleboro Literary Festival this weekend in southern Vermont - I'll be appearing at the library on Main Street with author Caroline Leavitt at 2 pm Sunday, Oct. 16. All the author events are free - visiting authors include Julia Alvarez, Ken Burns, Roy Blount Jr., Luis Alberto Urrea, and more.

The Book You Want to Buy Next

It's called The Informationist, by my friend Taylor Stevens (see below). It's coming out in paperback on Oct. 18 - or you can buy it now in hardback.

Why you should buy this book:

• It rocks. Seriously. I wanted to dislike it, because Taylor's a first-time novelist like me (grumble, grumble). But I couldn't.
• Taylor rocks. I wanted to dislike her, because she's a first-time novelist like me, and she's written such a kick-ass book with a sequel coming out very soon (grumble, grumble). But I couldn't.

Her novel is grittier and more action-packed than mine (where people do eat an awful lot, and yes, they do go to Home Depot) but has the element that so many action-packed thrillers are missing: heart. The story has heart; the characters have heart, and you get swept up along with them. 

Can't wait to read the next one (The Innocent, coming out Dec. 27).

I Realize I Have an Odd Sense of Humor...

... but I cannot help but laughing myself silly over this (very bad) translation of a less-than-laudatory review of the German version of my book.

from DTV

Sorry, I cannot join to find this book great. I bought it to me in joyful expectation and until page 50 also felt exciting but the read very quickly. Unfortunately, almost all subsequent pages rotate around its own axis, nix goes forward, i have even paid as often in this book in the middle was eaten ... Very often. I was also cleared up sufficiently on computer knowledge, what also seemed very out of place. Then again the end was quite exciting, but also in my opinion, very exaggerated. It's a pity, this book doesn't deliver what it promises.

Here's a slightly different translation, if you're puzzled:

Unfortunately I can not connect me to find this book great. I bought it for me in anticipation to page 50 and also felt very exciting but it read quickly. Unfortunately, almost all subsequent pages rotate around its own axis, nothing goes forward, I even counted how many times they ate in this book in the middle part ... Very often. Also, I was sufficiently informed about computer knowledge, which also seemed very out of place. The end was pretty exciting back then, but also, in my opinion, greatly exaggerated. Too bad, this book does not hold what it promises.

I will admit this is the only bad review of my book I've seen I can't really argue with. Yes,  in the middle of the book I describe meals, quite often. Yes, I do go into detail about computers, quite possibly more than the average reader wants to know. And yes, the middle of the book perhaps spins about its own axis, and the ending might be a bit extreme. So cheers to you, "Yvonne D" in Dortmund, thanks for reading and I'm hoping you like my second novel better.

Looks Like I'll Be a Target Emerging Author

I'm very pleased to announce that the paperback of Learning to Swim, which will be out Dec. 20 from Broadway Books (Random House), has been selected as a Target Emerging Author pick. This means, yes, you will find it at your favorite Target store.

(I've mentioned this on Facebook and Twitter but somehow neglected to post it on my blog, so forgive me if you've already seen this news.)

A big thanks to the lovely paperback team at Broadway who helped make this happen.

What Borders' Sale Does to Your Sales Stats

They go up, up, up - and then plummet. Yes, these are my stats. It's sobering to realize just how many sales reported in Book Scan had been coming from Borders. RIP.

BookScan results for my novel LEARNING TO SWIM