There truly is no excuse for how long it's taken me to blog about April Henry's new book. She's a fairly recent member of the girlfriends' cyber circuit and shortly after her book came out she made the New York Times' bestseller list. That is so exciting!
How hard is it to throw up a few sentences, post cover art and mention her rave reviews? Her work is so good it practically speaks for itself. I have no real excuse. And yet, somehow, I feel a little like Rip Van Winkle. Can it really be that after six weeks of telling myself to hurry up and get my blog updated I'm finally waking up and smelling the coffee?
Yikes. Especially nervy of me when April Henry's own biography states in no uncertain terms that she "knows how to kill you in a two-dozen different ways. She makes up for a peaceful childhood in an intact home by killing off fictional characters...by the time she was in her 30s, April had come to terms with her childhood and started writing about hit men, drug dealers, and serial killers."
Mercy, please Ms. Henry, please! I have cancer! I had cancer? I think it's past tense but for the sake of forgiveness I will say that I recently had cancer (January) and what they did to cure me (February through April) came very very close to killing me.
- Exihibt A, I've not had a martini in five months.
- Exhibit B I am no longer a food evangelist because I cannot eat. In fact, I am still drinking smoothies (only) and sleeping twelve hours a day and wearing this really creepy plastic patch on my stomach that says Fentenyl 100 mcg/h.
- Worst of all, I miss all my former pleasures so viscerally that my new-and-improved body (25 pounds lighter than my 'set point') gives me no pleasure at all. It's the first time in my life I can wear a bikini and still, if I could snap my fingers and make this all unhappen, I'd gladly go back to being fifteen pounds overweight and complaining about how little willpower I have.
So, without further ado, I promise those of you who are wondering, that the doctors say I am cured and April, I promise that I will not only order Face of Betrayal but also Torched. I love mysteries and am headed to the beach for two weeks in June.
Here's the skinny on April Henry and her writing.
Publishers Weekly
“A sizzling political thriller. … The seamless plot offers a plethora of twists and turns.”
Romantic Times:
4.5 stars [and they don’t give out five stars] “Wiehl and Henry have penned a winner that seems to come straight from the headlines. Captivating suspense, coupled with tightly written prose, will entertain and intrigue."
Ingram:"Readers are in for a treat as trial lawyer/commentator Lis Wiehl and mystery author April Henry team up for a political thriller."
The critics say April is “a talent to watch” (Toronto Globe and Mail), “spoiling us” (Washington Times) and “a rising mystery writer” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). Her novels have been called “splendid” (Denver Post), “witty and fun” (Dallas Morning News) “fast paced and harrowing” (BookPage), “cracker-jack” (Drood Review), “a galloping-fast read” (The Oregonian) and “off-beat and vital” (Publisher’s Weekly). They have been short-listed for the Agatha Award, the Anthony Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Two have been chosen for BookSense by the independent booksellers of America.
PLOT SUMMARY:
When 17-year-old Senate page Katie Converse goes missing on her Christmas break near her parents' white Victorian home in Portland, Ore., law enforcement and the media go into overdrive in a search for clues. Three friends at the pinnacle of their respective careers--Allison Pierce, a federal prosecutor; Cassidy Shaw, a crime reporter; and Nicole Hedges, an FBI special agent--soon discover that Katie wasn't the picture of innocence painted by her parents. Did Katie run away to escape their stifling demands? Was she having an affair with the senator who sponsored her as a page? Has she been kidnapped? Is she the victim of a serial killer?
Here's our interview: And hey, doesn't this writer seem like a great treasure trove, especially if you're the mother of a young teen? I'll get Torched for my daughter and Face of Bertrayal for me.
If I had to offer two bumper sticker explanations for my novel, they'd be "Appearances are deceiving" and "Mean people suck." Tell me what your slogans would be, and why.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
And can I modify yours? Appearances can be deceiving.
Your two favorite movies over the past twelve months and why?
The Wrestler and Gran Torino. I liked them both because they surprised me.
What was the one thing you learned in getting your book published that you were really surprised to find out?
With my first book, I was surprised to learn that most hardcovers were given a window of 8 to 10 weeks to succeed by the publisher. (Young adult publishers area little more forgiving than that.) I remember telling my publicist, “I’ve got yogurt in my fridge that is going to last longer than that!”
4. If you had to pick one and only one condition (beyond computer or pen and paper) that would allow you to write would it be: a. solitude b. caffiene c. sleep d. food e. sex or f. ______.
I hate to say it, but coffee is probably more important than sleep.
5. Do you have a favorite genre? If so, who are your three favorite writers? If not, who are your three favorite writers and how have they influenced your work?
I like mysteries and YA. Recently, some of my favorites have been the dead and the gone, The Hunger Games, and The Intruders.
p.s. IS IT JUST ME or didn't a western senator lose his page rather suspiciously years ago, when Clinton was president?