Announcement: TuesBookTalk on Twitter

Just a quick announcement regarding TuesBookTalk on Twitter.  We have finished up reading The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (watch for my review soon).  Tonight we are going to vote on our next read.  The proposed book to be read is Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.  I hope everyone agrees...I've SO been wanting to read this one! We are also going to discuss a possible time change for the chat and the remainder of the hour we will have a general book chat.

Join us tonight on Twitter #TuesBookTalk at 11pm ET (10pm CT).

Follow @TuesBookTalk and/or @truebookaddict for news and information.

Interview with author Brandon Ford

Joining me today is Brandon Ford, author of Crystal Bay, Splattered Beauty, Creeping Shadows, and his newest novel, Pay Phone, which was released on March 10, 2010.

TTBA: First of all, I would like to thank Brandon for joining me today and taking the time for this interview. We have been exchanging tweets and Facebook comments for awhile now. It's nice to be able to chat with you about your professional life.

BF: Well, thank you very much for the wonderful invitation!

TTBA: Your new novel, Pay Phone, was recently released. Congrats! Can you tell us a little about it?

BF: Pay Phone is centered around a New York-based serial killer who uses a nearby pay phone to lure his victims. Watching from his apartment window, he dials the same number night and day, hoping someone will take the bait. One morning, he finds someone who reminds him of a person he shares a very special bond with. In an instant, he becomes obsessed and will stop at nothing to be sure she is his next victim.

TTBA: Was there an inspiration behind the writing of Pay Phone?

BF: For the longest time, I had my own personal obsession with pay phones and would always answer when passing one by. Each and every time, there was an incredibly strange character on the other end of the line and they'd always want something, most of the time being to meet up. It was never a "Oh, I'm sorry, I must've misdialed" situation. They always knew exactly what they were doing. Each time, I'd politely decline and walk away with a story I shared with friends for weeks. I got to thinking about what would happen if there was actually a serial killer on the other end of the line?

TTBA: You are often very funny and witty on Twitter and Facebook. I know you're fond of Chelsea Handler—very funny woman. Do you think you would ever write a comedic novel or perhaps a dark comedy? Any other genre?

BF: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my little rants. Twitter and Facebook have become a way to let out my frustrations and often times my comments are heavy on the sarcasm. There's always a touch of humor in everything I write. Mostly that humor is on the dark side, but it's there nonetheless. I doubt I could ever do a book that was just for laughs. As much as I enjoy reading essayists like Chelsea Handler and David Sedaris, I could never do what they do in a million years. I think it's a hell of a lot harder to make someone laugh than to give them the creeps.

TTBA: I recently reviewed Creeping Shadows (read my review here) , a short novel anthology for which you wrote Merciless. It was based on true events and it was such a visceral and frightening story. Was this a difficult one to write

BF: Again, thanks! There were times when I thought I might've been pushing the envelope a little further than I ought to with Merciless, but I kept the majority of it faithful to the actual case. Nevertheless, there were scenes that were definitely a struggle to conceive. With concepts such as this, I don't see how it could possibly be easy to craft some of the incredibly dark scenes.

TTBA: I read in your bio that you've been writing since you were 8. Wow! Was there anything in particular that sparked the writer's bug in you?

BF: I really don't remember if there was anything specifically that made me want to put pen to paper. All I know is that I got a notebook and just started putting my thoughts down. It continued to evolve from there. Later, I was definitely inspired by the authors I read all through school.

TTBA: Have you been inspired by any particular books or movies? What is your favorite horror novel and/or movie?

BF: I'm definitely a huge fan of '80s classics like The Slumber Party Massacre, Sleepaway Camp, Killer Party, Eyes of a Stranger, A Nightmare on Elm Street, the list goes on. Horror movies have always been a huge inspiration. And then there are authors like R.L. Stine, who inspired me during my formative years with the Fear Street series and books like The Babysitter. These days, Jack Ketchum is one of my biggest inspirations. There are few books that affected me the way The Girl Next Door has. I'm also quite fond of Richard Laymon and I've recently become fond of Joe R. Lansdale. To pick a favorite book or film would be impossible, since there are far too many to choose from.

TTBA: Your bio also states that you like to read in your spare time. What are you currently reading?
Any recommendations for a good read...besides your own books, of course?!

BF: I just finished Joe R. Lansdale's Leather Maiden, which was a very interesting read. And then there was Chelsea Handler's Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang, which is just as hilarious and entertaining as her other books.

TTBA: So...what does Brandon Ford have in store for us next?

BF: Well, I'm always working on something, whether it's a novel or a short story. I'd really like to put out a short story collection some time in the near future. That's a goal I'd really like to reach.

TTBA: Thanks so much Brandon for spending some time with me today. I'm looking forward to reading Pay Phone!

BF: Thanks again for having me!

Visit Brandon:

Read an excerpt from Pay Phone on Brandon's blog, Sleepless Nights.
Author page on Amazon here.
Facebook page
Twitter 

Cat Thursday

Yay! It's Cat Thursday again. 

At the rate I've been reading lately, he would have plenty of time...LOL! On a side note, for those who read my post yesterday--I found the book I lost.  It was in the Walgreens bag that I had my prescription in from when I went to the doctor for the strep throat over two weeks ago! Some memory, huh?! I'm so relieved!

Dear Readers...a question?

As many of you know, I was quite ill with strep throat a couple of weeks ago and there was a fear that I might have mono.  Well, I had a relapse over the weekend and as of today, I'm not much better.  I'll probably go to the doctor tomorrow and get tested.  Please God, don't let it be mono!

Anyway, just when I thought things couldn't get any worse...I have actually lost one of the books I was reading! I put down Cardboard (Fiona Place) temporarily so I could get Anastasia's Secret (Susanne Dunlap) read for a blog tour and now I can't find it anywhere! I have never misplaced a book--that I was in the process of reading--in my life.  My apologies to Ms. Place as it looks like there will be further delay on my review until I can hunt down the book.  Shall I place a big "L" on my forehead?!

So, tell me dear readers, have you ever lost a book you were in the middle of reading (please tell me I'm not the only one)?!

Happy Mother's Day

To all the Moms out there, have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Book review--Hush by Kate White

About the book: 

When Lake Warren learns that her husband, Jack, is suing for full custody of their two kids four months after their separation, she's pretty certain that things can't get any worse. The upside is that she's working with the Advanced Fertility Center as a marketing consultant, alongside the attractive, flirtatious Dr. Keaton. But the morning after their one-night stand, Lake finds Keaton with his throat slashed and discovers that things can indeed become worse—they can become deadly.

So as not to jeopardize her case for custody, Lake is forced to lie to the police. Having just been intimate with a man who has been murdered, and wanting to protect herself from being charged with the crime, she begins her own search for the truth. Meanwhile, the police start looking at her closely, people at the clinic start treating her with hostility, and strange clues begin dropping—quite literally—on her doorstep, and Lake realizes that she is dangerously close to dark secrets, both about Keaton and the clinic. But can Lake stop what she's started before it's too late? (from HarperCollins)

My thoughts:

Lake Warren is the last person you would expect to get mixed up in murder.  Aside from a potentially messy divorce, she leads a relatively quiet life as a mother of two and the owner of her own publicity consulting firm.  However, all this is going to change when she finds herself trying to cover up being a suspect in said murder.  I really identified with Lake as a character.  She is a woman that many women might see themselves in.  Happily married (she thought) for many years, Lake suddenly finds herself in the middle of a divorce initiated by a husband who says he no longer loves her.  She is trying to maintain a normal life for her kids, while running her own business.  She is a busy woman...just like the rest of us.  Her inner struggles were very palpable as I was reading and I almost physically experienced her stress level.  I'm thinking, "Been there, done that!"  And Lake is very lonely so it's not surprising that she seeks comfort from the opposite sex.  And this is when everything begins to spiral out of control.  As we read in the synopsis, there is a murder and Lake flees the scene for fear of accusations and ultimately losing her kids.  From this point forward, the book is absolutely gripping.  I'm talking "read whenever you can...cannot put it down" gripping! The innuendo and the ever mounting suspicions that Lake experiences, in combination with fearing for her life, just keep the plot moving swiftly forward.  We really do not find out who the murderer is until the very end and let me tell you, it is quite a surprise! Nine times out of ten, I usually figure it out before the big reveal, but I did not this time.  This book is an absolute must-read, especially for fans of the thriller genre.  So I guess it goes without saying that Hush receives my enthusiastic recommendation!

Read more about the author at The Star Celeb here.  My review will also appear on The Star Celeb in the next couple of days.  While you're there, stay awhile.  It's a great site for celebrity and movie news...all with some lovely sarcasm and wit mixed in!

This book was read for the following challenges (challenge progress in parentheses):

Pages Read Challenge (3225 / 30, 000 pages)
New Authors Challenge (8 / 25)
Countdown Challenge 2010 (11 / 55)
100+ Reading Challenge (13 / 100)
Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010 (3 / 12)
Monthly Mixer Mele (9 / 74)
ARC Reading Challenge 2010 (6 / 11)

To see the challenges I'm participating in and my progress on all challenges, click here.


I received this book in conjunction with The Star Celeb for review from the publisher, HarperCollins.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for reading this book or writing this review.

Cat Thursday

Oops...almost forgot again! I realize Cinco de Mayo was yesterday, but I'm posting this pic anyway in honor of it! Enjoy!

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