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Summer 2007 n This Issue
 Dear Friends,
We're just back from another invigorating and successful BEA, and before we begin rushing around doing show follow-ups and launching projects inspired by meeting so many great book peddlers, we wanted to pause and send best wishes for a lovely summer; great reading; lazy, calm days; and, of course, to share some of the exciting news from Unbridled Books. We are thrilled that the books we love are also so loved by readers, and we are thrilled to have so much bookseller support. Thank you, booksellers, librarians, reviewers and book lovers all!
Happy Reading!
Best, Caitlin Caitlin Hamilton Summie
and the team at Unbridled Books
888-READ-UBB (732-3822) x 104
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QuickNewsFlash! Authors' Blog I Publishers' Blog Check out our new Author Blog! http://www.unbridledbooks.com And don't forget to weigh in on the Publisher Blog-a frequent and feisty contribution to our website http://www.unbridledbooks.com |
 Catch the Pirate's Wave!
Early bookseller raves have been pouring in for Margaret Cezair-Thompson's second novel, THE PIRATE'S DAUGHTER, due out from Unbridled this October. (ISBN-13: 978-1-932961-40-9; $24.95; 416 pages; 6 x 9; Hardcover; Fiction).
Booksellers, please let us know if you'd like galleys by emailing caitlin@unbridledbooks.com. Plus, we're working on a pre-pub tour for Margaret to Chicago, New York, Boston, and LA. Please let us know if you'd like to meet her!
In 1946, the legendary Hollywood swashbuckler Errol Flynn arrived accidentally in Jamaica on his storm-ravaged boat. The novel, inspired by Flynn's sojourn on the island, begins two decades after his death with a young woman who is said to be his illegitimate daughter, and it retraces the adventures of two generations of women. Set in pre- and post-colonial Jamaica, the novel unfolds a history of race, displacement, betrayal, uncommon kinships, compelling attachments, and tells of the tumultuous coming-of-age of a young woman and a new nation. "There are books and then there are great books. Once in awhile, these days, a great book comes along that makes a bookseller proud to be a part of its success. The Kite Runner, The Life of Pi, and now The Pirate's Daughter. The Pirate's Daughter is a literary triumph that combines all the elements of a great novel: romance, intrigue, history, glamour and suspense. What an unforgettable masterpiece. I can't wait for the giant to awaken!" -Marva Allen, Hue-Man Bookstore (NY)
"Impossible to put down .... I think this book will be great to handsell and I can't wait for it to come out."-Lisa Casper, Tattered Cover Bookstore (CO)
"The story was the kind that eats up a week of time and leaves you happier for having done so."-Hans Weyandt, Micawbers (MN)
"It's really hard to describe how thrilling it is to read such an original story." -Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookstore (TX)
"Had me hooked from the beginning with her Tarzan references and her fictional story of Hollywood's Errol Flynn's escape to romance on Jamaica's tropical island... A splendid adventure in reading and one that I would highly recommend for any armchair traveler." -Kathy L. Patrick, Founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs (TX)
"Margaret Cezair-Thompson writes a pirate story we can read unashamed on the beach or at the coffee-shop. . . . Go make yourself a fruity drink, sit back and wonder -- as May carefully reveals the traps and charts the course that leads to The Pirate's Daughter. A delightful story."-Keri Holmes, The Kaleidoscope (IA)
"Remarkably believable and engrossing. The writing dances between Jamaican patois and formal letters, slipping in some truly fine metaphors and landscapes in between. The characters of Flynn and his famous and wealthy friends as well as those of the islanders, in particular May's mother Ida and her kin, are engaging and clearly drawn. This is a book filled with the desire for adventure, unfulfilled romantic intentions, and a bold and startling history." -Laura Hansen, Bookin' It (MN)
"I love The Pirate's Daughter. The cultural melting pot of Jamaica against the celluloid backdrop of Errol Flynn and his Hollywood friends, young women and local workers on Navy Island provides the author with so much rich material...charms even the most hard hearted with her simple prose, authentic dialects, and heartbreaking look at dreams, both broken and realized in an era of stardom and glamour. I think you have a winner on your hands." Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books (KS)
"What a great read!!! It is perfect for the arm-chair traveler..." -Mary Gay Shipley, That Bookstore in Blytheville (AR) ******************************
For full information on ALL our Fall 2007 titles, go to http://unbridledbooks.com |
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HICK, Andrea Portes' debut novel, just hit the stores this May, and within the month hit the LOS ANGELES TIMES PAPERBACK BESTSELLER LIST! http://www.latimes.com/features Check out Andrea's first installment about her tour, HICK AT LARGE, on YouTube! http://youtube.com/watch?v=OA For a conversation with Andrea Portes that you can post on your own website, visit the Electronic Media/Unbridled Aloud page on Unbridled's website, http://unbridledbooks.com |
 Cocktail Reading with Timothy Schaffert
Timothy Schaffert, author of the charming and much-loved THE SINGING AND DANCING DAUGHTERS OF GOD, is celebrating the release of his new novel, DEVILS IN THE SUGAR SHOP. A May Book Sense Pick, A Midwest Connections title, and getting starred reviews, it certainly has given him much about which to raise a toast (or two!). If you're looking for a great summer or cocktail read, this is it! Handselling hook: This is a comic tale similar to TALES OF THE CITY, or even a cross between "Sex in the City" and "Desperate Housewives"-and yet vintage Schaffert. Library Journal said: "This novel of desire, longing, love, and enduring friendship is like an expensive box of chocolates: each silken morsel is luscious and approvingly decadent, and with every bite you don't necessarily know what you're going to get." In Los Angeles magazine said: "[A] wonderfully offbeat and surprisingly original novel... a hilarious and smart tale that begs for a sequel. And maybe even a Showtime series." Check out Timothy's DEVILS tour at: http://unbridledbooks.com And look for the Unbridled edition of Timothy's first ever novel, THE PHANTOM LIMBS OF THE ROLLOW SISTERS--coming this fall! http://unbridledbooks.com  Timothy Schaffert founded and directs the (Downtown) Omaha Lit Fest, which was just mentioned in The New York Times Magazine. The theme for this year's Omaha Lit Fest is "Depraved Women Writers (& Others)." The Lit Fest will be primarily Sept. 14-15, and will include readings, panel discussions, parties, art exhibits, and a chance to mingle with published authors. There will also be other events throughout the month of September, including a book-to-film adaptation series at Film Streams, the new art film theater. |
 Books About Our Times, For Our Times -- THE UNNATURAL HISTORY OF CYPRESS PARISH by Elise Blackwell
Thank you, Booksellers and Readers! This April Book Sense Pick just went in to a third printing!
THE UNNATURAL HISTORY OF CYPRESS PARISH by Elise Blackwell, has earned rave reviews and bookeller support nationwide and a nod from NPR's Day to Day, as well it should (not that we love it or anything!). This timely, moving novel tells the story of Louis Proby, who in his late '90s watches as Hurricane Katrina rolls in and all the while remembers the flood of the Mississippi in 1927 and the first great losses of his life. Based on fact and written by an author who grew up in Southern Louisiana, this exemplary novel reminds us how fiction illuminates and informs our lives.
*Perfect for book groups--download the reading group guide at http://unbridledbooks.com *Great display idea: Pair it with The Rising Tide by John Barry Request Elise Blackwell--or any of our authors--for a phone chat with your book club by writing to caitlin@unbridledbooks.com |
 LOST SON--available now!
LOST SON by M. Allen Cunningham, author of the #1 Book Sense Pick THE GREEN AGE OF ASHER WITHEROW, is a haunting, beautiful novel about the poet Rainer Maria Rilke and about the times in which he lived. A great review just landed on goodhousekeeping.com (see the link below) and a review is coming in Vogue. Cunningham is touring the West Coast now. Please visit unbridledbooks.com for the most up-to-date schedule.
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 JUST OUT IN PAPERBACK. . .
...Frederick Reuss' novel, MOHR. What more could we say about this stunning novel than what follows? "...his silver tact and his cool tenderness make his performance nothing less than Orphic. Listen to it. "-JOHN BERGER, BOOKER PRIZE WINNER
"Painful and beautiful....Reuss...writes with Jamesian complexity about states of mind and character...[and] of their days and dismays with brilliant understanding and a painter's rich detail.... [W]ithout underlining the point (he subtly circumnavigates it instead), [Reuss] makes evident that the self-eviction practiced by Mohr stands for the national eviction of his fellow Jews...."-The New York Times
"[A] quiet triumph."-The San Francisco Chronicle
"[An] unusual and thoughtful novel."-The Boston Globe
"[R]eads like the best of Graham Greene."-The St. Louis Post Dispatch "Powerful, compelling.... What is amazing is how real these characters became to me, how much their thoughts and emotions came to matter."-Rabbi Rachel Esserman, The Reporter Newspaper "[A]n elegant, beautifully written book.... This is a novel that readers will find easy to consume. Yet the story stays with you long after the last pages are turned. I could not let go of a lot of this book, particularly those passages which dwell on Kathe and her struggle. She is left to love Mohr, even though she lost him the moment he found his distant dream."-Colleen Mondor, bookslut.com
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Unbridled Books has a wealth of great reads worthy of discussion and available in paperback--and our authors are some of the best! We also have downloadable reading group guides for most of our titles. Check out our full list of paperbacks at http://unbridledbooks.com |
| DISPATCHES FROM UBB. . .
As you may know, Unbridled Books is a virtual company. Not one of us lives in the same city; most of us are not in the same state; and Rachel, our webmaster par excellence, is in Estonia! Today, we bring you Dispatches from two of our staff, Rachel and Caitlin.
From Rachel (Estonia): For as long as I can remember, I've associated summer vacations with reading. As a child, family vacations in Maine revolved around each of us reading our own books during the day at the beach and with my mom reading to the whole family for hours after dinner. Memories of her reading aloud from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader or The Magician's Nephew (books from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis) are clearer than anything else that happened during those vacations.
From Caitlin (Colorado): I love to read and eat. A bad habit altogether. But I find it hard to read on a treadmill, as many ladies at the gym are able to do, flipping pages as they thunder along. So I have no choice but to sit and read. And when I plant myself somewhere with a good book, well, I like a snack. I thought I'd share some of my favorite places to eat in various cities, in case you want to pop over, get some take-out or settle in at a nice table, and open up a wonderful new story. . . .
Estes Park, CO Sweet Basilico's: great Italian food (it's their sauce). Take-out is best because this unpretentious, homey place is impossible to get in to without a reservation.
Denver, CO I love the breakfasts at Hot Cakes and the hot turkey sandwich at The Squealin' Pig. I am certain that co-publisher Fred Ramey would offer innumerable other suggestions for fine(r) dining, but these are the comfort food suggestions. For slightly more upscale and affordable fare, try: 2nd place: the mussels at Le Central. 3rd Place: sesame chicken from Little Ollie's.
Portland, OR: Pal's (not to be mistaken for Powell's, where you could find your wonderful new read!) Get a bucket of clams, and you are set.
Johnson City, TN: Yup. Barbecue. Head on over to Pardners (that's how it's spelled) and grab a sandwich. And fries. They have a salad bar, but I see no reason to ruin a good barbecue by adding vegetables. 2nd Place: Sulphur Springs Baptist Church Sunday breakfast-open to the community. I'd go every Sunday if I could. And it's a good thing I can't.
Edina, MN (just outside Minneapolis): Beaujo's! A wine bar~ Tasty eats, eclectic menu, charming atmosphere. A family favorite. Fine dining that feels comfortable. And yes, you could bring a book here and not feel at odds with the environment. 2nd choice: The Convention Grill. The best malts in the entire Twin Cities.
Minneapolis, MN: Lucia's: divine eats, especially breakfast, and in a hip, lively part of town.
New York, NY: Nothing fancy. Ess-A-Bagel. 2nd choice: This was a close one. The perogis at Christine's, down on roughly 10th and First, if Christine's is still there, provide many happy memories. There is also an amazing spice store in the neighborhood called Pete's, which sells some tasty granola for a take-home treat. |
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JUST ASK! Our authors love meeting with book groups or doing phoners if they can't be there in person! Contact Caitlin to find out more (caitlin@unbridledbooks.com)
Our author podcasts are lively and original! Link to them on your own website, or download them to play in-store! http://www.unbridledbooks.com |
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We'd all love to hear from you--whether about our newsletter, or the books we're publishing, or our authors. Send a note or give a call--let us know what pages you're turning.
Enjoy your summer--and here's to good reading!
CaitlinCaitlin Hamilton Summie 888-READ-UBB (732-3822) x 104 Unbridled Books--promising that rarest of pleasures, a good read |