It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Jul 20

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. 

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great week. I'm still playing catch-up because I was living in real estate hell last week. However, I did have two closings last week that went smoothly. I also managed to get to the lab on Friday for my bloodwork to see if they can figure out what is going on with me. 

Today, I will start the day by taking Theo to his least favorite place on Earth--the vet. He gets a monthly allergy shot. Then I have a meeting, and in the afternoon, I follow up with my doctor. I'm still working on an issue for work as well. 

Saw this old restaurant booth in a house last week. It is always cool to stumble upon these treasures. 

In my reading world, I wrote a review of Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. I ordered a printed copy of this and Burkeman's first book, Four Thousand Weeks. You can find my review here.

Did not touch The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller, and I wonder if I will get to it. 

I am done with The Ledger by Steven Manchester, a companion to his novel The Menu. Look for my review soon. 

I didn't pick up The Eyes of River last week. 

I read some of Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts. 

I wrote a First Chapter Review of Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked. You can read that review here.

Massawa by Pam Weber is a book I have not yet started.

I reviewed Max and Her Stacks by Joyce McCullough at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. Look for my review link below. 

Photo credit: Freepik

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

I was approved for these two books by publishers on NetGalley:

A Christmas Carol Devotional: 

25 Advent Reflections from Charles Dickens's Beloved Classic

by Rachel Dodge

The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson

Hank also sent me his newest beginner's guide for writers to review:

Beginner's Guide to Using an AI Writing Assistant 

by Hank Quense

Upcoming Events

The Ledger by Steven Manchester - TBD (Review)

Staged by Caitlin Rother - TBD (Review)

Massawa by Pam Weber - TBD (Review)

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - TBD (Review)

Christmas Year Round

This week's Journey through Christmases Past post isn't up yet. Hopefully, tomorrow. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

At The Children's and Teens' Book Connection, we celebrated 17 years of blogging. I also posted a review of Max and Her Stacks by Joyce McCullough. You can read that review here.

Laura's Little Houses

Still nothing new here. Maybe Wednesday. Depends on how this week turns out.

It's nice to see some books come off my list. I'm tired of sharing the same ones week after week. Looking forward to reading your posts. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - July 13

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. 

We are back! Our family arrived home early from vacation, which allowed us to see the Lil' Princess, who drove down from Maine. Over the weekend, I celebrated my 58th birthday with all the kids here. Now, I am back to work. Today will be filled with appointments. 

Happy birthday to me!

Hanging at the OBX house

Dinner at Miller's Waterfront 

Fireworks in Manteo

Girls at The Elizabethan Gardens

Mural at The Dunes 

Replica glider at The Wright Brothers National Memorial

I didn't read half as much as expected on vacation. Partially because we were dealing with some nonsense in getting the Lil' Princess' car picked up and dropped off in Maine, and also because I had an unexpected medical issue while there. Nothing too serious (I hope), but I will head to my primary care next week after some tests are done this week. 

I have less than an hour left with Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Loving so much about it.

I  have not picked up The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller while here, because other books need to be read first. 

I am done with The Ledger by Steven Manchester, a companion to his novel The Menu. Look for my review soon. 

I didn't pick up The Eyes of River last week. 

I read some of Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts. 

Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked. I need to get back to this one. 

My review of the second book of The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club, The Widow Murderess, appears here. 

Book three is The Sparrow and the Crow. I posted a First Chapter Review of this one on July 10. You can read it here.

Massawa by Pam Weber is a book I have not yet started.

Joyce McCullough sent me a copy of Max and Her Stacks to review. 

Photo credit: Freepik

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

Got this great book that I saw in Downtown Books in Manteo for my birthday. I have already opened Andy Griffith's Manteo: His Real Mayberry by John Railey. 

Upcoming Events

The Ledger by Steven Manchester - TBD (Review)

Staged by Caitlin Rother - TBD (Review)

Massawa by Pam Weber - July (Review)

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - TBD (Review)

Christmas Year Round

Journey through Christmases Past talks about the origins of Christmas in July. You can find that post here.

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

Nothing new. This blog celebrates its 17th anniversary on July 14. 

Laura's Little Houses

Nothing new, but I did watch the first episode in the Netflix adaptation of Little House on the Prairie. My thoughts will be coming soon. 

Interview with Caitlin Rother, Author of Staged

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 17 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to thrillers and memoir. After writing a dozen books about high-profile true crime cases, Caitlin is expanding into crime fiction with her new “Katrina & Goode” thriller series, which so far includes HOOKED and the sequel, STAGED. Her other recent titles are DOWN TO THE BONE, about the murder of the McStay family, and an updated edition of BODY PARTS, which was prompted by the identification of the first victim of serial killer Wayne Adam Ford via genetic genealogy. An award-winning investigative reporter for 19 years, Rother’s stories have been published in magazines and newspapers across the country, including Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The San Diego Union Tribune. Her more than 250 TV, radio and podcast appearances include 20/20, People Magazine Investigates, Crime Watch Daily, Australia’s World News, and numerous shows on Netflix, Investigation Discovery and Lifetime. Rother earned a bachelor’s in psychology from UC Berkeley and a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. She also works as a writing-research coach, enjoys ocean swimming, and plays keyboards and sings in a jazzy bluesy trio with her partner. For more information and Caitlin’s blog, please visit https://caitlinrother.com. 

To purchase STAGED, visit Amazon at: https://amzn.to/4vOUjHw 

To find Caitlin on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caitlinrother

Instagram: @the_real_caitlin_rother

Bluesky: @caitlinrother.bsky.social

Threads: @the_real_caitlin_rother

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-rother-8992455/

 

When did you begin writing?

I started keeping a journal as a teenager, but I didn’t start doing any creative writing until college. 

Do you write every day or when you can sneak in time?

After typing at a computer for nearly 35 years, my body has taken a beating and doesn’t let me write as much as my brain would like, so I have to pace myself. Some days I write as much as 6,000 words, other days I don’t write at all so that my body can rest. But I am a full-time author, so even when I can’t type, I am always thinking and plotting and planning. A lot of the work I have to do to remain relevant and to be successful as an author—marketing, promotions, public speaking, podcasts, book signings--have nothing to do with writing, but they are part of the job as well. 

What is this book about?

STAGED is Book 2 in the “Katrina & Goode” thriller series, which started with HOOKED. The series features surfing detective Ken Goode and investigative reporter Katrina Chopin, who work together and independently to investigate a series of murders in the beautiful, wealthy coastal community of La Jolla, starting with the deaths of two biotech executives who are developing a groundbreaking sexual enhancement drug. In this book, the investigative duo battle the romantic tensions between them as they dig into the cold-case murders of Katrina’s parents, two federal judges who were gunned down in their driveway, as well as her brother’s fatal overdose. The deeper they get into the investigation, they realize that the current string of suspicious deaths is related to the murders of Katrina’s family, and a cabal of rich white men who are up to no good. 

What inspired you to write it?

I’ve been working on this series for half of my life, rewriting Book 1 countless times, although Books 2, 3, and 4 (the latter two are still under submission) came must faster. The plots are pulled from stories, people, and cases I’ve covered my 20 years as an investigative reporter and the next 20 years as a true crime author, during which I’ve been drawn to stories involving suicide, addiction, and staged murder scenes, thus the title. 

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

The road to publication was extremely bumpy and involved a LOT of rewriting, approaching new agents and new publishers until I finally found the right fit. During all the years that I was rewriting my novels, I wrote a dozen true crime books, which have helped inform my thrillers. 

If you knew then what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

You don’t know what you don’t know until you learn what you don’t know. And because I don’t live with regrets, I wouldn’t have done anything differently because then I wouldn’t have learned what I needed to learn and I wouldn’t be who I am today. But after writing all of those true crime books, I now know my material, so the writing is coming much easier. I just hope the publishing will come easier and faster too. Time will tell. 

What is up next for you?

While I wait for my publisher to decide if it is going to publish Books 3 and 4, I’ve been working on a new suspense novel that is also set in La Jolla.   

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - May 18

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. 

Happy Monday on a Sunday. My work schedule, and therefore my blogging schedule, has been unpredictable lately. Hope all of you who celebrate enjoyed your Mother's Day. We had an early breakfast that morning and headed home from North Carolina later that day. Glad to be home, but also miss our girl. 

Here are a few recent photos:

The Lil' Princess and her dad

Our girls

The Lil' Princess and some friends

The family minus our son

Thought she might have gotten her arms stuck at the Battleship North Carolina

Recreating a One Tree Hill moment

I went to my first bar in over 30 years. It was not pleasant. 

Hard to believe these four years have passed so quickly. Luckily, when she relocates for work, she will be much closer to our place. 

In my reading world, my review of This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman appeared today. You can read it here.

I finished Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luann Castle. This collection is emotional and raw. Look for my review on May 21. 

I continued The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller. I hope I don't run out of time on NetGalley before I finish it. 

I finished listening to Hi Honey, I'm Homo: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture by Matt Baume. Great book! Look for a review soon. 

I started The Ledger by Steven Manchester, which is a companion to his novel, The Menu. It's a slow read for me so far. 

These are next:

Staged by Caitlin Rother, which is the sequel to Hooked

Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined Pacsun by Brieane Olson is also a NetGalley download.

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts comes out later this month. 

The Ghost and the Key, the first book in Bill Cusano's The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club series. I am reading this series this summer. 

The second book of The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club is The Widow Murderess. 

Book three is The Sparrow and the Crow. All of these are July reviews. 

Massawa by Pam Weber is a book that I will take on vacation with me in July. 

Photo credit: Freepik

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

Has anyone heard from Vicki? She hasn't posted since April 5. 

These were presents for Mother's Day, and two books I bought for myself aboard the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington. 

Upcoming Events

Scrap: Salvaging a Family by Luanne Castle - May 21 (Review)

The Ledger by Steven Manchester - May (Review)

Fighter Pilot's Daughter by Mary Lawlor - June 10 (Guest Post)

Staged by Cailtin Rother - June (Review)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Ghost and the Key by Bill Cusano - July 1 (Review)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Widow Murderess by Bill Cusano - July 8 (Review)

The Old Cranberry Ladies Garden Club: The Sparrow and the Crow by Bill Cusano - July 10 (Review)

Massawa by Pam Weber - July (Review)

Love on the Shelf by Sheila Roberts - (Review)

Christmas Year Round

This week's Journey through Christmases Past focuses on the year 1885. You can find it here. 

The Children's and Teens' Book Connection

This blog is getting harder to update now that I don't read as many children's books as I used to, and because my writing is not as much as expected this year. Real estate, however, has been amazing. 

Laura's Little Houses

On Wednesday, I posted my "Most Favorite Episode from Each Season of Little House on the Prairie (Seasons 7 - 9). This brings us to the end of the series. You can read this post here. 

Looking forward to checking out your blogs today.