Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan

Hello all, 

Today we're taking a look at a new book by Andrew Klavan called Crazy Dangerous. If you don't have it on your TBR lists, get out your pens and write it down or type it in or list it on Goodreads or whatever it is you do for your TBRs. For today's post, we get to see a little more intimately into the life of the writer.

We writers all have a special place where we go to allow the muse to work. For some it's a quaint coffee shop, for others it may be a favorite chair. For Andrew Klavan, he's got himself an awesome workshop. :) 

Writing Place

I have a workshop in the backyard of my house.  It’s only a small shack but it has just enough room for me to do what I need to do:  sit and work, pace, lie down and read on the sofa from time to time.  I’ve got it decorated with framed jackets from some of my books.  And there’s a framed print of Caravaggio’s painting “The Inspiration of Saint Matthew,” with the angel whispering in St. Matthew’s ear while he sits writing at his table. Not that I compare myself to St. Matthew, but I do think of good writing as a matter of inspiration:  something that is breathed into you from somewhere else. I really like my workshop because I’m off by myself there, but I can always wander into the house and have lunch with my wife or get something from my bookshelves. It’s a good arrangement.

Award winning author, screenwriter and media commentator Andrew Klavan is the author of such internationally bestselling novels as True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Don’t Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas. Andrew has been nominated for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award five times and has won twice. His books have been translated around the world. His latest novel for adults, The Identity Man, has been praised by Nelson Demille as “fast paced, intelligent and thought-provoking; a great read!” Television and radio host Glenn Beck says “Andrew Klavan never disappoints…one of the best illustrations of the power of redemption that I’ve ever read.” His last novel Empire of Lies was about media bias in the age of terror, and topped Amazon.com’s thriller list. Andrew has also published a series of thrillers for young adults, The Homelanders, which follows a patriotic teenager’s battle against jihadists. The books have been optioned to be made into movies by Summit Entertainment, the team behind the mega-successful Twilight film series.

Author website | Twitter | Facebook |Thomas Nelson Fiction

New Member and Rochester Teen Book Festival!

       Hi guys! I'm Jordan, the newest Read Between the Lines member! Some of you may know me from my old blog, Sleep.Eat.Read. I noticed that since my swim season started, I stopped posting as frequently as I used to, so I, being the silly person I am, shut down the blog. Now, I regret it. Because I miss it. Tons! Luckily, I have connections to people like Mrs. A! (Okay, I really mean Jessie, the currently blogger for Read Between the Lines. BUT, she was my middle school English teacher first, so she will forever be Mrs. A to me. So when I say Mrs A, know that I am referring to her.:)) Anyway! Mrs A so kindly let me join Read Between the Lines, this way I can still be involved with the book blogging that I love! So, thanks Mrs A! :)
      So, before I talk about how amazing TBF was let me tell you a little bit about me. Hmm. Let's see. Well, I'm a almost senior in high school, I'm at the end of my junior year. I absolutely LOVE reading, maybe even more than breathing. I'm always reading a book, no matter how much time I have. (Which probably isn't a good thing when it comes to studying for tests and stuff) I even drove from New York, where I live,  to Texas just for a book fesitval. Which totally rocked, BTW. I may have also skipping Prom for the Rochester TBF. Again, totally rocked. What I REALLY want to do is get together with some of my other YA blogger friends and have a blog run by 4 or 5 of us. Hopefully that can happen soon. I'm the quiet one at school, but loud around people I'm comfortable with. Although I love TONS of authors, and TONS of books, there is something about Heather Brewer, A.S. King, and Ellen Hopkins. What they stand for. What they are passionate for. I connect, and it makes me love them all the more. Hmmm. What else. I'm always listening to music, and when I graduated, I  plan on going to school to become a school psychologist. Well, I think that's about it! Now, onto TBF!
       Okay! So! There is this AWESOME event that takes place at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. Lets look at pictures.



 

 

         You can't tell me that doesn't look awesome. :) The event was an absolute blast. The day is broken up. In the morning, it starts with a parade of authors. Then, book sales. After that, an opening session, including all of the authors, and all the attendees. Then the authors split up. Some in groups, some by themselves. There are 3 sessions throughout the day, unless you choose to skip lunch, then you can attend 4. I, of course, skipped lunch. Who needs lunch when you can hang out with Laurie Halse Anderson?  

          I decided that I would go to the following sessions: Laurie Halse Anderson, A.S. King, Jenny Han and Melissa Walker, and Amy Holder and Gae Polisner. They all totally rocked! Laurie talking about her life, which is actually VERY motivational. Jenny Han and Melissa Walker played fun games, and Amy Holder and Gae Polisner and  talked about the road to publication. But, like I said before, there is something about A.S. King that I totally love. Besides being made of awesomeness, how passionate she is about what she does astounds me. She talked about self love, bullying, and packing suitcases. Not a REAL suitcase. Our own personal suitcase. She talked about not letting others pack our suitcases for us by what they say or do to us. It made me think twice. And the message REALLY stuck with me. Amy, thanks for that. It's definitely made me see things differently. Seriously. 

       All together, the even totally rocked, and I will be going next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. So, if you are at all local, the even is TOTALLY free, and it TOTALLY rocks, so you should go. I always have so much fun! (Thank you TBF twitter account for all the pictures. :))

      Well guys, along with the guest posts that and tours that Mrs A does, Ill should be posting things like book reviews, possibly tours, guest posts. Things of that sort, so make sure to stop by more often for things from both of us! 

                                          Happy Reading! :)

                                                ~Jordan

Angel Eyes-- Shannon Dittemore

This book is far from what I expected… I’d a thousand times better!

I’ve read numerous angel themed books over the years, and I find they have one thing in common: The angels are basically humans with superpowers and wings. Now let’s be honest, people. Traditionally, angels are spiritual beings created to serve the Judeo-Christian God. I realize angels appear in just about any religion, but no matter what spiritual background you claim, angels report to a higher power. The current angel books on the market today seem to ignore this fact. But not ANGEL EYES.

Dittemore takes a unique stance of actually creating her angel characters with a higher power, in this case, the Judeo-Christian God of the Bible. She does a fantastic job staying true to the claims of scripture. In the Bible, angels are messengers and protectors. Not only that, but fallen angels, aka. Demons, are present as well. Above our own world lies a world of spiritual warfare in which angels, who still serve the God of the universe, fight the fallen, who serve the Prince of Darkness: Satan.

Dittemore does not shy away from what some may claim to be a sensitive subject. After all, whenever anyone mentions faith, people get all up in arms. But the truth is, we can’t create angels or God to be what we want them to be. Believing or not believing does not influence the truth. Though ANGEL EYES is fiction, Dittemore hits upon profound truths and uses her God-given talent to show a new generation of young readers the faith that obviously drives her. She expertly shows young people they don’t have to be paralyzed with fear, they have a God who loves them and who sends his angels to protect and guide them, and that even though we may not understand why bad things happen, God always has a plan.

Kudos to Shannon Dittemore for not being afraid to speak the truth no matter who may bawk at her faith.  I, for one, stand by her.