Luanne Rice's Blog, page 3
March 1, 2019
Signed Copies at Bank Square Books!
Would you like a signed copy of PRETEND SHE’S HERE? Just contact Bank Square Books and they will ship you one for free!
thank you to bank square books for a great night, and for lovely bookseller cathleen clifford for introducing me!
I had a wonderful event there last night—I love the store and the booksellers, who have hosted many wonderful signings, lunches, talks over the years. I always enjoy going there. I grew up in the area, and my family lives here, so I felt so many layers of my life—from childhood friends to a reporter with whom I sat through a murder trial to the mother of a good friend’s sister-in-law to longtime readers who never fail to come to my readings to people I’d never met before.
My editor Aimee Friedman and Scholastic sent cookies from Mystic’s mystically delicious Sift Bakery, and the bookstore served wine and spring water, and my sister was sitting in the front row, and the night was cold outside but cozy in, and it didn’t snow, so how could anything have been better?
it was so great to see allison tuttle and scott sawyer
rick koster and eileen jenkins came and so did audrey, but…where’s virgil?
It was just the best, best, best time, and I signed lots of copies, and if you would like one, my dear bookseller friends at Bank Square Books will send it right out.
February 27, 2019
Interview in The New London Day
I loved doing this interview with Rick Koster of the New London Day.
One of the first clues that Old Lyme author Luanne Rice has perhaps entered new territory is right there on the cover of her latest young adult novel, "Pretend She's Here." It's an enthusiastic blurb from superstar thriller writer Harlan Coben.
The folks who market books by Rice — a New York Times bestselling author of over 30 titles usually filed in the "family," "women's fiction" or YA sections — typically wouldn't seek endorsements from thriller authors. But "Pretend She's Here" is indeed different — a genuine psychological suspense story with plenty of Coben-esque plot spins, truly dark villainy and, yes, because this IS Rice we're talking about, a sweet but pivotal romantic thread and desperate allegiance to family.
When 15-year-old Emily Lonergan loses her best friend Lizzie Porter to cancer, she's devastated. Not surprisingly, so are Lizzie's parents, who've moved out of state to deal with their grief. After Emily loses consciousness while accompanying the Porters to Lizzie's grave on the first anniversary of her death, she wakes up in Maine, far from her Connecticut home — and discovers she's a prisoner in a replica of Lizzie's old bedroom. Her hair has been dyed to match her deceased friend's, and she's dressed in Lizzie's clothes.
With dawning horror, Emily realizes she's been kidnapped for the lunatic purpose of BEING Lizzie. She gradually learns .. click to continue reading here.
Bank Square Books Event, February 28th
Please come to wonderful Bank Square Books in Mystic CT, Thursday 2/28, at 6 PM. I’ll be talking about my new novel, PRETEND SHE’S HERE, and would love to see you there!
Bank Square Books presents a talk and book signing with bestselling local author Luanne Rice for her new novel Pretend She's Here. This event is free and open to the public; call 860-536-3795 or click the book link below to reserve your copy.
About the Book
Emily Lonergan's best friend died last year.
And Emily hasn't stopped grieving. Lizzie Porter was lively, loud, and fun -- Emily's better half. Emily can't accept that she's gone.
When Lizzie's parents and her sister come back to town to visit, Emily's heartened to see them. The Porters understand her pain. They miss Lizzie desperately, too.
Desperately enough to do something crazy.
Something unthinkable.
Suddenly, Emily's life is hurtling toward a very dark place -- and she's not sure she'll ever be able to return to what she once knew was real.
From New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a breathless, unputdownable story of suspense, secrets -- and the strength that love gives us to survive even the most shocking of circumstances.
About the Author
Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of 34 novels, which have been translated into 24 languages. The author of Dream Country, Beach Girls, The Secret Language of Sisters, and others, Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor's Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category. Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television, including Crazy in Love for TNT, Blue Moon for CBS, Follow the Stars Home and Silver Bells for the Hallmark Hall of Fame, and Beach Girls for Lifetime. Rice is an avid environmentalist and advocate for families affected by domestic violence. She divides her time between New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut. Visit her online at luannerice.net.
Event date:
Thursday, February 28, 2019 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Event address:
Bank Square Books
53 W Main St.
Mystic, CT 06355
PRETEND SHE'S HERE (HARDCOVER)By Luanne Rice
$18.99
ISBN: 9781338298505
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Scholastic Press - February 26th, 2019
February 1, 2019
Save the Date: an event at Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library
i just had the most wonderful photo shoot at old lyme phoebe griffin noyes library--my home town library and my favorite in the world. here are some behind-the-scenes shots. photographer chris devlin’s photos will run with a piece in our local magazine, lyme & old lyme neighbors. in the interview, i talk about PRETEND SHE'S HERE (out 2/26 but available for preorder now) and, especially, a magical event the library has planned--an author luncheon with me, on sunday march 31st at 1 pm. tickets go on sale march 1st. save the date!
photo shoot with chris devlin
i am so thankful to the brilliant librarians who are making this event happen. they have such creativity, enthusiasm, and brio. many thanks to dan henderson, magazine publisher. i’m looking forward to the interview by cameron cooke.
with brilliant librarians, from left: katie balacca, development assistant; me; katie huffman, director; julie bartley, children’s librarian.
this is how amazing these librarians are: a mutual friend mentioned to katie balacca that i had a cold, and just as i was leaving, they presented me with a care package full of chicken soup, tea, ginger ale, and emergen-c!
care package from the librarians
phoebe, as in phoebe griffin noyes, for whom the library was named, would be so proud. she was, by all accounts, a woman who opened her doors to old lyme and wanted people to come in to talk about art, books, and learning. her mission continues, and the library is in such good hands.
i can't wait for march 31st! hope to see you all there!
January 4, 2019
Booklist Review for PRETEND SHE'S HERE
I’m so thrilled by this Booklist review for PRETEND SHE’S HERE! (It will be out February 26, but you can pre-order it now—just click on the title.)
December 17, 2018
THE BEAUTIFUL LOST in paperback
I’m very excited: the first copies of THE BEAUTIFUL LOST in paperback have landed at my house. The book will be out on January 29, 2019 and is available for pre-order. I am in love with the cover…the evening sky—that gorgeous shade of blue filled with stars, constellations telling their own story…the silhouettes of Maia and Billy…the beach grasses swaying in the starlight…lights in the vehicle glowing with warmth and promise.
How do you feel about the paperback cover? It’s different from the hardcover version… I hope you feel it’s as magical as I do. If any of you have already read the novel in hardcover, you might notice that the vehicle depicted in this artwork is different from that in the book—i love the fact the cover designer took poetic (or artistic) license…not meant to be taken LITERALLY, but still giving, or even magnifying, the feeling or suggestion of what’s there on the page. In other words—this lovely little round-topped car is the emotional and artistic equivalent of the ol’ red truck.
As you can see, the kitties have approved the cover and what’s inside. That’s Emelina, shown above, and the kittens—Ivy, Patrick (hiding behind the green bookshelf,) and Orion are in the photo below. You can read about THE BEAUTIFUL LOST and find links to buy it here.
Lots of love, and can’t wait to hear what you think about the cover, the story, your own road trip tales, your own experiences of seeking truth, connection, and mysterious lighthouses in your own lives.
November 10, 2018
Malibu Fires
sunset, not fire. looking across topanga canyon a year ago.
Malibu. I am sending love to all my friends, to the firefighters, to the animals, to the canyons, to the mountains, all affected by the Woolsey Fire. I lived there, and I return when i can. These pictures were taken from my house a year ago. If i were there now, I would see the hills consumed with flames. People have been evacuated. The PCH was a parking lot yesterday, with evacuees driving south to safety. Right now large animals are being kept alive at Zuma beach. The photos of houses and land on fire are heart-wrenching.
Western Town burned down—it was a film set at Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica mountains. I used to take family and friends there when they would visit, to hike among the live oaks (some scarred from past fires) and walk through the ghost town. Our friend Robert Loggia shot there, shows and films.
California fires are pure nature, driven by strong Santa Ana winds, fueled by chaparral (dense, highly flammable shrubbery--fire regulations required that i cut mine on the canyon side every year before fire season started.) Fire season is now year-round. Love to Malibu, Thousand Oaks, everyone affected, especially my dear friend Veronique and her dogs Walter and Daisy.
the hills in peaceful times.
October 24, 2018
Pretend She's Here
Emily Lonergan's best friend died last year.
And Emily hasn't stopped grieving. Lizzie Porter was lively, loud, and fun -- Emily's better half. Emily can't accept that she's gone.
When Lizzie's parents and her sister come back to town to visit, Emily's heartened to see them. The Porters understand her pain. They miss Lizzie desperately, too.
Desperately enough to do something crazy.
Something unthinkable.
Suddenly, Emily's life is hurtling toward a very dark place -- and she's not sure she'll ever be able to return to what she once knew was real.
From New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a breathless, unputdownable story of suspense, secrets -- and the strength that love gives us to survive even the most shocking of circumstances.
Available for order:
October 18, 2018
October on the Marsh
October on the marsh brings a change of light, deepening of colors, cool evenings, migratory birds—some leaving, others arriving, the brightest sunrises I’ve seen since arriving here, and boats heading home to safe harbors.
A week ago we saw the last of the tree swallows, flying from all directions just before sunset, swooping along the river’s surface, gathering over this stretch of the Connecticut River, then rising in a cloud, high in the sky, a tornado of birds funneling down into the reeds on Goose Island. The river was full of boats and kayaks, a growing number of people discovering the phenomenon and coming to watch.
There is so much to see in the marsh. Watching is its own meditation. Oak trees around the marsh’s perimeter are dropping leaves and acorn; white-breasted nuthatches inch up and down the bark, then swoop onto the suet feeder. The tall marsh grass is no longer bright green. Sunrise burnishes it dark gold. Midday sun turns it silver, swaying in the constant breeze. The flowers on the terrace are still in bloom—summer holding on as long as possible. The last monarch chrysalises are still green on the milkweed; they hatch, and the butterflies dry their wings, and I watch them take their first flights, on their way to Mexico.
On warm days I keep the doors and windows open to hear the wind and birdcalls. Soon the temperatures will drop—we’ll have our first frost—and I’ll have to close the windows. I’ll miss the sounds of nature. But today the sky is bright, the door is open, and all the beauty is there to see and hear. Soon the trees will be bare, and snow will cover the marsh, and that will be beautiful too.
October 17, 2018
Emelina, Orion, Ivy, and Patrick
Summer’s over, and grief is complicated. Some days I’ll sit at my desk and think I feel Tim curling up on the back of my chair, behind my neck. I reach back to touch him, but he’s not there. No one will every replace him, but now we have kittens. I’d like to introduce you to three new members of the family: Orion, Ivy, and Patrick.
[image error]
this is orion. his name is pronounced "OR-ee-un" not "or-EYE-on". not like the constellation, but rather like orion ford, the noank lobsterman for whom he's named. orion appeared as a character in ROCKALL, a graphic novel by Amelia Onorato.
[image error]
hi ivy! your name was almost mavis, after Richard Shindell's "there goes mavis." and your middle name, therefore, is mavis... but you are such an ivy. who’s that looking over you?
patrick, named for my wonderful friend patrick carson
the whole family, clockwise from upper left: patrick, emelina, ivy, and orion
Here’s a video of Emelina with Ivy. It is so touching to me, bringing memories and echoes of Maisie and Tim. When Emelina and Tim were kittens and I brought them home, Tim loved Maisie on sight and wouldn't stop trying until she accepted him and returned his affection--no, not affection--love.
It's turning out to be like that with Emelina and Ivy. Emelina was really destroyed by Tim's death. They were litter mates and had never been apart. After he died, it broke my heart to watch her searching the house for him, going to his favorite spots, over and over. She actually got sick--very sick--and I wondered if it was from loneliness and missing him.
Then Orion, Ivy, and Patrick came to live with us (adopted from Friends of Old Lyme Animal Control, where there are many other wonderful cats of all ages waiting for homes.)
From the very beginning, Ivy has circled Emelina, inching toward her on the bed, reaching out with her paws. At first Emelina growled and swatted her away. It was pretty clear Ivy wanted a mother, and even though--to me--at 5 years old, Emelina is still my kitten--Ivy was determined.
slowly, this has started happening. Ivy's love and need for closeness is winning Emelina over, just as Tim's did with Maisie.
I feel so lucky and moved to be a witness--again--to what love can do. to feel it healing Emelina--Ivy, too. and, for that matter, me.
emelina and ivy
emelina and ivy
