We’re moving into the home stretch, with less than two weeks to go before DO OR DIE’s February 4th release!

Today’s (short but sweet) countdown feature is a link to a wonderful and fun (and spoiler free!) A+ review of DO OR DIE by The Book Nympho.  (Thanks, Book Nympho!)

Here’s the link:  http://thebooknympho.com/2014/01/review-do-or-die-by-suzanne-brockmann/

Happy Wednesday!  See you tomorrow for the next installment in the DO OR DIE Countdown.

Ed’s picking up the virtual signing books today (signing pix coming soon!), and I’m getting ready to head out onto the road for an east coast book tour (check my schedule on my appearances page, but more about that later in the week!).

I’ve been doing lots of interviews as part of the promotion for DO OR DIE, and one of my most frequently asked questions is about my writing method.

In fact, I recently did a recorded interview with my new audiobook publisher, Blackstone Audio (details about when you can listen to that on their website, Downpour.com, coming soon!), and one of the questions they sent me in advance, but we never got around to (because we started chatting about Navy SEALs!), was the following:

In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews says “Brockmann effortlessly and expertly tosses hundreds of details into the air and juggles them with brilliance…Enthralling and breathtaking.” When you are writing, what comes to mind first for you, the characters, setting, or the details surrounding the story line?

I’m gonna answer that for you here!

First, let me give a shout out to Kirkus. Thank you, that was a lovely review.

My writing process involves an excessive amount of outlining and note-making. Every author has his or her own method and mine includes extensive planning and plotting. So for me, it’s a mix of everything — characters, setting, plot — with an emphasis on the characters.

Because I often write connected books — or books in a series — my heroes are often characters that the readers have met before, and people I already know quite well. So I’m usually starting with a strong sense of who the hero is, and what his personal challenges and vulnerabilities might be. (Rule number one of a romance novel is to find your hero’s vulnerability, and then rub his face in it! For example, if he’s afraid of heights, make sure he’s forced to scale a cliff at the end of the book, in order to save the day. Right? Right.)

But when I’m starting from scratch with a brand new series or story arc, like DO OR DIE — which is the first book in the Reluctant Heroes series, a Troubleshooters spin-off — it all starts with something I call a “story seed.” It’s less than an idea. It’s a hint of an idea, and it’s usually something that evokes a strong emotional response for me.

For DO OR DIE, it was — and this might sound weird — but you know the wonderful old Paul Newman and Robert Redford movie, THE STING? It’s about con artists, about a big dangerous con job. And there’s this thing the characters do throughout the movie, it’s a signal they send to one another — they slide their finger down their nose. I loved that movie. I also grew up reading and loving Donald Westlake’s wildly funny and entertaining books about a somewhat inept team of con artists.

So my earliest thoughts of DO OR DIE included (warm and fuzzy) memories of Westlake’s books and THE STING’s unforgettable con artist signal, and I remember thinking, “What if I had a former Navy SEAL hero — a man of physical strength and action, who was, in fact, more at home conning the bad guys — using the power of words and persuasion to save the day, instead of typical SEAL explosions and gunfire?” I thought he would be a truly interesting character, so Ian Dunn was born, and I built on the idea from there.

Now, I don’t use that finger on the nose signal in the book, that belongs to THE STING, but that’s where my idea for this book started — that was the story seed. And of course, in DO OR DIE, the con goes terribly wrong, so the big action scene at the end includes SEAL-worthy explosions and gunfire! (Ian is, after all, a SEAL.)

DO OR DIE was a fun book to write with plenty of lighthearted, comedic scenes and humorous moments. I hope it’s as much fun to read as it was to write!

Happy Martin Luther King Day!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my heroes, and a source of great inspiration and hope!

One of my favorite songs, SHED A LITTLE LIGHT, was written in honor of this great man.  In truth, it’s every day that the sun rises, that I turn my thoughts to Dr. King’s hopes and dreams for our nation.  And James Taylor’s lyric: “There is a hunger in the center of the chest” is perhaps the most accurate description of why I must write the stories that I write — stories of hope and love (and sister and brotherhood).

Here’s a terrific live version, sung by James Taylor:

[youtube id=”http://youtu.be/p18qu4Te9j4″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Here’s the link to the YouTube video, in case the embedded video doesn’t work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p18qu4Te9j4

I was just a child when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, but I remember crying — my parents grieved, too. And they made sure I grew up with access to Dr. King’s wisdom.

His words have brought me great comfort and hope through the years, particularly:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

His words have also inspired me to act, to speak, to refuse to stand silently:

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

Here are some sites that list some of Dr. King’s most memorable words:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martin_luther_king_jr.html

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/23924.Martin_Luther_King_Jr_

And here’s a site that provides information and history about this great American leader:

http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king

“Let us turn our thoughts today
To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are bound…” — James Taylor

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See you tomorrow for the next installment in the DO OR DIE Countdown.

Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

Here it is, the cover art for Night Sky, the YA or Young Adult book I co-wrote with my daughter, Melanie!

And, also for the first time, a short blurb about the story, which is set in the futuristic paranormal world of my Fighting Destiny series. But while FD book #1, Born to Darkness, is set in Boston, Night Sky takes place in Florida.

In Night Sky, sixteen-year-old Skylar Reid is thrown into a strange world when she discovers that she has unique telekinetic and telepathic powers.  After Sasha, the child she babysits, is kidnapped and believed to be murdered, Sky and her best friend Calvin are approached by Dana, a mysterious girl who has super-abilities similar to Sky’s.  With the help of Dana and her sidekick Milo, the four teens — two from the rich part of town, and two living hand-to-mouth on the streets — embark on a quest to discover who killed Sasha, and to bring the killers to justice.

With Dana as Skylar’s surly and life-toughened mentor, Sky attempts to harness her powers to aid them in their quest. Complicating an already complex relationship with the older girl, Sky starts to fall for the dangerously handsome and enigmatic Milo–and begins to suspect that the attraction is mutual. But then Sky realizes that Sasha might still be alive, and the unlikely foursome’s mission becomes one of search and rescue, pitting the heroic teens against a very deadly enemy.

Night Sky is the first book in a YA trilogy set in the same dark future as Suzanne Brockmann’s Born to Darkness, a New York Times bestselling hardcover, published last year as the first installment in her Fighting Destiny series. Night Sky has the same mix of suspense, romance, humor, and the paranormal, and deals with many of the same themes, including society’s relentless exploitation and devaluation of females, and the empowerment that comes when women and girls recognize their strength and intellect, and stand up, fight back, and save the day.

Meet the authors: The mother/daughter writing team of Suz and Melanie Brockmann!

Suzanne Brockmann and her daughter, Melanie Brockmann have been creative partners, on and off, for many years. Their first project was an impromptu musical duet, when then-six-month-old Melanie surprised and delighted Suz by matching her pitch and singing back to her. (Babies aren’t supposed to be able to do that.) Since then, Mel has gone on to play clarinet and saxophone, to sing in a wedding band, and to run seven-minute miles. She has become one of Sarasota, Florida’s most sought-after personal trainers. Suz has driven an ice-cream truck, directed an a cappella singing group, and can jog a twelve-minute mile when pushed. She is the multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of over fifty books. Night Sky is Melanie’s first novel and the mother-daughter team’s first literary collaboration. Each strongly suspects that the other is a Greater-Than.

Get a Night Sky bookmark (or two)!  
Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Suz & Melanie Brockmann
Night Sky Bookmark
PO Box 5146
Sarasota, FL 34277

P.S. We’ll be popping a bookmark or two in with all DO OR DIE virtual signing orders, and I’ll be handing them out during the DOD book tour, too!

Night Sky has a tentative release date of October 2014.  Watch my website for more information!

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See you on Monday for the next installment in the DO OR DIE Countdown!

Welcome to the countdown page for January 16th!

Just twenty days left until the February 4th release of DO OR DIE!

First: we had a chat last night on Day Ten’s blog page, with DO OR DIE’s audiobook narrators, Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank.  (Check it out — lotta good questions asked and fun answers given, down on the comments section of yesterday blog!)  Also — everyone who posted was entered into a drawing for a coupla cool prizes.  The winner of the ARC of DO OR DIE was Michelle Peterson, and Kim won the audio download of DO OR DIE, generously given by Blackstone Audio and Downpour.com.  I’ve contacted both winners via email! (So check your email Michelle and Kim!)

Today’s countdown feature is a link to an interview piece I did with fellow Random House author Tina Wainscott! Tina’s got a book called WILD ON YOU with a SEAL hero, coming out from Loveswept, and the publicity gang at Random House got the two of us together for a playdate of sorts! 🙂

It was fun talking to Tina! She asked me questions, I asked her questions. My favorite of hers: “If you had to choose one word to describe the appeal of military heroes for you personally, what would it be?”

Find out my answer at the Happy Ever After blog at The USA Today, “A conversation between Suzanne Brockmann and Tina Wainscott,” at http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/01/14/suzanne-brockmann-tina-wainscott-navy-seals/4484369/

P.S. Happy Oscar Announcement Day!

P.P.S.  Be sure to come back tomorrow!  The countdown page will feature the truly awesome cover art for my upcoming Young Adult novel, NIGHT SKY, plus the first blurb about this fun book that I co-wrote with my daughter Melanie!  (Author photos, too!)

Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

Join me here, in the comments section of this blog, tonight, January 15th, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET, as we chat with DO OR DIE’s audiobook narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank!

(AND! Another chance to win an ARC of DO OR DIE, plus a chance to win a download of the DO OR DIE audiobook! Details about that below!)

BREAKING NEWS: Blackstone Audio is going to be re-recording and reissuing the first four books in the Troubleshooters series, starting with THE UNSUNG HERO, using the dual narrator format with Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank as narrators! They tentatively expect to release THE UNSUNG HERO sometime this summer, followed closely by THE DEFIANT HERO, OVER THE EDGE and OUT OF CONTROL! I’ll keep you posted regarding the exact dates! Yay!

Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank have been reading my books for quite a few years, starting with FLASHPOINT, which was the first Troubleshooters book that was read using the dual narrator format.

For those of you who haven’t yet listened to any of my books on audio (and, oh! You should!), they are narrated or read by two people — one male (Patrick) and one female (usually Melanie).

See, I write my books using only one character’s deep point of view per scene. In other words, for example, the prologue for DO OR DIE is from Ian Dunn’s — the hero’s — point of view, and only from Ian’s point of view. That entire scene is written in his voice, with his words. We see the world through his eyes. So it makes sense for Patrick to read that scene, right?

But DO OR DIE’s chapter one, scene one, is from the heroine, Phoebe Kruger’s point of view. Again, we see the world through her eyes and only her eyes. So who reads that scene? Melanie.

The entire book is broken down that way, written in the points of view of a handful of male and female characters, in addition to Ian and Phoebe. So, Patrick reads all of the male characters scenes, while Melanie reads all of those from the point of view of the women. See how that works?

It’s incredibly listenable — is that a word? But it really is a fun format!

And I love the forethought and preparation that both Patrick and Melanie bring to each project. Before each recording, we talk about the book, about the characters — Patrick and Melanie approach the story from an actor’s viewpoint, which I truly appreciate. They’re brilliant. They’re equally at home with comedy and drama. I love them rather madly, and was thrilled to be able to keep working with them at Blackstone, my new audiobook publisher.

Here’s some fun trivia. One of my most popular characters in the Troubleshooters series is Navy SEAL named Izzy Zanella. I created Izzy specifically for Patrick to read. Writing Izzy’s books — he’s been in a number of them, and he’s incredibly irreverent — it was a lot of fun. I could hear Patrick’s voice in my head the entire time I was writing. It was very inspiring! When Patrick reads my books, he “gets” the cadence and the rhythm of the sentences exactly.

So okay. Come by this blog page tonight, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET, and post your questions and comments for Patrick and Melanie. (I’ll be here, too!)

Feel free to post questions and comments in advance, but because this is a real-time chat, Patrick and Melanie will start by answering those questions that are posted at 9:00 p.m. ET, and will get to the earlier-posted questions if there is time.

Contest Details: As usual, everyone who posts on this page starting . . . NOW and ending tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET, is automatically entered into a drawing where one lucky reader/listener will win an ARC (advance copy) of DO OR DIE, and another lucky reader/listener will win a download of the DO OR DIE audiobook, via Downpour.com, courtesy of the lovely folks at Blackstone Audio! (Fine print: The DO OR DIE audio download won’t be available until the book’s 2/4/14 release date.)

Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

Today’s countdown page features another *starred* review for DO OR DIE, this time from the esteemed Booklist.

The Booklist reviewer says:

“In the first book in a new series, best-selling Brockmann (Born to Darkness, 2012) introduces former Navy SEAL Ian Dunn, who is in jail for a crime he did not commit, but to which he pleaded guilty to protect his younger brother and his family, unbeknownst to them. Ian is offered his freedom if he will snatch two children from the Kazbekistani consulate in Miami. They are the offspring of an American nuclear physicist and her estranged and vicious Kazbekistani husband. Ian refuses because he fears that his release will trigger an attack by the Dellarosa mob, but he’s sent on the mission anyway. Sure enough, he has to fend off the mob and bear his brother’s undeserved scorn. In the midst of a wild plot and an even more convoluted family scenario, Ian falls for Phoebe Kruger, the lawyer almost accidentally representing him. Brockmann leaves the reader breathless, and longing for sequels. The sex is great, the action nonstop; and the dialogue between Ian and Phoebe is some of Rita Award-winning Brockmann’s best. Her fans will cheer, as will all military-romance fans.”

Thanks, Booklist!

As for the “longing for sequels” comment — I’m working on the sequel right now! It’s called ALL OR NOTHING, and it features Martell Griffin (one of DO OR DIE’s major secondary characters) as the hero!

Read more about Martell Griffin here: https://suzannebrockmann.com/die-countdown-day-five/

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And hey, a reminder! Tomorrow’s countdown features a chat, right here in my blog’s comments section, with DO OR DIE’s audiobook narrators Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank! (That’s January 15, 2014, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET!) Come join the conversation and get another opportunity to win BOTH an ARC of DO OR DIE and (and!) a CD audiobook of FLASHPOINT, which is the first book Patrick and Melanie narrated for me! (More info on our illustrious history in the lead up to tomorrow night’s chat! See you there!)

Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

Happy Monday and welcome back to my countdown to the February 4th release (in hardcover, ebook and audio) of DO OR DIE!

Today we have another winner of an ARC of DO OR DIE, Shari David! Congrats, Shari, and thanks for posting on my website blog!

Today’s Countdown is about a different kind of virtual signing.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I’ve been hammering you for weeks now with the DoD VS. (And thank you to all who’ve ordered a signed copy of the gimundous hardcover! I’m posting pix — this is the longest book I’ve ever written!)

Yes, that might be Navy SEAL Dan Gillman on the cover. Or perhaps it’s Jay Lopez…

But, see, I didn’t do a virtual signing last year, when HEADED FOR TROUBLE was released. HFT is the anthology of Troubleshooters stories and novellas, and it came out in paperback, back in the Spring. (Remember Spring? Ah, Spring…)

I was deep in revisions for DO OR DIE at the time, and I wasn’t able to handle the logistics for a virtual signing of HEADED FOR TROUBLE.

But if you still want a signed copy of this book, to make your signed collection complete, now’s your chance.

I’m heading up to Massachusetts for part of my DoD book tour, and I’m going to be visiting Merry Cutler, my favorite indie bookseller, at her store, Annie’s Book Stop, in Sharon, MA. (Merry and I go waaaay back. I remember doing signings at her lovely new/used bookstore when the Tall, Dark & Dangerous series first came out. FYI, Merry was named Romantic Times Magazine’s Bookseller of the Year, 2008 — well deserved recognition!)

Merry has let me know that she’s willing to take orders for signed copies of HEADED FOR TROUBLE (or any other signed copies of my backlist titles that are available in paperback), and ship ‘em to you. Merry might also have some paperback originals of my early category romances (hard to find with their original covers!) on hand for those of you who are collectors — drop her an email or give her a call to see exactly what she’s got!

Merry’s very organized, so you can order any or all of your books personalized or signature only, or even a mix. (Signed books make great gifts, and I’m always happy to write a Happy Birthday message!) And, Merry’s shipping and handling rates are really affordable for paperback books. She tells me that, via media mail, in addition to the cover price and tax on the book, she can send one paperback for $3.99 S&H, with 75 cents for each additional title shipped to the same address.

If you’re interested in getting a signed copy of HEADED FOR TROUBLE (or any other book besides DO OR DIE!), contact Merry Cutler by phone (781-784-4306) or fax (781-784-7075) or email, at [email protected]

Merry says, “I’ll take checks, money orders, charges by phone or fax.”

And if you live in Southern New England and want to get your book(s) signed in person, just drop by Merry’s store, Annie Book Stop, 362 South Main St., Sharon, MA 02067, on February 18th. (I’ll be there for much of the late afternoon and early evening, signing books and schmoozing with Merry!)  (Deets on my appearances page!)

P.S. If you do want a signed copy of HEADED FOR TROUBLE, contact Merry sooner rather than later — even just drop her an email so she’ll know to order enough copies of the book! Thank you!

Here’s the link to the Headed for Trouble page:
https://suzannebrockmann.com/books/troubleshooters/headed-for-trouble/

Join me tomorrow for Countdown Day Nine!

And a reminder!  On Wednesday, January 15th, I’m hosting a chat, right here on my blog page, with the amazing audiobook narrators of DO OR DIE:  Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank.  They’ll be here to answer your questions from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m ET.  So pop in with your questions, or just drop by to give them a little love!

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Read DO OR DIE’s cover blurb at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/

Get a signed hardcover copy via my DO OR DIE Virtual signing at https://suzannebrockmann.com/upcoming/do-or-die/dod-virtual-signing/

The winner of the ARC of DO OR DIE from last night’s chat is . . .

Cathy Hudson!  Cathy, email me (as soon as possible!) at [email protected] with your snail mail address — and let me know if you want the ARC personalized to you or just simply signed!

Thanks to all who came onto this blog to chat last night!  The chat is archived here! (And remember, we’ll be chatting next week, too, on Wednesday, January 15th, from 9 to 10 p.m. ET with DO OR DIE audiobook narrators Patrick Lawlor, Melanie Ewbank, and me!)

On to the Countdown!

Today’s countdown feature is a recommended read — and another ARC giveaway — I recently realized that I’ve got a few extras, deets at the bottom of the post!

The book is HUNTED, by debut author Elizabeth Heiter.

HUNTED is a well-written, heart-pounding, serial-killer-thriller that I absolutely loved! (But more about the book in a moment. First a little history.)

Elizabeth Heiter crossed my radar back in August, 2010, when I held a contest for writers. I was giving away a chance to attend the COWF Writers Conference in Columbus, Ohio, to be held in October of that same year. See, I was set to be the conference’s keynote speaker, and I usually request, in the place of a speaking fee or honorarium, to be given a fully paid conference fee that I can then give to a deserving writer. Part of the prize was a chance to sit down and talk to me, during the weekend of the conference.

Well, I happen to love haiku. It was, I believe, the twitter of its time. Concise and yet poetic, it has a pattern of five syllables, then seven, then five. So I asked writers to tell me, in haiku verse, exactly why they wanted to win and attend that conference. I received quite a few entries, and many were really good. But Elizabeth’s caught my eye.

Here, from August 2010, is Elizabeth Heiter’s winning haiku:

Been peeking in doors
Need some sturdier boots now
Want to kick them down

I loved everything about that haiku — the imagery, the determination, and the passion. This was, I believed, a writer who was going to go far.

Elizabeth continued to impressed me when we met during the conference, and we’ve stayed in touch. I wasn’t surprised when she emailed to tell me that she’d sold her first book, a thriller, to Harlequin’s Mira line. Since then, she’s sold four more novels, a sequel to Hunted called Vanished, to be published by Mira; and a trilogy of romances called “The Lawman” series, to be published by Harlequin Intrigue, all in 2015.

(Door — kicked open wide!)

Hunted, out now from Mira (and available in paperback, e-book, and audio) is the story of a courageous and intelligent young female FBI profiler, who catches the attention of a serial killer called the Bakersville Burier. (Yes, he’s as wonderfully creepy as he sounds!)

Hunted is a fast-paced, exciting page-turner, with a memorable cast of characters, that’ll make you check that your windows and doors are locked at night!

I highly recommend this book, which is available now from Mira!

Here’s the cover blurb, and a whole, long, glowing list of recommendations!

Congrats, Elizabeth!

Find out more about Elizabeth at her website, www.elizabethheiter.com
Find Elizabeth on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elizabeth.heiter.author
Follow her on Twitter @ElizabethHeiter

Today’s Countdown to the February 4th release of DO OR DIE is a chat, right here on this blog page, in the comments section below!

I’ll be here to answer questions and say hi from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET.

Everyone who posts a comment (today, Jan. 9th, between now and 9:30 p.m. ET)  is automatically entered to win a signed ARC (advance copy) of DO OR DIE!  (So do pop in, even if just to say hi!)

Now, this website is new, and I’ve never done a chat here before, so we’ll be feeling our way as we go.  But I think it’ll be pretty simple.  You leave a question or comment in the comment section, and I reply!  (If you have more to say, you then reply to my reply!  Yay!) (And the coolest part is that our conversations will be archived.  In the past, I’ve done similar chats on Facebook, but they scroll away into the mists of time!)

Here are instructions for the technologically challenged:

Start by going to the blog page for DO OR DIE Countdown: Day Six.

(And yes, some of you who are reading this are already here!  Good job!)

Scroll down to the comments section (or click on the link to “Comments” at the top of the page.)

If there are a lot of questions already posted, quickly scan through to see if your question has been asked.  If it has, feel free to hit reply to that question and add your thoughts and comments.  If not, post your question as a new comment!

(Just fill in the required info: your name, and your email address.  Your website is optional.  But DO click the button that says “Confirm that you are not a spammer,” or else your post will get pulled into my spam folder and not appear on the page!)

Feel free to post your question (or comment — you’re welcome to just say hi, or let me know which books resonated with you, etc!) throughout the day today if you can’t attend the chat during tonight’s timeframe.  But when I sign in to the site at 8:00 pm. (ET), I’m gonna start by answering any questions posted live first.  (Because that’s what makes a live chat most fun — the ability to interact in real time!)  I’ll get to as many of the previously posted questions as I can!  And everyone who posts is eligible to win the ARC.

But here’s the deal (AKA fine print) about winning the ARC.  I will notify the winner on tomorrow’s Countdown page, and that winner must then email me with snailmail info within 24 hours, so I can sign and sent the prize.  THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO ALL READERS WHO LIVE ON PLANET EARTH.  (Sorry Omicron Beti Fivers.)

Okay, that’s it!  See you tonight!

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