Alan Heathcock's highly anticipated book is already #9 on the Barnes & Noble bestseller list, and was named B&N's Book of the Month nationwide. VOLT has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Library Journal; is a Barnes & Noble's "Discover Great New Writers" selection; and made Powell's Bestsellers list.

At an electrifying book launch, March 4th at Boise's Linen Building, Mr. Heathcock read "Smoke," one of the compelling short stories in the collection. At the same time, Mr. Heathcock congratulated fellow author Anthony Doerr for winning this year's Story Prize, a national award that honors the year's best short-story collection.  

Copies of Mr. Heathcock's and Mr. Doerr's books are available locally at Rediscovered Bookshop downtown.

Anthony Doerr's new book features four short stories and two big novellas. An entire story is set in the Wood River Valley.  The title novella won the 2010 National Magazine Award for fiction, the second story has been called “a masterpiece of observed detail and intuitive poetic sense, like DeLillo at his best,” the fourth story won an O. Henry Prize, and the fifth story won a 2011 Pushcart Prize. 

“It’s fair to say,” declares Dave Eggers, “that Anthony Doerr is doing things with the short story that have rarely been attempted and seldom achieved.”

Available from Rediscovered Bookshop, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Amazon.com

A jackalope, an old Mexican ghost story, haunting landscapes, and a road trip with Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey. These are some of the tales you will read in Voices from the Snake River Plain, a new collection of short stories, poems and essays from three award-winning writers, Bonnie Dodge, Dixie Thomas Reale and Patricia Santos Marcantonio.

“We tell stories about people who haven’t yet found their own voice, or of those who have lost their voices along their travels. Sometimes our stories rise out of the landscape and from dreams. Sometimes they reach into the past, or into the future, but mostly, our stories echo the human heart,” wrote the authors.

                                            Available from Amazon.com and Lulu.com.

                     Winner of the Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award

The fractured fairy tale gets cool Latino flavor in this lively collection of 11 fresh retellings, with witty reversals of class and gender roles and powerful, full-page pictures that set the drama in venues ranging from the desert and the barrio to a skyscraper. The old scary demons, such as the witch in the forest, are in evidence, but there's also a Sleeping Beauty story told about a hurt, angry orphan witch who gets revenge for not being invited to a spoiled, rich girl's quinceacera. In "Emperador's New Clothes," Emperador runs the high-school scene. His perfectly gelled, spiky hair makes him look as if he just popped out of a teen magazine. Then Veronica tricks him into appearing at the assembly in his underpants. Unfortunately, some messages are much too heavily spelled out: Beauty teaches Beast not only about the revolution but also about the meaning of fear and true ugliness; Jack finds his dream not in the sky but in hard work. 
 
                                               Available from Amazon.com 

Fortified by hot dogs and Starbucks coffee, savvy advertising executive Monty West tackles the challenges of promotion, romance and shifting corporate loyalties.

When her Seattle-based magazine becomes the object of a takeover attempt by Vannesse Industries, a global communications firm based in Paris, sparks fly personally and professionally between Monty and CEO Jean Claude Vannesse. As part of the corporate transition team, Monty travels to Paris and her situation gets even more complicated. Do Jean Claude's acquisition plans include her?

Despite her fast-paced business life, Monty makes time for personal reflection and often seeks the advice of Fog, a street vendor who dispenses wise Eastern philosophy along with his hot dog relish. She gains additional balance from good friends, good wine, and her canine companion, Cinnamon.

Available as a Kindle e-book for $1.99     http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052GA8UY

Come back soon for writings and readings by Idaho writers.