Posts Tagged ‘Thriller’

DailyLit Launches 2nd Piece of Original Fiction from Laurel Dewey

Laurel Dewey’s inimitable heroine Detective Jane Perry returns in You Can’t Judge a Book by its Cover, her first “blog entry” and the second work of original fiction created for DailyLit. Jane, whom Dewey introduced to DailyLit readers in Unfinished Death, is a tough detective with a disarmingly honest voice: “Being a cop is all I know how to do and I’m good at it. That’s not arrogance, that’s confidence…I can walk into a hot crime scene while the blood is still wet and death still hangs heavy in the air and I can hear the walls whisper their secrets. Sometimes I can hear the screams and pleas from the victims before they took their last breath.” Enjoy!

Winners of the 50 Word Crime Noir Challenge

In September our Reader Challenge asked you to write a crime noir in 50 Words. Thanks to all who participated–so many of you submitted great mini-crime stories, making for a great challenge. Our guest judge James Ellroy just picked his three winners.

Without further ado, here, in no particular order, are the winning crime noirs. Congratulations! Each winner will receive a free signed copy of Blood’s a Rover, Ellroy’s new novel.

“Not What It Seemed” by seagoat
 I almost fell for the dame. She murdered Case and now she was going down. She yanked her little gun from her purse and fired. She was a lousy shot. I slugged her beautiful face. The wig flew off. I gaped. Then I kicked him in the crotch.

Untitled, by mstrust
“It’s done?” she asked.
He had a photo as proof. She looked closely. Held out a bag.
“Killing his girlfriend was cheaper.”
“You hired someone else?” He sounded hurt.
“Simple job,” she smiled.
He shook his head.
“Scorned women keep me in business.”
“Hits?”
“Arrests,” he said, pulling his badge.

“A Friend in Need” by snailgenie
In trouble again.
She wiped the rain out of her eyes, or was it tears?
He hesisted…
She wasn’t the brightest bulb, but then again, he often had a hangover.
He sighed and offered her his coat.
Later, he’d regret leaving his handcuffs in the pocket.

Read all the entries in our Reader Challenge forum.

Halloween Reads

The origins of All Hallow’s Eve go back to the Celts, whose autumn festival Samhain celebrates the end of the “lighter half” of the year and beginning of the “darker half.”

Come to the dark side with one of our spooky books. And have a very happy Halloween.

DailyLit News: October 2009

Note from the CEO
It’s a month of style, soup, and spooks.  Check out our new DailyLit Style line launching with Shoes, Bags and Tiaras featuring stunning objects from the Victoria & Albert museum collection. We’ve also got recipes from Molly Katzen (known for her bestselling Moosewood Cookbook); the spooky Legend of Sleepy Hollow as our new Big Read; oh, and for the beat of a different drummer, we’ve got a new memoir from Stewart Copeland, drummer for The Police.

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
susan [at] dailylit [dot] com

New! DailyLit Style Kicks off with Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras
We’ve created DailyLit Style to bring you fashion, art and style of all kinds. Kicking off this line is Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras featuring objects from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London sent directly to your inbox one gorgeous object at a time. Read it—FREE.

New Reads: Recipes, A Rocker, and More
—Get Cooking by Mollie Katzen: The author of the best-selling “Moosewood Cookbook” has just released a brand new collection of recipes, from Genuine Mac & Cheese to Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crunchy Things; we’ve got a taste for you. Read it—FREE.
—Strange Things Happen by Stewart Copeland: He’s the drummer for The Police, one of the most successful rock bands of all time. Find out what happened backstage, pictures and all. Read it—FREE.
—Unfinished Death by Laurel Dewey: In anticipation of the paperback release of Dewey’s detective novel, “Redemption,” each month we’re releasing one original, never before published story featuring her inimitable character, Jane Perry. Read this month’s story—FREE.

DailyLit’s Big Read: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
With Halloween approaching, we’ve made the classic short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow our next Big Read. Join us in following our hero Ichabod Crane into the dark, misty woods. Read it—FREE:

Reader Challenge: Tea with the Queen
As a tribute to the launch of “Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras” from the Victoria & Albert Museum collection, this month’s Reader Challenge will challenge you to invite an unlikely character for tea with the queen.  Describe this encounter in one sentence and post your royal responses in our Reader Challenge Forum. (For those of you who took part in last month’s challenge, winners will be announced shortly.)

Fresh Voices, Fresh Tastes
We’re proud to announce the launch of two series from our very own DailyLit Externs: Authors in the Kitchen by Megan Halpern features bestselling authors, including Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife), talking about cooking and the stories that spice it up. The Ghost in the Pantry by Erin Ferretti-Slattery features recipes and stories that highlight’s her own family’s rich history. Read Authors in the Kitchen or The Ghost in the Pantry—FREE.

DailyLit Selects (This Week: Malcolm Gladwell)
DailyLit Selects is our on-going series of excerpts from new and noteworthy authors. This week we’re featuring an excerpt from Malcolm Gladwell’s new book What the Dog Saw. You can also check out excerpts from Dan Brown’s new book and Oprah’s latest book club pick. Read DailyLit Selects—FREE.

DailyLit News: August 2009

Note from the CEO
We’re thrilled to announce that DailyLit was selected to be the #1 Book Website by The Sunday Times (thanks, Sunday Times!) And thanks to all of you who have contributed ideas and enthusiasm which help spur us on to make DailyLit better and better. In fact, in our effort to continually improve, we have a survey we hope you’ll fill out.

Thanks again for all your support.

Sincerely,
Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
susan@dailylit.com

NPR’s List of “Best Beach Reads Ever”
Our usual Big Read is on vacation this month (it’s August, after all!). Instead, we thought we’d highlight books on DailyLit that made NPR’s list of “Best Beach Reads Ever” (as determined by its audience). Here they are—all available for FREE on DailyLit:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen;
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain;
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy;
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas;
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott;
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll;
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte;
Dracula by Bram Stoker;
and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. FREE for the taking.

Get Organized, Get Away, Get Thrills: New Books on DailyLit
—Get Organized: Staying organized doesn’t come easily to most kids—or to most parents for that matter. I’m definitely signing up for this series on Organizing the Disorganized Child: Tips and Tricks. It’s being made available for FREE on DailyLit thanks to HarperStudio, which is coming out with Organizing the Disorganized Child this fall.

—Get Away: August may be a popular vacation month, but if you can’t get away, escape with our Travel Books. Check out the 100 Places Every Woman Should Go or head out on safari with Whatever You Do, Don’t Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide.

—Get Thrills: If you’d rather read for thrills, we’re offering more short stories from best-selling author Jeffery Deaver in More Twisted and a pulp sci-fi classic, Star Ways, by award-winning author Poul Anderson.
Reader Challenge: Summer in 6 Words
With summer starting to wind down (ugh, can’t believe I said that!), this month’s reader challenge highlights a favorite back-to-school assignment. Tell us what you did on your summer vacation in—you guessed it—six words, and share your odes to summertime in our Reader Challenge Forum.
Tips and Tricks on DailyLit

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—Show Off: Show your friends what you’re reading by putting the DailyLit book roll onto your blog. Login to DailyLit and you’ll see a link to “Add a book roll to your blog” under the “Your Widgets” heading.

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Get Short Stories by Best-selling Author Jeffery Deaver for $.99

Exciting news!  Best-selling thriller author Jeffery Deaver is now available on DailyLit. And, the Deaver launch also brings about another DailyLit first: you can subscribe to the full book, Twisted: Collected Short Stories, or just a single story–which, for a limited time only, will cost you just$.99. The stories, like Beautiful and Without Jonathan, are full of the twists and suspense that have made Deaver a prize-winning author. For less than a buck you can sneak a few thrills into your day. Happy reading!

DailyLit News: July 2009

Note from the CEO

We have a real treat for you this month. One of my favorite authors, Pulitzer Prize-winning Jhumpa Lahiri, is making a short story available for FREE to DailyLit readers. We’re also offering a spy thriller by best-selling author Joe Finder for FREE. And, for some short summertime reads, check out stories by best-selling authors Jeffery Deaver and Mary Higgins Clark. Oh, and if you appreciate what we’ve been doing, come become a fan on Facebook.

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
susan@dailylit.com

DailyLit’s Big Read: Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Jhumpa Lahiri

Our new July Big Read is (drumroll please…) Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, “Hell-Heaven,” from Unaccustomed Earth. For those of you not familiar with Jhumpa Lahiri, she’s a best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and deserves all the glowing praise there is; she’s simply amazing! Here she tells the story of a family forever changed by one woman’s quiet love. READ FOR FREE.

Featured Free Thriller: Paranoia by Best-selling Author Joe Finder

Best-selling author Joe Finder comes to DailyLit with the spy thriller Paranoia, made completely FREE for our readers. Here’s what you have in store: when a slacker employee crosses his boss, to avoid criminal charges he needs to spy on a rival corporation. Soon he’s in way over his head—and then the real nightmare begins. READ FOR FREE.

Reader Challenge: Summer Love in One Sentence

Inspiration for this month’s reader challenge came from Jhumpa Lahiri, who’s known for her turns of phrase that are short yet revealing. You’ll see what I mean when you read “Hell-Heaven”, this month’s Big Read, which tells the story of an unexpected love. In a single sentence—that’s right, a single sentence—tell your own story of summer love. Share your single-sentence love story in our Reader Challenge Forum.

Short Stories from Jeffery Deaver and Mary Higgins Clark

…are now here! Jeffery Deaver, described as the “grand master of the plot twist,” comes to DailyLit with thrilling crime stories. Get single stories for just $.99 (for a limited time only!) or read the whole collection, Twisted. And we’ve got mystery stories from Mary Higgins Clark’s The Lottery Winner, which spent 12 weeks on PW’s bestseller list.

Inspiring Tips for Your Life

- The Life Plan: Many of us would like to make our lives better but don’t know where to start. The Life Plan: 700 Simple Ways to Change Your Life for the Better offers daily tips and inspiration to improve your life throughout the year. Check it out HERE.

- My Start-Up Life: Here’s a book that will either inspire you or thoroughly depress you! At the age of 12 Ben Casnocha founded a company; by 19 he was a CEO. Just think of him as the Doogie Howser of Silicon Valley. Read it HERE.

Classics by Request

Thanks to requests from readers “Cloward” and “dreamdust,” we’ve just launched an early collection of poems by C.S. Lewis. Spirits in Bondage, one of Lewis’s first published works, is now available for FREE on DailyLit. Read C.S. Lewis for FREE.

DailyLit is on Facebook

DailyLit is on Facebook! Become a fan of DailyLit to see who else is reading with us and show your friends what you spend all your time at “work” doing. Plus, you’ll get the latest from DailyLit and find out about new books and features right as they happen. Become a fan and share your thoughts about DailyLit HERE. (Oh, and @DailyLit is on Twitter, too!)

Short Stories from a Master of Suspense, Mary Higgins Clark

We’ve just launched a short story collection from Mary Higgins Clark, America’s “Queen of Suspense.” The Lottery Winner features a number of adventures with Willy and Alvirah, a pair of sleuthing lottery-winners. Although luck was on their side when they won the lottery, Willy and Alvirah now seem to attract trouble: a visit to the Cape and a spa getaway lead to dead bodies and stolen jewelry rather than rest and relaxation. Luckily reading these stories isn’t the least bit stressful.

Best-Selling Author Joe Finder’s “Paranoia” Free on DailyLit

We’re excited to announce that best-selling author Joe Finder is now on DailyLit! Today saw the launch of Paranoia, a novel that Publishers Weekly described as “the real deal: a thriller that actually will keep readers up way past their bedtimes.” Espionage and corporate intrigue take center stage in this story of a slacker-turned-spy who gets in way over his head. The best part? Thanks to its publisher, Macmillan, the book is completely FREE for DailyLit readers. And we all heart free books. Enjoy!