Lisa Manterfield

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July 17, 2020 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

Em’s Book Birthday = Presents for You

Today is the 3rd Book Birthday of THE SMALLEST THING!

When the book came out in 2017, I never imagined we’d be living our own version of the story. But here we are.

Regardless, I am celebrating. I have birthday gifts for YOU.

Three winners will each have a choice of prizes. Up for grabs are:

THE SMALLEST THING in your choice of format: signed paperback, ebook, or audiobook

OR

A STRANGE COMPANION in either signed paperback or ebook

To enter, all you have do is leave a comment below by July 31. I’ll draw three winners on August 1, 2020.

If you haven’t checked out my podcast yet, please do. Each week I share a chapter of THE SMALLEST THING, along with some behind the scenes tidbits on the history and inspiration behind the story, as well as what’s going on in our pandemic world.

You can listen to the latest episode below and find the entire season here or on your podcast app of choice.

Filed Under: Book Love, The Story Behind the Story Tagged With: A Strange Companion, fiction, giveaway, podcast, The Smallest Thing, young adult Leave a Comment

December 12, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

My Favorite Books of 2019

As the year comes to a close, I’m looking back at some of the books I’ve read and loved this year (and really wishing I’d kept a written list somewhere. #2020 goals) 

Here’s Part I, and when I remember more, I’ll add Part II. Hey, it’s the holidays; I have eggnog brain.

Sadie

This book by Courtney Summers is exactly my kind of gritty psychological suspense. The dual points of view follow 19-year-old Sadie as she tries to catch up with the man she believes killed her little sister. On Sadie’s trail is the true crime podcaster looking for a worthy story about missing girls. He gets one with Sadie.

This is a fast-paced read that makes you feel almost dizzy as Sadie uncovers a terrible chain of secrets and the investigative reporter finds his own version of the truth. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Watch Me Disappear

Another suspense that kept me up late at night, Janelle Brown’s Watch Me Disappear kept me guessing to the last pages. 

Not long after her mother hikes into the wilderness and disappears, her teenage daughter, Olive, starts having visions. Convinced her mother is still alive, Olive sets out to find her. Meanwhile, Olive’s father grapples with the worry that his daughter needs psychological help, until he uncovers clues that cause him to doubt everything he thought he knew about his wife. 

This is a twisty, turny tale that keeps you asking, “Is she/isn’t she?” and one that deals with love, grief, and hope in a very real way.

Love and Ruin

I love Paula McLain’s historical fiction and this one didn’t let me down. A companion of sorts to her earlier Paris Wife, this book follows the story of renowned war correspondent, Martha Gellhorn, and her relationship with Ernest Hemingway. 

While I’m a sucker for the romance of that era (which often isn’t always all that romantic) it’s the harrowing scenes of Gellhorn reporting from the front lines that kept me riveted. Gellhorn works around the rules to put herself in the thick of it, often as the only female journalist in the combat zones. Ultimately it’s the story of a woman ahead of her time who fought hard for her place in the world.

Hate U Give

I was late to the party on this book but it more than delivered on the hype. It’s the story of sixteen year-old Starr Carter, an African-American teen caught between the two worlds of the inner city neighborhood where she lives and the preppy suburb where she goes to school. 

When Starr witnesses the police shooting of her best friend, those two worlds come crashing together. Only Starr knows the truth about what happened that night, but speaking up could put her life and her family in danger.  This is truly a story for our times, and the audiobook version is brilliant.

The Dutch House

Ann Patchett is one of my favorite authors and she did not let me down with The Dutch House. The audio version is narrated by Tom Hanks, who perfectly brings to life Danny Conroy as he tells the story of his family’s rise to wealth and their downfall at the hands of a “wicked” stepmother.

Exiled from their childhood home, Danny and his sister Maeve are left to fend for themselves with only one another for support. Maeve cooks up a plan to keep the pair alive and to exact a slow-burning revenge on the woman who ruined their lives. Ultimately this is a story of family, identity, and forgiveness. 

I’ll be posting more recommendations before the end of the year, so be sure to sign up for my newsletter for alerts.

What were some of your favorite reads this year?

Filed Under: Book Love Tagged With: 2019, Angie thomas, Ann Patchett, Courtney summers, favorite books, Janelle Brown, Paula McLain Leave a Comment

September 12, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

THE SMALLEST THING Audiobook Blog Tour Starts Today

The new audiobook of The Smallest Thing is heading out on tour!

Beginning today, September 12, through September 18, you can follow Em as she visits audiobook bloggers and reviewers. I’ll be doing interviews and Q&As, as well as sharing some Top Ten lists. some of the bloggers will be sharing their reviews of The Smallest Thing.

Here are all the stops Em and I will be making:

Sep. 12th:
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview)
Viviana MacKade (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Top 10 List)

Sep. 13th:
Locks, Hooks and Books (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)
The Book Junkie Reads . . . (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)
Turning Another Page (Review, Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview)

Sep. 14th:
Country Road Reviews (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)
All the Ups and Downs (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview)

Sep. 15th:
Jazzy Book Reviews (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Top 10 List)
Nesie’s Place (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview)

Sep. 16th:
Reading A Page Turner (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)
Dab of Darkness Book Reviews (Review)
Eileen Troemel (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Top 10 List)

Sep. 17th:
Smada’s Book Smack (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)
Nyx Blogs (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Top 10 List)
Always Love Me Some Books (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)

Sep. 18th:
My Creatively Random Life (Review, Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)
KayBee’s Bookshelf, A Literary Blog (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)
The World As I See It (Review, Top 10 List)

As the tour progresses, I’ll be updating these links so you find each blogger’s post. I do hope you’ll join me; it’s going to be a lot of fun.

You can find out more about the tour—and sign up to be a host stop—at the Audiobookworm Promotions website.

Filed Under: Book Love, The Story Behind the Story Tagged With: audiobook, audiobookworm, blog tour, Eyam, fiction, The Smallest Thing, thriller Leave a Comment

September 3, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

The Smallest Thing Audio Tour

The new audiobook of The Smallest Thing is heading out on tour next week!

From September 12-18, you can follow Em as she visits audiobook bloggers and reviewers. I’ll be doing interviews and Q&As, as well as sharing some Top Ten lists. some of the bloggers will be sharing their reviews of The Smallest Thing.

Here are all the stops Em and I will be making:

Sep. 12th:
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Giveaway)
Viviana MacKade (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Top 10 List, Giveaway)

Sep. 13th:
Locks, Hooks and Books (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)
The Book Junkie Reads . . . (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)
Turning Another Page (Review, Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Giveaway)

Sep. 14th:
Country Road Reviews (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)
All the Ups and Downs (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Giveaway)

Sep. 15th:
Jazzy Book Reviews (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Top 10 List, Giveaway)
Nesie’s Place (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Giveaway)

Sep. 16th:
Reading A Page Turner (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)
Dab of Darkness Book Reviews (Review, Giveaway)
Eileen Troemel (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Top 10 List, Giveaway)

Sep. 17th:
Smada’s Book Smack (Review, Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)
Nyx Blogs (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Top 10 List, Giveaway)
Always Love Me Some Books (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)

Sep. 18th:
My Creatively Random Life (Review, Spotlight + Audio Excerpt, Giveaway)
KayBee’s Bookshelf, A Literary Blog (Spotlight + Audio Excerpt)
The World As I See It (Review, Top 10 List, Giveaway)

As the tour progresses, I’ll be updating these links so you find each blogger’s post. I do hope you’ll join me; it’s going to be a lot of fun.

You can find out more about the tour—and sign up to be a host stop—at the Audiobookworm Promotions website.

Filed Under: Book Love, Cool Stuff for Book Nerds Tagged With: audiobook, audiobookworm, blog tour, book review, fiction, The Smallest Thing, YA Leave a Comment

July 30, 2019 - Lisa Manterfield Leave a Comment

Fave Read: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

Although The Smallest Thing is not a science fiction novel, I did want to be sure to get the scientific facts correct. If someone were to ask, “Could this story happen?” I wanted the answer to be “Yes.”

One of the books I read during my research was Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone. I wanted to understand more about how viruses are transmitted and what the reaction would be if a virus like Ebola made it onto Western soil. This book did not disappoint.  

The Hot Zone is the true account of what happened when, in 1989, a deadly infectious virus from the central African rainforest suddenly appeared in the suburbs of Washington, DC. The story begins at the origin of the virus and follows members of a team of scientists in the U.S. as they work to understand and contain the virus on their home soil. Even though the book is a work of non-fiction, it reads like a fast-paced thriller and I found myself staying up late to find out what happens next. 

The Hot Zone is the true account of what happened when, in 1989, a deadly infectious virus from the central African rainforest suddenly appeared in the suburbs of Washington, DC. The story begins at the origin of the virus and follows members of a team of scientists in the U.S. as they work to understand and contain the virus on their home soil. Even though the book is a work of non-fiction, it reads like a fast-paced thriller and I found myself staying up late to find out what happens next. 

This book is not for the faint of heart. It is horrific in its detail and terrifying in its accuracy. It’s all the more disturbing, not because it could happen, but because it did happen, and will undoubtedly happen again at some point. 

Still, if you have the stomach for it, I highly recommend this book. Just best not to read it before bed.  

Why I Loved this Book 

Aside from being a riveting read, what makes this book truly outstanding is that it follows the lives of a handful of key characters. A particular favorite is Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Jaax, chief of Pathology at the Institute for Infectious Diseases and one of the few people qualified to work with the virus. She is also a wife and mother of teenagers, and the insights into her regular home life serve to drive home the very real stakes of the work she does.

What I Learned as a Writer 

A compelling premise can take you so far, but a well-told story is what makes a book un-put-downable. This book could have easily been a dull recounting of facts, but Preston focuses on the personal stories of his real-life characters, people the reader comes to care about. Add to that the “this could actually happen” factor, and this is a book that keeps readers thinking long after the last page.

Read This Book If… 

You love non-fiction that reads like a brilliant thriller. If you’re even the slightest bit of a science nerd, you’ll love all the details in this book.

P.S. The Hot Zone is now a National Geographic series starring Julianna Margulies.

Rating:

You can hear the research from this book put to good use when the audiobook of The Smallest Thing comes out in August.

Filed Under: Book Love, The Story Behind the Story Tagged With: deadly virus, ebola, nerdy girl, series, the hot zone, The Smallest Thing, virus Leave a Comment

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