2009 – BRING IT ON

by Deborah Elliott-Upton

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

There’s something magical about starting anew. Like new notebooks for September back-to-school classes or moving into your first home or even buying a new car, it’s certainly something almost tangible when everything feels new.

I get this feeling every year on the first day of January. The slate’s wiped clean. I am filled with ideas about how to make this year my best yet. I will tackle new frontiers – perhaps I really should try to write a different genre. I will promote myself more – what the publishing houses refer to as “branding” an author. I will finally climb the mountains I have stumbled on in the past.

Or maybe I won’t. The idea is to look on the New Year as a starting place where anything is possible.

Like Rob, I intend to read more in 2009. One of my favorite gifts this Christmas was from my friend, Nan, who gave me a wonderful collection of short stories, THOU SHALT NOT KILL: Mystery Stories Inspired by the Bible. The book was edited by Anne Perry. Inside are stories by award-winning authors (including Perry) are

• Simon Brett
• Lillian Stewart Carl
• Bill Crider
• Judith Cutler
• Carole Nelson Douglas
• Brendan DuBois
• Martin Edwards
• Gillian Linscott
• Edward Marston
• Ralph McInerny
• Sharan Newman
• Peter Robinson
• Marcia Talley
• Peter Tremayne

The stories in this anthology include “the oldest murder of all, the death of Abel” to Bill Crider’s take on the death of a crucified man in modern times in “The Man on the Cross.”

I planned to compile a list of the books I want to read this year, but the problem with making lists such as The Best of ___ is someone always says, “What about ____? How could you forget that one?” So, I won’t. Instead, I invite you to help me make the list. What books have you discovered that were worth reading, the ones you’d tell your friends about? Well, we’re all friends here. Whatcha got?