Pre-Order now!

Gentle Readers:

Thank you—all of you—who've purchased WHAT LIES BEHIND and left reviews around the interwebs. I can't tell you how much your support means to me. Since I talked with you last, the book received a starred Booklist review, which is as good as it gets. If you haven't gotten the book yet, hie thee to the bookstore, okay?

I know I've been wearing you out with news and release info, so I hope you'll bear with me one more month while I share some more fun and exciting news and deals. Ready? Okay. Off we go.

WHAT LIES BEHIND

Signed copies are available at FoxTale Book Shoppe, Parnassus Books, Reading Rock Books, BAM Charlotte Pike Nashville, and will be available at the B&N in Lonetree, Colorado, and also at Tattered Cover's Littleton store. I am doing one last event: at the Publix on 100 Highway in Bellevue, TN, on June 14, from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. The book is doing very well, thanks to you! Don't forget to leave a review behind on your favorite websites, and tell people what you think. Those reviews count!

BASED ON: Words, Notes, and Art from Nashville

I have a brand new release on June 15 called BASED ON: Words, Notes and Art from Nashville. The title BASED ON is quite literal—here's how this works. In it are eleven short stories from Nashville authors—including one, of course, from yours truly called THE NUMBER OF MAN. For each story, there is an accompanying original song, written and produced by a Nashville songwriter specifically about the short story. And Nashville-based artists have created artwork based on the story and song. Isn't that the coolest thing you've ever heard of?

You can pre-order several variations of the compilation and tickets for the launch event here. And if you're in Nashville on June 15, we have a show planned at Belmont University 7 p.m. sharp (doors open at 5:30 p.m.), with all the musicians playing the songs, authors reading, and an art display. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Sweet Dreams

Just for you, my newsletter peeps, we're extending a special 2-for-1 Deal for those of you who purchased SWEET DREAMS! Email your receipt to Brenda Novak's assistant, Danita Moon, at danita.moon@comcast.net to get a link and coupon code that will enable you to download the second boxed set of your choice for FREE: SWEET TALK (another boxed set filled with 10 small town contemporary romances) or SWEET SEDUCTION (filled with 13 "HOT" romances a la FIFTY SHADES OF GREY). If you no longer have your receipt, just send Danita a screen shot of the first page of the "WHITEOUT" sneak peek in SWEET DREAMS.)

ALL PROCEEDS of your purchase will go toward ridding the world of diabetes, so you'll be doing a good thing even as you're getting a great deal! And please leave a review on your way out the door. We're trying to raise a lot of money, and every endorsement counts.

Events

My tour for WHAT LIES BEHIND is nearly behind me, and as I mentioned above, there are signed copies floating across the country. My last event takes place at the Publix in Bellevue, TN—a spot those of you who've read THE COLD ROOM will recognize (yes, I'm doing a signing at the store Gavin buys his groceries from!). Next up for me is Thrillerfest in July, and I'll be signing with Catherine Coulter and Jenny Milchman at the Mysterious Bookshop on Wednesday, July 8. More details, as always, on the Events page.

Get Thee to a Bookstore

As some of you know, I took a vacation last month and read like a fool. I literally devoured all these books in the span of a week. A testament to how dry my well was, possibly, but also to the brilliance of the authors to write a transcendent story. Here's the list:

THE MARTIAN ‐ Andy Weir
WHAT ALICE FORGOT ‐ Liane Moriarty
THE HYPNOTIST'S LOVE STORY ‐ Liane Moriarty
THE STRANGER ‐ Harlan Coben

And I've just finished my last pass through THE END GAME by that chick, you know, what's her name . . . Catherine! Yeah, that's it! Y'all are going to LOVE that book.

Also, put TRAUMA by Michael Palmer and Daniel Palmer on your lists. Great read!

If you’re on Goodreads, friend me, and follow along. I’m always interested in what you’re reading, too!

June Contest

The June contest is live now: enter to win a trio of Robyn Carr books — paperback copies of HIDDEN SUMMIT, REDWOOD BEND and SUNRISE POINT, plus a keychain, pen and a $10 gift card to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million OR iBooks (winner’s choice).

Enter here to win.

June Recipe — Kentucky Burgoo
(Click here for printable PDF)*

I was in Bowling Green for the Southern Kentucky Bookfest, and my darling assistant and I ate at a charming restaurant called The Bistro (very original). The soup of the day was their infamous burgoo—heard as "bird goo"—which immediately sent us into paroxysm of laughter, so we had to order it. Oh, my, people. It was not bird goo, but a classic Kentucky soup/stew, also known as Roadkill Stew, that I could have eaten a vat of, if given the choice. Of course, finding a recipe was impossible, as every restaurant and every family have their own handed-down secret recipe. So this month, I'll share what I think was a close approximation of what we had, adapted from Simply Recipes. And if you have a family recipe you're willing to share, please, please send it.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 3-4 pounds pork tenderloin
• 3-5 chicken breasts
• 2-3 pounds chuck roast, stew meat, or other inexpensive cut of beef, cut into large pieces (3-4 inches wide)
  — or, if you're red meat-free, like I am — 1 turkey breast (white meat only)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock or broth
• 1 quart beef stock or broth
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 large potatoes (we used russets)
• 1 bag of frozen corn (about a pound)
• 1 bag of frozen lima beans (about 14 ounces)
• 4-8 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Tabasco or other hot sauce on the side

Chef's Note: I swear I tasted cumin in the bowls we had. Just a thought . . .
Directions:

• Heat EVOO oil on medium-high heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven (at least 8-quart size). Salt the meats well on all sides. When the oil is hot, brown all the meats, working in batches. Do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown well. Do not move the meat while browning a side. Let the meat pieces get well seared. Remove the browned meats to a bowl.
• Add the green bell pepper, onions, carrots and celery to the pot, and brown them. If necessary, add a little more oil to the pot. After a few minutes of cooking, sprinkle salt over the vegetables.
• When the vegetables are well browned, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Add the meats back into the pan, and pour in the chicken and beef broths and the tomatoes, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours.
• Uncover and remove the meat pieces. Break the larger pieces of meat into smaller, more manageable pieces (the reason you did not do this at first is because the meats stay juicier when they cook in larger pieces). Return all the meat pieces to the pot, and bring the mixture to a strong simmer.
• Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks about the same size as the meat pieces (if using new potatoes, you can skip the peeling, but you'll want to peel russets, if using). Add them to the stew, and cook them until they are done, about 45 minutes. When the potatoes are done, add the Worcestershire sauce, mix well and taste for salt. Add more Worcestershire sauce to taste, if needed.
• Add the corn and lima beans. Mix well and cook for at least 10 minutes, or longer if you'd like. Here is the point where you decide whether you want a burgoo that's been hammered into a thick mass, or a stew with bright colors in it. It's your call.
• To serve, taste one more time for salt, and add either Worcestershire or salt if you want. Serve with crusty bread or cornbread and a bottle of hot sauce on the side.

Seriously, is your mouth not watering already?

Summer is nearly upon us, and that means long, lazy days drifting near water with a good book. Keep reading, and again, thank you so much for all your support!

xoxo,

*You can see all of my previous recipes and download them here.