Thursday, June 17, 2010

What is Sophie Littlefield reading?

The current featured contributor at Writers Read: Sophie Littlefield, author of A Bad Day for Sorry and A Bad Day for Pretty.

Her entry begins:
Many authors choose not to read in their genre – or even to read fiction – when they are working on a new book. I’m pretty much always working on a new book, so that wouldn’t work for me. And I like to create atmosphere for myself by what I read, the music I listen to, even the way I relate to the world…perhaps I shouldn’t admit to this but I do little character immersion, like a method actor. It’s probably very confusing for the people who live with me, but hey, anything for the art, right?

Anyway, in that spirit I’m reading some favorite writers who write rural: Craig Johnson’s newest is Junkyard Dogs and it’s just a delight on every page; every character’s voice is pitch-perfect, none more than Walt, a Wyoming sheriff in a tiny town. I’ve also...[read on]
Among the early praise for A Bad Day for Pretty:
"Littlefield’s rollicking second novel featuring tough-talking Stella Hardesty, who manages a sewing shop and doles out her own brand of justice to wife-beaters, delivers on the promise of her debut, A Bad Day for Sorry.... Littlefield wields humor like a whip, but never lets it dilute the whodunit. A force to be reckoned with, Stella is a welcome addition to the world of unorthodox female crime fighters."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"No sophomore slump for Littlefield! Her second novel featuring Stella Hardesty, empowered avenger of abused women, is just as compelling and addictive as her debut....You'll race through the pages of this book and then be sorry to leave Stella and her cohorts behind."
--RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars)

“Sophie Littlefield won this reader’s heart with her unforgettable debut novel, A Bad Day for Sorry. The only thing I was sorry about was that it had to end. Never fear—Stella Hardesty is back to kicking ass and taking names in A Bad Day for Pretty. She’s funny, profane, brave, passionate and honest in this new story of crime and punishment in rural Missouri.”
—Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Hideaway
Sophie Littlefield grew up in rural Missouri. A Bad Day for Sorry was an Edgar Award Finalist and is shortlisted for an Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award. It won an RT Book Award for Best First Mystery and has been named to lists of the year's best mystery debuts by the Chicago Sun-Times and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Visit Sophie Littlefield's website and blog, and read more about A Bad Day for Pretty.

The Page 69 Test: A Bad Day for Sorry.

Writers Read: Sophie Littlefield.

--Marshal Zeringue