# "Reading with the Author Book Klub" Starts with STNOF!



## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Hello, everyone. SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE is my 7th novel. It's a stand-alone thriller that goes back, in part, to the late Sixties in Chicago. Here's the jacket description:

Someone is trying to kill Lila Hilliard. During the Christmas holidays she returns from running errands to find her family home in flames, her father and brother trapped inside. Later, she is attacked by a mysterious man on a motorcycle. . . and the threats don't end there. As Lila desperately tries to piece together who is after her and why, she uncovers information about her father's past in Chicago during the volatile days of the late 1960s . . . information he never shared with her, but now threatens to destroy her. Part thriller, part historical novel, and part love story, Set the Night on Fire paints an unforgettable portrait of Chicago during a turbulent time: the riots at the Democratic Convention . . . the struggle for power between the Black Panthers and SDS . . . and a group of young idealists who tried to change the world.

And here are some early blurbs:
"A tremendous book - sweeping but intimate, elegiac but urgent, subtle but intense. This story really does set the night on fire." --Lee Child

"A brilliantly-paced thriller, transitioning seamlessly from modern-day Chicago to the late '60s. First-rate characterization...Best to start early in the day, as it is easy to stay up all night reading it." --Foreword Magazine

RT Top Pick for December: "Electric... a marvelous novel." --RT Book Reviews

Hope you'll check it out... this turned out to be a much more personal book than I'd intended.

Set the Night on Fire


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Libby, and congratulations on your book.

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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

As you know SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE is set, in part, during The Sixties. But the time period wasn't just about drugs and sex. It was a volatile, tumultuous era. So here's a quiz about those times. Feel free to post the answers. If you;re under 40 ask your parents... if you're over 45, you might remember. If you're in between... I can't advise you..  In a week or so (when I can post again) I'll put the names of those with the highest scores in a hat and choose one. The winner will get a free Kindle/epub gift of the book! Have fun... and Happy Holidays!

1. Who was Lyndon Johnson talking about when he said, “If I’ve lost _____, I’ve lost Middle America?”

2. What was the name of the Yippies’ concert in Lincoln Park before the Convention?

3. Who was the Chicago politician injured during the Days of Rage in 1969?

4. Who were the two chief lawyers for the Chicago Seven?

5. What was Jerry Rubin's girlfriend's first name?

6. What were the names of the undergrond newspapers in
	Chic
	Washington DC
	Berkley, CA (NOT the Berkley Barb)

7.  Who was the opening act for Woodstock? The closing act?

8.  What was the name of the FBI’s secret intelligence program directed toward political activists? (It wasn’t revealed until the ‘70s, but we knew, didn’t we)

9. Why was Senator Ted Kennedy at Chappaquiddick to begin with?

10.  Who else was fatally shot in the raid that killed Black Panther Fred Hampton?


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Here are a couple of links you might enjoy...

I did an interview with Rick Kogan of WGN Radio in Chicago this morning. His show is called "The Sunday Papers"... and we talked about the book, Chicago, and more... http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/sundaypapers/wgnam-kogan101128-libby-hellman-set-the-night-on-fire,0,973681.mp3file

And something for your listening pleasure: Soundtrack to SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. The real thing.
http://blip.fm/profile/Libbyfh/blip/58971883/Light+My+Fire%E2%80%93The+Doors


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Just finished the book trailer for SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. The cool part was getting actual footage shot iat the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention from a very generous Chicago filmmaker. I reedited it into a 35 second montage. Take a look...


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I'm pleased to announce that Set the Night on Fire is our next KB Book of the Day!


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I'm delighted to announce that a few more reviews have surfaced for SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. Here are links to them:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A6OSDNASR0BVX/ref=cm_pdp_rev_title_2?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview#R6TX0B4KKVRBE

http://evenprettygirls.blogspot.com/

http://crimewritersblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/set-night-on-fire-carl-brookins-review.html

Finally, I thought you might enjoy this "Message from the Author."

*TRUE CONFESSION: I do remember the Sixties.*

Especially 1968. That was the turning point in my political "coming of age." I was in college in Philadelphia on April 4th when Martin Luther King was assassinated. I watched as riots consumed the inner cities. I was saddened and disappointed -- as a teenager growing up in Washington DC, I'd gone to plenty of concerts at the Howard theater where blacks and whites grooved to Motown artists together. I actually thought we were moving towards a color-blind society -- I was young and idealistic then). So the frustration and rage expressed through the riots was - in a way- confusing.

Two months later I understood. My college boyfriend had been tapped to head up the national "Youth for Bobby Kennedy" program. I was really excited; I planned on dropping out for a semester to work with him. For some reason I couldn't sleep the night of June 5th and turned on my radio. Bobby had been shot just after winning the California Democratic primary. He died the next day. So much for the Youth for Kennedy campaign.

Sadness soon gave way to bitterness. The country was falling apart. Over the years some of our brightest lights had been snuffed out. Internationally our government seemed to be supporting the "bad guys." And underlying it all was an unwinnable war that - perversely -- was escalating and risking the lives of my peers. I began to question why I should work through the system, especially when the system wasn't working for us.

I wasn't alone. Plenty of others yearned for change. Fundamental change that would rebuild our society and culture. The next few years were tumultuous and volatile, but in the final analysis, we failed. Maybe the task was impossible -- how many Utopias exist? Sure, there were cultural shifts. But political change, in the sense of what to expect from our leaders and our government? Not so much. The era left me with unresolved feelings. What should we have done differently? Are all progressive movements doomed to fail?

At this point you're probably wondering what this has to do with writing a thriller. And you'd be right. It's never been my intention to write a political screed. I am a storyteller whose stories, hopefully, you can't put down. I realized that if I was going to write about the Sixties, I needed a premise that would hook readers in the present, regardless of how much they know or remembered about the Sixties.

I found that premise in a film. Do you remember SIGNS, starring Mel Gibson? It came out in 2002, and I thought the first half was the most riveting film I'd ever seen. Gibson's family is being stalked, but they don't know who and they don't know why. The second half of the film, when we discover it's just your garden variety aliens, was an enormous let down. Putting a face, an identity, on fear reduces its power. But NOT knowing who's targeting you -- or why -- is the most frightening thing I can imagine.

So that's what happens to Lila Hilliard, a thirty-something professional who's come home to Chicago for the holidays. Someone has killed her family, and now they're after her. She has no idea who or why. As she desperately tries to figure it out, she finds wisps of clues that lead back to her parents' activities forty years ago. In the process she discovers that her parents were not the people she thought.

The relationship between the past and present, the consequences of events that occurred years ago fascinate me. I also love stories that plunge characters into danger and make them draw on resources they didn't know they had. SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE was the way to combine all those themes. Writing the book was an exorcism of sorts, a way to make peace with the past. And while I enjoyed reliving the past, I loved putting it behind me even more. I'm finally ready to move on.

I hope you enjoy the read.


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## Helen Hanson (Sep 13, 2010)

As a Doors fan, I love the title!  Quite fitting of the era . . .  All the best!


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks, Helen. Here's the cool part: I actually got permission to use four lines from Light My Fire in the epigraph:

"Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire"


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## Helen Hanson (Sep 13, 2010)

Interesting.  Who gave you permission?  A family attorney or their label?


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Hi, Helen. I had to contact the company that holds the rights for the lyrics.. .in this case, Hal Leonard Inc. in Milwaukee. It wasnt free, but we threw ourselves on their mercy, because I'm with a small publisher and the print run will be small as well. So it worked out.


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## Neil_Plakcy (Mar 28, 2010)

Can't wait to read this-- Libby Fischer Hellmann rocks!


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks, Neil!

Here's question for anyone who lived through those times or knows the music of the late Sixties: What is the song (Other than Light My Fire) that evokes the strongest memory of the times for you?

Btw, for those of you who like to "sample" there is an excerpt from SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE at my website:
http://www.libbyhellmann.com/setthenightonfire.html

For those of you who are into reviews, there are a bunch are on Amazon, and there are others on my FB Author page under the "Discussions" Tab http://www.facebook.com/authorLibbyFischerHellmann?v=app_2373072738&ref=ts.

One more thing. Got a review from PW earlier this week. I'm still "glowing."

Set the Night on Fire
Libby Fischer Hellmann, Allium (www.alliumpress.com), $24.99 (360p) ISBN 978-0-9840676-6-4; $14.99 trade paper ISBN 978-0-9840676-5-7
Taking a retro break from the Georgia Davis and Ellie Foreman mystery series, Hellman (Doubleback) delivers a top-rate standalone thriller that taps into the antiwar protests of the 1960s and '70s. Darwin "Dar" Gantner, a former MOBE (Mobilization to End the War) leader, has just been released from prison after serving 40 years for the 1970 bombing of Chicago's Kerr's department store that claimed the lives of two security guards and his girlfriend, Alixandra "Alix" Kerr, the daughter of the store's conservative Republican owner, Sebastian Kerr. Before Dar can visit old associate Casey Hilliard, Casey and his son, Danny, die in a suspicious house fire. Danny's twin sister, Lila, begins digging into her father's past, putting herself in jeopardy from someone possibly also responsible for the fatal car accident of one of Dar's other friends from the protest era. A jazzy fusion of past and present, Hellman's insightful, politically charged whodunit explores a fascinating period in American history. (Dec.)


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I have the novel on my Kindle, Libby. Looking forward to it.

For me, the strongest song is Buffalo Springfield. "There's somethin' happenin' here...."

Just as applicable today as it ever was, with the nasty bickering between right and left. Especially that line about singing songs and carrying signs, mostly say "Hooray for our side."


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

That was indeed a powerful song, Harry...

Try clicking on the link below... then click on the arrow on the website. Hope it works for you.

http://blip.fm/listen/Buffalo+Springfield::For+What+It%27s+Worth%E2%80%93BfBC2+Vietnam+Soundtrack+HQ+Lyrics


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Sorry about that. I posted too soon about the Trib Review, written by Sarah Weinman. Here is part of it, plus a link. Hope you'll take a look.

"For those of an age to live through this period of time, it must be alarming that its signature turbulent events and social changes now fall under the rubric of 'The Sixties.' Later generations see this footage, hear stories and read accounts of those dramatic as part of history, even ossified and calcified when those who lived them see them as the recent past. Such is the fate of youth to think a door can slam shut and life is only lived in the present, a state of mind exacerbated by the perpetual state of Now induced by social media and technology.

History has a nasty habit of hiding trap doors that spring surprises far into the future. And for Lila Hilliard, the heroine of Libby Fischer Hellmann's superior standalone novel "Set the Night on Fire," the deeds (and misdeeds) of her father's generation awaken long-dormant menace that puts her at risk from enemies made well before she was born."

The complete review can be found at http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-12-24/entertainment/chi-books-set-night-fire-hellman_1_trap-libby-fischer-hellmann-fire


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE was the "book trailer of the day" at Shelf Awareness.com on Thursday. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look. It has actual footage shot at the 1968 Democratic Convention by filmmaker Tom Palazzolo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OunduLS_Hj4


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I was kind of blown away by this review. She got it. She really got it.

SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE - Libby Fischer Hellmann
Posted on January 14, 2011 by Beth
http://murderbytype.wordpress.com/2011/01/14/set-the-night-on-fire-libby-fischer-hellmann/

It isn't possible to explain to people who weren't young on November 22, 1963 how much the world changed with the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Even the attacks on 9/11 did not unify the country as did the death of the president. He was killed in the early afternoon on a Friday. From Friday evening until Monday afternoon, when the funeral ended, businesses shut down, government offices closed, stores cut their business hours, and the people went to church or synagogue to pray for their country. And then the nation watched television. It is true that I was one of millions who saw a murder live on TV. My brother and I were watching the coverage of Lee Harvey Oswald being transferred from the jail to a police van, when Jack Ruby walked up and shot him. I can remember by brother saying, "That was pretend. It had to be pretend."

Libby Fischer Hellmann centers SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE on six people who came together to try to change the path they saw as destroying the United States. JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr, and Robert Kennedy whipped up enthusiasm in young adults by convincing them they could change the world. When MLK and RFK were assassinated, there wasn't anyone to step into their shoes and keep the the dreams alive. Instead, the focus was the war in Vietnam and the "military-industrial complex." Dar, Rain, Alix, Teddy, Casey, and Peyton shared a vision until they didn't and for two of the group, their association would lead to tragedy.

The author bookends the story of the group in the sixties with their separate stories forty years later. SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE is a page-turner. From the first paragraph the reader is drawn in, wanting to know everything there is to know about the characters. How did they come to live together? How did they drift so far apart?

The author creates the atmosphere of the sixties perfectly. The chaos and damage done at the 1968 Democratic convention led to the election of Richard Nixon and Richard Nixon led to Watergate and the greatest threat to the judicial system faced by this country.

But the reality of the characters in the book is as foreign to me as it would be to my children. My kids were appalled that I had not been at Woodstock. I explained I was working two jobs to pay my tuition. I had to confess that all my friends were equally boring. The characters represent that small group of twenty somethings that had the time, and the courage, to embark on a campaign to turn the United States inside out.

What makes the book so very good is that the author doesn't allow the characters to stay forever young. Growing old and growing up are not necessarily the same thing but for most, like Dar, Rain, Alix, Teddy, Casey, and Peyton, growing up meant taking on the responsibilities against which they had raged.

The book exists perfectly in both time frames because the choices made by the characters when they were just entering into adulthood, come back to haunt them and hunt them. The sins of the fathers, and the mothers, bring wrath down upon the succeeding generations.

This is a terrific book for those who want to relive those times when we thought we could do anything. For the generation we brought into the world, it is a lesson in the how the best of intentions can be thwarted by the usual sins of greed, pride, and dishonesty.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but wanted to make sure you knew about http://dailycheapreads.com

They feature well-reviewed Kindle books, all under $5.00. And yes, they did feature STNOF on Friday, but even if they hadn't, I think they're an excellent resource.

Hope you'll check them out.

Btw, here's the link to one of my KindleBoards pages: http://www.kboards.com/book/?asin=B001UE8J4Y


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I am honored to announce that CJ West has chosen STNOF for his Indie Author Book Discussion on Amazon. It begins Feb. 15 (and hopefully goes on for a few days), but you can sign up now at:

http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Indie-Author-Book-Group/forum/Fx3UM2Y4JK6K74W/Tx1823FA5ZRRHFH/1/ref=cm_cd_fp_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B004C43IFY

I hope you'll drop in and say hi. CJ (and I) would love to "see" you.

Thanks.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

My Facebook Author page is up and running. It has reviews, excerpts, and more. Come over for a visit. I'll be hoping you like me. 
http://www.facebook.com/#!/authorLibbyFischerHellmann?v=info

And there's still time to sign up for an Amazon Book Club discussion of STNOF starting Feb 15 at
http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Indie-Author-Book-Group/forum/Fx3UM2Y4JK6K74W/Tx1823FA5ZRRHFH/1/ref=cm_cd_fp_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&asin=B004C43IFY

Hope to see you there.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

The Amazon Book Discussion of SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE begins today (Tuesday the 15th) and goes all week. Please visit and put in your 2 cents at:

http://www.amazon.com/Set-Night-Fire-ebook/forum/Fx3UM2Y4JK6K74W/-/1/ref=cm_cd_t_h_dp_t?_encoding=UTF8&cdItems=25&asin=B004C43IFY

Thanks!


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## Mel Comley (Oct 13, 2010)

Hi Libby, I'm a little way into Set the night on Fire and I'm really enjoying it so far.

I actually recommended your other books on here today.

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,51045.0.html Take a look and keep writing, I'm a quick reader, lol

Mel


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks, Mel. For you who'd like to weigh in on FIRE, this is CJ West's Indie Book Discussion at:

http://www.amazon.com/Set-Night-Fire-ebook/forum/Fx3UM2Y4JK6K74W/-/1/ref=cm_cd_t_h_dp_t?_encoding=UTF8&cdItems=25&asin=B004C43IFY


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I was a guest on CJ West's blog talk radio show talking about SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. If you'd like to listen to a podcast of it, you'll find it at:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/author-cj-west/2011/02/23/thriller-30-with-libby-fischer-hellmann

If you have more questions about it, just holler.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

To celebrate READ AN E-BOOK WEEK, March 7-13, I'm pleased to announce that SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE will be 75% Off the list price of $4.99 with a coupon at Smashwords.

Just go to:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=libby+hellmann.

Btw, my other books at SMASHWORDS will be 50% off during the same period. And my short story collections are free.

Enjoy.


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## Sebastian Kirby (Jan 3, 2011)

Libby

Just to say that I'm just reading this great book and really enjoying it.

Best wishes for Reading Week.

Seb


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Thanks, Seb.

For those who remember, or for you young 'uns who want to see a piece of history, here's the book trailer for SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. It includes actual footage taken at the 1968 Democratic National convention in Chicago.






STNOF and my other ebooks are either free or heavily discounted at Smashwords. All week. At:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=libby+hellmann


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I'm very happy to report that SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE was chosen as a finalist in the suspense/thriller category in ForeWord Review Magazine's 2010 Book of the Year Award! The winner will be announced at the American Library Association convention in New Orleans this June. 

As it happens, I was planning to go. Karma?


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## Linda S. Prather Author (Jun 25, 2010)

Congrats!  That's a great honor.


Linda


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

An interview with moi at JE Taylor's blog. If you're interested.

http://jetaylor75.blogspot.com/2011/03/dishing-it-up-with-libby-fischer.html


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

So, here's a  story about SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE that actually has a happy ending.

My 27 year old son came up with the title, and as soon as I heard it, I knew it was perfect. About a minute later I decided I NEEDED to have the first 4 lines from "Light My Fire" by the Doors as the epigraph to the book. BUT, as some of you probably know, getting permission to use even a syllable of a song is mandatory and can cost an arm and a leg. 

Undaunted, we forged ahead. After a lot of wrong turns, we found the company that has the rights to the Doors' lyrics. It was a company in Milwaukee, not far from me in Chicago. We threw ourselves on their mercy, told them it was a small print run and ebook, and basically begged. 

They said YES! (We did pay a nominal fee..) So.... when you open up the book, you'll see 4 lines of Light My Fire! Btw, there are only 6 lines in the entire song.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

So... I bought a Snowball mic for my Mac, co-opted a friend who's an actress to read, and today we recorded the first 5 chapters of STNOF for audio! It will obviously be a long term project, but I might actually have it up by the fall. I found a company that will handle distribution on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. 

My friend is practically flawless, which is why we got through so many chapters. I am pretty pumped up about this. I'm using Audacity, but if anyone knows it, I do have a question. If you'll leave a comment, I'm happy to PM you. 

Thanks. Will keep you posted on our progress!


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Yup. We did it. To celebrate the merry month of May, we've lowered the price of SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE to just 99 cents on Kindle! Hope you'll take a look ...

Set the Night on Fire



btw, we're up to Chapter 11 on the audio recording.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Only a few more days to get SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE at 99 cents. Hope you'll take advantage of the offer. It expires June 1.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

It's only $2.99 and it's still a great read. At least that's what they tell me...

Hope you'll take a look at SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE.


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

I am honored to say that KB's Reading with the Author Book Klub will begin again August 1st, and I've been invited to present SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE! Actually, I'm the lead off batter.. or guinea pig... or victim... so things probably won't be perfect, but I hope we'll have some interesting talks... even some fun too.

You can read the posts in this thread to get an idea what the book is about, and, of course, there's still time to read it before we begin.

The discussion will be held over here: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/board,71.0.html

Hope to see you there next week!


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## libbyfh (Feb 11, 2010)

Just wanted to remind you that KindleBoard's "Read With The Author" discussion officially kicks off today with a discussion of SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. Hope you'll click on over and put in your two cents.

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/board,71.0.html


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