Four years ago when I first started seriously (and consistently) blogging, Bermuda Onion posted that SIBA was heading to Daytona Beach for their annual trade show. It was the first time I'd heard of a trade show dedicated to books, and at the time, I only lived an hour and a half north in the Jacksonville beaches area. I dragged my amazing and supportive partner/husband/father-of-our-cute-son, Jason, and couldn't believe my eyes. A conference room filled with exhibitors and books! Not only did I have the best time walking the floor, speaking with publicists about which books to select, I met four key ladies that day: Sandy from You've Gotta Read This, Kathy from Bermuda Onion, Heather from Raging Bibliomania, and Stacy from The Novel Life. I was a lowly blogger with about four months writing under my belt, but these ladies were so welcoming and treated me as though I had been blogging for years. I thought all trade shows were like that.

Until I went to BEA in New York the following year. Keep in mind that I'm used to big cities and absolutely love them. I grew up outside of Baltimore, went to school six miles outside of Washington, D.C., and regularly visit Boston, New York, and more. I love big cities. I love the energy and the ability to walk two feet and have an overwhelming number of restaurants to choose from. Surprisingly, BEA was just a bit too much for me, even though the Blogger Conference and my own sightseeing resulted in the actual fun that I took away from that time. With the BEA trade show however, gone was the intimacy, to interact with representatives and authors without an uptight atmosphere. I missed the smaller get-togethers. I made the decision that if I were to attend BEA again, it would likely be only for the Blogger Conference, which back in 2011 was when I met *the* gal, Jenn from The Picky Girl, who motivated me to start my own blog.

When my husband and I moved to Virginia Beach a few years ago, I was excited to attend the Virginia Festival of the Book held in Charlottesville. This was an even smaller event, and although I enjoyed it, I missed SIBA. I wasn't able to go the past couple of years because of moving, or I was pregnant, etc. But this year? This year is different.

SIBA is being held this year in... Norfolk, Virginia! And since Virginia is for lovers, it's now also going to be for book lovers as well! A short twenty-five minute drive will bring me back to an event that I have the best memories of and I urge you to check it out. If you're even just a few hours away, make the drive. SIBA is so much fun and the author and publisher events are aplenty!

Here are the details:

• Dates: September 19 through September 21, 2014
• Location: Norfolk Virginia
• Site: Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel
• Click here for the Schedule of Events
• Click here to register as an attendee.
• Click here to register as an exhibitor.
• If you tweet about it, use #siba14 as your hashtag.

And if you're planning on attending, let me know!

I picked this advanced reader's copy up at SIBA in the fall of 2010. I'm kicking myself for waiting this long to read it.

In this engrossing psychological thriller and stunning debut from Erin Kelly, Karen Clarke is a brilliant young woman with a passion for language. Even at a young age, picking up a new language was a snap for her, and in her later years, it's no different. Even her daughter Alice, at nine-years-old, speaks Spanish fluently. Karen has raised this little girl alone, all while the father, Rex, has been in prison serving out a sentence for murder. And now he's coming home.

Ten years prior, in 1998, Karen was a few months shy from graduation at the top of her class. While Karen's plan was to get a wonderful job, or even go to grad school, things are delayed when she meets Biba Capel. While Karen is quiet and unassuming, a person who fades into the background as others easily ensnare the spotlight, she feels compelled to talk to Biba and offer her language services. Biba needs a coach, someone who can correct her German while she practices for a role in an upcoming play. This chance encounter shifts Karen's summer, and ultimately, her entire future. Before that day is done, she's tutored Biba in her first session, paid for the entire meal along with Biba's train ride home, and been invited to Biba's upcoming birthday party, where she meets Biba's brother, Rex.

The friendship between Karen, Biba, and Rex begins in the Capel's childhood home at Highgate in London, a crumbling mansion which has its own story to share. In a scant three months, Karen becomes a part of their tiny unit and she and Rex fall in love. It's an odd arrangement in the house, three people who are so very different. Biba is adventurous, wild, and recklessly charming. Rex is thoughtful, passionate in his protection of his sister and for those he cares about, his emotional strength making him a self-assured lover for Karen. And Karen, while innocent and naive to this new life, is drawn to the feeling of true friendship and real love. She's comfortable with spending her summer with these siblings, who have taught her more about life and ultimately, herself, than she ever thought possible. But there are secrets with the siblings, and even Karen has one years later, one that if the truth ever were to come out, could change everything. And mixed up in this is the unanswered question of who Rex killed, and why?

It is this very manner of slowly unfolding the story and all of its secrets that is so captivating. Expertly maneuvering between past and present, from one summer of 1998 to ten years later, Erin Kelly keeps the narrative quickly paced and easily engaging. It's a psychological thriller on the edge, a ticking time bomb of fierce passion, secrets, and insecurity which demands all attention to keep reading until the end unfurls with a sadness that was difficult to experience. I was left quite morose, impressed with the story and quiet for the characters' twisted and unfortunate paths taken. Without question, Erin Kelly's talent easily resonates with every page, the events and uncomfortable moments leaving you anxious to find out what happens next, and I will eagerly look for her next work. I highly recommend this book and encourage all who enjoy psychological thrillers, suspenseful reads, and mysteries to read it.

For audiobook lovers: I read this, but I wanted to hear how the narrator sounded. I listened to the five minute sample on audible.com and I really like the narrator's voice. Granted, it's only a snippet, so if anyone ends up listening to the audio, let me know what you think. The voice is what I imagined Karen to sound like.

Publisher: Penguin Group
Release Date: 1/6/2011
Pages: 336

About the Author

Erin Kelly was born in London and grew up in Essex. She read English at Warwick University and has been working as a journalist since 1998. She has written for newspapers including The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and the Express, and magazines including Red, Psychologies, Marie Claire, Elle, and Cosmopolitan.

The Poison Tree is her first novel, and she has another book out entitled The Sick Rose. She lives in London with her husband and daughter.

Follow the author:

• On her website
• On Twitter

Do you want this book? The first person who comments with their email address (U.S. residents only), will get this shipped in the mail to them next week.

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Reviews by Lola

Two months ago, I had a wonderful time attending the SIBA Trade Show in Daytona Beach.  Not only did I pick up 47 not-yet-released books, I also met some truly fantastic bloggers!

Well, I was the most ecstatic when the lovely Stacy at A Novel Source invited me to participate in the return of her Sunday Serenade which posted today! A Novel Source is one of the first that I came across when I started blogging, and she was also one of the most welcoming, so I thank her kindly for featuring me on her site!

Pompeii, Italy...

I got a chance to talk about my favorite books, which authors would I invite over to hang out with (Hemingway and Wharton, wouldn't that be interesting?), my "children" Roma the Dog and Puppy the Cat, and also talked about my best friend and fabulous history loving husband, Jason!

If you've not had a chance to hop by to her site, please do -- A Novel Source is always informative, passionate, and insightful!  Thank you, Stacy!

Happy Reading!
Coffee and a Book Chick

Thank you to all of the fabulous hosts for Mailbox Monday!  Originally created by The Printed Page, and hosted in September by BermudaOnion.

Thanks to BookJourney as well!

I'm still trying to recover from the Saturday visit to the fantastic SIBA Trade Show held this year in Daytona Beach!  And by recover, I mean in the sense that I now have 47 books and I don't know where to start...  It was an incredible event, and I met 4 fantastic fellow bloggers!

So, other than my gazillion books that I picked up in one day, I also received these books in my mailbox this past week:

In the mail, I got Dracula in Love, by Karen Essex (I got this a little bit ago, but forgot to include this on a recent post -- I won this from A Library of My Own -- thanks, Amanda!), A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly, The Last Child, by John Hart, Three Wishes, by Liane Moriarty, The Drowning Tree, by Carol Goodman, and Your Roots Are Showing, by Elise Chidley.  Six more books!

Now, what do I start with?  Right now, I'm finishing up my write up for Repairing Rainbows, complete with an author interview with Lynda Fishman, and hopefully posting it tomorrow.  A self-published memoir, and one to really read and reflect on life.

WINNERS of the My Lost Daughter Giveaway
Random.org selected the following:

• Michelle S. in Kissimme, Florida
• Beachreader
• Ashley with A Hasty Life

Congratulations!!  Please make sure to send me your mailing address by 3 pm EST on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 - I'll mail the copy out to you right away!

Happy Reading!
Coffee and a Book Chick

How thrilled was I to catch BermudaOnion's post about the Southern Independent Bookseller's Alliance (SIBA) being held this weekend in Daytona Beach!  Thankfully, since I live a mere hour and a half away, I was able to attend the events on Saturday, grab over 80 books, and, most importantly, meet up with 4 fantastic bloggers:  BermudaOnion, A Novel Source, Raging Bibliomania, and You've Gotta Read This!  Meeting up with them was wonderful and I got some wonderful insight and advice that I know will help make my blog much more exciting and information -- thanks to you guys!!  And... a special loving thanks to my husband who went with me, took pictures of the event, and carried bag after bag of free and Advanced Reader Copies of books back to our car - they broke the mold when he was made!

From left to right:  BermudaOnion, A Novel Source, Raging Bibliomania, and me.

From left to right in this one:  Me, You've Gotta Read This!, Raging Bibliomania, and BermudaOnion.








It was an absolutely wonderful event and I had a chance to meet some incredible authors and connections from fantastic publishers such as Penguin Publishing, Random House, Macmillan Publishing, Greenleaf Book Group, and on and on -- it was my first time attending an event such as this, and it won't be my last!

So here is my loot, check it out -- 47 books in total!  I have no earthly idea how I'm supposed to do that thing called a day job, and also find time to read and blog in the evening.  But, it's a challenge I'm excited to tackle! 

I'm currently reading Repairing Rainbows right now, and I'm excited to start reading some of the books I picked up yesterday:  Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly, Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys.  And, I'm also co-hosting On the Ledge Readalong's first readalong with The Historian -- never to late to join and tonight is the first discussion, so swing on by and take a look!

When is the next conference?!

Happy Reading!
Coffee and a Book Chick