Photos From Libby's Video Chat
As many of you know, Libby did a Shindig Video Book Chat on April 17th. Here are a few shots from the event (click to enlarge):
Listen to an interview with Libby from WGN Radio!
Libby appeared on Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan on April 15 to discuss A Bitter Veil. Listen to the interview here!
A Shot to Die For is now available on audio!
Find it on Audible, iTunes and Amazon!
BookReporter.com review of A Bitter Veil
"Readers will be drawn in through the well-researched inside look at Iran in the late 1970s and gain perspective on what the people in that time and place endured. A Bitter Veil is so thought-provoking that it especially would be a great title for book clubs to discuss."
—Amy Alessio [Read full review]
"Everybody Wins" contest starts Monday, April 16
Want the chance to win a Kindle Fire? Doesn't everyone? Libby is launching a contest in which the grand prize is a Fire.
To enter, all you need to do is like her Facebook Page, read A Bitter Veil, post an honest review within 30 days on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or B&N, and send her a link to the review. On Friday, May 18, one grand prize winner will be chosen at random. As an incentive, the ebook will be free at Amazon for one day during the contest month. Keep an eye on Libby's Facebook page where she'll announce which day it will be free. (Hint: It will be sooner rather than later).
But the best part is that even if you don't win a Fire, you still win— everyone who enters will get a free copy of any one of Libby's previously published short stories. Your choice. You can find a description of them here. Btw, all of the rules will also be on her Facebook Page in April.
Crimespree Magazine review of A Bitter Veil
"Hellmann crafts a tragically beautiful story around a message that is both subtle and vibrant. The author does an amazing job of delivering her point but never by sacrificing the quality of her storytelling. Instead, the message drives the psychological and emotional conflict painting a bleak and heart-wrenching tale that will stick with the reader long after they finish the book."
—Bryan VanMeter
Publishers Weekly review of A Bitter Veil
"The Iranian revolution provides the backdrop for this meticulously researched, fast-paced stand-alone... Anna Schroder, an English major at the University of Chicago, meets Nouri Samedi, an engineering student at the University of Illinois's Chicago campus. After Anna and Nouri fall in love and decide to marry, they travel to Iran just as the shah's regime is falling apart. By the the time the shah flees the country, Anna is teaching English through an American advocacy group. Within months, as the political upheaval continues and America is vilified as the Great Satan, tragedy strikes and Anna becomes a pariah to Nouri's family and friends. Worse yet, she becomes ensnared in a murder investigation and finds she has no one to trust and nowhere to hide. A significant departure from the author's Chicago-based Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis mystery series, this political thriller will please established fans and newcomers alike."
Toxicity wins a Lovey Award!
Toxicity was honored with a 2011 Lovey Award for Best Suspense Novel at the Love is Murder Mystery Conference!
New short story in Writes of Spring
A new story by Libby, "Capital Partners," will appear in the anthology Writes of Spring, edited by Gary Schulz and Pat Frovarp (Nodin Press, April, 2012). Publishers Weekly wrote: "In Libby Fischer Hellmann's fine 'Capital Partners,' two women find a way to deal with troubled marriages."
Libby's blog entry picked up by Forbes.com
Libby's blog post about Kindle Direct Publishing Select, "We Are All Junkies Now," was quoted on Forbes.com! "Ebooks Encourage Authors To Stare At Their Shoes Instead Of Shoot For The Stars"
Join Libby's Literati!
If you're a reader and you like to tell people what you've read, Libby would love to give you a free e-book of any of her novels! All she asks in exchange is a link to your review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, or other readers' sites within a month after receiving the book.
Just sign up here. Good Reading, Literati... and Thanks!
Toxicity appears on list of Chicago favorites!
The Chicago Tribune includes Toxicity on its list of Favorite 2011 books by Chicago authors!
Book Clubs, Libraries and Skypers:
Libby is happy to do virtual webcam events and/or podcasts through Skype or phone! Email for more info.
Available Now!
A gripping literary thriller set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution
It all began with a line of Persian poetry...
Anna and Nouri, both studying in Chicago, fall in love despite their very different backgrounds. Anna, who has never been close to her parents, is more than happy to return with Nouri to his native Iran, to be embraced by his wealthy family. Beginning their married life together in 1978, their world is abruptly turned upside down by the overthrow of the Shah, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.
Under the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Republican Guard, life becomes increasingly restricted and Anna must learn to exist in a transformed world, where none of the familiar Western rules apply. Random arrests and torture become the norm, women are required to wear hijab, and Anna discovers that she is no longer free to leave the country.
As events reach a fevered pitch, Anna realizes that nothing is as she thought, and no one can be trusted... not even her husband.
Allium Press of Chicago
Trade Paperback:
ISBN 978-0-9831938-1-4
Ebook:
ISBN 978-0-9831938-2-1