October 2005 Issue

The Internet Writing Journal
ISSN No. 1095-3973
Volume 9, Issue 7.

In This Issue:

What Makes a Hit Song? by Mary Dawson
What makes a hit song? The answers can be as many and varied as the artists and writers who combine to create them. Mary examines Lee Ann Rimes' first hit, "Blue" which was written by Bill Mack for Patsy Cline over thirty years before. Patsy died before she could record it, and Mack pulled it out of the vault for the unknown young singer with a big voice. But what is it about "Blue" and other hit songs that strike such a chord with a listener? Mary Dawson the CEO of CQK Music & Records goes looking for a hit in her latest article, "What Makes a Hit Song?"

Have Case, Will Travel by Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly is best known for his novels starring Harry Bosch. But in his new novel, The Lincoln Lawyer (Little, Brown), Connelly dives into the legal thriller genre with a compelling new story about a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney named Mickey Haller. Mickey usually represents low-lifes, but in his latest case he defends a young real estate agent named Louis Roulet. But Roulet's case is far more complex than it appears at first. And that's when Mickey's real troubles begin. In this Author Essay, Michael Connelly talks about his inspiration for his newest character, Mickey Haller.

The Origins of The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
During the Civil War, Carrie McGavock was a lonely Confederate widow who found her calling when she turned her Tennessee plantation first into a hospital and then an enormous cemetery when 9,000 soldiers died in one day. She lost her three children to typhoid and suffered terrible grief. In this Author Essay, Robert Hicks talks about why he chose this real historical figure to write about, and how he turned her extraordinary life story into his bestselling novel, The Widow of the South (Warner Books).


Book Reviews


Children's/Young Adult

Dragonquest by Donita K. Paul (WaterBrook Press)
Eldest by Chistopher Paolini (Knopf)


Fantasy/SF

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (William Morrow)


Mystery/Thriller

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason (Dell)
Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine (Bantam)


Romance and Women's Fiction

The Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning (Dell)
Kiss Me While I Sleep by Linda Howard (Ballantine Books)
The Master by Melanie Jackson (LoveSpell)
One Knight Stands by Jocelyn Kelley (Signet Eclipse)


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