February 2011 Newsletter

For many of us, this has been one of the most frigid winters in recent memory. Although some of you in California can’t help but brag about the warm days you’ve had, others who live in places like Dallas and Atlanta were buried in snow, which is always interesting since those towns aren’t equipped to deal with that kind of precipitation. The Eastern seaboard saw snowdrifts that shut down cities like New York for days. But thankfully, although we saw some ice and snow here in Cincinnati, we never had the accumulation that many of you did. How did you spend your winter months this year? I’d love to hear your stories. Heather and I are both readers, so more often than not we curl up with a blanket, a good book, and a steaming mug of hot chocolate or Earl Grey tea.

Gary Braver keeps readers riveted with ‘Gray Matter,’ his bestselling medical thriller

This winter, I discovered two great authors that I’ve never read before. The first is Gary Braver, and his novel Gray Matter kept me on the edge of my seat. Reminiscent of Robin Cook and Michael Palmer, this medical thriller asks us all just what we would do to ensure the success of our children. As a recent college graduate myself, I’m keenly aware of how important it is to have every academic advantage possible. But would you put your child’s future in the hands of an unorthodox doctor and an experimental surgery if it could make him smarter? What would you pay for this kind of procedure? And more importantly, what would be the ramifications of such a surgery on your child and upon society? In Gray Matter, Braver presents a chilling and thought-provoking modern parable that is impossible to put down.

Lee Child’s action hero Jack Reacher saves the day before he is ‘Gone Tomorrow’

For the first time, I also read Gone Tomorrow, a novel from Lee Child’s popular Reacher series. Stephen King has said that Child writes “man fiction” and other critics have praised the main character as “the thinking person’s action hero.” In Gone Tomorrow, we meet Reacher on a New York City subway train in the wee hours of the morning. When he watches a woman commit suicide before his eyes, he finds himself embroiled in a government conspiracy that could rock the nation. From the first page to the last, you’ll find yourself staying up late, biting your nails and turning the pages until the novel’s exciting climax. With Jack Reacher, Child delivers a new hero for our time. I guarantee you’ll love Reacher, a complex character who is as laugh-out-loud funny as he is charismatic and intelligent. Do yourself a favor and get hooked on this series!

But even with these great books to keep me occupied, like all of you, I am ready for the arrival of warmer weather. Hopefully Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction was spot on and spring is just around the corner. But until spring actually arrives, I’ll stay busy writing, working on my new novel, and sending you warm winter wishes.

Love,

Jathan Fink