"The windows faced Garfield Street and the courthouse, an unadorned concrete rectangle lined with soulless windows."Thus, with a touch of noir, Pasadena novelist Dianne Emley describes Pasadena's Superior Court building in her Pasadena-centric novel The First Cut. Pasadena Pasadena Pasadena!
Did you know we're having a contest? Read The First Cut, answer a few easy questions about it and win a copy of Cut to the Quick, the second book in Emley's Nan Vining Thrillogy.
Here are the rules, which I first posted last week:
1. Read The First Cut. (It's available at Vroman's or your favorite book store. You can read a description of the book on Dianne's website.)
2. Answer four easy questions about the book, which are posted below.
3. Email your answers to me (link at upper left of blog) by the January 27th deadline.
4. Feel free to email me any questions you have about the contest, or post your questions in the comments section.
Three winners will be drawn from the correct entries. Each will win a copy of the second book in the Nan Vining Thrillogy! It's called Cut to the Quick, and it'll be released as a paperback original on January 27th.
READY FOR YOUR QUESTIONS? Here we go:
1. What word is written on the refrigerator magnet Nan receives from T.B. Mann?
2. What's the name of the nightclub owned by John Lesley?
3. What song is played at Frankie Lynde's funeral?
4. What does Frankie's voice say to Nan on the CD that Emily records?
And the bonus question:
5. How many times has Nan's mother been married?
I don't know why it's a bonus question. You don't have to answer it to win. I couldn't. Dianne asked me that one and I had no idea. But you get brownie points if you know it. Maybe we'll use it as a tie-breaker.
We're on, people. Let me hear from you, and let's have fun!
14 comments:
This is 2 hard for my hard boiled head at de moment.
But, I know this bldg. Best if I never have to enter it!
I'll try to do this. I love your photo, quite beautiful. Well spotted.
Great photo, Petrea! It was fun seeing a phrase from THE FIRST CUT as a caption. A first for me. Good luck with the contest, everyone.
Lynn, you may have to get the book on Amazon, I'm not sure. Dianne, do you know? Lynn is in the UK.
OK, I bought my copy of First Cut at Milt's Books.
(Milt likes your blog, by the way, but if he posts a comment here, you may want to review it before you admit it. Milt used to work for the village—streets & sanitation—& his language can be a smidge colorful.)
Anyway, I printed out the contest questions and I'll ferret out the answers as I read …
Shoot I forgot to go get the book! I'll get it soon though, and devour it and do my best on the quiz. This is a great photo and it's so neat-o that when I read the book I'll have some visual points of reference!
I would never have thought this building could be beautiful, but I love this picture.
It's wonderful what a perspective and yellow leaves (and a good eye!) can do.
For U.K. readers, the book can be found at Amazon.co.uk.
Thanks, Bernie, for buying the book!
Petrea, your view of the Superior Courthouse through a veil of leaves does make the building look beautiful, and much more attractive than what the Pasadena P.D. detectives see from their second floor window across the street.
Great shot Petrea, why are most courthouse buildings in the US "unadorned concrete rectangle lined with soulless windows." I'v seen a few and this is a good description.
I like Bernie's idea. I would probably do that: print out the questions so I'd have them with me as a bookmark or some such, then jot the answers on it.
Glad you like the picture references, Katie, I'll be out shooting more. I enjoy walking in the steps of the character.
Thanks for the compliment, Elizabeth. As Dianne mentions, this isn't the view the police have from their east-facing window. To get that shot I had to step off the sidewalk and into the plants. Didn't seem the thing to do at the police station, especially since there were office windows staring at me. I did take a few steps off the sidewalk, but the shot didn't work. You're right, Dianne, it's not pretty from that angle!
DR, it may depend on what era the courthouse was built in. Here's the county courthouse where I grew up in Illinois, as an example of something prettier. There are many beautiful government buildings all over the country. I think the older ones are prettiest, but that's my taste.
This is such a cool idea - photos of the places in the book. I just love it. Great photo too.
I'm getting mine this week, only 20 days left! (PS You may be interested in knowing that First Cut is in all 3 PV libraries.)
I haven't gotten the book yet, either, and I'm "snowed" with work right now. So, I'll get it eventually, but in the meantime, enjoy watching from the sidelines.
BTW, great photo!
Lovely concept, this. (Ok, I like to win, but I won't even try this time.) I'm getting my book this week, just for the pleasure of it.
Already in the libraries! Thank you, Tash. Great idea. So anybody who feels a financial pinch can still participate. Just don't write in the library book!
I know how it feels to be snowed, Ms. M. Please do watch and cheer us on.
AH, you're a smart cookie. You'll probably win without even trying.
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