Rainbow Rowell loves local color

Rainbow? "It's just my mom's idea of a great name in 1973," says the author of 'Attachments.'

The book

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (Dutton, 323 pp., $25.95)

The plot: Lincoln O'Neill is hired as the Internet security officer at The Courier newspaper, set loosely in Omaha, a job that requires he monitor employees' e-mails, including those of co-workers Beth and Jennifer, who tell all. O'Neill reads every word, not realizing he is falling in love with one of them.

Why it's notable:Jodi Picoult, best-selling author of Sing You Home, says, "If Attachments were an e-mail, I'd be forwarding it to my entire list of contacts."

A taste:  "Lincoln couldn't explain, even to himself, why she mattered to him. She and Jennifer were both funny, both caring, both smart as whips. But Beth's whip always caught him by the ankle."

The author

Quick bio: Rowell, 38, is the pop-culture and lifestyles columnist for the Omaha World-Herald.

What's with her name? "It's just my mom's idea of a great name in 1973. Yes, she was a hippie. My siblings are Forest, Jade and Haven."

What's next? "I've already written a second novel. It's not a sequel. Kind of a Romeo and Juliet situation in East Omaha."

What's next for newspapers? "I think people have a greater desire for news than ever, so I'm optimistic about their willingness to pay for it. They pay for music. People have a hunger for what we do."