A little tease

We've posted the first two chapters of One Too Many Blows To The Head over at the Second Wind publishing blog . Check 'em out!

"I'm your number one fan..."

This is either a) hilarious, b) completely inappropriate or c) both.
I vote C but I still love it. Now that's a kid who is going to enjoy some great bedtime reading. Starting them young on a series is key to readership. Right here she is riveted by the account of that fateful bout between Rex and Delancey. Her eyes are wide at the vivid description of blood pouring to the canvas as the punches keep on coming. Her little face seems to say, "Why aren't they stopping the fight?!?"

And Linda from the Mystery Bookstore sent a photo of me signing the only copy of the book last Saturday, the proof copy I gave to the store staff. It will have to do because, for now, that's all there is.

Making lemonade

So my first ever book signing was on Saturday. I was looking forward to this for a while. The good, no GREAT, folks at the Mystery Bookstore hosted me and I thank them deeply for inviting a newbie in to their hallowed stacks of books where I have seen so many giants of crime fiction read and sign.
Small hitch...we had no books. There was a shipping snafu. Hard to get angry at Veterans Day but that one day of no mail deliveries apparently screwed us. So there I was with no books to sign and no books to sell. What to do? Solider on and do the event anyway!
I read a section from my proof copy and people placed orders for books which I will then sign when books come in on Monday, only one shipping day late.
Was I disappointed? Sure. These things happen. No sense looking back. Aside from being a little embarrassed it all went fine. People were very kind and very forgiving.
Now to make lemons into lemonade! When the books come in and I get the chance to sign them I will take as many as I can for those who are local and hand deliver the signed copies. You just don't get that kind of attention from the big time authors. If that's what it takes I am happy to do it. How cool would it be to deliver every single copy of the book myself and say thanks for giving it a try? I'd love it.

I hope to capture a little bit of video of the deliveries and maybe post it on here soon.
In the meantime here are a few shots from the event which was still a dream come true and hopefully only the first of many.
It is not too late to order an autographed copy from the Mystery Bookstore . If you place an order with them and specify you'd like it signed I will go by and sign it up for you any time, not just this week. Any time at all. I live close and any chance to go  in there and browse around I will take. I can't ever leave empty handed.

Bobby, Mystery Bookstore manager,  introduces me.

What to read? I went back and forth but picked a section that people seemed to like.

More people even showed up later. Marie baked cookies!

Reading my own book. Weird.

A lively Q&A followed.

Something to say

An interview Jennifer and I did is up at Pulp Serenade, a great site for all things pulp fiction. We discuss many topics, not just blind shilling for the book which is what we're trying to do at all the stops on our blog tour. Check it out and leave a comment with your 2 cents.

First steps

A fun but addictive game is tracking your Amazon sales ranking. We have fluctuated from 537,000 to as high as 47,000. Not exactly Stephen King numbers but anything other than dead last is encouraging. We have done two interviews now that will be up soon on their respective blogs. Someone else offered to do a giveaway for us so that will be fun.
It's exciting to see our little creation make its way in the world. A lot of work, but exciting. Volunteers accepted now.

And....done!

Just finished up draft #1 of the new novel. A brief deep breath and then back to the top to read it all and see what the hell I did and how much it sucks. I am NOT a fan of revisions. Very necessary process though, I know this. 
49,387 words so those NaNoWriMo people can suck it. I'll do it at my own pace, thanks anyway. (okay, too harsh. I actually respond very well to deadlines. If that's what you need to get it all out then great for you. A novel in a month - very doable. A good, finished novel in a month? NO way.)
The line I like today: "Blood burst out of the gaping slash like kids through the doors on the last day of school."
It's one of those lines that is so bad its good. To me anyway. May not make the final draft. We'll see if better judgement prevails.
I know this one won't: "Trying to staunch the flow of blood now was putting a wine cork on Old Faithful." 
That was one I left for later trimming/improving. If I put it here it will force me to come up with something better.

We've gotten a great and very appreciated response from our request for blog tour stops. One interview has already been conducted, another is being compiled. We are the "spotlight of the month" HERE . Very cool. A signed copy giveaway is coming soon associated with that one but I've been sworn to secrecy for the moment. I've already said too much.

Still looking for places to stop in and say hi, let people know about the book and how it will change your life, never leave your possession and you'll probably be buried with it in your pocket. How you'll tell people it is the best thing you've read since Cacher in the Rye. Make speculations that this would be what it was like if To Kill a Mockingbird had sex with Lolita while reading LA Confidential and gave birth to One Too Many Blows To The Head. Stuff like that.

(hey, if gross hyperbole is the way to get noticed in America then why not?)

So if you run a blog, know of a good one, know anyone who reviews crime/mystery books, know any agents who want a new client, know anyone looking to fund quirky indie films, know anyone who wants to sponsor a team of idiots who want desperately to enter a 24 hour road race in a $500 car or if you want to tell me all the ways you're going to contribute money you would have spent on buying a book to charity just drop me a line!

Order direct, save a few bucks

If you order the book directly from the publisher you can get 2 bucks off. How's that? So you can go get a coffee and enjoy it while you read. Just be sure when the person next to you says, "Hey, whatcha reading?" you say "This amazing new book. You really should get one. Or two."
Then when you spill coffee on your own copy, come on back and get a new one. (pushing too hard? Okay, I'll stop)

It's alive!

Now I can officially say the book is RELEASED ! Order your copy directly from Second Wind  publishing or better yet, there is still time to call up the Mystery Bookstore and have them reserve a copy for me to sign on Nov 14th. Or, just order one through your local indie book retailer. Of course you could go the new fangled way that has already become old news and order it from Amazon .
Of course if you order from there or not a nice Amazon review is always a good thing. (hint, hint)
So happy to have it finally out in the world.  I hope everyone enjoys it.
On to the next one!

Buzz buzz buzz

So I think I can almost officially maybe say the book is kind of sort of released I think. I do know this: you can pre-order your very own copy through the Mystery Bookstore in advance of my signing on the 14th of November and I will sign it for you. from their website: You may email orders@mystery-bookstore.com or telephone us on our toll-free number, (800) 821-9017
Sadly it will only be me and not Jennifer but it gives you something to look forward to, namely hunting her down and getting her to make it a complete signed first edition. Does it count as a first if there is only one? Of course if part of your request is for me to forge her signature I'm not above that.
We put in the order for our author copies today and that means they will ship out to us, we will sign them, trade copies and then sign again so both Jennifer and my signatures are on them and then FINALLY we can send out our contest winners their books. Thanks for your patience Jimmy, Joyce and Robert.
I am setting up a blog tour right now so hopefully we will be popping up all over the web either in interviews, guest blogs or just endless postings of the cover art and book trailer. If you get sick of seeing and hearing about the book then I am doing my job.
Help spread the word! Know of any bloggers who would like to have us stop by? Know any reviewers? Know anyone in the books department of Entertainment Weekly? Oprah's book club?
Sure, you can get it on Amazon but wouldn't you rather request it from your local independent book store? They need your help just like us struggling authors. And when they get a request for a small book like ours it makes them think maybe it is worth stocking a few extra copies.
The new novel is in the home stretch and then it is back to shorts to blitz the web and spread the word more. This book is going to be like the swine flu of crime novels.

It's official

I've made the upcoming author events at the Mystery Bookstore website . I guess this thing is really happening. I also believe I will be posting news of an official release this very week! The super secret pre release is on now but you have to find it yourself. It's not official. Kind of like the Stones playing at a little bar down the street. You have to be in the know. (please note the qualifier "kind of")