A Web 2.0 Book Launch

Freezing Point by Karen Dionne
An innovative thriller author throws a new kind of party

In a YouTube world, it's becoming ever more difficult for authors to grab and hold readers' attention. To a Web 2.0 generation accustomed to tag clouds, wikis and widgets, authors' static text-and-images-only websites are as outdated as Fred Flintstone's writing tablets.

"Authors naturally think in terms of words," says Karen Dionne, whose debut thriller Freezing Point about an environmental disaster in Antarctica releases October 2 from Berkley. "But on the Internet, we're not limited to text. Today's Internet is very visual, very interactive."

Savvy authors are taking a page from the digital age and posting book trailers to their websites. Dionne is going them one better. With help from renowned thriller authors David Morrell, Lee Child, James Rollins, Gayle Lynds, Douglas Preston, and John Lescroart, Dionne is throwing an online book launch party where family, friends, and fans can mingle and win prizes - and catch the buzz about her new novel in the process.

As co-founder of Backspace, an Internet-based writers organization with hundreds of members in a dozen countries, Dionne knew only a handful of friends would be able to attend her book launch no matter where it was held. So she set out to recreate the traditional launch party experience on the Web.

Entertainment for the October 1 - 3 event includes video welcomes from bestselling thriller authors, a reading by a professional voice actress who's also a New York Times author, standup comedy from one of her author friends - even testimony from a medical doctor regarding the science behind the story's premise. There are door prizes: a boxed set of the BBC's "Planet Earth" series on DVD, bottles of genuine iceberg water, and Penguin Gear from her publisher. And because a book launch party wouldn't be complete without, well, books, two independent booksellers are making signed copies available.

"Writers shouldn't be afraid of the Internet," says Dionne. "We're creative people. We can figure out how to use the Internet to spread the word about our books in new and exciting ways."

Compared to a real-world book launch, Dionne says her online party has definite advantages. "Where else but on the Internet could my mom hang out with Lee Child?" There's no limit to the guest list, work schedules and time zones don't even factor, and perhaps best of all, Dionne's guests can attend wearing their pajamas.

Visit Karen Dionne's book launch party at www.freezingpointlaunchparty.com.

Books for Barack

More than 750 authors have contributed signed copies of their books to novelist Ayelet Waldman, who created Books for Barack, an online promotion whereby people who donate $250 to Senator Barack Obama's campaign through her site receive a mystery bag of 10 books. The books include a canvas tote bag with the Books for Barack logo. The first bags will be sent out this coming Friday, September 26.

Waldman wrote that another 40 books arrived this past Saturday, "a slow day. . . . My living room is a nightmare as you can imagine, so at some point Michael [Chabon, her husband] may put the kibosh on it."

The promotion started with the idea of auctioning a handful of signed books at an Obama fundraiser but grew when Waldman e-mailed other authors, who responded in droves. Among them are Stephen King, Ursula LeGuin, Judy Blume, Lemony Snicket, Richard Price and Amy Tan.

I spent the night with Brad Meltzer...

Well, not the whole night. Only 40 minutes or so. On the phone - he was in Atlanta and I was home in Florida. So it was me & Brad....and his publisher and a bunch of bloggers. And it was awesome!

We got to ask Brad anything we wanted, and he was open and forthcoming and so much fun. We talked about The Book of Lies of course, but also Brad's fascination with Superman, the Siegel & Schuster Society, the graphic novels that Brad likes to read, how much research goes into his books, and his unusual experience with Homeland Security. Brad spoke movingly about losing his mom this year, about his loving family, and was just thoroughly engaging, entertaining, and enlightening.

I wish I could have brought you all with me, but since I couldn't, I brought the conversation here, courtesy of the Hachette Book Group:

Listen!

Did I mention he was funny? You can probably hear me giggling throughout the conversation. It was great to connect with other bloggers too, so make sure you check out these sites:

www.bermudaonion.wordpress.com
www.brokenfrontier.com
www.scoffery.com
www.supermanhomepage.com
www.wordstomouth.com
www.WatchTowerPodcast.com
www.linussblanket.com
Brad Meltzer is the next John Grisham Facebook group

Finally, Hachette Book Group has provided a free excerpt - go look:

James Crumley, 1940-2008

I was so sorry to hear about the passing of James Crumley, one of the finest hardboiled crime fiction writers. A good friend gave me his book, The Last Good Kiss, several years ago, and I've heard Dennis Lehane rave about it. It's destined to become a classic. His other books include One to Count Cadence, The Wrong Case, The Mexican Tree Duck, Bordersnakes, The Final Country, and most recently, The Right Madness.

Rest in peace.

Good deal for book groups!

This just in from Josh Henkin, author of the NY Times Notable Book, MATRIMONY:

"I wanted to let you know about a special offer my publisher Vintage is making to book groups. Sign up by midnight September 21 and Vintage will set up a phone chat for your book group with me to discuss MATRIMONY, my NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE novel, which has just come out in paperback. Normally, only five book groups are chosen among the entrants, but I have agreed to talk to all book groups that sign up. Here's the link to do so.

http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/read/chat.html

Best,

Josh
http://www.joshuahenkin.com"

BLACKOUT BY LISA UNGER OPTIONED FOR FILM

According to the Hollywood Reporter, "Longtime Martin Scorsese producer Barbara De Fina, Austin Chick and Andrew Kletjian have optioned Lisa Unger's new Random House thriller "Black Out.""

Read the story in its entirety here.

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL

Sunday, September 14, 2008
Cadman Plaza
Presented by Best of Brooklyn
FREE
>official website
(718) 802-3846

The Brooklyn Book Festival, on Sunday, September 14, is a huge, free public event presenting an array of literary stars and emerging authors who represent the exciting world of literature today. One of America’s premier literary and literacy events, this hip, smart, diverse gathering attracts thousands of book lovers of all ages. The festival is organized around themed readings and devoted to timely and lively panel discussions. The inclusion of top national and international authors and new partners has expanded the festival’s reach while continuing to celebrate and enhance Brooklyn’s contemporary and historic literary reputation. The Brooklyn Book Festival is an initiative of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz presented by the Brooklyn Literary Council and Brooklyn Tourism

Sunday, September 14, 2008, at 10:00 AM

Head out to Brooklyn (my hometown) and let me know how much fun you have!

MANN BOOKER PRIZE SHORT LIST ANNOUNCED

Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger (Atlantic)
Sebastian Barry, The Secret Scripture (Faber and Faber)
Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies (John Murray)
Linda Grant, The Clothes on Their Backs (Virago)
Philip Hensher, The Northern Clemency (Fourth Estate)
Steve Toltz, A Fraction of the Whole (Hamish Hamilton)

http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/stories/1134

Another video, from Brad Meltzer's Grandmother

Everyone Hates Brad Meltzer!*



*not me

EXTREME Book Trailer

I love Brad Meltzer. He sent me this note --

As a fellow lover of all crap popcultury, I had to send you this, my first independent film (starring Joss Whedon and Christopher Hitchens (that’s right, we’re that ridiculous).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7vLMXk22Zg

or just watch it here

FLORIDA AUTHORS WIKI

In my real life, as opposed to my online life, I work for a public library in Boca Raton. Said library insists that the BookBitch not ever mention said library's name, so I don't since I really love my job and don't wish to jeopardize it.

That said, a few years ago I formed a Readers' Advisory Committee at said library. There are currently half a dozen of us on the committee, and several weeks ago we had an auspicious meeting.

At that meeting, I brought forward a new idea for a group project. Most of us had just completed voluntary library training on Web 2.0 called "23 Things." One of the "things" we learned about was wikis, and I thought it would be the ideal way to implement this idea I'd been kicking around for a while, a database of sorts on Florida authors.

The Lee County Library has had a list of Florida authors on their website for years, but it's just that - a list. It was not apparent at all why some of the authors were on there, or even who some of them were. Many of them, in fact. I mean, everyone has heard of Carl Hiaasen or Dave Barry, but there were close to two hundred authors on that list.

I wanted to take that idea of a centralized web location for Florida authors, but expand on it. I wanted to know why those authors were on that list. In other words, I wanted more than just a list of names. The wiki seemed like the ideal way to expand on that list. So we took that Lee County list of authors and ran with it. We are still working on this, and hopefully it will be a constantly growing and changing thing.

I hope you'll check it out. FLORIDA AUTHORS WIKI

If you are a traditionally published author who was born in Florida, resides in Florida, writes about Florida or has books set in Florida, you should be on that wiki. If you are not, please let me know and I'll add you ASAP.

All feedback is welcome.

Guest Blogger: C. SOLIMINI

I'm delighted to have Cheryl Solimini as my guest blogger. Her first novel, Across the River was recently released and Cheryl was kind enough to share her thoughts with us...

“How much is your main character like you?”

As a profiler (not like those on Criminal Minds; I profile crime-fiction authors for Mystery Scene magazine and previously for Mary Higgins Clark Mystery), I’ve often asked my interviewees the question above. Some writers, like Lawrence Block, adamantly deny sharing any DNA with their series character, as if the query were an insult to their imagination. Others (Cornelia Read in particular) cheerfully admit that, except for a slightly slimmer body type and the habit of stumbling over dead people, their protagonists are carbon copies of themselves.

So when I was writing my debut mystery, Across the River, I anticipated the inevitable comparisons to real life. Yeah, like my heroine, reporter Andrealisa Rinaldi, I did grow up in a small riverside town in New Jersey, three miles long and three blocks wide, between a rock (The Palisades) and a hard place (New York City). I did, briefly, work for a publication that I was ashamed of (which I removed from my resume as soon as I could get away with it). And Andie and I do tend to spill things on ourselves (I could eat in a Chinese restaurant and still wind up with spaghetti-sauce splatters down the front of my shirt).

But I was sure that’s where the similarities ended. I don’t have an impulse-challenged twin sister (never mind that I’m a Gemini and could be my own twin). I don’t have a problem with romantic commitment (just celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary, thank you very much). I don’t have curly hair (with my stick-straight locks, don’t I wish!). And I certainly had no connection to my hometown since I moved away at age 12.

That is, until the E mail arrived: “Did you go to Holy Rosary School in Edgewater????” The number of question marks in the subject header got my attention—plus I was stuck dead-center in writing the novel and looking for any distraction. The electronic blast from the past turned out to be from Jean, my best friend throughout my seven years at the Catholic grammar school. Thirty-five years after I’d last seen her, the magazine she was reading became unglued in the 102-degree heat of Arizona (where she now lived). So she reached for a different publication, saw my byline on an article and Googled me.

True, magazines these days are using inferior glue, but wasn’t it really my mental reminiscing, for literary purposes, that summoned her?

Weirder still: I had just created the character of Gina Fine, attorney for the suspected killer, based on how I thought my old schoolyard buddy had turned out. No, Jean hadn’t gone to law school. That would have been too Psychic Network. Instead, she had been a legal secretary, for a while dated only cops and attorneys, and never missed an episode of Law & Order.

Since then, I’ve visited Jean at both her new and her childhood home, and we E-mail each other regularly. Soon after, I also heard from two other classmates. Though neither was the model of the police detective in Across the River, both are now cops in my hometown, became sources and make cameo appearances (under aliases) in the finished book.

When Across the River was published in June by Deadly Ink Press, my old friends put out the word. After I put the eighth-grade graduation picture on my Web Site, www.acrosstheriver.info, messages from classmates from Las Vegas to New Hampshire arrived in my E mailbox.

I can’t even begin to describe the unexpected joy of these renewed connections. And I seem to have returned the favor: When my cop pals saw their names on my Acknowledgements page, Captain Joe E-mailed: “Wow. Me and Smitty, the two guys who would probably tie for last in the “Who last read a book?” contest, are actually in a book ourselves!” Soon I will be seeing my Boys in Blue (along with another former classmate who will be flying out from the Southwest) for the first time in 40 years, at my hometown book-signing on August 14. (Luckily, tiny Edgewater made room for a Barnes & Noble recently.)

How much is my main character like me? It's the other way around. I’m becoming much more like her. As Andie Rinaldi does, I’m discovering what it feels like to be embraced by community, a family, that I’d thought I’d left far behind. Yes, you can go home again.

Weirder still: I just got a new haircut. And damn if my hair isn’t curly.

C. (Cheryl) Solimini has written and edited articles for national publications from Family Circle to Woman’s Day. She is also the author of five nonfiction books, including a Baby Boomer humor book. Her interviews of mystery writers, from Michael Connelly to P.D. James, have appeared in Mystery Scene and Mary Higgins Clark Mystery Magazine. After growing up in a New Jersey river town three miles long and three blocks wide, Cheryl now lives on eight acres in Pennsylvania, with her husband and other wildlife. Visit her Web site at www.csolimini.com.

Guest Blogger: JULIE KRAMER

I'm delighted to introduce Julie Kramer, author of the newly released thriller STALKING SUSAN, as my guest blogger. With a title like that, this question was sure to come up...

NO, my protagonist is NOT named Susan

It's a mistake many readers make. My thriller's title is STALKING SUSAN. And readers understandably assume Susan is my heroine. But she's not. Susan is dead. Repeatedly.

My protagonist is Riley Spartz and she's a television investigative reporter who discovers a serial killer is targeting women named Susan and killing one on the same day each year.

It never occurred to me to also name her Susan. Folks ask why not? In retrospect, it seems an obvious plot move. People say, that's why you didn't do it, huh? Cause it was too obvious, right? Well, it wasn't obvious to me.

A more experienced author might have done so, but STALKING SUSAN is my debut book and I'm still learning the craft of fiction. When I started thinking about writing a novel, I invented my lead character first. I work as a television news producer and I wanted a heroine from my world. Just like forensic anthropologists have Tempe Brennen, medical examiners have Kay Scarpella, and prosecutors have Alex Cooper, I wanted TV journalists to have Riley Spartz. I felt a little guilty making her a reporter, instead of a producer like me, because I know how hard we work behind the scenes. But I also wanted to write a commercial novel, and concluded now was not the time to give producers their glory - no matter how deserved.

To create Riley Spartz, I picked Riley because I liked the name (I wanted to name both my sons Riley, but my husband said, no) and Spartz because it's my mother's maiden name. And then, to create my cast of characters, I took traits of everyone I've ever worked with, for, or against in the desperate world of television news. Once my heroine was alive in my head, I needed an adventure for her. I was inspired by two still unsolved cold cases I covered a decade ago that involved victims named Susan. Free of the constraints of journalism, I was free to ask, what if?

So for me, first came character, then plot. If my thought process had gone the other way, and I had locked into the serial-killer-targeting-Susans scenario first, Riley might very well have been named Susan.

Would that have made a more compelling story?

Well, I'm not trying to make excuses, but as a practical matter, I already had five characters named Susan (something I wouldn't recommend other writers try) and that set up made for some complex storytelling. Over and over my beta readers told me the Susans confused them. So I used nicknames, charts and description to make my victims more distinct. One more Susan might have pushed me down the same author abyss that claimed Poe.

My agent never suggested it. Neither did my editor.

So what do you think? Should my protagonist have been named Susan?

Julie Kramer is a freelance television producer for NBC News, before that she spent much of her career as a national award-winning investigative producer for WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. She grew up on a corn and cattle farm along the Minnesota-Iowa State Line where her favorite days were spent waiting for the bookmobile to bring her another Phyllis A. Whitney novel. Doubleday released her debut thriller, STALKING SUSAN, July 15.

The World is Flat Audiobook Giveaway

With the No. 1 bestseller The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman helped millions of readers see and understand globalization in a new way. Now you can have it for free.

On July 25th, you can start receiving free audio downloads of the audiobook edition of The World Is Flat as well as an exclusive preview audio excerpt of Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

Click here for details

This is a great deal on a terrific book!

Read THE MARK by Jason Pinter for free!

From Jason Pinter's blog:

New to the Henry Parker series and want to see what all the fuss is about?


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From July 22nd through August 5th, you can read the entire, uncut text of THE MARK online--for free! Visit Jason's blog for all the details.