Newsletter Archive

Dear Friends,

So, this is the exciting part -- six weeks or so until COMPANY MAN is published, April 19th. Oh, who am I kidding? This is the part that every writer I know dreads --you try to write, try not to think about pre-pub reviews and all the other ramping up that happens before a book is published, try not to think about the fact that any day now the book tour starts and normal life ends.

Somehow I don't think it's a coincidence that my Palm Pilot has just crashed, deleting a year's worth of dates and contact information in one fatal hotsync catastrophe. I wrote about handheld devices and PDAs in PARANOIA, but I'm no longer a fan. I don't like being that vulnerable to the vagaries of the digital age. So I just did a tech upgrade  . . . to a Filofax.

The first pre-publication reviews for COMPANY MAN have already come in: Kirkus Reviews (this publication normally is not so friendly to popular or "commercial" fiction) gave it an awfully nice review, called it "adroitly plotted" and said "Finder expertly doles out the suspense."  Publishers Weekly said, "There are few thriller fans who won't stay up to finish this assured tale" and praised its "steady suspense" and "full-blooded" characters.  My favorite review, though, has to be Library Journal's starred review, which says COMPANY MAN is done "superbly. . .not only fast-paced excitement but also sympathetic characters with authentic back stories and realistic situations. Highly recommended."

Here's more on what's been happening....

Joe (Joe@JosephFinder.com)

Just for newsletter readers: here's an advance look at the brand-new, very cool COMPANY MAN microsite that Authors on the Web has just designed for me to tell readers about the new book.

In the Finder Talks About COMPANY MAN section there's an audio interview with me that was conducted by Tom Perrotta, the author of LITTLE CHILDREN. For those of you wanting some early insight into the background of the book as well as the differences between COMPANY MAN and PARANOIA, and lots more about the book, you want to give this a listen (or download it to your iPod.).

Take a look at the new page and let me know what you think.  Later this week, we'll make the site publicly available, at JosephFinder.com or CompanyManNovel.com.

I can't yet give you the details, but in the next newsletter we'll announce a major Internet-based contest with an unusually exciting Grand Prize. Newsletter readers will get advance notice, before it's announced anywhere on the Internet. Stay tuned.

On the forthcoming COMPANY MAN, here are some comments from readers of the Advanced Reading Copies:

Thank you so much for the autographed copy of COMPANY MAN. I just loved your book!!! It was well written and fast-paced. You really captured the attitude of teenager Lucas, I would have liked to choke him, he was so real. I  stumbled on your newsletter by chance and I'm so glad I did. I can't wait to find a copy of your first book, PARANOIA. - Barbara  B.

Barbara Thank you. Actually, though, I've written a couple of books before PARANOIA.  Like four  . . .

I finished my homework and settled in to read COMPANY MAN and I couldn't put it down! Great characters and I  loved the way you twisted the two storylines. It made for a really interesting dichotomy -- the nice guy/killer. The ending worked exceptionally well, I thought.   
-the BookBitch  

COMPANY MAN features realistic and dialogue, an involving and fast-paced story with nitty-gritty details about police  procedure, and an exciting, surprising, and nail-biting finale. This is an entertaining and thoroughly satisfying thriller, and I recommend it highly. Thanks again for  sending me your terrific book. I am confident that it
will be a blockbuster!
-booklover10.

I really loved the way you pulled everything together at the end and I left the book feeling satisfied that all of  the disparate stories had come to realistic, satisfying conclusions. Hard to do when there's so much going on, but you did it and did it well.
-Billie, Portland

. . . You will  horrify all Dairy  Queen devotees by indicating that the BLIZZARD is a sundae with toppings. Any regular customer recognizes it as DQ's signature  drink. (If Buffett is a reader, he'll probably let you know the error of your ways even while being thankful for the free publicity. He bought it because he loves the product - plus of course the great cash flow.)
-TA,  NYC.

Oops. Now, this is a serious blunder. Especially if Warren  Buffett thinks that one of the major characters in COMPANY MAN is based on him, as some early readers have claimed. Unfortunately, this error was pointed out to me too late for me to correct in the finished book. So I  blame the copy editor. We writers always blame the copy editor.

Reader Comments on PARANOIA
It was truly amazing  how I could not put the book down.  Nothing seems as important as YOUR ROLLER COASTER RIDE, and the unexpected kept happening. Just one  down-side I thought I should mention. The "F" words and the Big slang prevented me from showing all my friends about the wonderful writer you are.

 
Yeah, I won't let my 11-year-old daughter read it either.  That's the problem when you write a novel about potty-mouthed people.

Mr. Finder, I have just finished reading PARANOIA which I felt was wonderfully written. HOWEVER, I was very upset  with the conclusion. You trashed corporate America and I felt you violated you authorship role buy [sic] ending with your apparent political agenda. Either you personally had some very bad  experience with corporate America or you are horribly misguided. No, I do not plan to but [sic] or read the forthcoming COMPANY MAN.

Dear Angry Reader: I'm horribly misguided.

I am an avid reader. If I am not listening to a book on my IPOD, I am reading a book. I must tell you that PARANOIA was one of the best books I have ever read. I really got  into the Adam character and was really nervous that he was going to get caught. I had to keep telling myself that this is just a book, just fiction. I really enjoyed the book.  I immediately went to Amazon and got your other books.  They are all in the mail and I am looking forward to reading them as well.
-Steve G.

I just had to tell you PARANOIA was one of the best books I've ever read. I'm definitely going to check out your other books. You really captured the B.S. that goes on in companies -- one example, executives tout "open communication" while they sit around figuring out who they can lay off. I'm in IT working for a Fortune 500 company. With us, it's "Respect For the Individual". The people that got laid off prior to Christmas (for making too much  money) didn't feel too respected. Honestly, those people are probably better off than those of us who are still here and living in "cubicle farms" (that cracked me up -- we call it "the  slums"). So all of us corporate  slaves can definitely relate to what you are saying.
-Karen, Boynton Beach, FLA

Here's some mail from readers concerning the ending of PARANOIA:

This first exchange is an e-mail I got from one angry reader, then my response, then hers:

I read about 3 books a week. I pass along all my books  to fellow employees, but I threw PARANOIA in the trash when I finished it because of  the non-ending.
-Sherry B.

Made you angry  enough to write to the author, huh?  Sorry about that. I really  thought it was a clever ending.  But you're not alone in disliking that ending. Thanks for writing -- even to yell at me.

Wow! I've never written to an author before and I certainly didn't expect an answer! And I didn't mean to  yell. My email to you was not fair. I should have explained  that the reason I was upset was that the book was a real page-turner and I really cared about the characters  (everything a good book should be!) I guess I just expected the usual, predictable happy ending! How about a sequel???
-Sherry

*   *   *
Great Job on PARANOIA. This is the first book of yours that I have bought. I bought the unabridged audio version of the book. I listen to audio books on my commute to and from work. I average about 10 audio books a year and I have to say, this is one of the best audiobooks I have listened to in a very long time. So much that I looked forward to sitting in traffic! The narration was outstanding!! The very end of the book left me a little hanging though wondering what will happen to  Adam.

You too?

I've finished all your (fiction) books now. Boy, they
are great! Really enjoyed MOSCOW CLUB. And I have noticed one reference to the Grateful Dead in each book! excellent. Really looking forward to COMPANY MAN.
--Dave.  Georgia

My God, is that true  about the Dead?  And I never even  noticed. . .

I am a male age 68, Finished reading HIGH CRIMES last evening. I read PARANOIA and  loved it. You are now #2 on my favorite author list. It is a race between you and Daniel Silva, though I believe he gave you credit for helping him with A DEATH IN VIENNA. Cannot wait until COMPANY MAN is for sale. Thank you for giving me the  opportunity of enjoying your wonderful novels.
-Alan W.

Dan Silva is way too generous in his acknowledgement. I barely helped him at all. Being on the same shelf with Dan, whose work I admire enormously, is an honor.

Your opening comment about apples not falling far from the tree reminded of my old Pennsylvania Granny who used to say "no, they don't fall far from the tree and neither does a turd fall far from the horse's ass"...Granny was colorful . .  .
-Dallas  D.

That's great.  If you don't mind, I'm going to use that  in a book, OK? Thanks.