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It's summer, and that can mean only one thing. No rest for the wicked --- no summer vacation for a writer on deadline. The new novel is due at my publisher's office in September, so I'm working away at it (and loving it, by the way). But that doesn't leave much time for the beach.
I like to follow Stephen King's advice and not talk about the book I'm writing (he says that makes the story go away). But I will say that it's a thriller in the vein of PARANOIA, COMPANY MAN, and KILLER INSTINCT --- but it doesn't take place at the office, and there's a lot of action and intrigue....
In fact, I meant to send this out to you all over a month ago. My great webmistress, Clair, kept nagging me to write the summer newsletter until she finally gave up. I've just been too immersed in the new book.
At the beginning of the summer I attended the first annual ThrillerFest in Phoenix, Arizona (and yes, it was hotter than Hades, but I didn't go outside much). It was a blast --- I got to spend time with quite a few fellow thriller writers I like and admire: David Morrell, David Liss, Lee Child, Jeff Abbott, Steve Berry, Doug Preston, and plenty of others. Visit my photo gallery to see some of that trip's highlights.
Giving away ten 42" NEC plasma TVs was exciting, and I'm grateful to all of the bookstores who cooperated with my publisher and NEC in that complicated business, with all its rules and regulations. This year's book tour was the best one yet --- we had a great turnout at most events, and I got to meet a number of you (see photos from the road here.) I also got a chance to talk about KILLER INSTINCT on CNN, CNBC and a number of excellent local TV and radio shows. The blog I kept from the road is still online here, but it'll be dormant until I hit the road again.
If I didn't make it to a town near you, or if you weren't able to get to one of my signings, you can still buy a signed copy of KILLER INSTINCT from one of the stores I visited. Click here to see the list --- at the time of this writing, we'd checked to make sure that all of these stores still have signed copies in stock, so let Clair know if you have trouble tracking one down.
KILLER INSTINCT got some of the best reviews of any of my books, and it far outsold all the others. That tells me that we're starting to really build up a steady, loyal readership --- for which I'm deeply grateful. As usual, please feel free to e-mail me with any comments or questions, and I'll try to answer them as soon as I can grab a few minutes. I'll try to be faster than I was with this newsletter.
I can't tell you how many times people come up to me on tour to say how much they loved my "first book," PARANOIA. Which is nice --- but as some of you know, PARANOIA was actually my fifth novel (after THE MOSCOW CLUB, EXTRAORDINARY POWERS, THE ZERO HOUR, and HIGH CRIMES). I'm often asked when those books are going to be re-released, and unfortunately I don't have an answer yet. It's up to the very smart paperback folks at St. Martin's.
In the meantime, though, I'd like to offer a few copies of my older books to you, my newsletter subscribers. We'll start, this month, with THE ZERO HOUR (a particular favorite of my editor, one of my brothers, and my wife). If you'd like a signed hardcover copy of THE ZERO HOUR (a first edition and a collector's item!), e-mail us here and tell us how you'd like me to sign it. We'll select three names randomly and send them out right after Labor Day.
I don't have much time to read when I'm writing, but I'm looking forward to Nelson DeMille's new book, WILD FIRE (he sent me an advance galley) and Barry Eisler's new hardcover, THE LAST ASSASSIN (that one I had to buy). My wife and I have been catching up on the TV show "24" and have just watched the first season --- which I never saw --- on DVD.
And I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that the Red Sox will somehow climb back into first place in the American League East. Not that I'm a pessimist... but, as a longtime Red Sox fan, I'm afraid the Sox may require the services of Jack Bauer.
Joe
P.S. I'll be at Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, in Madison, Wisconsin from September 28 to October 1. This annual event is a great opportunity for writers and fans to get together to talk about what we love (and hate!) in crime fiction. If you're planning to attend, please make a point of saying hello --- I'll be delighted to see you.
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