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| JosephFinder.com Newsletter |
March 2007 |
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| POWER PLAY: Coming to Bookstores on August 7 |
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POWER PLAY now has a publication date –-- August 7 –-- and the countdown to publication starts now. Over the next five months, you’ll be the first ones to get POWER PLAY news, cover art, excerpts and contests, even before they go up on the website. What’s it about? In manuscript, it’s about 468 pages… no, sorry. I think of it as a story of “the offsite from hell,” for those of you who know what offsites are.
It’s about Jake Landry, a young, modest guy who winds up a last-minute substitute at his corporation’s offsite retreat at a remote wilderness lodge, far beyond the reach of cell phones or Blackberrys. Over the opening-night dinner, tensions between the new CEO (a woman) and the old-boy executives run high -- and then a band of hunters, apparently lost in the woods, crash the open-night festivities. All of a sudden, these top execs of a billion-dollar company, entirely cut off from the rest of the world, find themselves at the mercy of hard men with guns… and the only one who can save them is the only one who wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place --- Jake. Of all the characters I’ve written, I think Jake’s my favorite.
I’m just starting to plan the POWER PLAY tour; I’d like to focus on the Midwest this year, as I missed most of it last year. If you live in the Midwest and have a favorite bookstore you’d like me to visit –-- or, even better, if you’re a bookseller and want me to make an appearance –-- send an e-mail to Webmistress Clair at info@josephfinder.com. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll pass along your information to the folks who plan my tours.
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And don’t forget KILLER INSTINCT just yet…
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If it’s not too late to mention it, I’m thrilled that KILLER INSTINCT made several “Best of 2006” lists – including Oline Cogdill’s, at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel; January magazine’s and The Providence Journal’s (free registration required)
KILLER INSTINCT comes out in paperback on May 29. If you can’t wait until then, check the links page for a list of booksellers that may still have a few signed first editions in stock.
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| In the News |
In my continuing quest to oust Howard Stern as the King of all Media, I’ve been showing up in surprising places lately. BOSTON magazine ran a photo of me in my office (a.k.a. the Fortress of Solitude) as part of its “Creative Use of Space” feature in the February issue.
Separately, Jeff Ayers of the Seattle Public Library interviewed me about “The Art of Suspense” for the March issue of THE WRITER. Read the interview here –-- but track down the issue if you can, because it also includes excellent pieces by Hallie Ephron and William G. Tapply.
And the current issue of ELECTRONIC HOUSE magazine includes a question-and-answer with me about KILLER INSTINCT, focusing specifically on the role flat-panel TVs play in the book. Check it out here.
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| For Book Club Members |
Are you a member of a book club? I’d be honored and delighted if your book club wanted to read one of my books. If your book club decides to read one of my books, let Webmistress Clair know (info@josephfinder.com). We’ll send you all bookplates and a set of questions for discussion –-- and, if my schedule permits, I might even be able to join you for the discussion online, live, on a video link.
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On the Road
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I had a great time last month with Tess Gerritsen, Michael Palmer and Matthew Pearl at a Globe Talks panel discussion on the art and business of crime fiction.
Between now and the start of the POWER PLAY tour in August, I’ll be making several other appearances –-- if you get a chance, please come out and say hello. Advance registration is required for most of these events, so click the links for more information.
Saturday - Sunday, April 20-21
"Much Ado About Books," a festival sponsored by the Jacksonville Public Library
I’ll speak at a Jacksonville school on April 20, then participate in panel discussions on April 21
Jacksonville, FL
www.muchadoaboutbooks.com
Wednesday, April 25
Edgar® Symposium
I’ll be part of a panel discussion on the art of crime writing at the Mystery Writers of America's annual symposium.
The Lighthouse
New York, NY
www.mysterywriters.org
Wednesday, May 2
Massachusetts Library Association Annual Conference
Sturbridge, MA
www.masslib.org
Saturday, May 5 at 11:00 a.m.
"Brunch and Bullets," a fundraising luncheon for the International Thriller Writers Association and Reading is Fundamental
Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa
Stamford, CT
www.thrillerwriters.org
May 31 – June 1
Backspace Writers Conference
The Algonquin Hotel
New York, NY
www.backspacewritersconference.com
May 31 – June 3
BookExpo America
Jacob Javits Center
New York, NY
www.bookexpoamerica.com
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| Contest Winners - and More Giveaways! |
Congratulations to Stephen Besecker of Orchard Park, NY, and to Katie Derksen of Allergan, MI, who both won signed first edition of COMPANY MAN, just for subscribing to this newsletter. The March prize is a signed ARC of KILLER INSTINCT, with a set of KILLER INSTINCT Post-It notes --– all subscribers to the electronic newsletter are automatically entered for a chance to win!
In addition to that drawing, we’ll give a signed advance reading copy (ARC) of KILLER INSTINCT to the first five readers with U.S. mailing addresses who send an e-mail to my assistant, Sarah, at sarah@josephfinder.com. Put “Killer Instinct ARC” in the subject line, and include your mailing address. (Sorry, because of postage costs and custom regulations, we must limit this offer to U.S. residents.) And don’t forget to check out the “Free Stuff” page, which includes offers for two different signed bookplates, as well as a trivia question that changes every two months. Between now and August we’ll be coming up with some new giveaways and promotions, so check back often!
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| The Latest Earworm |
The song I can’t get out of my head these days is “Rehab,” by a British singer/songwriter named Amy Winehouse. Her CD, Back to Black, isn’t out in the U.S. until March, but you can listen to “Rehab” and other songs from the album on her MySpace page, www.myspace.com/amywinehouse.
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Be My MySpace Friend!
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Hey, have I mentioned that I’m on MySpace now? I have? My 13-year-old daughter says this makes me a 12-year-old girl… and it does worry me, how interesting the MySpace world is. But it seems like a great way to reach a large group of people at one time, and communicate with folks who might not come to the website. Over the next several months, I’ll be posting special news and excerpts --– and holding a few contests –-- just for my MySpace friends, so if you’re a member, add me to your Friends list. It’s www.myspace.com/josephfinder.
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| Coming Soon... |
Major changes are coming soon to www.josephfinder.com, so check back regularly for updates. One of the things we’ll be adding is a rotating set of photos submitted by readers. If you’re a Finder fanatic, e-mail a photo of yourself with one of my books (or with me!) to Webmistress Clair at info@josephfinder.com. We’ll put it up in our online photo gallery, and send you a gift to say “thanks!”
Lots of news, I know, but I plan to be a more faithful correspondent over the next several months. Thanks for all your support and e-mails (which I do read myself, even if it takes me a while to respond in person).
Hope you all had a good winter, and remember: it’s less than a month now to baseball Opening Day! Best wishes,
Joe Finder
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And please --- spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to friends you think might be interested.
Thanks for reading, and keep that KILLER INSTINCT sharp!
-Joe (Joe@JosephFinder.com)
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