Notes from The Great Nebraskan Wasteland

Bestseller

2012-01-22T14:08:00.007-06:00

So much for my promise to keep this blog updated.

In my defense, I’ve been working non-stop on the new book, and if all goes well it'll be released sometime in September 2012. I'm also hoping to have a new novella available sometime this summer.

The biggest news so far this year is that Already Gone officially became a national bestseller after hitting #8 on the Wall Street Journal’s Bestseller list in the US.

Wall Street Journal.

The book also reached #1 on Amazon earlier this month, and it hit #5 on the Heatseeker chart in the UK. So, it looks like 2012 is off to a great start.

There’s also a very nice review in The Los Angeles Review of Books this week.

Hell, Hurt, Blood, and Rapture.

And here's a radio interview I did last week for the Mulberry Lane Show.

Not much else to report. I’m still ironing out signings and convention appearances for the year, and I’ll be posting updates as things develop.

Until then, thanks for reading.

JR

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T13:06:00.007-06:00

Just a quick update to start 2012.

Simon and Schuster released Already Gone in the UK on December 8th, and the response has exceeded all my expectations. It hit the Heatseekers Chart the first week after the release, and climbed into the top five the second week. I have no idea where it is now, but with any luck the momentum is still going strong. I’ll post a new update when I hear more.

A lot of really good reviews have come in since my last update, and I’m flattered so many people are enjoying the book. Here are a couple of my favorites that popped up recently:

The Nerd of Noir @ Spinetingler Magazine

The Lincoln Journal Star

Milo's Rambles

I also did an interview with Ray Banks at his blog. You can read that one here:

The Saturday Boy

Several people have emailed asking about appearances and signed copies. Here’s what I’ve got set up so far:

Left Coast Crime (Sacramento, CA) in March.

Bouchercon (Cleveland, OH) in October.

Thrillerfest (NYC) in July.

Noircon (Philadelphia, PA) in November.

There are a couple tentative in-store signings in the works, but I'll post those when I know the final details. If you want a signed copy, but you don't think you'll make it to any of these stops, just email me here, and I’ll give you an address where you can send your books. We’ll figure it out.

That’s it for now, but since one of my 2012 resolutions is to update this blog more often, you should hear from me again soon. Until then, I want to say thank you to all the readers, reviewers, and friends who picked up copies of the books and helped me spread the word in 2011. I had a fantastic year, my best yet as a writer, and it wouldn’t have happened without everyone’s support.

And as always, thanks for reading.

JR

Still Rolling...

2011-11-07T16:48:00.005-06:00

Already Gone has been out for two week, and the response has been fantastic. The book hit the ground running on day one, and it's still going strong. This one is easily my fastest selling novel so far, so thanks to everyone who has picked up a copy or is planning to.

I've been busy working on the new book, so I haven't put together a signing schedule for Already Gone yet. If you'd like your copy signed and you don't want to wait, go ahead and email me at john@thecoldkiss.com, and I'll give you the information on where you can send your books.

In the meantime, I went on KMTV's The Morning Blend today to talk about the books, movie stuff, and writing in general. If you'd like to see how it turned out, here's a link:

The Morning Blend

I also did a interview with Suspense Radio last week. Here's that link:

Suspense Radio.

Here's another interview I did earlier this week. This one with Jedidiah Ayres over at the Barnes & Noble, Ransom Notes blog.

Ransom Notes

And finally, in case you haven't seen it, Duane Swierczynski wrote a great guest review of Already Gone for the Kindle Post blog.

The call is coming from Inside the house.

As always, thank you all for supporting the books.

Already Gone

2011-10-25T22:49:00.005-05:00

Today, my third novel is officially published.

If you’d like to read a few early reviews, you can find them below:

Review #1

Review #2

Review #3

Review #4

Review #5

I also wanted to say thank you to all the people I’ve met over the past few years who have stepped in to help me along. I feel lucky to be able to do what I do, and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the friends, editors, publishers, publicists, marketing teams, critics, radio show hosts, producers, screenwriters, reviewers, and especially the readers who have taken time out of their lives to read my stories. I’m humbled by the support, and I hope you enjoy Already Gone .

Two days...

2011-10-23T20:10:00.004-05:00

October 25th, 2011

A Big Week

2011-09-07T12:39:00.008-05:00

My novel, The Grove, hit #1 on the Amazon bestseller list this week.

I really want to thank the readers out there who picked up a copy and made this happen. This was a huge milestone for me, and I’m still in shock and still grinning like a fool.

Lost in that great news, I also released a collection of my early, dark suspense stories on Monday. The collection is called The Walls Around Us, and it’s available as an ebook through Amazon. If you're interested in seeing what I was writing when I first started, this will show you.

Next Week is Bouchercon, and I have a few appearances lined up.

First, I’ll be reading at Noir @ the Bar on Wednesday night, 9/14. The reading starts at 8:00PM, and the address is: Meshuggah Café, 6269 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO. (314-726-5662). The guys have been on me for a couple years to come out and do one of these, and I’m excited the stars have finally aligned. Now I can see for myself if the rumors are true.

On Thursday 9/15, I’ll be on the BAD SEED (Sex, Violence, and Everything that makes a book great) panel from 9:00PM – 10:00PM along with Christa Faust, Chris Holm, Scott Phillips, Benjamin Whitmer, Jonathan Woods, and S.J. Rozan. Scott Montgomery from Austin’s Book People is moderating this one, and from what I’ve been told, there’s a bar in the room. This one should be fun.

On Saturday 9/17, I’ll be on the BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN (The Troubled Protagonist) panel from 2:30PM - 3:30PM along with Chelsea Cain, Kevin Guilfoile, Sophie Hannah, and Katia Lief. Jordan Foster is moderating this one.

I hope to see everyone at the panels. If not, I’ll be in the signing room after each one if you want to stop by and say hello.

Short Story Collection

2011-09-05T03:21:00.011-05:00

Available Now

BEA 2011

2011-05-30T23:22:00.017-05:00

Last week Amazon pulled out all the stops and generously brought all their authors to New York for Book Expo America. There were Limos, beautiful rooms, nice restaurants, and rooftop parties with this view.

And this...

There were agents and publishers and writers everywhere you turned. I had a chance to meet several Amazon authors for the first time, as well as other writing and publishing friends who I haven’t seen in quite a while.

Basically, it was a hell of a week.

Amazon had a few big announcements: The hiring of Larry Kirshbaum to run their New York office, a new $164 3G Kindle, and of course, Barry Eisler jumping from St. Martins to sign on with Thomas & Mercer.

All the blogs I’ve seen seem to focus on Barry’s decision not to self publish in favor of Thomas & Mercer, but I can’t speak to that. My experience with self publishing is very limited and goes way back to early 2009 B.K. (before Konrath). A lot has changed since those days, so I’ll let other people talk about what his decision means. Personally, I think he made a great choice. Amazon is fantastic to work with, and I couldn’t be happier to be publishing on the Thomas & Mercer imprint. Having a writer like Barry Eisler on board raises everyone’s profile, which is good for us all.

Plus, I’ve heard that angels fly from his hair when he laughs. Don’t hold me to that one though, it’s just a rumor.

What else… I had two great signings in New York, one at the Library Journal’s Day of Dialog in the McGraw-Hill conference center on Monday, and another at the Amazon Publishing booth on the last day of the convention.

The Library Journal signing went great, and even though I was competing against an open bar, I still managed to sign quite a few books.

I was worried about the turnout for the second signing. Compared to the chaos of the previous couple days, the convention center was quiet and everything was winding down. Amazon had scheduled me to sign at the booth from 1:00 to 2:00, right before they kicked everyone out and locked the doors. I’d been told that there had been several people stopping by earlier that day asking about the signing, but I still didn’t think I’d make much of a dent in the 300+ books Amazon had waiting for me at the booth.

Turns out I didn’t have to worry.

People started lining up fifteen minutes before I was scheduled to sign, and the line just kept getting longer. I didn’t stop, or even slow down, until 2:30 when we ran out of books. One lady who handed me a book to sign told me the line was so long at one point that a couple of the other presenters were complaining about people blocking their booths, which made me laugh.

If only it was the norm...

Still, what a great way to end an amazing week.

Oh, and if anyone is interested, you can download the first three teaser chapters of my new novel, ALREADY GONE... HERE.

It's free.

Thomas & Mercer

2011-05-18T09:07:00.007-05:00

Today Amazon announced their fifth publishing imprint, Thomas & Mercer, and I’m thrilled that my third novel, Already Gone, will be one of the first titles they publish.

It was a tough decision to leave Tor/Forge, but I know it was the right one for me. Amazon’s dedication to their books and their authors is unmatched, and I couldn’t be happier.

Here are a couple dates:

Already Gone will be released in the US on October 25th 2011, and in the UK through Simon and Schuster on December 8th 2011.

The Grove will be re-released in the US through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on October 4th 2011. It will also be released for the first time in the UK through Simon and Schuster sometime in 2012.

Next week I’ll be in New York for Book Expo America, and I’ll be signing ARC’s of Already Gone at the Amazon booth on Thursday the 26th at 1:00. If you’re there, stop by and say hello.

A long overdue update

2011-04-25T14:42:00.029-05:00

Hi everyone… Sorry for the long delay between posts. I blame edits, life, etc…

Anyway, a quick update.

I finished edits on my third novel. It’s called ALREADY GONE, and it’ll be released in the US and available in stores on October 25th this year, and in the UK, Australia, etc, on December 8th.

Here’s the cover and a short description:

- - -

Jake Reese is a writing teacher at an American university. He lives in a small brick Tudor close to campus with his art buyer wife, Diane. His life is quiet – ordinary even. And he likes it that way. But it wasn’t always quiet. Jake’s distant past was a life on the streets, inflicting damage and suffering on more people than he can count. And now someone from his past, it seems, has come looking for him.

A raw, gripping thriller about the price paid for past sins, John Rector’s third novel is a live wire that crackles with the intensity of a man with nothing left to lose. When two men attack Jake in a parking lot and cut off his finger, he tries to dismiss it as an unlucky case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when events take a more sinister turn and Diane goes missing, Jake knows he can no longer hide from the truth. As he embarks on a mission to find his wife, he realizes his dark past is refusing to stay buried, and that his future is about to unfold in ways he could never have imagined.

Taut and brooding, Rector paints a formidable portrait of a reformed man’s slow descent into a life he thought he had walked away from forever. As the intensity becomes almost unbearable, the pace quickens and the suspense applies an unrelenting, vice-like grip, as Already Gone hurtles toward its ultimate, explosive climax.

- - -

In other news, The Grove was picked up by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, who will re-publish and re-distribute the print version later this fall. Anyone familiar with my story knows The Grove was my first novel that no one would publish, so I released it myself. The Grove has since been a bestselling indie eBook, it was picked up by Simon and Schuster in the UK, and it’s been published by Amazonencore in the US. Now, with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt stepping in, The Grove has yet another life ahead, and that'll give it the chance to go wider and reach even more readers.

On top of that great news, I also learned that The Grove is going to be published in Turkey later this year. I don't have all the details yet, but I'll pass them along when I get them.

- - -

Tomorrow, April 26th, is the official release day for the paperback edition of The Cold Kiss. I haven’t seen the actual book yet (ahem, ???), but I have all the faith in the world that a big box of books is going to land on my porch today so I can see them before they hit stores tomorrow.

That’s right, folks… all the faith in the world.

Here’s that cover…

- - -

- - -

I also noticed Tor/Forge dropped the price of the eBook to a very reasonable $7.99, which makes me very happy.

- - -

Ok, that’s about it for now.

For those of you in Texas, I’ll be in Austin this weekend for the World Horror Convention, and I’ll unofficially stop by Book People on Saturday to see friends and sign stock. If you’re around, come by the hotel and say hello. As with all conventions, I’ll be in the bar.

Until next time...

Best of 2010

2010-12-09T08:57:00.005-06:00

Good news... The Cold Kiss made Suspense Magazine's 'Best of 2010' list for Debut Novel.

Here's a link to the press release: Best of 2010.

Great magazine for fans of the genre. Highly recommended.

Four years, two months, and three days…

2010-10-28T14:38:00.005-05:00

…since I finished the first draft of The Grove. And now, in less than a week, it’ll be available in bookstores all across the country.

This will be the second book I’ve had published in the last four months, and in some ways I’m more excited this time around than I was the first. Partly because I know a little more about what to expect, but also because The Grove has a very special place in my heart.

Even though it’s the second one published, The Grove was the first novel I wrote, and it taught me more about how to write fiction than anything I’d written before. I’m not talking about the craft of writing fiction, I’m talking about the less glamorous side of writing a novel, like meeting your daily word count, every day, no matter what. Like the importance of sticking with it and writing even when you’re stuck, even when you’re sure that every word you put down on the page is shit, because what you write today can be fixed tomorrow, and it’s much easier to fix a bad page than a blank one.

Most importantly, writing The Grove taught me that a first draft is just a starting point, that unlike short fiction, a novel builds itself in layers, over time and drafts. The first draft is just the beginning, like stretching a canvas over a frame before you start to paint. The real work comes later.

The Grove didn't find a traditional publisher right out of the gate, but I never lost faith in the book. I kept the manuscript around, letting it gather dust while I wrote my second novel. And after I signed a deal with Tor/Forge to publish The Cold Kiss, I pulled The Grove out and released it as an ebook on Amazon. The response was fantastic, and The Grove became one of the very first Indy bestsellers on the kindle. Eight months later I got a call from Amazon telling me they wanted to officially publish The Grove through their new AmazonEncore imprint.

Four years, two months, and three days…

Publishing a book is letting that book go. You wrote it, but it’s not yours anymore. It is what it is, and all you can do is sit back and watch what happens and hope for the best. This is in no way a bad thing. There is no downside to seeing your book on the shelves in bookstores, not a single one, and I have no regrets when it comes to the content of either of my books…

Well, almost no regrets.

I do regret cutting one scene in The Cold Kiss where Zack tells Nate and Sara the story of a farmer, “Just down the road,” who came across the body of a young girl in his cornfield, and of how he fell in love with her and kept her out there, all to himself.

At the time, this information seemed too out of place with the rest of the story, and I was worried it would take the focus off the tense interaction between the characters in the scene. Still, it would’ve been a cool detail to keep… Oh well.

I finished the first draft of The Grove on August 30th, 2006.

November 2nd, 2010 is the official release day.

Four years, two months, and three days…

If you decide to pick up a copy, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**

And if you’re interested, here’s an early review of The Grove.

Cold Kiss in the UK

2010-08-30T14:44:00.006-05:00

In three days, Cold Kiss is going to be released in the UK. It’s already available on Amazon, and starting this Thursday, September 2nd, you’ll also be able to find it at Waterstones, Sainsbury’s, and hopefully everywhere else.

Since I can't make it over to the UK this time, I'm not going to get a chance to see the book in the stores (yes, it's still exciting to see). So, if anyone wants to email me a pic of the book on the shelves, I'd love to see it.

~
Well, my first official book tour is over. I had a great time visiting all the stores, meeting booksellers, friends, and readers, and I have to say that a part of me is sad it’s over. But, I have another book coming out in two months, so I’ll be going out again around the holidays. Probably only a couple stops this time, and all of them in warmer climates (Sorry, but you won’t find me in Minneapolis between October and April). I’ll post the dates and destinations when I know them. As of right now, all I have scheduled is Bouchercon in October, and Noircon in November. If you’re going to be at either convention, make sure you say hello. It's safe to assume I'll be in the bar.

Not much going on right now. I started putting together book #4, but I’m holding back on the actual writing until I see the edits from Simon and Schuster for Book #3. Once I’ve got those done, I’m going to tear through Book #4. This one has been in my head for a few months, and it’s screaming to get out. I can't tell you too much about it other than it's going to be dark (maybe the darkest one yet), and that it all starts with a kidnapping.

~
I’ve had a lot of people come through on The Grove Giveaway, and I want to thank everyone who stepped up and blogged about The Cold Kiss, or reviewed it on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever else. I’ll be putting together a list of my ten favorites and mailing out ARC’s of The Grove towards the end of the week. I am notoriously bad about getting down to the post office, so if you haven’t received your copy in the next couple weeks (and I told you one was coming) email me and remind me. I wish I could send one to everyone who took part, but unfortunately I only have a few copies left.

~
That's it for now, but here are a few links to things that popped up over the last couple weeks.

-Keith Rawson posted a video interview we did when I met him at The Poisoned Pen in Phoenix.

-Vince Keenan has a great review on his blog.

-And Keith B Walters just posted one of my first UK reviews.

I hope they're all as good.

Last Stop... Houston.

2010-08-13T09:27:00.007-05:00

The last time I was in Houston, I came home with a particularly vicious strain of food poisoning that kills babies and the elderly and has been known to cause paralysis in healthy adults.

I’m fairly confident this trip will be better, but let’s face it; the bar is set pretty damn low.

All that aside, I'm super excited about visiting Murder by the Book. I’ve heard great things about the store, so it should be a lot of fun. If you’re in the Houston area and want to stop by, I’ll be discussing the book and signing copies at 5:00 on Saturday, August 14th.

This is going to be my last out of town stop on the book tour. I’m doing one more signing at The Bookworm in Omaha on Wednesday, August 18th, but that’s it until Bouchercon this October in San Francisco. As happy as I am about not having to fight through airports anymore, part of me is sad to see it come to an end. I’ve had a great time visiting the stores, talking to people about the book, and meeting new friends. I’m already looking forward to doing it all again for the next book.

In other news, we’re 20 days away from the UK release of COLD KISS, and I can't wait. I was hoping to get over to London for the release, but unfortunately that’s not going to happen this time around. The good news is that Simon and Schuster UK is publishing two more of my books in the next year, so I’ll definitely make it over for at least one of them. If you’d like to download a sample of COLD KISS, you can get one through Simon and Schuster, here.

There were also a couple great reviews for The Cold Kiss that came in this week. There’s a review of the audio book that you can find here, and a very thorough (and slightly spoiler-ish) review of the book here.

Now, off to Houston... Wish me luck.

The Grove Giveaway

2010-08-08T15:55:00.010-05:00

Here’s the deal.

I have ten ARC's of The Grove to give away, maybe more. If you want one, all you have to do is help me spread the word about The Cold Kiss. Blog about it, review it, whatever you want to do to help promote the book.

Be as creative as you'd like.

Send the link, the review, the photo, or whatever you’ve got (along with a shipping address) to john@thecoldkiss.com

At the end of August, I’ll pick my ten favorites and send each a signed ARC.

Sound good?

Lost in L.A.

2010-08-04T13:24:00.023-05:00

Last night I finished the latest round of edits on the new book, so it looks like I finally have some time to post about my L.A. trip last weekend… The good and the bad of it.

To be honest, the bad wasn’t all that bad thanks to friends like Stephen Blackmore who picked me up at LAX after my flight was delayed in Denver for four hours. It was close to midnight when I arrived, so the fact he offered to drive out to get me because the rental car company had closed for the night says a lot about the guy. He also has a book coming out next year through DAW, and I talked him into sending me a copy. I can tell you, when this one hits the streets, you’re definitely going to want to pick it up.

Day two in L.A.: Still no car, and two signings scheduled. Luckily another friend, John Lopez, was kind enough to rearrange his plans and drive me out to Mysteries to Die For in Thousand Oaks for an 11:00 signing, then back to L.A. for a 1:30 signing at The Mystery Bookstore, where I was thrilled to learn they'd selected The Cold Kiss as their August Discovery Club's Book of the Month.

If John or Stephen had been busy, my first trip to L.A would’ve turned out a hell of a lot differently. But, thanks to them, I made it to both signings on time, met some great people at the stores, and got to hang out with a couple friends I haven’t seen in a while, Stephen Jay Schwartz, and Christa Faust.

Stephen’s first novel came out last year, and it's now available in paperback. His second novel, Beat, comes out this September in Hardcover.

Christa also has a new book coming out in March called Choke Hold. It’s her second with Hard Case Crime. Her first, of course, being this little gem.

After the signings, Christa gave me a ride back to the hotel and I got to hang out in the bar with her for a few hours before locking myself in the room to work on edits until my flight left the next morning.

And that was L.A.

Thanks to some very generous friends, and a couple fantastic bookstores, I really had a great time. I can't wait to go back for the L.A. Times Festival of Books in 2011.

Up next: This Saturday, August 7th, I’ll be in Minneapolis at Once Upon A Crime. I get to drive to this one, and it'll be nice to get a little break from crowded airports. Then next week, August 14th, I'll be in Houston at Murder By The Book. I hope everyone can make it out.

In other news, we’re only a few weeks from the UK release of Cold Kiss, and there seems to be a nice buzz building. Here’s a great pre-pub blog post from Liz at My Favorite Books, along with a link to a sample of the book you can download through Simon and Schuster.

And finally, look what I got in the mail last week…

I think this means it’s time for a giveaway.

Stay tuned…

Phoenix

2010-07-25T19:28:00.018-05:00

Just back from Phoenix after a fun, and all too short trip. Had a great time at The Poisoned Pen, and an even better time in the bar at the Hotel Valley Ho after the signing.

I finally had a chance to meet the Arizona crime lord himself, Keith Rawson, who edits the fantastic crime magazine, CRIMEFACTORY, that’s available on the Kindle, and soon in print.

Also sat around and had a few drinks with the vary talented, up and coming horror author, Petra L. Miller, who was kind enough to make the drive into Scottsdale.

Everyone I met in Arizona was great, and I can't wait to go back once The Grove hits the shelves on November 2nd. But for now, it's just good to be home.

Speaking of home, the Omaha World Herald ran a cool write up on the books along with a short interview today. If you’re interested, check it out HERE.

Next week, July 31st, I'll be in L.A at Mysteries to Die For in Thousand Oaks at 11am, then at The Mystery Bookstore in L.A. at 1:30.

If you're around, I hope you can make it.

My name is Dick Whitman.

2010-07-23T09:36:00.012-05:00

I’m getting ready to fly to Phoenix this afternoon for a signing tomorrow at The Poisoned Pen. I used to live in Phoenix, so I'm excited to go back, especially since I’m going to be staying here.

If you’re in AZ, stop by The Poisoned Pen tomorrow at 2:00 and say hi.

And if you haven't seen it yet, check out this review of The Cold Kiss in the National Review.

Oh, and here's the cover for the German edition of The Cold Kiss.

Love the title.

Today is the day…

2010-07-06T14:24:00.010-05:00

The Cold Kiss is finally, and officially, a published novel. I’ve talked before about how great a feeling it is to walk into the stores and see your book on the shelves, but I discovered an even better feeling today when I went into the same stores and was told they’d sold out and that they've been "selling like crazy," and now had the book on back order. While I’m sure this has more to do with the News Story that ran last week than anything else, it’s still nice to hear.

I’ve also been amazed by all the emails, comments, tweets and blog posts today from friends and strangers congratulating me and wishing me luck with the book. I can be a pretty reserved guy, and I don’t comment a lot on blogs (even this one), but I do read as many as I can, and I’m humbled by the support. So, thank you to everyone who picked up the book, reviewed it, recommended it, or even just took the time to send good wishes my way. You’ve all helped make a great day even better.

Speaking of blogs, the good people over at Do Some Damage let me pop in and talk a little about the background of The Cold Kiss. If you're not familiar with that blog, bookmark it. There are some great writers over there, and you'll want to go back.

Three Days Early

2010-07-03T15:04:00.017-05:00

I walked into Barnes and Noble this morning and saw this...

July 6th is the offical publication date, but I've been told that's a soft date and the books could be out earlier or later. Not that I really care, because holy $#@%, my book is in the stores!

If anyone else is in a bookstore this week, send me a note and let me know if you see it yet.

A Very Good Day...

2010-07-02T16:46:00.012-05:00

This afternoon I was out playing golf with this guy, and when I got home, I found this...

And inside, these...

A very good day, indeed...

And for those who are interested, here's a link to the Channel 6 News story that ran last night.

Countdown!

2010-07-01T19:50:00.011-05:00

Five days.

After more than a year of waiting, there's only five days left until The Cold Kiss is released in North America. A part of me still doesn't believe everything that's happened over the past year, but I know it'll hit me the first time I walk into the store and see the books on the shelves... I can't wait.

If you want the book delivered, you can always pre-order it. Here are a few links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Powells

Or if you want the audio book, you can get it here:

Blackstone Audio

In other news, I added another stop on the book tour. This one in Minneapolis at Once Upon A Crime. I'll be there on Saturday August 7th from 1:00 to 3:00 to sign and discuss the book. If you're in the area, stop by.

Also, if you're in Omaha and you're interested, I'm going to be on channel 6, WOWT-TV, tonight at 10:00 talking about the books and the release of The Cold Kiss on Tuesday.

Tour Dates

2010-06-06T13:23:00.014-05:00

The Cold Kiss is going to be released on July 6th, 30 days from today.

Finally!

Starting that week in July, I'll be stopping at a few bookstores and conventions around the country to discuss the book, writing, publishing, or whatever else anyone wants to talk about. I'll also sign copies, of course.

Here's where I'm going to be so far:

July 8th - 11th, I'll be at the Grand Hyatt for Thrillerfest in New York.
July 17th, Mystery One in Milwaukee, WI.
July 24th, Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ.
July 31st, Mysteries to Die For, and The Mystery Bookstore in Los Angeles, CA.
August 14th, Murder By The Book in Houston, TX.
October 14th - 17th, I'll be at Bouchercon in San Francisco, CA.
November 4th - 7th, I'll be at Noircon in Philadelphia, PA

I'm looking to add stops in Colorado, Nebraska, Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle before the end of the year.

Also, if you're in the UK, I'll be in London for the UK release in early September. No set dates yet, but I'll post them as soon as I know.

If anyone has ideas for other stores/cities I should hit, post it in the comments or drop me a line at john@thecoldkiss.com and let me know. I'll see what I can do.

Oh, and Michael Stewart was kind enough to do a feature interview with me for the International Thriller Writers. If you want to take a look, it's up on their website. Here's the LINK.

AmazonEncore Cover Art

2010-05-28T15:36:00.009-05:00

Here's the cover art for the AmazonEncore edition of The Grove.

Stark and simple with a cool, old school vibe. I love it.

Amazon Encore

2010-05-19T16:56:00.012-05:00

—BIG NEWS —

We finalized the deal a couple weeks ago, and I’m excited to announce that The Grove is going to be published in the US through AmazonEncore, the new publishing branch of Amazon.com.

The release date is November 2nd, and I can’t wait to see this one in print. Actually, I can’t wait to see both of the books in print, but The Grove is extra special to me. It’s my first novel, and even though it’s not the first one to be published, it is the book that started it all.

Everyone at AmazonEncore has been great to work with. And let me tell you, these guys move fast. In the two weeks since we finalized the contract, they’ve already edited the book and sent it back to me for revisions. They’ve written promotional copy and worked with me to get everything just right. And if things go well, I should see brand new cover proofs later this week.

Stay tuned…

My First Review

2010-05-06T13:33:00.005-05:00

The Nerd of Noir over at Spinetingler Magazine posted the very first review of THE COLD KISS.

Check it out HERE.

Cover Art UK

2010-04-21T10:09:00.002-05:00

Here's the cover art for the UK edition of Cold Kiss.

Simon and Schuster sent the cover proofs and they look incredible.

Optioned!

2010-01-14T10:53:00.012-06:00

I got the news from my agent yesterday that that the movie option for my novel THE COLD KISS was finalized and that it went to Jane Startz (ELLA ENCHANTED, THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD), with Ole Bornedal (NIGHTWATCH, JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY) to direct.

I couldn’t be more excited about this. The people at Jane Startz are passionate about this project, and Ole Bornedal is absolutely brilliant. His film, JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY, is stunning. If you haven’t seen it and would like to check it out, you can stream it on Netflix.

Here’s the trailer.

What a great way to start the year.

On Writing #1: Larry Brown

2010-01-03T16:50:00.012-06:00

When I first started writing I wore out my copy of Larry Brown's short story collection, Big Bad Love, and to this day I don't believe any short fiction writer who knows what they're talking about can read it and not walk away without thinking, "Yes, this is how it should be done!"

After reading his novel, Dirty Work, I was so blown away that I went out and bought everything he'd written. The only other time I've done such a thing was after reading Ken Bruen's The Guards for the first time.

This clip is from a documentary called 'The Rough South of Larry Brown'. It's a new version completed after he died in 2004. If you like writer biographies and want to see the entire thing, you can get a copy through Duke University, Here.

Cover Art

2009-10-20T19:32:00.012-05:00

Here's the cover art for the US hardcover edition of The Cold Kiss.

The people at Tor did an amazing job. I couldn't be happier.

The latest...

2009-09-22T19:56:00.004-05:00

The Dutch rights to The Cold Kiss sold to Ilse Arkesteijn at Meulenhoff Boekerij in Amsterdam.

Once again, thanks to my agent, Allan Guthrie, and to Kevin Pocklington at Jenny Brown for putting in the hard work and making this deal happen.

Simon and Schuster UK

2009-09-02T07:45:00.004-05:00

I'm thrilled to report that I just agreed to a three-book UK and Commonwealth deal with Simon and Schuster. They're going to publish The Cold Kiss in 2010, The Grove in 2011, and my third novel in 2012.

Thank you (again) to my extraordinary agent, Allan Guthrie, and to my new editor at S&S, Francesca Main, for making this happen.

Here's the link announcing the deal at Bookbrunch.

Der Kalte Kuss

2009-07-21T07:49:00.003-05:00

I’m thrilled to announce that The Cold Kiss just sold to Marcus Gaertner at Rowohlt in Germany for publication in winter 2010/2011. Thank you to Allan Guthrie and Kevin Pocklington at Jenny Brown Associates for making this happen.

More Kindle News

2009-07-17T11:54:00.012-05:00

First, and most exciting, is the addition of Allan Guthrie to the list of Kindle authors. Allan has made two of his award winning crime novels available on the kindle Two-way Split, and Kiss Her Goodbye. He also has a new novella up called Killing Mum, and while I haven't read it (yet), if it's anything like the rest of Allan's work, it's going to be great.

If you're a Kindle or ipod/iphone owner and you haven't read Allan Guthrie, this is your chance.

--

THE GROVE is still doing well. It's been up for seven weeks and the response has been unbelievable. One new development is that the book is moving onto some of the non-kindle top seller lists. It's in the top 50 of all mystery novels, both print and kindle, and it's the #1 hard-boiled mystery on all of Amazon.

--

In other news, I've been busy typing away on the new novel, and I should have a first draft finished by Halloween and the manuscript ready to go out by the first of the year. I'm also a third of the way through another new book that I should have finished by June 2010. If all goes well, which it rarely does, I'll have both these books ready to go by the time THE COLD KISS is released next summer.

Wish me luck.

Online Book Review

2009-06-24T13:04:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to the interview I did with Stacey Cochran for the Online Book Review.

Online Book Review

Stacey is a really nice guy who is incredibly generous when it comes to helping other writer's promote their work. So if you get a chance, check out his books for sale on Amazon:

Claws, and The Colorado Sequence>The Colorado Sequence

New interview up

2009-06-05T15:56:00.003-05:00

I just did an interview with Brian Lindenmuth over at BSG.

If you're interested in taking a look, here's the link:

Conversations with the Bookless

It's official...

2009-06-02T19:37:00.002-05:00

Today my agent and I agreed to a deal with Tor books to publish my new novel THE COLD KISS. The plan is a summer 2010 hardcover release with a trade paperback to follow.

It’s been a damn good day, to say the least.

The Grove is up

2009-05-24T11:40:00.012-05:00

For those of you who own a Kindle, I just put The Grove, up for $.99.

Here's the link and a description:

The Grove

"Spare and evocative as a cornfield in autumn, The Grove marks the arrival of a haunting, powerful new voice in contemporary fiction. John Rector writes with deceptive grace, spinning out irresistible prose with a dark pulse between every line. This is psychological suspense at its most seductive. I loved it."

-Sean Doolittle, award-winning author of Dirt, Burn, Rain Dogs, The Cleanup, and Safer

------------------------------

The last time farmer Dexter McCray went off his medication, someone wound up dead. So, after waking from an alcoholic blackout to discover his tractor stuck in a ditch and the body of a teenage girl in the cottonwood grove bordering his cornfield, things look worryingly familiar.

With no alibi and a creeping suspicion that he might indeed be guilty, Dexter decides to investigate the crime himself. He can't tell anybody. Not his friend, the sheriff, who keeps offering to help him winch his tractor out of the ditch. Nor his estranged wife, whose love he's desperate to win back. And certainly not the Tollivers, his redneck neighbors.

Fortunately, Dexter's not entirely alone. He has some help.

In the shape of the dead girl herself.

------------------------------

Putting The Grove out there for the Kindle is a bit of an experiment in promotion, so please help me spread the word by encouraging your friends and family to pick up a copy.

BTW, if you like the cover of The Grove, you can find the guy who designed it here:

Bastardized Version

His name is John Hornor and he's one talented SOB.