They're Gone, by E.A. Barres (hey, that's me!)
I'll be back on shelves in late 2020!
This deal has been in the works for a while now, and I had to be very quiet and professional about it - two things that don't always come easy to me - but I'm happy to announce that my next thriller will be out through Crooked Lane Books! And a bunch of people sent me e-mails after the announcement with questions. Here are the answers, in FAQ form:
Who the hell is E.A. Barres?
That's me! This book will be written under a pen name...but it's a pen name that places this book almost exactly on store shelves after E.A. Aymar. Clever, right? That was entirely unintentional.
Why the hell is E.A. Barres?
I made a promise when I started these newsletters a while back, once I found out that this audience was engaged in what I had to say...I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. Or lie to you. Listen, the first two books I wrote in The Dead trilogy didn't sell well. There really wasn't a lot of marketing outside of my own efforts, and I didn't know anyone (or anything) back then. And the low sales of those two first books have the potential to hinder the sales of They're Gone. The Unrepentant has actually sold really well (more on that below), especially for a smaller press, but that's not enough.
From what I understand about the industry, bookstore and library buyers look at your sales figures when determining whether or not to carry your next book. And if you're a buyer comparing someone who sold a few hundred books to someone who sold a few thousand, the decision is pretty easy...especially when you factor in limited shelf space and the staggering amount of books published annually. The competition is brutal. No sales record is better than a poor sales record.
(As an FYI, my agent and I took back the rights of those first two books from their publisher, and maybe someday I'll place them somewhere else and finish the trilogy.)
So, are you E.A. Barres for now on? Do I have to update my rolodex? I still have a rolodex.
Nah, and this pen name is going to be very transparent. I don't want to do the kind of thing where I'm creating a fake author profile, or pretending to be a woman to hit a certain market, or anything else that comes off as sleazy. Everything else I write is still going to be under E.A. Aymar, with a note in my accompanying bio that says something like "E.A. Aymar's newest novel, written under E.A. Barres, is They're Gone."
Despite the low sales of those first two books, I've made some inroads with the D.C. writing and reading community, as well as within the larger crime fiction world, and I don't want to lose or deceive those people. And, as I said, The Unrepentant did well, gained readers, and I don't want to stop any momentum it created. It's imperative to me that there be a high level of transparency here.
Okay, I think I get the pen name thing, MR. BARRES. But why'd you pick Barres? I don't know how to pronounce it.
Good question! And I should state here that I actually really like pen names and pseudonyms. I think it's because of how much I like rap and the fake names rappers use. And also because I saw some science fiction movie where someone was like "what's your name" and the guy answered and the other guy said, "Not your government name!" And I was like, "whoa, that's so bad ass. I DON'T LIKE MY GOVERNMENT NAME EITHER."
I had a bunch of choices, but I went with Barres because I've always liked the word "bars." It has a poetic quality to it, maybe because of the pleasing sound that words that start with "b" make. Say "buh." See how your lips separate, and almost form a oval when you pronounce the "b?" I think that's a nice feeling.
I also wanted a name that indicated some sense of ethnicity. My half-Panamanian heritage is important to me, but I didn't feel comfortable going full Latinx here. I've been trying to learn more about that culture and fix my awful Spanish and, even though I was born in Panama and I visit every couple of years and half my family lives there, the honor of being called Latinx doesn't feel quite earned yet. In the same way I didn't call myself a writer, despite writing every day, until I'd published a book. It's a personal thing.
But I am brown and proud of it, so I wanted a name that indicated some sense of ethnicity. And Barres does that for me. I mean, no one knows quite what the hell it is, which is probably perfect for me.
And, on a different note, "bars / barres" has connotations in music and dance that I think are really pretty, and essential to writing. I try to have a musical, rhythmic element in my writing, and I may not always hit it, but this name is a reminder to always try. But I didn't go with "bars" because of the alcohol connotation, and also because I kept thinking it was E.A. Bras.
Are you worried that E.A. Barres is too sexy a name?
Yes, a little. I'm probably around a 6-7, and E.A. Barres is a 9. That's a LOT to live up to. It's why I go by Ed instead of Eduardo. Eduardo is a 12 out of the 1-10 scale. I can't live up to that.
You're tangent-ing. What's this book about?
I'm glad you asked!
In They're Gone, two women from different paths discover that the important men in their lives have been killed on the same night, in the same fashion – a bullet in the head, another in the heart.
Grief takes a heavy toll on northern Virginia freelance editor Deb Linh Thomas when she learns of her husband’s murder. She’s devastated when, just a week after the funeral, Deb discovers that the FBI had been investigating her husband, and he withdrew vast sums of money from their accounts without her knowledge, and apparently give it to a prostitute with whom he was involved.
On the other hand, Baltimore bartender Cessy Castillo is pretty chill when her abusive husband, ex-cop Hector Ramirez, is killed – she’d been hoping for a way out of that relationship anyway. But it turns out Hector was working for a group of criminals, and he owed them a lot of money. And they expect Cessy to pay.
Deb and the FBI agent assigned to her case start digging into her husband’s past, and she learns that his murder wasn’t a random robbery. Rather, he was targeted by a criminal organization…and it’s the same murderous organization Hector worked for.
As these two women search for a way forward, their journeys exact painful, life-threatening tolls. But as the threats rise and their separate paths converge, both Deb and Cessy discover that they’re stronger than they realize. And, when death again threatens those closest to them – Deb’s daughter and Cessy’s brother – Deb and Cessy fight back.
How'd you come up with THAT?
I was having drinks with my friend and acclaimed historical mystery novelist Susanna Calkins, and she told me about some research she was doing for her new series based in Capone's Chicago. Apparently, after the Valentine's Day Massacre, a newspaper article referred to the widows of the men killed by Capone as "the bullet widows." And I thought that was an amazing phrase, and promptly asked Susanna if I could use it. And she was like, "whatevs." So I did!
Wait, that's so cool! How come you didn't call it The Bullet Widows?
It might still be called that! They're Gone may not be the title. I sent Crooked Lane a bunch of other title options, and The Bullet Widows is in the mix (and it's my favorite). We didn't submit it under the name "Bullet Widows" because I thought it might be too violent a connotation, and because Lynda La Plante's Widows had just been adapted to a movie, and it seemed too close a tie-in. And I actually like the title They're Gone quite a bit. It works for this book.
So, Cooked Lane, huh?
So, Cooked Lane, yes! I'm excited to work with them. The book will be in hardcover and audible, and that's never been the case for my prior books. And they're distributed by Penguin / Random House, which gives me the chance to be in Barnes and Noble and independent bookstores and libraries, both locally and nationally. And everyone there seems really nice and supportive.
This book was acquired by Terri Bischoff, an editor I've known about for years. She was with Midnight Ink and produced some amazing books from writers I deeply admire. And, after Midnight Ink folded, she ended up at Crooked Lane. Terri is one of the most respected figures in crime fiction publishing, and I'm honestly honored to be one of her authors.
When is this book coming out?
The tentative launch date is November 10, 2020.
Are you going to be doing your usual events with musicians and fire-eaters and readings and all that stuff? Because that all seems a bit much, and honestly...
Damn straight I am. Stay tuned, amigo.
In Conversation with Kathleen Barber
This was fun! And you can tell by our goofy smiles. I interviewed Kathleen Barber about her fantastic new novel, Follow Me, at Kramerbooks this past Tuesday. Kathleen is such a great person and talented writer, and the conversation was awesome. And I didn't fall off the bar stool (that's why I kept one cautious leg on the ground.
Want to more about Follow Me? Here's the description:
Everyone wants new followers…until they follow you home.
Audrey Miller has an enviable new job at the Smithsonian, a body by reformer Pilates, an apartment door with a broken lock, and hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers to bear witness to it all. Having just moved to Washington, DC, Audrey busies herself impressing her new boss, interacting with her online fan base, and staving off a creepy upstairs neighbor with the help of the only two people she knows in town: an ex-boyfriend she can’t stay away from and a sorority sister with a high-powered job and a mysterious past.
But Audrey’s faulty door may be the least of her security concerns. Unbeknownst to her, her move has brought her within striking distance of someone who’s obsessively followed her social media presence for years—from her first WordPress blog to her most recent Instagram Story. No longer content to simply follow her carefully curated life from a distance, he consults the dark web for advice on how to make Audrey his and his alone. In his quest to win her heart, nothing is off-limits—and nothing is private.
BookBub!
So, this isn't technically an event, but it was...eventful? As you might remember, I had a BookBub deal for The Unrepentant last month, and the sale and associated promotions and word-of-mouth all pushed the book to #1 in Noir books on Amazon! Which is all sorts of amazing and I owe everyone who shared the deal on social media a huge thanks. I'm so appreciative of your efforts. Thank you.
Writer's Digest University
If you thought The Unrepentant was a laugh riot, then make sure you check out my class with Writer's University. It's called "The Importance of Light and Humor in Crime Fiction," and I'll discuss ways to temper the tension with the occasional laugh. This is the sixth year WD has offered these types of classes (although my first year as a teacher) and my lesson will be online on Sunday, March 22nd. You can learn more HERE.
Rebecca Drake is from Pittsburgh, but don't hold that against her. She's also a wonderful author and a good friend and I had the chance to meet her through two other great writers - J.J. Hensley and Tom Sweterlitsch. Odd how good writers seem to travel in packs. Anyway, I quickly became a fan of Rebecca's writing and asked her if she'd be interested in contributing to The Thrill Begins, and I've been honored to publish her columns for TTB ever since (the next one comes out this Thursday).
And a writer Rebecca recommends you read? Karen Dietrich. As Rebecca explains....
I’m always interested in how our pasts effect the choices we make in the present, and that’s why I’d like to recommend another Pittsburgh author, Karen Dietrich, whose debut novel, Girl at the Edge, comes out this month. It’s a psychological suspense story about a young woman struggling to deal with having a mass murderer as a father, while trying to unravel the mystery of what drove him to commit his terrible crimes. It’s an intriguing look at what it’s like to be one of the forgotten victims of violent crime--a family member of the perpetrator.
Thanks to Rebecca for this suggestion, and click on the pics and names above to learn more about both writers and their most recent work.
It's contest time! As you know, the monthly contest winner wins copies of the two books listed in my "Two Writers You Should Read" segment. AND, for this month, I'm also including a copy of Kathleen Barber's Follow Me!
The winner of this month's contest is...
dottie_@_.com
Congrats, Dottie! Check your e-mail for a separate note from me, and happy reading!
My friend Tara Laskowski interviewed me for the series on her site, "What Scares You," and I talked about nightmares, headless ladies and, most terrifying of all, social media. You can read it HERE and see a picture of me LAUGHING AT DANGER (before I turned and ran).
Until next time, much love to all of you, and Happy Reading!