You Knew I Was Easy...Now I'm Cheap!
It's true! I'm happy to announce that today, for one day only, The Unrepentant is on sale (e-book formats only) for $0.99! That's less than a dollar! I checked the math twice!
This is very cool because it's on sale as part of a BookBub promotional deal. I've never been part of a BookBub deal but, from what I understand, you mark down your pick and they sell zillions of copies. Seems pretty straightforward!
Anyway, if you haven't bought The Unrepentant, and you ALSO want to applaud yourself for being thrifty then, amigo, today is your day. Click on any these links and pick up your copy. And I'd appreciate any help spreading the word.
Amazon
Amazon UK (for the British shawties)
Barnes and Noble
Apple
Kobo (I don't know what this is, but I feel like I should by now, and I'm too embarrassed to ask)
Google Play
In Conversation with Kathleen Barber
As I mentioned in my last newsletter, my friend Kathleen Barber's second book is coming out in February, and I'll be interviewing her at KramerBooks in D.C. for the launch on February 25th at 6:30 PM. Her new novel, Follow Me, is a masterclass in tension, and Kathleen has a unique ability to capture voices (particularly the voice of social media). Her first novel, Are You Sleeping?, was turned into a television series on Apple TV starring Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul called Truth Be Told, and it's airing now.
NoVa Noir at the Bar
I'm not hosting or reading at this event, but it's really cool and I wanted to share it with you guys. Josh Pachter's Northern Virginia Noir at the Bar series has gone really well, and this lineup is terrific! I know and have read all of these writers, and this lineup is seriously intense. Definitely check this out on February 16th!
LynDee Walker has been on fire. She writes two well-regarded series, has a following of both readers and writers, and is the type of person you want to hang out with at a conference for hours on end. She just makes you happy when you're in her presence. Add to it that she's a fantastic writer and genuinely wonderful person, and you'll count yourself lucky to know her. And the writer she recommends? Laura McHugh.
I got a copy of THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD in a book bag at a conference, and I liked the premise and cover so I stuck it on my bookshelf when I got home. Months (maybe a year?) later, I grabbed it on the way to the pool one day. That’s probably the closest my littles have ever come to a sunburn, because that book sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. I finished it that night and immediately took it to my best friend, then began shouting praise from the tops of the internet rooftops. I followed Laura McHugh on social media, and sent her a note telling her how much I adored her book, and how thrilled I was to discover that she’s good friends with another of my favorite writers and people, Jill Orr (if you’re not reading Jill and you enjoy smart mysteries that snap with clever humor, you are missing out). I have bought every one of Laura’s books since and loved them all, and absolutely fangirled all over her at Bouchercon in St. Petersburg when I got to meet her. Her latest, THE WOLF WANTS IN, is incredible, and she is a lovely, lovely human to boot.
Thanks to LynDee 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. SO, the winner of this month's contest, and copies of Dateline Memphis and The Wolf Wants In is...
kellymarie___@
Congrats, Kelly Marie! Check your e-mail for a separate note from me, and happy reading!
My first column of the year ran yesterday, a response to an article by Mitch Albom about the controversial novel American Dirt.
For those that don't know, American Dirt is a novel by a writer named Jeanine Cummins about a Mexican mother and son who are forced to flee Mexico for the United States. The author received a 7-figure advance, the book was selected by Oprah for her book club, and everything was going pretty darn well until people (particularly Latinx writers and critics) began voicing concerns about the novel's depictions of Mexico and its citizens.
The outcry grew and grew and things went to shit pretty fast. The publisher has since apologized for a number of missteps and Cummins' tour has been cancelled. None of this seems to have affected the book's sales, but there has been a responsive outcry from the book's supporters, particularly about who has the right to tell certain stories. Mitch Albom was the latest to weigh in and, even though correcting Mitch Albom is low-hanging fruit, I felt like I had something to say about the situation. And so I did. You can read it HERE.
Until next time, much love to all of you, and Happy Reading!