Looks to be quite a big party. Anybody in the Conn area, come on down!
Friday, June 29, 2018
Big Author Signing at the Hartford Barnes and Noble
This Saturday, the 30th, I'll be signing books with the Sisters in Crime at the UCONN Hartford Barnes and Noble from 12-4.
Looks to be quite a big party. Anybody in the Conn area, come on down!
Looks to be quite a big party. Anybody in the Conn area, come on down!
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Interview With Journalist Dan Szczesny
Another special treat today! We'll be talking with journalist Dan Szczesny, a guy with so much going on, it makes you want to go climb a mountain.
Over the course of one calendar year, Dan Szczesny explored the history and mystique of New England’s tallest mountain. But Mount Washington is more than just a 6,288-foot rock pile; the mountain is the cultural soul of climbers, hikers, and tourists from around the world looking to test their mettle against some of the most extreme conditions in return for a chance to be inspired by some of the most intense natural beauty.
From being on the team of a ninety-seven-year-old marathon runner, to dressing as Walt Whitman and reading poetry up the mountain, to spending a week in winter cooking for the scientists at the observatory, the mountain became Szczesny’s muse. In The White Mountain: Rediscovering Mount Washington’s Hidden Culture, Szczesny turns a veteran journalist’s eye toward exploring Mount Washington’s place in the collective consciousness of the country, and how this rugged landscape has reflected back a timeless history of our obsession and passion for exploration and discovery.
About the author: Dan Szczesny is a long-time author and journalist living in New Hampshire. His books include travelogues on Nepal, Alaska, and the White Mountains. He is a Hemingway Foundation finalist for short fiction and has also written a collection of short stories and of poetry. He’s traveled widely throughout the country speaking about adventure travel and the importance of getting kids into the outdoors. He currently calls Manchester, New Hampshire his Base Camp where he lives with his wife and daughter. Learn more about Dan’s work at www.danszczesny.com.
Q. You have quite a resume- journalist, author, editor, and speaker, with publications in travel books, fiction, and poetry. And you lead an adventurous life of climbing mountains. When did you realize this was going to be your path?
A. Well, the writing part has been part of my DNA since the fifth grade. I can't remember a time when I didn't want to write, and when I was a kid I'd write anything: fiction, poetry, essays, fan fiction, you name it. I still remember that my first short story was basically an episode of Star Blazers, that great Japanese animation from the 70s.
So, looking back on that early start, it makes sense that most of my professional career has been in journalism. I've always just been curious, and that's critical if you want to be a good reporter. I like asking questions, and then answering them.
The adventure and travel writing, though, was just an extension of what I loved doing as a hobby. Again, since one of my favorite things to do is to learn about new cultures, food, religion and society, then it just follows that I'd travel a lot and write about those experiences. And the mountain climbing came naturally out of my moving to New Hampshire and being exposed to the White Mountains.
Q. What's your proudest professional achievement? Personal?
A. Professional achievement: When I was working as a beat reporter in Princeton, New Jersey, I covered a story about a toddler who suffered a non-life threatening injury, but sadly passed away on the way to the hospital due to the complicated EMS and private ambulance structure of the county at that time. I dug into the law and history surrounding the system that would create such red tape and delays in getting help and wrote a series for the paper about it. Based on that work, several state senators changed the law to tighten private EMS services so such a mistake would not happen again. I won a state press association award for in-depth reporting, but more importantly I hope that the work saved some lives.
Personal: Aside from my marriage and birth of my daughter, my wife and I spent a year training for and then three weeks solo trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Out of that experience, I wrote “The Nepal Chronicles.” It was life changing.
Q. How about your best day ever?
A. That's easy! My book, “The Nepal Chronicles,” won the 2016 New Hampshire State Library and Writers Project award for best work on non-fiction, and on award night at the ceremony I learned the book also won the Readers' Choice Award as well. AND, on that same day, in a raffle, I won a basket of coffee and cheese from my local bank! Talk about karma!
Q. What's the hardest thing about what you do?
A. Well, it's always easy for a writer with a family to complain about the challenge of finding time to do the actual writing, but I've been pretty lucky with the way our schedules have all worked out. For me, given the amount of research and archival work that goes into any given non-fiction project, the hardest thing for me sometimes is figuring out when to stop. Literally, I could sit down at my laptop, surrounded by books I'm using and research all day and never even look up from the screen if I let myself. But alas, at some point, I have to stop and actually write something!
Q. Since you do so much, what do you prefer to do on any day, given a choice?
A. Well, again, there's always the research which I love. But this is going to sound weird, but I love social media. I love connecting with readers and other authors on-line and working on fun and interesting ways to market my books and talks. Back before my reporter days, I worked in marketing and spent a lot of time writing press releases and designing fliers and I dig that work. Part of it, I think, is that I can just get so excited about a given project that I can't wait to tell the world.
Q. Someone comes to you with the dream job- what is it?
A. Working on assignment as a travel writer for a huge venue like Nat Geo or Outside Magazine and traveling the world and writing about it, with my family of course!
Q. Any plans for more anthologies? What did you like about doing those?
A. When Plaidswede Books approached me about editing the Murder Ink anthology series, the original plan was a three volume set, and to date, there's no plans for a fourth. I'm certainly not opposed to editing nearly any type of anthology were a publisher to approach me. I'm super proud of the fact that over the course of three volumes in three years, we were able to create quite a grand little community of murder and mystery writers working in that very specific genre of newsroom crime writing.
What's amazing about wearing an editor's hat for a while is, first, how much fun that work can be. I mean, basically, I just spend a lot of time reading short stories! And second, how that level of intense editing work carries over into editing my own work. Every writer who is serious about his or her own craft ought to spend some time editing someone else. It makes you a better writer.
Q. What do you look for in reading material? Or favorite books/favorite authors/recent great reads.
A. When I'm engaged in a new project, I don't read anything other than the subject matter I'm working on, so that means for the past two years, I basically only read books having to do with the White Mountains. Among those, some amazing titles I discovered were the older historic records. For example, “The Journals of Francis Parkman” were enlightening. “Life at the Top” by Eric Pinder is a cool inside look at the lives of the Mount Washington Observatory crew.
And when I do have spare time between projects, I try to catch up on the work of local and regional authors. North Country writer Olga Morrill just released a fascinating historical fiction book, the first in a series, called “Vagabond Quakers” which is intense and deeply researched and that appeals to me! And Massachusetts writer Matt Landry's inspirational hiking book, “Forward, Upward, Onward” is a super read!
Q. What's the question you get asked the most/hate or love the most?
A. How do you find the time to write? (Answer: It's a job, get your butt in the chair and write.)
How do you come up with story ideas? (Answer: Magic fairy dust and a lot of coffee!)
How do you balance real life with writing life? (Answer: No need to balance anything since it's the same thing.)
How do you overcome writer's block? (Answer: There's no such thing, see question one.)
I'm cool with any and all questions though. I never really get sick of talking about the craft, or about my books. It's what I do, I love doing it and I'm thrilled when anyone has an interest!
Q. What's the one question you wish you'd get asked more? What would you love to talk about?
A. Food! I love eating new and interesting food when I travel, it gives you such insight into the culture and region you're exploring. Alas, folks often seem more interested in whether or not I got sick from the food rather than about the food. I wish I'd be asked more about what I loved to eat!
Q. Any wild stories from your career that you can tell?
A. The very first time I hiked in New Hampshire, a long time hiker took me up the caretaker route of the Old Man of The Mountain when the great rock profile was still there. I'd never hiked or climbed up anything before and this route was hand-pulling myself up on cables. I got super sick and tossed up my breakfast half way up the “trail” but I did make it, and was able to stand on the forehead of the Old Man. I couldn't walk for three days after that climb; a not terribly auspicious way to start my hiking career!
Q. What fun fact do we not know about you?
A. Let's see... I've never read a Harry Potter book or watched any of the films, when I'm writing fiction is primarily listen to Miles Davis from his early 70s acid jazz stage, and I once ate an entire bag of 30 dumplings in one sitting.
Q. What's the next step in your professional world?
A. The next big things will be embarking on the tour for “The White Mountain.” Over the course of the next six months I'll be giving presentations and meet and greets in six states at about 60 venues, so my focus will really be to bring that book and project to an audience. After that, I have two book projects whispering in my ear that will have to be dealt with. One is a kids picture book, the other is a narrative non-fiction true crime book. And in the middle of all that, I'll begin my search for an agent. Know of any?
And he's got a brand-new book out: The White Mountain.
Over the course of one calendar year, Dan Szczesny explored the history and mystique of New England’s tallest mountain. But Mount Washington is more than just a 6,288-foot rock pile; the mountain is the cultural soul of climbers, hikers, and tourists from around the world looking to test their mettle against some of the most extreme conditions in return for a chance to be inspired by some of the most intense natural beauty.
From being on the team of a ninety-seven-year-old marathon runner, to dressing as Walt Whitman and reading poetry up the mountain, to spending a week in winter cooking for the scientists at the observatory, the mountain became Szczesny’s muse. In The White Mountain: Rediscovering Mount Washington’s Hidden Culture, Szczesny turns a veteran journalist’s eye toward exploring Mount Washington’s place in the collective consciousness of the country, and how this rugged landscape has reflected back a timeless history of our obsession and passion for exploration and discovery.
About the author: Dan Szczesny is a long-time author and journalist living in New Hampshire. His books include travelogues on Nepal, Alaska, and the White Mountains. He is a Hemingway Foundation finalist for short fiction and has also written a collection of short stories and of poetry. He’s traveled widely throughout the country speaking about adventure travel and the importance of getting kids into the outdoors. He currently calls Manchester, New Hampshire his Base Camp where he lives with his wife and daughter. Learn more about Dan’s work at www.danszczesny.com.
Q. You have quite a resume- journalist, author, editor, and speaker, with publications in travel books, fiction, and poetry. And you lead an adventurous life of climbing mountains. When did you realize this was going to be your path?
A. Well, the writing part has been part of my DNA since the fifth grade. I can't remember a time when I didn't want to write, and when I was a kid I'd write anything: fiction, poetry, essays, fan fiction, you name it. I still remember that my first short story was basically an episode of Star Blazers, that great Japanese animation from the 70s.
So, looking back on that early start, it makes sense that most of my professional career has been in journalism. I've always just been curious, and that's critical if you want to be a good reporter. I like asking questions, and then answering them.
The adventure and travel writing, though, was just an extension of what I loved doing as a hobby. Again, since one of my favorite things to do is to learn about new cultures, food, religion and society, then it just follows that I'd travel a lot and write about those experiences. And the mountain climbing came naturally out of my moving to New Hampshire and being exposed to the White Mountains.
Q. What's your proudest professional achievement? Personal?
A. Professional achievement: When I was working as a beat reporter in Princeton, New Jersey, I covered a story about a toddler who suffered a non-life threatening injury, but sadly passed away on the way to the hospital due to the complicated EMS and private ambulance structure of the county at that time. I dug into the law and history surrounding the system that would create such red tape and delays in getting help and wrote a series for the paper about it. Based on that work, several state senators changed the law to tighten private EMS services so such a mistake would not happen again. I won a state press association award for in-depth reporting, but more importantly I hope that the work saved some lives.
Personal: Aside from my marriage and birth of my daughter, my wife and I spent a year training for and then three weeks solo trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Out of that experience, I wrote “The Nepal Chronicles.” It was life changing.
Q. How about your best day ever?
A. That's easy! My book, “The Nepal Chronicles,” won the 2016 New Hampshire State Library and Writers Project award for best work on non-fiction, and on award night at the ceremony I learned the book also won the Readers' Choice Award as well. AND, on that same day, in a raffle, I won a basket of coffee and cheese from my local bank! Talk about karma!
Q. What's the hardest thing about what you do?
A. Well, it's always easy for a writer with a family to complain about the challenge of finding time to do the actual writing, but I've been pretty lucky with the way our schedules have all worked out. For me, given the amount of research and archival work that goes into any given non-fiction project, the hardest thing for me sometimes is figuring out when to stop. Literally, I could sit down at my laptop, surrounded by books I'm using and research all day and never even look up from the screen if I let myself. But alas, at some point, I have to stop and actually write something!
Q. Since you do so much, what do you prefer to do on any day, given a choice?
A. Well, again, there's always the research which I love. But this is going to sound weird, but I love social media. I love connecting with readers and other authors on-line and working on fun and interesting ways to market my books and talks. Back before my reporter days, I worked in marketing and spent a lot of time writing press releases and designing fliers and I dig that work. Part of it, I think, is that I can just get so excited about a given project that I can't wait to tell the world.
Q. Someone comes to you with the dream job- what is it?
A. Working on assignment as a travel writer for a huge venue like Nat Geo or Outside Magazine and traveling the world and writing about it, with my family of course!
Q. Any plans for more anthologies? What did you like about doing those?
A. When Plaidswede Books approached me about editing the Murder Ink anthology series, the original plan was a three volume set, and to date, there's no plans for a fourth. I'm certainly not opposed to editing nearly any type of anthology were a publisher to approach me. I'm super proud of the fact that over the course of three volumes in three years, we were able to create quite a grand little community of murder and mystery writers working in that very specific genre of newsroom crime writing.
What's amazing about wearing an editor's hat for a while is, first, how much fun that work can be. I mean, basically, I just spend a lot of time reading short stories! And second, how that level of intense editing work carries over into editing my own work. Every writer who is serious about his or her own craft ought to spend some time editing someone else. It makes you a better writer.
Q. What do you look for in reading material? Or favorite books/favorite authors/recent great reads.
A. When I'm engaged in a new project, I don't read anything other than the subject matter I'm working on, so that means for the past two years, I basically only read books having to do with the White Mountains. Among those, some amazing titles I discovered were the older historic records. For example, “The Journals of Francis Parkman” were enlightening. “Life at the Top” by Eric Pinder is a cool inside look at the lives of the Mount Washington Observatory crew.
And when I do have spare time between projects, I try to catch up on the work of local and regional authors. North Country writer Olga Morrill just released a fascinating historical fiction book, the first in a series, called “Vagabond Quakers” which is intense and deeply researched and that appeals to me! And Massachusetts writer Matt Landry's inspirational hiking book, “Forward, Upward, Onward” is a super read!
Q. What's the question you get asked the most/hate or love the most?
A. How do you find the time to write? (Answer: It's a job, get your butt in the chair and write.)
How do you come up with story ideas? (Answer: Magic fairy dust and a lot of coffee!)
How do you balance real life with writing life? (Answer: No need to balance anything since it's the same thing.)
How do you overcome writer's block? (Answer: There's no such thing, see question one.)
I'm cool with any and all questions though. I never really get sick of talking about the craft, or about my books. It's what I do, I love doing it and I'm thrilled when anyone has an interest!
Q. What's the one question you wish you'd get asked more? What would you love to talk about?
A. Food! I love eating new and interesting food when I travel, it gives you such insight into the culture and region you're exploring. Alas, folks often seem more interested in whether or not I got sick from the food rather than about the food. I wish I'd be asked more about what I loved to eat!
Q. Any wild stories from your career that you can tell?
A. The very first time I hiked in New Hampshire, a long time hiker took me up the caretaker route of the Old Man of The Mountain when the great rock profile was still there. I'd never hiked or climbed up anything before and this route was hand-pulling myself up on cables. I got super sick and tossed up my breakfast half way up the “trail” but I did make it, and was able to stand on the forehead of the Old Man. I couldn't walk for three days after that climb; a not terribly auspicious way to start my hiking career!
Q. What fun fact do we not know about you?
A. Let's see... I've never read a Harry Potter book or watched any of the films, when I'm writing fiction is primarily listen to Miles Davis from his early 70s acid jazz stage, and I once ate an entire bag of 30 dumplings in one sitting.
Q. What's the next step in your professional world?
A. The next big things will be embarking on the tour for “The White Mountain.” Over the course of the next six months I'll be giving presentations and meet and greets in six states at about 60 venues, so my focus will really be to bring that book and project to an audience. After that, I have two book projects whispering in my ear that will have to be dealt with. One is a kids picture book, the other is a narrative non-fiction true crime book. And in the middle of all that, I'll begin my search for an agent. Know of any?
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Maine Crime Wave 2018
Portland, Maine was the site of the Maine Crime Wave, a great conference hosted by the
Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, and sponsored in part by
the Mystery Writers of America- New England chapter.
Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, and sponsored in part by
the Mystery Writers of America- New England chapter.
We had panels on various topics, craft sessions, a reading session,
and a keynote address by famed Defense Attorney F. Lee Bailey.
Quite an enjoyable day, even as we learned a lot.
There was also a chance to buy books written by the noted Maine mystery/crime/thriller authors in attendance, and get them signed.
Sales were handled by Barbara Kelly of Kelly's Books To Go.
Author Richard J. Cass mans the MWA information booth.
Gerry Boyle (standing) led a panel on various methods of publishing:
Gayle Lynds (standing) led her panel on Conflict:
Chris Holm (standing) of course was in charge of the panel on Sex, Booze, and Violence:
And our last panel, led by Bruce Coffin (standing), was what book reviewers look for:
L to R is William Bushnell (who reviews thousands of books), Katrina Niidas Holm, and Frank O. Smith
Lots of writers spent part of Friday and all day Saturday having a good time talking about the biz.
Here's Joseph Souza getting snapped with F. Lee Bailey
And Maureen Milliken with sister Rebecca
Vaughn Hardacker with reviewer William Bushnell, who loved Vaughn's book Wendigo.
Barb Ross and Brenda Buchanan pose for a shot
And Brenda again, with Kate Flora this time
Dan lunches with Chris and Katrina
Then we get the group pics
So if you've got any interest in the writing business, Maine, or the many talented authors working there, make plans next year to attend!
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Interview With Josh Brogadir
Prior to his reporting years, he was a two-way bilingual (Spanish) teacher and football coach at Walsh Middle School in Framingham. Josh grew up in Woodbridge, CT and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.
Josh is also a voiceover artist and actor, with 20 films, four TV/web series, two plays, several commercials, and 25 audiobooks to his credit. He and his wife Becca have two great kids: Sophie, age 9, and Nathan, age 6.
His most recent audiobook is Terminated: The Tucker Mysteries, Book 1, by Ray Daniel.
Get it here!
You may recognize Ray's name, as he has appeared in an interview here as well.
So let's find out more about Josh, the man who has interviewed the talented and famous!
Q. You have quite an impressive resume in television, movies, and more. When did you realize this was going to be your path?
A. Thanks for the compliment, Dale. And for the opportunity to respond to these questions. I have always wanted to use my voice to tell stories, specifically with sports - but also news and more recently, narrating books. I used to do play by play of family badminton games in the backyard as a kid; eventually graduating to announcing high school sports; and later beginning as a TV news reporter at a small station in Grand Junction, Colorado. Talking and telling stories is a passion and a profession.
Q. You seem at the top of your game, a major success. So how do you work to improve what you do?
A. I always strive to get better by practicing my craft. With voiceover, I am always trying out new accents and dialects on family and friends; with news and sports reporting, I review my work several times a week to try to pick up on small nuances. With acting, I observe and try to emulate. There’s always much room to improve - for all of us.
Q. What's your proudest professional achievement?
A. I’d have to say the satisfaction of watching students and co-workers I’ve mentored reach their own levels of professional success. Through the years, we’ve stayed in touch or they’ve reached back out to me to tell me about their careers in journalism, law, public relations, and many others. It’s the feeling of a proud professional “parent” when one of your students succeeds.
Q. How about your best day ever as an broadcaster/announcer/interviewer?
A. I’d have to place Super Bowl 49 at the top of my list. The week in Phoenix was incredible; and then Malcolm Butler’s interception to seal the win for the Patriots on the world’s biggest stage was a story that was exciting to talk about - and still is.
Q. What's the hardest thing about what you do?
A. In terms of news and sports, our greatest challenge is consistently convincing people to tell their stories on camera. I always say my job is at least 50 percent sales. Many people, understandably, don’t have much interest in divulging unflattering moments. But they are often the most compelling. In terms of voice work and acting, the jobs are extremely competitive. Even when it seems you nailed an audition, you often don’t get the role or the gig. And so you work harder for the next one.
Q. Since you do so much, what job do you prefer to do on any day, given a choice?
A. That’s the beauty of my professional life, at this moment. I have quite a bit of built-in flexibility. And I love it all. Perhaps my favorite work of all is live reporting on sports, whether it be play by play of a sporting event or analyzing a game or achievement of a student athlete. But I’m glad I don’t do that every day. I also like time spent in my recording studio narrating a great book.
Q. Someone comes to you with the dream job- what is it?
A. Five different jobs in five different days
1. Play by play for college hoops on a Monday.
2. Narrating compelling characters on a Tuesday
3. Playing a creepy villain in a movie on a Wednesday
4. Reporting live from the Patriots game at Gillette Stadium on a Thursday night
5. Flying in a helicopter while reporting live over a building collapse or Friday afternoon traffic jam.
Q. Any plans to write your own book?
A. I wrote a children’s book that is unpublished. It is loosely based on my daughter’s nursery school days. I have a few others started - fiction and non-fiction - but nothing finished.
Q. You also narrate a lot of books for Audible.com. What makes for a book you'd love to narrate?
A. The writing is rich and detailed and evocative; the characters are complex and intricate and larger than life. There are people of all ages from all regions of the world. It is a Mystery or thriller or coming of age drama that holds your attention from cover to cover.
Q. What can authors do to improve their chances of finding a great narrator for their audiobooks?
A. They can write compelling characters that have secrets that are revealed at the end of a novel; they can write non-fiction books that hold the reader’s attention, not just provide information.
Q. What do you look for in reading material? Or favorite books/favorite authors/recent great reads.
A. I read everything; from headlines in The NY Times and Boston Globe every morning, to John Irving novels that are comical and have vibrant characters, to sports stories about professional athletes. A recent great read is the novel Terminated, the first of the Tucker series by Ray Daniel. It’s the book I’m currently narrating. Another audiobook I’d highly recommend is The Career Manifesto by Mike Steib. It’s helping me organize my professional life and set goals for the future.
Q. You've been on TV and in films. What's fun about that? What's not?
A. It’s a lot of fun being on camera. You can really show your personality and every day is a performance. It didn’t take me long to feel comfortable and now that I do, it makes it easier. I hope to do more film in the future. The not as much fun is mostly the extreme cold as a reporter, the long days on movie sets, especially when you are an extra. But the fun far outweighs the not as fun.
Q. Although you've interviewed and hung out with celebrities, do you get the star treatment from time to time?
A. The star treatment for me is mostly getting to interact with viewers; we sometimes sign autographs for kids and that’s fun. And when I get to host or emcee events, the VIP treatment is appreciated. Having a principal role in the movie, Patriots Day, was really fun. Having my own trailer and working alongside John Goodman was an acting highlight, so far.
Q. What's the question you get asked the most/hate or love the most?
A. The question I get most often is who’s the most famous person I’ve interviewed (Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Tom Brady) and it’s not a question I hate. The comment I like least when working in news is “must be a slow news day” when we cover something a person doesn’t think is or doesn’t want to be worthy of coverage. The questions I love the most are about my kids and the ability to tell my life story of how I got into this line of work.
Q. What's the one question you wish you'd get asked more? What would you love to talk about on-air?
A. The one question I wish I got asked more is the chance to explain why news is not fake. It’s a frustrating cycle we are currently in, feeling the attack of viewers thinking what we do is not real.
I would love to have more of a discussion of sports on air, a commentary show on TV. It would be more fun to give my opinion as is done elsewhere. Most of what we do is report the news of sports.
Q. Any wild stories from your career (that you can tell)?
A. Yes, the two that are top of mind are the two times I’ve been assaulted while reporting. Neither of which I got hurt, fortunately. The first was an angry and grieving relative who shoved me at the scene of a crash that claimed the life of his young nephew. The second was an inebriated college-age man who thought it would be fun to mention the unmentionable while I was doing a live report. He then tried to grab my microphone and I pushed him out of the way. A bit of a “party” ensued with some shouting, but all turned out ok in the end.
Q. What fun fact do we not know about you?
A. I am a trumpet player, mostly at this point jamming in small shows and open mic nights with friends. But I have played most of my life. I also can touch my tongue to my nose. A party trick.
Q. What's the next step in your professional world?
A. Great question - I’m hoping to raise my profile in the audiobook universe. To narrate for a large publishing company for an author I admire is a dream. On the acting end, I’d like to be in a feature film somewhere overseas. In my journalism career, I’d really like the opportunity to do some more anchoring, both sports and news.
Contact Josh:
Tw: @JoshBrogadirTV
www.joshbrogadir.com
Friday, May 11, 2018
New Interview up
Couple of things going on.
I did a recent interview at The Storyside with Vlad V.
I talk about writing, my latest book, and a few other things:
Next week I'll be with members of the Mystery Writers of America for the Mystery Writers Social at the Writer's Room of Boston, a cool place for writers to work in town.
Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!
I did a recent interview at The Storyside with Vlad V.
I talk about writing, my latest book, and a few other things:
Next week I'll be with members of the Mystery Writers of America for the Mystery Writers Social at the Writer's Room of Boston, a cool place for writers to work in town.
Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Independent Bookstore Day at the NE Mobile Bookfair
Saturday was Independent Bookstore Day, and I spent a good part of the day at the NE Mobile Bookfair, having a great time meeting customers, selling books, finding new fans, and sampling the complimentary Cabot's ice cream. Owner Tom Lyons made it a special day, and it was great to see so many people coming to browse and buy books, despite the lovely Spring weather, which we so needed.
We had a few other authors attending as well. Here's Ursula Wong.
Her latest book, Amber War, is a recommended Staff Pick at the bookstore, so you know it's good.
To see an interview with Ursula, click here.
And Joanna Schaffhausen came by with family.
Joanna's debut novel, Vanishing Season is a hit book, also on sale at the bookstore.
To see an interview with Joanna, click here.
Sara Marks has her debut novel out as well, Modern Persuasion.
And a soon-to-be-published debut novelist, Nicole Asselin, who just announced the acceptance of her first book, a baseball mystery, out later this year.
She has good taste, holding a copy of A Sharp Medicine, my latest Zack Taylor mystery.
Why yes, I did have my table and books set out for people to check out. Sales were good, and we've got some new fans.
So we kept rather busy with all the customers, doing their best to support a local business and a local author. It was fun, and a good time to remember to shop local!
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Derry Author Fest
We had a huge crowd at the Derry Author Fest yesterday at the Derry Public Library. People stayed all day to hear speakers on writing and publishing topics, chat with the writers, and buy books.
They did a lot of advance promotion (check out the video), which made for the size of the crowd.
Thanks to Erin Robinson and the library staff for making a great day.
And we even got a mention in the local paper!
I was there along with Ursula Wong to give a presentation on Publishing Options: Choosing Your Path. We were the last show of the day, and the audience was attentive and asked great questions.
Plus, we got to sell our books in between sessions. Here's Ursula with her books:
They did a lot of advance promotion (check out the video), which made for the size of the crowd.
Thanks to Erin Robinson and the library staff for making a great day.
And we even got a mention in the local paper!
I was there along with Ursula Wong to give a presentation on Publishing Options: Choosing Your Path. We were the last show of the day, and the audience was attentive and asked great questions.
Plus, we got to sell our books in between sessions. Here's Ursula with her books:
And there were other great writers, like Dan Szczesny
Dan was on a panel talking about Marketing,
There was a table to hand out info for the New Hampshire Writer's Project, a group I work with.
And the bookseller there was Water Street Books, of Exeter, NH.
Business was brisk, as people bought copies to get signed.
The authors were able to answer questions and chat with those attending.
Here's Dan with a fan
The event was free, and people seemed to enjoy it, even as they learned a lot about the publishing process.
Can't wait for next year!
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