Saying So Long to the Summer of 2009

I know. Looking at the calendar, the "Summer" season doesn't technically end for another month. However, next week my kiddos start school, and that basically spells an end to my summer break. I call it my summer break because during these months I enjoy climbing out of bed and driving into the office to snatch some time alone to read and write. In a few more days, however, all of that will change, and I'll have to reset my schedule to writing in the evenings once the children are put in bed.

Looking back over my postings this summer, I recall that I mentioned my short reading list. Today, I turned the last page to Stephen King's The Stand, which I estimated would take me the summer to finish. Replacing the dust cover (which I usually remove while reading so it doesn't get torn) the completed book is just another event signifying an end to my summer.

Oh well, that's that. For me, it has been a good summer. I have completed a momentous novel. I have written several short stories. A few have been posted here; others have been submitted. I took a week in the mountains. And I have enjoyed it all. How about you?

Regarding The Stand, while the long stretch in Book II (the novel is divided into three books) held moments of mental fatigue, Book III made the journey worth it. In all of Stephen King's novels, I believe this one to be the most thoughtful about humanity, religion, love and self-sacrifice. There was a poignant moment where I actually felt sadness welling up inside of me. If you don't want to read the uncut version, which clocks in at 1,153 pages, then at least find the originally published version and give it a go. I believe you will find the completed package well worth your time.

A Good Marketing Idea

Some of you may have wondered why I had a widget in my sidebar for the new release of Afraid by Jack Kilborn. This was done in response to the author’s solicitation to try a concept: a free book for thirty days of advertising. If I was willing to post the Afraid link on my blog, then the author would send me a free “signed” book.

As many who follow him already know, Joe Konrath is one of the better marketers for his business. He has written six Jack Daniels mysteries, along with a handful of other free novels, which he currently markets on his own. While the Jack Daniels mystery series has placed him in the spotlight, I suspect that horror has always been one of his great passions. While he has written other horror novels and technothrillers, Afraid is his first horror novel published under the pen name of Jack Kilborn.

Gearing up to the release of Afraid, Joe launched a massive campaign to get the word out. During the month of April, he posted several interviews on his blog, and during the month of May, he hit the road on a book tour across several states. He also asked for any willing participants to post the Afraid link on their website or blog for thirty days. As consideration, he agreed to send the participant a free signed copy of his second Jack Daniels mystery, Bloody Mary.

I jumped at the opportunity, and not because I wanted a free book (a hardback by the way). I also wanted to be a part of something unique.

At the completion of thirty days, I sent Joe an e-mail to check on the progress, telling him that I wanted to share something about the experiment with those who read Powder Burns & Bullets. I wanted to know how many books he actually sent out and whether or not they were able to track the sales. If I could get that information, and knowing the Kindle e-book version of Afraid was selling on Amazon for $5.59 a copy, I had hoped to see how well his experiment paid off.

I really couldn't track any results of this, Joe wrote. My Amazon sales of Afraid have been steady so far, but there are so many people reviewing the book I don't know where exactly the traffic is coming from.

Being the accountant that I am, often focused on the bottom line, Konrath’s response was a little disappointing. I had hoped to share some hard numbers with you.

That said, Joe continued, I had about 30 people post ad widgets for Afraid, and it certainly was worth my time and money to send these folks free books, not only because it most assuredly helped with Afraid sales, but because it's smart to reward your supporters with free stuff. I would do it again, for sure.

Joe Konrath is right. In spite of my desire to find the bottom line, the success of some experiments cannot be measured by dollars and cents. While some ventures may cost you more money than you directly made, the loyalty and relationships that develop will certainly reap much larger dividends over time. Jack Kilborn certainly will.

And while we’re on the subject of Jack Kilborn, if you haven’t already read Serial, a short novella co-written with Blake Crouch, I strongly recommend it. It follows a classic suspense/horror technique: show the reader the potential for mayhem and then let him squirm while the horror finally plays out. You can get your free copy of Serial here. Good Stuff.

One more thing. About that free copy of Bloody Mary, once it came in the mail, I opened it up and read the prologue. It was killer. When I finally get around to reading the entire book, after all of the other books in my To Read pile, I'll be sure to give you the juicy write-up.

A Master's Autograph

Today's posting will probably feel like an odd combination of (a) a post about an author I like, (b) a post about a writing technique and (c) an unsolicited advertisement. And to be certain, it is all of that. The main thing is to bring an awareness of a Grand Master in Crime Fiction (if you haven't already read him) and to let you know about an opportunity I've recently discovered.

For the past couple of months, I’ve kept my eye on the release of Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard. Those of you who know me also know that Mr. Leonard is not just one of my favorite authors. Considering the number of his books I have read (at least sixteen), from his westerns to his crime fiction stories, Mr. Leonard is my favorite author. And for good reasons. His stories are fun to read. His narratives are slim and efficient. Perhaps what I enjoy the most out of Elmore Leonard, however, is the amount of information a reader can glean from the dialogue alone. Consider this example from the opening chapter of La Brava, Mr. Leonard’s novel that won him an Edgar Award in 1984:

“He’s been taking pictures three years, look at the work,” Maurice said. “Here, this guy. Look at the pose, the expression. Who’s he remind you of?”

“He looks like a hustler,” the woman said.

“He is a hustler, the guy’s a pimp. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Here, this one. Exotic dancer backstage. Remind you of anyone?”

“The girl?”

“Come on, Evelyn, the shot. The feeling he gets. The girl trying to look lovely, showing you her treasures, and they’re not bad. But look at the dressing room, all the glitzy crap, the tinfoil cheapness.”

“You want me to say Diane Arbus?”

“I want you to say Diane Arbus, that would be nice. I want you to say Duane Michaels, Danny Lyon. I want you to say Winogrand, Lee Friedlander. You want to go back a few years? I’d like very much for you to say Walker Evans, too.”

“Your old pal.”

“Long time ago. Even before your time.”

“Watch it,” Evelyn said, and let her gaze wander over the eight-by-ten black and white prints spread out on the worktable, shining in fluorescent light.

“He’s not bad,” Evelyn said.

Maurice sighed. He had her interest.

“He’s got the eye, Evelyn.”

The first thing you notice right off is how Elmore Leonard injects action without using narrative. He doesn’t have to write: Maurice handed her the next shot. Just by the dialogue, you can see it happening. The next thing you pick up is that these two characters know photography. In fact, the know it so well they can even spout off some big names (real people) from the past, and by doing so establish their bona fides. And since these two know photography, they also know someone who’s good at it, which sets the stage for La Brava, the lead character in this novel—who he is and one of the things he's good at. Finally, the reader catches a glimpse into the character of Maurice, a figure that shows up occasionally throughout the rest of the book. Really, what kind of guy says "...and they're not bad" to a woman, talking about another woman's naked body in a photograph? The kind of guy you want to meet, ladies? Probably not. His statement does make him an interesting character, though, doesn't it?

You see? So much is conveyed through Elmore Leonard's dialogue. And the beauty of it is that it speeds up the pacing and streamlines the writing.

But I digress.

When I saw the notice on Road Dogs, I was excited, and not just because it was a new book. Looking into the details, Road Dogs brings back three previous characters from other stories. The first is Jack Foley, the smooth criminal in Out of Sight. Many of you may remember the movie based on this book, with George Clooney as Jack Foley and Jennifer Lopez as the hard-nosed Federal Marshall Karen Sisco. Of all the Leonard books I’ve read, Out of Sight is probably my favorite.

The second character brought back in Road Dogs is Cundo Rey, a thug with no compunctions about killing people. Cundo Rey surfaced in La Brava, and let me tell you the guy's soul is as dark as they come.

The final character is Dawn Navarro, a psychic from Riding the Rap. I have not read this book; so, I can’t comment on it. However, it will be on my list, and I look forward to telling you about it someday.

Looking further into the Road Dog’s release this last week, I found out that any interested party can get an autographed copy simply by picking up the phone and calling the Borders bookstore in Birmingham, Michigan, at 248-203-0005. The book is full priced at $26.99. As my wife knows, I’m usually not one to pay so much for books; however, with the opportunity to have an autographed hardback from a master storyteller, I didn’t blink. The book signing is May 19, 2009. So, if you want to get your own copy, you better be quick.

Killer Instinct by Joseph Finder

Last night, in a flow of reading that would have been harder to tap-off than Niagra Falls, I finished Killer Instinct by Joseph Finder. Some of you may remember an earlier posting where I discussed reading Finder’s first book, Paranoia. You may remember how I explained that Paranoia was scary in the sense that it opened my eyes to some technological advances that are available—advances that allow people to intrude upon your life, exposing you in ways you might have never dreamed possible. Killer Instinct is just as frightening.

First, an aside: as a writer, I have all but abandoned reading the dust cover of my books. In some ways, I think they give away too much, and I want to be totally surprised by the story line. That was how I approached this book.

The novel opens up with a prologue. Then, with Chapter 1, the narrator jumps the reader back ten months into the storyline. I know how some people feel about prologues. I’ve read enough about how you’re supposed to use them. And while some are put off by prologues, I think Finder’s approach was absolutely necessary. Just like a dust cover, which gives the reader a tease, the prologue in Killer Instinct grips the reader and promises something bad down the road.

As the novel progresses, the reader learns that the narrator, Jason Steadman, is part of a sales team selling electronics. It only takes a few chapters for the reader to see the rivalry between Jason and two other associates on the team, all who are jockeying for position to be the next vice president. Unlike his competition, Jason isn’t as ruthless or political—some might call it aggressive—as he needs to be in order to climb the ladder. But then things start happening. His rivals blow big deals. Jason lands a huge sale he's been working on for almost a year. And while Jason basks in the glow of his good luck, the reader knows that in sales luck is the stuff which only the salesman makes. In Jason’s case, his luck was started by one man: Kurt Semko. As the story progresses, the reader follows Jason as he meets Kurt for the first time, then offers Kurt a chance to work for the company, and finally as he realizes just who Kurt Semko really is. It’s a novel that builds up momentum like a frigate and is hard to stop until the explosive conclusion.

Like Paranoia, in this novel Joseph Finder brings a solid picture of reality in Corporate America, where life is nothing but a chess game. All of the workers, and the company assets, are pawns used so that management can feed their egos and line their pockets. Some may label that viewpoint as “Class Warfare.” Some may say it’s nothing more than a simple conspiracy theory. It can make good fiction, but isn’t based in reality. I don’t know where you stand on the issue, but I can tell you this: while it is not true in all cases (I still believe in the goodness of some people), I have seen a glimpse of how the corporate world operates, and the portrait Finder paints is believable.

What is truly frightening in this book, though, is the revelation of how technology can be used. Once again, Finder shocks the reader by offering a glimpse of how corporate security can watch you. And listen to your conversations. And spy into your life.

Killer Instinct is a great read, and I suggest it is a worthy addition to your library if you enjoy good thrillers.

Barry Eisler

Okay, I've been a little backed-up lately. I had every intention this weekend of posting the next item on my list, "Conjunction or Not - A Matter of Style"; however, because of my attempts to make sure I have everything covered for that post, and because a nasty virus paid an unwelcomed visit to the Book family over the weekend, life has hit the pause button on some things. On that post, I hope to get a confirmation soon from a resource so I can put the darn thing out there. But until then...

I recently came across the blog sight for Barry Eisler, who is one of my favorite writers. Being the miser that I am, I picked up the first of his Jack Rain series, RAiN FALL, over a year ago while browsing through the specials at our local book store. Let's just say RAiN FALL really juiced my inner need for clandestine plots and violence. His second book in the series, HARD RAiN, was equally stimulating.

In his bio, Mr. Eisler states the following:

"I've been blessed with a variety of interesting jobs: a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations; attorney in an international law firm; in-house counsel at the Osaka headquarters of Matsushita Electric; executive in a Silicon Valley technology startup. These days I write full time: thrillers with a lot of realistic action, exotic locations, and steamy sex. My agency training, my time as a lawyer, my experiences in Japan, and a background in martial arts all inform my writing."[emphasis mine]

His experience resonates throughout his books, and it is because of Barry Eisler that I came to understand the concept of counter-surveillance. Like all good writing, Eisler's portrayal of counter-surveillance came back to me while watching Samir Horn in "Traitor" (played by Don Cheadle) taking several twists and turns through the city, hopping off one bus, only to jump onto another. While his depictions of violence are spot-on, and his painting of espionage believable, his books also give readers a flavorful taste of Japan and Japanese culture.

Suffice it to say, then, my heart leaped when I saw that he has a blog at the heart of the matter, and I felt impressed to share one of my favorite authors with you. Take the time to check him out, both at his blog and at his website, barryeisler.com. Better yet, you might go out and pick up one of his books. Start with RAiN FALL. If you love crime, suspense and violence, I think he'll be a worthy addition to your library.