A regular visitor to my blog at Murder She Writes posted a “vlog”– Video Blog — on her website Word of Mouth. First of all, I think that the idea is wonderful and Mary-Frances has a terrific conversational style. Second, it’s such a cool idea! And finally, I’m thrilled that she enjoyed my book FEAR NO EVIL as much as she did. I loved writing that book and I love the characters. In fact, all three of the main characters (Lucy, Dillon and Kate) will be in my FBI series at some point. Possibly in SUDDEN DEATH, Jack’s book, which I’m writing now . . . but I’m not that far yet.
Anyway, if you’re interested, please check out the video review of FEAR NO EVIL over at Word of Mouth.
So, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted . . . I had a graduation for my oldest, who will be starting high school in the fall; one of my kids was sick for five days; and I had the page proofs due for PLAYING DEAD, which will be out on 9/30/08. I’m in the middle of writing SUDDEN DEATH, and planning for my trip to New York for Thrillerfest from July 9-13.
I also have a book signing coming up this Sunday, June 22, at the Barnes & Noble in Roseville, California from 2-4 pm with Brenda Novak, a good friend of mine who just hit the New York Times list with her book TRUST ME, which is fabulous (I was lucky enough to get an early copy!)
TEMPTING EVIL has been doing very well, spending two weeks on the NYT print list (top 20) and four weeks (and counting!) on the USA Today list. Thank you to everyone who has bought the book, and I hope you enjoy it! If you haven’t yet, it’s still out on the shelves . . . and I introduce FBI Agent Mitch Bianchi who is the hero of PLAYING DEAD (9/30/08.)
TEMPTING EVIL debuted at #12 on the New York Times list. Thank you to all my readers who made that special effort to pick up my book the first week!
RT Book Reviews said about TEMPTING EVIL: “Escaped killers and their deadly obsessions are the continuity thread in Brennan’s Prison Break trilogy. The creepy factor is high in book two, with villains whose thought processes underscore the twisted way a mind can work. When you pick up a Brennan novel, you know you’re in for a wild ride that will scare you silly. ”
I received a call tonight that FEAR NO EVIL finaled in the Daphne contest, sponsored by the Kiss of Death chapter (romantic suspense/mystery) of Romance Writers of America. I am very excited about this because I loved this story and it didn’t fare well in the RITAs (SPEAK NO EVIL finaled in best romantic suspense and SEE NO EVIL finaled in best novel w/romantic elements.)
And I hope you’ll stop by FRESH FICTION today and read my guest blog about where the prison break trilogy idea came from! And if you have questions, ask and I’ll stop by to answer.
This week I’m reading the page proofs for PLAYING DEAD. Page proofs are the typeset book printed on regular paper, so I can proofread it and make any changes necessary. My publisher has professional proofreaders as well, so I focus primarily on continuity and story–making sure that I’ve closed all threads, that the timeline is correct, and the changes from the copy edits were added correctly. This is one of my favorite parts (after the actual writing!)
So writing SUDDEN DEATH is being put on hold for a week so I can wrap up the proofs, then I’ll be on crunch time with five weeks to finish Jack Kincaid’s story. It’s actually a good place to stop (for me)–I’ve tackled the beginning and am at the point of not *quite* knowing what’s going to happen next . . .
Yesterday I received a bunch of research books in the mail. Last time I ordered research books, it was for SUDDEN DEATH–I have seven or eight books on the military and special operations. I read CHOSEN SOLDIER which gave me insight into being in special forces, and I skimmed the other books. I’m also awaiting my first issue of SOLDIER OF FORTUNE magazine in order to learn a bit more about being a mercenary.
This time, however, I had ordered books for my supernatural thriller series. I have books on exorcism, demons, and tales of the supernatural. Two I’m particularly interested in reading are THE CRYPTOPEDIA which is billed as “A dictional of the weird, strange, and downright bizarre” by Jonathan Mayberry and David Kramer; and LILITH’S CAVE, which is a compilation of Jewish tales of the supernatural. Plenty of interesting reading material to keep me up late!
Thanks again for helping put TEMPTING EVIL on the New York Times list, and I’m crossing fingers for another week!
Whew! I finally got back into wordpress. I have a new iMac and lost all my settings, and had to figure out how to post again. I apologize for the downtime.
Yes, TEMPTING EVIL is on sale now. Good news and bad news . . .
Good news, it seems to be selling pretty well. I went to Target today and it was sold out of its two slots. That’s good, but also bad because people looking for the book there won’t be able to find it. I’ve been getting word back from fans that they’ve seen the book prominently displayed, so that’s good, too!
Bad news? Well, apparently there was a glitch and the book summary for TEMPTING EVIL wasn’t posted on Amazon or any of the other online retailers. My publisher is aware of the problem and are in the process of fixing it. Here’s the back cover copy:
BIG DIE COUNTRY
Joanna Sutton can cope with the fierce winter storm bearing down on the small rural community of Centennial Valley, Montana; the popular romance writer has survived much worse in life. Haunted by the loss of her husband and child, Jo has found refuge at her family’s secluded lodge, but her haven soon becomes a hell. During the ferocious blizzard, a local Boy Scout troop is stranded in the wilderness, compelling Jo to spearhead a desperate rescue mission, aided by a newly arrived stranger with an unknown agenda.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Tyler McBride hears that three escaped convicts are fast approaching Big Sky Country. Hoping to warn Jo, he faxes over the men’s mug shots. But they never reach their intended recipient. Then Tyler makes a shocking discovery: Two people are dead, and a killer is among the group, along with the woman Tyler loves, searching for his lost son.
More than one innocent life is at stake. For the sake of those Jo cares about most, and for her own survival, she’ll need all the cunning, courage, and passion she can muster to survive the mounting terror.
TEMPTING EVIL is more a true thriller than a mystery. You know from the beginning who the killer is, and the reader has more information than the protagonists. But I wanted to try something a little different, and the set-up lent itself to this story. As people who know me know, I don’t plan out my books in any detail; they unfold the way that the characters determine. But I hope the high-suspense element is still there!
One thing I particularly like about this book is the heroine, Jo Sutton. She’s strong, smart, but like Robin McKenna in KILLING FEAR, she’s not in law enforcement. She has to rely on the same wits, strengths and weaknesses most of us would have if facing the same circumstances.
Sheriff Tyler McBride is trying to raise his motherless son and reconnect with a brother he barely knows. Tyler is solid and capable. A guy anyone would want on his side against the bad guys.
Though Jo and Tyler spend half the book apart, I think the romance element is one of the strongest I’ve written, even if it’s more subtle than previous books. Then again, I’m a really poor judge of my own work! My favorite book in the NO EVIL series was the only one that didn’t final in the RITA contest.
Stay turned for web updates–excerpts, new events, and more. I’m trying to put it all together this weekend before I need to focus on SUDDEN DEATH, the first book in my still-unnamed FBI series, which will be hitting shelves in April 2009.
Are you a debut author with a book out in 2008 or 2009? Would you love to attend ThrillerFest in New York City but haven’t quite figured out how to pay for it?
ITW is offering two scholarships for debut authors to attend ThrillerFest 2008 in New York City July 9-12. The scholarship is for the conference registration fee, craft fest, and any ITW sponsored meals (including the Thriller Awards Dinner.) Lodging and transportation is not offered as part of the scholarship.
Criteria:
You must have a debut novel published or scheduled to be published in 2008 or 2009 by an ITW recognized publisher. Individuals previously published by non-ITW recognized publishers or in a short story format (under 40,000 words) are eligible provided that the novel to be published in 2008 or 2009 is their first full-length novel published by an ITW recognized publisher.
You do not need to be an ITW member to apply.
Please send the following information to the Scholarship Committee Chair, Allison Brennan at scholarship@thrillerwriters.org:
Name
Contact information (address, phone number and email)
Pen Name (if any)
Book Title
Publisher
Editor
First Book? (yes or no)
All applications also must include the following:
Release date (tentative is okay)
Brief synopsis (one page or less)
Essay telling the committee in 500 words or less why you would like to attend ThrillerFest and what you hope to gain from the experience.
All submissions are blind. Only the committee chair will know the identity of the applicant; the synopsis and essay will be sent “blind” to the committee for review and discussion.
The deadline for applications is May 27, 2008. Two scholarship winners will be notified by June 3, 2008.
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve sold the first three books of my supernatural thriller series based on the Seven Deadly Sins to Ballantine.
I’ve been thinking about this series for five years now. It’s always on my mind. I started writing the first book before I sold THE PREY to Ballantine, but put the idea on the back burner after the sale.
I will continue to write the same dark romantic thrillers I’ve been writing to date. In fact, after TEMPTING EVIL and PLAYING DEAD come out this year to conclude the Prison Break Trilogy, I have the first three books of my FBI series in 2009–starting with SUDDEN DEATH in April. My FBI series will follow a core group of characters through major and violent crimes. Serial killers, mass murders, kidnappings, domestic terrorism, and the like. I’m very excited about the FBI series and plan to continue it beyond 2009.
And, in fact, I have another idea for a romantic thriller series based on the company my heroine works for in PLAYING DEAD.
But I’m also excited about this new series. I call it “supernatural” rather than “paranormal” because everything takes place in the known, contemporary world. The supernatural elements? The Seven Deadly Sins are demons on earth.
Haven’t you wondered about the Seven Deadly Sins? What makes them deadly? What if they were truly deadly? What if Envy was a demon who fed and multiplied our internal envious feelings, resulting in murder, thefts, rape, mutilations, torture and other atrocities?
When we look at violent criminals, we often think that no human being could be so cruel. What if a demon really did “make him do it?”
There will be a romance throughout the series, as well as a strong crime presence. Each story is set up with a very human and very real crime. The difference? In order to catch the killer(s) my team of characters must first stop a corporeal demon who feeds and grows stronger on a “deadly sin.”
Book one is about envy. A coven of teen-age witches unwittingly release the Seven Deadly Sins from their underworld prison. A high school girl is found dead in the woods with no apparent cause of death, and her best friend is missing. Three people are drawn to the small California town: a reclusive woman from Ireland with more experience with demons than she ever wanted; a former seminarian haunted by the massacre–and the memories–of twelve dead priests; and a true crime writer who thinks the whole thing is a hoax. It is tentatively scheduled for publication in November 2009.
