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desperanceIt's Friday 13th, and I don't know why everybody else gets so worked up about this (no, honestly, I don't - I know about triskaidekaphobia, but why is it Fridays particularly? That's not even the thirteenth day of the fortnight, unless you count from a Jewish sabbath rather than a Christian one), but it's always a special day to me because my father was born on Friday 13th. Not October, as it happens, but the month seems to become irrelevant.
Anyway, on this day, I have decided to pimp my new book, because I can. I am touting for pre-orders here, 0 you Americans, so pay attention.
My novel 'Shelter' will be published by Bloody Brits Press (and I can't in fairness claim to have thought of that, but I was there when it was thought of: in at the birth, I think this is cool) on December 1st. Not quite launch title for the imprint, but close enough. I love the concept behind Bloody Brits (which is fairly self-explanatory, I think: to publish crime writers who are well established over here but as yet unknown in the States), I love the team (that would be my old friend Val McDermid, who's editorial director of the list, and her partner Kelly Smith, who is the publishing supremo behind Bywater Books; I was at their wedding a month ago, and now I get to pimp their publishing house), and I especially love that they're bringing 'Shelter' to America, because it's a book I'm absurdly fond of.
It's a sneaky book, it's all about storytelling and it plays unconscionable games with narratives, including its own; it does that unforgivable thing of running first-person and third-person points of view in parallel - except that it doesn't, not really, it's just another narrative trick. And it is a crime novel, honest - except that it gives every impression of turning into a greenwood fantasy halfway through, and then you get to the end with more questions than answers and really have to read it again to understand actually everything that was going on. Narrative tricks, see? Bad Chaz. Self-indulgent...
Except that it's not. It's short and tight and wickedly controlled; it was probaby the hardest novel I've ever written, I'll probably never do anything remotely like it again (although it still reeks of Chazziness, as per my previous post about voice), and I urge you to pre-order it from Amazon, which you can do via this page here. It's only a paperback, it won't break the bank; and it's got gorgeous cover art, go look...
Anyway, on this day, I have decided to pimp my new book, because I can. I am touting for pre-orders here, 0 you Americans, so pay attention.
My novel 'Shelter' will be published by Bloody Brits Press (and I can't in fairness claim to have thought of that, but I was there when it was thought of: in at the birth, I think this is cool) on December 1st. Not quite launch title for the imprint, but close enough. I love the concept behind Bloody Brits (which is fairly self-explanatory, I think: to publish crime writers who are well established over here but as yet unknown in the States), I love the team (that would be my old friend Val McDermid, who's editorial director of the list, and her partner Kelly Smith, who is the publishing supremo behind Bywater Books; I was at their wedding a month ago, and now I get to pimp their publishing house), and I especially love that they're bringing 'Shelter' to America, because it's a book I'm absurdly fond of.
It's a sneaky book, it's all about storytelling and it plays unconscionable games with narratives, including its own; it does that unforgivable thing of running first-person and third-person points of view in parallel - except that it doesn't, not really, it's just another narrative trick. And it is a crime novel, honest - except that it gives every impression of turning into a greenwood fantasy halfway through, and then you get to the end with more questions than answers and really have to read it again to understand actually everything that was going on. Narrative tricks, see? Bad Chaz. Self-indulgent...
Except that it's not. It's short and tight and wickedly controlled; it was probaby the hardest novel I've ever written, I'll probably never do anything remotely like it again (although it still reeks of Chazziness, as per my previous post about voice), and I urge you to pre-order it from Amazon, which you can do via this page here. It's only a paperback, it won't break the bank; and it's got gorgeous cover art, go look...
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Date: 2006-10-13 05:21 pm (UTC)Anyone who hasn't already got a copy should rush out and get one now!
It's one of those sneaky books that gets under your skin and makes you uncomfortable, leaving lingering thoughts long after you've finished it.
I must re-read it soon.