Get a book, make a donation

Concord Free Press does something that used to be very unusual.
They give away their books. Free.
Before the "free download" marketing strategy, giving away books was pretty rare.
Concord Free Press has been doing it for a while longer.

Here's "the catch" (and I put that in quotes for a reason; it's not one)

You make a donation. To a charity of YOUR choice.
Then tell Concord Free Press about it.**
AFTER you get the book.
They trust you to do the right thing.

I like that a lot.
(I like that alot too)

Here's the bigger "catch": this is the ONLY way to get these books, and there are only 3000 copies printed.
And they're really good books.

Here's the one that will be available starting tomorrow, 9/15 errrr...10/15 (thanks to an eagle eyed commenter for that!)

A HANDBOOK OF AMERICAN PRAYER (a novel) by Lucius Shepard.


More info available at the Concord Free Press website.



**(the list of donations is pretty interesting reading in and of itself)

A very smart guy said

"For all of the "how-to write" blog posts and con sessions, the best place to learn the craft is by reading voraciously."

I believe that is true.


On the list of things to read is GALVESTON by Nic Pizzolatto.  The first 22 pages are a master class in how to start a novel.

Books I'm looking forward to in 2011

THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X by Keigo Higashino, coming in February 2011.

This book was slipped to me  under cover of darkness by an editor who shall remain nameless. I read the manuscript before it went to production and fell instantly in love.

You will too.

And you'll get a chance to read it early cause I have two copies of the ARC to give away soon!

 DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth (May 3, 2011)

If you don't love this book, don't ever bother speaking
to me,
of me,
about me,
or in my zip code
again.

Ever.

I'm serious.



Team Dauntless.

 THE PITCHER'S KID (Pleasure Boat Studio: May 2011)  is Jack Olsen's memoir of the first 18 years of his life, years that formed his voice, his ear, and his passionate concern for the underdog.

It is a story of a young boy's desperate yearning for a father during a time of extreme poverty and confusion.  The book has been compared to Frank McCourt for it's depiction of deprivation, to Geoffrey Wolff for its depiction of a deceptive father and to David Sedaris for it's hilarious depiction of childhood.  Jack Olsen passed away in 2002.

You're going to have to look hard to find this; Pleasure Boat is a small elegant press that has never published a bad book. 

THE ROTTEN ADVENTURES OF ZACHARY RUTHLESS by Allan Woodrow May 1, 2011


It's about a boy who wants to be the world's greatest super villain, but inadvertently ends up saving the day and becoming the hero (much to his disdain).













NOWHERE NEAR NORMAL by Traci Foust (4/2011)
A raw and funny memoir about growing up with severe OCD, a sort of Augusten Burroughs with bleach.

THE TENDER MERCY OF ROSES by Anna Michaels (5/2011)

A debut novel about an alcoholic ex-cop drawn to investigate the murder of a cowgirl, even as it uncovers dark secrets from her own past. Think Garden Spells meets The Lovely Bones.

Hannah Moskowitz's INVINCIBLE SUMMER, 4/19/2011

AFTERTIME by Sophie Littlefield


Awakening in a bleak landscape as scarred as her body, Cass Dollar vaguely recalls surviving something terrible. Wearing unfamiliar clothes and having no idea how many days—or weeks—have passed, she slowly realizes the horrifying truth: her daughter has vanished.

STOLEN LIVES by Jassy Mackenzie (Soho)

When wealthy Pamela Jordaan hires PI Jade de Jong as a bodyguard after her husband Terrance disappears, Jade thinks keeping an eye on this anxious wife will be an easy way to earn some cash. But when a determined shooter nearly kills them both and Jade finds Terrance horrifically tortured and barely alive, she realizes that she has been drawn into a wicked game.

DEMONGLASS by Rachel Hawkins, the next book after HEX HALL is coming on February 15!

2010 Sox Knockers

MATTERHORN by Karl Marlantes.

I bought it because I read a review on Shelf Awareness that I blogged about. It took me a while to find 20 hours to read all 550+ pages, but it was worth it.

YOU by Charles Benoit.

I read this twice. Once when the editor slipped me a VERY early copy under penalty of death if I told anyone. The second time was right after the first time cause I couldn't believe what I'd just read. Then I had to restrain myself from breaking in to the editor's apartment and forcing her to discuss the book with me at 2am. I've advised people to steal this book if they have to and offered personal refunds to people if they buy it on my recommendation and don't like it.

I'D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE by Laura Lippman.

Every book Laura Lippman writes should be on your list to read. This is her latest stand alone. I first blogged about it back in September.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin.

I read this at Bouchercon. I gave up time in the bar to read this.  I didn't mention that in the blog post I wrote about it cause I couldn't quite believe it myself.

PRINCE OF THIEVES by Chuck Hogan

This gets a special mention cause it wasn't published this year but I just read it and loved it.  I'm pretty sure it's an almost perfect novel. If you're a writer, read this. If you like a good novel, read this.