I continue to be amazed and astounded by the extraordinary kindness and generosity of other writers. I have just had the honour of meeting with Dennis Lehane and he has kindly taken a copy of A Simple Act of Violence to read.
Earlier I met with Lee Child, John Connolly, Laurence Block, Harlan Coben, Steve Hamilton, Ed Wright, Linwood Barclay, and many more, and every single one of them demonstrated quite effortlessly that writers are some of the very best people you could ever hope to know.
The book dealers here - Mike Bursaw (Mystery Mike) and Steve Warne (CHC Books) specifically - have been tremendously supportive, and have been convincing people to buy my books. Ali Karim (Shots), Jeff Kingston-Pierce (Shots), George Easter and Larry Gandle (Deadly Pleasures), agents from Writers' House and Fineprint...all of them so encouraging and supportive of whatever you are doing. It has been a whirlwind of activity, and though you are all too aware of the necessity to sleep, you just don't want to because of what you might miss.
I, for one, will be sorry to leave Baltimore behind, but all too pleased to remember that I have made so many friends here that I hope, and honestly believe, will now be friends for life.
10 comments:
Glad you're having such a good time and hope you've made some good friends and useful contacts.
Sorry you didn't win the Barry!
Hell, we do losing very well, we Brits. There was never a question, certainly in my mind, as to whether or not I would win it. You usually have to accumulate a significant number of nominations for numerous different awards, and then finally - out of sheer sympathy - they let you win! Another day, eh?
I am now sufficiently ragged and frayed at the edges to want to come home. The prospect of going to Leeds to do an event on the 15th now seems like I'm going to be just around the corner from Birmingham!
Good to hear from you.
Roger, You are moving in Luminous circles now and its well deserved. Still can't believe you dont have a US publishing deal but that will soon right itself !
Brian...the US, just like the UK, is really no different when it comes to books and authors. There are a good deal of US authors, published here in their home country, and they don't sell. But they are HUGE in the UK and Europe. Conversely, there are a couple of UK and certainly a good deal of European authors who sell nothing at home, but in the US they make significant waves every time they release a book. I get two messages. I have one agent telling me that the reason I don't sell in the US is because I am a British author writing books that are set in the US. I then heard from a very good friend of mine - Stuart McBride - that though he is published in the US his agent believes that were he to set one of his novels in the US it would sell remarkably well. It makes no sense, but then we never relied on the publishing industry for rhyme and reason, did we? I think, in all honesty, that all you can do is continue to write the very best books that you can and hope that someone, somewhere will eventually take notice.
Hope all's well with you. Speak soon.
Roger, Good to hear from you and all is well. I agree with you that it makes no sense, makes me wonder if Lee Child and John Connolly are published in US. I just assumed they were as I thought you were.
Yes, both Lee Child and John Connolly are published in the US. Lee lives in New York and has done for more than ten years, and John travels back and forth between Ireland and the US. I think it's just a matter of persistence.
October's been great for you!
Did you receive feedback from me? - I realised too late that i'd sent it when you wouldn't have a second to look at anything.
October still goes on! Did Bedford yesterday, going to Port Talbot tomorrow, and then North Lincs on Saturday. It don't stop!
Anyway, what feedback are you talking about? I probably did receive it, but things have been such a blur....
Sorry i haven't replied for what? three weeks? eek. It was feedback on A Quiet Belief and probably got spam-filtered. I am resending from mm Season at bt inter net dot com if you want it!
Got it, and many thanks!
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