Book Release Countdown: Here But Not Yet There

 On Monday I made a joint presentation at Manhattanville College with my editor, Liz Van Hoose. Turned out to be a red-letter day for a couple of reasons. First, the presentation went really well. Second, Liz had that day received a much-deserved promotion. And third... let's see... I know there was a third thing...Oh yeah: Liz brought along two copies of the book!!!! Now being prepared for shipment and ready for release on August 9.

Book Release Countdown: The Book Jacket

Hot off the press: The Book Jacket!

Just received several of them from my editor. "Printed jackets mean finished books are imminent," she wrote.

Not a bad way to end the work week...

Book Release Countdown Update

Bill Warrington's Last Chance will be released two months from today. (And yes, pre-orders are still being accepted.) Two exciting recent developments to report:

Viking has selected the book for its Flights of Fiction program. You can visit the site to learn more about the book, read an excerpt, and download a podcast of an interview with--and reading by--yours truly.

Penguin has released a Book Club Reader's Guide for the novel. It includes a "conversation with the author" interview. The interview and book club questions can be found here.

Did I mention pre-orders are still being accepted? Just checking...

Revisions: The Phoenix Effect

I recently finished reading the second chapter of the vomit draft of my work-in-progress. I hadn't read it in several months, which helped me gain the perspective needed to admit that "vomit" is a charitable modifier for this particular draft. What a disaster! I wondered how I:

• Created such an unlikable character
• Crammed so many useless details into 5,000 words
• Might chuck the whole thing and not, consequently, be driven to slash my wrists

And yet... once I stewed for awhile... considered a different approach... slashed out the passages that I found particularly annoying and/or humiliating (we're talking pages here)... fiddled with an opening sentence for a couple hours... I grew hopeful that I might squeeze a paragraph or two out of the mess. Hopeful, but not yet entirely convinced.

What's your first reaction when you re-read your work?

A Day at BEA

Attended the Book Expo America yesterday. Some random observations:

Manhattan sizzled. Literally. Temps in the 90s. My strategy of walking from subway to expo center slowly didn't work. Still needed a shower and dry shirt when I arrived.

Book people are crazy. There was a huge line waiting to get into the exhibition area a full hour before it opened. We're talking books, not the Rolling Stones (although Keith Richards stared down on all of us via a a huge banner promoting his new book).

The E-Sky is Falling. The hot topic everywhere was, of course, e-books and how they affect publishers, authors, consumers, and the written word itself. Conclusion: Nobody knows.

We apparently aren't distracted enough. During one of the presentations I attended, people could tweet their observations and questions, which were then projected onto a large screen at the front of the room, while the panelists were talking.

I love Viking. I saw my publicist, spent some time with my editor, and spoke with several other Viking/Penguin execs. What a great company. Also had lunch with my agent. She's great, too. When it comes down to it, no technology is more powerful than "face time."

Reports on the death of publishing are greatly exaggerated. The energy of the place, and the love for and commitment to books (e or otherwise) was incredible... and inspiring.