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In this Month’s Issue:
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- A Year to Be Grateful For
- Where I've Been, Where I'll Be
- Trivia Winners, and a New Question!
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A Year to Be Grateful For
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It's already December, and 2009 is a blur: so many words written, so many miles logged, so many readers and booksellers and wonderful people met along the way.
It's been a very good year, and I wanted to take a quick break from finishing the next Nick Heller novel to thank you all for your support. 2009 marked the year that Nick Heller came into the world, and he (and I) could not have asked for a warmer, more enthusiastic welcome.
While we're still feeling the Thanksgiving afterglow, I'd like to single out a few things I've felt especially grateful for this year:
- My amazing editor Keith Kahla and incredible publisher St. Martin's Press. I am awed by the enormous talent, encouragement and energy of the entire publishing team.
- The support VANISHED got from booksellers, critics, and old and new readers not only here in the U.S., but in the U.K. and around the world. Making the New York Times bestseller list once again was great, but it was only the tip of the iceberg; the remaining 90% of that iceberg is the enthusiasm of readers like you.
- The extraordinary work artist Benito Gallego and comic book genius Brian Azzarello did in bringing The Cowl from my imagination to the pages of a real comic. You can still read it online. Even The New Yorker noticed The Cowl! Read their take on it.
- Holter Graham, the voice of Nick Heller on audiobook, whose work won VANISHED an AudioFile Earphones award. Watch a conversation between us.
- The authors and aspiring authors I met at writers' conferences around the country, including the Hawaii Writers' Conference, the Pacific Northwest Writers Association's Annual Summer Conference, and the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Colorado Gold Writers' Conference. Spending that time talking about why we write and how we write inspired and recharged me.
- Hank Phillippi Ryan, for persuading me to dress up as Sherlock Holmes at this year's New England CrimeBake; it was a blast!
- Emily D'Amour Pardo and the organizers of this year's inaugural Boston Book Festival, a great event that will only get better in years to come. Check the Festival's website for news about next year's Festival, and podcasts of this year's sessions.
- The community of friends I've made on Twitter, a technology I could not have imagined even 18 months ago. (And if you're new to it yourself, follow me there; my Twitter handle is @joefinder)
- The opportunity to participate in THE COPPER BRACELET, the audiobook sequel to THE CHOPIN MANUSCRIPT, which was a #1 bestseller at Audible.com.
- The Daily Beast for giving me a forum to weigh in on international policy issues I'm passionate about.
- My many sources who are so generous with their time, and help me get my facts right.
- My extraordinary assistant, Claire Baldwin ("Miss Moneypenny"), and her equally fantastic assistant, Claire Raphaelson (it keeps things simple, except when it doesn't); my invaluable in-house editorial consultant and jack-of-all-trade-publishing, Clair Lamb; Karen Louie-Joyce, who runs my website with such energy and creativity; Jessica Helfand at Winterhouse , who redesigned my website; and Carol Fitzgerald and her crackerjack staff at BookReporter.com, who implemented that design so elegantly and keep it all running.
- My endlessly patient wife, daughter and extended family, who make everything else possible.
It's a long list, isn't it? No wonder I'm so grateful. Thank you all for the year that's been, and I hope the year ahead is just as good for all of us.
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Where I've Been, Where I'll Be
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But the year's not over yet! This week only, I'm taking questions at the WEBook Blog. Stop by and leave your questions in the comments section, and I'll answer them throughout the week. The WEBook blog is a great resource for both readers and aspiring writers, and I'm honored to be their guest.
Many exciting plans are in the works for 2010 - including some international tour appearances - but it's still early to make any official announcements. I do know that I'll be in Arizona in February. (Hey, I live in Boston. Wouldn't you rather be in Arizona in February?)
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Trivia Winners, and a New Question!
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You still have plenty of time to enter the trivia contest for December-January: What is the name of the homicide detective who pursues Nick Conover in COMPANY MAN? Submit your answer via the contact form; please include your complete mailing address. If you've already won a prize in this calendar year, you are not eligible to win again until the February-March contest; also, we apologize, but we can send books only to U.S. addresses. Good luck!
And now, back to work. If you're following me on Twitter or have posted things to my Facebook page lately, I apologize if it's taken longer than usual for me to respond. I am deep in deadlines, and focusing my writing energies on Nick Heller's next adventure. If all goes well, I'll have more to tell you about that in the next newsletter.
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In the meantime, happy holidays to all of you, and I hope the New Year brings nothing but the best thrills.
Joseph Finder
P.S. And please, spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to friends you think might be interested.
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