In Today's Mail

Two things of note in this picture...1) I received a copy of the actual hardcover edition of THE CLEANER today. Needless to say it is very cool. Still seems a little unreal, though. I'm feeling very out of body. And 2) I really need a haircut.

Less than a month to release day! (June 26th) And for those of you in the L.A. on July 7th, mark your calendar. I'll be doing a signings at Mysteries to Die For in Thousand Oaks at 1:00 p.m. and then a big one that night with friends and family in Westwood at The Mystery Bookstore at 6:30 p.m.

Publisher's Weekly Reviews THE CLEANER

Just came out this week. Wanted to share...

"Displaying an enviable gift for pacing and action, Battles’s debut novel is a page-turner that may remind some readers of the cult TV spy series Alias..."

Read the full review here (down the page a little)

Winner(s)!!! And the list

So...since this is my last give away of an ARC of THE CLEANER, I've decided not to give away just one copy, not two, not even three...BUT FOUR ARCs. So we have FOUR winners! Congratulations to:

Steve G
Jeff Shelby
Mindy
Angela/scifichick


Now...here's the list of books the entries generated!

FROM STEPHEN BLACKMOORE:
THE SONG IS YOU by Megan Abbott

FROM SPYSCRIBBER:
A GAME OF PLEASURE by Barbara Satow

FROM ROB GREGORY BROWNE:
VERTICAL COFFIN by Stephen J. Cannell

FROM KISSASYLUM:
THE SHAPE OF SNAKES by Minette Walters

FROM STEVE G:
GOD'S SPY by Juan Gomez-Jurado

FROM STACEY COCHRAN:
SUFFER THE CHILDREN by John Saul

FROM JEFF SHELBY:
I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER by Larry Doyle

ANGELA/SCIFICHICK:
SCENT OF SHADOWS by Vicki Pettersson

FROM ABOOKWORM:
THE HINDI-BINDI CLUB by Monica Pradhan

FROM MINDY:
THE CONCRETE MAZE by Steven Torres

FROM ANNE:
THE SENSE OF PAPER by Taylor Holden

FROM ELLIE:
THE BOOK OF NAMES by Jill Gregory and Karen Tintori

FROM DIANE:
A THREAD OF GRACE by Mary Doria Russell

FROM SHARON:
THE ROSSETTI LETTER by Christi Phillips

FROM STEVE MALLEY:
RACHEL'S HOLIDAY by Marian Keyes

FROM RICK:
LISEY'S STORY by Stephen King

Thanks to everyone who participated and help to contribute to this list! A lot of good stuff here.

Only 2 Days Left to Win!

Sweepstakes ends Thursday night at 9 p.m. Pacific Time. I'll be pulling the winner then, and will post the name on Friday. So hurry up and get your entries in.

Enter Here!

CONTEST for an ARC of THE CLEANER

In case you missed the announcement on Monday, this is the last contest for an advance reader copy of THE CLEANER...

...check it out the details here!

Final Chance to Win an ARC of THE CLEANER

Here's my last contest for an ARC of THE CLEANER. (I hope to give away a hardcover before the official release date, but no promises.) To enter let's make it interesting. In the comments section let me know the name of the book that most recently surprised you. By this I mean a book you didn't expect to be as good as it was, something that gripped you more than you would have guess when you first picked it up. Give us the author, and a quick description of why it had this effect on you. Don't give away any spoilers. I hate spoilers.

Here's an example:

GROTESQUE by Natsuo Kirino
I wasn't really sure what I was expecting from this book. Granted, I had heard good things. But when I picked it up to read I kind of expected it to be one of those books you read, enjoy, then quickly move on to the next one. Not even close. The story was like water going down a drain spinning you closer and closer to the center but not taking the straight route. Each time it took me around the drain there was something new and unexpected.

See, not so hard. Your turn! Doesn't have to be a thriller or suspense novel either. Any novel. Reading's good, but even better when you cross out of your comfort zone.

Contest ends at 9:00 p.m. Pacific Coast Time Thursday, May 24th.

As If There Weren't Already Enough Reasons to Go

ThrillerFest  goes video!
Please click on the link to watch our video.
And then click here to sign up

WICKED BREAK

So in what's become a mini-tradition, I purchased Jeff Shelby's latest book (in this case WICKED BREAK at the L.A. Times Festival of Books and had him sign it.

I actually began reading it while I was still at the festival, and finished it today. I have to say, Jeff has done it again. I love his style, and I've thoroughly enjoyed both of his books. Noah Braddock is a PI who'd probably rather be surfing most days. But when he puts his mind to work, he definitely doesn't go at it holding anything back. And it was nice to see he even seemed to grow up a little the latest installment.

Great job, Jeff. And for everyone else, a big thumbs up for me.