LITTLE GIRL GONE

I'm excited to share the cover for my new novel, LITTLE GIRL GONE. It was designed by Jeroen ten Berge, and I think he did an outstanding job! I couldn't be more excited.
Here's a description:

From the Barry Award winning author of the Jonathan Quinn novels comes LITTLE GIRL GONE, the first book in a new series.

Logan Harper isn't looking for redemption. He’s just wants to live in peace and forget his troubled past. But one morning his quiet life is upended when he interrupts the attempted murder of his father’s best friend Tooney.

The next thing he knows, Logan is on his way to Los Angeles, searching for Tooney’s missing granddaughter and uncovering a sinister plot connected not only into Tooney’s Burmese past, but to the boardrooms of corporate America.

As the odds stack up against him, Logan must fall back on old skills from the past he'd rather forget. He’s made a promise, and the only way to fulfill it is to bring the girl home alive.

LITTLE GIRL GONE will be available most places eBooks are available at the end of March, 2011.

It's a double dose of...well...me. Not only will LITTLE GIRL GONE soon be available, the next Quinn novel, THE SILENCED, will be in bookstore everywhere April 5th! Check out my west coast tour schedule here.

And the Tour Begins!

Had the big launch party yesterday (Saturday, July 18th) at the Mystery Bookstore in L.A. I have to say, this may have been the best one yet! Well over forty people showed up, and we had a great time. The dinner group that went out after numbered 25. The first restaurant we wanted to go to couldn't take us because there were so many of us.

Anyway. Monday I leave for San Francisco. Will do some drop in signings and have a visit with my brother before my official signing at M is for Mystery in San Mateo at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday is the big drive to Portland, Oregon, with a signing at Powell's in Beaverton on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, I'll be doing a lunchtime signing at the Mysterious Bookshop in Seattle.

All that traveling (by car, I should add!) will keep me nice and busy. A big thank you ahead of time to fellow novelist, and good friend Bill Cameron who will be putting me up for several nights in the Pacific Northwest.

Hope if you are close to any of the events that you'll stop by.

For more info on these events, and for other upcoming appearances, please check out my page at booktour.com.

Sweepstakes and Reviews

I just received the ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) of my new book, SHADOW OF BETRAYAL (release date July 18th). So you know what that means! Sweepstakes time!!!

But before I get to that, if you are a blogger who reviews Thrillers email me your name and address, and include a link to your blog. I won't be able to send to everyone, so if I can't get you a copy, I apologize. Send to contest at brettbattles dot com. And please put "Review Copy Request" in the subject line.

Okay on to the contest. Like last year, there will be one drawing per month. If you don't win, your name will be carried on to the next sweepstakes. The only change this year is that I will be pulling TWO winners each month through June. In July, I will have a sweepstakes for a first edition hardcover. (Please note, if you do enter the contest, I will be adding you to my mailing list. Now, don't worry. I don't give this list to ANYONE else, and I only send out a few newsletters a year, so you won't be bombarded. Still, if you'd rather I didn't include you, just say so in the body of your message.)

Okay, here's all you have to do. Email me at contest at brettbattles dot com, and write in the subject line Shadow Sweepstakes, or, if you prefer SOB Sweepstakes...I won't take offense. In the message, just give me your name. If you win, I'll ask you to send me your address. That's it!

So, let's see...we'll make the end of the April sweepstakes April 28th at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time (that's Los Angeles time for those not familiar).

Let's get those entries in!

All I want for Christmas

My good friend (and hell of a writer) Sean Chercover posted what I consider to be an important article over at his group blog The Outfit. I asked him if I could re-post here. Please give it a read if you haven't already.


by Sean Chercover

All I want for Christmas. . .

"But it's too early to blog about Christmas," I hear you say. "We haven't even reached Thanksgiving!"

True, but we are living in desperate times, and they call for desperate measures. Surely you've seen the news, and you know just how desperate. You've heard the cries from Washington and Wall Street and Detroit. It's a Global Economic Meltdown(TM), and just in time for the Holiday Shopping Season(TM).

Run and hide!

Okay, I know that we're all in for some serious belt-tightening, but here's the thing: You will probably buy a few Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa gifts for your loved ones this year. You may not be as lavish as in years past, but you'll probably buy something, right?

Right. So please, make that something a book.

Doesn't have to be my book (although I have no objection to that), just any book will do. Fiction, preferably. But as I said, any book will do. Fiction, non-fiction, hardcover, paperback, frontlist, backlist. Just so long as you give books.

Maybe give a book that had a big impact on the way you see the world, or simply a book that made you smile. A book is a beautiful, thoughtful, personal gift. And a book can be burned for heat when the entire economy collapses and we are all left freezing in the dark.

Really, there's no better gift this year.

Those of you who read the publishing trades know that I'm not kidding around. Share prices of the largest book retailer in America just hit an all-time low. Some other bookstore chains and many independents may not survive the winter. Even the most optimistic economists project no economic growth until next spring. And that will be too late for many bookstores.

It's that serious, kids.

Of course, if you're so broke that you're considering roasting the family pet for Christmas dinner, you get a free pass. But for the rest of us . . . for those who are going to buy something to give our loved ones this Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa. . .

Please, give a book.

----

Brett again...just wanted to add that if you have never read any of Sean's work, you are really missing something. He's writing some of the best PI stuff out there in my opinion. Stuff that is as good as anyone has ever written. His debut BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD was fantastic, and he follow up TRIGGER CITY (which just came out) is even better. Consider either when looking for those all important holiday presents!

Just a little something to share...

For those of you wondering how long the Jonathan Quinn series will last, I can't give you an exact answer, but I can tell you this...from Publisher's Marketplace:

"FICTION: THRILLER

Brett Battles's third & fourth novels in the Shamus and Barry Award-nominated Jonathan Quinn series, to Danielle Perez at Bantam Dell, by Anne Hawkins at John Hawkins & Associates (World)."

It's actually the fourth and fifth novels, so there will be at least five Quinn books!

In a completely unrelated (...eh...well...maybe a little related) announcement, as of the end of September I'm retiring from the day job and writing full time.

LAUNCH PARTY & Signing Schedule

Less than a week until THE DECEIVED and the paperback of THE CLEANER reach bookstores! Sounds like a great reason for a party to me...

If you're in the L.A. area on Saturday afternoon, come on by The Mystery Bookstore in Westwood. They will be hosting the launch party for THE DECEIVED at 5:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome. They'll be some champagne, some snacks, and fun.

The Mystery Bookstore
1036-C Broxton Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310.209.0415
Map here
Mystery Bookstore Website Here

Also have a couple other signings and events coming up:

Saturday, June 28th 12:30 p.m.
The Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Drive #302
San Diego, CA 92111
858.268.4747
Website Here

Thursday, July 10th through Saturday July 12th
THRILLERFEST
Grand Hyatt, New York City
Website Here

Saturday, July 19th
Mysteries To Die For
2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
805.374.0084
Website Here

Hope to see you somewhere along the way!

DON'T FORGET...win a copy of THE DECEIVED

Find Out How HERE

KISS HER GOODBYE

My good friend Robert Gregory Browne's novel KISS HER GOODBYE is out today in paperback.

It's an non-stop thrill ride that I highly recommend.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy and I loved it! (And for you Rob fans...something to make you jealous...Rob was kind enough to give me a copy of his next novel WHISPERS IN THE DARK which doesn't come out until January. I'm only about 50 pages in, but it's great. Can't wait to get back to it.)

KISS HER GOODBYE description:

ATF Agent Jack Donovan has two ambitions: take down cult leader Alex Gunderson after years of violent mayhem, and reconnect with his daughter Jessie, who has somehow managed to slip from his life. But, none of Jack’s experience as a stellar cop or an absent father has prepared him for the unthinkable way these two parts of his life are about to collide.

In a desperate act of revenge, Gunderson kidnaps Jessie and buries her alive. But just as Jack’s team is closing in, fate intervenes in the form of a bullet and the secret to Jessie’s location is lost. With only a few precious hours of oxygen to sustain her, and with not a single clue pointing in her direction, Jessie is sure to die—unless Jack can somehow find her. But what Jack doesn’t realize is that he’s about to take a sharp turn into a world from which few of us return: the darkness of death itself.

READ MORE AND BUY IT HERE

Holiday Gift for me #1 and #2

Here's gift number 1...a full color cover proof the the US release of THE DECEIVED:



It looks INCREDIBLE in person. It's hard to tell in the picture, but the title is actually embossed silver. Even my name is embossed (though in black, not silver). When set side-by-side with THE CLEANER, the spines are a beautifully matched set. Awesome job by the good folks at Bantam Dell.

Holiday Gift #2 for me...THE CLEANER is out in Australia!!! Waiting for my copy (cover is similar to the US cover but in red). I also hear is it selling VERY WELL. WOO-HOO!!!

(thanks to Grace Erb for taking the photo!)

Holiday Gift Idea #2

Yes...another book. But a historical fiction piece this time...one I couldn't put down when I read it. A story of Stalinist Russia...set in Moscow, pre-World War II...may I suggest The Archivist's Story.

Read more or even purchase a copy here.

From the book description on Amazon:

Moscow, 1939. In the recesses of the infamous Lubyanka prison, a young archivist is sent to authenticate an unsigned story confiscated from one of the many political prisoners there. The writer is Isaac Babel. The great author of Red Cavalry is spending his last days forbidden to write, his final manuscripts consigned to the archivist, Pavel Dubrov, who will ultimately be charged with destroying them. The emotional jolt of meeting Babel face-to-face leads to a reckless decision: he will save the last stories of the author he reveres, whatever the cost.

From the margins of history, Travis Holland has woven a tale of the greatest power. Pavel’s private act of courage in the face of a vast bureaucracy of evil invigorates a life that had lost its meaning, even as it guarantees his almost certain undoing. A story of suspense, courage, and unexpected avenues of grace, The Archivist’s Story is ultimately an enduring tribute to the written word.

Highly recommended.

* * *As is, and will continue to be, the rule, I make no money from any recommendations.* * *
~ ~ ~Well...unless I recommend my own book(s)...which somehow would seem wrong...but, who knows? I might do it anyway!~ ~ ~

Holiday Gift Idea #1

What better thing to start off with than with one of my favorite thrillers of the year...NO TIME FOR GOODBYE by Linwood Barclay. From the Amazon description:

The house was deathly quiet. That was the first sign that something was terribly wrong. Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge woke that morning to find herself alone. Her family—mother, father, and brother—had vanished without a word, without a note, without a trace. Twenty-five years later, Cynthia is still looking for answers. Now she is about to learn the devastating truth.

From critically acclaimed author Linwood Barclay comes a new suspense thriller that strikes to the core of our most primal fear. What if you woke one day to find your entire life had changed? If everyone you loved had disappeared overnight without so much as a chance to ask why?

Cynthia and Terry Archer still live in Milford, Connecticut, not far from the old Bigge house on Hickory Street. With a solid marriage and a young daughter, the Archers seem on track for a successful future. But the questions raised by Cynthia’s past still haunt her, and her obsession to find the answers threatens to destroy everything they’ve worked for. For Cynthia, there can be no closure until she finds out why her family disappeared—and how they could have left her behind.

Terry thinks the segment on the popular TV crime-stopper program Deadline is a mistake. But his wife hopes that someone watching will have a lead to her missing family. Sure enough, it’s Cynthia who spots the strange car cruising the neighborhood, hears the untraceable phone calls, and discovers the ominous “gifts.” And as Cynthia’s nerves begin to unravel, no one’s innocence is guaranteed, not even her own. By the time the first body is found, it’s clear that her past is more of a mystery than she ever imagined—or may ever survive.

Someone has returned to this Connecticut town to finish what was started twenty-five years ago. And by the time Terry and Cynthia discover the killer’s shocking identity, it will be too late even for goodbye.

Read more or even buy it here.

Or visit Linwood's website

* * *As is, and will continue to be, the rule, I make no money from any recommendations.* * *
~ ~ ~Well...unless I recommend my own book(s)...which somehow would seem wrong...but, who knows? I might do it anyway!~ ~ ~

DEREK'S BIG DAY

Fellow Killer Year Member Derek Nikitas' PYRES hits stores today! Check it out here.

Favorite Books and Winner

And so ends the final ARC sweepstakes for THE CLEANER. We are t-minus 2 weeks until pub date, so if you didn't when you don't have long to wait until you can get your very own copy!

To enter this time, all participants had to list their favorite all time books. The list is below, but first the winners:


1. Liz
2. Lee
3. Don Anderson
4. Gerald So
5. John Ling

Congratulations to each of you, and thank you to everyone who participated.

Now here's a list of some really great titles!

1. MINE (Which I didn't mention previously): It's a moving target, but I'd have to say it's either THE HEART OF THE MATTER or THE QUIET AMERICAN both by Graham Greene

2. STEPHEN D. ROGERS: DEATH OF CITIZEN by Donald Hamilton

3. PATTINASE ABBOTT: A PLACE OF EXECUTION by Val McDermid and BEL CANTO by Ann Patchett

4. ROB (as in Gregory Browne): funny guy, Rob. Sadly, if that book existed I'm sure it would have sold well.

5. GERALD SO: THE CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger

6. DON ANDERSON: SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL by Kent Anderson (runner up WINTER'S BONE by Daniel Woodrell.)

7. BERNITA: THE FIONAVAR TAPESTRY By Guy Gavriel Kay

8. LIZ: BROTHER OF THE MORE FAMOUS JACK by Barbara Trapido

9. LEE: ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand

10. JOHN LING: FIRST BLOOD by David Morrell

11. ANGELA: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Dumas

12. STACEY COCHRAN: THE SUN ALSO RISES by Ernest Hemingway (runner up THE SHINING by Stephen King.)

13: LATHAM SHINDER: MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN by Jonathan Lethem

And 2 late entry...the drawing was already completed by the time these came in...but they were still in time to get their favorite books listed:

14. JUDY THOMAS: THE DAUGHTER OF TIME by Josephine Tey

15. CHRISTOPHER: THE LITTLE PRINCE by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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.

How Could I Miss This?

Steven Hockensmith's ON THE WRONG TRACK is out in bookstores now! And actually has been for two weeks. My excuse(s) for my tardiness? Been finishing the draft of Book 2 (should be done this week), and I was major sick last week with the flu...those excuses also work for why this blog has lain dormant for a while.

But get Steve's book. It is even better than the Edgar nominated HOLMES ON THE RANGE, which some of you might remember I absolutely loved. There's nothing like these books out there. I love them because they are not only a great change from my usual reading, but also because Steve is a FANTASTIC writer.

A HUGE Congratulations

Two of my favorite books from last year have been nominated for BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR. The first is the moody and lyrical A FIELD OF DARKNESS by Cornelia Read. I read it right after it came out. It's a great book and Cornelia is going to be (hell, already is) a huge talent.











The second is HOLMES ON THE RANGE by Steven Hochensmith. Those who read this blog probably already know I'm a huge fan of Steve. HOLMES ON THE RANGE had be laughing out loud like I've never done before when reading a book. And it's follow up ON THE WRONG TRACK (which I was lucky enough to get in an ARC) is just as fantastic.

I haven't read the others on the list, so I can't comment other than to say they'll have to be pretty damn amazing to be better than these two.











ALSO, Naomi Hirahara's SNAKESKIN SHAMISEN has been nonimated for BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL. Naomi's Mas Arai series is fantastic. I could not be happier for her.










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CONTEST REMINDER: Win an ARC of THE CLEANER! Read more here.