10.15.04

At long last, the sequel to DESERT PLACES has a title: LOCKED DOORS

And an official pub date: July 2005

And a jacket cover:

To kick things off, we're going to have a contest and the winner will receive a signed ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of LOCKED DOORS. ARCS come out well before the hardcover, and we expect to have them sometime in January, which means the winner will get to read the sequel six months prior to the hardcover publication.

Here are the details of the contest:

E-mail me the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the title of the novel Andy has just finished writing when DESERT PLACES opens?
2. What is Andy's favorite cocktail? (Hint: He mixes it with Jack Daniel's in Chapter 1)
3. What is Orson's "day job"?

The contest will be open through December 31, 2004. I'll pick randomly from the correct entries and announce the winner on this website on January 5, 2005. Good luck and stay tuned for more updates on LOCKED DOORS.

7.22.04
The as-yet-untitled sequel to Desert Places  is finally finished! It will go into production shortly with a release date in the spring of 2005. The paperback edition of Desert Places  (forthcoming in December of this year) will feature an excerpt from the sequel.

6.26.04
The first issue of Crimespree Magazine (click to visit their site) is out this month, chocked full of good stuff, including the article I wrote, The Top 10 Most Memorable Moments of My First Book Tour. Click here to read it as a PDF or as a Word Document.

6.4.04
I have sound files for one of the panels I participated in at Left Coast Crime back in February, called Author/Agent/Editor: How Each Helps Shape a Book.  Moderated by the excellent Adrian Muller, this is a discussion with my literary agent, editor, film agent, and me about how Desert Places  progressed from idea to finished book, including in-depth looks at the editing process, how the novel found an agent and then a publisher, as well as the ins-and-outs of the screenplay adaptation.

sound files for Left Coast Crime panel (choose your favorite format)
Entire soundfile large file sizes	MP3	WMA

5.4.04
In advance of my upcoming reading at Maria's Bookshop, I did an interview with my local newspaper, The Durango Herald.

5.2.04
Rick Kleffel, of the wonderful Agony Column, was in attendance at one of my Left Coast Crime panels (Author/Agent/Editor: How Each Helps Shape a Book) and he features it in his recent article, Returning to the Scene: A Left Coast Crime Vacation. By the way, a single audio CD of the panel in question is available for purchase from Tree Farm Communications.

4.15.04
The sound file of my Charlotte NPR radio station interview is available through this site. 52:26 runtime

• download then listen to Windows Media file, 3mb

4.9.04
Tour Photos
I've put my tour photos online. Check them out here.

Crime Spree
Mystery sultans Jon and Ruth Jordan are launching a magazine this June called Crime Spree, which has all the right ingredients to become the premier crime fiction periodical. The first issue will feature an interview with Mark Billingham, news, articles, reviews, and mystery gossip. Contributors will include Joe Konrath, Sarah Weinman, Lauren Henderson, Brian Wiprud, Reed Farrel Coleman, and I wrote an article, "The Top 10 Most Memorable Moments of My First Book Tour." If you're interested, you can email Jon Jordan, and he'll set you on the path to subscription. Issues of Crime Spree will be released every two months, and the introductory cost for the first year is a mere $13. This is going to be a fantastic magazine.

To get books signed
Signed and inscribed books may be ordered from my local independent bookstore, the magnificent Maria's Bookshop (970.247.1438). When you order, be sure to let them know exactly what you'd like the inscription to say.

3.15.04

Well, I'm home from my first tour now. A big "thank you" to everyone who turned out to say hi and/or buy books. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun, too. Look for some tour photos coming over the next couple of weeks.

Here's one more event coming up. I'll probably be adding some more spring events soon, too.

May 6, 2004
6:00 p.m.
Maria's Bookshop
960 Main Avenue
Durango, CO 81301
970.247.1438

3.2.04

Jon Jordan interviewed me, and it's now online.

2.10.04

The German cover of Desert Places  is now available -- the German title is Bruderherz  (Brother Heart).

1.9.04

My tour info is now posted.

12.11.03

The Desert Places  book tour is beginning to take shape. In Winter '04, look for Blake to be appearing in major cities in South Carolina, North Carolina, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Check back in the next few weeks for appearances in your area.

11.28.03

Desert Places  has been selected by the following:

1. Book of the Month Club
2. Literary Guild
3. Mystery Guild
4. Doubleday Book Club
5. DearReader.com Pre-Pub OnLine Book Club
6. McNaughton
7. St. Martin's Press Read-It-First Program

THE SEQUEL TO DESERT PLACES

The sequel to Desert Places  is in the throes of the editing process. Old characters will return, new ones will emerge, and the haunting and secluded Outer Banks of North Carolina will play a prominent role. Look for a release in 2005.

Foreign rights have been sold to Germany for Desert Places and the sequel.

2003 News Archives

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