David Abrams's Blog, page 38

My First Time: Emma Smith-Stevens

My First Time is a regular feature in which writers talk about virgin experiences in their writing and publishing careers, ranging from their first rejection to the moment of holding their first published book in their hands. Today’s guest is Emma Smith-Stevens, author of the new novel The Australian , now out from Dzanc Books. Her short story collection, Greyhounds, is forthcoming from Dzanc in early 2018. Emma has been employed as a server at a pancake house, a gift-wrapper, a personal assis...

Sunday Sentence: The Girl of the Lake by Bill Roorbach

Simply put, the best sentence(s) I’ve read this past week, presented out of context and without commentary.


But, compass broken, Sir John had swept the wrong direction, swept in all his glory right off the stage and into the orchestra pit, where he crashed onto the kettle drums and crumpled like a bag of sticks and wet leaves, the drums making a sound like thunder, the great actor nothing now but an old man lying bleeding and unconscious on a cement floor.

“The Tragedie of King Lear” from The G...

Friday Freebie: The People at Number 9 by Felicity Everett

Congratulations to Martha Burzynski, winner of last week’s Friday Freebie: Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt.

This week’s contest is for The People at Number 9 by Felicity Everett. Here is what Sophie Hannah, New York Times bestselling author, had to say about The People at Number 9: “Very occasionally, a novel that’s not in the crime genre grips me as much as the best thrillers do. The People at Number 9 held me in its vice-like grip from first page to last. It’s a fascinating a...

Girls in Lakes, Soldiers in Boots: A Conversation Between Bill Roorbach and David Abrams

David Abrams and Bill Roorbach first met at PNBA, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association conference, which took place in Tacoma, Washington back in 2012, when David’s book Fobbit was new and Bill’s book Life Among Giants had just been released. These friendships on the road with new books bloom quickly, and are reinforced by chance meetings across years to come. On the occasion of the publication of their newest books, Bill and David thought they’d better have a virtual conversation, as th...

Sunday Sentence: See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

Simply put, the best sentence(s) I’ve read this past week, presented out of context and without commentary.


I took the orange and my teeth went in. It was like sour sugar.
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

Sunday Sentence: See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

Simply put, the best sentence(s) I’ve read this past week, presented out of context and without commentary.


How loud is death?
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

My First Time: Felicity Everett

My First Time is a regular feature in which writers talk about virgin experiences in their writing and publishing careers, ranging from their first rejection to the moment of holding their first published book in their hands. Today’s guest is Felicity Everett, author of The People at Number Nine . Felicity grew up in Manchester and attended Sussex University. After an early career in children’s publishing and freelance writing, which produced more than twenty-five works of children’s fiction a...

Sunday Sentence: The Girl of the Lake by Bill Roorbach

Simply put, the best sentence(s) I’ve read this past week, presented out of context and without commentary.


He kissed her forehead (coconut, lemon, that sweet tiny pimple), kissed her chin (watermelon, saltwater, salami), kissed her coarse eyebrows, her surprised little nose, kissed her eyes one at a time as she closed them again, kissed her open unresponsive mouth, kissed that watermelon chin, kissed those clavicles, kissed her breasts, her belly, might have tripped all the way over the line,...

Brave Deeds on tour

The bags are packed. The Jeep is gassed. The road is waiting.

Early Monday morning, I will set out on a driving tour of bookstores in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, signing copies of Brave Deeds and, at various locations, reading from the novel during evening events. I’m looking forward to meeting readers on the road.

Let me rephrase that: I’m looking forward to meeting readers at the bookstore events. Good gracious, I hope they’re not standing on the road, despite the reliability of my new J...

Friday Freebie: Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt

Congratulations to Bonnie West, winner of last week’s Friday Freebie: Malin Persson Giolitto’s Quicksand .

This week’s contest is for Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt, now out in paperback from Algonquin Books. I have one copy to put in the hands of a very lucky reader. Will it be you? Keep scrolling for more information about the novel...
Sixteen-year-old Lucy Gold is about to run away with a much older man to live off the grid in rural Pennsylvania, a rash act that will have vic...