Joseph Wallace's Blog, page 4

A Child’s Christmas is Everywhere

Marmadudes and others: It has been a kind week to A Child’s Christmas in New England, and I’ll trail with our new press release. But more important: The season for local get-togethers is at hand, and I’d love to see old friends; beers on me. I’m at the B&N in Yonkers this Saturday, the Village Bookstore in Pleasantville next Tuesday, the Chappaqua Library next Thursday and the Mount Pleasant Library theTuesday after that. Meantime, do visit our website (santalogist.com), listen to our song (“Caroline’s Waltz) and leave your Santa photo on the Santa Wall. It’s all free! Cheers, and do enjoy the season, Bob

Parade, People, Publishers Weekly: A Child’s Christmas in New England Takes Off

The buzz started in earnest a few weeks ago when print runs were extended and, completely unbidden, important folks weighed in early (“A brilliant and tender idea that works, I think, beautifully,” said Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked). Some remembered that author Robert Sullivan and artist Glenn Wolff had partnered in 1996 on Flight of the Reindeer, which at the time had been deemed “a charming new Christmas classic” by Publishers Weekly in a starred review (eventually, 190,000 copies printed; a TV movie made; republished this year by Sky Pony. They now were returning to a favorite theme with quite a different kind of book. Sullivan and Wolff, reunited, were already on the touring trail when PW asked in a headline on November 14 about A Child’s Christmas in New England: “Could a Small Press in New England Have One of This Year’s Christmas Favorites?” In its December 1 edition, after People magazine and several newspapers had already taken note of the book, Parade magazine, with its 32-million-weekly print edition, called A Child’s Christmas “a charming illustrated memoir . . . to cherish [in which] Robert Sullivan recounts his holiday memories from the ’50s and ’60s in vivid detail to his young daughter.” A first-serial excerpt ran it Parade’s online edition.

Immediately, the book has leapt up the rankings at online booksellers including Amazon, and it is presumed this activity had been mirrored in stores. (Sarah Palin’s level of concern has gone unregistered.) The readings and signings by Sullivan and Wolff have been uniformly successful and are becoming true events; fans of the book’s website (santalogist.com) have embraced the song inspired by the book (“Caroline’s Waltz”) and are sending their own Pictures-with-Santa Claus to the “Santa Wall” link; and more press attention (a forthcoming feature in The Boston Globe; another piece on ReadersDigest.com) has been lined up.

In the first reader’s review to appear on Amazon, a Rhode Islander named Barry Plummer offered the opinion, “Sullivan and Wolff have done it again.” Perhaps so.

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INVASIVE SPECIES: Get Your Copy Signed!

I’d love to visit with everyone who buys Invasive Species and inscribe each copy personally, but that might be a little expensive and time-consuming.

So, like many authors before me, I’ve come up with an alternative. Two alternatives, actually.

The first–and the closest to having me come visit: You can call The Village Bookstore of Pleasantville at 914-769-8322 and order a copy, or as many as you want. Just leave details as to whom I should inscribe the books to. Then I’ll pop over and sign to your heart’s content, after which the helpful booksellers will ship the books to you. I’ve done this many times. It works, and it seems to make everyone happy.

The second alternative: Request a signed bookplate that you can stick into your copy. I’ll inscribe it and send it to you myself. Easy as pie. (Though I never found pie to be particularly easy.)

But wait! How do you know if you’ll want the bookplate? What if it’s hideous??

Well, judge for yourself. Here it is:

Well, okay, it is kind of creepy. But remember: Invasive Species is an apocalyptic novel. (And relevant bug is relevant.)

So want a signed copy, but can’t get me to come visit? Just let me know which method you prefer. You can get in touch with me through the contact form here, through my website, or via Facebook message or Twitter DM, if we’re friends/followers.

Thanks!

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Launch Date!

 Today is publication day for my new novel, Invasive Species. You can find out more (as much as you like) by clicking on the image below or here.

As always, the whole process–from idea through writing, revising, editing, design, and publication–seemed to take forever…but still I’m never quite prepared for this day to arrive.

How do I feel? Proud, excited, nervous, filled with anticipation but realizing that it’s mostly out of my hands now. That’s scary but a relief, too.

Thanks for joining me during the long journey as I shared it here. If you choose to read the novel, please let me know what you think!

Thanks–

Joe

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The INVASIVE SPECIES Movie Hits the Screens!

Well, actually, it’s your home-computer screen. And it’s a little movie–two minutes long–that a team of talented filmmakers and actors shot from my script over the course of a weekend this summer, with a goal of calling attention to my new novel, Invasive Species. Still, people who have watched it are calling it mysterious, spooky, and intriguing. You can see for yourself by clicking here or on the image below. Hope you enjoy!

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Thankful for Indie Bookstores

One of the things I’m thankful for this year is the continued survival of independent bookstores…like my local The Village Bookstore of Pleasantville, NY and Larchmont’s The Voracious Reader, which specializes in YA and children’s books.

This Saturday is Small Business Saturday, in which thoughtful shoppers choose to frequent their local businesses instead of the big chains. It’s also the occasion of Indies First, Sherman Alexie’s great concept where book nerds like me turn into booksellers for a day. So I’ll be at the Village Bookstore to chat and recommend books–and so will Mary Murphy, Marilyn Johnson, Rob Fleder and other Factory Workers and friends. If you’re in the area, please stop by!

More details here: http://www.lohud.com/article/20131124/ENTERTAINMENT/311240012/Local-authors-sell-books?gcheck=1

Hope to see you there!

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A More Beautiful Question has a book trailer!

A More Beautiful Question, Marmaduke Factory Worker Warren Berger‘s new book, won’t be out from Bloomsbury until March 2014. But its charming, thought-provoking trailer is out now. Click on the image below to take a look.

 

The subhead of Warren’s book is: “The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas.” By asking its own questions, this trailer is already starting that fascinating process.

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Invasive Species: Finished Copies Have Arrived!

There are certain benchmark moments in the long, twisting journey towards your book’s publication date. One of them is when a large carton arrives from the publisher that, when opened, reveals what you’ve been waiting months (or years) to see: Your book! Not manuscript, not galleys, not digital versions, but the tangible book itself.

Here are the copies I just received of Invasive Species, which will be available to the rest of the world on December 3:

So what do you do after you receive them? Well, if you’re me, you spend a moment in quiet celebration, put one copy on your bookshelf, think of people to give some others to…and then lug the rest of the carton to your closet or other storage space, where you will hardly ever look at them again.

Still, it’s a great moment, worth celebrating. Your journey is nearing its end….or, rather, its beginning.

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Burt Lancaster: An American Life in eBook!

Burton Stephen Lancaster, 1913 – 1994: In honor of the centennial of Hollywood star and independent producer Burt Lancaster’s birth in East Harlem, NYC on November 2, 1913, Knopf has issued an ebook edition of Kate Buford’s biography, Burt Lancaster: An American Life. published by Knopf in 2000, and by Da Capo and Aurum (UK) in paperback in 2001 and 2008. Named a Best Book of 2000 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and others, the biography remains “one of the best books ever written about Hollywood.” http://www.randomhouse.com/book/20952/burt-lancaster-by-kate-buford

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Singing the Praises of A Child’s Christmas

Folks: Publishers Weekly just ran a nice bit about our new Christmas book. [Click on the image above or the highlighted words below to read more! --ed] I had to join BMI—the songwriters union—when Glenn coaxed me into co-writing “Caroline’s Waltz.” The lovely singer Robin Lee Berry greatly improved my lyrics. We’ll have something—maybe a video—up on YouTube soon; I’ll let you know. Meantime, these nice words from PW and you can see a bit of Glenn’s wondrous art. Happy holidays, and hope to see you at the Village Bookstore, Chappaqua Library or Mount Pleasant Library in the season. Cheers, Bob.

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1004!

Entries into the Goodreads galley giveaway for Invasive Species, that is.

If you entered the contest: Good luck!

And if you win: Hope you enjoy the book!!

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