Alex George's Blog, page 2

Virtual launch party!

Well, COVID-19 did for pretty much all of our careful planning to launch this book, with my entire tour being canceled, but we won’t let this damn virus stop us completely. Rather than gathering as planned at Skylark Bookshop, we’ll be holding a virtual launch party at 7:00 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday, May 5.

And, as a huge, glittering silver lining to what would otherwise be slightly heartbreaking news, I’m thrilled to announce that the very wonderful Will Schwalbe will be in attendance to ask me some questions about the book.

So, won’t you come and join us on May 5? We’ll chat, and maybe raise a glass or two, and we’ll find some way that you can even ask us questions. It’s all going down over Zoom, and here’s the link.

Virtual launch party!

Well, COVID-19 did for pretty much all of our careful planning to launch this book, with my entire tour being canceled, but we won’t let this damn virus stop us completely. Rather than gathering as planned at Skylark Bookshop, we’ll be holding a virtual launch party at 7:00 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday, May 5.

And, as a huge, glittering silver lining to what would otherwise be slightly heartbreaking news, I’m thrilled to announce that the very wonderful Will Schwalbe will be in attendance to ask me some questions about the book.

So, won’t you come and join us on May 5? We’ll chat, and maybe raise a glass or two, and we’ll find some way that you can even ask us questions. It’s all going down over Zoom, and here’s the link.

Area Man in Box-Opening Scene

It’s now pretty much obligatory to film yourself holding your new book in your hands for the first time. This is my seventh novel; the thrill really never, ever gets old. There are so many physical iterations of a book – typed manuscript; bound uncorrected proofs; galleys; and then this. See each for the first time is exciting. But none is as sweet as this.

Right, now I have to sign all 240 of these books, then put them carefully back into their boxes, and ship them to my friends at the Alabama Booksmith.

April Newsletter

First of all, and most importantly, I hope that this finds you and your loved ones well.

This month’s newsletter was supposed to be all about the build-up to the publication of The Paris Hours in May. I had lots of good news to share: the book had received really quite lovely reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. It was chosen as an Indie Next List pick for May – always a huge honor, as these titles are nominated exclusively by independent booksellers from around the country – and this month it is also a Book of the Month selection. (This last has been especially fun, as BOTM members love posting photos of their books on social media, so I’ve got to see it in lots of readers’ hands.)

Then came COVID-19. Now, we are all well and safe, and I am grateful beyond words for that. I hope that you are, too. It has been heartbreaking to see the destruction that this terrible virus has wrought. Of course, the publication of a novel is utterly insignificant in the context of the tragedy that is unfolding across the globe. COVID-19 has impacted us all in many different ways, and I wanted to let you know how the pandemic has changed the picture as far as the book is concerned.

The launch party at Skylark has been canceled, and the book tour as well. Of course, in these difficult times we are all in the market for silver linings, and we continue to push on as best we can. We’re working hard with some of the bookshops I was going to visit to bring events online, and as soon as we know more, I’ll be posting about those on the website. For example, my event scheduled for the Unbound Book Festival on historical fiction will be broadcast live on Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m., as part of “Housebound Unbound.”  There are already several online interviews scheduled for around publication and we’ll still do a launch event on May 5 – the only difference will be that people will have to stay home and drink their own champagne. All details will be up on the website as we get ’em. I hope I’ll have a chance to “see” you at one of these events. I’m especially looking forward to working with the brilliant people at A Mighty Blaze. It’s the best place to learn about new releases during this time.

Here’s where I’m going to ask you for a favor. With all these things being canceled, we’re losing our biggest opportunity to make a big push when the book comes out on May 5. You may know that pre-sales (when folks buy the book ahead of the publication date) are hugely important, as all those sales get counted in the first week that the book is out. This massively increases the chances of getting onto the bestseller lists. So, if you were planning to come and see me on my tour, please go ahead and pre-order a copy of the book from your local independent bookshop anyway. If you’d like a signed copy, call Skylark Bookshop at (573) 777 6990 or email us at mail@skylarkbookshop.com. If you like audiobooks, then you can support your local independent bookstore by pre-ordering at Libro.fm. Thank you so much!

My reading since the pandemic started has felt haphazard, although probably it’s been no more so than usual. I enjoyed Lily King’s Writers and Lovers, Samantha Irby’s new book(as hilarious and excruciating as ever), and Erik Larson’s engrossing The Splendid and the Vile, a timely reminder of what real leadership in a crisis looks like. I’m now reading Ben Winters’s Golden State, set in a society where the most valuable commodity is truth. (Do you need more? Go read it. It’s brilliant.)

Finally, this month’s musical distraction is this excellent song, which should raise your spirits. And yes, that’s my son.

All the best –

Alex

The Paris Hours hits the Indie Next List!

Good news in difficult times, Part 2.

I’m very pleased to announce that THE PARIS HOURS has been chosen for May’s Indie Next List.

Every month independent booksellers from across the country nominate their favorite reads being published that month, and the top selections make it on to the list. You probably all know how I feel about independent booksellers. They are the beating heart of the publishing industry. They’re passionate and incredibly smart, and of course they’re voracious readers, so this recognition means the world to me. I’m thrilled – and I’m especially proud because all three novels that I’ve published in the US have been chosen for this honor. So – thank you, my fellow booksellers. I’m grateful beyond words.

When you nominate books for the list (everyone at Skylark does this all the time) you have to write a small blurb explaining why you love it. Each successful nomination comes with one of these little quotations. Here’s the one for THE PARIS HOURS, written by Betsy Von Kerens of The Bookworm, in Omaha, NE:

Alex George has woven a beautiful tapestry of a historical novel in The Paris Hours through four colorful, intertwining threads. Each of the characters will touch your heart with their stories of love, loss, the ravages of war, and their search for answers and a path to pick up the broken pieces of their lives. Lush with descriptions of 1927 Paris and the appearance of many famous cultural figures of the era, The Paris Hours will transport readers to a time and place they will be reluctant to leave until the last unexpected moment.

Book of the Month Club!

Amidst all the madness of the Coronavirus, a little good news.

For a while now I’ve been sitting on various developments that I have not been allowed to tell anyone about. Some are still under wraps, but I am now thrilled to be able to report that THE PARIS HOURS has been selected as one of the five titles for April’s Book of the Month Club.

This is wonderful and exciting news. Part of the deal is that BOTM members will be able to get their hands on the book a month ahead of official publication. It’s always a thrilling (and terrifying) moment when your book finally makes its way out into the world and into readers’ hands.

More good news next week! I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

(Book) Love in the Time of Coronavirus

This is a re-post of a blog I recently wrote on my bookshop’s website. Stay safe, everyone.

There’s a joke going around right now that the “social isolation” required by the spreading COVID-19 virus is every reader’s dream come true. Whether for solace, entertainment, or education, books and reading feel more important than ever right now. And, of course, if you’re reading a book it’s difficult to touch your face.

So: Skylark Bookshop is open, and we plan to stay open, until we’re told otherwise. We are also getting really good at cleaning stuff. Counters, computer keyboards, door handles, books – much of our days right now is spent wiping things down.

We realize, though, that some people may feel anxious about going out, even for ultra-necessary items like books. That’s why we’ve come up with a few things to help you out:

QUESTION ONE: WHAT TO BUY

1.              If you already know what book you want…

If you already know what you need, email us at mail@skylarkbookshop.com with your titles, address, & phone number. We will pluck your book off the shelves with freshly washed hands, give you a ring to settle up. If it is not on our shelves, give us a few extra days and we will take care of it.

2.              If you don’t…

Email us a photo of your bookshelf or stack of favorite books, or just tell is what you’re in the mood for, and we’ll call or write back with some recommendations for great reads based on what we see. Choose what sounds good and we’ll get everything packed up and on their way to you!

Either way, please email us at mail@skylarkbookshop.com. Please don’t call – help us keep our phoneline open!

QUESTION TWO: HOW TO GET IT

When we speak with you about your order, we’ll ask you to choose one of the following delivery options:

1.              Free Home Delivery

If you live within Columbia city limits, we will deliver books to your door at no extra charge. We will do our best to deliver the same day if you place your order before noon. To qualify for this service, you must be over 55 years old or have an immunocompromised household member (honor system!) and the overall value of the order must be over thirty bucks.

2.              Mail

We will mail books anywhere in the country, prettily gift-wrapped and tied up in string. We will mail orders over $100 free of charge. For the time being we’ll knock two dollars off the mailing charge for all other orders.

3.              Curbside Pick-Up

If you pre-pay over the phone, we’ll walk out to your car and deliver your books to you. It’s kind of like a drive-through, with less calories.

AND DON’T FORGET: AUDIOBOOKS

If you want to completely avoid contact, you can always download a good audiobook: use Libro.fm!

We could all use a good book stack right now. Let us make yours enticing, distracting, and wonderfully local. And please, wash your hands, people.

Heartbreak.

There will be no Unbound Book Festival this year.

The festival was due to take place from April 23 to 26, 2020 – while that’s still six weeks away, the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus means that cancelation is the only option that will protect the health and safety of our audiences, our guest writers, our volunteers – and of our community as a whole. I am truly heartbroken by this decision, even though I know it is the right one. So many people have devoted so much time to putting the festival together – and this year was to have been the most ambitious and exciting event yet.

I’m grateful to the wonderful writers and poets who had agreed to come this year; everyone was were so looking forward to hearing them speak. I’m grateful to our amazing team of volunteers who have worked so hard for so long. (The festival may take place over one weekend, but it is very much a year-round undertaking.) I’m grateful to our sponsors, who have supported us wonderfully over the years. And of course I’m grateful to everyone who has given so generously to Unbound over the years – those gifts have enabled us to keep the festival free for all to attend.

So although this is a very sad day, there remains much to celebrate. We’re proud of what we’ve built over the last five years. We’re proud of this community that nourishes and supports our efforts, and we hope that we’ve made Unbound a festival that Columbia can be proud of.

And look: we’ll be back. The board will be meeting early next week to determine next steps, and we’ll let you know as soon as we can if we’ll be rescheduling for the fall or pushing on to April 2021.

In the meantime, please stay safe, wash your hands, and remember these beautiful words by Frederick Douglass: Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.

 

March Newsletter

Here’s a slightly edited version of this month’s newsletter which was sent out last week. (If you’d like to subscribe, you can do so here.)

Happy March to you all, and a special welcome to all those lovely people who subscribed to this newsletter because it was my fiftieth birthday recently and they felt sorry for me.

It’s been busy around here. I recently arrived back from a quick visit to New York to visit the lovely marketing and publicity folks at Flatiron Books. We are busy hatching plans as publication of The Paris Hours gets ever nearer. We’ve just announced the book tour – click here to see if I’m coming anywhere near you. (If I’m not, I’ll still sign and personalize a book for you if you order a copy from Skylark Bookshop.)

In other news, after a couple of false dawns I’ve finally decided what story I’m going to tell next. Consequently I’m settling back into daily 5 a.m. starts, as I begin to feel my way into the new novel. It’s a relief to be writing something new again. Added bonus: when I write for a couple of hours before the rest of the world wakes up, it feels as if anything might be possible. (As long as there’s coffee. Lots of coffee.)

If all that wasn’t enough, the Unbound Book Festival is fast approaching. We’re bringing lots of fabulous writers to Columbia for the event – and (because I didn’t have enough to do, apparently) I’ll be participating in a panel discussion about historical fiction with Whitney Scharer and Meg Waite Clayton. Putting the festival on will be pretty much a full-time job between now and the end of April. I’ll have a few days to recover, and then The Paris Hours is published just over a week later. Madness.

If you’re looking for something good to read, a couple of very different recommendations this month: Jenny Offill’s new novel, Weather, is a punchy, funny, desperate and unforgettable read. And I’ve just finished the audiobook of Ronan Farrow’s Catch and Kill, which reads like a gripping spy novel – the marvel (and terror) of it is that every word is true.

For your listening pleasure, may I suggest Wherein Lies the Good, by the Westerlies. This New York based brass quartet mixes jazz, roots, and chamber music and sound unlike anything else I’ve ever heard. I can’t stop listening to them.

The Paris Hours Tour Dates

The tour dates for The Paris Hours have been finalized. My thanks to Amelia at Flatiron for putting this all together, and for her unending patience in putting up with my questions and queries. If I’m coming to a town near you, please come by and say hi! We couldn’t make it to everywhere, but oh well. There’s always the paperback…

Here’s the events page with the deets. Fancy social media-friendly graphic to come.