Kwei Quartey's Blog, page 16

Jacket design of CHILDREN OF THE STREET released

The jacket for CHILDREN OF THE STREET is now visible on Amazon.com and on Random House website.

NEW PHOTOS

I don't want to hear this from my readers when they meet me in person at my book-signings: "You don't look anything like your pictures." My last photos were in 2009, so here from December 4, 2010 is an updated set. I'll eventually get them posted in the gallery section.

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MY FAVORITE PLACES (PART 2), AND E-READERS

In Part 1, I talked about Book'em Mysteries, Eso Won and The Mystery Bookstore. Another bookstore that's close to home in Pasadena is the venerable Vroman's Bookstore. It's Southern California's oldest and largest indie bookstore, attached to which is the very cozy and inviting Zeli Coffee Bar, and next door a Fine Writing and Gifts store with some very nice stuff.

Vroman's was one of my first book signings back in July 2009. WIFE OF THE GODS hadn't been out very long and I was pleasantly surprised by the substantial number of attendees. Vroman's has a large and faithful following and a huge space for readings and events. The organization and people-power involved in keeping a store as large as this going must be quite staggering.

Vroman's is a treasured place that one hopes will exist and thrive forever. Speaking of which, e-book readers have been a huge topic as 2010 draws to a close. How will they affect the success of the indie bookstores? There's the standard-setting Kindle, which, to use a play on words, "sparked" the movement, the B&N Nook, the Sony, the Alex, Pandigital, Kobo, Foxit, Jetbook, and so on. Enter Google e-reader. This is an inclusive reader rather than an exclusive one. You do not physically buy the Google e-reader. This is ideal for me. Frankly, my Mac laptop goes everywhere with me and I'm just as happy to read on it as I would be on a Kindle. Incidentally, I bought my Kindle when they first came out and haven't bought one since. It's battery life is now quite anemic. Essentially Google e-reader is an app that you can use on an Android platform, your web browser, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and Nook or Sony. I don't know about anyone else, but I look forward to an electronic future that's inclusive, rather than the opposite. Kindle's exclusivity to Amazon.com might eventually become a dinosaur model. (By the way, Russo's Books has a nice little video explaining Google e-books.)

On Vromans.com, Ruby's blog talks about e-books and how the Vroman's is one of the lengthening list of indie bookstores that participate in the Google e-reader program. Indeed, I've just bought a copy of Michael Connelly's The Overlook from Vroman's using my Google e-reader (web app). In deference to all indie bookstores, especially mystery ones, I would not have ordered this novel from Amazon.com or bn.com, but having the Google e-reader, I was able to order online while still supporting Vroman's.

Ruby's blog also links to a nice post by Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Az. This store is also a Google e-reader participant, and to me it's a thrill that someone like Gayle with a store like hers can now start to compete with Amazon.com. Marvelous. Maybe there is justice in this world after all.

MY FAVORITE PLACES – Part 2

In Part 1, I talked about Book'em Mysteries, Eso Won and The Mystery Bookstore. Another bookstore that's close to home in Pasadena is the venerable Vroman's Bookstore. It's Southern California's oldest and largest indie bookstore, attached to which is the very cozy and inviting Zeli Coffee Bar, and next door a Fine Writing and Gifts store with some very nice stuff.

Vroman's was one of my first book signings back in July 2009. WIFE OF THE GODS hadn't been out very long and I was pleasantly surprised by the substantial number of attendees. Vroman's has a large and faithful following and a huge space for readings and events. The organization and people-power involved in keeping a store as large as this going must be quite staggering.

Vroman's is a treasured place that one hopes will exist and thrive forever. Speaking of which, e-book readers have been a huge topic as 2010 draws to a close. How will they affect the success of the indie bookstores? There's the standard-setting Kindle, which, to use a play on words, "sparked" the movement, the B&N Nook, the Sony, the Alex, Pandigital, Kobo, Foxit, Jetbook, and so on. Enter Google e-reader. This is an inclusive reader rather than an exclusive one. You do not physically buy the Google e-reader. This is ideal for me. Frankly, my Mac laptop goes everywhere with me and I'm just as happy to read on it as I would be on a Kindle. Incidentally, I bought my Kindle when they first came out and haven't bought one since. It's battery life is now quite anemic. Essentially Google e-reader is an app that you can use on an Android platform, your web browser, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and Nook or Sony. I don't know about anyone else, but I look forward to an electronic future that's inclusive, rather than the opposite

On Vromans.com, Ruby's blog talks about e-books and how the Vroman's is one of the lengthening list of indie bookstores that participate in the Google e-reader program. Indeed, I've just bought a copy of Michael Connelly's The Overlook from Vroman's using my Google e-reader (web app). In deference to all indie bookstores, especially mystery ones, I would not have ordered this novel from Amazon.com or bn.com, but having the Google e-reader, I was able to order online while still supporting Vroman's.

Ruby's blog also links to a nice post by Gayle Shanks of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Az. This store is also a Google e-reader participant, and to me it's a thrill that someone like Gayle with a store like hers can now start to compete with Amazon.com. Marvelous. Maybe there is justice in this world after all.

PLAN YOUR SUMMER 2011 READING

Sit by the pool, at the beach or on your porch or balcony on a lazy afternoon with a chilled drink beside you as you read CHILDREN OF THE STREET. Better get more than one drink or have someone serve you in case you can't put the book down [image error]

The release date is July 12, 2011, but can you believe it, you can already pre-order at now at Amazon or Random House. The cover isn't available yet, but should be shortly. CHILDREN OF THE STREET will be released as a trade paperback and not in a hardcover version. In this tough economy we want it to be more affordable at $15.00 (only ten bucks on Amazon.com or bn.com) instead of the usual $25-27 of a hardcover.

My favorite places – Part 1

More correctly, my favorite indie bookstores in the Los Angeles area.

I'll start with one closest to my home, Book'em Mysteries, in South Pasadena. A fixture of S. Pasadena for some 20 years, they are what their name says: specifically a mystery bookstore. Owners Barry Martin and Mary Riley are survivors, what with this lousy economy and the fire-breathing Amazon.com/e-book dragon lurking round every corner. Book'em has a loyal following of both readers and writers. If there's a mystery writer, he or she has done a signing here. Favorites include Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Crais. Even little ol' me has had a signing at Book'em. Mystery writers love Barry and Mary because of the care and attention they give all of their books.

The store is located on an attractive street, and is bright and nicely laid out. If you're looking for some gifts for the holidays, drop in and pick a couple books up from Book'em. Get one of their lovely dark blue Book'em coffee mugs too, while you're at it.

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From Book'em, we go down the 110 South Freeway to the 10 West and exit on Crenshaw to the Leimert Park neighborhood, where we find the venerable Eso Won Books. One of the few independently Black owned bookstores in Los Angeles, it has a singular historic and socio-economic importance in the African American community, but I think it's short-sighted to suppose that it doesn't have relevance to the wider L.A. book world, just as one can't say African American music is not part and parcel of the broader American music experience. Carrying a range of titles, the bookstore is not restricted to mysteries, which explains how Cornell West, Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Barack Obama, and Michael Eric Dyson have all signed here. Owners James Fugate and Tom Hamilton are welcoming and helpful, and know books and publishing inside out. They are so supportive of writers, especially those just starting out. A writer can rarely, if ever, get that from the juggernaut bookstores, whose names I need not mention. BTW, Eso Won some great 2011 calendars, so go check them out and pick out a couple Christmas gift books as well.

The third bookstore I want to mention is The Mystery Bookstore. Located in Westwood, it's the farthest away from me but always worth a trip to drop in on my friends, owners Bobby McCue and Linda Brown. TMB has a very active book-signing schedule, and a unique Jail Register (for real!), which all their authors must sign before they leave, or they'll be locked in and fed bread and water until they submit. I'm kidding, of course. TMB specializes in rare and first editions and has recently acquired a signed set of first edition Dennis Lehane mysteries. It's easy to order from them on their website as well, so even if you're not in Los Angeles, you can get a hold of some of their terrific first editions.

Bottom line on these and all other indie bookstores is that, Kindle notwithstanding, they are very special institutions that are treasures to readers and authors alike. Personally, I don't know what we writers would do without them. Where would we meet our readers? Online? What a cold world that would be.

The Amazing Race, Bangladesh and Darko Dawson

This weekend, the remaining teams on The Amazing Race went to Dhaka, Bangladesh. This wouldn't otherwise be commented on in this blog except for the fact that compared to Dhaka, Accra looked like Shangri-La. There are obviously degrees of development or lack thereof in this world. It was immediately obvious on this episode of the Amazing Race that Dhaka was several-fold more congested than Accra, and the level of trash, filth and stagnant water made Accra look almost sparking. I predicted that at least one team member was going to comment on it, and someone did, quote, "this is way worse than Africa [Accra]." Still, not to say that Accra doesn't need some cleaning up.

Meanwhile, the third Darko Dawson novel is underway. Yes, indeed, I am preparing the synopsis for Darko 3.0 even as we speak.

QUARTEY CROWNED IN LITERARY DEATH MATCH (LDM) #35

Up early on Friday Nov 12 to head up to San Francisco for Literary Death Match. The day didn't start off very promisingly when Virgin America announced that the flight would be delayed for an unspecified time, which is never good. Apparently the aircraft was missing a part. "It's not the wing or engine or anything like that, is it?" I asked the gate attendant. Very funny, sir. Anyway, they put me on a Southwest Airlines flight that unfortunately was flying to Oakland. On arrival, I made my way from there to SF using BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), which turned out to be very easy. But I was now almost 4 hours behind my originally planned arrival time.

LDM episode 35 was held at the Elbo Room on Valencia in the historic Mission District. It was my first time to participate in an LDM, invited by Alia Volz when I met her at Bouchercon. I had been told that it was a fun event so was looking forward to it.

Indeed, it was a blast. Alia and her co-host M.g. Martin were side-splittingly funny. The function began at 7 PM. I got there around 6:30 and was a little concerned when I saw there weren't that many people. But like magic, the place became absolutely filled with people within about 20 minutes. Alia and M.g. welcomed us first with their brand of zany humor.

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BTW, M.g. executed a soaring leap off the stage at one point, landed on his feet, and lived. I forget why he did this, but it was impressive.

So then it was time to get started. The idea was for the four author contestants including me to read or recite something of their creations, which would then be critiqued by a panel of three judges: Michael Krasny, Dennis "the Menace" Scheyer, and Nicki le Masurier

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Don't imagine some kind of abusive and brutal haranguing in the style of Simon Cowell – nothing could be further from that. It was all good-natured. The one major rule was that authors should not go over 7 minutes or they get doused with a Supersoaker. Nice touch.

Order of the contestants was chosen randomly from a hat. First round: Craig Clevenger against Thaisa Frank.

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Craig

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Thaisa

The judges picked Thaisa. Congrats! Second round: slam poet Sam Sax against me. Our respective performances were as different as the genres we represented. Sam's is a flow of volcanic energy that comes from a dark but infinite well of creativity. You get the feeling that he's always questioning life, but sometimes with a sly smile. You can't help but be mesmerized by him. In a way fitting with his free spirit, he did go over alloted time and was liberally super soaked to the audience's delight.

[image error] [image error] Contrast Sam's level and type of energy with my "…soft spoken style and understated performance," as described by Andrew Dugas in his wrap-up of the event.

Frankly, I thought I'd been clobbered by Sam, but to my most pleasant surprise, the judges gave the nod to me. But that wasn't the end of the evening. I still had to go up against Thaisa, winner of the first round, and since I'd been told that we wouldn't be reading twice, I was puzzled about what we were going to do next.

Well, it's a little complicated to explain. With this LDM having a "social networking" theme, Thaisa and I were instructed to select at random members of the audience, all of whom had little cards bearing the names of different authors along with the number of novels they had written, e.g. Margaret Atwood, 16 novels, and by differentially selecting one out of pairs of authors whom we would preferred as "friends," and then having the same number of audience members as the novels come up to the stage as "friends," Thaisa and I competed for the largest crowd. Confused? You should be. Bottom line is that I garnered more friends than Thaisa's side and was thereby declared the winner and crowned with a fluffy crown and a medal.

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All in all a terrifically fun night, with many thanks going to Alia, M.g. and all the organizers, and to my worthy competitors who were every bit as good as I was.

LDM

Only 2 more days until Literary Death Match in SF! Be there – at least to see my fight outfit.

Literary Death Match

In the left corner we have the Menacing Masked Clevenger. In the right corner is the Deadly Dark Prince of West African Mystery, Kwei Quartey. They are up against each other in a fight to the finish, the Literary Death Match #35 on November 12, 2010 at the Elbo Room in the great city of San Francisco. There will be blood.