Max Tomlinson's Blog, page 6

Amazon and my publisher have been plotting to drop the pr...

Amazon and my publisher have been plotting to drop the price of “Vanishing in the Haight” to 1.99 for the month of May. And they were successful.

Tie Die Booklist Review

The second Colleen Hayes mystery – Tie Die – set to release as an ebook June 16, 2020, has just received its first major review, this one from Booklist:

“Colleen Hayes has come up in the world since her first case (Vanishing in the Haight, 2019). It’s the late 1970s now, and Colleen has her own apartment in San Francisco, but she is still an unlicensed investigator on parole after killing her abusive husband. When Steve Cook, a 1960s British rock star who lost his career when he was arrested and fired by his record company, asks her to find his missing daughter, she can’t refuse. Her own daughter has vanished into a cult, so she understands. She was also a big fan of Steve’s back in the day. Her investigation quickly leads her to believe that something is very wrong. Was Steve’s daughter really kidnapped? His nasty ex-wife and her father, a greedy record producer, are somehow involved. The hunt takes Colleen into the corruption-filled pop-music world, and it leads her back to London, where Steve’s downfall began in the 1970s. Tomlinson’s evocation of San Francisco at that time is spot on, and Colleen is an appealing kick-ass detective. ” (review here)

 

Tie Die is available for preorder here.

Tie Die will drop in print (hardcover and paperback) in early September 2020. Once bookstores and libraries get back to a normal schedule I’m looking forward to meeting you all at readings and events. Watch this space!

Many thanks to Booklist.

Hope all of you are staying safe and well during this time.

Earth Day 50

Happy Earth Day, people of earth. One of the ironic results of the COVID-19 lockdown is the recent respite parts of our battered world have experienced recently: clearer skies, waters, animals wandering free(er).  If nothing else during this grim time, it shows one what is possible.

A colleague of mine–Katherine Tomlinson (no relation)–has put together an exciting anthology of stories donated by authors (including yours truly) to celebrate Earth Day. One hundred percent of the royalties earned will be donated to an organization at the forefront of the battle to stop global warming. Click the cover to learn more.

Best to you and yours during this difficult time. May the planet and its occupants fare well in the long term.

Vanishing in the Haight – USA Today Bestseller

Many thanks to all my readers who helped push Vanishing in the Haight onto the USA Today Bestseller list this week. VITH came in at 129. Thanks also to my publisher, Oceanview Press, for believing in the book and taking it on.  “Every dog has his day,” they say. Indeed.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next Colleen Hayes mystery – Tie Die – to be released on ebook June 16th. Due to the current lockdown situation the pub date for hardcovers and paperbacks has been pushed back until later in the year.

Stay safe, people.

This too shall pass

Many thanks to my readers for your support during this tough time. Your recent purchases and the reviews left on Amazon and Goodreads are *most* appreciated.

My publisher has told me that returns of existing print books are high right now since book stores and libraries are shut down. My next book has been delayed although it will be released early as an ebook.

Sales, overall, are down.

And I’m fine with that.

Because when we are living with such uncertainty what I do is really not important.

The people on the front lines however are: those medical personnel, first responders, delivery people, truck drivers, grocery store clerks (who did I miss?) – they’re the ones holding us together.

My friend’s daughter,  Heather, who is working towards her nursing degree, also works as part of a three-person team in the SF Bay Area, providing outreach health care to homeless people. For a few weeks now they’ve been urgently visiting as many encampments as possible to check for COVID-19. Of course, they don’t have tests yet, so they rely on taking temps and asking about symptoms. High risk. They have to make a single N95 mask last across many patients, encampments, and a whole day. The protocol is one (1) per patient.

Real heroes and heroines.

My best to you and your loved ones during this trying time. Stay safe! This too shall pass.

 

Credit: Mike Luckovich – Atlanta Journal Constitution

 

 

 

Vanishing in the Haight – 99 cents for a limited time

Greetings – Oceanview Publishing is dropping the price on Vanishing in the Haight (ebook) to 0.99 cents from 3/30 to 4/15. The ebook is available on multiple platforms (Kindle, Nook, B&N, Google Play, Apple ibook etc.) – enjoy!

 

More links on Oceanview’s site – click image

Vanishing in the Haight Audiobook

I’m pleased to announce that the first novel in the Colleen Hayes ’70s series is now available as an audiobook. Many thanks to Margy Stein for her superb narration. Check it out.

 

 

Cheap Thrills!

Greetings, readers!

THE DARKNET FILE, an international espionage thriller, is 99 US Cents to download on your Kindle or Kindle-like ereader until 1/23.

Enjoy!

Max Tomlinson at Books Inc. Palo Alto Thursday, Nov. 7 @ 7 PM

Books Inc. presents local mystery writer Max Tomlinson (that would be me) for a reading, discussion, *70s Quiz* and more re: the first installment in his (my) new Colleen Hayes Mystery series, Vanishing in the Haight. Refreshments will be served.

–> Books Inc. Palo Alto Thursday, Nov. 7 @ 7 PM

– 74 Town & Country Village, Palo Alto, CA 94301

The Big Thrill interview

Many thanks to The Big Thrill for interviewing me.

You can read the interview right here …