Brian Freeman's Blog, page 35
March 4, 2014
Ferguson Books
February 28, 2014
Do I Look Like a Serial Killer?
Okay, thriller writers usually look like, well, thriller writers. Or like we've watched too many 1940s gangster movies. Leather jacket. Sinister stare.
I met a gentleman at a bookstore in Minneapolis once who told me that his book club had read one of my books and loved it. When I mentioned that I regularly visit with book clubs, he explained why they didn't invite me: "We all looked at the photo on your web site, and we thought you looked kinda scary."
Kinda scary? Me? Aw, c'mon! Have you seen Jeffery Deaver's book jacket pic? (Kidding, Jeff...kidding!)
I mention this because we writers sometimes find ourselves in situations that are difficult to explain. I like my books to have a "you are there" quality to them, where you feel as if you've been dropped down in the middle of the action, and you can smell, touch, taste, hear, and see everything happening around you.
One of the ways I do this is by scouting locations the way a film director would. I visit all the places where the book will take place, and I take notes, pictures, video, voice recordings -- everything to help me pinpoint exactly how it feels to be there, so I can pour that authentic flavor into the book.
That's what I did in the town of Shawano for TURN TO STONE. Marcia and I drove miles on the back roads looking for just the perfect setting for each chapter. Well, one of those places was a lovely river-side road with upscale houses...and yes, we cruised up and down that road taking pictures so that I could use one of those houses in the book.
As we were heading out, I noticed a man on a moped behind me. Didn't think much about it. We were already on our way to our next location at a boat launch near the river itself. When we turned again, he followed us. And again. In fact, when I stopped at the river, he pulled up right next to us. He didn't look too happy.
It seems that his daughters had seen us taking pictures on the street -- and they were terrified that we were burglars casing the house! Or worse, perhaps they'd seen too many episodes of Dexter. In any event, this brave father had chased us down to make sure we weren't serial killers. But how do you explain to someone in the middle of nowhere in rural Wisconsin that you're really a writer working on a crime novel? Would anyone really believe that story?
I guess it's a good thing we had boxes of books in the back of the car. And a bookmark, too -- which I gave him. By the end, I think I had him convinced that we really were who we said we are...not thieves and not murderers. Even so, I wondered if I looked "kinda scary."
Well, I'll be back in Shawano on April 21 at 7:00 pm to speak at the library there. I wonder if this man will show up!
Meanwhile, don't forget to get your e-book or audio copy of TURN TO STONE...! If you've already read it, be sure to post your review online and share the link with your friends. They can find out more on the TURN TO STONE page on my web site.
February 26, 2014
Mystery One
February 21, 2014
Aunt Agatha's
February 18, 2014
TURN TO STONE: A Stride Novella
It's a busy spring for Jonathan Stride.
My Stride short story SPITTING DEVIL was released in the US Kindle store and other e-book formats earlier this month. Plus, my full-length Stride novel THE COLD NOWHERE will be available in hardcover, e-book, and audio as of April 1. THE COLD NOWHERE just received a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, which called it "masterfully plotted."
But you don't have to wait for more Stride. My Stride novella TURN TO STONE is available in e-book and audio right now!
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TURN TO STONE is half the length of an entire novel. It's the perfect opportunity to meet Stride again as he tackles one of his most shocking cases ever.
Jonathan Stride stops in a snowy small-town cemetery to visit his mother's grave, but he finds himself a witness to a shocking act of violence. Stride is a stranger in town, and the local police don't want him there...but his search for the truth makes him fear that a gruesome crime is about to happen.
You can start reading TURN TO STONE with an exclusive excerpt right now!
This story takes place in the small town of Shawano, Wisconsin. I've been to Shawano many times on the way to Door County (where THE BONE HOUSE is set), and I did an event at the local library last spring. At the time, one of my Wisconsin readers suggested I visit an old ruined Novitiate building outside the town.
I did -- and I loved the ruined setting of the building on the shores of the Wolf River. It looked like a perfect place for the kind of dark things you find in my books. When I talked with my publisher over the summer about doing a special Stride novella ahead of the release of THE COLD NOWHERE, I immediately thought about Shawano and that scary old ruined estate. So that's how TURN TO STONE started.
TURN TO STONE works hand in hand with THE COLD NOWHERE. When you read Chapter 1 of the new novel (which you can do right here!), you'll find Stride getting back to his Duluth cottage very late one evening. I always wondered why he was getting back so late. Now, in TURN TO STONE, you'll find out exactly what terrible crime was keeping Stride away from home.
February 13, 2014
Print vs. E-Book?
With many publishers releasing bonus content from authors as e-exclusives, readers have begun to ask me: What if I don't have a Kindle or Nook? Well, there are free Kindle and Nook apps that work on any tablet (like an iPad or Android), smartphone, PC, or Mac. So you can read e-books on pretty much any device, not just actual Kindles or Nooks.
Of course, I realize (and sympathize!) that many readers simply prefer print editions. We authors would love to have all of our works available in print, too, but typically those decisions aren't in our hands. My own attitude is that it doesn't have to be an "either or" choice for readers. I read both e-books and print books, depending on the book and the circumstances. So you can enjoy SPITTING DEVIL and TURN TO STONE as e-books...but never fear, THE COLD NOWHERE will be out in hardcover soon!
You can find free Kindle apps here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000493771
You can find free Barnes & Noble Nook apps here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/nook-mobile-apps/379003593/
