Rick Pryll's Blog: Books I have Read

The Drive-by Book Launch

Here's the story behind the drive-by book launch party we through for La Chimère of Prague back in 2020...

There was a pandemic.

I unexpectedly underwent surgery for a torn retina in my left eye in November.

For one week after the surgery, I had to spend 23 hours a day lying face down. As a part of my recovery.

Holly rented me one of those massage chairs you see at the airport. You can just picture it: in my living room, this ugly green vinyl monstrosity. Ugh.

As luck would have it, I was in final edits on Part II of the Chimera series.

Inconvenient? Yes. Impossible? No. We made it happen.

We could not responsibly plan a book launch party, with hundreds of guests, as we did for The Chimera of Prague back in November 2017.

We had to get creative. So we did. We came up with the drive-by book launch party.

First, we needed a venue. One with an outdoor space that would be usable on December 4th. Luckily we live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

We partnered with Chef Christa Csoka at The Artisan's Palate in the historic arts district north of Charlotte, called NODA.

The Artisan's Palate web site

The Artisan's Palate has lots of outdoor space.We would have a place to host people if they wanted to hang.

Chef Christa cooked up a Czech-inspired menu. She made us a delicious gulaš s knedliky (goulash with dumplings).

Between us and all the book lovers who showed up to support my book, we sold the gulaš out.

Even in a pandemic, dozens of readers showed up to support me. I am grateful to all who showed up.

The book was a success even before the launch party — pre-sales were through the roof. Using the IndieBound.org services, readers were able to pre-order my book from their favorite local independent bookstores. It’s literally a win-win!

Hard cover Chimère

Paperback Chimère

And Holly, whose art is not only on the cover of the book but also within the book in the frontispiece. Her art friends turned up in droves for the drive-through book launch! Most folks didn’t stay long, circumstances, but we were happy to have a safe, distanced way to keep the risk low for readers, book lovers, artists, and art lovers while at the same time celebrating the birth of the book.

HMCAS web site

I can’t say this enough: thank you, Holly. I love you.

We did it.

With your help, dear readers, we pulled it off.

📚 Get in on all the bookish fun.

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The official author website

Ear Candy for You

Today, November 30, 2022 only

Looking for bookish audio to accompany your afternoon tea?

Host Linda Thompson and I talk books, Prague, writing, and reading over at The Authors Show podcast.

Pairs nicely with your favorite adult beverage.

The Author Show

3 ways I say Thank You

Happy Tuesday! I am so grateful that you are here for my bookish content. I have three things I want to share with you, so let’s get right to it.

Let me start with Books. Free books. For you.

In honor of the 5th book birthday of The Chimera of Prague, winner of the 2018 New York Festival of Books for Romance, we have joined a Group Giveaway over at ProlificWorks.

Behind this link, you will find no less than 14 free books from my Romance and Erotica writing peers. I am sure you will find something you love over there. And it’s free — what have you got to lose?

Gratitude Group Giveaway

Can you believe the book is five years old? It has been quite a journey. For those of you who have come along for all or any of it, thank you, thank, thank you!

Next, based on your feedback, I have upgraded the online bookstore to make it feel more homey and warm.

Welcome to the new store

Lastly, the Prague Tours.

Holly and I got contacted out of the blue by a former coach of my son. He and his family are going on an Eastern Europe trip right after Christmas, and he remembered that we are experts on Prague in particular.

I mean, I have written two books about Prague. We lived there for seven years. We have done two successful Reader’s Tours of Prague. Do we have some recommendations we can share? You bet we do.

The timing was incredible because I had just completed my Prague Tour Customization Questionnaire. I ask twelve questions, with some probing questions, to help make your tour of Prague a perfect fit for your family or group. I want to match your needs, desires, and dreams, and this quick questionnaire helps me to do that.

The Customization session is free. It only takes about 15 minutes and there is no obligation on your part to commit, so it is pressure-free, stress-free, and free free.

Book an appointment

I am planning to charge for this service (creating a customized itinerary for your X-day, y-night tour of Prague) in the future, but since we are still getting our feet wet, for a limited time, I am not charging any fees.

It’s all about timing. Take advantage of being an early adopter.

For those of you who made it to the end of the blog post, I want to say thank you one more time!

Praise for La Chimère of Prague

Here’s the problem with choosing your next indie author book to read.

What if it is not a good investment of your time? What if the story doesn’t go anywhere? What if you don’t love the characters? What if three chapters in, you are faced with the decision whether or not to abandon the book entirely, which you, Dear Reader, pride yourself on never doing?

The good news is, there are ways to reduce that risk. You can read REVIEWS.

That’s right. Let other readers, just like you, tell it to you like it is. If the REVIEWS are interesting, there’s a very good chance the book will be interesting too.

Don’t take my word for it — here’s what readers just like you have to say about La Chimère of Prague…

“Spicy, witty, charming, and surprisingly hilarious. Unrelenting entertainment.” — Rabia Tanveer, 5-star review

“Rick Pryll excels in capturing both the culture and the history of old Europe, injecting a modern young man's growth into this backdrop. Psychological depth and detail offer an exceptionally well-done blend with the history. Readers looking for a story of historical and psychological entanglements will find the second book of La Chimère of Prague an outstanding survey that follows Joseph's ongoing choices, consequences, and evolving perceptions of life. Its deep psychological inspection ... provides a powerful story that eventually comes full circle back to Joseph's strongest connections as he rejects the past, only to find it intrinsically wound into his future.” — D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Pryll crafts a highly immersive atmosphere with a myriad of emotions, mixing sublime and surreal themes with realistic and relatable social issues to create a kind of accessible space in between that we as readers can escape to.” — K.C. Finn, 5-star review

“If you enjoy literary fiction, ironic wit, and realism delivered with a heaping spoonful of European culture, you will love this one.” — Bibiana Krall, Goodreads 5-star review

“Once you're fully engrossed in Joseph's character it's impossible to put the book down. Some of Pryll's prose balances on the brink of poetic.” — Asher Syed, 5-star review

“Gazing over the magnificent city of Prague, Joseph intimately shares his examination of purpose. Joseph faces grief and reality with a desire for understanding; he vividly describes circumstances that circle back to his existence. Author Rick Pryll overlays the rich history of the Czech Republic with Joseph’s radical and courageous life choices as a young man while poetically mingling his teenage past with the present, in a biological and earthy way. He masterfully details Joseph’s self-awareness; his deeply intuitive and discerning view of his environment and his interpersonal relationships. A brilliant writer, I expectantly wait for revelations from the Chimera of Prague!” — Dr. Sabrina Brown, author of He Married a Sociopath

What do you think? Want to give it a spin around the block?

Learn more about the book

Learn more about the author

5 Reasons to Consider Reading La Chimère of Prague

Here are the top five reasons I would like you, Dear Reader, to consider diving into my latest novel:


The characters — you will fall in love with this gang of misfits: Naked Pete, the pornographer’s accountant, the Snickers lady, the bi-sexual mermaid ex-girlfriend, and the sad-eyed waif

The setting — let me give you a taste of Prague, an ancient city in Europe, has a quirky vibe that drew more than 40,000 ex-pats in the late ’90s

The legends — learn all about the poet president, the Infant of Prague, the writers, artists and composers (and the ghosts) that make the Czech Republic cultural magnet that it isLa Chimère of Prague: Part II

The art — enjoy the original art on the cover (thank you 2018 ArtPop Artist Holly Spruck HMCAS), original line art on the frontispiece (thanks again, Holly!), the ink splatters on the chapter pages (I did the ink splats), the beast (once again, and always, thank you Holly!)

Cheaper than therapy — get inside the head of Joseph, a divorced 28-year old American expat living in Prague, trying to figure out what he wants and who he is...


There you have it. My top five reasons to consider spending some time with my book. Cheers!

WINNER

On Tuesday, January 18, 2022, I had the privilege of reading my flash fiction piece (on a Zoom call, of course), "No Good Deed," at the monthly meeting of the Charlotte Writers Club. I was invited because my story was picked for 2nd place in the 2022 Ruth Moose Flash Fiction Awards. I am very humble to the Club and to Gary V. Powell, the judge for the 2022 awards.

To prepare for the reading I rehearsed on video. You can see a splice of six of the takes on YouTube click here

It's nice to get back to the short form. Not to age myself too much, but my literary career got started with a contest win back in 1991. While I was an undergraduate at MIT, I won the Robert A. Boit award for a short story I wrote called "Pathbeater."

Happy New Year, y'all. I am loving it so far. Hope you are too.

FREE books

Who doesn't love *free* books?

From December 6 through January 3, 2022, head on over to BookFunnel to have a chance to download *free* books from me and 56 of my author buds.

Here's the link for you:

FREE books

It's my way of saying thank you to all the readers out there in this stressful holiday season. Think of it this way: it's cheaper than therapy.

Cheers!

RELEASE DAY

La Chimere of Prague is out now.

FREE books

Just a few weeks left before the release date of Part II. To celebrate we're giving out copies of the novella. Just in time for the holidays.

Come to Prague with me. Let me show you around.

"Spicy, witty, charming, and surprisingly hilarious." -- Rabia Tanveer's 5-star review.

Claim your free book

Getting ready for Part II

In celebration of the planned release of Part II, La Chimere of Prague, we are offering, for *FREE* for the next couple of days, the eBook version of Part I, The Chimera of Prague.

Don't miss out. Get yours now.

Amazon Kindle