Pre-Buzz on SWITCH

‘Wow! Loved it … desperately wanted more after racing through the first 130 pages. Fast, thrilling, gripping, scary…When can I read the rest?
— Gavin Hilzbrich

This book is so cinematic . . . due to the punchy dialogue and the succession of crisp, sharp images which drive the narrative forward. I want to read more!
— Sam Eades

This is absolutely brilliant! A very compelling read but I was upset when I got to the last page because I wanted more!
— Jeanette Slinger

I can't stand crime novels that have a long preamble before getting to the action and this one certainly doesn't disappoint in that way. From page one it's straight in there, bish bash bosh and continues on in that vein, so you are frantically turning the pages to find out what happens next.
— Sandra Hawe

The material I read was mad, frantic, super quick and entertaining.
— Martin Higgins

Gripping… Explosive… Page Turning…
And that’s only 140 pages in!!
— Darren Elliot

This was great - I really wanted to read on. Very much made me think of Simon Kernick and Relentless actually - same kind of ordinary guy suddenly finding his life turned upside down when he just comes home from work... Decidedly scary and asks some very dark questions: just how far would you go to save your family?
— Sue Cook

Aug. 14, 2008

Bookseller likes SWITCH

The July 25 issue of UK trade magazine The Bookseller marks SWITCH as One to Watch and "an excellent read" in Sarah Broadhurst's November Preview column of upcoming paperbacks. I'm also thrilled to note that #1 NY Times best-selling author Lee Child agrees. He calls Switch: "A terrific little-guy-in-big-trouble thriller . . . think Saw meets Payback moving at Warp Speed — with the emphasis on Warp."

Aug. 1, 2008

Switch cover proofs arrive

My lovely editor at Transworld sent over a couple of the official printed covers for the UK paperback edition of Switch. They added a new teaser line above the title that flows through to a teaser on the back, and they embossed the title for that little extra oomph. I haven't heard if they plan to add a blurb at the top, but the ever-lovely Irish crime writer Ken Bruen provided me with a beauty. He wrote: "Think Harlan Coben on speed with a heart breaking compassion that will literally have you biting your nails and you have some idea of this nerve jangling wondrous debut."

June 27, 2008

Switch ARC arrives

A lone copy of the uncorrected book proof for Switch arrived in the mail today. It was a real thrill for me to finally see the manuscript in bound book form. The book was selected by Bantam for their "Proof of the Month" promo, so everybody in the company was invited to pick up a copy. Now the proof will be sent to a few established authors in the hope they'll give me a few nice quotes, plus it will be distributed to book-store buyers and the media. Here's hoping everyone loves it.

June 23, 2008

Q&A in Spinetingler omnibus

The Summer 2008 issue of Spinetingler mag has posted a nice little Q&A with yours truly in their newest issue. The Q&A appears in the downloadable pdf version of the mag, while my short story, Out of Order, appears both online and in the pdf. You can find it here if interested.

May 16, 2008

Switch sells to Germany

Following a mini-auction, Heyne (a division of Random House) won the bid to translate Switch into German. Heyne publishes such authors as Robert Harris. Robert Ludlum, Nicholas Sparks and Michael Connelly. The book will be produced in mass paperback (same as the UK) in 2009. Exact date is still to be determined.

March 5, 2008

Old Sleuth - An unusual Ebay find

I just found this Old Sleuth pulp magazine from 1897 on Ebay. How could I possibly resist? The headline reads Grant McKenzie: A Boy's Battles and Struggles.

Old Sleuth was a dime novel series of novellettes of about 80 pages that were published in New York from 1895 to 1898 by J.S. Ogilvie. They were primarily detective stories set in New York, though several are romances as well. Content is usually boys adventure, or detective/mystery, with some attention to gender and race. Advertisements at the front and back often include ads for "guides to courtship" and "guides to kissing".

I'm looking forward to seeing it when it arrives.

Feb.12, 2008

Snitch - Giving up the Boss of Bosses

Rising star John McFetridge puts me on the hotseat at Central Booking for a wee feature he calls Snitch — where the only way out is to give up the name of a mystery writer who has been an influence on you. You can find my answer here.

Jan. 9, 2008

Cover Image arrives

My first look at the proposed cover arrived in my inbox today. I love it, or as my agent says: "They really nailed it!" The switched reflection of the title is a very nice touch. It definitely says big, commercial thriller — and hopefully blockbuster debut ;-) Sales and Marketing have approved it, but say the shoutline needs to be changed to better reflect the title. Plus it needs a glowing quote from someone the average reader will recognize and think, "Hmmm, I better buy this book."

Dec. 24, 2007

Editor's Notes

A FedEx package arrived on the doorstep this morning containing my editor's notes on the first draft. I'm told the editor went easy on me ;-) Deadline for the second draft to be completed is Jan. 18.

Nov. 29, 2007

The Big News

My agent, Amy Moore-Benson, just sold World English rightsfor my novel Switch to Bantam Transworld UK (a division of Random House) for mass-market paperback on their thriller list (alongside authors such as Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen and Dennis Lehane). The book will be launched in the UK on November 6, 2008. The editor is Selina Walker. North American and foreign publication dates are still to come.

Short Stories

My short Out of Order
appeared in Spinetingler's Summer 08 issue.

My short White Volcano appeared in
Out Of The Gutter 2

My short Ragamuffin Girl appeared in Spinetingler's Summer 07 issue.

My short She Remembers The Future appeared in The Late Late Show's Summer 03 issue.