My short story, "Death Will Tie Your Kangaroo Down," won an honorable mention in the first annual Crimespace Short Story Competition. The challenge was to write a story of 2,500 words or less on the theme of Australia.
My virtual tour is in full swing. You can read my guest blog on promotion as a full-time job for a writer on Working Stiffs (March 29), a reminiscence of the old days on the Bowery on Murderati (April 9) and interviews on Jungle Red, the Stiletto Gang, and the Black Widow Agency, among others, throughout the month of April. Click through to the schedule of events in cyberspace on my Events & Appearances page for the full list.
My story, "Death Will Clean Your Closet," is still up for the Agatha for Best Short Story. Attendees at the Malice Domestic convention will be voting on April 25-26. I'm hoping as many of them as possible will read all four stories before deciding. Rhys Bowen's nominated story is available on her site at rhys.bowen.com, Donna Andrews's on Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine's site at themysteryplace.com/eqmm, and Nan Higginson's on her group blog at womenofmystery.net. And mine appears at the top of this page.
My Real Life tour has also kicked off with my first book signing for Death Will Get You Sober at the Public Library Association's biennial meeting in Minneapolis. It felt as if all ten thousand of the librarians present passed by the Sisters in Crime booth. My four boxes of books hot off the presses were gone within an hour and a quarter. Many of them will end up in public libraries across the nation--after the librarians read them. If you live in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Washington State, or California, please check out my schedule of events and appearances at bookstores and libraries in late April, May, and June.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Easter Update
Easter Sunday: Twenty-three days till publication of Death Will Get You Sober and my launch and birthday party at The Mysterious Bookshop in New York (you're invited!), and the thrills keep coming. Two days ago I got two copies of the book from St. Martin's and held it in my hands for the first time. It looks and feels great! My husband and I spent much of the weekend reading it cover to cover. Background music: my husband's intermittent snorts as he came across one-liners he claims I stole from him. Any resemblance...is purely coincidental!
My story, "Death Will Clean Your Closet," is still up for the Agatha for Best Short Story. Attendees at the Malice Domestic convention will be voting a month from today and tomorrow. I'm hoping as many of them as possible will read all four stories before deciding. Rhys Bowen's nominated story is available on her site at rhys.bowen.com, Donna Andrews's on Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine's site at themysteryplace.com/eqmm, and Nan Higginson's on her group blog at womenofmystery.net. And mine appears at the top of this page.
My virtual tour has started and will run through the end of April. Click through to the schedule of events in cyberspace on my Events & Appearances page. And my Real Life (RL, as Internet junkies say) tour in late April, May, and June is almost solidly booked. If you live in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Washington State, or California, please check out that schedule of events and see if you'll have a chance to come and say hello. I'll also be passing through Virginia, leaving autographed books in my wake at at least a couple of bookstores, and hope to do the same in areas around those where I'll appear.
My story, "Death Will Clean Your Closet," is still up for the Agatha for Best Short Story. Attendees at the Malice Domestic convention will be voting a month from today and tomorrow. I'm hoping as many of them as possible will read all four stories before deciding. Rhys Bowen's nominated story is available on her site at rhys.bowen.com, Donna Andrews's on Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine's site at themysteryplace.com/eqmm, and Nan Higginson's on her group blog at womenofmystery.net. And mine appears at the top of this page.
My virtual tour has started and will run through the end of April. Click through to the schedule of events in cyberspace on my Events & Appearances page. And my Real Life (RL, as Internet junkies say) tour in late April, May, and June is almost solidly booked. If you live in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Washington State, or California, please check out that schedule of events and see if you'll have a chance to come and say hello. I'll also be passing through Virginia, leaving autographed books in my wake at at least a couple of bookstores, and hope to do the same in areas around those where I'll appear.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
I'm thrilled to announce that my short story, "Death Will Clean Your Closet," has been nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Short Story. I'm honored to be part of a roster that includes Rhys Bowen and Donna Andrews, perennial winners who are both up for Best Novel as well this year, and fellow Guppy Nan Higginson, whose story appears along with mine in MURDER NEW YORK STYLE by members of the New York TriState chapter of Sisters in Crime. You can read or download "Death Will Clean Your Closet" right on this page. Agatha winners are selected at the Malice Domestic convention. If you plan to attend, I hope you'll read all the stories and vote for the one you like best. I'm going to relax and enjoy the ride starting right now.
Malice and the Agathas are devoted to the traditional mystery. Their logo is a steaming teacup and the Agatha itself (the equivalent of an Oscar or maybe a Golden Globe) a teapot. I'm very happy my story is considered eligible, and equally happy for a terrific recent compliment from the Dark Side of crime fiction, when highly esteemed Irish writer Ken Bruen emailed me to say he'd read Death Will Get You Sober and thought it was wonderful. He even said his tormented alcoholic loner PI Jack Taylor could use a couple of friends like my guy Bruce's sidekicks, Jimmy and Barbara. Thanks again, Ken!
If you've looked over this site, you know by now that when Death Will Get You Sober begins, Bruce is just waking up in detox on the Bowery on Christmas Day without a clue as to how he got there. He's about to learn: "Don't drink, go to meetings, and investigate a murder." I don't think it's a "spoiler" to tell you that he ends up solving the murder and getting back his friendship with Jimmy and Barbara, whom he really loves, though you might not catch him admitting it.
In "Death Will Clean Your Closet," Bruce is 90 days sober and cleaning the closet in his rent-controlled apartment for the first time in years. Any recovering people who read this will know that that's the way it is when you're drinking: housework is one of the many things that take a back seat to the disease. Anyhow, Bruce finds a body--or does he? Read the story and find out!
Malice and the Agathas are devoted to the traditional mystery. Their logo is a steaming teacup and the Agatha itself (the equivalent of an Oscar or maybe a Golden Globe) a teapot. I'm very happy my story is considered eligible, and equally happy for a terrific recent compliment from the Dark Side of crime fiction, when highly esteemed Irish writer Ken Bruen emailed me to say he'd read Death Will Get You Sober and thought it was wonderful. He even said his tormented alcoholic loner PI Jack Taylor could use a couple of friends like my guy Bruce's sidekicks, Jimmy and Barbara. Thanks again, Ken!
If you've looked over this site, you know by now that when Death Will Get You Sober begins, Bruce is just waking up in detox on the Bowery on Christmas Day without a clue as to how he got there. He's about to learn: "Don't drink, go to meetings, and investigate a murder." I don't think it's a "spoiler" to tell you that he ends up solving the murder and getting back his friendship with Jimmy and Barbara, whom he really loves, though you might not catch him admitting it.
In "Death Will Clean Your Closet," Bruce is 90 days sober and cleaning the closet in his rent-controlled apartment for the first time in years. Any recovering people who read this will know that that's the way it is when you're drinking: housework is one of the many things that take a back seat to the disease. Anyhow, Bruce finds a body--or does he? Read the story and find out!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Making way for my Agatha nomination
I'm archiving the most recent content of my home page here to make way for some phenomenal news: my short story "Death Will Clean Your Closet" has been nominated for an Agatha. I'm thrilled! Here's the "old news":
I'm spending much of my time planning both a book tour throughout the United States and a virtual tour in cyberspace to spread the word about Death Will Get You Sober. So far, I'm booked to visit bookstores and libraries during May and June in New York, Arizona, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and California, as well as Seattle and Baltimore. I hope to add New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, and maybe others to the list. I'm joining fellow writers from Sisters in Crime at library conferences in Minneapolis and Anaheim, and you'll see me at Malice Domestic in April, the Edgars in May, and Bouchercon in October. You can find the full list on the Events & Appearances page, and I'll be adding states, dates, and venues as they're confirmed.
I'm spending much of my time planning both a book tour throughout the United States and a virtual tour in cyberspace to spread the word about Death Will Get You Sober. So far, I'm booked to visit bookstores and libraries during May and June in New York, Arizona, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and California, as well as Seattle and Baltimore. I hope to add New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, and maybe others to the list. I'm joining fellow writers from Sisters in Crime at library conferences in Minneapolis and Anaheim, and you'll see me at Malice Domestic in April, the Edgars in May, and Bouchercon in October. You can find the full list on the Events & Appearances page, and I'll be adding states, dates, and venues as they're confirmed.
On my virtual tour, I'll be doing guest blogs, chats, and interviews in March and April on a host of mystery blogs and websites. Look for my virtual itinerary in the next few weeks on the Events & Appearances page. I promised to make a special request for you to come visit me on Sunday March 9 on The Lipstick Chronicles. Not everybody gets to blog with these talented and popular ladies, and you've got to be funny to make the grade, so I'm honored to be invited back. And I'm still blogging every Thursday on Poe's Deadly Daughters.
I'm proud of my very first review, from Booklist, and a rave review from Crimespree Magazine, where Death Will Get You Sober will be featured in the Buzz Box in the March/April issue.
For me, publishing a novel means the realization of a lifelong dream. But it will be a dream come true only if readers like the book. Here are some of the people I think will get a kick out of Death Will Get You Sober: mystery readers who like a twisty whodunit plot and characters you wish you could take home with you; anybody who's ever been in therapy; recovering alcoholics, addicts, codependents, and ACOAs, who will know I didn't put the humor in recovery--it was there already; addiction treatment professionals, who know how much courage it takes to get sober; friends and families and partners who could use a little hope; and anyone who likes a bit of New York attitude, even if you'd rather visit the Big Apple in the pages of a book than live there.
If you are in or near New York on Income Tax Day, you're invited to my combination book launch and birthday party at the legendary Otto Penzler's equally legendary Mysterious Bookshop in its expanded quarters in Tribeca. I will tell my age. There will be birthday cake. I will read a little from the book and tell a few stories. I've promised my accountant I will make at least one joke about death and taxes. And for those who like to get their books autographed, I'm ready to sign until my fingers drop off. See you there
Saturday, February 2, 2008
News and a change of format
I've reorganized my website at www.elizabethzelvin.com to put the latest news on the Home page. I'll repeat it here, so each time I replace it with an update, the previous report on how the book and I are doing will still be archived on this blog.
With the publication date of Death Will Get You Sober coming up fast, I’ll be using this page to give friends and readers—one category, I hope, not two—the latest news about the book and me.
I’m spending much of my time planning both a book tour throughout the United States and a virtual tour in cyberspace to spread the word about Death Will Get You Sober. So far, I’m booked to visit bookstores and libraries during May and June in New York, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and California, as well as Seattle and Baltimore. I hope to add New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, and maybe others to the list. I’m joining fellow writers from Sisters in Crime at library conferences in Minneapolis and Anaheim, and you’ll see me at Malice Domestic in April, the Edgars in May, and Bouchercon in October. You can find the full list on the Events & Appearances page, and I’ll be adding states, dates, and venues as they’re confirmed
On my virtual tour, I’ll be doing guest blogs, chats, and interviews in March and April on as many blogs and websites as I can persuade to invite me. So far, I have yeses from Murderati, Writer’s Plot, Jungle Red, The Final Twist, Acme Authors Link, BellaOnline, Soup’s On, and a number of individual bloggers. Look for my virtual itinerary in the next few weeks on the Events & Appearances page.
I’m proud of my very first review, from Booklist, and I’ve been told there will be another, I hope a favorable one as well, in Library Journal on March 1.
For me, publishing a novel means the realization of a lifelong dream. But it will be a dream come true only if readers like the book. Here are some of the people I think will get a kick out of Death Will Get You Sober: mystery readers who like a twisty whodunit plot and characters you wish you could take home with you; anybody who's ever been in therapy; recovering alcoholics, addicts, codependents, and ACOAs, who will know I didn’t put the humor in recovery—it was there already; addiction treatment professionals, who know how much courage it takes to get sober; friends and families and partners who could use a little hope; and anyone who likes a bit of New York attitude, even if you’d rather visit the Big Apple in the pages of a book than live there,
If you are in or near New York on Income Tax Day, you’re invited to my combination book launch and birthday party at the legendary Otto Penzler’s equally legendary Mysterious Bookshop in its expanded quarters in Tribeca. I will tell my age. There will be birthday cake. I will read a little from the book and tell a few stories. I’ve promised my accountant I will make at least one joke about death and taxes. And for those who like to get their books autographed, I’m ready to sign until my fingers drop off. See you there!
With the publication date of Death Will Get You Sober coming up fast, I’ll be using this page to give friends and readers—one category, I hope, not two—the latest news about the book and me.
I’m spending much of my time planning both a book tour throughout the United States and a virtual tour in cyberspace to spread the word about Death Will Get You Sober. So far, I’m booked to visit bookstores and libraries during May and June in New York, Connecticut, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and California, as well as Seattle and Baltimore. I hope to add New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, and maybe others to the list. I’m joining fellow writers from Sisters in Crime at library conferences in Minneapolis and Anaheim, and you’ll see me at Malice Domestic in April, the Edgars in May, and Bouchercon in October. You can find the full list on the Events & Appearances page, and I’ll be adding states, dates, and venues as they’re confirmed
On my virtual tour, I’ll be doing guest blogs, chats, and interviews in March and April on as many blogs and websites as I can persuade to invite me. So far, I have yeses from Murderati, Writer’s Plot, Jungle Red, The Final Twist, Acme Authors Link, BellaOnline, Soup’s On, and a number of individual bloggers. Look for my virtual itinerary in the next few weeks on the Events & Appearances page.
I’m proud of my very first review, from Booklist, and I’ve been told there will be another, I hope a favorable one as well, in Library Journal on March 1.
For me, publishing a novel means the realization of a lifelong dream. But it will be a dream come true only if readers like the book. Here are some of the people I think will get a kick out of Death Will Get You Sober: mystery readers who like a twisty whodunit plot and characters you wish you could take home with you; anybody who's ever been in therapy; recovering alcoholics, addicts, codependents, and ACOAs, who will know I didn’t put the humor in recovery—it was there already; addiction treatment professionals, who know how much courage it takes to get sober; friends and families and partners who could use a little hope; and anyone who likes a bit of New York attitude, even if you’d rather visit the Big Apple in the pages of a book than live there,
If you are in or near New York on Income Tax Day, you’re invited to my combination book launch and birthday party at the legendary Otto Penzler’s equally legendary Mysterious Bookshop in its expanded quarters in Tribeca. I will tell my age. There will be birthday cake. I will read a little from the book and tell a few stories. I’ve promised my accountant I will make at least one joke about death and taxes. And for those who like to get their books autographed, I’m ready to sign until my fingers drop off. See you there!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The first review is in!
Booklist said: "This entertaining debut novel by a psychotherapist will give readers a view of the recovery process as they turn the pages to a good surprise ending." Whew! The first of the Big Four advance reviewers evidently enjoyed my book. I can only hope the others concur. If acquiring an agent is getting to first base and finding a publisher is second, I'm cautiously advancing to third.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Beginning to count down
In a couple of days, it'll be only three months till publication of Death Will Get You Sober. I'll be celebrating my birthday at the launch party on Tuesday April 15 (the actual pub date--what marvelous synchronicity!) at 7 pm at the Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren Street, New York City. I hope as many of you as possible will come and share the grand finale of my neverending story of delayed gratification. ;)
On the heels of the big news that Death Will Get You Sober is the April selection for the First Mystery Club at the Mysterious Bookshop, I spent an exhilarating two days at the American Library Association's midwinter meeting in Philadelphia with 25 members of the Mystery Writers of America New York chapter and 10,000 librarians. I met a lot of wonderful people and got to give out 300 "sneak previews" of the book and countless bookmarks.
On the heels of the big news that Death Will Get You Sober is the April selection for the First Mystery Club at the Mysterious Bookshop, I spent an exhilarating two days at the American Library Association's midwinter meeting in Philadelphia with 25 members of the Mystery Writers of America New York chapter and 10,000 librarians. I met a lot of wonderful people and got to give out 300 "sneak previews" of the book and countless bookmarks.
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