from Mary...
April 6, 2011
The Shadow of Your Smile is #1 on the New York Times bestseller list this Sunday, April 10th, and I'll Walk Alone was published on April 5th.
As I wrote in the foreword of my latest novel, my favorite two words are 'The End'! It means the tale has been told, the journey I have shared with the people in it is over.
On the other hand, publication date is different. It's marvelous to see the book in the windows of the bookstores or featured on all the e-books. But most writers will agree that there is always a sense of trepidation. Will my readers enjoy the story? Will they pay me the compliment of staying up late to read it? Will they walk with Zan, the main character, as she finds herself trapped in a nightmare where even her best friends believe she is psychotic and may be responsible for the disappearance of her own child?
The review from Booklist seems to indicate that I did write the story I wanted to offer to my readers this year—"Teeming with tantalizing twists, Clark's crackling tale of identity theft, revenge, and murder is a tempting and thought-provoking thriller".
For the past several years, my daughter Carol's books have been published the same day so we are sharing the happy occasion together. Carol's book is Mobbed and very funny. I hope mine scares you. Mobbed will make you laugh out loud. The Washington Times said—"As always, a Regan Reilly mystery is a fun, delightful, and entertaining tale....readers will not be able to put down "Mobbed." Carol's paperback, Wrecked, just came out too. Regan Reilly is in four of our five Christmas books, so if you enjoyed them, you should enjoy these as well!
Today we were on the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda. It was great fun! On Monday, April 11th, at 7:30 AM Eastern Standard Time, we will be on the Imus in the Morning show which airs on Fox Business Channel as well as radio stations all over the country.
We will also be doing signings in several different states. The schedule is posted here on my web site. Carol also has a website which is www.carolhigginsclark.com. You can also read more about our books and schedule on our facebook fan pages.
Hope to see any of you who can make it to our events!
September 8, 2010
Many thanks to my medical readers who had pointed out to me in The Shadow of Your Smile, that it is no longer considered suitable to give baby aspirin to a sick toddler. I stand corrected, and the change will be made in the paperback edition.
Another point, on page 188, I now know how many Catholic readers I have because I put the supplications before the gospel. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I never miss Sunday Mass and haven't since I was six years old so I clearly just don't know how I could have been so dumb!
June 22, 2010
Finally getting back to saying hello on my website.
I have done a lot of traveling with The Shadow of Your Smile and am now wrestling with the opening pages of my new book.
I do appreciate all the many notes I have received about ‘Shadow’.
Many of you mentioned that you are grateful not to find obscenities, sexual scenes or on-stage violence in my books and that you can give them to your teenagers to read. I’ve always felt that it simply isn’t necessary to have those scenes in my books in order to tell a good story. Mystique goes along with mystery.
I’ve also been receiving a lot of notes from people starting their own books like Dennis Cooper who asked me what the greatest obstacle I have had to overcome when starting a book. The greatest obstacle is how to tell a story, whose voice to use, how to grab the readers attention on page one. I’m on the 10th version of the first chapter of the book I am starting to write so it doesn’t get any easier.
I have a number of requests about speaking at libraries or author events. I won’t be doing any until next Spring but if you have requests, just send them to this website and they will be considered by the publisher.
Okay, signing off for a couple of weeks as I go to wrap up some final publicity events.
Love you all,
Mary