That’s right. I’m on a whirlwind cross country trip with THE EX!
Not my ex. THE EX, as in my latest novel.
Here I am in Portland, Oregon, chatting with AM Northwest about late-night cyberstalking, the dogs (natch), and THE EX. Are you reading yet?
Hope to see you on the road! If you can’t see me in person, you can order signed books from stores listed here.
Happy reading!
Via: Alafair Burke
I’m so excited for you all to read my eleventh novel, THE EX, out January 26 in the US, February 2 in the UK. If you have a US mailing address, I’d love to send a small gift to anyone who orders the book by January 26. Three lucky readers will win signed copies of the the entire Ellie Hatcher series! To claim your thank-you gift, just fill out this short form.
Everyone has an ex. Correction: not an ex. The ex, the one you find yourself thinking about during the most unlikely moments. For some, the ex is the great love who got away. Or the one who made it hard to trust again. Or the one who makes you feel ashamed.
For Olivia Randall, the ex is her former fiancé, Jack Harris. A tragic decision she made twenty years earlier didn’t just break their engagement; it led to disastrous consequences she tries not to think about. But Jack re-enters her life in a big, surprising way when his young daughter calls her for help. Jack’s been arrested for a triple homicide. Olivia is one of the best criminal defense attorneys in New York City and knows Jack could not have committed the terrible acts he’s accused of.
For Olivia, helping Jack is a way to turn back the clock and try to absolve herself of two decades of guilt. But as the evidence against her client mounts, she wonders whether her memories of Jack and their relationship have been distorted by her own remorse. How well did she ever really know him?
“With an all-too-real mass shooting in a richly-observed Manhattan as its springboard, The Ex is an expertly crafted, intricately woven novel that is as emotionally complex as it is riveting.” — Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and Where They Found Her
“Intriguing, suspenseful, compelling, insightful, surprising, and thoroughly satisfying — The Ex is a great read.” — Chris Pavone, The Accident and The Expats
“Strong characters and a plot that’s handled deftly, despite its complexities, show Burke at the top of her game here. This is a compelling legal thriller with a strong emotional component grounded in a solid rational base, with a final twist to boot.” — Library Journal, starred review
“Features smooth, engaging writing; a sharp, funny edge; and characters worth investing in. Burke has created some memorable female protagonists over the years, but Olivia might be the cream of the crop.” — Kirkus
“Gripping…. Olivia makes an appealingly bold protagonist…. Burke keeps the suspense high throughout, prying open mysteries of relationships and perception.” — Publishers Weekly
Via: Alafair Burke
You’ve survived the hordes of shoppers battling for the last…deeply discounted something we won’t remember next year.
If you’re ready to start thinking about a little present for yourself, THE EX will be out January 26 in the US and February 2 in the UK. If my publisher would let me, I’d send everyone on the mailing list a free copy, but they tell me that’s not how they run a business.
But as a tiny gesture of my gratitude,I do have a small gift for those of you who show early support for the book by pre-ordering a copy.
See the pretty keychain? (I’m allowed to say it’s awesome because I have nothing to do with the outsides of the book.) I’d like to send you one!
To claim your nifty trinket, just pre-order a copy of THE EX from your favorite retailer by January 26, and then, for each copy purchased, fill out this handy dandy form* by February 7th. And because some gifts are bigger than others, I’ll also pick three names at random to win signed copies of the entire Ellie Hatcher series (five books, y’all!).
Want to know about the insides? Well, it all starts when New York City criminal defense attorney Olivia Randall gets a phone call telling her that her former fiance is in trouble. Not like he was rude to the wrong person kind of trouble, but SERIOUS trouble–arrested for a triple homicide.
How far would you go to help an ex? Turns out Olivia would go pretty far, and then more things happen.
That’s my elevator pitch. (I should probably practice before the book comes out, huh?) Fortunately, I can quote other people who have good things to say about THE EX:
“With an all-too-real mass shooting in a richly-observed Manhattan as its springboard, The Ex is an expertly crafted, intricately woven novel that is as emotionally complex as it is riveting.” –Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Reconstructing Amelia and Where They Found Her
THE EX is “intriguing, suspenseful, compelling, insightful, surprising, and thoroughly satisfying. A great read.” –Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Expats and The Accident
THE EX is “gripping” with “an appealingly bold protagonist…Burke keeps the suspense high throughout, prying open mysteries of relationships and perception.” –Publishers Weekly
THE EX “features smooth, engaging writing; a sharp, funny edge; and characters worth investing in. Burke has created some memorable female protagonists over the years, but Olivia might be the cream of the crop.” –Kirkus
Plus Cosmopolitan named THE EX one of the best winter Cosmo Reads!
In the meantime, I’m working on the next Hatcher novel. So far, she’s still alive. (I’m kidding! Actually, I’m not kidding, but you know what I mean.)
Happy holidays, and happy reading!
Via: Alafair Burke
Alafair will send TEN free books to TEN lucky readers. Click here to enter. All you have to do is promise to share them with other readers!
Via: Alafair Burke
Early reviews are in for my eleventh novel, THE EX.
“Who cares?” you say? “I want to know what it’s about.”
Hey, thanks for asking. It’s about Olivia Randall, a New York City defense attorney who has to face some old demons when her ex-fiance gets himself into some deep, deep trouble.
If your ex was in danger, how far would you go to save him or her? That’s a theme I’ll be talking about a lot once the book’s out.
“Who cares what it’s about?” you say? “Tell me about the reviews!”
Publishers Weekly calls it “gripping” with “an appealingly bold protagonist…Burke keeps the supsense high throughout, prying open mysteriest of relationships and perception.” Kirkus agrees, saying it “features smooth, engaging writing; a sharp, funny edge; and characters worth investing in. Burke has created some memorable female protagonists over the years, but Olivia might be the cream of the crop.”
The cream of the crop, people! That’s some good cream. Not that I read reviews or anything.
Learn more about THE EX here. And while you’re at it, why not pre-order a copy? Be sure to save your receipt, because my publisher will soon be unlocking the details of a fun pre-order promotion. Yep, “unlock” was a clue. Stay tuned for details!
Via: Alafair Burke
Thanks, everyone!! You made THE CINDERELLA MURDER by Mary Higgins Clark and me the #4 paperback seller last week. I love the jacket art, don’t you? If you haven’t read it yet, click here for the details!
Via: Alafair Burke
Congratulations to Jennifer, who won signed copies of the ENTIRE Ellie Hatcher series: Dead Connection, Angel’s Tip, 212, Never Tell, and All Day and a Night. Jennifer won by correctly guessing the significance of the number 58 on my jersey when I threw out a ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium with #1 New York Times Bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark, the Queen of Suspense and my co-author on the Under Suspicion series.
Mary’s jersey was #40, representing her 40th year in publishing.
Mine was #58. Why? Some people guessed it was my birth year, which would make me 57 years old. Some guessed it was my age, which would make me one year older. Some thought it was my height, which would make me two inches taller. A few thought it was an homage to the wonderful Mysterious Bookshop on 58 Warren Street. Cute, my nope.
The 5th letter of the alphabet is E.
Got it? 58. Ellie Hatcher! Congratulations, Jennifer. That was sort of tricky.
My first choice of jersey number was 13, representing Ellie Hatcher’s 13th Precinct. Unfortunately, some guy name A-Rod is using it.
Thank you, Yankees, for a truly remarkable evening and to Mary Higgins Clark for sharing it with me. And thanks, all of you who entered.
The latest book in the Ellie Hatcher series, ALL DAY AND A NIGHT, is just out in paperback so don’t miss it!
Via: Alafair Burke
I know you love mysteries. Here’s the set-up. I had the honor of kicking off the Memorial Day Weekend by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the New York Yankees’ game against the Texas Rangers with Mary Higgins Clark, my extraordinary co-author of THE CINDERELLA MURDER and the upcoming ALL DRESSED IN WHITE. Mary could have launched a fastball from the mound, but I asked to be a little closer to home plate. Video of our epic pitches to come, but you can see from these photos that we had a grand time.
Were my shoes the first hot pink sneakers to touch MLB grass? I wonder, but, no, that’s not much of a mystery.
So where’s the mystery? Mary and I were each permitted to choose our jersey numbers. Mary’s “40” celebrates her 40th year in publishing. But what’s up with my “58”? Enter your best guess here by June 12 for a chance to win signed copies of ALL FIVE BOOKS in the Ellie Hatcher series. DO NOT enter your guesses in the comments below the blog. CLICK ON THIS FORM to enter.
Good luck! And stay tuned for video of the pitch!
Via: Alafair Burke
I am absolutely delighted to report that I am now a professional chef! Okay, that’s not true, but I am officially a published recipe author.
To benefit Mystery Writers of America, more than 100 mystery authors contributed recipes to The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Deserts to Die For. I’m so happy with the finished book that I’m giving away copies, with my recipe signed, to FIVE lucky readers on my Facebook page. To enter, all you have to do is go to the contest post on my Facebook page, “like” the page itself, and then submit a comment in response to this question: “What food or drink would you like to enjoy with which literary character?”
On May 1, I’ll pick five lucky readers to win!
More about this terrific cookbook, edited by Kate White: The very first recipe is mine: “Ellie Hatcher’s Rum-Soaked Nutella French Toast.” Doesn’t it look delicious?
The final one is Lee Child’s “Coffee, Pot of One.” And in between, you’ll find things like Mary Higgins Clark’s Game Night Chili, Harlan Coben’s Crab Meat Dip, Scott Turow’s Innocent Frittata, Laura Lippman’s Aunt Effie’s Salmon Ball, and Kathy Reich’s Shrimp Scampi. It’s a terrific collection!
Remember: head on over to Facebook to enter!
Via: Alafair Burke
For our Christmas present (only one of many, we hope), the lady who feeds us (known to you as Alafair Burke) let us take over her blog. Oh, and “us” means Frannie and Double Double and Frannie (correction by Double). And since you are friends with the lady, you already know who we are. Some people call us “her” dogs, but we don’t see the need for spec-ist labels.
Anyhoo, we were thankful this year to have found each other. Even though we were both cool chillin’ on our own, we are totally boss as a combo since Frannie moved to NYC from Anguilla in April. We plan ways to sneak on the sofa when no one is looking, wrestle 24/7, and absolutely rule at doggy daycare. Proving our mad mutual respect, we even recognize each other’s food boundaries. (Click on this adorable VIDEO for proof of how good we are. We hope to go viral and be famous.)
What else, what else? Oh, we are also proud of the lady who feeds us for publishing TWO books in ONE year during 2014. It’s the first time she has ever done that, and we think it’s because she now has the two of us. ALL DAY AND A NIGHT is the fifth in her Ellie Hatcher series. And THE CINDERELLA MURDER is co-authored with Queen of Suspense Mary Higgins Clark. MHC called us adorable, so we really love her.
Now, the real reason we wanted to take over the newsletter. We have outfits! Don’t we look amazing?! One step further in our efforts to be famous. (Note from Frannie: Double is the only one who wants elaborate wardrobes and notoriety. I prefer to be naked and unknown.)
Finally, we promised Alafair that we would wish you a happy, healthy, celebratory holiday season. And to tell you how much she appreciates your support throughout the year.
Love,
Double and Frannie (and Alafair)
Via: Alafair Burke