I share my very good friend Rob’s reluctance toward self-promotion. But, unlike him, I do not have a wonderful wife reminding me that I should do it anyway. So I hope he doesn’t mind (and you all don’t either) but I’m going to borrow the spirit of his wife and do a little (brief) BSP today.
On the same day Rob’s new book DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN came out last week, the mass paperback edition of my last book, SHADOW OF BETRAYAL, also arrived here in the states. Here’s a little teaser:
The meeting place was carefully chosen: an abandoned church in rural Ireland just after dark. For Jonathan Quinn—a freelance operative and professional “cleaner”—the job was only to observe. If his cleanup skills were needed, it would mean things had gone horribly wrong. But an assassin hidden in a tree assured just that. And suddenly Quinn had four dead bodies to dispose of and one astounding clue—to a mystery that is about to spin wildly out of control.
There are a couple of things I incorporated into SHADOW OF BETRAYAL that are personal to me. One would be most of the California locations. For the most part I tried to use places I frequent now or did in the past, and places that have special meaning for me. Also, there is a special child that is a central character in this book, a little girl named Iris who happens to have Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome, as some of you know, is a big part of my life as my son (who is just a week away from graduating Junior High) was born with it. These are some of the most wonderful, loving children in the world, and I hope I’ve been able to show that affectively with Iris.
So if you get a chance please visit your local independent bookstore or wherever you prefer to shop and pick up a copy. My pretend wife wants me to tell you that you’ll definitely enjoy it!
One last thing for any UK fans out there. In the UK, SHADOW OF BETRAYAL is called THE UNWANTED. The paperback edition for THE UNWANTED will be out October 14th, but a little treat here as I’ve just received the new paperback cover!
Thanks for indulging me, folks. Little to no more BSP from me until Apirl!
Okay, all…I’m going to give away two copies of SHADOW OF BETRAYAL, so in the comments let me know one of your favorite places. I’ll then put everyone’s names in a digital hat and pull out two lucky winners! (I’ll post the names of the winner in the comments, too, late Thursday night. So check back. I’ll need to get your address from you!)
Ready. Set. Go!
The book sounds great! My favorite spot is the "walking bridge" in Chattanooga. It crosses the Tennessee River, is near a wonderful coffee shop, has a spectacular view, and boasts a gentle breeze coming off the river.
My favorite place no longer exists. It was in a friend’s basement rec room when I was a teenager. A small group of us used to hang out there, listen to music, do homework and talk about everything under the sun. The world had yet to intrude on our dreams bringing worries of the economy, terrorists, and oil spills.
Masonboro Inlet, at the end of Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. The sand stretches out in a long reach from the dunes to the edge of the water, so long a slog through the heavy sand that it seems like you’re walking to the edge of the world. When you get there, you’re so far removed from the noise and commotion of the beach town that all you can hear is the surf, the cries of the gulls, and the low moan of the buoys far out in the channel. Looking across, you see Masonboro island, and, unlike most such views on the coast, there are no houses or hotels to spoil the view, since it’s a state park. It’s a place that makes you feel as if you’re in touch with the eternal.
Oh, and best of luck with the book 😉 .
Good luck with the book. I’ll have to check and see if Once Upon a Crime in Minneapolis has it on their shelves.
My favorite place is our summer retreat, a lake cabin on South Lida outside of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. It’s going to be the setting of a story I’m working on.
We have friends who have a daughter with Down Syndrome and I feel lucky to know her.
A local favorite for me is Branford Point, where the Branford River meets Long Island Sound. Boats rock in their moorings or meander to wider spaces. Sky touches water. With a little imagination it is perpetual vacation.
Brett,
The book sounds wonderful.
One of my favorite places is a hidden canyon in the Jemez mountains just a few hours NW of Albuquerque. It’s a tiny thing with brilliant red-orange rock walls and a small gushing river — not even large enough for a row boat — in its center. The color of the rocks against a flawless blue sky is as close to heaven as I’ll ever get.
Cambria, California, and the lovely vineyards of Paso Robles nearby.
Excited to see "Shadow" in mass paperback. Very nice that you honored your son by writing a character with Down Syndrome.
I have a copy of your book so no need to enter me. Just wanted to share that my favorite place is Petasos Beach on Mykonos (http://www.petasos.gr). You lose days while there and it just doesn’t matter.
When I was a teen, I volunteered for 3 years at a youth center for mentally challenged kids. Two of my best friends there had Down Syndrome and they really are the warmest, friendliest children (coincidentally, when I went to college, I ended up rooming with his sister). Congrats to R on his imminent graduation and high schooler status!
Excellent book, Brett!
Favorite places… one of my favorite places is in the quad at LSU, specifically in mid-March when all of the azaleas bloom. The weather is usually balmy, the live oaks are lush green with new growth and the students have shed the winter doldrums and are typically laughing and hanging out. Another favorite place is deep in the bayous just off Lake Varret, where it looks perhaps the same as it did centuries ago: alligators swimming, snakes sunning, bullfrogs singing arias, fish flirting with the danger of being caught. It’s peaceful, there.
And then there’s this restaurant, that… well. I could probably go on forever. 😉
My favorite place is on the porch of a little hut in the secluded Wai‘anapanapa State Park on Maui, where you can just sit and watch the jagged coastline as you listen to the roar of the sea and smell the salt spray mix with the scent of flowers. It’s the most relaxing spot I’ve ever found.
My favorite place is anywhere that I can walk along a beach and look out at the ocean. Looking out at those vast expanses of water always does much to put my troubles and worries into perspective, and to remind me of how insignificant I am in the scheme of the universe. And, as Kinsey Millhone said in one of Sue Grafton’s books, it’s comforting to think of all the sea creatures that aren’t eating me. 🙂
That said, I’ll also have to concur with Stephen’s comment. I live not too far from Cambria and Paso Robles, as well as the wine country of the Central Coast of California, and there are so many lovely places to visit here.
Hi Brett,
Most of the books are hard to get around here..unless I do one of two things..which I have done…either order online, or go through inter-library loan….I’m working my way through and it’s been great..I just finished one of Cornelia’s (2 so far) and I want more! So I will have to check this out…I was reading Allison and Tess’s books before I even came here…..
One of my favorite places? The Medicine Wheel Park …it’s great for being a park and the history and lore bhind it..but it goes further for me…especially at night….it’s just a gentle hill, but if you stand near the edge…you can look over the tree tops..and see the sky spread out before you…and if you choose the right nights and look to the north…you can see the Northern Lights..it’s like a private light show..and totally awe-inspiring.
http://medicinewheel.vcsu.edu/
I live in a town famous for its beaches. They are numerous. They are pristine. And they don’t let you bring your dog. So I leave the lapping sound of the water beyond my back door and hug the gorgeous coast line all the way to the next county. My favorite spot is a tri-county area anomaly, far from pristine. Dog Beach is the tiniest sliver of land that juts out into a bay protected from the roar of the Gulf of Mexico. I could prattle on and on trying to paint a picture that stirs up some emotion but, instead, I will simply say: they have porta-potties. That’s right. Porta-potties. I happily leave my exclusive, exquisite little beach town to drive to this red-neck yacht club (said lovingly) so my Dixie dog can socialize. And run. We can’t forget the running. Dixie tears up and down the shoreline, careful to avoid actual contact with the water (no doubt psychologically scarred by some near drowning before she landed at the Humane Society). A real sense of pride swells within me as she easily makes friends with a new dog. I would love to take credit for her friendliness, her openness and the fact that people and animals alike are drawn to her but (and I sense that you may understand what I am about to say) I know that I am simply her companion star and, for that, I am honored.
Congratulations and best of luck with the book.
Good luck. Hope sales soar.
My favorite place is a luxury hotel with fresh sheets every morning, breakfast by room service on a balcony that overlooks the ocean. I don’t think I’ve been there yet, but I will.
Congratulations! Don’t you hate having two different titles for the same book? I’ve done it for the last two but always feel like it’s calling a child two different names depending on where he’s standing. Very confusing!
Always liked that title better.
Good luck with the book sales!
My favorite place is the beach, whether that means Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay, I don’t care. I just want warm whether, sun and surf. Oh, and a good book to read. 🙂
There’s a spot in south Denver, outside of a movie theater, the has a panoramic, 360 view of the horizon, the mountains on the western and southern sides, the plains to the East, and the city skyline to the North. It’s sheer perfection on a clear day. There are several others, but like dreams, sometimes talking about them lessens their specialness.
Great titles, BTW! Congrats on the release!
New York City in general, Manhattan specifically. I am just not one of those admire-the-outdoors-ocean-mountain type of person.
The book is on my wish list at B&N and I look forward to reading it (after I read your second book, that is!).
My favorite place is Goleta Beach. Actually, ANY beach is my favorite place. Too bad they’re so far from Dayton. Oh well…
Your book sounds great and adding it to my wish list. My favorite place is unfortunately no longer available. It was a vacation rental home in Mendocino that sits on the cliffs above the beach. Could sit for hours watching the waves and contemplating life. Haven’t found another that is quite like it. Still looking though.
Thanks, everyone, for sharing you favorite places. Some great ones there. So who are the winners of the free copies of SHADOW OF BETRAYAL? Via random num. generator….Connie and Stacy M.! Congrats! If you could each email me your address to:
contest
at
brettbattles
dot
com
I’ll get your copy mailed out asap! (Tammy, though you didn’t win, you might want to pick it up because par of the story takes place in Morro Bay.)
Thanks again, gang!
Congrats on the new release!
All my fave places seem to involve the beach — La Jolla Shores, Huntington, Windansea, Del Mar, Laguna, Torrey Pines, Balboa Island, Manhattan Beach, Nice, Cinque Terra. Good thing I live 5 minutes from the ocean…
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