An MTV headline asks — True Detective: Who The Hell Is The Yellow King?

The answer? It’s a reference is to an 1895 collection of interconnected horror stories, The King In Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, which just jumped to #5 on Amazon’s sales rankings. It is also available, as the MTV story points out, as a free download from Project Gutenberg.

HBO’s True Detective has several literary connections. It was created by Nic Pizzolatto, who has published a collection of short stories, Between Here and the Yellow Sea, (McAdam/Cage, 2006), named by Poets and Writers magazine as one of the top five fiction debuts for 2006, and a novel, Galveston (S&S/Scribner; admiringly reviewed by Dennis Lehane in the NYT BR).

The series is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, who, incongruously, was the director of the most recent film adaptation of Jane Eyre. His next project, according to a recent interview with Forbes, is also based on a book, Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala, (HarperCollins, 2005), with Idris Elba in the lead.

The daughter of former New York governor George Pataki, Allison, has published a novel about Benedict Arnold and his wife Peggy, The Traitor’s Wife. An original trade paperback released by Howard Books, a Christian publisher bought by S&S in 2006, it got attention from Fox News, as well as the Wall Street Journal Live.

The book rose to #5 on Amazon sales rankings as a result. Libraries are showing holds on light ordering.

UPDATE: The author is scheduled for the Today Show on March 19

The trailer for the latest Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, debuts tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Also appearing on the show will be one of the stars, Chris Platt (Parks and Recreation).

There’s been much angst among fans, who have been waiting impatiently for the trailer to be released. A hue and cry went up when it was announced that it would not appear on the Superbowl. Fans were thus forced to read the tea leaves on what the movie will be like, based on the action figures debuted at Toy Fair this past weekend (USA Today featured the LEGO figures) and scene-by scene descriptions of an early trailer that was shown during a panel at Comic-Con.

The movie, described as “an action-packed, epic space adventure,” (more about it from USA Today) is based on the Marvel comics by Dan Abnett, Gene Colan, Arnold Drake, Steve Englehart, Andy Lanning (cover of  volume 1 at left).

Tie-ins: See our downloadable spreadsheet — Guardians of the Galaxy Tie-ins

Several new projects have the name R.L. Stine attached. MTV has picked up a 10-episode series based on his title for adults, Eye Candy (RH/Ballantine, 2004; cover, above; initial series logo to right, featuring a shot of Brooklyn’s trendy DUMBO neighborhood).

The pilot was directed by Catherine Hardwicke (the first Twilight movie), who is exec. producer of the series. It stars Victoria Justice as a hacker being pursued by a cyber stalker (The Hollywood Reporter, 2/11/14). No news yet on when it will premiere.

A new film adaptation of his Goosebumps series (Scholastic) is gearing up for production, as evidenced by several new casting announcements. The latest addition is Dylan Minnette, to co-star with Jack Black, who was announced back in September. Minette will play Zach Cooper, who moves with his family to a new town where their neighbor is, in a twist, R.L. Stine himself (played by Black). Odeya Rush is set to play Stine’s niece Hannah.

Meanwhile, Scholastic recently relaunched the Goosebumps series, with Goosebumps Most Wanted (Scholastic)  which Stine describes as “a new book series featuring all of my most-wanted villains and most-wanted stories.”

His Fear Street series is also set for relaunch (the result of a Twitter campaign), beginning with Party Games in October from Macmillan/St. Martin’s.

UPDATE: Entertainment Weekly previews the cover of Party Games (at right)

The followup to The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (a.k.a. J.K. Rowling) is set for release on June 24th. Titled The Silkworm, (Hachette/Little, Brown; ISBN-13: 9780316206877; $28.00 US/$31.00 CAN), it is not yet showing on wholesaler or retailer catalogs.

Below is the publisher’s description.

Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo’s Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days–as he has done before–and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine’s disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives–meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before…

A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, THE SILKWORM is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.

A story on the release by the Associated Press has appeared in several news sources, including USA Today.

As part of Sunday’s Olympics coverage, NBC debuted a preview of the Universal movie Unbroken (the studio is part of NBC), directed by Angelina Jolie. It is based on Laura Hillenbrand’s long-running best seller, Unbroken (Random House, 2010), still on the NYT hardcover nonfiction list at #11 after 156 weeks.

Looks like the movie will bring new readers to the book; the preview sent the book up to #2 (from #62) on Amazon’s sales rankings.

It will be several months before the movie theatrical opening (set for Christmas Day), but  the Olympics serves as a good tie-in, since the hero of the film, Louis Zamperini (played in the film  by Jack O’Connell) competed in the 1936 Olympics. The real-life Zamperini, now 96, is also featured in the preview, narrated by  Tom Brokaw.

Official Web Site: UnbrokenFilm.com

New Zealand is playing the role of the American Midwest for the adaptation of Robert O’Brien’s 1974 YA novel, Z For Zachariah, reports the New Zealand newspaper, The Press.

Starring are Australian Margot Robbie, (The Wolf of Wall Street; much is being made about the 23-year-old  going  brunette for the role, but not about her playing a 16-year-old), Chris Pine (Star Trek; Jack Ryan, Shadow Recruit) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave).

The movie, directed by Craig Zobel, is based on the Newbery Medalist (Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, 1971) final book, published after his death. It features a teenage girl, trying to survive on her own after a nuclear war.

With Gone Girl about to hit 75 weeks on the NYT Hardcover Fiction Best Seller list, the new issue of Entertainment Weekly takes a dystopian view of love by highlighting novels featuring couples whose happiest times are now behind them (one small ray of hope; none of these are by Americans).

Apple Tree Yard, Louise Doughty, (Macmillan/FSG/Sarah Crichton; Brilliance Audio), published Jan 14

Along with The Silent Wife, also reviewed in the story, even though it’s already achieved long-lasting best seller status, this one gets the highest rating for the group, an A-.  The reviewer says it’s “fascinating to see a brilliant woman destroy her life with a few impulsive decisions. In Doughty’s hands, [main character] Yvonne’s actions are both shocking and weirdly understandable.” Libraries are showing 1:1 holds.

Before We Met, Lucie Whitehouse, (Bloomsbury USA), published Jan 21

The exploding rose on the cover has become a popular image (see The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty and Perfect by Rachel Joyce). Entertainment Weekly gives this a solid B, noting, “Thanks to the novel’s overt Britishness, the twists that ensue are more taut and fraught than manic and frantic.”

The Innocent Sleep, Karen Perry, (Macmillan/Holt), coming next week

Here’s another cover with echoes of an earlier domestic thriller, which also happened to have “Sleep” in the title (bet you’ve already guessed which one). This debut is set in Dublin and Tangier. Giving it another solid B, the reviewer warns that you won’t see the big twist coming.

Watching You, Michael Robotham, (Hachette/Mulholland; Brilliance Audio) coming March 11

Australian author Robotham already has a strong track record (Stephen King picked his previous title, Say You’re Sorry, as one of his favorites of 2012).

“It’ll keep you guessing and gasping” says Entertainment Weekly, giving it a B+

On his official Web site, Stephen King announces today that he is publishing a new novel this fall, Revival, (S&S/Scribner Nov. 11, 2014) and offers this description:

In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of 13, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family’s horrific loss. In his mid-thirties—addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate—Jamiemeets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil’s devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

In June, King will publish Mr. Mercedes, described as his first hard boiled detective novel, about the hunt for a man who drove a Mercedes into a crowd of people, killing and injuring many of them, and is threatening yet another attack
.

Italian director Luca Guadagnino (who directed I Am Love, starring Tilda Swinton) has  signed to direct a movie based on Robert Goolrick’s debut bestseller, A Reliable Wife,(Workman/Algonquin, 2009). No roles have been cast yet, but according to Deadline, “The lead role has been eyed as catnip for actresses. Production is planned to begin next winter.

The movie version of Lisa Genova’s 2008 best seller, Still Alice, (S&S/Gallery) is about to begin shooting, reveals one of the movie’s stars, Kate Bosworth who told E! News Online on Wednesday, “I am shooting a movie here in New York called Still Alice with Julianne Moore. I am really excited! It’s one of my favorite novels.”

News surfaced recently that the majority of the main cast is in place (The Wrap, 1/28/14). Moore stars as Alice, a professor of neuroscience with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Kristen Stewart will play Lydia, her younger daughter, with Alec Baldwin as her husband, John, and Bosworth as her older daughter, Anna. Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland will direct (they have co-directed several other movies, including Quinceañera, 2006).

Genova, a neuroscientist herself, self-published the novel in 2007. After it was rereleased by S&S in 2008, it spent 41 weeks on the NYT best seller in hardcover and paperback. She has published two novels since, both with S&S, Left Neglected and Love Anthony.

In the video below, Genova talks about the real-life inspiration for Still Alice.

Wednesday’s Live Chat is with the author of Deep Winter (more information here).

Below, listen to Nora’s audio interview with Samuel.

Live Chat with Samuel Gailey DEEP WINTER

(02/12/2014)

  

Close

3:46	Nora - EarlyWord:  We will begin our live online chat with Samuel Gailey, author of Deep Winter in about 15 minutes. Wednesday February 12, 2014 3:46 Nora - EarlyWord

3:47	Nora - EarlyWord:  Meanwhile, here’s the cover of the book… Wednesday February 12, 2014 3:47 Nora - EarlyWord

3:47	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday February 12, 2014 3:47

3:47	Nora - EarlyWord:  I just received the hardcover of the book and those letters just glow against the black and white background! Wednesday February 12, 2014 3:47 Nora - EarlyWord

3:48	Nora - EarlyWordNora - EarlyWord Wednesday February 12, 2014 3:48

3:50

Nora - EarlyWord:  A summary of Deep Winter -- "In the small town of Wyalusing in eastern Pennsylvania, a woman is found brutally murdered one winter night. Next to the body is Danny Bedford, a misunderstood man who suffered a tragic brain injury that left him with limited mental capabilities. Despite his simple life, his intimidating size has caused his neighbors to ostracize him out of fear. So when the local bully-turned-deputy discovers Danny with the body it’s obvious that Danny’s physical strength has finally turned deadly. But in the long, freezing night that follows, the murder is only the first in a series of crimes that viciously upset the town order—an unstoppable chain of violence that appears to make Danny’s guilt increasingly undeniable. With the threat of an approaching blizzard, the local sheriff and a state trooper work through the pre-dawn hours to establish some semblance of peace. As they investigate one incident after another, they discover an intricate web of lies that reveals that not everything in Wyalusing is quite what it seems." Wednesday February 12, 2014 3:50 Nora - EarlyWord

3:52

Nora - EarlyWord:  Some quotes from the pre pub reviews -- Booklist -- "...so brilliantly done, so artfully underwritten with not a word wasted, that readers may hate themselves for letting this grim narrative trap them in its coils." Kirkus -- "Gailey writes visually, rendering the characters and action both vivid and alive. Publishers Weekly -- "a moving picture of a man, often referred to as 'retard,' who becomes a moral compass. " Wednesday February 12, 2014 3:52 Nora - EarlyWord

3:53

Nora - EarlyWord:  I’m happy to see several chat participants gathering already. You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Samuel before the end of the chat. Don’t worry about typos – and please forgive any that we commit! Wednesday February 12, 2014 3:53 Nora - EarlyWord

4:03	Samuel W. Gailey:  Hello everyone. Looking forward to your questions and discussing DEEP WINTER. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:03 Samuel W. Gailey

4:03	Nora - EarlyWord:  Hey, Samuel. Thanks for joining us. Participants -- say hi to Samuel. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:03 Nora - EarlyWord

4:03	[Comment From LilyLily: ]  Hello! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:03 Lily

4:04	Catherine - Penguin:  Hi Samuel, thanks for joining! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:04 Catherine - Penguin

4:04	Samuel W. Gailey:  Hello, Lily and Catherine. Thanks for being the first to reply. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:04 Samuel W. Gailey

4:05	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Still Deep Winter here first day in a long time above freezing and only for about a hour how about you guys Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:05 trishap00

4:05

Nora - EarlyWord:  Definitelt! We’re facing yet another snow storm here in the East – feels like the atmosphere of Samuel's book. Bet he's glad he is now living in L.A. We received some questions in advance. This one is a good place to begin: I loved the immediacy and intensity the narrative had, with the action occurring over a twelve or eighteen hour period, with various people hunting down Danny. Was that always the plan or did the shortening of the manhunt evolve over time? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord

4:05	Samuel W. Gailey:  Sorry to share, but its 80 degrees out here. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:05 Samuel W. Gailey

4:06	Samuel W. Gailey:  I always envisioned keeping the manhunt contained over a short period of time. I felt that it raised the stakes, created more tension and built better momentum, not giving Danny much time to think – just react. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:06 Samuel W. Gailey

4:08

Nora - EarlyWord:  Another advance question is about Taggart, the state trooper who comes in to try to help with the case. The question: The character of Taggart didn't seem to fit well into the narrative for me. What was your goal in creating that character? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:08 Nora - EarlyWord

4:08	[Comment From Kimberly BowerKimberly Bower: ]  Hi Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:08 Kimberly Bower

4:08	Nora - EarlyWord:  Hi Kimberly -- thanks for joining! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:08 Nora - EarlyWord

4:08

Samuel W. Gailey:  Great question. Taggart represents an outsider to the story setting. He is not part of this extremely isolated community, and I hoped his perspective into this rural world would be intriguing. I also wanted his struggle with addiction, his doubts and guilt, to contrast those of Sokowski's alcoholism. Whereas Sokowski’s addiction goes unchecked, Taggart wrestles with right and wrong. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:08 Samuel W. Gailey

4:10	Nora - EarlyWord:  There's a lot of addictions in this story -- adds to the sense of isolation. You grew up in a small town. Did you have that sense of isolation? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:10 Nora - EarlyWord

4:11	[Comment From Palm DesertPalm Desert: ]  Does Taggart represent a midpoint between the extremes of Sokowski and Lester? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:11 Palm Desert

4:11	[Comment From StephanieStephanie: ]  Hi Samuel, just wondering if you still live in a small town? Do you think this is small town mentality to stereotype large people as menacing or is it more widespread? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:11 Stephanie

4:11	Samuel W. Gailey:  Let me speak to the isolation question first... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:11 Samuel W. Gailey

4:12

Samuel W. Gailey:  In a community like the one I grew up in (Wyalusing, PA), it’s so far detached from other urban centers that you really have the sense of isolation—being removed from everyone else. I wanted to carry that over to my story, to have my characters trapped in a place in which their only rescue would come from within. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:12 Samuel W. Gailey

4:13	Nora - EarlyWord:  This photo of Wyalusing really shows that... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:13 Nora - EarlyWord

4:13	Nora - EarlyWord "This is the road that Danny Bedford walks to reach the ice pond and in other key scenes of Deep Winter.":. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:13

4:14	Samuel W. Gailey:  Good observation, Palm Desert. Yes, Taggart is somewhere in between Sokowski and Lester, in terms of his addiction and as a law officer. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:14 Samuel W. Gailey

4:15	Samuel W. Gailey:  I no longer live in a small town. Far from that...I'm in Los Angeles... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:15 Samuel W. Gailey

4:16	Samuel W. Gailey:  I think Danny would be on the fringe anywhere, but he certainly stands out more in a small town. It's easier to be invisible in a big city. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:16 Samuel W. Gailey

4:17	Nora - EarlyWord:  What was your inspiration for Danny? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:17 Nora - EarlyWord

4:18

Samuel W. Gailey:  Growing up, I knew a kid who was much bigger than the rest of us—taller, heavier, stronger—with an unchecked volatile side about him. He was quiet and kept to himself—he walked the hallways alone, ate by himself, always sat in the back of the classroom... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:18 Samuel W. Gailey

4:18

Samuel W. Gailey:  Later in life I discovered he took his own life, and that always stuck with me. As an adult, I look back and realize nobody understood him. I'm not sure anyone even tried to. This real-life character, along with wanting to explore the concept of a child trapped in a man's body, inspired Danny. I wondered what would happen to someone like that if they were accused of a violent murder. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:18 Samuel W. Gailey

4:19	Nora - EarlyWord:  I feel like we've all known characters like that, trapped for whatever reason by the perceptions of others. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord

4:20	Nora - EarlyWord:  Danny is rescued by a magical deer. It was a touching image, but the deer struck me as a surprisingly supernatural element in an otherwise grittily realistic story. What made you put her in the story? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:20 Nora - EarlyWord

4:20	Samuel W. Gailey:  Yes, absolutely. These are the kind of characters that I've always been drawn to in literature. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:20 Samuel W. Gailey

4:21	Samuel W. Gailey:  Hunting is a part of everyday life in the area that I grew up in. And almost every hunter that I knew growing up, had a huge respect for the land and wildlife, especially deer.... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:21 Samuel W. Gailey

4:22

Samuel W. Gailey:  After I wrote the book, I learned that in some cultures a deer symbolizes the combination of gentleness with strength and determination; being in touch with innocence and one’s inner child; as well as moving through obstacles with grace... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:22 Samuel W. Gailey

4:22

Samuel W. Gailey:  That could not describe my main character, Danny Bedford, more closely. He’s a child-like man in large body being hunted by a town full of people for a gruesome crime he may or may not have committed. Strange and magical how the subconscious mind works. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:22 Samuel W. Gailey

4:23	Nora - EarlyWord:  You have this photo of a deer on your site; it embodies that sense of grace and strength... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:23 Nora - EarlyWord

4:23	Nora - EarlyWord Photo by Sam Gailey Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:23

4:25	Nora - EarlyWord:  How were you able to write the gruesome scene of Mindy's murder? I have to say it was tough to readl Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:25 Nora - EarlyWord

4:26	Samuel W. Gailey:  I believe that violence should make people uncomfortable... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:26 Samuel W. Gailey

4:27

Samuel W. Gailey:  I am a big fan of suspense thrillers and mysteries. Some of my favorite books have dark content and violence, and part of me tapped into that psyche. I have never been a firsthand witness to this kind of violence, but I have been around some domestic violence that perhaps I drew from and expanded upon when it came to writing the scene. Also, as part of the creative process, I let the characters take over and allow them to guide the writing to a certain extent... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:27 Samuel W. Gailey

4:27

Samuel W. Gailey:  I wanted the scene itself to play out slowly. Create a build of bad things to come. Sokowski didn't arrive at Mindy's trailer planning to kill or even hurt her. It was an escalation of events. He felt provoked and in his condition of inebriation, he spiraled out of control. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:27 Samuel W. Gailey

4:28	Nora - EarlyWord:  I straight-out hated Sokowski, but this sounds like you had some sympathy for him. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:28 Nora - EarlyWord

4:28	[Comment From JenniferJennifer: ]  Hi! Sorry to be late Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:28 Jennifer

4:29	Nora - EarlyWord:  No worries; always room for more, Jennifer! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:29 Nora - EarlyWord

4:29	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Wow you could be living here in rural KY Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:29 trishap00

4:30

Samuel W. Gailey:  In regards to Sokowski, I believe most of us are born into innocence, but then it’s our environment that ultimately shapes and defines us. When creating Deputy Sokowski, I didn’t want to merely have a character that was born corrupt. I think like all people that veer off the path of morality, there is a reason for it... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:30 Samuel W. Gailey

4:30	[Comment From JenniferJennifer: ]  I liked the pacing and thought having the narrative cover one day was very effective. Was this the original plan or did the shortened timeline develop as the book went along? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:30 Jennifer

4:30

Samuel W. Gailey:  Sokowski’s mother abandoned his family when he was a kid. His father took his own life. Sokowski has a physical deformity. All these things manifest and fester, shaping someone like Sokowski, who never had the moral compass to get him back onto a path of righteousness. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:30 Samuel W. Gailey

4:31	[Comment From AnneAnne: ]  I agree with Nora - did not like Sokowski and really did not like that he used his position to be an even bigger jerk - but loved the storyline Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:31 Anne

4:31	Samuel W. Gailey:  Hello to Jennifer and Trisha. Thanks for joining. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:31 Samuel W. Gailey

4:31	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  And yes that is usually how a lot of domestic violence is. At least the ones I had to respond too. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:31 trishap00

4:31	Nora - EarlyWord:  I love that Palm Desert makes the following comment -- I thought this, too! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:31 Nora - EarlyWord

4:32	[Comment From Palm DesertPalm Desert: ]  Found it odd that Lester the State Trooper reads Charles Bukowski. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:32 Palm Desert

4:32	Samuel W. Gailey:  Thanks, Anne. He definitely abused his position and power. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:32 Samuel W. Gailey

4:32	[Comment From Palm DesertPalm Desert: ]  Was Sokowski a pot grower as another sign of his corruption? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:32 Palm Desert

4:33	Samuel W. Gailey:  Well, Bukowski was a drunk...a very brilliant drunk...but they did have that addiction in common. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:33 Samuel W. Gailey

4:34	Nora - EarlyWord:  The dislike of Sokowski is growing ... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:34 Nora - EarlyWord

4:34

[Comment From @bookclubreader@bookclubreader: ]  Sorry to be joining so late. The book was quite a read. I was struck by the loneliness and desperation of so many of the characters. How they had been rejected. And Sokowski was the most depraved character I've come across in a long time. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:34 @bookclubreader

4:35	Samuel W. Gailey:  Thanks Palm Desert. Sokowski saw the potential to make money off of pot, but he does craves power and respect as well. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:35 Samuel W. Gailey

4:35	[Comment From JenniferJennifer: ]  Danny will forgive the town and its people, but can Wyalusing be redeemed? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:35 Jennifer

4:36	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Most jerk cops demand respect and use their power over people to get it. Give the good ones a bad name Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:36 trishap00

4:37	Samuel W. Gailey:  Jennifer, in my heart, I felt Wyalusing was redeemed by the good characters that reside there. Danny is someone who is emotionally and intellectually stunted, yet somehow unintentionally transforms the lives of those around him. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:37 Samuel W. Gailey

4:38	Nora - EarlyWord:  Back to my obsession with the deer -- is this going too far? I had the sense that Mindy had returned as the deer to help Danny. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:38 Nora - EarlyWord

4:38	Samuel W. Gailey:  In regards to Bookclubreader's comment, I revisit the themes of loneliness and desperation in all my writing. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:38 Samuel W. Gailey

4:39	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Aww me too Nora Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:39 trishap00

4:39	Nora - EarlyWord:  Guess we're just two softies, Trish! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:39 Nora - EarlyWord

4:39	[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ]  I agree about the redemption, Samuel. The townfolk needed to see Danny through another lens, which they eventually did. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:39 bookclubreader

4:39	[Comment From LibraryLessLibraryLess: ]  RE Response to Jennifer--Yes the ending scene in the diner makes it clear the town was changed. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:39 LibraryLess

4:39	Samuel W. Gailey:  Wow. Never thought of it in that way. But I love when readers interpret stories in their own way. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:39 Samuel W. Gailey

4:40	Samuel W. Gailey:  Libraryless, glad you walked away from the story knowing that. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:40 Samuel W. Gailey

4:41	Nora - EarlyWord:  Deep Winter is coming out next week. Now that you are so close to publication date, has anything surprised you about the process? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord

4:41

Samuel W. Gailey:  Absolutely. I am spending more and more time promoting my book via social media...all new to me. I am more old-school, but have embraced fb, twitter, and youtube. However, with bookstores, libraries, and book clubs I’m trying to keep it personal and I visit them on foot or email to introduce myself. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:41 Samuel W. Gailey

4:42	How did you feel about Sokowski? An unredeemed sadist  ( 78% ) Victim of circumstance  ( 22% ) Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:42

4:42	[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ]  Samuel, knowing you use loneliness & desperation as recurring themes, I will be looking into your other works. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:42 bookclubreader

4:42	[Comment From LibraryLessLibraryLess: ]  Any significance to the name of the diner---which loosely translates to little house of peace? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:42 LibraryLess

4:43	Nora - EarlyWord:  Wow! LibraryLess -- good observation. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord

4:44	Samuel W. Gailey:  That was the name of the actual restaurant I worked at as a kid...I scooped ice-cream, believe it or not. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:44 Samuel W. Gailey

4:44	Nora - EarlyWord:  You've received your first reviews, with some great comments, particularly on your writing. How does that feel? Or, do you read them? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord

4:45	Samuel W. Gailey:  I do read them, and I have really been taken back by all the positive reviews (Kirkus, Booklist, Pub. Weekly, Esquire Magazine, NY Times) and some really wonderful blurbs from authors Urban Waite and Joe R. Lansdale.... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:45 Samuel W. Gailey

4:45	Samuel W. Gailey:  Validation is important. To know that something you spend years working on, has had an impact, and that folks seem to respond to my story. It moves me. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:45 Samuel W. Gailey

4:46	Nora - EarlyWord:  Wow, on our poll, about 30% of our participants felt some sympathy for Sokowski! Makes me feel pretty judgmental! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord

4:47	Nora - EarlyWord:  What are you working on now? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord

4:47	Nora - EarlyWord:  Oops, the percentage of those sympathetic to Sokowski just went down! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord

4:48

Samuel W. Gailey:  My follow-up effort is called 'The Deep End of Shallow', a suspense thriller with a supernatural twist that takes place in the same area of Pennsylvania as Deep Winter. There are drugs, bloodshed, false hope, and betrayal...and of course, loneliness! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:48 Samuel W. Gailey

4:48	Nora - EarlyWord:  How do you approach writing? Do you outline? Do you know the end when you begin? Do the characters come first, or the plot? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:48 Nora - EarlyWord

4:48	Nora - EarlyWord Samuel at his favorite writing spot in L.A. Note paper and pen Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:48

4:49

Samuel W. Gailey:  I start with the basic story. The basic concept behind the main character. With DEEP WINTER, Danny’s character is obviously pivotal to the plot, but Danny’s past and his tragic accident (the backstory) were so important to develop before I knew where I could take him. Once I have the basic story in my head, and I start to piece together all the other characters, then I move on to a very detailed outline. I don’t always know what the ending of my story might be exactly, but I generally have an idea of how I want the book to end. ... Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:49 Samuel W. Gailey

4:50

Samuel W. Gailey:  After completing the outline, I begin to write the first draft of the book by hand. I love paper and ink. It feels less constrained and I like the freedom of getting away from the computer... Feedback is also an important step in the process. The first person that reads my manuscripts is my wife Ayn – my first editor. I also get notes from writer friends, as well as my lit. agent, Natasha Alexis at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:50 Samuel W. Gailey

4:50	[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ]  Love the title of your latest project! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:50 bookclubreader

4:51	Samuel W. Gailey:  Thanks, Bookclubreader...trying to put 'Deep' in all my titles...joking. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:51 Samuel W. Gailey

4:52

Nora - EarlyWord:  Your background is as a screen writer. It seems that more and more books are being made into movies (we cover this on EarlyWord) and more authors flow back and forth between books and movies (e.g., Cormac McCarthy wrote The Counselor as a spec script). Is there any inherent conflict between the two? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:52 Nora - EarlyWord

4:52

Samuel W. Gailey:  It really depends on the writer. I have a background in writing for film and television and find that it has injected helpful elements into my novel writing. If given a choice, I think it will lead to richer material if a story is fleshed out as a book first. Unless, one is merely using a script or treatment as an outline. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:52 Samuel W. Gailey

4:54	Nora - EarlyWord:  What will you be doing on publication day? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord

4:55	Samuel W. Gailey:  Pacing. And also signing and discussing my novel at the Barnes and Noble The Grove in Los Angeles. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:55 Samuel W. Gailey

4:55	[Comment From LibraryLessLibraryLess: ]  Who would play Mindy in the movie? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:55 LibraryLess

4:56	Samuel W. Gailey:  Some one like Amy Adams, but a little grittier. Any thoughts? The book is in filmmaker hands right now. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:56 Samuel W. Gailey

4:56	[Comment From bookclubreaderbookclubreader: ]  I love The Grove! Always stop by there when I'm in the LA/West Hollywood area visiting friends. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:56 bookclubreader

4:56	Nora - EarlyWord:  Kristen Stewart! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:56 Nora - EarlyWord

4:57	Samuel W. Gailey:  One of the last bookstores in Los Angeles. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:57 Samuel W. Gailey

4:57	Samuel W. Gailey:  Nora, I love your Kristin Stewart thought. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:57 Samuel W. Gailey

4:58	Nora - EarlyWord:  Sad comment about bookstores, but there's still libraries in L.A. Do you have a local favorite? Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:58 Nora - EarlyWord

4:58

Samuel W. Gailey:  Yes, I do...Libraries hold a special place in my heart. I frequent my local library in West Hollywood 3-4 times a week with my daughter and wrote some of Deep Winter there. Books are a huge part of our daily lives, and we discover so many great new authors/voices in the library. Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:58 Samuel W. Gailey

4:59	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Yayyyy Children librarians Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:59 trishap00

4:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  A great note to end on, Samuel. Thanks for joining us! Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord

4:59	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Thank you so much Wednesday February 12, 2014 4:59 trishap00

5:00

Samuel W. Gailey:  That was fun. Thanks for being a great host, Nora. And, thank you to everyone else for taking part. I’d love it if libraries could share the Reader’s Guide I created. Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/1kCstb1 And, of course, I’d love it if you follow me on facebook to keep up to date. Link: http://on.fb.me/1dIErY0 And, please email if I can help with your library blogs or programs. www.SamuelWGailey.com Wednesday February 12, 2014 5:00 Samuel W. Gailey

5:00

Nora - EarlyWord:  The book is coming out in just a few days, on FEBRUARY 20TH in bookstores everywhere and online. It will be available as advance digital readers copy until publication day on Edelweiss and NetGalley. You can find more digital content created by the author at www.SamueluelWGailey.com THANKS! Wednesday February 12, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord

5:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  This chat will be archived on the Penguin First Flights page on EarlyWord -- http://penguindebutauthors.earlyword.com/ Wednesday February 12, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord

5:01	[Comment From GuestGuest: ]  Thank you! Wednesday February 12, 2014 5:01 Guest

 

 

A rave in The Telegraph for The Two Faces of January, starring Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on Monday, will frustrate U.S. audiences. The movie is scheduled for release in the U.K. in May, but there is no U.S. release date yet. The reviewer calls it “the best Patricia Highsmith adaptation since The Talented Mr Ripley (1999) … an elegantly pleasurable period thriller, a film of tidy precision and class … a treat to look at and listen to, evoking a lot of old-fashioned movie virtues, and showing us a lush but suspenseful good time.”

The Hollywood Reporter tamps down that enthusiasm, “it’s unlikely that the directing debut of screenwriter Hossein Amini (Jude, Drive) is going to knock The Talented Mr. Ripley from its pedestal in the Highsmith pantheon, or even jar it slightly. Still the production … is truly lush and the actors … almost too subtle and nuanced for the roles they play. The result is easy viewing that should have a nice small screen life after Studio Canal releases theatrically in the UK, France, Australia and related territories.”

Grove Press will release a new trade paperback edition of the book in June (new cover above, right), part of a program to reissue all the Highsmith books in their catalog.

For an appreciation of Highsmith’s work, see Jonathan Lethem’s Washington Post review of the  2009 biography of the author.

If you want to add to your February blues, read George Packer’s story in the new issue of the New Yorker, “Cheap Words: Amazon is good for customers. But is it good for books?” (happily, subscription is not required to read this one online).

Among the conclusions? For publishing, the “long-term outlook is discouraging. This is partly because Americans don’t read as many books as they used to — they are too busy doing other things with their devices — but also because of the relentless downward pressure on prices that Amazon enforces.”

Packer quotes Russ Grandinetti, the vice-president of Kindle content who asserts that, because of GoodReads, gatekeepers are no longer necessary,  “ ‘Suddenly, we’re not locked into hearing the opinions of a small number of reviewers in newspapers’ ” and adds an unattributed aside, which is presumably Packer’s own, “Professional reviewers are fading out anyway, along with librarians and bookshop owners.”

As an author, Packer has some interest in the fate of gatekeepers. His book, The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America (Macmillan/FSG), was on many 2013 best books lists (including the Amazon editors’ Top 20) and won the National Book Award.

Jennifer McMahon’s sixth novel, the psychological thriller, The Winter People (RH/Doubleday; RH Audio, published today) may be her breakout. It is both a LibraryReads and an IndieNext pick for February. Holds in libraries we checked are currently around 4:1.

Holds are particularly heavy in the Cleveland area, where the  Cleveland Plain Dealer‘s  influential reviewer Laura DeMarco, recommended it in a blog post:

Chilling is just the tip of the iceberg in describing new fantastic suspense-horror novel The Winter People, set in rural Vermont in 1908 and today. When people begin to disappear in small-town West Hall, including their hippie mother, 19-year-old Ruthie and 6-year-old Fawn think a centuries-old journal may hold clues to the disappearances that have plagued the town since Sara Harrison Shea’s beloved daughter Bertie died in 1908. They’re right – and the answer offered in this late-night page-turner is equal parts horrifying and heartbreaking, compelled by the power of a mother’s love.

A full-page ad in the upcoming 2/16 NYT Book Review includes quotes from Lisa Unger and Chris Bohjalian as well as one from an LA. Times review of two of the authors’ earlier books calling her “one of the brightest new stars of literary suspense.” The review is by Sarah Weinman, one of the brightest stars of  mystery reviewing (she published the anthology, Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives: Stories from the Trailblazers of Domestic Suspense, Penguin).

McMahon is already called a “NYT best selling author” because one of her paperback originals appeared for three weeks on the combined print and ebook list. This title looks poised to bring her to a new level.

Thanks to Wendy Bartlett, Cuyahoga Public Library, for the alert.