Announcements: Spoilerville is open! And more signings!

Some of you have wanted to post comments about Disturbance on this blog, but fearing that those who haven't read it yet will have parts of the plot spoiled for them if I let those comments go through here, I've decided instead to start an experiment -- I've created a new place for readers called Spoilerville.

You can reach it at any time by going to http://spoilerville.com

The idea is that you now have a place where you can ask a question or make a comment that gives away the ending of the book, and where you can also feel free to talk to other readers about it.

I will be putting up pages for other books, and I'm open to your suggestions about this site.

Here are the next few places where I'll be signing Disturbance:


Saturday, July 2, 1-3 PM
Mystery Ink
7176 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-960-4000

Saturday, July 9, Noon
Mysteries to Die For
2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
805-374-0084

Saturday, July 9, 4 PM
Book'em Mysteries
1118 Mission St.
South Pasadena CA 91030
626-799-9600 

Notes from the road

I'm in Phoenix, AZ tonight, here for the Poisoned Pen's Conference Call at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa. I know, you're looking at one of your weather apps and saying, "Triple-digit heat!" Well it is the desert, and it is summer. But they are prepared for that here. And in addition to beautiful grounds, the buildings were designed by Albert Chase McArthur, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, and one can clearly see the influence of Wright throughout the hotel.

Add to that the fun of a well-organized conference featuring Laurie R King, Dana Stabenow, Peter Lovesey, Alafair Burke, Jacqueline Winspear, April Smith and many others. (Seriously, take a look at the conference website!)

Tonight I had the pleasure of spending time with a new author whose name may be known to you, Marcia Clark. Her first book, Guilt by Association, is already a national bestseller, and getting all kinds of great buzz, including this blurb from James Ellroy: "You must read this book."

I just started it and find myself in agreement with Mr. Ellroy. I'll add that she's funny and smart as a whip, so if you can, come out to see her in person here at Conference Call or in July at the Book Passage Mystery Conference.

Tomorrow I'll be on the program in conversation with Laurie King. I'll be signing books here. If you want a signed first edition of Disturbance, it's easy to order one from the Poisoned Pen by clicking here:

http://tinyurl.com/62zfuk6

You can also order signed first editions from the other stores on my schedule page — including stores where I've been this past week.

After the conference I fly back to California — hope to see some of you at Mysterious Galaxy!

An Interview with Scott Butki

The new interview is up on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's pages! I talked to Scott Butki about Disturbance, the return to the Irene Kelly series, serial killers, journalism, forensic science, and why statistics on homicides are probably unreliable.

http://tinyurl.com/3c7ko7o

A couple of interviews

Marlyn Beebe reviewed Disturbance — which is officially published tomorrow! — for the Crime Fiction Collective. She also did a two-part interview with me on her blog, Stuff and Nonsense.

For part one, in which we mostly talk about Disturbance, Irene, search dogs, and research:

click here

And for part two, in which I discuss writing about violence, and reveal how an optimist came to write books in which dark and disturbing things sometimes happen to her protagonist:

click here

I'll have another interview link to share with you a little later in the week, with further discussion of Disturbance, so stay tuned.

And I'll be saying more here about Disturbance and some of the issues raised in these interviews in the near future!

Jan

Disturbance Launches 6/21!

Here's where I'll be over the next few days! Please come by and say hello.

Tuesday, June 21, 7 PM
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101
626-449-5320

Wednesday, June 22, 7 PM
Book Carnival
348 S. Tustin Avenue
Orange, CA 92866
714-538-3210

Thursday, June 23, 6:30 PM
Murder by the Book
2342 Bissonnet Street
Houston, TX 77005
713-524-8597
1-888-4-AGATHA

Saturday, June 25
Conference Call—Poisoned Pen Conference
Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa
2400 E Thunderbird Trail
Phoenix, AZ
Fee is $50, limited to 125 registrants
To register, call 888-560-9919
or send an email to sales@poisonedpen.com
The Biltmore offers a special conference room rate of $89/night plus applicable taxes. To reserve your room (don't delay, the conference bloc could quickly be snapped up): go to www.arizonabiltmore.com and use the code "ppen11" in the group/convention box.
Guests can also call 800.950.0086 to book their reservations anytime (days, nights and weekends) using the same code.

Sunday, June 26, 2 PM
Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111-1040
858-268-4747

Other dates can be found on my Website at http://janburke.com/schedule.php

Redesigned site is live!

The updated site (as you can probably tell from the new look of this blog!) is now live. So please visit

http://janburke.com

and take a gander.

Thanks to Maddee James and her staff at xuni.com for all the hard work. Nothing like having someone send you a set of images and 24 pages of notes and a "how soon?" plea -- she did a beautiful job, IMHO!

Those of you who are aspiring writers, be sure to look at the FAQ page, third question down -- you can download a pdf of my (ahem) wisdom, just for you.

And my schedule for signings of the upcoming release of Disturbance can be found here:

http://janburke.com/schedule.php

Almost here!

I'm excited because:

The new Irene Kelly book, Disturbance, will be out on June 21! You can preorder it now from your favorite bookseller. Click here to see where I'll be signing. Add to that an appearance at Book'em in South Pasadena, where I'll be on the afternoon of July 9.

I've been named the Guest of Honor for Malice Domestic XXIV! I love this convention and I'm so flattered to be the GOH. I'll be joined by other honorees Dana Cameron (Toastmistress), Simon Brett (Lifetime Achievement), Lee Goldberg (Poirot Award), and Fan Guest of Honor Ruth Sickafus. I'll hope you'll join us April 24-29 at the Hyatt in Bethesda, MD!

I'll be speaking at some great writing conferences this year, the first of them this coming Sunday -- So Cal MWA and Sisters in Crime's LA Chapter are teaming up for the California Crime Writers Conference.

My Website will soon have a new look! Stay tuned!

The Crime Lab Project Website has been updated and combined with our blog to make it easier to keep current with forensic science news.

I've just finished going over the proofs for "The Imitator," my short story in A Study in Sherlock. I am so looking forward to reading the other stories in this anthology. Laurie King, Neil Gaiman, Laura Lippman, Lee Child, and many others participated.