Follow-up to my Speak of the Devil book review...
Category Book Reviews
This morning I checked my email to find the following...
Duffbert...
I feel honor-bound to write you after your fantastic amazon review of my new book. My publisher performed one very large gaffe in the publishing of the book and to my own scurrilous discredit, I didn't stop them. That line in the bio about 'this is his first novel.' Balderdash. This is the first Richard Hawke novel and the first 'thriller' that I have ever penned.
But who am I? Hawke? Nah, he's just another fiction. My life is becoming a meta-life. I wanted a hard-boiled fellow to write my hard boiled books and Hawke is the guy. But pulling the strings is Tim Cockey, the kinder and gentler punster of the so-called hearse books.
I hope this revelation doesn't sour your enjoyment of 'Speak of the Devil'. Believe me, from where I was sitting, there were a lot of 'firsts' going on. I wish the publisher had pulled that line from the bio...and I'm seeing to it that the line is gone when the book comes out in paperback. Janet Maslin outted me (with no malice) in the Times last week, and I'm fine with it. I always intended the pen name to be a horribly-kept secret. Those really are the best kind.
Anyway, I've always enjoyed reading your reviews. You're on the (very) short list of those who can sway me on or off a book. Please keep up the good work. I need your discernment.
All the best,
Tim
No *wonder* I liked the book! I love Tim Cockey's "Hearse" novels, and I now vaguely remember him talking about putting Hitchcock Sewell to bed for awhile to work on something different. Turns out this is it. I would have liked the book regardless of whether I had known Cockey was behind it. As I mentioned in a response to him, this is a good way to see if people really like your work and talent, or whether they're just sucking up to you. :)
Also, this email really made my day. I don't write reviews with expectations of getting noticed by authors. In fact, there have been a few reviews that I really hoped the authors would never find. :) But this isn't the first time Tim has emailed me after finding my reviews on Amazon, and it's always obvious that it's not just a form letter "thank you". When an author cares enough about his work and his fan base to make a personal contact, it really sets them apart...
This morning I checked my email to find the following...
Duffbert...
I feel honor-bound to write you after your fantastic amazon review of my new book. My publisher performed one very large gaffe in the publishing of the book and to my own scurrilous discredit, I didn't stop them. That line in the bio about 'this is his first novel.' Balderdash. This is the first Richard Hawke novel and the first 'thriller' that I have ever penned.
But who am I? Hawke? Nah, he's just another fiction. My life is becoming a meta-life. I wanted a hard-boiled fellow to write my hard boiled books and Hawke is the guy. But pulling the strings is Tim Cockey, the kinder and gentler punster of the so-called hearse books.
I hope this revelation doesn't sour your enjoyment of 'Speak of the Devil'. Believe me, from where I was sitting, there were a lot of 'firsts' going on. I wish the publisher had pulled that line from the bio...and I'm seeing to it that the line is gone when the book comes out in paperback. Janet Maslin outted me (with no malice) in the Times last week, and I'm fine with it. I always intended the pen name to be a horribly-kept secret. Those really are the best kind.
Anyway, I've always enjoyed reading your reviews. You're on the (very) short list of those who can sway me on or off a book. Please keep up the good work. I need your discernment.
All the best,
Tim
No *wonder* I liked the book! I love Tim Cockey's "Hearse" novels, and I now vaguely remember him talking about putting Hitchcock Sewell to bed for awhile to work on something different. Turns out this is it. I would have liked the book regardless of whether I had known Cockey was behind it. As I mentioned in a response to him, this is a good way to see if people really like your work and talent, or whether they're just sucking up to you. :)
Also, this email really made my day. I don't write reviews with expectations of getting noticed by authors. In fact, there have been a few reviews that I really hoped the authors would never find. :) But this isn't the first time Tim has emailed me after finding my reviews on Amazon, and it's always obvious that it's not just a form letter "thank you". When an author cares enough about his work and his fan base to make a personal contact, it really sets them apart...
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Posted by Curt Stone At 12:46:47 On 28/02/2006 | - Website - |