Escape…while there’s still time!

Well, let’s just say it’s a consideration. Both titles are now available for preorder, and all of y’all who get your orders in before the on-sale date will save a couple of dollars.

One’s an anthology, The Darkling Halls of Ivy. As you might guess, its 18 stories are all set in the world of higher education. Subterranean Press is bringing out a deluxe signed-and-numbered edition, and if you act now you may be able to secure a copy. And I’m self-publishing TDHOI in ebook, paperback, and library-binding hardcover.

Give me a reason to buy this one.

I’ll give you eighteen reasons, in alphabetical order: Jill D. Block. Nicholas Christopher. Reed Farrel Coleman. Tod Goldberg. Jane Hamilton. A. J. Hartley. Gar Anthony Haywood. Owen King. Joe R. Lansdale. John Lescroart. David Levien. Peter Lovesey. Seanan McGuire. Warren Moore. David Morrell. Ian Rankin.Tom Straw. Xu Xi.

That reason enough for you?

That’s quite a lineup.

I know. And the stories are every bit as impressive as the list of contributors.

What about Lawrence Block? Didn’t you go to college?

For a while, but I wasn’t very good at it. I never did get a diploma, and if I had it would have said Summa Cum Lousy. No, there’s no story of mine in the book. But I did manage to scratch out a foreword for TDHOI. I called it “Something to Skip,” and one reviewer seemed to think that was a fair assessment.

Ouch.

I guess I asked for it. Aside from that moment of snark, the early word has been very good. Excellent, actually. TDHOI got starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and has picked up another distinction not often granted to anthologies; Tantor Audio will be bringing out an audiobook edition. No idea when that’s coming, or who’ll be voicing the stories.

But I’m sure you’ll let us know.

Count on it. I’m surprised, actually, that more anthologies and collections don’t make it to audio. You’d think a book that so lends itself to stopping and starting would be a natural for the medium. My Keller books have always done particularly well in audio, and while I consider them episodic novels, I can’t really argue with readers who think of them as linked short stories. And the collected Ehrengraf stories, voiced by the late and much lamented Don Sobczak, have been a steady seller.

The onsale date for TDHOI is May 31. That’s seven days away as I write these lines, and a day or two less by the time I hit SEND and you get around to opening and reading it. So while we’re not quite on the cusp of Instant Gratification, we’re getting there.

So why preorder? Well, it’ll save you money. The ebook of The Darkling Halls of Ivy will cost you $7.99 before May 31 and $9.99 after. That’s a clear savings of $2, and if a penny saved is a penny earned, this boosts your benefit by a factor of 200.

Still, what can you get these days for two bucks?

Well, do the math. In this instance you can get four and a half excellent stories, not to mention a few hundred words of the introduction.

Oh, never mind. Preordering also saves you the trouble of remembering, and frees up your mind so that you can forget something else altogether. But what you can do right now is preorder TDHOI at Amazon or Apple or Barnes & Noble or Kobo.

I think I know what the other book is. I bet it’s the one you’ve been warning people away from for a couple of months now.

I’ve said not everybody will like it, and I wrote a piece for Mystery Fanfare explaining why. And the reviews that have been coming in agree—but, I’m very pleased to say, all the reviewers have liked it themselves—a lot. (Here’s the most recent review, from Derek Farrell at Do Some Damage.) There seems to be a consensus that Dead Girl Blues is one of my best books ever.

Now some would say that’s not a very high bar, but it’s still a nice thing to hear about something I wrote at an age when most distinguished authors are trying to figure out why they’ve gone and put the car keys in the butter dish.

I’m sure you had a good reason. When’s the book’s release date?

June 24th. That strikes me as appropriate: Dead Girl Blues is set for takeoff on my Airborne Birthday. It’s likely to be a triple launch, as the German and Italian translations will probably be ready in time.

And voice artist Peter Berkrot has wrapped the Dead Girl Blues audiobook, and Tantor will be releasing it around the time the book ships.

And those of us who preorder—

—will hold a special place in my heart. You’ll also save another two dollars; the ebook of DGB is $7.99 until June 24, $9.99 after. Order from Amazon or Apple or Barnes & Noble.

What about printed books?

Both books are available as paperbacks ($14.99) or case-laminated hardcovers ($24.99). You won’t save money preordering the printed books, the cost structure rules that out, but you’re ensuring you get your books sooner rather than later. Shipping and production and everything else can be uncertain these days, so it makes sense to get your order in early.

And prices might go up after publication. This way a simple mouse click will lock in the best price.

You make a persuasive case. But I’m in no rush. I’ve still got plenty of time.

Less time than you had a few paragraphs ago. Remember I said the TDHOI release date was seven days away? Well, now it’s down to six days, and I still haven’t managed to get this in the mail, and who knows what day it’ll be when you get around to reading it?

And the last thing I want to do is keep you from preordering in timely fashion by nattering away here any longer than necessary, so I’ll wrap this up and—

Hey, wait a minute! Is that all? Two new books to boost, and an offhand nod to your Ehrengraf audiobook? And that’s all?

I’m afraid so.

No teasers about upcoming plans? No hints that some forgotten old book of yours is just what we needed to enrich our reading lives?

Not this time.

And no special bargains? No offering of backlist ebooks at a huge discount? You ran a sale earlier this month, and I backed my Kindle to the loading dock and stocked up.

You weren’t the only one. That was a very successful promotion, and I’ve told David to pick ten or a dozen books and run ’em up the flagpole. But that won’t be for another week or so, and I’ll let him choose the books and work out the details.

While you get your car keys out of the butter dish.

Is that where I left them? I’m sure I had my reasons. But I’m afraid that’s really it for today. I don’t want to go all Ancient Mariner on you, so let me let you escape— while there’s still time.

Cheers,

PS: As always, please feel free to forward this to anyone you think might find it of interest. And, if you yourself have received the newsletter from a friend and would like your own subscription, that’s easily arranged; an  email to lawbloc@gmail.com with Newsletter in the subject line will get the job done.

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