Giveaway Fever!

Who knew that giving away 25 Free copies of The Last Bridge would result in so many great stories from readers. Thanks to all of you who participated -- the stories of how you gave the books away were great!

And the winner is...

Laurie Morris was the lucky winner of the $100 Target Gift Card. She gave her free copy to her daughter as part of a beach bag of goodies for her trip to Florida to prep for her wedding. Congrats to Laurie and her daughter!

The lucky recipients

Based on your feedback, when presented with the chance to give a book away most of you will give it to a relative (8 of you did that) -- and if it's a relative chances are it will be a daughter (3.) The next most popular choices were friends (6), Co-workers (2), Book Club friends (2), Neighbors (2), Student (1) and my personal favorite a Stranger (1)

Reasons You Gave

The reasons you gave the book to your recipient were the best part of the giveaway. A number of you chose to give the book to someone who was struggling with an illness, or taking care of someone who was ill. In those instances you all cited the importance of reading to take your mind away from your troubles. (So True!)

A few of you also chose to give your books to daughters, sisters-in-law, nieces and even a few sons. How great it is to share books with another generation - one of the great joys of my own life is swapping books with my Mom, Sister and Brother.

Aside from working together a few of you enjoy sharing and discussing books with your co-workers. You gave your books to those colleagues.

One of the great categories of friendship is a "book friend" someone you swap and share books with -- a few of them were lucky recipients.

Book Groups also got their hands on a few of the giveaways as well.

My favorite giveaway was from a reader who was traveling regularly to a hospital to visit a sick relative - she left the copy in the family waiting area with a note to please take it, read it and share it!

Amazing adventures...

The most amazing part of the giveaway was hearing of all the places The Last Bridge has and will travel. It went on a cross country journey from Arizona to DC (with lots of stops along the way!) and made it on a European jaunt (Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands) and was sent to over 20 States and 40+ Cities. Check out the Google map I made of all the stops you told me about.

The real winner is...

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the wonderful notes I got sharing your feelings about the book and your enthusiasm for getting the word out about The Last Bridge. I appreciate the time you have taken to let me become of part of your world and for your honesty and kindness.

I am the true winner of this giveaway!

Romance, Rapture and a Remote Island

One of the best parts of being an author is having the chance to get to know other authors and share their books. This month I'm happy to share the books of three friends and very different writers. If you are looking for something to read (or starting to build your beach reading list) consider these! Check out their websites too!

Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready

Gwyn delivers another great time travel romp in her third novel and her first since winning the coveted RITA award. If you have never tried a romance novel PLEASE give Flirting with Forever a try but be forewarned, you might get hooked. Check out Gwyn's website for her book tour dates (and if you go make sure you tell her I sent you!)

Rapture Ready! by Daniel Radosh

I don't throw around the world "cool" very often, that's on purpose so when I say something or someone is cool you will go, WOW, she doesn't say that very often I have to take this seriously. Daniel Radosh and his book Rapture Ready! is cool. What is better than being amused and enlightened all at the same time? I loved this book. Rapture Ready! is just out in paperback. Get the book, check out Daniel's other writing and enjoy his contributions on The Daily Show where he is now on staff.

The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

Let's see this debut novel is about dark family secrets, ghosts from the past and features a strong female protagonist -- hmm....wonder why I would recommend it??? Add this one to your must read list!

Books Are Great Gifts

Books have changed my life. It is hard to measure the degrees or the effect, but it is clear, a good book has a way of altering or enhancing your life experience

I love getting books as gifts, especially from people who are passionate about the story, the author or the subject. I am always touched when someone seeks out a special book for me or takes a chance on a story they think I might appreciate it. Over the years some of the best gifts I have gotten have been books. While the list is long (and I am not in front of my bookcase at the moment) I thought I would share some of these treasurers. Feel free to share some of your best book gifts as well.

Next week I'll share some of my favorite books from this year with you (and please send me your favorites as well.) In case you haven't noticed I want you to BUY BOOKS!!!

The Razor’s Edge, W. Somerset Maugham – FIRST EDITION

I read this book right after college on the recommendation of a friend. It was an example of the right story at the right time. When my brother Patrick graduated two years after, I got him a copy and urged him to read it. Twenty years later, after searching for several years, he presented me with a first edition of this great story. When I opened it he said, “I never forgot how much that book meant to me at the time and wanted to give you this as a way of saying thanks.”

Miriam Webster Dictionary – with name embossed in gold on cover.
This was a high school graduation gift from family friends who owned a bookstore. At the time I thought it was kind of a silly and heavy gift but throughout college and even now I pull it out to look up a word or discover a pressed flower or two. Yes, the Internet gives me more options, but the heft and history of this book reminds gives it power.

The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien Leather bound edition
On our way to South America for a family vacation, I picked this paperback up in the airport to have something to read on the long flight. I was twelve going to a foreign land reading a book about a magical world, it was a good fit. My mother bought me this leather bound edition for Christmas a few years ago, it took me back to that wonderful story and a life changing trip.

Very Personally Yours – Kimberly Clarke
Talk about the power of words. When we were given our big puberty talk in sixth grade the girls were given this special booklet produced by the Kimberly Clarke company (the makers of feminine hygiene products) as a way of introducing girls to their periods. This was the early seventies, the book had not been updated since the fifties and was filled with so much misinformation that it was funny to me even then. My intrepid friend Gwyn hunted down an original copy of this for my birthday a while back. It is a prized possession. (The link takes you to a scanned version of this booklet!)

Hatchet – Gary Paulsen
My oldest nephew Wyatt gave me this book as a young lad after reading it and loving it. It is a great story by a writer who knows how to write for young adults. I treasure it as an example of how a love a reading gets passed on from generation to generation.

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues – Tom Robbins
I got this as a gift for my fifteenth birthday along with a red blank journal from another family friend. I immediately started writing in the journal and became a lifelong fan of Tom Robbins. The combination of the two felt like a promise of things to come for me as a writer.

A Portrait of the Theatre by Frederic Ohringer
This is a big sprawling coffee table book of black and white portraits of New York theatre people. It was in the window of Brentano’s on eighth street the first Christmas I was in New York studying acting at NYU. I wanted that book so badly but it was too expensive to consider. I worked as a secretary for a Professor at the time, his assistant bought it as his gift to me. I thanked him but hugged her!

Germinal – Emile Zola
I got this book from a friend in high school who said I had to read it. My father worked for the Steelworkers Union at the time and was active in the labor movement. This book about striking coal miners was one of the most heart wrenching and moving books I have ever read and to this day is one of my all time favorites. This one got passed around everyone in my family.

Like Wings – Philip Shultz
This was a book I bought for myself right after I met with Philip Shultz to get into his graduate poetry class at NYU. I studied with this great poet for a year and read the poems from this book at least once a year. As a teacher he gave me a lot of “tough love” that changed the way I thought about writing and about poetry. As a poet he never fails to get a deep sigh out of me.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
My sister claims she did not find this book it found her. She passed it on to me and let’s just say I still think I see glimpses of Lestat in my window at night. I never got the appeal of vampires before this book and after reading it I got it. All this fuss about team Edward or Jacob? I’m on team Lestat and cannot WAIT to turn my nieces on to this book in a few years. I’ll throw in a night light with this one!

What's happening with the second book?

The second most common question I get asked (after people want to know if the book is about me) is when am I coming out with a second book.

For those of you who follow me on Facebook or Twitter you know I have been working on it pretty seriously for the last year or so. This summer I ramped up the pace of the writing and have set some pretty strict deadlines for myself to get it in shape. I promise it will not take as long as the first book. (It can't, I don't have that kind of patience anymore!)

Writing the second book feels different. While it is easier to structure the book and I do have a much better understanding of how to put the story together, I also have the weight of the first book sitting on my shoulders, sometimes it is an angelic presence, reminding me I can do it and other times it is devilish, making me question whether or not this book is as good or as relevant as The Last Bridge. All those thoughts dance through my head as I first sit down to write. As I climb back into the story they dissipate and the momentum of the plot takes over. The characters come alive and start speaking to me and for a while, I am lost and not thinking or worrying about anything else other than what happens next.

As I get further along (that's code for as soon as I have a solid draft which should be within a month or so) I will talk a little bit more about it. I can say this, it takes place in Bali, and there is no suicide note.

Excuse me would you like to buy my book?

Since the launch I have been adjusting to my life as a published author, which isn’t much different from my life before, except there is more work and an ever present sense that there must be something else I should be doing to get the word out. In this day and age, the life of an author is part writer and part pusher, so I find myself spending a portion of every day contacting libraries, organizations, and media outlets pitching them my book (and the value of supporting it.)

While I am an outgoing person, like most folks, I have a level of discomfort, feeling like I am talking about myself (or my book) all the time, so I’m trying to find the right approach, one that gets results without me feeling like I’m trying to get you hooked on dope.

The universal experience I have had when speaking to people is how nice and supportive they are. In spite of all the different ways you can connect to readers, the most effective way is still word of mouth. This is when you are grateful to have friends with big mouths! In addition to reading the book, many of you have recommended it, lots of you have sent me pictures of the book from bookstores, and a few of you have checked your library card catalogs to make sure they are stocking it. (It gives me a thrill to see multiple copies checked out or on hold in library catalogs!) Thank you for all the promotion you have done on my behalf!

By far though, the best experience I have had on my own, was walking up to a woman in a Barnes & Noble in Bayshore, Long Island. She was holding my book and trying to decide whether or not to buy it. I said, "that book is really good you should buy it."

She said, "did you read it?"

I said, "No, I wrote it." She and her friend each bought a copy and I signed it.

Let them Eat Cake..

After ordering a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling for my book party last Thursday, I have come to the conclusion that the only thing better than writing a book is turning it into a cake! (Man was it good. My only regret about the whole evening was not having a second piece!)

Sometimes everything comes together perfectly, and I have to say that was the case last Thursday. After a

stifling hot day on Wednesday the weather broke and delivered a cool summer breeze just in time for the soiree. My idea was to be able to spend some time with my peeps, having a cocktail and toasting the end of a very long road. My peeps had a different idea as they brought and bought more books for me to sign. I'm not complaining except...for the part about not getting enough cake.

My Mom stayed with me to be there for both the launch at The Corner Bookstore and the party at The Havana Room so she had the good fortune of helping me assemble the favor bags. My friend Gina rode in with Mom and I and helped setup and took on the role of "banker" which was a good thing as people were handing me money for the book and I was getting very close to putting it in my bra (I didn't have any pockets!) Catherine (who has become my unofficial event photographer) took most of the great pics on the slide show to the right (special thanks for additions from Stacey, Connie and Donna!)

I have to say it is a point of great pride that although my party peeps were from all facets of my life (writers, colleagues from work, friends of friends, high school friends, publishing, and relatives) they all had one thing in common (aside from knowing me) and that was the ability to mix, mingle and make new connections.

What lingers now after the party is over, is that pride in knowing that you have managed to find some of the best and finest people to be your friends and supporters.

Now if they wouldn't eat all the cake...everything would be perfect.

Readers Reach Out

In the week since the book came out I have been overwhelmed (I'm using that word a lot these days) by the response. The first lesson I've learned is a book that is 240 pages long can get read pretty quickly by die hard readers. The second is, many people do it in one or two sitting. Who knew?

Again, when I imagined The Last Bridge getting into the hands of readers I didn't really have a picture of what that would be like. All the supporters who came out to the reading last week bought books and listened to me read, but, unexpectedly (by me) went home and started reading the book! I know this might sound funny but...well...I didn't think people would read it so quickly. Then again, people have been hearing me go on about for anywhere from 2 to 10 years so I guess they have also been waiting to find out what I've been fussing about.

In random order, here are some of the highlights of what I've heard in the last week from friends, and new fans:

• Over ten people have contacted me to say they read the book in one sitting (and some were a little sleepy at work the next day!)
• I have had six librarians email me to say they read it and were glad they ordered it for their collections!
• I'm averaging five emails a day from people who read it and connected to the story and very personal ways (some of the emails are really intense and touching.)
• I have had four men tell me they cried (is it wrong that I LOVE that?)
• Two readers have emailed me to ask when my next book is coming out...(uh...first I have to finish it!)
• Several friends are reading it as they commute to work together
• Holly Hunter and Jennifer Jason Leigh have been suggested as possible "Cats" for the movie version (no one suggests who can play Addison?)
• I have gotten emails about specific reviews on Amazon from people who either agree or disagree (and are passionate about it!)
• I've heard from people who have not read a book in a long time say they couldn't put it down.
• A few Borders have sold out of the book and have had to re-order it -- heard that from some fans
• Got pictures from Florida, New Hampshire, and Long Island of my books on display (I need more people!)

The most unexpected thing that has happened though is the connection people feel to Cat and her story. I think I know how a parent must feel when they see their kid making friends on the playground. I'm appreciative of all the readers who are making friends with The Last Bridge...more than words can express.

Happy Birthday - The Last Bridge

On Tuesday, July 28th 2009 after working on it for over ten years The Last Bridge debuted at The Corner Bookstore in New York City. It was a hot and steamy day, so hot that I didn't even bother to put makeup on until I was sitting in front of the bookstore in my car.

It's hard to describe the feeling I had all day on Tuesday, on the one hand it felt like the wait had been so long that it was hard to

believe it was finally here, on the other, I had the feeling that it had all happened too quickly. Was I ready? Would it do well? How would it feel to add "published author" to my evolving story?

I was worried and understandably so. Anyone who has ever seen a dream realized knows it is one thing to work and plan for something, it is a whole different thing to step into it and experience it with joy and acceptance. You see, I didn't just want to get through the book launch, I wanted to be present and to feel the enormity of the moment.

I did. And man was it intense!

The evening started with me arriving at the same time as my friend Jane and both of us looking at the window display FILLED with copies of The Last Bridge. Within

seconds, my friend Gwyn and my niece Cameron came up and snapped a picture of me in front of the bookstore. Please note the smile, this is a real one not one of my fake, I'm trying to be happy in spite of all the pressure I'm feeling smiles.

The Corner Bookstore is the kind of bookstore you wish was on...well...every corner. It's just big enough to hold enough books for you

to actually browse through and with a team that cares about the books and their customers you feel like someone has already whittled down your choices for you. I am happy to say that although the bookstore is the perfect size for books, it was almost too small to hold all the well wishers who came to christen the launch of the book.

Chairs were setup in two columns with an aisle down the middle, and although I was a few minutes early the seats were already filling up. Lenny, the owner of the bookstore, walked me through the evening and asked me if everyone I was expecting was there. I looked out into the room and saw so many friends and colleagues from work, fellow writers

from workshops and writing groups who read hundreds of versions of the book, friends (or sisters!) of friends from high school, my agent and the full JVNLA support team!, my editors, publicist and marketing peeps from Random House and my large extended family!

Lenny introduced me and as I stood in front of the mic I felt all my worry slip away. The expression, "you are among friends," was never more true than standing in front of that crowd. Honestly, if you could bottle that support we could change the world by dinner on Sunday.

For the launch I decided I wanted to read one of my favorite scenes from the book, the dinner visit with the Igby's. I love it because I think it sums up Cat's real nature, her drinking, her humor and her difficulty assimilating her past, and I love Ruth Igby as she is truly a nosy neighbor.

Central casting couldn't have filled the room with a better crowd, they laughed at all the right spots (some I didn't even realize were funny) and sighed at the end when a critical piece of information is revealed.

The questions were fun. I was asked if I thought about making The Last Bridge into a movie and I joked that there was no way I would consider it. I was also asked about the editorial process, where I got the story from and what I was currently working on.

Lenny wrapped up the reading portion of the reception and asked everyone to fold up their chairs so we could mingle and then the book signing began. I have to admit that I was so excited that I had to ask a lot of people, people I have known for many, many years to spell their names for me before I signed their book. I was so afraid I would spell it wrong (and hope I didn't!)

In case you need more proof of how great my supporters are, this will seal the deal. Many, many people bought more than one copy of the book. In fact, they bought every single copy of The

Last Bridge in the store, including the ones that were on display in the front window. Including my own author copy I brought to read from!!

As the evening was winding down, I looked up from signing to see a tall handsome man come into the store. He looked a lot like my brother, Patrick but I knew it couldn't have been him, as he was in Michigan that day at a board meeting, still this man looked A LOT like my brother. I looked at my sister, my friends Gina and Donna and from the look on their faces I knew it was him. Although he would not go into detail about how he managed it, he left his meeting in Michigan and got to the event with minutes to spare. In an evening of highlights, that was a major high point! (Okay I'll admit it, it made me cry.)

Lenny helped us coordinate getting a table at a nearby restaurant to continue the celebration (what other bookstore do you know will do that for you????) I landed home late in the evening and had a hard time falling asleep (okay I'm still pretty high from the whole thing!)

It is not possible to fully describe the emotion of the evening except to say this, I cannot imagine a first book getting more love than The Last Bridge did and well, as a published author now, I'm pretty sure that spells success.

(That's Mom, bro-in-law Giuseppe, niece Sophia, sister Tami, yours truly and brother Patrick.)

There are no pictures of my friend Catherine as she was the one who took all these great photos (check out the slide show to the right for the full set!)

Alien Invasions

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

There are lots of ways to face your fears, even more ways to avoid them. I am not a theme park kind of person. I get no thrill from thrill rides and am usually the one holding the jackets and drinks while everyone else waits on line for the roller coaster.

Last year, I went to Splish Splash, a water park on Long Island, for the first time and discovered that although I don't love water rides they are more manageable. At the urging of friends (in the form of children) I got my courage up and went on one ride called Mammoth River which shoots you down a winding flume. I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. Although I was happy with my small achievement (and believe me I had to really push myself to do it) I knew there was no way I would EVER be able to do the biggest ride there...Alien Invasion. After all, who really wants to shoot down a winding enclosed tube in a four person raft, then get shot out into a giant funnel where you swing wildly from side to side and then splash into a pool of water? Just hearing the screams coming from the ride was enough for me to know, I would never do it.

A lot can change in a year.

On Monday, I went on Alien Invasion, not once but twice. Saying I liked it would not be accurate. I was terrified both times and each time I spent most of the ride wondering why I was doing it (when I wasn't wondering if this was how I was going to die.) So why did I do it?

It's good practice.

I guess it would be nice to think we could have a life devoid of fear or challenges. Sometimes it would be nice just to have one day without a struggle of some kind but as we know -- a life without fear, or the triumph over it, is hardly one worth living.

So, while riding Alien Invasion may not make my top ten list of life achievements, it pushed me past my comfort zone and reminded me of that intense, wondrous satisfaction you can only feel when you have done the very thing you thought you could not do. I'm considering it a trail run for the weeks and months ahead as I begin life as a published author (I promise I won't scream!)

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” -- Eleanor Roosevelt

Book launch at The Corner Bookstore

A Helping Hand...

I got an email last night from a friend asking me for some suggestions on how they could help with the book. As I was drafting a response I realized it would be easier to make this a post and share it. Most of these suggestions fall into the category of "word of mouth." Yes, in spite of signings, reviews, interviews and yes folks, even blog entries, the best way to sell books is to write one that people want to read and share with others. I hope I did my part by writing the book and if you like it I hope you will share it.

Speaking of sharing, if you have any other suggestions or ideas about ways to get the word out let me know, I'm game. (Okay maybe I should clarify that...I'm not sure I would eat bugs to sell books.)

Buy the book

Although I like to support independent bookstores and anything local, I'm happy to have you buy the book wherever you like. I have links on my website to all the major online retailers including Indiebound which can hook you up with listings to local independent bookstores. (Special thanks to those of you that have pre-ordered the book.)

Tell your friends about the book

There are lots of ways to do this, here are some of the main ways.

1. Bring a friend to an event or tell them about the book.
   


2. Recommend the book via email. If you want you can send them an excerpt from the book. I have a link on my website that will let you send a brief message with a link to an excerpt.
   


3. Send a postcard (or ask me to) I have postcards I can send you if you want to do a mailing or you can shoot me an email with some addresses and I'll send them out with a quick handwritten note that says, "Daniel Craig thought you would be interested in this..." (Obviously I would put your name instead, unless you are Daniel Craig, in which case you need to contact me immediately we have more important things to discuss than my book - like our future together.)
   


4. Forward my newsletter to a friend or send them a link to my blog or send me an email to add them to my mailing list.
   


5. Post a link to my book trailer, website, reviews, etc. on Facebook, Twitter, your website, etc. (see below for those links)
   


6. Write a blog or know someone that does? I can guest blog or be interviewed. I even have interview questions available.
   


7. Organizations, libraries, newsletters? If you are involved with any charities, civic organizations or have a relationship with your local library I can do a reading, run a workshop on a variety of subjects related to writing (I can provide you with a list of subjects) do a Q&A, participate in an author lunch to raise money, etc. I can also donate a signed book for a fundraiser or giveaway. (I cannot sing, dance or juggle, so those are out.) (If you are looking to raise money and want to do an author lunch or event I can get other authors to participate.)
   


8. Belong to or know of a Book Club? I can join the book club discussion either in person (in the local area) or by speakerphone. There is a reader guide on my website with questions. Don't belong to a book club? You can have a book party -- it can be a small group where I can lead some discussion (or be a guest or not there at all) and get some good conversation going around some of the themes in the book.
   


9. Ask your local bookstores and libraries to stock the book if they don't.
   
   
10. Have any other ideas? I'm open to suggestion. (See the part about bugs, singing, juggling and also no thrill rides either.)

Tolerate this promotional period!

I only ask that you give me the same patience you would give the parent of a newborn. Over the next few months I will be talking A LOT about the book and trying to get it into the hands of as many readers as possible but unlike a parent of a newborn I will NEVER ask you to babysit.

Links of interest:

Send an excerpt to a friend

Author website

Novel website

Book Trailer on YouTube

Book Trailer on Vimeo

Facebook Author Page

Blog

Twitter Page

Basking in the BookList review

When it takes 10 years to write a book, you have your moments of doubt and uncertainty. Will I ever finish it? Is this even any good? Why is it taking me so long? These are just a few of the questions that circle what you hope is not the dead carcass of your novel.

As I wrote, rewrote and wrestled with plot, there were a few fantasies that kept me going. One was imagining how it would feel to have a published book in my hands (that also included seeing it on the shelves in libraries and bookstores) and the other was thinking about it would feel to read a good review. (In my most doubtful moments, I would make up a review in my head to keep me motivated.)

So first comes the PW review which was great and as I mentioned earlier, a bit surreal. It's hard to describe the feeling of reading about your work in a review, it is close to impossible to be objective and even harder to make the connection that the story they are talking about is yours.


Next up was the Booklist review. Let me say, it helps not to know when the reviews are coming, in fact, it was better to find out during a lunch meeting with my marketing, publicity and editorial team at Random House that they had an advance copy of the review. I like the element of surprise, no time to think about it. So out pops a printout as I sat in front of everyone and read it. This time, that surreal feeling was replaced by a stunned silence and an eerily familiarity -- yes, this review was very close to my imaginary ones.



I folded the review back up and acknowledged how good it was and then enjoyed our lunch. On the way back to work though, I stopped on the street and pulled it back out and read it again as it to confirm I had not imagined it after all.

This review proved something I have always suspected, that anyone who uses the term "tour de force" when describing anything I do, rules my world. (Note: calling me a tour de force with cleaning bathrooms ain't going to get me to clean yours.)

Summoned home after a 10‐year absence by a neighbor's shocking phone call, Cat enters the farmhouse where she wasn't so much raised as pummeled into submission. A delicate lavender sheet of paper waits for her on the kitchen table. Written in precise, cursive script, her mother's suicide note—“He isn't who you think he is"—is diabolically cryptic. Is "he" her father, the abusive drunk who now lays dying in a nearby hospital, or the young son she gave up at birth? Though Cat has long since crawled into a bottle to get away from such demons, her mother's death forces her to relive and confront those nightmarish days when the solace she craved came in the arms of Addison, a young man who may once again prove to be her salvation. Thrumming with a desperate, malevolent intensity, Coyne's debut novel is a psychological tour de force, a disturbing yet ultimately redemptive tale of the burden of secrets and the tenacity of love. –Carol Haggas, BOOKLIST

Reviews, blurbs and blogs

Anyone who knows me, will agree when I say, "I have a very high bar." There are lots of reasons for this, many of which I have spent most of my adult life trying to understand. I have realized in the past few years, some of our best qualities are also the ones that cause us the most trouble. Take the need to be perfect. While logically everyone knows perfection is unattainable, emotionally it can often feel very different. My high bar is about perfection and the need to always get it right, absolutely right.

This quality has helped me enormously throughout my life, it keeps me learning and striving, pushes me to my limits (and gives me the feeling that I have no limits) and provides me with the courage to grow and to change. As a motivator, wanting to be perfect is a great one.

It's not so great for living in the moment. The quest for perfection skews your perception toward what's wrong. It makes you see the one slightly wilted strawberry in a basket full of plump ripe ones.

This is the lesson I am learning now in reading reviews of my book and browsing through book blogs. While the response has been extremely positive and very moving, I have noticed my uncanny ability to zero in on the one thing I can take issue with.

Some examples:

• An early reader wrote a great review of the book on her blog, praising it for the story, character and even saying she cried during several parts of the book. Then she ends the review by saying, "this is definitely not a beach read."
  
  I panic. What does she mean it's not a beach read? My book is coming out in the summer!

• Another reviewer said she had never read a book where the main character cries so much.
  
  My reaction, "OMG this is a sappy awful book!" Of course I neglected to take in all the other positive comments she had and her endorsement. (Upon further reflection I realized she was right, Cat does cry a lot.)
  


• Then there was the one where the reviewer did not like the book and said she felt bad because she had read on my website that it took me ten years to write it. (My reaction, "So it took me ten years to write something you couldn't finish -- great.")

Then there are the star ratings, the Amazon rankings, the thumbs up and down, the star reviews, blah, blah, blah. There are opportunities everywhere for a perfectionist to drive herself crazy (or maybe I should say "crazier")

Back when I used to do stand-up people would often come up to me and say they liked my last show more or give tips on how I could be funnier. One time a good friend waited for me backstage to tell me how offended he was by everything I said. (Everything?) Once I had a drink thrown on me by a drunken heckler and many times people walked out during my set. While I was in it, I focused on these things and struggled, there was no rejection worse than not being funny. Looking back what I remember most was not those stupid comments or harsh experiences, I remember the exhilaration of connecting with a room full of strangers, the communal feeling of taking them somewhere true and funny and leaving them in a better place. In other words, I remember the good things.

Perhaps perfection is too confining, in contracts your world rather than expands it. It defines more than it illuminates. If I could look back, now, on well...now here's what I would say, any reaction to your work is a blessing as it means you have crossed that great chasm from an idea in your head to a story that is being shared. That getting emails from readers saying they stayed up all night to finish your book is success, great success. That it feels good to connect to readers, even if your story isn't there cup of tea.

And speaking of cups of tea, make mine chamomile with some Valerian root -- this perfectionist needs to chill.

Life in the blurbs

You may not think about what makes you buy that book you picked up on the front table of your favorite bookstore, maybe it was a staff pick, it was the proximity to the register, the color of the cover, a recommendation from a friend, or maybe, just maybe it was one of the blurbs you read that made you want to buy it. Blurbs are just another way for a reader to want to buy your book.

I feel like sharing blurbs is a little like carrying around your yearbook and making people read what the quarterback wrote to you (the quarterback never signed my yearbook -- maybe that's why I became a writer?) but it's really hard not to share them (mind you I wouldn't share the quarterback.)

Book Review
A favorable Publisher's Weekly review came just in time to appear on some of my publicity materials, book cover and yes it is on Amazon now too.

Author Blurbs
Three great writers gave me three great reviews. (While you are waiting for The Last Bridge might I recommend supporting one these writers?)

“Teri Coyne grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. I read through the night until I came to the last lovely chapter. The Last Bridge is a whirlwind of a book.”—Amanda Eyre Ward, author of Forgive Me

“Teri Coyne has created a hypnotic portrait of an American family under attack from within, told with such unflinching honesty that you cannot take your eyes off the page. Not since Bastard Out of Carolina have we seen the breathtaking courage it takes to survive and triumph after paying the price of dark secrets corroding the heart of a family. Cat stings you with her caustic tongue, makes you laugh out loud with her wild humor, brings you to tears with the revelation of her trials, and finally lifts you to your feet as she fights her way free to love again. This is a tough, rewarding read you'll never forget.” —Jonis Agee, author of The River Wife

"Cat is an unforgettable character, and The Last Bridge is at once searing and authentic. Teri Coyne has created a compelling mystery, a family drama and a literary delight. Read the first page, and you won’t be able to put it down." -- Masha Hamilton author of The Camel Bookmobile

Book Bloggers
Want proof the novel isn't dead? Check out all the great book blogs out there. These sites are read and run by passionate readers who take their reading seriously. Many of these bloggers have received advance copies of my book and are now posting reviews of them. This site On My Bookshelf featured me in their Waiting on Wednesday posting and then reviewed the book.

E-Bay
Even though you are not supposed to, some people sell the advanced reader copies of a book. Hey at least they're trying to get a good price by stating it's a very good book.

Emails from Readers
If that isn't enough, I've gotten a few emails from readers who found my website and wanted to drop me a line to say how much they liked the book. Hands down this is my favorite kind of feedback!

That jacket looks good on you...

I'm going to come clean -- I have had the artwork for my book jacket since early January. I haven't been holding out on you, honestly. My life has been a bit of a blur these past two months -- so much so that even I haven't had a chance to truly take it in. So allow me to gush.


Here are the top 10 things I like about my cover:

10. Cool blue. The blue on this jacket is so cool and scary and calming all at the same time.

9. ISBN Number. Sounds geeky but my book finally has its' own ISBN!

8. Excerpt on the back. You can't see it very well (that's intentional -- I don't want you to feel like you're getting the milk without buying the cow!)

7. The Ballantine Books logo on the spine. Makes it feel real!

6. The glossy smooth "hardcover jacket" feel of the paper

5. My title (who knew I would love it so much?)

4. My name on the spine.

3. My name on the cover.

2. The flap copy (see number 8 on why I'm not showing you that!)

and the #1 thing I love the most about my book cover!

1. IT'S THE COVER OF MY FIRST NOVEL!!!!!!!!!


Okay. I'm done gushing. I've folded the cover back up and put it away to gaze upon later. Back to work -- wait -- just one more look.

Conan the Librarian

I was raised to admire and respect a host of qualities in a person, while many of them are obvious, kindness, integrity, a sense of humor, etc., there was one that was held in the highest esteem by my father, he could forgive you for a lot of things, as long as you were well read.

To say he had a passion for books would be an understatement. My father collected them, talked about them, consumed them and shared them with anyone he came in contact with. Our house was filled from the basement to the furthest corners of the master bathroom with stacks of tomes, many of them opened and placed face down, waiting for my father to come back and pick up where he left off. Whenever my father entered his study (which was more like his small book warehouse) he would call out, "hello friends." (Full disclosure, he also said that when opening the refrigerator.)

My father could not tolerate idleness, if he found us sitting around, he would say, "what are you reading? Where is your book?" It didn't help that my mother was also an avid reader. During her summer breaks from teaching school, my mother would dive into her reading list and we would often talk about our stories having dinner on the patio. The summer of my sophomore year of high school I got hooked on an obscure series written about the French monarchy. My mother helped me track down the missing volumes through the Pittsburgh library system and even drove me to and from remote branches so I could finish the series.

Librarians and bookstore owners had a special place in my father's heart as he romanticized about a life with books (he always forgot about the customers!) and dreamt of having a bookstore with enough money to not have to worry about ever selling a single volume.

My father was a big, intimidating man. He could scare the pants off you with one quick stare. It was fitting then that my brother Shawn's friends gave him the nick name Conan the Librarian as it summed up both sides of his larger than life personality.

All of this came back to me when I saw the Summer 09 Catalog Random House sent out to librarians. I had a picture in my head of Miss Graham and all the librarians from my youth opening the catalog and wondering if the Teri Coyne they knew from so long ago was the same one who wrote The Last Bridge.

Or maybe there is a young volunteer, like me, who shelves books after school, who looked through the catalog and imagined what it would be like to see her book on one of those shelves (and also like me, wondered why the Dewey Decimal system is so damn complicated.)

Whoever you are, however you find it, consider yourself welcome and appreciated and if it were possible, my book would say "hello friend," right back at you.

Bedtime and Blurbs

A few years ago I was deep into reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. I was enthralled with the story, the writing, the whole experience of the novel. I had been stealing time during the day to finish it, taking the local train instead of the express, lingering at lunch longer than I needed to, I was experiencing the rush of reading a good book. I wanted to know how it ended and I never wanted it to be over.

I got so lost in the story that I ended up staying up until 3 o'clock in the morning to finish it. When I closed the back cover and looked up at the ceiling I sighed. I had given up my sleep and was amply rewarded.

Until a few weeks ago, I had only known what that feels like from the reader's point of view. I never imagined what it would be like to hear that about a story I wrote. And then I got an email from my editor sharing feedback she got from an early reader. Among many wonderful things, she said she stayed up until 1:00 in the morning to finish it and commented that was no small feat as she was the mother a very active two year old.

My first reaction was to want to say, "I know how that feels," and tell her all about the books I had that experience with and how great it is to get so lost in a story that you are willing to give up sleep! My second reaction was, "Oh my God, that's my book!"

Surreal. Sur-really exciting.

On Saturday, I got an email again from my editor delivering the first author blurb for the book. I was standing in my friend Gina's kitchen and scrolled down to the quote. I sat down and then stood back up again. "What's wrong?" Gina asked.

I just kept saying, "I can't believe this, this is amazing."

It was a great blurb from a writer I admire. Again I had that odd sensation of thinking after reading the blurb, "this sounds like a book I should read." I should look into this Teri Coyne she sounds like an interesting person.

I have these moments when I see my name on the cover or read comments like these when I suspect that there is another Teri Coyne, and while she and I look alike and share many things, the Teri Coyne who is the author if The Last Bridge, is not me --not the writer who hates semi-colons, dreads copy edits, and has huge problems with continuity. That Teri Coyne appears to have her act together, the one writing this post just spilled Ranch dressing all over her sweater.

At this rate the only reason I'll be staying up late tonight is to do laundry.

Give Books!!!

Here's my pitch for the perfect Holiday gift -- a book. I know, it's not a new car or video game but buying a book does many great things. One, it supports the arts in an extremely inexpensive way, two it supports writers and their publishers (which means you are supporting people like me!) and three it works the most important muscle in your body -- your brain.

The best reason to give a book is to have the experience I had today. I gave an audio book to the woman who cuts my hair who is also a friend. She opened it before I left and ran up to me and said she had heard about the book and was dying to read it. (In this case listen but you get the idea.) She said she couldn't wait to listen to the stories. Then we started talking about the subject and how cool it was and well, before I knew it we were hugging and feeling very good about ourselves (and my hair.) The cost $14.99 -- what book was it? Come on, you think I'm going to tell you? (I will if you email me.)

While you're at it -- email me your favorite books to give -- because guess what -- I'M GIVING BOOKS!!

Check out the video and please STOP reading this and GO OUT AND BUY SOME BOOKS!!!!

It's all covered!

As I keep saying, I am really thrilled about the cover of The Last Bridge. As I have learned through this process the whole purpose of a cover is to get someone to pick up the book and want to know what it is about. It should also convey something about the story.

The unanimous response I have gotten from people who pass by my office (yes, I have a copy of my cover taped to my door) is that they love the cover and want to know more about what the book is about. The best part is I get the reaction from men and women which is what we want.

Personally, the cover really stirred a intense response in me. It evokes a pivotal moment in the book. Although I had written and rewritten this moment many times and spent countless more hours thinking through the details and emotions of the scene, I did not, until that moment truly feel the enormity of it until I saw this cover. It captures it and in doing so, it captures the heart of the story.

I hope you will feel the same way too when you read the book, then again, you may not see the cover or the story in the same way. That's the best part of all...there is no one way to experience anything.

Lights, Camera, Photoshop...

One of the things I don't miss about performing was having to get head shots. The whole problem with getting a photograph taken of yourself is that you have to confront the differences between what you THINK you look like, what you SEE in the mirror and what DEVELOPS on film. Wow, talk about a disparity.

Last week I had some photos taken for my website and author photo and had the joy of facing myself in over 50 different shots. It was daunting.

Like the five stages of grief, looking at photographs of myself is a multi-step process which starts with shock and horror. Thoughts of "Oh my god, do I really look like that?" progress to, "this one isn't so bad," then evolve to, "I hate my teeth," and finally end with, "there are a few here I like."

What makes it even harder is when you seek counsel from friends and family and they pick their favorite shots (none of which were the ones I picked by the way) and say things like, "you look great in this picture" and then you look at it and think, "I look like I'm a hundred years old." I wonder how what I like could be so different from what they like and who should I trust more?

I realize that most people don't like looking at themselves and many, like me, think it is as bad, if not worse than trying on bathing suits after stuffing your face at the food court. I guess it's a testament to our eternal optimism that we always think we look better than it turns out we actually do.

Or do we?

Of all the wishes I could ever be granted...I am certain the one I would like the most would be to have the chance to see myself through the eyes of someone who loves me. Why? Well, I would like to see what they see when they look at me. It would be extremely illuminating. You know that chin you hate? They might think it's cute. The nose you think is too small may be your best feature to your best friend. And that laugh that everyone is always telling you is infectious, well you would get infected by it too!

It would be good every now and then to get out of your head and into one of someone who knows you and loves you. What would be even better would be to have a camera capture what they see so I could remember it forever.

And yes, that would be the ultimate author photo.

Until then, I picked these two, which I ended up being pretty happy with.