Guest Blogging Today

Today I've got a guest blog post up at the fun Buried Under Books blog, all about how I wear the sportsfan-pants in my family....

http://www.cncbooks.com/blog/2011/07/26/wearing-the-sportsfan-pants-in-my-family/

Lime Rock Live Action!

A really great, short video that captures the excitement of the race weekend at Lime Rock Park and the fun of launching Dead Man's Switch.

Special thanks to Chet Johnston, Alexander Blanco, Jack Diamond, and Sovory.

Launching DEAD MAN’S SWITCH at the Lime Rock Park ALMS Race

You’ve all been waiting patiently for the full report with photos, and after processing an awful lot of data—photos, video, and mental impressions—here it is.

I didn’t know what to expect when my husband and I traveled 3,000 miles to launch my new mystery novel at the actual race weekend it was written about (the American Le Mans Series race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut). I had 100 trade paperbacks with me, and I had no idea if I’d be shipping them all back home or if I’d sell out and wish I had more. I know many authors talk about not selling many books at mystery conventions or even bookstore signing events, for instance, but this was a different situation. I had no bookselling competition for one thing. But would racegoers want to think about fiction? They’re at a real race, would a mystery novel, however related, be too different?

We knew going into it that there was no way book sales could outweigh the cost of getting and being there. That wasn’t the point. The point was publicity, photos, and being able to say I’d launched the book there. So our goals really had to do with selling some books, making good contacts for future promotion, and collecting useful photos and video. As we pulled into the track on race morning, I thought to myself, “Don’t expect to sell them all. Be glad if you don’t have to ship every single book home.”

Bottom line? The trip was a screaming success. Between me, the Series merchandise center, and the track merchandise store … out of my 100 paperbacks, I carried two home. TWO. (And really, only one made it to my house, because I gave one away to Top Gear host and SPEED Channel commentator Rutledge Wood in LAX baggage claim.)

In addition to my adventure at the track itself, the owner of a wonderful local bookstore—Darren Winston, Bookseller (with me and Corvette Racing program Manager Doug Fehan at right)—threw a launch party for me one night, and had 100 hardcover books to sell. This was another situation for which I had no expectations, especially with the old saying, “What if you throw a party and no one comes?” running through my head. His results? In two hours, he sold about three dozen books—and he’s continued to sell them at a good rate in the ensuing weeks.

Even more than sales, Darren Winston and I got—and are still working on—some great publicity about his business and my book. More, the people who did attend the launch party were a really interesting mix: mystery readers, fans, and insiders; local readers, artists, and friends; Corvette owners and fans; track management and racing insiders, including Skip Barber himself (that’s him at the top of the page); and even the Corvette Racing team (with me at right).

The verdict on my first foray into promoting a racing mystery at a live race and to race fans? It could hardly have gone better. Even more fun, since the race weekend I’ve heard from two fans (one Corvette owner and one track volunteer) who have already read the book and enjoyed it. What more could I ask for?!

Book Launch Report Preview

There is a big video project going on in my house this week, as we try to capture the excitement of being at Lime Rock Park to officially launch Dead Man's Switch, and I am culling the best photos and putting the story down. I promise, that will come soon!

In the meantime, as a preview, here I am with all four Corvette Racing drivers, who joined us for my launch party at Darren Winston, Bookseller.

From left: Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, me, Olivier Beretta, Jan Magnussen

Official Book Launch, July 9!

Final Cover Art!

Not only are my books at the printer (this very minute), but I also got a copy of the final cover. Love it!

Playing Catch-Up

You make your lists, you plan your week, and then something silly turns everything upside down. Or many somethings. It’s been a strange last ten days….

On the disappointing and mildly annoying front: technology has not been my friend. My computer contracted a virus so terrible that it needed a week with Dr. Geek Squad to recover. So I tried to keep up with everything I was supposed to be doing using my husband’s decade-old, backup machine, crammed into a corner of his office. What’s more, the iPad I ordered, which should have arrived two weeks ago, was snatched away a mere three miles from my house! (OK, it was recalled; something to do with an ID hardcoded into the device.)

And then it rained in Los Angeles this morning. In JUNE! I’m not sure where summer’s gone, though I hear Texas might have found it.

I’m pretty sure I’ve figured it out the message in all of this: the universe is stating clearly: “Step away from the machines, Tammy. Step away, and read a book.”

At the same time, some very good things have been happening, on both a personal and professional front. My husband and I made a new friend (an old college acquaintance of his who we ran across recently), someone I hired at my day job is off and running in a very satisfactory manner, and there are exciting possibilities afoot for book promotion.

Most exciting is a new blog I started with fellow author Simon Wood (www.simonwood.net). Simon writes books that keep you up at night. He has an eclectic professional background, he’s British, and he’s a kick in the pants. He’s one of those guys who starts insulting you fifteen minutes into a conversation (and expects to be insulted right back). We get along fine.

The relevant bit is that Simon, too, has a mystery about a racecar driver coming out this year (it’s already released in Britain, but we don’t get it until September, which I don’t mind, because it means mine comes out first). So we started a blog together, all about racing. Or at least our opinions on it. I’ll blog Mondays, he’ll blog Wednesdays, and we’ll compare and argue about our opinions on different topics on Fridays. We hope you’ll join us and chime in at Two for the Road: twofortheroadblog.blogspot.com.