Penguin Random House is introducing a new feature for Amtrak riders: free eBook excerpts from select titles on the Acela Express.
The publisher is the exclusive book content partner for the launch of AmtrakConnect’s newly designed on-board Wi-Fi page. Train riders traveling on the service service between Boston and Washington, D.C., will now be able to access more than twenty free excerpts from a variety of books across all Penguin Random House’s adult imprints.
The current list includes excerpts from “Gray Mountain” by John Grisham, “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins and “Believer” by David Axelrod, among others. Customers can click to buy these titles from various booksellers directly from the excerpt.
In the next few months, this feature will be available on all Northeast Regional trains that are Wi-Fi enabled.
Melinda Palacio
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| The Santa Barbara Amtrak Depot |
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| Santa Barbara |
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| All Aboard! |
The first thing I wanted to do after driving back to Santa Barbara from New Orleans was visit my sister. The parking lot on the 101 freeway gave me some reservation until my friend Lora suggested I take the train. A trip on the Pacific Surfliner was among the best presents I could have given to myself. Fellow Bloguero, Rene Colato Lainez took the train from Union Station in Los Angeles to Santa Barbara earlier this year with a group of writers. They did a mini writing residency on the nearly three-hour ride. When they set foot in Santa Barbara they were happy to briefly leave their lives behind in Los Angeles and enjoy a beautiful day in Santa Barbara. I was just as happy to make a similar trip last Sunday to Los Angeles.
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| Union Station, the Los Angeles Amtrak Depot |
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| You can go anywhere in the country from Union Station. |
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| Downtown L.A. |
I met my sister and Marley for lunch at Olvera Street. While there are plenty of better Mexican restaurants a little further away from the center of where it all began, El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles, I enjoyed playing tourist for a day. We also had the pleasure of meeting fellow Bloguero, Michael Sedano, for lunch.
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| Inside Union Station |
Although we laughed and joked about Michael's last days on this earth (He goes back to surgery next week.), I expect Michael to not have
any visits with his ancestors or hiccups with his hospital visit. Earlier this year, a trip to the ER and OR caused him to miss the International Latino/Latina Studies conference in Chicago, where La Bloga also celebrated our 10th anniversary. This was the same conference I missed because I broke my leg last Summer.
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| Michael Sedano |
Sunday, the weather was picture perfect. I've always realized Union Station's stature. Although I grew up a few miles away, near Alameda Street, the train station frequently served as a backdrop for movies and television shows. Although my family rarely took the Amtrak to Del Rio, Texas, the station loomed in the background, on our way to Chinatown, Highland Park, or Pasadena. And as seen on TV or in the movies, I arrived to a sunny town lined with palm trees, mountains to my right and sky scrapers beyond Olivera Street, my lunch destination.
This first weekend of the new year, I may find myself on the train again, although the trip to Berkeley is much longer and not as direct as the ride to Los Angeles. On Sunday, January 4, I have the honor of reading at the benefit for Michele Serros at the Berkeley (my alma mater) Alumni House. If you are in the bay area, join us for a
dinner andfloricanto benefit for Michele Serros on Sunday.
Fables’ Bill Willingham and frequent comics blogger Glen Weldon were among 24 writers selected for the Amtrak Residency Program, which allows writers to get creative while soothed by the clickety-clack of the railroad track as they traverse this great nation of ours. More than 16,000 writers applied for the residency, which grants the recipients free space on the rails to work on whatever they wish.
Willingham’s future projects include a novel, and Weldon’s book on Batman and Nerd Culture is coming next year.
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I should probably get a Twitter account or something instead of using my blog for announcements, but I just don't want to be any more connected than I am. This is a quick blog to explain why I may not have answered or responded to something you sent me.
First, I'll tell you that Boston was really fun. Philly was great, too. I went there the night before the train because it made life easier, and I am all for easier. The kids came, but not to the hotel - I had forgotten what it was like not to have to bring juice and fruit snacks to a hotel room. It was a little weird that no one jumped on the bed or kept begging to order room service. We did get to see a lot of stuff about Ben Franklin, his house and some of the things he did.
And I found out that I really, really like being on a train. I sat in the cafe car by random chance and I got a whole table to myself and with no one around, I was able to write without anybody interrupting. I think I might just go around and buy train tickets and ride to nowhere so I can hang out and write while watching New England go by. (Of course, they also serve beer on Amtrak which I had not realized, and by Providence, there was singing...)
Ben Franklin was in Boston, too. He had a house there also and did wonderful, patriotic things like he had done in Philly. In fact, I crossed the Ben Franklin Bridge to get to my hotel in Philly, and it was on Ben Franklin Boulevard.
But I am really behind -- I have a ton of emails in my mailbox that I haven't gotten to. I will get to them. I had to write a new curriculum when I got back, then there was a full day of work, and I just got home from jury duty about an hour ago. I was selected as a juror, which surprised me because I told them that I don't really watch tv and I read teen fiction in my spare time. I figured they would think I was way to weird to make an informed decision, but no...so I spent most of the day in the suspended animation of a courthouse, but at least the trial is done and I am back.
Tomorrow, Thursday, is another full day of work, so I promise Friday I will be back to write back and come visit your blog.
Wow, that’s pretty damn cool. Congrats to them.
I would LOVE to be part of this in the future. I just might apply for this and see what my chances are. I still have my rail-based character that I created at Image. 16000 writers? That’s some serious competition.
If you divide 24 by 16 000 you get 666.6666 uh oh spaghetti o!
If it was a high speed rail, that’s fine, those things are silky smooth.
But American rail lines? I shudder. So does the train.
@Skottie: they’ll be writing thrillers. Get it. Thriller? Is this thing on?
…. I’ll get me coat.
Wow! Just when you think all the “cool” has been drained out of the country THIS happens. :-)
So is Bill Willingham writing a sequel to Atlas Shrugged?
:) Kidding. His politics and his writing are both better than Ayn Rand’s (the writing especially).
And I’m mostly just jealous … I would’ve quit my day job to do this, except for the fact that my writing and art couldn’t possibly support me afterwards.