By: Steve Novak,
on 7/1/2011
If you're one of the lazy schmoes out there that hasn't purchased the book yet, Jenn over at Booksessed is offering up a chance to win not only a copy of Fathers and Sons, but Liars and Thieves as well.
That's right. Two books for doing almost nothing at all.
It's that easy.
Oh, and there's also a free piece of original art thrown in there.
Giveaway ends on the 10th. click the linky-link below and get on it.
By: Steve Novak,
on 3/21/2011
Liars and Thieves will hit in both e-book and print editions in the next couple months. In my eternal attempt to keep you interested, I'm going to be offering up some chapters leading up to to the release.
If you want to get caught up before Book 2 becomes available, the cheapest method is to snag yourself a copy the Fathers and Sons "Special Edition" for Nook or Kindle at the link below.
CLICK HERE
Okey dokey, enough with the babble.
Enjoy Chapter 2!
By: Steve Novak,
on 3/9/2011
The released of Liars and Thieves is just around the corner, as is the Re-Release (Special Edition) of Fathers and Sons! Because I'm a really nice guy, I've decided to post a few sample chapters to wet your whistle. (Which is sort of a gross saying, but whatever.)
I figured it best to start with Chapter One.
Enjoy!
By: Steve Novak,
on 1/29/2011
The Forts series has found a new home!
More than likely you’re silently saying to yourself, “Oh that’s too bad. It must not have sold well. That poor, poor man.”
Let me assure you, that’s not the case – far from it in fact. The choice to continue the series with someone else was actually mine and mine alone. I never signed a contract for the series as a whole and after my experience with the first book there was no way that was going to happen. It wouldn’t have been the right choice.
I don’t see any reason to go into the details of the “breakup” (for now), but I will say that Forts is moving to greener, less frustrating, and far more professional pastures.
So what does this all mean to you?
Well, it means that the copy of “Fathers and Sons” you no doubt have sitting in a place of prominence on your bookshelf – or next to the crapper, either way. That copy of Forts will very soon be an out of print collectors edition!
That’s right, I said collectors edition and I meant it!
Will you be able to sell it on ebay to pay the rent? Eh, I wouldn’t count on that.
Will you be able to trade it for a pack of gum and maybe a Butterfinger bar? Yep, I think you might be able to pull that off.
Still, your copy is special now. It’s unique. If you sent it to me to get autographed it’s even more unique. You own it, some other people own it, but no one else is ever going to own it – ever. That’s pretty cool, no?
For those of you that haven’t got your hands on a copy yet, a second edition print version of the book will be arriving with a brand new cover before you know it. (Probably within the next few months in fact.) Along with the print version, the book will FINALLY make its way to e-readers everywhere! (This is long overdue.)
Oh, all those editing flubs the original publisher left in – you know, the ones that caused the sentence “This could have been a fantastic book if it had a good editor” to appear in nearly every review. Thankfully those are going to be fixed up for the second edition.
For those of you waiting patiently for “Liars and Thieves,” right around the time the second edition arrives book two is going to hit the shelves! It’s a heck of a lot later than was originally planned, but I’m hoping it’ll be worth the wait.
The nonsense of the past is in the past and hopefully that’s where it’s going to stay. Writing has officially picked up again on the final book in the series and I’m probably only 40,000 words or so from finishing it up.
Forts has a new home, and this is a good thing.
Scratch that and revise: Forts has a new home, and it’s a giggity-great thing.
It’s better than a steaming hot pizza and a tub of ice cream served to you by Rosario Dawson in a French maid’s outfit.
Okay, maybe it’s not that good…
It’s still pretty fantastic though.
Steven
By: Steve Novak,
on 9/20/2010
I'm bringing back the "100 blah, blah fill in the blank" thing I did for "Fathers and Sons" as we slowly approach the release of "Liars and Thieves."
By: Steve Novak,
on 7/21/2010
Along with the ten-thousand other things I'm currently working on is the sequel to Paul Wood's "Cousin Albert" Series. Not only is Albert taking a trip to the zoo this time out, but he's doing it in full color. That's right, no more black and white interiors, this time it's color all the way.
While I haven't seen the full manuscript yet, I have gotten started on the cover. I'm pretty pleased with the overall design - think it'll be a quality piece when completed.
Hopefully it will...
Otherwise, as an eight year old might say, I'm in deep doo-doo.
On another note, it's only about four months or so until book 2 in the "Forts" series comes out. I'm excited. A part of me thinks it'll be the one people remember the most. It really is the "Empire Strikes Back" of the series It's a bit darker, the ending will leave you wanting more, and once it gets rolling it doesn't stop.
Then there's Krystoph...
You're going to like Krystoph.
By: Steve Novak,
on 5/7/2010
I've finally put the kibosh on the cover of book 2 due out before the end of the year.
The overall tone of the book is a little darker, and I think the cover matches. If you liked anything about book one, the sequel is going to make you go bonkers.
You can hold me to that.
On another note, the profiles page of the Forts site has been updated to include four new characters. Two of them you'll be familiar with from "Fathers and Sons," the other two you'll meet in "Liars and Thieves."
Consider it the first preview.
CLICK HERE TO READ
Steven
By: Steve Novak,
on 4/23/2010
The trailer for book 2 is done. Be warned however, if you're currently still working your way through book 1, there are some minor spoilers here.
Otherwise, enjoy (Double Click to see in full size on youtube)
On another note, I'll be appearing on a segment of The Annie and Burl show this coming Saturday night! The show starts at 10:00 EST, and I should be popping up around 10:15. I'll be discussing the book and whatever else the cool table wants to toss my way. If you're bored, listen in!
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE!
Steve
My day yesterday was about the liars who are in our life. We fired one of them.
Firing him did not bring the predicted relief of a cooling rain storm, rather it raised clouds of doubt. Why had all his references checked out? Why had the last person he worked for recommended him? Why did everyone think he was a nice guy, when he has a crack in his character that cannot be filled with quick patch?
Liar, liar, liar, pants on fire. Now I think of him like a greasy hair clog that sits in the drain. You don’t want to touch it, but you have to. It’s gotta come out of the drain — it’s blocking the flow of water. It’s useless, of no benefit to others, and its only proper resting place is in the garbage.
He’s so good at lying that when he gets caught, he has this act where he looks like he’s going to start crying. Awww, so sad for the big fat liar. He needs his job. He has Catholic school tuition to pay. How come he can’t do whatever he wants on our time and paycheck and then lie about it?
“Listen, this is not a Catholic confessional booth, all the business meetings we had. When you confessed to the really big fat lie, which we had to catch you in, we don’t have the power to absolve you of your guilt so that you could go on lying again until the supposedly next business meeting. First of all, we’re not Catholic. And secondly, and far more importantly, we’re not God. And by the way, God is on our side too. He is the only explanation for our busy summer in a bad economy. I don’t recommend messing with God by being a perpetual liar. Either you will answer to Him here or in the afterlife.”
Which brings me to the other liar. This liar likes to accuse people of stealing things. Things that are broken. Things she has given away already to Goodwill. Things she has hidden so no one can help her find them and she can say, “See, it was stolen!” Some people think she has flushed things down the toilet so she can accuse. She likes to tell everyone she knows that so and so has stolen such and such. Sometimes, people lose their jobs because of her accusations. Most often, people’s relationships become fragmented or strained or conflicted because of her great power.
Her lies deeply wound the people she supposedly loves. What kind of love is this? It’s like the care a cattle rancher shows his cattle when he brands them with the hot iron.
People are not disposable.
Liars are not very smart people. I say this because smart people know they can maneuver through their life and their needs and their wants through any number of means. Smart people don’t need to lie.
Liars, liars, liars, I hope your pants are on fire.
By: Laurie Halse Anderson,
on 3/5/2008
The Chattanooga adventure is almost over, sadly. I have had so much fun here!
But before I start the slide show and rave about yesterday, can I just say how irritated I am at Margaret Jones, who wrote a fake memoir about being a foster child and in a gang and got caught? I have never been a fan of the memoir (say it with a snotty French accent, please) genre. I prefer my stories well-defined: write an autobiography or write fiction if you want me to read it. I think that some memoirists have hidden in the murky fog of their genre because they either a) don't have a true story compelling enough to stand alone as autobiography, or b) they are not skilled at fiction writing.
I hope the publisher considers legal action against Ms. Jones for committing fraud. I think it's time to call a halt to the silliness.
Back to Tennessee...
It has been so nice to get an early peek of Spring.
The day started at Girls Preparatory School, where I spoke to 700 girls who were way too enthusiastic for that early in the morning.
They made it really fun to be up on stage. They also made me want to have one of those cute plaid skirts.
The second school was amazing - the Hamilton County Adult High School. This is a special high school for young adults, ages 17-21, who didn't do well in a traditional high school setting, but are motivated to finish their educations. (They don't have their backs to me, here. They're listening to a comment from the principal.)
I spoke with 50 students who had studied SPEAK in their English class. 
Because they have so much life experience, we had a great conversation. Say hi to Heather, in the plaid coat, who did a really nice job introducing me.
Last night I spoke to an audience of mostly University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students. This little guy, Tyler, is not one of them, but his mom is. He and his brother sat quietly through my whole speech. When I met them after, it was clear why they sat so still - they are artists.
Can't talk about a trip without talking about the food. Lunch was incredible tomato-artichoke soup at Rembrandt's. If anyone has a recipe for this, please share.
Dinner was chicken and rice casserole, roasted sweet potatos, broccoli casserole, and lacey corn bread, which is like a giant potato chip, but made from corn.
And I finally ate banana pudding, which is very sweet. (That is hummingbird cake in the background.)
The inside of my banana pudding, which had fewer bananas than I expected and a whole lot more custard and cookie-crust. Perhaps they should call it, Thinking-About-Banana Pudding.
Here is the best part of the trip, my new friend, Dr. Fran Bender, the UTC professor who worked so hard to get me here. I am already excited about seeing Fran and Dr. Verbie Prevost at ALAN in San Antonio, TX, where I will introduce them to David Gill and they can talk South while I listen.
One more school left to visit this morning, then a mad dash to the airport where I hope the plane is brave enough to fly me home through the bad weather.
I forgot to post my resolution update yesterday:
2008 Resolution Tracker
Week 9 - Miles Run: 15, YTD: 196 (kind of bummed at the low mileage, but I had to finish the draft.)
Week 9 - Days Written: 7, YTD: 63
By: Rebecca,
on 5/17/2007
Andrew Smith, our go-to American Food guru is back again this week with a look at American food trends. What trend do you think has been, and will be, the most influential: Fast Food, Slow Food, Factory Farms or Organic Farms? Be sure to let us know in the comments what you think! Check back on Thursdays throughout May for more great posts by Andrew Smith, editor of the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, who teaches culinary history and professional food writing at The New School University, serves as Chair of the Culinary Trust and as a consultant to several food television productions.
A. Fast Food
White Castle, launched in 1916, successfully used Henry Ford’s principles of the assembly line to make and sell inexpensive hamburgers. (more…)
Gad yer funny! Congrats, Novak! That's wonderful and well deserved:)
So basically you are saying that the value of my 1st edition Forts book has doubled!
I'm buying a cheeseburger!
Congrats Steve! and I look forward to reading part 3 someday!
Cheers!
R
Very funny post, but that's not unusual. =) Congrats on the books, glad they are doing so well!