I used to pride myself on my animal training skills.  In Psych 101, I taught a rat to tap two buttons in a seventeen-step left-right sequence.  My pet guinea pig, Rusty, used a litter box.  And don’t get me started on Duffer, who could have been created by BF Skinner.

But then I met Double, and this happened:

In seven weeks and six days, IF YOU WERE HERE will hit stores in the United States.  These are, strangely, the hardest weeks for me in the publishing cycle.  They certainly don’t involve the hardest work, but I find comfort in work.  If I’m conceptualizing a book, I am creating a world, getting to know new characters, and figuring out who does what and why.  If I’m writing, I’m doing everything I can to tell an interesting story in the best way I can.  If I’m editing, I’m in heaven because I’m weird that way.

But seven weeks and six days before publication, there’s nothing left for me to do.  The book’s off to the printer.  The reviews will start coming in.  The book will either find readers or it won’t.  What’s this control freak to do?  Deep breaths.  Walk dog.  Try.  To.  Chill.

But the next weeks will be easier for me than this same period ten years ago when I published my first book.  They will be easier because I know that someone will read my little story that I poured myself into.  In fact, I’m now fortunate to have a lot of loyal readers who will buy IF YOU WERE HERE early, read it as soon as it comes out, and tell their friends to do the same.  That’s a pretty blessed place to be for a writer these days.

So if you’re one of those early readers, I want to thank you.  Although I can’t send a personal token of my vast appreciation to all of you, I will be sending THREE lucky readers a custom tote bag, designed by me and filled with signed books. One of those lucky readers will also get to NAME A CHARACTER IN THE NEXT ELLIE HATCHER NOVEL!

Details and handy-dandy form are here.

A lovely bit of news: In a starred, boxed review, Publisher’s Weekly calls IF YOU WERE HERE “outstanding.” “Burke’s accuracy in legal and judicial technicalities is impressive although most readers will find simpler pleasures in her sharp writing, well-constructed plot, and dimensional characters.”  The full review is here.

I’ve also been in blurb heaven recently, thanks to some very kind words from two of my favorite authors:

“IF YOU WERE HERE is a winner: a suspenseful, tightly plotted story of friendship, lies, and betrayal. Alafair Burke writes deftly about secrets buried close to home. An accomplished novel by an assured author.” — Meg Gardiner

“After finishing IF YOU WERE HERE, I don’t feel I can trust anyone ever again, except Alafair Burke to provide a cracking good read.”  -Linwood Barclay

A few months ago I received an email from a reader who said she enjoyed my books but would no longer read them because I had endorsed a book with a scene that was very difficult to read because of the extent and type of violence involved.  I didn’t respond initially, because I didn’t see it as my place to try to convince her to continue to read my books (or those of other authors who also blurbed the well-regarded book in question).

But I found myself thinking about her note over the next several weeks.  What hat should authors wear when deciding whether to endorse a book?  I put on my reader hat.  If the book is good, I’ll say it’s good.  If it’s bad, I stop reading, because life is too short for bad books.  (If it’s not bad, but not especially good, I have a tendency to move it to the bottom of my long TBR pile and tell the author’s publisher I can’t get to it on their timeline, which is almost always the case anyway, even when I’m not white-lying.)

What I don’t do is ask myself whether I would have made all the same writing choices.  I also don’t ask myself whether people who like my books will necessarily like the one I’m reading.  The reader who emailed me seemed to think one of these should be the standard, but how would that work?  No two writers would write a book the same way, and I have no idea what makes my readers like what they like: the setting, the voice, the police details, the humor, a character’s love of Nutella?  All I can do is read the book and see if I like it.  Some readers will agree, for whatever reasons, but others won’t because the book’s too “fluffy,” or too violent, or set in the 1800′s, or involves ghosts, or has too much legal detail, or isn’t true enough to the law, or … you know, Book, I’m just not that into you.

Am I wrong?  What precisely does an author’s endorsement of a book say to you?

P.S. If you’re interested, here are excerpts from the reader’s email, followed by my response:

I just picked up [book] by [author], mainly because I saw that you recommended it as I am a devoted fan of your writings – I got to the [bad thing], put the book down and will never read one of his books again. The sad thing, as I am such a fan of yours and never miss any of your writings, is I will never pick up another one of your books, as several people at the company I work for will not, as anyone who can praise a writer that does so much [bad thing] and puts those thoughts into people to do, is not the kind of person that I want to read.  Once again, for people to understand, when we read stories we want to enjoy, [bad thing] is not enjoyment … [Goes on to say she will also not read an especially noteworthy author XX, who also blurbed the book] This cruelty was to the most extreme that I have ever read and by your praise you are saying that is ok too.  ..I will truly miss your writings as you are GREAT.

Most of my response:

…At every stage of my career, I have been so appreciative of the support I’ve received from other writers, so I do try to find the time to read the work of other writers who ask me to consider making a recommendation. When I read, I have to recognize that no writer will make the same choices I would, or else my beloved hobby of reading would become a miserable exercise in comparing my work against others’.  Instead, I decide whether to endorse a book by evaluating its overall merit.  Was it well written?  Will I remember it?  Do I think it brings something novel to the genre?  Based on those considerations, I concluded (as did many other writers and critics) that [book] was a book worthy of endorsement.   I don’t enjoy reading about [the bad thing], and certainly don’t approve of it (I don’t think the author was trying to say [the bad thing was okay]; the scene was intended to show the cruelty involved and the effect on a character).  I respect your personal decision simply not to read such things, but it’s a rule that I don’t happen to impose on myself as a reader.

Your note has me wondering whether readers construe an author’s endorsement to mean something other than, “I think this book is meritorious.”  If instead it’s a promise to ones own readers that every single one of them will absolutely love every single page, most writers would have to limit their endorsements to books that are extremely similar to theirs, and where’s the fun in that? Authors who avoid profanity in their own work would not endorse those who did.  Someone who writes “tough” books wouldn’t endorse lighter fare.  A writer who thinks the n-word is always unacceptable in his own writing would not endorse the work of someone who thought it could be used to help define a character who spoke it.  And a writer who loves [type of victim involved in bad thing] could not endorse a darn good book whose author believed as an artist that a grueling scene involving [bad thing] was a way to show the ability of human beings to be truly evil.   So, again, I do appreciate the note and the thoughts it has provoked for some weeks now.  I confess that I don’t understand the rationale of boycotting writers based on their endorsement choices — as opposed to the contents of their own books — but it’s not my place to argue.  I hope you won’t also stop reading all of the writers who have generously supported my work, or the writers who supported theirs. (***originally added then deleted: or else you will run out of books to read)

And P.P.S.  The [bad thing] was a scene that involved animal cruelty.  Does that make a difference?  I know some will say it does, but why?

My next book, IF YOU WERE HERE, is in the copyediting phase, but I’m choosing to treat this note from the copyeditor to my publisher as its first review:

 I *loved* it.  Couldn’t wait to get back to it every time I left it.  Super characters, funny and smart, genuinely good writing.  And this was even when I was roaming around town, trying to find a power outlet and (even better) Wi-Fi.  Please pass along my very highest regards to the author.

Can I put that on a book jacket?

Announcing the arrival of Double-Bogey Duffer Burke Simpson.  You’re a good boy, Double!

The end of June brought me to planes, trains, and automobiles as I hit the skies, rails, and roads to talk to readers about NEVER TELL.  Here’s photographic proof, courtesy of my iPhone.

Fact & Fiction in Missoula, MT

Powell’s in Portland still feels like home

With Gina (Cookie Lady!), Ryan, Carl, and Sue at Seattle Mystery

I also tried to get out and about at each stop.  Mexican food with McKenna in Houston.  Nephew hugging in Phoenix.  Golf in Portland (yep, even in the rain).  Pride Day in Seattle.  Check out this amazing outfit!  Talk about work.  As my friend said, “I may be proud, but I’m also lazy.”

I also spent a few extra days in Missoula with the entire Burke family.  Now that the nieces and nephews are getting older, Burke-a-pa-looza (aka Burkenstock) involved plenty of pancakes, whiffle ball, basketball, and Jenga playing.  Did you know Jenga is really, really fun?  Thing I learn on book tour!

I thought about nabbing my nephew’s dog, Bruce, but I need to retain Favorite Aunt status so he’ll take care of me when I’m old.  The nephew, I mean.  Not Bruce.  I’m not that batty…yet.

And now it’s time to hit the road again.  See the rest of the tour here.  Hope to see you soon!

As announced last week, I spent last Saturday in New York City’s Washington Square Park as the Guest Gelato Scooper for Otto Pizzeria (Mario Batali)’s GelOTTO cart.  Here’s the photographic evidence!

A sunny day in the park, making people happy with gelato, was a nice send off before book tour, but there probably was a reason I got fired from my one and only food service job back in Wichita.  (Take a closer look at that oozy scoop of strawberry planning its escape from the cup onto unsuspecting fingers.)  And although I will brag on my custom-made apron, I doubt I can make a living as an apron designer, so hopefully this book gig thing will keep working out.

You can help me stay in my profession of choice by ordering your copy of NEVER TELL, which hits stores — OMG!, tomorrow!  That means TODAY is the final day to place a pre-order and qualify for the Basket Full of Burke raffle.  Three lucky readers will win signed copies of all eight of my books!

Anyone else remember those “I got eight jobs!” skits from the envelope-pushing televison show, In Living Color?  Well, between being Professor Burke and writing a book a year(ish), I probably don’t need another job, but it’s official: I got three jobs, mon, and one of them is Guest Gelato Scooper for Mario Batali’s GelOTTO cart.

This Saturday, June 16, from 12-2, the person behind that cart will be moi.  Why am I scooping gelato, you ask?  Some of you might know that I frequently write at New York City’s Otto Pizzeria.  I even have scenes set there (check out p. 162 of “212″); bar manager Dennis is a real guy!  With the NEVER TELL book tour starting Monday, I’ll be away from New York and homesick.  Spending a day in Washington Square Park, making people happy with gelato, seemed like a nice send off.  I’ll have some books to give away, so come early if you’re in New York!  Pictures to come