Monday 11 August 2014

UNDERCOVER: The Cover is Blown

I'm trying not to get too excited about the release of UNDERCOVER in September, but I'm curious about how it's going to be received. The folks at Blasted Heath believe it to be my most commercial novel to date. Part of me wonders if that's a good thing...

Did I mention that there's a pre-order page for it over on that wee Amazon site? Because there is. Click here. Or, if you use the US version of Amazon, click here. It's on all the other Amazons, I believe, but I've a blog post to get through here so I'll choose to believe that people can find the relevant pages pretty quickly with the help of a search engine. Ach, all right, here's a Canadian link, but no more!

Now, for those who can't be arsed clicking the links, here's the cover and the blurb:


When undercover detective Cormac Kelly infiltrates a ruthless gang bent on kidnapping and extortion, he is forced to break cover and shoot his way out of a hostage situation gone bad. Tearing through the dangerous streets of Belfast with a twelve-year-old boy and his seriously injured father in tow, Kelly desperately tries to evade the gang and reconnect the family with the boy’s mother, football agent Lydia Gallagher. But she is in London, unaware of their freedom and being forced by the gang to betray her top client. As Kelly breaks every rule in the book and crosses the line from legit police officer to rogue cop on the run, the role of dapper but deadly ex-spook Stephen Black means the difference between life and death…

Did you see that? Slipped right into salesman mode. This commercialism business is getting to me.

But still, I'm excited; no point trying to curtail that. And yes, I'm working on getting the paperback version out there. In doing so I've learned that typesetting sucks monkey butts, but lots of nice people out there are willing to help you out. In other words, don't blame me if it looks shite.

P.S. I'm going to Bouchercon this year! Check out the list of attendees. More on that in another post.

5 comments:

seana graham said...

Preordered. So happy to hear you're going to be at Bouchercon. I think you are going to have a fantastic time, though I bet you will miss those kids (and wife). It seems like one I shouldn't miss but we shall see.

In some ways I'd rather be some version of a fly on the wall there than actually have to be an official attendee. Maybe I can get a job as a server.

Gerard Brennan said...

Ah, thanks, Seana! Very cool of you. And since there was no ranking yesterday, I'm guessing that you were the first to pre-order from the US site.

And, yes, I'll definitely miss my wife. Quite often a night away from the kids is spent with Michelle so that'll be an extra level of weirdness.

Undercover as a server, eh? Quite apt. Would be cool t meet you if possible, though. How long would it take you to travel in from Santa Cruz?

Cheers

gb

seana graham said...

Yes, it was the U.S. site. I don't think they let you order from the UK site if there's an option on the U.S. one here. 99 cents? It's a steal!

I hope to get to Bouchercon but haven't committed yet. At this point it seems like an opportunity of a lifetime to see so many of the people I only know 'virtually', but there are some health issues playing out in my family right now that may factor in.

Santa Cruz isn't that close to Long Beach, but it's not like it's a world away and it's the closest I'm likely to be to Bouchercon any time soon.

Gerard Brennan said...

I hope the family health issues improve soon, Seana. Someone in my family went through a major health scare recently. Very scary time.

And yeah, 99 cents. I like how Blasted Heath operate. The low price is a way of thanking their constant readers for investing in the early stages. I think the list price will be closer to 5 bucks in the US, which is still quite cheap by some standards...

Anyway, if I don't see you this time, who knows? I might get a taste for that side of the planet and get around to visiting North Cali in the near future. Hopefully with Michelle.

gb

seana graham said...

Whether you end up liking Southern California or not, I predict you are going to have a great time at Bouchercon and will in the long run find it money well spent.