I don’t mean to alarm anyone, but I think the protagonist of my next novel is tweeting. According to his Twitter profile, Blake “The Hammer” Hamner also has a business website.
I thought I was writing a novel — a dystopian satire called Utopia PR — but Blake seems to think I’m the co-writer of a very serious non-fiction memoir on his days managing crisis communications for the president.
So yeah, that’s kind of worrying. But hey, 2020 has been pretty weird.
Anyway, he seems to be sharing some savvy public relations tips under his handle, @Utopia_PR, as you can see below. I followed him. Maybe you should follow him, too.
Oy, I think I need a drink.
Utopia PR is coming soon. For updates on my new novel, or Blake’s memoir, or whatever the heck it is, please join the Hammer’s email list. Or mine. Whichever you prefer.
¡Buenas noticias para los lectores en español! David, de Artifacs Libros, me escribió recientemente y me preguntó si podía traducir seis de mis relatos al español. Por supuesto, dije que sí. Estoy muy emocionado de poder llegar a una nueva audiencia de lectores con mi ficción.
El eBook incluye los relatos:
Intercambio de Vida (Life Trade)
Rincón de Fumadores (Smokers Corner)
Día de la Invasión (Invasion Day)
Ojos de Fuego (Fire Eyes),
Una Boda de IntercambioDeVida (A Lifetrade Wedding)
Great news for Spanish-language readers! David from Artifacs Libros reached out recently asking if he could translate six of my short stories intoSpanish. Of course, I said yes. I’m so excited to be able to reach a new audience of readers with my fiction.
Exciting news about my upcoming fourth novel, Utopia PR. Last weekend, I completed my third draft! Nothing like a global pandemic to focus the creative mind, though I can’t say I recommend it.
The next step is to hand the story off to an editor. As I did for The Wanderer and the New West, I will be searching for a freelance professional via Reedsy. I believe that involving an editor was crucial to my last novel winning multiple awards and great reviews, so I’m psyched to commence this collaboration.
Utopia PR is a different kind of book for me. Dystopian remains my bread and butter, but this novel might more accurately be described as satire. Maybe the genres aren’t so different. Just as the prognosticating of dystopian authors like George Orwell seems ever more prescient, the line between comedy and current events is diminishing.
So, Utopia PR is satire about a public-relations specialist who struggles to find work-life balance while managing crisis after crisis for a dystopian American president in the near future. Some might describe it as a sci-fi spin on Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley, or TV comedies like Veep and The Thick of It. I’m also influenced by the works of Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams.
I’ll have more details for you soon on the publishing process. In the meantime, please check out my first three novels and free short stories. Please subscribe to my newsletter for updates and, for a limited time, get my second novel Divided We Fall free! As an indie author, I’m grateful for all your support.
Signing off from the public health emergency in Philly…
I gave away free signed copies of The Wanderer and the New West to librarians and educators from around the country. The good folks at the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) hosted me and were a big help bringing in the crowds. My wife Mallika lent a hand getting me set up and taking photos as dystopian fans arrived to learn more about my novel.
Must … sign books … faster …
The conference itself took place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and was widely attended. Mallika and I saw great keynotes by Frank Miller and Hoda Kotb.
Look at the size of that floor!
I brought a suitcase full of books — 25 copies in all — and I have to admit that I was a little scared going in that I’d have to bring most of them home. In actuality, I gave out all the books before my 20 minutes was up at the stand! I even gave out a few eBook and audiobook editions to visitors who didn’t get a paperback.
I’m all out of bullets … er, books!
The event left me on a pretty big high! I hope to get out to another big event like this soon. It was great to meet everyone who stopped by!
The London Book Fair, Photo Credit: Combined Book Exhibit
The Wanderer and the New West presents a dystopian view of near-future America, but that doesn’t mean it’s only for readers from the States!
I was excited to display my novel at the London Book Fair in March. The book appeared in the New Title Showcase on a physical shelf and digitally. Actually, my book does have one English connection. Cover artist Ben Mcleod hails from Manchester!
Try to spot my novel in pictures below from the show, courtesy of Combined Book Exhibit.
ManyBooks promo and interview!
In other news, The Wanderer and the New West is featured today on ManyBooks, with a special $2.99 discounted price for the eBook all week long!
ManyBooks featured me as its Author of the Day. Please check out the full interview, where I talk about how I got the idea for my latest novel and whether I think America is going to end up in as dark a place as my book predicts! And I give a sneak preview of my couple next projects, so you don’t want to miss it.
Reviewed by IndieReader
IndieReader gave my novel a great review:
“THE WANDERER AND THE NEW WEST sports smart prose, entertaining dialogue and distinctive characters, and it reads at a breakneck pace,” wrote IndieReader. “Adam Bender’s novel is tight, literate pulp.”
I got the verdict as part of IndieReader’s annual book competition, which will reveal winners later this spring. Wish me luck!
Bid for a signed 3-Book set and support Writers for Hope
Iguana not included.
I’m donating a set of three signed novels to the Writers for Hope auction, supporting RAINN. Click here to bid. This event began in 2014 and is held every April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 100% of the money raised by this event goes directly to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the United States’ largest anti-sexual assault organization.
At your local bookshop…
What’s this?The Wanderer and the New West in my local Philly bookstore Shakespeare & Co? It wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t switched paperback distributors to IngramSpark. With more flexible terms for small businesses, the move is making my novel more accessible to libraries and independent bookstores.
If you know a great library or local shop, please ask them to order a copy! You can also benefit local bookstores by buying my book online from IndieBound.
