22 West Express
Volume I, Edition 1
November 2006
Hello Readers,
Welcome to the first edition of 22 West Express, the 22 West Books newsletter. It has been a great year and I want to thank you all for your support of Sin and Vengeance and the Hidden Code Contest. I've really enjoyed getting to meet you all and I hope our group will continue to grow.
The newsletter is my way of letting you know what's happening at 22 West and giving you a peek inside the creative process whenever possible. If you have questions, send them in to authors@22wb.com and I'll do my best to answer. From time to time I'll include links to short fiction in the newsletter. The stories are free so go ahead and forward this to anyone you think might enjoy them. I'll also use the newsletter to give contest hints to my favorite readers, so you might want to peek at the Contest Corner each time the Express rolls in. I won't tend to repeat clues and some of the links I give will only be reachable from the newsletter, so don't hit that delete button.
The biggest thing happening here right now is preparation for Taking Stock to be released in March 2007. Several of you previewed a number of cover photo choices. Thanks to all who chimed in to tell us which ones they liked! Anyone interested can see the pick off the crop in the links below. The cover isn't settled yet. Actually we are looking for two models to pose as the heroine and villain on the cover (details below). A few of you have also heard about the Launch Party. The details are not final, but I'm throwing a party when Taking Stock is released as a way to say thanks to everyone who has supported my work this year. It should be a great time and I look forward to seeing you all there.
Thanks for reading,
CJ
Inside this Issue:
Short Fiction: Whatever Happened to Sebastian?
Upcoming Events: November 18th, Westborough
Taking Stock: Cover Photos, Model Search
Contest Corner: Hidden Code Contest One Year Old!
Whatever Happened to Sebastian?
Ever wonder what happened to Sebastian after he left Charles Marston and Charlie trapped in the...? You can find out by clicking the link above. I hope to bring you a number of stories in the coming years related to different characters, settings or ideas from my books. I hope you enjoy them. This particular story takes place between the time Sin and Vengeance is finished and the sequel begins.
Saturday November 18th, 7:00 p.m.
Tatnuck Bookseller
18 Lyman Street
Westborough, MA 01581
(508) 366-4959
CJ and Wrentham author Mike Ryan will discuss their books, writing and answer questions from readers. For those of you who don't know Mike Ryan, his latest book is a historical mystery set in Boston. His books are available at Amazon, Tatnuck Bookseller and the Wrentham Library.
I've retained cover artist Sarah Carroll to develop a cover for Taking Stock. She took some great photographs of the setting for the book. A few weeks ago a number of you saw the preliminary pictures and voted on the ones you liked. We may not end up using these photos (and please remember that Sarah holds copyright), but I thought I might share some of the better ones as they show the scene around the office where the action takes place. Here are the ones you voted for:
The office building where the heroine works
Office building with flowers across the street
Fountain where heroine goes to think
Park with building rising above
The alternative for the cover is an action scene showing the heroine in peril with the villain bearing down on her. We have not selected models for the cover yet, so if you know someone who'd like to be on the cover, here's what we're looking for:
Erica Fletcher:
5'9"
34 years old
She's an avid runner
Dark hair with red highlights
Brad Foster:
5'10"
About 40 but age isn't important for this shot
Muscled
Mustache preferable but not important
Light to medium brown hair
If someone you know would be interested in posing, please have them send two photos to authors@22wb.com. One should be a head shot, the other a full-length shot. If we find the right models, the photo will be shot in a parking garage in Boston. The parking garage is actually below the fountain in the pictures above.
On November 1st, the Hidden Code Contest reached one year old. I've traded messages with a number of you as you dig for the messages within the book. If any of you haven't found the message on the website, look above my picture on the Introducing CJ West page. The paragraph above holds the web clue and an important aid to solving the first message in the book. When you decode the message, get your name on the leader board, by sending your results to me in an email.
A few weeks ago, I sent a press release to everyone on the list with an article written to commemorate the one year anniversary. Some of you will notice the article has been revised since you saw it. It contains an embedded message that will give you a very strong hint to the location of the first message in the book. If you don't have a signed book, the message won't help you, but take heart, you can get your book signed in Westborough on November 18th, or you can send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
Bookplate
22 West Books
P.O. Box 155
Sheldonville, MA 02070
© 22 West Books 2006.
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