My Spring Newsletter

Don Juan in beautiful St. Bart'sHappy "Just-spring," friends!

Nothing mud-luscious in Southeastern Pennsylvania this year. Instead, it's unseasonably warm and so dry that early weeds have to be dug out rather than yanked out. It's not, however, so sunny and warm that Lancaster County has turned tropical like St. Bart's.

That actually is a photo of DON JUAN in St. Bart's  taken by Luis Sanchez of Jersey City. Since Luis posted this photo on Facebook, DON has really gotten around: I have pictures of DON in Staffordshire England; Naples, Florida; Yosemite National Park; Daytona Beach; Salem, Massachusetts; and Shanghai, China on my website photo gallery. I say, if I can't get to these places, there's no reason my book shouldn't do my traveling for me.

DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA was also featured in the Elizabethtown College, Winter 2012 Magazine, in a new section called {Book Mark}--a lovely write-up from my employer.

I thought you might also like to know about some special author events coming up.

On Monday, March 26, I'm appearing on the Berks Community Television (BCTV) show "Bibliomania," which airs at 9:30 p.m. If you live outside the BCTV viewing area, the show streams live on the World Wide Web from their site at http://www.BCTV.org.

If you own a Kindle and haven't yet obtained a copy of DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA, I thought you'd want to know that I'm participating in the KDP Select Program March 31, April 1, and April 2. During those three days, you can download a Kindle version of my novel for FREE. And that's no April Fool's Day joke. Just go to Amazon.com on one of those KDP program days and click "download." It's your last chance to get a free Kindle copy in 2012!

I also am offering a new giveaway of five print copies on Goodreads.com, a free site that allows readers to rate books and compare reviews. As long as you are registered on Goodreads, you can easily register to win all the books in their giveaway program, including DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA. If you sign up for Goodreads, you can talk about books 24-7 with other people who love books. You'll also see some of my top-rated books, the most recent of which include So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger and A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick.

In the event you're itching to have and hold a signed, printed copy of DJIHP, you can always order one from me. Just shoot me an email at galemartin.writer@gmail.com. Copies are $15.95 plus shipping. Of course, you are also welcome to get a signed copy at an upcoming author event. I've had such a blast at my book readings and signings in January and February (especially at B'nai B'rith--now THAT was a happenin' gig--seriously), that I lined up a bunch more:

4/7 - Solo Author Event, Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, PA, 2-4 p.m. (reading begins at 3 p.m.)

5/4 - Author Event, Mulberry Art Studios, First Friday in Lancaster City, 6-8 p.m. with the Elizabethtown Writers Group - Mary Beth Matteo, Nancy McKinley, Rick Fellinger, and Jesse Waters

5/5 - Guest speaker, Pagoda Writing Group, Reading, PA, 1-3 p.m.

6/30 - Author Event, The Wise Owl Book Store, West Reading, 1-3 p.m., with my fellow Wilkes University Creative Writing Program grads

7/14 - BookFest PA, State College, Pennsylvania, 12-5 p.m.

There may be other events between now and then. You can always check my website for the most up-to-date schedule.

A word of warning, the licentious baritone from the novel, Argentine singer Leandro Vasquez, demanded to have his own Twitter account. You can follow him @CallMeLionMan. If you are a gentleman, he might follow you back. However, if you are of the fairer sex, Leandro will definitely follow you back and Tweet sweet nothings into your Twitter stream. Sorry, ladies. He's just incorrigible. I'm actually glad he's NOT in the sequel to DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA called MS. MANON IN HANKEY, PA, based on the operas Manon and Manon Lescaut, which I'm currently drafting because he's hard to control. You know how obstreperous those singing gauchos can be.

In closing, I'll just say that nothing helps a writer more than giving her work a review. If you've read my novel and liked it, and you can post a few heartfelt comments, nothing extravagant, and give it a starred rating at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, or Goodreads.com, you are doing authors like me a tremendous service. My sincere thanks to everyone who found time to review DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA on their blog, at a site like Amazon, or on Goodreads--I'm very, very grateful for your time and effort.

Hope you are out enjoying this beautiful weekend or wallowing in your man caves watching college hoops . . . whatever makes your heart happy!

Ciao for now,

Gale