Thursday, October 01, 2009

THE MARK takes down Dan Brown!

Big News:

A few days ago, THE MARK became available as a free download on the Amazon Kindle for one week (through October 5th). Well, I'm thrilled to announce that for three straight days, THE MARK, has been #1 on the Kindle bestseller charts, ahead of THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown!

That's right, the first Henry Parker novel is currently ahead of one of the biggest publishing events in history, and it's all thanks to the readers who spread the word and downloaded THE MARK to their Kindle, iPhone or iPod Touch. Thank you for making this happen, and I hope this book will whet readers' appetites for the other books in the Parker series. And here's the proof!

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posted by Jason Pinter at 11:16 AM 3 Comments




Monday, September 28, 2009

Read THE MARK for free!!!

All this week at the Amazon Kindle store, you can download the first book in my bestselling, multi award-nominated Henry Parker series. And if you like it--there are many more to whet your thriller appetite!

Download THE MARK for free here: THE MARK download

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posted by Jason Pinter at 3:49 PM 1 Comments




Friday, December 19, 2008

THE GUILTY
In UK stores now!

Starting today, my second Henry Parker novel, THE GUILTY, hits shelves all across the UK. THE MARK was a huge success across the pond, spending several weeks on the Bookseller's Heatseeker bestseller list and receiving terrific reviews. THE GUILTY is available from Amazon UK, Waterstones, Tesco, and many other fine stores.

UK praise for THE MARK

“Thriller fans, we have a hot new name on the block to shout about! Jason Pinter’s high octane, confident debut marks his card as ‘one to watch.” —The Daily Record

“The Mark has the kind of explosive writing that will put Jason Pinter up there amongst the top names, with its go-for-broke thematic attitude and foreboding atmosphere makes it a big reason why the book stands out amongst the crowd.” —ShotsMag

"A cracking debut." --The Daily Mirror

“At once chilling and shot through with humour, it boasts two very appealing protagonists. Pinter knows how to ramp up the tension so the reader is in that pleasurable zone of suspense, wanting to turn pages and yet not get to the end too soon. ” —The Sunday Tribune

“All the elements are there, plus that something extra special that makes this book a publishing phenomenon that’s definitely not to be missed. Go on, I dare you not to finish it in one sitting!” —CrimeSquad UK

“Pinter makes the most of it…an unpredictable ending with, along the way, fun and terror in a highly proficient debut.” –The Scotsman

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Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Ah, Venice
THE MARK has just been published in Italy, as IL BERSAGLIO. To spread the word I did an interview for an Italian website, which can be read here. Bonus points to those of you who can read it in Italian, for the rest there's always Babelfish.

Plus: Even more news on foreign editions coming Friday, and this one is big...

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posted by Jason Pinter at 7:08 PM 0 Comments




Monday, December 01, 2008

The Scots like THE MARK

About a week and a half before the publication of THE GUILTY across the pond, Scotland newspaper The Scotsman runs its review of THE MARK:

The Mark by Jason Pinter (Mira, £6.99) is one long chase in which an ambitious young journalist finds himself dragged into a pursuit in which, if he fails to attain the objective, he will die. It may be the FBI or the Mafia which kills him, but he will be dead all the same. Indeed, the opening paragraph has him at the point of death. The book is all about the chase, not the objective, which is what Alfred Hitchcock would have called a McGuffin, a device of no importance simply there to trigger the pursuit. But Pinter makes the most of it, from the killing of a cop at the start to an unpredictable ending, with, along the way, fun and terror in a highly proficient debut.

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posted by Jason Pinter at 9:44 AM 0 Comments




Friday, October 24, 2008

Foreign Editions

I just got covers for a few foreign editions, and felt like sharing them since it's easier than writing a full post. I'm often in the dark as to when my foreign editions are being released until they pop up on Google alerts. You can check out more foreign editions for THE MARK and THE GUILTY as well as Killer Year (I haven't seen any for THE STOLEN yet).

Italian edition of THE MARK

UK edition of KILLER YEAR

Australian edition of KILLER YEAR

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posted by Jason Pinter at 10:01 AM 0 Comments




Tuesday, August 05, 2008

News and Notes

Library Journal chimes in on THE STOLEN:

"An intriguing mystery plagues reporter Henry Parker, who risks his career to find the truth in Pinter’s third series entry. This thriller proves truly scary as it explores every parent’s worst nightmare. It’s also great to see favorite characters back in action; the next book can’t come fast enough."

I wrote an article for John Scalzi's "The Big Idea." Check it out over here.

Plus I just received word that THE MARK has been nominated for the Salt Lake County Readers Choice Award. The nominees are chosen by the 18 libraries and over 650,000 residents of the Salt Lake area, so this is really a very cool honor. If you live in the Salt Lake area, vote early and often!!!

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posted by Jason Pinter at 4:17 PM 0 Comments




Friday, August 01, 2008

72 STUNDEN


I can't believe I forgot to mention this until now, but the German edition of THE MARK is officially on sale today! (they've retitled it 72 STUNDEN, which translates into 72 HOURS).

Let's see what the Amazon Germany website has to say about it (from translation2.paralink.com):

Henry Parker came to New York to start his dream job: Reporter in one of the most famous newspapers of the land. Henry is young. Ambitiously. But his first history could kill him. In 24 hours Henry of the murder will be accused. His only prop: A courageous, but injured young woman whom he must protect from the truth. In 48 hours he will be before three men on the run who want to see him everything for different, but very personal reasons dead.

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posted by Jason Pinter at 8:24 PM 0 Comments




Just Four Days Left!

Only four days left to read THE MARK for free online. Click the "Browse this Book" link below to access it.

And read this post to see how be helping to spread the word, you can be thanked in a 2009 Henry Parker novel.

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posted by Jason Pinter at 8:46 AM 0 Comments




Friday, July 25, 2008

Thanks...still 11 free days left!

I wanted to thank all the readers who've passed along the offer to read THE MARK for free online. The response has been phenomenal, and I'm already hearing from people who've started reading the book. If you haven't yet, click 'Read THE MARK' below for access to the full, uncut text of the first Henry Parker novel, THE MARK.

Quick note: If you've posted a link to the free book, or embedded the widget itself on your blog or website, PLEASE remember to email me at jason@jasonpinter.com. I've seen it on a lot of blogs, but haven't heard from the actual people and I don't want anyone to be left out.

To reiterate, there are two ways you can be thanked in the acknowledgments section of a 2009 Henry Parker novel:

1) Email five friends about this free read (with a link to www.jasonpinter.com or jasonpinter.blogspot.com). Make sure to cc/bcc me at jason@jasonpinter.com on the email. This is only so I can keep track, the emails will not be used for anything nefarious.

2) Link to www.jasonpinter.com, or embed the "Browse the Book" widget on your blog or website. Click the 'Add to your site' link on the widget for the html code. (remember to email jason@jasonpinter.com if you do this!)

Thanks for reading and spreading the word. Have a great weekend!
Jason

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posted by Jason Pinter at 9:13 AM 0 Comments




Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Read THE MARK--for free!!!

Through August 5th, you can read THE MARK online--for free! Click the "Browse this Book" link below to read the novel that's been nominated for the Barry award, the Strand Critics award and the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award--absolutely free. BONUS: scroll down to see how you can personally be thanked in a future Henry Parker novel!

Right as I’m about to die, I realize all the myths are fake. There’s no white light at the end of the tunnel. My life isn’t flashing before my eyes. All I can think about is how much I want to live.

I moved to New York City a month ago to become the best journalist the world had ever seen. To find the greatest stories never told. And now here I am–Henry Parker, twenty four years old and weary beyond rational thought, a bullet one trigger pull from ending my life.

I can’t run. Running is all Amanda and I have done for the past seventy two hours. And I’m tired. Tired of knowing the truth and not being able to tell it.

Five minutes ago I thought I had the story all figured out. I knew that both of these men–one an FBI agent, the other an assassin–wanted me dead, but for very different reasons.

If I die tonight–more people will die tomorrow.

And if you like what you read, check out the other books in the critically acclaimed Henry Parker series:

"Parker is a captivating and complex protagonist." --Publishers Weekly











"A brilliantly conceived, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride." --Chicago Tribune











Spread the word and be thanked for your efforts!

I want as many people as possible to read THE MARK for free. And I want readers to know how much I appreciate their efforts.

If you link to the free offer or embed the widget on your website/blog, or email five friends alerting them to this free read (and cc or bcc me at jason@jasonpinter.com on the email), you'll be personally thanked in the acknowledgments section of a Henry Parker novel to be released in 2009. So to reiterate, there are two ways to be thanked:

1) Email five friends about this free read (with a link to www.jasonpinter.com or jasonpinter.blogspot.com). Make sure to cc/bcc me at jason@jasonpinter.com on the email (this is only so I can keep track, the emails will not be used for anything nefarious).

2) Link to www.jasonpinter.com or embed the "Browse the Book" widget on your blog or website. Click the 'Add to your site' link on the widget for the html code.

Then see your name in the acknowledgments page of a 2009 Henry Parker novel.

Please pass this along to friends, family, and anyone you know who's looking for a good summer read. And I sincerely hope you enjoy the first Henry Parker novel.
Jason Pinter

P.S.  A very sincere thanks to my publisher for making this happen.

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posted by Jason Pinter at 12:38 AM 10 Comments




Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Photos From Abroad
Part 1

Oxford Circus

Heading towards the BBC radio station

Inside the BBC radio station

Me: "Can I take pictures inside the station?"
Security Guard: "Why would you want to?"

Howard Stern, watch your gheri curls...

About to sign copies of THE MARK at Waterstone's

Me to the Borders bookseller: "Um...do you really think you can sell all these?"

Outside my hotel in London

More from Oxford Circus

copies of THE MARK at W.H. Smith in Paddington Station

Yrsa Sigurdadottir, Kevin Wignall, Laura Wilson (aka fellow Morality in Crime panelists)

Steve Mosby and I discussing morality in crime (this was my very first moderating gig)

our lady of Bristol

Suzy, Catherine and Belinda, the terrific MIRA UK team

scenic, no?

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posted by Jason Pinter at 9:33 AM 3 Comments




Sunday, June 08, 2008

The Way Home

I'm sitting in a small cafe in Heathrow airport, trying not to think about how much money I've spent on stupid T-Mobile internet passes over the last few months.

My flight back to New York leaves in just over two hours, and I have to say my trip abroad was an unqualified success. My publisher really pulled out all the stops, and a special thanks go out to Catherine, Belinda and Suzy who accompanied me to Bristol. They were wonderful guides, and I know my UK career is in good hands. I can't thank them enough. 

As it stands, my six day tally clocks in at:

--4 airline flights
--2 train rides
--4 different hotels
--11 interviews
--Approximately 150 books signed at 6 different stores

CrimeFest was a terrific conference, and my first outside the U.S. Thanks go out to Adrian Muller for inviting me, and for organizing a great event (even more so considering this was the inaugural Crimefest). The panels were interesting and well-attended, and I have a slew of photographs from the trip that will be posted as I catch up some much-needed sleep. I also must give a shout out to Kevin Wignall, fellow "Morality in Crime Fiction" panelist, simply because he mentioned receiving a Google Alert after I posted about reading his (fantastic) novel WHO IS CONRAD HIRST? on my flight back from Dublin. So hopefully Kevin will get another Google Alert from this as well. 

Other authors I met in person for the first time included: Jeff Lindsay (who went to Middlebury--boo!), James Twining (who is hopefully over his hay fever), Meg Gardiner (whose husband taught our banquet table the true story of how the internet was created), Simon Kernick, Chris Mooney, Katherine John, Laurie R. King, Allan "Sunshine" Guthrie, Steve Mosby, Yrsa Sigurdardottir (whose last name I mangled during our panel), Michael Morley, John Rickards and Laura Wilson. Thanks to everyone for their incredible hospitality.

Perhaps the most memorable moment from the conference occurred yesterday afternoon following Ian Rankin's interview with Peter Guttridge. After the talk ended I went to the men's room, and right before entering I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if it was just me and Ian Rankin in the bathroom?"

Sure enough I open the door, and who am I alone with in the men's room? None other than Ian Rankin. I thought about it, but decided offering to shake his hand would have been slightly inappropriate.

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posted by Jason Pinter at 10:40 AM 2 Comments




Friday, June 06, 2008

Bristol Calling

I have only three hours left in London before catching a train to Bristol for the CrimeFest convention. This is CrimeFest's inaugural year, and was apparently inspired by the success of Left Coast Crime which was held in Bristol in 2006. (I heard a funny story regarding Tony Blair and the city of Bristol, which will be a great icebreaker at the bar)

A slew of terrific authors are attending, including Ian Rankin, Jeff "Dexter" Lindsay, Karin Fossum, Laurie R. King, and many more. I h
ave two panels on Saturday, the first at 9:00 am as a participant:

SCARED TO DEATH: Thrills and Chills
Moderator: Declan Hughes
Katherine John
Michael Morley
Jason Pinter
James Twining

Then I'll be moderating a panel at 1:30:

WRITING THE WRONGS: Morality in Crime Fiction
Moderator: Jason Pinter
Steve Mosby
Kevin Wignall
Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Laura Wilson

And if I may digress, I noticed perhaps the strangest sentence in the history of newspapers this morning while reading The Daily Telegraph. In the (very good) review for Ben Affleck's "Gone, Baby, Gone" the reviewer wrote, "(Michelle) Monaghan, who bears an unfortunate resemblance to Janet Jackson..."

And I was thinking, wait, is there a different Janet Jackson I'm not aware of? Because here is what Michelle Monaghan looks like:















And here is what Janet Jackson looks like:












My time in London has been wonderful, though I'll have to take another trip back to stay here and in Dublin for a good old touristy trip soon. Yesterday alone I had six interviews and three stock signings, and at one point I actually fell asleep for ten minutes in the waiting room at the BBC Radio studios in Oxford Circus.

Last night I had drinks and dinner with the UK publishing team. Lots of wine was consumed, and a good time was had by all.

And in a moment that has to mean something...when we walked into the Naked Turtle restaurant for dinner, the haunting Johnny Cash song "I Hung My Head" was playing over the speakers. In my second novel, THE GUILTY (due out in the UK in December), there's an epigraph. And that epigraph is from...wait for it..."I Hung My Head" by Johnny Cash.

I literally got chills. And if I didn't know before, that moment confirmed that this trip has been worth every second.

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posted by Jason Pinter at 5:18 AM 1 Comments




Thursday, June 05, 2008

London Calling (and book signing schedule)

I'm feeling awake and refreshed this morning (perhaps having to do with sleeping past 5:30 am for the first time since Saturday), and excited for my first full day in London. I arrived back from Dublin yesterday morning and immediately went for a lunch with several reps from my publisher as well as journalists and book retailers. We had a great conversation about books, politics, the economy, and I've noticed that almost inevitably when speaking to someone not from New York 9/11 ends up a topic of conversation.

After lunch I passed out for a few hours, then took a long walk into Hyde Park and over to Notting Hill (sadly I did not see Hugh Grant or Julia Roberts, though I did see a lot of guys that looked like Rhys Ifans). My midnight interview went smashingly (I'm already turning into Madonna), and today I have a slew of BBC radio interviews scheduled, followed by several signings (see below for times). 

Tonight is a dinner with my UK publishing team, who have gone far above and beyond the call of duty. Plus I've been told to wear my drinking hat. (That I've been traveling around Ireland and London for nearly three days and have only had one single, solitary pint of Guinness is inconceivable)

I've read two books on the trip so far: Ian Rankin's classic first Rebus novel KNOTS AND CROSSES and Kevin Wignall's multi-nominated WHO IS CONRAD HIRST?

The response to THE MARK has been wonderful here. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, as I'm pretty unaware of how foreign tastes in crime fiction compare to the U.S., but so far it has been a great experience. I've also had a chance to address some questions about my career and about publishing that I don't get to touch on too often. The genre's role in literature (sadly most people consider genre and literature to be two entirely different species). Whether age or looks help get more publicity for your book (if you're a young woman writing a roman a clef about fashion, publishing or gossip, yes. If you're a young man with unruly hair and/or a pocket square with a 'literary pedigree' writing either a memoir or thinly-veiled memoir, yes. If you're a young man or woman writing crime fiction, no).

One thing I've noticed on the bookselling side--from the relatively few stores I've been in, granted--is how few hardcovers are sold in the UK. I've only seen three books being sold in hardcover: Ken Follett's WORLD WITHOUT END, Jeffrey Archer's PRISONER OF BIRTH and Sebastian Faulk's James Bond novel DEVIL MAY CARE. I've been told that larger paperbacks are the most popular format for big-name authors, both for price and convenience, and only the top, top, top authors come out in hardback. 

Oh yeah, and the dollar don't buy squat here.

Book Signings
Since I've heard from a few UK readers, I'll be signing copies of THE MARK at Waterstone's at 421 Oxford Street at 2:30, and then at Waterstone's at 19-23 Oxford Street somewhere around 3:15.

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posted by Jason Pinter at 3:36 AM 1 Comments




Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

I'm back in London after an all too brief day yesterday in Dublin. What I saw of the city was stunning, and I hope to go back there soon for a more substantial visit. As it was, I did two interviews that went very well, including a photo shoot(!) for an Irish daily paper that should run some time in the next two weeks. The day was topped off with dinner at Fallon & Byrne with my publicity rep, two sales reps from my publisher, and buyers from two of the larger chains in Ireland. A great crew, and I learned that Irish people like to describe things they enjoy as being 'gorgeous.' (As in: "How's does your beef taste?" "Gorgeous.")

Unfortunately most of the pubs had served last call by the time we left the restaurant (apparently the real weekend begins on Thursday night), but we did manage to get in a pint of Guinness before hitting the road.

Today brings lunch with some UK newspaper folks and another round of interviews, including a radio interview scheduled for midnight. Since my body is now on Centaurian time (a 37-hour day) it should be no problem.

And this very nifty shot was taken in Eason's bookstore on O'Connell Street, the main shopping strip in Dublin. (thanks to Ian Roberts for this!)

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posted by Jason Pinter at 6:51 AM 0 Comments




Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Notes from the road...

Dublin is simply beautiful, and, according to my incredibly kind publicity rep, this is the nicest day the city has seen in some time. Thanks, Dublin! (shame I'm here for less than 24 hours)

I did my first interview for an Irish radio show about two and a half hours ago, and it went very well. Because film rights to THE MARK have been optioned by an Ireland-based production company they were very keen to hear about that. My second interview is in a little over an hour, and it will only be my second sit-down ever. Apparently they're bringing a photographer as well. Hopefully my skin looks slightly better than Amy Winehouse's.

So far since leaving my house I've literally spent more time in airports than on the ground. I'm at that weird point where I'm so tired I'm actually kind of hyper. It might also have to do with the coffee they brew in Europe that's so strong it could kick Starbucks's ass with a wooden stirrer.

Thrill of the trip (so far): seeing THE MARK in W.H. Smith in Heathrow airport. 

Tip of the trip (so far): my cab driver pointing out that the best pint of Guinness in Dublin is served at a bar just around the corner from my hotel. See you soon, O'Donohue's...

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posted by Jason Pinter at 9:47 AM 2 Comments




Anarchy (and books!) in the UK

I'm sitting in a hotel room in London, getting ready to embark on my very first publicity tour in the UK and Ireland for the release of THE MARK. That my first tour occurs outside the U.S. makes me wonder if I have bad breath, but nonetheless I'm very excited. I have to give a shout out to the incredible UK team who've gone above and beyond to put together a great itinerary, while being as kind an enthusiastic as an author could hope for.

Yesterday I flew in to Heathrow, landing about 7:15 pm here, but then spent literally over an hour waiting on line at customs. As if that wasn't bad enough, they had a recording running on an endless loop that said, "There are many inbound passengers at this time of day. Due to tougher security measures you may have to wait a little bit longer to get into the country." Plus the cell phone I thought would work here does not actually work here. 

Imagine not only standing on line for over an a hour after a 6 hour flight, but listening to some say that loudly over and over again the entire time.

After that it was to the Marriot by Heathrow for one (half) night of sleep, because today I'm flying over to Dublin via Aer Lingus (officially my favorite airline name of all time) for a quick day of promo before flying back to London. I'll be here for three days, then taking the train to Bristol for the CrimeFest convention. It's 5 hours ahead here, but my body has completely lost all concept of time so it's possible I might fall asleep at any moment. Or just run around wired with my underwear on my head like Cornholio.

Ireland has been at the top of my "must visit" list for a long time, so even though I'll be there barely 24 hours I'm hoping to get some good pictures. And if I leave the country without having a pint in a real, honest-to-goodness Irish pub, the U.S. should revoke my citizenship (not really).

It is currently 5:54 am, and I have just over half an hour before a cab is picking up to bring me back to Heathrow. And thus begins "Jet Lag Tour 2008." More from the road coming soon (if I stay awake).

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posted by Jason Pinter at 12:46 AM 0 Comments




Saturday, May 31, 2008

THE MARK is nominated for the Barry Award!

I learned late last night (Friend: "Congrats on your nomination!" Me: "What nomination?") that THE MARK was nominated for the Barry Award for "Best Paperback Original."

Needless to say I'm thrilled about the nom, especially since I was at Bouchercon last year when Sean Doolittle's terrific book THE CLEANUP won in this category. This is the third award THE MARK has been nominated for, though I'm hardly expecting a trip up to the podium since the competition includes Megan Abbott's QUEENPIN, which has already picked up an Edgar. But it really is an honor just to be nominated, especially since the PBO category includes more than debut authors.

Congrats as well to fellow Killer Year members Sean Chercover, Marcus Sakey and Brett Battles who were also nominated for Barrys (Barries? Barry's?). Way to go guys!

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posted by Jason Pinter at 10:04 AM 5 Comments




Tuesday, May 27, 2008

THE MARK audiobook: 
half-price for a short time only!

A lot of people have inquired as to whether my books are available on audio. I'm happy to be able to answer yes (and sometimes 'affirmative' or 'bingo').

Anyway, Audible.com is holding their annual half price sale, and THE MARK is available for a limited time for just $12.48. That's NINE HOURS AND NINE MINUTES of listening pleasure for just $1.27 an hour!

Think about what a truly incredible deal that is. For 1.27 you can:

--Park your car in a garage for 13 minutes
--Download 1 song on iTunes
--Buy 0.3 gallons of gas
--Watch the first 23 minutes of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (8 minutes if you include previews)
--Subscribe to the Wall Street Journal for 2 days

So if your MP3 player has a hankering for a good thrill, check out THE MARK on Audible.com.The sale only lasts one week!

Affirmative.

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posted by Jason Pinter at 9:19 AM 1 Comments