Get The Love Book on iPhone's Kindle App

Now that you've jumped hip deep into the pool of iPhone enabled e-book reading, courtesy of Amazon's new Kindle app, go ahead and download a fantabulous collection of gritty, dark, and funny short stories: namely, The Love Book by yours truly. Consider it a value impulse buy. The Love Book is only $7.99 in the Kindle format, saving you $8.00 over the printed price (and it's under Amazon's recommended $9.99 e-book price).

Way back in January 2008, when The Love Book was released, one of the things I made sure of was that it would be available in the Amazon Kindle format. Having already seen the first edition Kindle at that time, I knew it would have an impact on the book buying market. As I write this, the web (blog posts, tweets, news articles) has been lit up with talk of the Amazon Kindle app and now, B&N's move to purchase FictionWise which works with Stanza.

Speaking of which, if you're more of a Stanza fan, you can download for free "Taking the Happy Bus on Home," the last story from The Love Book. Just follow these simple steps in the Stanza app:
1. Select "Online Catalog"
2. Select "Original Books & Stories (new authors from Feedbooks.com)"
3. Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right, search for "happy bus" and select the story once it comes up.
4. Click the download button

Or, if you want the story in any of the other eBook formats (epub, Sony e-reader, etc.), you can grab it here.

"Happy Bus" now available as a free eBook for iPhone, Sony Reader and more.

I'm proud to announce that I've made "Taking the Happy Bus on Home," a short story from my collection The Love Book, available as a free eBook for the iPhone, Sony Reader, Kindle and a just about every other device on the planet.

For iPhone users you will need the Stanza app (which is free). Get it here as an app for the iPhone or here as a desktop app.

Once you have the app installed on your iPhone, open it up. Then:
1. Select "Online Catalog"
2. Select "Original Books & Stories (new authors from Feedbooks.com)"
3. Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right, search for "happy bus" and select the story once it comes up.
4. Click the download button

If you would prefer to download it to your desktop or use it on any other device, you can do so via these links:
ePub | Mobipocket/Kindle | PDF | Sony Reader | iLiad| Custom PDF

I've been playing around with Lexcylce's Stanza application for the iPhone over the past few months and have to say it is pretty damn impressive. Sure, there are nitpicks: you can't just drag and drop books on to the phone from you desktop. But for the most part, the interface is easy to use, the files download fast, and the people at Lexcyle have done a great job of partnering with publishers to make plenty of content available for portable devices.

I actually used Feedbooks to upload the story, which then automatically reformats it for all the devices. Kudos to them for also creating a great platform that allows authors (especially indepedent ones like myself) to get their stories out to the people.

Indie & Small Press Book Fair Recap

My fellow Blacksmiths for Literary Progress and I had a hell of a time at the 21st Annual Indie & Small Press Book Fair here in New York City this past weekend. We've always been big fans of the fair as it attracts an interesting mix of presses from more well known names like Akashic, NYRB, and Soft Skull to obscure one-woman-armies like B. Rugged Needless to say, it was an honor to have a table at the event.

Brian Cogan (Encylopedia of Punk), Mike Faloon (Go Metric), and myself were on hand to represent the cause, with a special appearance by honorary member Richard Leck (Memory Hair) who kept us entertained with the best of W.C. Fields and Groucho Marx. Tim Hall (Full of It), Karen Lillis (The Second Elizabeth), and Ben Tanzer (Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine) couldn't make it to town, but their books did, much to the pleasure of those that snagged a copy.

We were lucky enough to be in a good corner on the balcony next to the good folks at Microcosm and Manic D Press which allowed us to meet a bunch of brand new friends and readers. We shook hands, introduced our work to the people, and even signed a few books. I was especially happy to sell all of the copies of The Love Book I had on hand, each one signed and personalized for the good person who plucked down their hard-earned cash.

A hearty thank you to all those that took the time to stop by the table and even picked up a copy of one of our books.

Here are a few shots for your ocular amusement.

A Reading This Sunday, 9/28

I'll be joining Chicago's own Ben Tanzer at Freebird Books in Brooklyn this Sunday to celebrate the release of his new novel, "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine." We're going to kick out the stories and have a few drinks with all our good friends who can make it to the reading. Show time is 7pm.

Another great review for The Love Book

Ben Tanzer and the nice folks at This Blog Will Change Your Life recently posted some nice praise for The Love Book. And I quoteth:

"...while love may be the operative word here, we're not sure anyone would call them love stories, per se. Now that said, are these stories all about how love gets warped, lost, manipulated, sublimated, twisted, fetishized, tainted and occasionally celebrated? Yes, and more. And so do we think you should you read this collection? Yes, again, for sure, so, go ahead, please read The Love Book, it just might change your life."

And a gratuitous reminder, you can come on down to Freebird Books in Brooklyn, NY on Sunday, September 28 to see Ben and myself kick out the stories to celebrate the release of his new book, Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine.

Support for (and from) the Indie Bookshops

One of the joys of having a book published is seeing your creation stacked up in the rows of books down at the local bookshop.

Being a more independently-minded soul, I take a certain amount of pride in the fact that my favorite indie bookshops are actually carrying copies of The Love Book.

So if you live in New York City or happen to be visiting, stop by one of these shops and pick up a copy of The Love Book, along with six or seven other titles, to show your support for their good taste in Literature.

Freebird Books 123 Columbia Street Brooklyn, NY 11211 Map

St. Mark's Bookshop 31 Third Avenue New York, NY 10003 Map

Spoonbill & Sugartown 218 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11211 Map

Meet the Author Recap (or There are days...)

I had already made two appearances in the virtual reality world Second Life. I figured my third time would be old hat. Alas, the metaverse had it in for me. My scheduled appearance on Meet the Author with host Adele Ward (aka Jilly Kidd) went nowhere near as planned.

To start, Second Life was having rolling server shut downs. So when I attempted to login five minutes before the start of the show, I was blocked out and couldn't get back in. Luckily I could still dial my voice into the conference line for the audio feed. However, a nice bloke named "Secondo" (a very apt first name) had to take my place on the stage. For the entire first half of the show, the crowd was convinced I had shown up in the guise of an ostentatious vampire complete with top hat, frilly coat, and fangs. I'm a horror fan, but more George Romero than Anne Rice.

Ah well, the show must go on. So I plodded on, reading the first half of "On Time," the fourth story in The Love Book. I was a little nervous about reading the story in two parts as it slowly winds its way into the plot (unlike the other stories in the collection which attack from word one) and requires a bit more listener patience. It's a great story, but you have to go with it to get to the payoff. Thankfully everyone seemed to enjoy Part 1. Then I was finally able to log in and my avatar appeared on stage. My luck seemed to be changing for the better. Or so I thought... I was booted out a few more times by Second Life's server blackouts. Bloody 'ell.

Luckily, I was finally able to get my tail back in-world, my zombie avatar revived once again, and just in time to read part 2 of "On Time," giving the crowd a bit more of Daniel's misadventures and strange obsessions. The fan response afterwards told me it was worth the gamble. Everyone liked the two installments of the story and were itching to read the ending.

If you missed it, you can watch the full video via SLCN's site. Just click on the photo to the left.



And here are some snapshots from the event. Enjoy.

The Miami Sun Post Interview

The press for The Love Book keeps on a-rollin'. I've been lucky enough to be featured in the Miami Sun Post's "Bound" column, written by John Hood (a guy who knows good books and gritty stories better than most critics). My two favorite quotes are:

"The Love Book will stain your soul."

and

"You’ll dig Ken Wohlrob’s The Love Book, whether you like yourself or not. In fact, if you compare its cavalcade of kooks to you and the folk you call friends, it’ll probably make you like yourself more."

You can read the full text of the interview here.

The Love Book Release Party Recap

It was a hell of a time on March 22nd. A nice crowd of people and the rest of the Blacksmiths For Literary Progress joined me at Freebird Books in Brooklyn to officially celebrate the release of my new short story collection, The Love Book. We drank beers, huddled around with friends old and new, and made with the prose like circus performers. We even had a nice sunset coming through the front windows as we read (check the photo). It felt fantabulous to be back at Freebird Books, where we always feel at home and the readings have never failed turn out great. Many thanks to Rachel and Peter for making it all happen. And of course it made me proud to do the gig with my fellow Blacksmiths — Brian Cogan, Tim Hall, and Mike Faloon — as it was the first time we could all be in the same room in over a year-and-a-half. If you were there, I thank you for making the trek out and supporting The Love Book.

And for those of you who missed it, here is a video of me reading an excerpt from "Taking the Happy Bus on Home," the last story in the collection (and apparently the hands down favorite amongst fans). Also below, are a few pics from the evening. Enjoy.

Two Live Events for The Love Book

I'll be making two appearances at the end of March to celebrate the release of THE LOVE BOOK.

The Love Book Reading/Release Party
When: Saturday Mar 22, 2008 @ 7:00 PM
Where: Freebird Books
123 Columbia Street
Brooklyn, New York 11231

What more could you ask for: booze, used books, and four bastardos a-readin'. Joining me will be fellow Blacksmiths for Literary Progress, Brian Cogan, Mike Faloon, and (flying all the way in from Chicago) Tim Hall. C'mon down to scenic Red Hook and join us at the finest little book shop in all of Brooklyn. More info at www.freebirdbooks.com.



"Meet the Author" in Second Life
When: Sunday, March 30, 2008 @ 5pm EST (or 2pm SLT or 10pm GMT)
Where: Red Sky Club in the Written Word Area
Second Life

This will be my third appearance on "Meet the Author" with host Jilly Kidd at the Red Sky Club in the Written Word Area. The show kicks off at 2pm SLT (or 5pm EST, 10pm GMT) and will be broadcast on SLCN TV.

If you're a Second Lifer, or want to be, you can use this link to teleport.

To attend the event in Second Life, you'll need to have the software. Grab it here.

If you just want to watch the show, you can view it live on SLCN's site:
Live Stream | SLCN Site | Meet the Author page

Look Ma, I'm a heartthrob...

I'm proud to say that I've been named Bookslut's Indie Heartthrob of the Week. They even called me "a self-publishing dynamo out of Brooklyn, NY." I'll be fighting Oscar De La Hoya next week.

It just goes to show what cheap wine and crushed-up amphetamines can do for your career. But I do consider it an honor as Bookslut has actually been championing good books and independent authors for quite some time now. They were kind enough to let me wax poetic about podcasting, free downloads, Second Life, and of course, The Love Book, my new short story collection.

Read the full interview here.

And of course, give Bookslut some love as well.

Spread the Disease... Share The Love Book

OK, you've done the good deed and supported independent publishing. You plucked down your hard earned cash to buy a copy of The Love Book. Now, don't keep it to yourself -- share it with the world. If you use any of the book sharing networks, add The Love Book to your online catalog. Even if you haven't read it yet, put it in the "To Read" shelf. And if you have read it, review it, rate it, praise it (or don't praise if you want). But tell your friends (and book-sharing peoples) what you think.

Click on the links below to add The Love Book to your book sharing catalog.

Book Social Networks
    

Facebook Applications
    

And if you want to add me as a friend, you can use these links:

      

The Love Book Reading/Release Party

What more could you ask for: booze, used books, and four bastardos a-readin'. I'll be celebrating the release of my new short story collection, The Love Book, by hosting a reading at Freebird Books. Joining me will be fellow Blacksmiths for Literary Progress, Brian Cogan, Mike Faloon, and (flying all the way in from Chicago) Tim Hall.

This will be the first all-original member Blacksmiths for Literary Progress reunion since the infamous McLintlock Affair at the Grassroots Tavern that disbanded the group back in '78.

C'mon down to scenic Red Hook and join us at the finest little book shop in all of Brooklyn. More info at www.freebirdbooks.com.

When: Saturday Mar 22, 2008 @ 7:00 PM
Where: Freebird Books
123 Columbia Street
Brooklyn, New York 11231