APRIL 2023

Where Have I Been?

Most of you have gotten a two-month reprieve from these newsletters, so on the off-chance you're wondering where I've been (yeah, yeah, I know), I've been kind of busy. Despite the record rainfall we've had in the Bay Area this year, Caroline and I, over the past several months, have managed to complete remodeling on our new house in Livermore, and to actually move in! We're mostly unpacked, with the exception of—you guessed it—books! This new house required new book cases, and until those are delivered, a large number of heavy boxes will have to await our attention. In the meantime, we're settling in, exploring our new city, and looking forward to spring!

In Other News

I've been busy on the author front, too, with new interviews and a new short story out, an article published, and a couple of new bookstores now carrying The Cyclone Release.

I Go Deep In an Authorlink Interview

Just out this week, author Ellen Birkett Morris hits me with some penetrating questions in her latest Author Talk interview on Authorlink. This was a shining opportunity to go deep on The Cyclone Release and my writing journey, and to give some advice to emerging writers. I can't thank Ellen enough for her thoughtful queries, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point you to her award-winning story collection Lost Girls. It's a terrific read.

Onyx Publications Releases My Story "Man-Man"

The short story "Man-Man," which I wrote in 2011, is a bit controversial: A 17-year-old high school girl propositions her 34-year-old English teacher, prompting a tense moral dilemma and internal struggle. Let’s just say that, if this story were on a high school library shelf in Florida, it would be banned immediately. But that didn't stop the brave editors at Onyx Publications from accepting it and allowing me to narrate an audio version for their Story Discovery Podcast. The podcast interview that follows the reading, with Onyx's JW McAteer and Melissa Collings, was one of the more enjoyable ones I've done: super fun conversation with two smart and inquisitive interviewers.

I Read from The Cyclone Release in Seattle

My trip to Seattle for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference lived up to expectations: reuniting with old friends, making new ones, and this year, getting the chance to do readings from The Cyclone Release, and even autograph a few copies. Caroline arrived as the conference was ending, and we had ourselves a nice, wet Seattle vacation, visiting the Seattle Conservatory, the Space Needle, the Chihuly Gallery and Garden, and this crazy Starbucks Roastery with a cocktail bar in it. (They finally figured out a way to get me into a Starbucks.)

My Latest Drops on Medium

One of the ways I keep my writing chops sharp is to publish articles on Medium. My latest, "Five Things My Debut Book Launch Taught Me," was published in The Writing Cooperative in February. In it, I draw from my experience getting The Cyclone Release into print and share wisdom on the good, the bad, and the ugly of publishing with a small publisher. (Spoiler alert: There's very little "bad" and no "ugly" at all.)

The Cyclone Release Storms Santa Cruz and Livermore

As you all know, The Cyclone Release is available at several South Bay Area bookstores, but I continue working to extend its reach. I'm therefore thrilled that it is now available at two additional bookstores: Bookshop Santa Cruz and, in my newly adopted hometown of Livermore, Towne Center Books. These two stores couldn't be more different. Bookshop Santa Cruz is a cavernous and bustling landmark in the middle of downtown, while Towne Center Books is a tiny enclave in the heart of Livermore's cultural hub. Either way, I'm happy and hopeful the book will find its way into some new readers' hands.

Reminders…

• Reviews — If you’re one of my favorite people in the world (that is, if you’ve read The Cyclone Release), please consider dropping a rating and review on Amazon. If you’re so inclined, you can drop the same review on Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or any other platform for book lovers you might use. As I’ve explained to some of you in a special newsletter, reviews are incredibly important in driving visibility and sales. So thank you in advance.

• Newsletter — If you know anyone who would enjoy quality literary fiction from the unique viewpoint of a Silicon Valley original, feel free to forward this e-mail along. New subscribers are welcome!

• Book clubs — Feel free to contact me about discounted copies and author appearances.

And in case you missed them, previous editions of the Bruce Overby | Author newsletter can be viewed online here.