A career "Boost"

The paperwork isn't wrapped up yet, so I can't reveal details, but I can say that my 2004 crime novel "Boost" has just been optioned by Hollywood for possible film/TV production.

"Boost" is the story of Sam Hill, a professional car thief who gets set up by a drug dealer. Sam sorts that out, then it's payback time.

Speck Press, which published the hardcover and trade paperback, has also made "Boost" available as an e-book via Nook, etc., for $9.99.

Thanks to everyone who's purchased my new e-book thriller, "Firepower," or one of the backlist books I've made available as e-books. They've been quite the success so far. More e-books from the Bubba Mabry series are coming soon.

You're doing it wrong

Tip for aspiring criminals: If you're the inside man on a bank holdup, don't use your own phone to send text-message instructions to the outside man.

Police in Arlington, TX, say a bank teller has been arrested after they found text messages with instructions such as "don't forget yo sunglasses" on his phone. The messages were sent to the accused robber, who was stopped for speeding while he still had the loot in his car.

The topper: Cops say these same two idiots may be responsible for an unsolved robbery at another bank where the teller worked.

Full story here.

Clearance sale on Bubba!

We're packing for our upcoming move to Santa Cruz, CA, and I've still got three boxes of my own books that I must sell off. If you haven't sampled my comic Bubba Mabry private eye series yet, now's the time.

I have autographed hardcovers of SHAKY GROUND, DIRTY POOL, WITCHY WOMAN and MONKEY MAN available for $14 each, including postage. I've also got a number of paperbacks of BABY FACE, which was the second in the Bubba series, available for $5 each. Cash, check or PayPal.

To see cover art, descriptions, etc., check out my author website: http://www.stevebrewer.us.com/.

To order books or for more info, e-mail me at abqbrewer@gmail.com.

Open House on Sunday

A reminder: Realtor Patte Jelavich hosts an Open House at our 4BR house this Sunday, 1-4 p.m. The address is 3882 Tea Rose Court in west Redding, CA.

For details and slide show, click here.

More fun with typos

A rental ad on Craigslist said the bathroom comes with a "pedastool sink." They may be using that sink improperly.

On the front page of today's local paper, in oversized, extra-noticeable type, we get this: "all the options should be exlored." I agree. I've exlored some options myself, usually into a handkerchief.

Best, though, was the line from a local "news" website in a column on sex and kissing: "In the throws of a great sexually charged event." Apparently, that's the best way to throw your back out.

Today's pimpage

One downside to self-publishing of any kind (including the rebirth of old books as electronic books) is that it's up to the author to do all the publicity. Which means we must regularly beat the drum for our own wares. Which makes some of us uncomfortable.

Just one of the many adjustments we must make as publishing morphs into something different. Those of us published by traditional houses have come to expect a certain amount of assistance: Editors, publicists, cover artists. With e-books, we must look elsewhere for this help. I happened to be married to a computer-savvy professional editor. I suggest you run right out and get yourself such a spouse. Otherwise, you'll have to do it all yourself.

Authors can't afford to ignore e-books. Not only is e-publishing a great way to breathe life into out-of-print works, it's a direct, tree-free way to deliver new books such as my thriller "Firepower." Free Kindle apps and Smashwords downloads mean the consumer can turn any computer, laptop or smartphone into an e-book reader. That's why e-book sales are soaring.

I'm not abandoning traditional publishing. My agent is circulating a couple of my manuscripts to the New York houses right now. But, if e-books, old or new, can provide another revenue stream and a bigger audience, I'm on board.

So here is today's pimpage: You can see all the books I've got on Kindle so far by clicking here. The same books are available in a variety of formats at Smashwords here. More to come soon.

Thanks for listening.