Top #Geek Blogger Releases New Novel
OMG OMG OMG!!! This sounds so good!! My Fiesta Movement buddy @MikeyIl just sent this to me ... and mee likkeeesssssssss ...
Take one part Nick Hornby, one part John Cusack and one part Woody Allen, and you’ll have a pretty good idea what to expect from Textual Healing (AuthorHouse, $15.99), the debut novel by popular Philadelphia blogger and writing professor Eric Smith. The book takes its name from the writers-only support group attended by protagonist Andrew “Ace” Connor, once a successful novelist but now a bookstore owner whose novels collect dust on bargain book shelves. And ultimately, Ace does find his inspiration, not through Textual Healing, but through a free-spirited backpacker from Wyoming.
Ace is helped along in love and in life by a quirky cast of characters informed by Smith’s diverse interests in technology, literature, geek culture and love stories. “I wanted people familiar with romantic comedies to get just comfortable with the book,” he said of his freshman effort, “and then I wanted to hit them with a haiku-speaking ninja florist, a destructive sugar glider and an indie rocker who writes children’s books about gun control. That’s what keeps this from being your standard ‘boy meets girl, boy loses girl’ sort of book.”
Before deciding to self-publish through AuthorHouse, Smith shopped the book around to different publishers. “In a lot of ways,” he continued, “this is a book about books and the people who write them. In that spirit, I’m doing what a lot of authors don’t have the luxury to do: I’m retaining my rights so that I can decide the next step for the book.” Self-publishing has also allowed Smith the freedom to create what he’s called a “podiobook”—episodic downloads of the entire book—available for free at www.textualhealing.com.
Smith has also embarked on a partnership with Mighty Writers, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that connects area students to passionate writers. Two dollars from the sale of each eReader copy of Textual Healing ($9.99) will be donated to Mighty Writers, and Smith will also be working with the organization to lead classes and workshops.
Textual Healing will be available as of December 14, 2010, just in time for last-minute holiday shopping. The book will launch with a party at Tattooed Mom (530 South Street, Philadelphia) on Friday, December 10, 2010. The party will be free and open to the public.
Following the launch, Smith will plan a tour of the East Coast, during which he will offer readings and lead discussions about Textual Healing. His schedule will be updated at www.textualhealing.com.
Dude, totally dig the concept!! They sent me a copy of the book, and I just downloaded it onto my iPad SOO I will be reading it this month!! So stoked! I'm traveling for the holidays in 2 weeks, and it's cross country ... I'm going to DEVOURRR this thing. So yeah! Go get a copy, and let's chat about it. Whoop Whoop! Thanks for the heads up Mikey!!
#NerdsUnite
