Time keeps on tickin’

Never a dull moment these days, and with each passing day, something new and exciting happens.

About a month ago, I heard that USA Today would be interviewing King for a piece to appear when The Dark Tower comes out, so, in a brazen and bold move, I e-mailed the USA Today book critic and offered myself up as a Dark Tower expert if he needed an extra resource for his article. From research for my Cemetery Dance column, I was familiar with his name and reviews. He e-mailed me back right away and asked me to get back in touch with him this week.

Which I did.

At first we tried to work out a time for a phone interview, but his schedule was too hectic, so we took it back to e-mail and yesterday he sent me a batch of open-ended questions that I answered at length. I like written interviews so much better because I get the chance to consider, revise and edit my answers, plus there’s a written record of the exchange. I’ve only done one “live” interview, and the results were less than what I’d hoped for because some very important details got messed up in the process.

The USA Today reporter said he definitely planned to work my book and my viewpoint into his article, so stay tuned next Monday or Tuesday. For me, this is really big as it expands awareness of The Road to the Dark Tower into the more general community. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of getting the word out to the Internet-aware King community, but here’s a chance to put it in the newspaper. Of course, there’s still a chance I’ll end up on the cutting room floor, but it won’t be for lack of trying on my part. I’ve surprised myself at my gutsiness lately, promoting my book the way I have.

I got a very nice 11 x 17 poster made of my book cover at the local Copy Central (formerly Copy Club) for less than $9. Its laminated and mounted on a foam backboard. Something to prop up on the table at signings.

Stephen King’s official web site has a blurb about From the Borderlands on the main page, which won’t hurt at all. We’re still hanging in there in the low 80s on the USA Today top 150. My Amazon sales ranking for Road hit an all time record yesterday of 677.

I got an ARC of the upcoming McSweeney’s Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories today. It has a new 30-page story by King called “Lisey and the Madman,” along with new fiction from Poppy Z. Brite, Peter Straub, Margaret Atwood, China Mieville, Joyce Carol Oates, Roddy Doyle and others. So far I’ve only read the King piece, which is taught and brilliant, but I look forward to chewing into the other stories soon.