Ending the Year with a Letter from a Reader.

I love to get emails from readers. Got this one yesterday from Wendy whose boyfriend's parents vacation in Avon, NC:

I have to hand it to you. You stumped the unstumpable. My family hates to go to the movies or watch t.v. with me because I always guess the endings.

My boyfriends parents go to Avon every Thanksgiving and this year picked up two of your novels. Murder at Whalehead and Murder at Hatteras.
I read the first one in one day. I guessed the killer. I felt you gave it away on page 79. Even though, I finished it and love it! I felt I could relate very much to the characters. I actually laughed out loud at some of the off hand comments made by some of them. I enjoyed it very much and recommended it to my daughters.

The second one I finished today. Started it yesterday. I enjoyed this one also. I suspected the killer in this one but you were so clever to make the reader root for it not to be him! So I flip flopped on my idea of who dunnit.
I wondered when I finished it how he could have gotten the mask. I suppose he had taken it after the very first rape.
Very, very good! I cannot wait to read the other novels.
I write alot of stories myself....I have thousands on my computer and cant seem to finish any of them. You inspire me to get back on the horse..so to speak. Thanks! Im a new fan!
My daughter and I went to your website...Very cool! We liked the ghost story until the cheezy ending I guessed that too! Oh, I love the trailers they were fantastic. I did think while reading the first one what a geat movie it would make.....Matt Damon as Kenny Queen!
Wendy

Reader's Comments

I got an email from a reader yesterday who agreed to allow me to post his comments on this blog. It's always great to hear from readers, especially when the writing had an impact.


Hi Joe, my name is Shane Rutledge. Recently I visited the Whalehead Club and stopped by the gift shop and noticed your book MURDER AT WHALEHEAD. It has been awhile since I picked up a book but what better time to do so then when your on vacation soaking up the sun. I just wanted to say that I was instantly hooked from the first chapter on, even surprising my fiance who reads every free moment she has. I found myself spending every waking moment reading your book until I reached the end, I just wanted to let you know that it was very enjoyable. Thanks to your book I am putting down the video games, I have already ordered MURDER AT HATTERAS and cannot wait until it arrives.

P. S. KEEP THE BOOKS COMING
sincerely Shane Rutledge

Web Commercial for Murder at Hatteras

Here's the new web commercial for Murder at Hatteras. It's a little corny but a lot of fun to make. Email the link to your friends. They'll get a kick out of it, especially if they like to be scared!

The Books Are in the Stores!

I have received word that Murder at Hatteras is now on North Carolina bookstore shelves. Angela, my contact at John F. Blair Publishing (the novel's distributor), sent me a photo of Buxton Village Books. The store owner, Gee Gee Rosell, has already ordered a second carton after almost selling out the first day!

Here's a link to Amazon: Click Here

Here's a link to Barnes and Noble: Click Here

Murder at Hatteras

Exciting news! Murder at Hatteras, my next novel in the Outer Banks mystery series, will be published in mid May of 2010. The highly respected North Carolina publisher, John F. Blair Publishing, has offered to be the novel's American and foreign distributor. This is big. This means the book will be available in many stores, especially in the southeast U.S. and perhaps even overseas. More news to come!

CLICK HERE to order The First Shall Be Last from BarnesandNoble.com.
CLICK HERE to order The First Shall Be Last from Amazon.com
Amazon link to Murder at Whalehead
Amazon link to The Healing Place
BN link to Murder at Whalehead
BN link to The Healing Place

Talk to you later,

Joe