Too Much of a Coincidence plus a Giveaway

Several days ago, I saw My Friend Amy and Miriam Parker discussing Travis Thrasher‘s work on Twitter.  Amy said she really enjoyed Ghostwriter and Miriam told her that Travis would be on Blog Talk Radio on Tuesday, June 16.  Since I love Blog Talk Radio, I decided to read the only Travis Thrasher book I had, so I could participate.  I also started following Travis on Twitter.  I started Isolation on Friday night and it drew me in right from the start (it’s totally creepy).   As I was reading the book Saturday afternoon, imagine my surprise when I glanced up at Twitter and saw a Tweet from Travis that said he was at our local indie bookstore doing a signing.  I called the store to see how much longer he would be there and hopped in my car and rushed over.

Lucky for me, the store wasn’t very crowded so I got to talk with Travis (and meet his cousin and her husband) for a little while.  He was very nice and friendly and when I told him about my blog he said, “there are a lot of great bloggers out there doing great things.”  We talked about all kinds of things, including music, genres of fiction and book signings.  He said he loves to meet readers, even if they haven’t read any of his work.  If he comes to your area, you need to go see him!

I got Travis to autograph two copies of his newest title, Ghostwriter – one to keep and one to give away. I haven’t read it yet, but here’s a description from the publisher’s website:

For years Dennis Shore has thrilled readers with his spooky bestselling novels. Now a widower, Dennis is finally alone in his house, his daughter attending college out of state. When he’s stricken by a paralyzing case of writer’s block and a looming deadline, Dennis becomes desperate. Against better judgment, he claims someone else’s writing as his own, accepting undeserved accolades for the stolen work. He thinks he’s gotten away with it . . until he’s greeted by a young man named Cillian Reed–the true author of the stolen manuscript.

What begins as a minor case of harassment quickly spirals out of control. As Cillian’s threats escalate, Dennis finds himself on the brink of losing his career, his sanity, and even his life. The horror he’s spent years writing about has arrived on his doorstep, and Dennis has nowhere to run.

To enter to win an autographed copy of GHOSTWRITER,  simply leave a comment on this post.  Contest is open worldwide.  I will use random.org to determine the winner.  Contest ends at midnight EST, Sunday, June 28, 2009.  Winner will be announced on Monday, June 29, 2009.

edited on June 15 to add the following:

I just heard from Miram of Hachette Books and she has offered to sweeten the prize, by throwing in a (unautographed) copy of ISOLATION!  I finished the book yesterday and enjoyed it – I should have my review up later this week.