Evan's Castle, or, What Finally Made Me "Pimp My Novel"

I originally joined Gather in July (at the urging of my long-time friend Peter Swanson) specifically to promote my novel, Evan's Castle, which was due out in August. 

Peter, however, being somewhat fiendish (don't believe that cute little BK hat), failed to warn me how addictive Gather would turn out to be.

Instead of flogging my absolutely faboo little light romance, I ended up hanging around meeting cool people and engaging in silly behavior with said cool people day after day, and now Evan's Castle has been out for nearly two months and I still haven't plugged it.

There's one other reason, of course -- simply that when you get right down to it, I'm not good at promoting my own writing.  I never have before; I've completed twelve novels with virtually no one other than Peter and fellow new Gatherer (and dandy artiste) Laela Arcus knowing I even write. That's just the Tracy Way.

But something has happened -- something I did not expect -- to motivate me to remind you all that I do in fact have a novel out.

This is, as I said, a light romance about a thirty-something woman who leaves her old life behind to go work for a scientist in his research lab.  She's attempting a fresh start, and needs no complications, and he's supposed to be an aloof, untouchable grouch, so she expects (and even hopes for) long quiet days to regroup.  Of course (did you pay attention when I said it was a light romance?), things don't quite go that way, and when she becomes the victim of a relentless vandal/prankster, that just adds to her turmoil. 

The key phrase here, again, is light romance. That means I expected only women, and not even all women, to read it.

So how is it that now four adult males have "come forward" to tell me not only that they've read Evan's Castle -- A LIGHT ROMANCE -- but that they LIKED IT?

Four men. Huh.

(I never asked anyone to read it, and I will never ask anyone "did you like it?"; that is far too open-ended a question and puts people on the spot.)

Yet, inexplicably, defying all stereotypes about their gender, four men (ranging in age from 34 to 75) voluntarily read my light romance and liked it.

Who'da thunk it?

You can find excerpts here at  my website.

At least until the end of the month, most of the first chapter is available at Oncewritten.com.

Apparently it's... not bad!  Peter was one of the adult male readers, and he gave me a review here!

So... go check it out!  Four men can't be wrong.

Well, about this, anyway.  ;-)

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: AS OF 11/9/08: eight men have now voluntarily read this book and reported liking it. The fourth man loaned it to the seventh man -- and I don't even KNOW him.