Yes, that's me at #103 here, the first appearance on the USA Today bestseller list -  this book that I wrote many years ago, the one languished in a drawer for a decade before I pulled it out and decided it deserved another chance. My first novel.

When I say "I couldn't have done it without you," it's not hyperbole. My publisher, Crown, set up the recent e-book sale and publicized it via BookBub. (I found out on the Friday evening before the sale started - an hour after I'd temporarily deactivated Facebook for a social media break. I signed right back on.) Then friends and cousins and fans tweeted and Facebook-shared and urged their friends to buy this book. And helped keep me going doing the same.

To everyone, I am supremely grateful. I can write the best books I possibly can, but I can't hand-sell door to door. You all helped make this happen. Thank you.

I'm feeling extraordinarily lucky and very, very grateful right now.

Marcia Clark's new novel, THE COMPETITION, comes out July 8, and here's where you can preorder it - some of these are offering discounts:

• Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/RiLBOL
• Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/1hDGkOy
• Google Play: http://bit.ly/1pZCVcl
• Hastings: http://bit.ly/1rR9gXC
• At your local, indie bookstore: http://bit.ly/1jdJBxX
• iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ooBa8E
• Overstock: http://bit.ly/1tOkKH7

Description of THE COMPETITION:

A Columbine-style shooting at a high school in the San Fernando Valley has left a community shaken to its core. Two students are identified as the killers. Both are dead, believed to have committed a mutual suicide.

In the aftermath of the shooting, LA Special Trials prosecutor Rachel Knight teams up with her best girlfriend, LAPD detective Bailey Keller. As Rachel and Bailey interview students at the high school, they realize that the facts don't add up. Could it be that the students suspected of being the shooters are actually victims? And if so, does that mean that the real killers are still on the loose?

This is one of the books affected in the Amazon disagreement with the publisher Hachette , so Amazon isn't allowing pre-orders. Once publication date hits, shipment from Amazon may be delayed several weeks and (judging from other new Hachette books) it likely will be at or near full price, without the usual deep Amazon discount.

But don't let this keep you from getting your hands on Marcia's book  or let it hurt her book sales (pre-orders are really important for authors). Call up your local bookstore to order, or click one of the links above.

Good news! My publisher is offering my suspense novel Learning to Swim for $1.99 on all e-book platforms for a limited time. This book is suitable for ages 11 and up, and popular with book clubs, with a reading guide in the back.  It won the Anthony Award and Agatha Award for best first novel and the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was a Target pick. (And I'm particularly fond of it!) Here's how it starts:

“If I’d blinked, I would have missed it. But I didn’t, and I saw something fall from the rear deck of the opposite ferry: a small, wide-eyed human face, in one tiny frozen moment, as it plummeted toward the water.”

So if you'd like it at a bargain price (it has never been on sale before) you can get it from:

• Amazon Kindle
• Apple iBook
• Barnes & Noble Nook

• Books-a-Million
• eBooks.com
• Google Play

• Kobo

For those of you who have mentioned that you've loved my  novels and are eager to see more - this is a chance to help make this happen. I'm paraphrasing another author friend here:  the absolute greatest favor you could do to make more Troy books a reality is to share your excitement for LEARNING TO SWIM with others, by letting them know about this or even by gifting an e-book to a friend or family member.  And thank you for finding and reading my books!

Some descriptions:
“A single woman dives headlong from a ferry into Lake Champlain to rescue a child, and then must figure out what to do with him. Compulsively readable, this is all about what we do for love.”  —Boston Globe
 
“In Henry’s tense first novel, a young woman rescues a boy from the waters of Lake Champlain, only to see her unruffled life abruptly give way to an unfamiliar world of wealth, privilege and danger. ”  —The New York Times

My novel A COLD AND LONELY PLACE was recently nominated for an Anthony Award for best novel - delightful and astounding news for a book that holds a special place in my heart.

Best Novel Nominees:
SUSPECT - Robert Crais
A COLD AND LONELY PLACE - Sara J. Henry
ORDINARY GRACE - William Kent Krueger
THE WRONG GIRL - Hank Phillippi Ryan
THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS - Julia Spencer-Fleming

I want to give a shout-out to the nominees in the best paperback category, which includes multiple books (and authors):

THE BIG REAP - Chris F. Holm
PURGATORY KEY - Darrell James
JOYLAND - Stephen King
THE WICKED GIRLS - Alex Marwood
AS SHE LEFT IT - Catriona McPherson

You can find the full list of nominees here.

These awards will be given at Bouchercon in November in Long Beach, California, a lovely fan conference open to anyone - you can register here.

This is the first in a series of posts promoting books of authors who have been 'blacklisted' from Amazon - in a dispute over terms, Amazon is not allowing pre-orders for any books published by Hachette and its imprints. (Other Hachette authors' books have been put on 'delayed' shipping - one to three weeks - with prices increased to full price.)

Politics and business practices aside, this is seriously harming authors, since around 50% of all book sales occur through Amazon. And pre-orders are very important in determining a book's success. But there are plenty of other places to buy books, and this is the time to turn to them.

You aren't going to want to miss Megan Abbott's THE FEVER, coming out June 17.

The Nash family is close-knit. Tom is a popular teacher, father of two teens: Eli, a hocky star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak spread through the family, school and community.

As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families and the town's fragile idea of security.

"A chilling story about guilt, family secrets and the lethal power of desire, THE FEVER affirms Megan Abbott's reputation as "one of the most exciting and original voices of her generation." - Laura Lippman

"THE FEVER holds true to its title: It's dark, disturbing, strangely beautiful and utterly unshakeable.  Megan Abbott has created a mesmerizing, modern portrait of teenage life today: Brutal crushes, competing allegiances and first-bloom sensuality, all magnified by the rush and crush of technology." – Gillian Flynn

Here is where you can order this book:

Where can I order/pre-order The Fever (pub. date June 17)?
Your local bookstore
IndieBound
Barnes & Noble
BN Nook (ebook)
iTunes (ebook)
Kobo (ebook)
Powells
Books a Million  ($15.60)
and many other places. 

Stores with signed copies that will ship directly to you include Book Court, Word, Brookline Booksmith, Square Books, Murder by the Book, Book People, Poisoned Pen, Aunt Agatha's, Nicola's and River Road Books.

Note:  I'm neither affiliated with Hachette nor published by them. I do know some of the authors whose books I'm promoting here.