Odds and Ends

You might recall that Tom Dolby came by last week to talk about what his first novel, The Trouble Boy, might have in common with chick-lit. That guest appearance was part of a "Virtual Book Tour" which put Tom on eleven different blogs in a single day, just as the trade paperback was arriving in stores. Did it do anything for his sales? "Mad Max Perkins" of BookAngst 101 gets the status report.

Another former Beatrice guest author Damian McNicholl is currently up for a Lambda Literary Award, as A Son Called Gabriel has made the shortlist for best debut novel. He's also recently started a blog that goes in all sorts of interesting non-literary directions. It's one of several author blogs that have recently come to my attention, including blogs by Jan Lars Jensen and Marc Estrin.

Meanwhile, holiday gift suggester Nina Schuyler's novel, The Painting, has been nominated for the Northern California Book Reviewers Award, which will be announced in mid-April.