What a Great Book Launch!

Friday night, we had the official launch party for my newest novel, Every Broken Trust, at Mysteryscape, Kansas City’s newest independent bookstore. This weekend, Mysteryscape was also celebrating its one-year anniversary and offering a raffle for Every Broken Trust, Sally Goldenbaum’s newest book, Angora Alibi, and Dennis Lehane’s Edgar-winning Live By Night, plus a pound of Mysteryscape’s fantastic organic dark coffee and a Mysteryscape cup.

 

A lovely audience of about sixty people showed up to celebrate with me. People came from all over the metropolitan area. Some even drove up from Lawrence, Kansas, and others from Topeka, which is a 2-hour drive from Kansas City. There were old friends, who’ve long supported me and my books, and new friends that the books have made for me. Even some folks I’d never met before in person or online, but who’d become fans of the series with the first book, Every Last Secret. People kept coming in all through the launch right up until the end, so it was an exciting evening.

I had an absolutely gorgeous cake celebrating Every Broken Trust, but this year I kept the book cover smaller on the cake. Last year, I had Every Last Secret’s image cover the entire top of the cake and found that people were reluctant to cut into that beautiful cover. So most of the cake went uneaten. This year, with the cover in the center of the cake only, almost the entire cake was consumed.

And we sold so many books that, with the pre-orders, Every Broken Trust became the #1 Bestseller at Mysteryscape. What great fun!

I'd like to thank my friends who drove all the way from Lawrence and especially my sister who drove up with her son from Topeka to celebrate with me. (I know. I'm very fortunate in the sister I have.) And of course, my husband who is the most supportive spouse in the world.

Acia Morley and Cheri LeBlond who own Mysteryscape are wonderfully supportive of authors and of the reading community and deserve all of the grand success their new store is having.

I had many friends take photos and so have lots of lovely pictures, but for some reason Blogger keeps trying to post them upside down. So this blog only has the ones I could keep upright. I'll try to post some of the others on Facebook.

We had a great time, and I'd like to thank everyone who came, and all of you who posted notice of the book and the launch online and sent good wishes and, above all, pre-ordered Every Broken Trust. You guys are the best, and without you, all this could never happen.

EVERY BROKEN TRUST Is Finally Out in the World

Today is my official book launch celebration for my second Skeet Bannion novel, Every Broken Trust, so I hope you’ll bear with me for a little blatant self-promotion—which I usually try to keep at a minimum on this blog.  

This evening at 6:30 p.m. at Mysteryscape, 7309 W. 80^th St., Overland Park, KS, we’re celebrating Every Broken Trust’s birth into the world, though the actual pub date was last Tuesday, May 7. That means that Every Broken Trust is available at stores near you and online, so I hope you’ll check it out.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have garnered some great reviews for this second novel, and I’ve quoted from some of them below. It’s been an exciting time lately with the new book coming out to good reviews and the first book, Every Last Secret, named a finalist for the International Latino Book Awards.

(For signed copies)   Rainy Day Books     Mysteryscape 

Powell's     IndieBound      Amazon      Barnes & Noble

For those who want a taste of Every Broken Trust, you can read the first chapter at the link below and read other excerpts from the book in a great review on Criminal Element.

Read the first chapter of Every Broken Trust here!

Read more on Criminal Element here!

I was on a popular public radio show in Kansas City yesterday as part of a great writers roundtable, and if you’d like to hear that show, the link is HERE.

ADVANCE PRAISE for EVERY BROKEN TRUST

"Linda Rodriguez gives readers a truly modern heroine in tough, independent, and complex police chief Skeet Bannion. Add powerful writing, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and a cast of characters you won't want to leave behind and Rodriguez delivers another terrific read."
          — Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author of No Mark Upon Her

“Linda Rodriguez is a richly talented writer. Her aim is true, and she strikes deep. This new work will reward you as it weaves its generous spell. Good stuff. Get it now.”
         — Luis Alberto Urrea, bestselling author of The Hummingbird’s Daughter and Queen of America

“Skeet’s second outing (Every Last Secret, 2012) showcases a strong, intelligent woman with a difficult past that keeps returning to haunt her.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Satisfying… Credible characters enhance the absorbing plot.”—Publishers Weekly

“The first Skeet Bannion showed great promise for a series featuring a strong and complicated heroine. This sophomore effort cements Linda Rodriguez as a writer whose promise has been made good. Damn good book.”—Crimespree Magazine

“With Skeet Bannion as the lead, Linda Rodriguez' Every Broken Trust is one of the best traditional mysteries I've read this year.”—Lesa’s Book Critiques

“Rodriguez combines elements of the whodunit with those of the thriller in her second installment, a follow-up to last year's award-winning "Every Last Secret." Her latest not only fulfills its predecessor's promise but also furthers Skeet's story in ways that will have readers eager for her next case.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch

I hope you can join me tonight at the launch party. If you can’t, I’ll be thinking of all of you while there. I feel so fortunate to have found so many wonderful, supportive fans for the Skeet books all over the country! You readers are really what this is really all about, and I thank you and hope you’ll enjoy the new book, as well.