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THE FURY: official cover now online!

When I sat down to write THE STOLEN, the third Henry Parker novel, at first I was somewhat lost. I had a very specific idea in mind for what kind of book I wanted THE MARK to be, and the idea for THE GUILTY came to me while I was still penning the first book. The ideas for my first two books were in my head early. THE STOLEN was the first book I had to write totally from scratch, without a sense of what I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be different from the first two--in some ways more chilling than thrilling--but I needed a story that would accomplish that without deviating too much from the tone and pace I'd set in the first two books.

Then an image came to mind. I can't remember exactly where I saw it, but I read a recent story about Elizabeth Smart, the young girl kidnapped by polygamists and held against her will for nine months while the nation prayed for her safety. I read about her parents, her community, how it affected everyone around her, including us. For some reason, that crime planted the seed for my story. And it grew, and one image popped into my head.

Picture a family at the dinner table. They're eating, talking, passing the food. The kids are acting up, mommy scolding them. It feels like a normal family, but there's an air of sadness about them. Then the doorbell rings.

When the mother goes to answer it, her jaw drops. She begins to cry. Standing outside the front door is her young son who disappeared years ago, vanishing without a trace. She gathers him into her arms, tears falling freely, embracing the child she thought she'd lost.

The boy hugs her back. Only he's not sure why. Because even though he's been gone, he has no memory of where he's been.

That's where my story would begin. This would raise several questions: How was the boy taken? How could he not remember the last few years? And what would it be like to suddenly be five years older, the world having grown while you did not?

Henry Parker is a young man, estranged from his parents. In many ways, Henry has chosen to forget years of his childhood. When he begins looking into the disappearance of this boy, I thought it was a beautiful symmetry: a young man who never really was a child, trying to find out the truth about a boy whose childhood was taken from him.

As much as I want my Parker novels to be page-turners, gripping crime novels, I want the readers to feel engaged with the characters even more so. Anyone can fire a gun. Anyone can investigate a crime. But the reader won't care unless they feel an attachment to the person doing it. I want each book to be somewhat of a personal quest for Henry, and in each book I want the reader to learn a little more about him.

So when the mother sees her young son on that porch, a boy who has literally and figuratively been lost for years, in my mind I saw two people standing there.

Daniel Linwood, age 11.

And Henry Parker.

Hey Henry Parker fans!

As summer begins to heat up, I'm excited for the publication of my third Henry Parker novel, THE STOLEN, which hits stores in just five short weeks on July 29th. THE STOLEN is Henry's most chilling story yet, and I hope that whether you prefer to do your summer reading indoors, outdoors, in bed or on the beach, you won't be able to put it down.



Five years ago, Daniel Linwood disappeared from his suburban home.
Today, he came back.

Five years after he disappeared, young Daniel Linwood returned to his suburban home for dinner as though he'd never left. It's a blessing for both his family and their community. And I've snagged the exclusive interview.

But it turns out Daniel is just one of a string of abducted children who have mysteriously returned to their families with no memory of their lost years. Some people want me to leave it be. Some want me to simply let the healing process begin. But these wounds are deeper than anyone realizes.

To get the story on these bizarre kidnappings, I need the help of the one woman who owes me nothing. I've got to find answers before another life is snatched away from sight and time and memory. But doing so means we could be the next ones to go…

Click here for an excerpt, news and reviews.

My summer appearance schedule is coming together. Find out where I'll be signing and discussing THE STOLEN by clicking here.

NEWSFLASHES

--THE MARK was recently nominated for the prestigious Barry award! This is the third award nomination for Henry Parker's maiden adventure, and we'll find out if he gets the gold this fall at Bouchercon.

--THE MARK was just released in the UK, and has already hit the Bookseller's "Heatseeker" chart at 13! (one spot above the brilliant Haruki Murakami, and just a few spots below mega-bestsellers James Rollins and Nora Roberts.

--Speaking of James Rollins, the New York Times bestselling author of MAP OF BONES and THE LAST ORACLE has just selected THE MARK for June's "Breakout Thriller" program on Audible. To read what James said about THE MARK, and to hear a sample of the audiobook, click here.

THE STOLEN is available to pre-order at the following stores:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Powells

I love hearing from readers, so if you have any thoughts or questions about the THE STOLEN, THE GUILTY or THE MARK, or would like me to call in to your reading group, drop me a line at jason@jasonpinter.com.
Happy reading!
Jason Pinter
www.jasonpinter.com

I just received word this morning that THE MARK has debuted at 13 on the UK Heatseekers list. I'm just stunned and thrilled at this news. THE MARK is currently one spot above the brilliant Haruki Murakami, and just a few spots below mega-bestselling authors James Rollins and Nora Roberts.

Thanks to all the great readers in the UK who've read and helped spread the word about THE MARK.

Let's see if we can go up a few notches on that list!

Jason

When it came time to begin my fourth Henry Parker novel (THE STOLEN has been in the can a few months), it took a little longer than usual to come up with a story that I liked. Then, when it finally hit, I knew it was right. I had the story for book 4.

I wrote the first two chapters, which would be included as an excerpt in my third book, THE STOLEN. Chapter two ends with a moment that, when I describe it or think about it, makes me shiver. I'm not going to give anything away since THE STOLEN hasn't come out yet, but it made me think about my favorite 'shiver moments.'

A Shiver Moment is that moment in a book that literally sends a jolt of electricity down your spine, eliciting some sort of physical reaction just from reading the words on the page. It can be violent, sexual, beautiful, just something done or written in a way in which the words create a sort of psychosomatic reaction.

I think there's a shiver moment in each of my books. In THE MARK and THE GUILTY, the shiver moments each occur a little ways into the book. But I knew what they were and knew when they would happen when I began writing the books. I felt if these moments made me shiver (and I knew they were coming!) they would hopefully make the reader do the same. In the fourth book, the Shiver Moment comes right at the beginning. And it might be my favorite one yet.

This made me think about other 'shiver moments' in my favorite books:

--When Chief Bromden says, "It's the truth even if it didn't happen" in Ken Kesey's ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST.

--When Jimmy Marcus confronts Dave Boyle in Dennis Lehane's MYSTIC RIVER (I just shivered typing this--seriously).

--When Georgie meets Pennywise in Stephen King's IT.

--When Carl realizes the truth behind Zora's motives in Zadie Smith's ON BEAUTY.

--The very last sentence in Charlie Huston's A DANGEROUS MAN (more powerful if you've read the whole Hank Thompson trilogy).

These are a few of the times when reading a book where the words or actions had such an impact on me that they gave me a "shiver moment."

What are some of your favorite Shiver Moments?

Win your very own GUILTY Pleasure!

In advance of the release of my second novel, THE GUILTY, today is the start of my "Guilty Pleasures" contest. Three winners will receive their very own assortment of Guilty Pleasures, sure to brighten up any rainy (or sunny, or boring) day.

You can enter the contest by:
a) leaving a comment at The Man in Black blog (jasonpinter.blogspot.com)
b) sending me an email at jason@jasonpinter.com

The drawing ends at 11:59 EST on Sunday, February 10th. At that time three winners will be selected at random, and notified on Monday, February 11th. In addition to receiving a signed copy of THE GUILTY, each of the three winners can choose one prize from the following list as their own Guilty Pleasure:

1) A $25 gift card from Godiva Chocolatiers
2) "The Best of the 80's" and "The Best of the 90's" albums from iTunes
3) any four mass market paperback romance novels
4) any four mass market mystery/thriller/suspense novels ('s 3 and four can be mixed and matched)
5) any two trade paperback chick lit or mystery novels
6) any two of the following DVDs: "Say Anything," "Cocktail," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Pretty Woman," "Varsity Blues," "Dirty Dancing," "Road House," "Better Off Dead," "The Running Man," "When Harry Met Sally," "Bloodsport," or "The Princess Bride."
7) Limited edition gift pack from Bliss Spa (includes bath and shower gel and body butter)
8) Any season of "Family Guy" on DVD
9) Any season of "Sex and the City" on DVD
10) A one year magazine subscription to "CrimeSpree," "In Style," "Entertainment Weekly," "Vanity Fair," "ESPN," "Cosmopolitan," or a two-year subscription to "Esquire," or "GQ"

To to reiterate, three entries will each win a) a signed copy of THE GUILTY, and b) their choice of the "Guilty Pleasure" selections above.

The contest ends at 11:59 EST on Sunday, February 10th. Please forward this to any friends or family members who might be interested (they might even invite you over to watch a DVD they win). So submit your entry for the chance to win your own customized GUILTY pleasure package!

The latest review is in for my second novel, THE GUILTY...

"New York newspaper reporter Henry Parker returns in Pinter's exciting follow-up to THE MARK. Living with his girlfriend and trying to bury memories of the traumatic events recounted in the first book, Henry gets an assignment that will put him and his girlfriend in jeopardy again. A celebrity is shot outside a nightclub, and a note from the killer quotes a line from one of Parker's articles. More famous people die, and Parker sees a terrifying pattern: the weapon used to commit the murders is over 100 years old. The further Parker investigates, the more he becomes part of the story, a suspenseful and shocking tale that will leave readers clamoring for the next Henry Parker novel."
--Library Journal

Dear friends -

I'm thrilled to say that the final cover for my second novel, THE GUILTY, is now online for your viewing pleasure. You can check it out at jasonpinter.com or at jasonpinter.blogspot.com.

THE GUILTY will be in bookstores everywhere on February 26th, 2008.
Jason

I just posted my first video blog.

Check it out at jasonpinter.blogspot.com, or on YouTube at http://youtube.com/watch?v=kxkWA9RHJ70.

Happy viewing!