Posted by connor on February 1, 2011
It’s been a big week already for Hungry Rats, with two of our biggest events in the last six months breaking over two days.
First, the book has been the subject of front-page Sunday coverage for the Flint Journal, Genesee County’s main newspaper with a readership of almost 230,000. It’s hard to overstate how significant this is for the future of the novel, although I would happily have written the book for greater obscurity without overhanging violence and tragedy. You can read the whole piece here: Flint native wrote novel before serial stabbings with eerie coincidences related to Abuelazam case.
“Coyne, who has a master’s degree in creative writing, crafted a novel sparked by that image about a teenage girl from a dysfunctional family who runs away from home in pursuit of the serial killer dubbed “The Rat Man.””
Second, Hungry Rats has been reviewed for the first issue of the Cleveland Review, and it was a juicy review at that. You can read it in its entirety here: Hungry Rats by Connor Coyne.
“Hungry Rats is a murder mystery that imparts not only the eerie feeling that the reader is being watched — or is on trial for a crime she may or may not have committed — but also suggests that she is trapped in an increasingly macabre Choose Your Own Adventure.”
I don’t know if the rest of the week can possibly live up to the excitement of the first two days. Although with my reading coming up at Quimby’s Bookstore in Chicago this Saturday, I’m going to give it my best shot!
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Photo of the Flint Journal building provided by The Flint Journal.
Cover of the Cleveland Review provided by The Cleveland Review.
Posted by connor on January 27, 2011
Check it! I’m going to be doing a reading from my novel Hungry Rats at the best bookstore in Chicago’s Wicker Park!
Quimby’s Bookstore
1854 W. North Ave
Chicago, IL
Saturday, February 5 · 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by connor on December 21, 2010
It’s December; it’s a hard time of year to be cold and hungry. With just 10 days left for purchases of Hungry Rats to benefit the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, I decided to turn up the heat a little with a contest!
If you plug Hungry Rats through Twitter, Facebook, or any other online public forum, each mention will earn you a chance to win a free copy of Hungry Rats. Right now, I’m planning to give away one free signed copy of the novel, but if enough people participate, I’ll give away up more copies.
How do you play? Just follow these simple steps.
1. Tweet, post on Facebook, share via a public forum A) a shoutout to Hungry Rats, B) charily/FBEM, and C) mention the website: hungry-rats.com. Here are some possibilities:
- “Murder 2010 and feed the hungry! Book sales to benefit Michigan charity: http://hungryrats.com
- “Murder mystery sales to benefit food bank thru 12/31/10. hungryrats.com”
- “Buy this awesome/dark/violent/grim/charitable book and help a great charity. http://hungryrats.com”
Of course, you can make you appeal more persuasive by telling your audience why you like the book and how this is a worthwhile project. You can read the first chapter for free here: http://hungry-rats.com/chapter-one.php
2. Message or Email me [connor at connorcoyne dot com] with a link to your post or status.
3. You can enter multiple entries, and are encouraged to do so. Each tweet/post/etc. will count at a separate entry. (Twitter users, don’t forget those hashtags: #contest #novel #mystery #crime, etc.) Message or email me with with any questions.
Looking forward to it!
~ Connor
Posted by connor on December 5, 2010
Kissed with curses, I sent my novel Hungry Rats — about a serial killer in Flint, Michigan — to the printer the same week that an actual serial killer struck the city. This is the sort of luck I’ve had all along: I’m invited on a podcast and the server crashes. The serial killer, it turns out, lives on the street as I did, and on which I set the novel.
Now, two months into this publishing adventure, my Google Alerts for “hungry rats” lights up like ships that would’ve carried the Bubonic Plague into Naples’ fine harbor. Has someone finally noticed my book?
Alas! No, it is the viral “Hungry rats vs. a scary-looking LEGO robot!”
Well maybe by linking them I’ll up my SEO and pick up some of their leavings.
Hey BoingBoing fans; check out my book. I’m even giving all of my money to charity until the end of the year!
Posted by connor on December 1, 2010
In 2010, Santa’s bringing you a violent tale of cold and callous murder.
In 2010, Santa’s bringing you Hungry Rats.
Also suitable for Chanukah, Kwanzaa, New Years, Chinese New Years, and other holidays.
http://hungryrats.com.
Why would you want to give a gift like this at such a festive time of year?
Well… why does dark, strong coffee taste so good with cakes and pumpkin pie? This is the holiday season, but it’s also the coldest, darkest time of year. Sooner or later that sun is going to go down, and your loved ones might as well curl up with a Gothic teen noir tale spawned in the rancid depths of America’s beleaguered middle.
COMING SOON: Versions of the novel will be available in eBook and Amazon Kindle format. Stay tuned for more on these 21st century reading options!
