Mike Silvestri

Cancellation

Mike — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:47:10 +0000

Due to a death in the family, Author Mike will not be attending the AuthorChat at the New Cumberland Public Library this Thursday. He will, however, be attending the WordArt reading on Saturday.

WordArt

Mike — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:23:14 +0000

The best authors are transparent, their phrasing and word use as deft as an artist’s brush. Their art paints the lives of their characters, while we, the readers, follow the flow of their work in silence.
But I do wonder sometimes just how the author might phrase their work aloud, what they’d emphasize, how they’d punctuate. Public readings used to be commonplace. Now, they’re much less so.
But that’s about to change next Saturday night at Gallerie 13 in Mechanicsburg where six authors will be reading their works aloud. Two of them are SuquehannaWriters — Lori Myers and yours truly, Mike Silvestri.
The event is called “WordArt” and it was was dreamt up by Ally Bishop. Ally is a MFA student who wanted to bring the wordsmith’s art into the same venue as the visual arts. She gathered us together; poets, essayists, humorists, fiction, and non-fiction writers alike, to lend our voices to our prose. It promises to be a thoughtful, humorous, and enjoyable evening. Best of all, it’s free. There’s even refreshments.
So, come on out and listen to how the wordsmith’s paint at Gallerie 13 on 13 East Main Street in Mechanicsburg, PA beginning at 7:00 PM on Saturday, July 31st.
See you there.

FRONT PAGE

Mike — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:23:34 +0000

The buzz over The Gospel of Matthias Kent grows stronger every day. Case in point is the Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop, who’s placed Gospel on its homepage as “This Month’s Special.”

This comes on top of greatly positive reviews from fellow authors and readers from CentralPA, Atlanta, Memphis, and, now, Chicago.

Take the journey with Matthias Kent and you’ll understand why this book is generating so much attention. Click on the Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop link above to purchase a copy for only $16!!! (While supplies last.)

The First Reading Group

Mike — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:41:56 +0000

Good news and great personal reviews are coming in every week from readers who’ve read The Gospel of Matthias Kent.

Today, Author Mike received a request to meet with the Mystery Readers of the Camp Hill Barnes & Noble for a discussion of the book to be held in August. Yes, that means they’re selecting Gospel a full month before it officially debuts!

The recommendation came from a member of the group who who read an advance copy of Gospel and was thrilled to propose it as the group’s next book — a rare occurrence considering that this discerning reading club focuses primarily on mysteries!!!

The Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop still has some advance editions if you’d like to obtain a copy of Gospel of your very own. And the author will be signing them at the New Cumberland Public Library’s Author Event along with Thriller Author Don Helin on July 29th at 7:00 PM.

Early Reviews

Mike — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:27:11 +0000

Readers who took the plunge into the advance copies of The Gospel of Matthias Kent are reporting how much they’ve enjoyed the book. One of them, sci fi fan and author of the Perry County Mystery Series Dennis Royer, went so far as to post a wonderful review of the Gospel on the SusquehannaWriters website on July 9th, 2010. Click here to link out to their site. Those of you looking to avoid any kind of spoilers may want to hold off.

Those of you looking to obtain a signed copy of The Gospel of Matthias Kent ahead of the September 1st release date should come out to either the New Cumberland Library on Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at 7:00 PM, or the Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop Ice Cream Social on Sunday, August 8th, 2010 at 2:00 PM.

Unsigned copies are available through Draumr Publishing as well.

Harrisburg Book Festival

Mike — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:42:17 +0000

The Midtown Scholar hosts the first annual book fair in Harrisburg’s historic Midtown on Saturday and Sunday, June 26th & 27th. Author Mike will be on hand from 1-4 on Saturday during the Fiction portion of the event that brings in more than 50 regional authors to meet, greet and speak with Harrisburg’s amazing reading community. Click here for full details.

Stop on by to pick up a copy of It Came From Beyond the Sun, Bark of the Tree, or to get a sneek peek of The Gospel of Matthias Kent. Yes, some advance copies are in and a few will be available during the Book Festival!!!

The Box

Mike — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:51:07 +0000

The postman dropped off a box last week. You know how they all look - ubiquitous dirt brown bound in shiny plastic tape. Ordinary. Mundane. God knows I’ve received enough of them in the mail.

Yet this one’s arrival filled me with equal parts suspense and glee. Why? The return address belonged to my publisher, Draumr. I instantly knew what sat inside the package. The first two production copies of The Gospel of Matthias Kent.

I stopped breathing for a moment as I held this all-too-ordinary carton in my hands. Every cell in my body tingled. I couldn’t stand the anticipation any longer and ran a knife carefully along the tape. The books lay inside, cradled in a protective film of plastic.

There’s always a bit of trepidation when you see your book in print. It’s tangible. It’s real. It exists. And the cover has your name stamped on it. All praise and/or blame is now squarely yours.

I plunged into it, fanning the pages, and seeing all the nouns and verbs fly by. My eyes came to rest on a bit of dialog between my protagonist and a supporting character. They walked in a bleak forest. I listened in on them like the eavesdropper I felt I was when I wrote those words. And, then closed the book.

Questions overcame me. Would readers take the journey with Matthias? Would they hear him the same way I did, and still do? That’s where the suspense, the fear, comes in - that stepping away from the creation of a story to letting it find its mark with the true judges of the written word – readers. I guess that’s the blessing and the curse of being a writer.

For now, I’ll bask in the blessing of opening a simple cardboard box and delighting with what I found inside.

COMING SEPTEMBER 1ST!!!

Mike — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 02:16:46 +0000

Draumr Publishing has announced the print release of The Gospel of Matthias Kent on September 1st, 2010!!!

After a long winter of edits and prep work, my very cool editor Robert gave Gospelhis blessing. Cover design is complete and pre-release work-ups are on the way for review. You can check out the Novels page for the cover image. What’s even cooler is our video preview!!! So, crank up the speakers, sit back, and take it all in!!! Enjoy!!!

The Carlisle Theater

Mike — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:17:26 +0000

Author Mike and Susquehanna Writers members, Tina Crone, Don Helin, and John Sprunk, had a great time discussing Fahrenheit 451 as a part of Jumpstreet’s Big Read this past Saturday. It was great to talk about so many aspects of the book versus the film as well as getting the audience’s take on what Ray Bradbury’s work means today.

Kudos to Debbie Beamer of the Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop and Cindy Dlugolecki of Jumpstreet for bringing everyone together for such a wonderful event.

Congrats to Cate Masters!!!

Mike — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:21:18 +0000

Cate Masters dropped the big, big Gnus that her urban fantasy novel, Surfacing, has been picked up for print publication by Whiskey Creek Press sometime next year. Surfacing is a book about a man, a mermaid, and Rock & Roll amidst the touristy kitsch of a sleepy, seaside Florida town. Way to go, Cate!!!