Leaving on a jet plane: I'm booked to fly to London on Easter weekend, ready for the UK tour, which begins
officially on Tuesday March 25th. The UK paperback of BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE is
already out and doing well, and the brand-new, twelfth-in-the-series Reacher book
NOTHING TO LOSE has already hit a few stores but should hit them all around the time
I hit Heathrow.
You can find information on and an excerpt from NOTHING TO LOSE on my web site.
It's going to be a fun launch and I hope to see you all somewhere, in either London, Manchester, Nottingham,
Milton Keynes, Bluewater, St. Albans, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, York, or Lincoln. Full details of the
tour are on the web site APPEARANCES page.
If you can't make any of the events, don't worry, just enjoy the book and follow my progress on the tour blog.
I'll be staying on in the UK for a few days after the last event because I have been nominated for one of the
Galaxy British Book Awards, and the dinner happens Wednesday April 9th, and will be covered on Richard and
Judy's show on Channel Four the following Sunday, I think.
Touring backward: We're in the final stage of planning for the US tour in June...normally I start on the East
Coast and work west, but this year the trajectory is reversed: I'm starting in LA and finishing in New York.
Along the way between those two bookends we're planning to hit Seattle, Beaverton (OR), Scottsdale (AZ), Houston,
Dallas, Highlands Ranch (CO), Oak Brook (IL), and Okemos (MI). Then after a weekend break I'm heading for
Toronto for a couple of days.
Full US details are on the web site's APPEARANCES page, all but the
Toronto details which will be posted just as soon as we have them. And I'll be blogging from the road in the
US and Canada, too.
Three more things: first, check out my home page for details of a very special charity auction, for Autism
Research, beginning March 23rd. The winner will have a character named after them in a future Reacher novel.
Second: keep an eye on the web site—we're going to change the look very soon, and we hope you like the new design.
And third: As always, continued sincere thanks for your interest, enthusiasm and support, which has kept Reacher
going all these years. I'm close to finishing the 2009 book—which is called Gone Tomorrow. Right now
Reacher is trapped in a big-city hotel room, and I have to figure out how to bust him loose...
Best wishes to all,
Lee
THE REACHER REPORT Getting the new year started right, Winter 2008
A writer's year builds up a rhythm, and after 12 of them, I can feel things coming ... and right now, publication season is on
the horizon. Last year's Reacher novel, BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE, is due in paperback on March
10 in the UK, and March 25 in the US, and the new Reacher hardcover, NOTHING TO LOSE, is due on March 24 in the
UK and June 3 in the US.
NOTHING TO LOSE is the 12th Reacher book, and you have no idea how good that feels to say. I am very grateful to all
of you for making such a sustained series possible. I remember writing KILLING FLOOR—and
loving the process—and thinking, "This will be fun for the year or two it will last." But happily Reacher is still
around—and he's got no plans to walk away into the sunset just yet.
In a few weeks, the website will have a NOTHING TO LOSE synopsis and an extended excerpt, but I
like to think of Reacher Creatures as the vanguard, so you get a sneak peak. What is NOTHING TO LOSE
about? Here's what I wrote for the book jacket:
"Two small towns in the middle of nowhere: Hope and Despair. Between them, nothing but twelve miles of empty road. Jack Reacher
can't find a ride, so he walks. All he wants is a cup of coffee. What he gets are four hostile locals, a vagrancy charge, and
an order to move on.
They're picking on the wrong guy.
Reacher is a hard man. No job, no address, no baggage. Nothing at all, except bloody-minded curiosity. What are the secrets
that Despair seems so desperate to hide?
With just one ally—a mysterious woman cop from Hope—and many enemies, Reacher goes up against a whole town, hunting
the rich man at its core, cracking open his terrifying agenda, asking the question: who has the edge—a man with everything
to gain, or a man with nothing to lose?"
I hope you enjoy it!
I'm a little more than halfway through #13 for 2009—no title yet, although I kind of like "Gone Tomorrow"—and
will finish before I leave on tour in late March. That's the plan, anyway. I don't know where they'll send me
for NOTHING TO LOSE. London, New York and Los Angeles are good bets but the rest is anybody's guess. I'm very pleased to be Guest of
Honor at Love is Murder and SleuthFest. If you can't make it to either convention, there are two library events plus one
bookstore event for the anthology I edited, KILLER YEAR. For the truly home bound, I'll be on TV, too.
Rye Free Reading Room, January 27th - open to the public KILLER YEAR signing at P&C with Jason Pinter, Dave White and Duane Swierczynski, January 28th, 7pm Murder by the Book on TruTV, January 28th, 10pm E/P Warren Newport Public Library (Gurnee, IL), January 31st, 7pm Love is Murder convention (Rosemont, IL), February 1-3
Maggie has put all the details on the website, along with more events—check the
website APPEARANCES page.
And by the way, in conjunction with my Murder by the Book episode, Gather.com asked members to send in questions.
They'll choose which ones I answer and those answers will be posted online
at Gather.com. I don't know what to expect,
but so far it appears murder and mayhem are on everyone's agenda.
Lee
THE REACHER REPORT Bad Luck and Trouble in the UK, March 2007
Lee's BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE UK tour kicks off on Monday, March 26th, with a live interview on
Oneword Radio. The incomparable Paul Blezard—the man whom Lee calls "the best voice and the best
book guy in UK radio"—has control of the mic. Who knows what will happen?
Lee's bookstore appearances begin on Thursday, March 29th. For the complete details of Lee's tour
schedule, visit the website APPEARANCES page.
If you won't have a chance to attend any of Lee's events, you can always pre-order a signed and/or
inscribed copy of BL&T from any of the bookstores listed on his tour.
If you are able to attend one of Lee's book signing events—that's excellent news! Lee
will be very pleased to meet you. Don't forget to BRING YOUR CAMERA. If you email us a
photo of Lee at one of his 2007 BL&T signings (hopefully with YOU or scads of Reacher Creatures in it), and
we use your photo on Lee's BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE TOUR BLOG or on his website
SCRAPBOOK, we'll send you Reacher's travel toothbrush!
Okay, not his actual toothbrush, because that would be...well, kinda gross. But we'll send
you a BL&T facsimile.
If we don't use your photo on the website, don't despair. You're still in the running for cool
prizes. We've opened up the Reacher vault and found rare treasures sought after by Reacher
Creatures worldwide:
Jack Reacher's dogtags (real dog tags, no foolin'); his ribboned medal from THE ENEMY; and
lastly (guaranteed to make it difficult to get through airline security, even if the bullet is
neutered), the engraved sniper's bullet from ONE SHOT.
Anyone sending in a tour pic will have their name thrown into the hat. We'll choose three winners
(and randomly pick who gets what) in July.
Go get your camera battery charged!
By now you've all realized that Lee left this newsletter up to his webmaven. Sorry about that.
The reason behind the switcheroo, and why this could be considered good news, is that it left Lee
time to start his aforementioned BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE TOUR BLOG.
Yup, the first few entries have already been posted online so please check 'em out.
Last year's THE HARD WAY TOUR BLOG was such a huge success
that you Reacher Creatures hardly had to nag him at all to do it again—you guys make my job
easy! Thanks!
Webmaven Maggie
P. S. For on-sale dates in other countries, please check the website FAQ page.
Editions in languages other than English have a variety of release dates; info on those can be
found on the FAQ page HERE.
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #12, late December 2005
This is just a quick note to wish you all the very best for the holidays and to thank you for the great year you gave me in 2005.
(For those of you in the US, that tour starts June 14th, and I see from my early schedule that there are some exciting new places on the list this year.)
So, keep an eye on the web site for exact details—and check back often, because—spare a thought for poor Maggie here—events change and are added constantly. So she'll be busy updating the Appearances page right up until just after each event has happened.
And—spare another thought for Maggie—we'll be trying a tour blog this time, which means she'll have to transcribe my faxed midnight scrawls every day. If you've ever seen my handwriting, you'll know that won't be easy.
The good news for me is that I can hit the road with an easy mind and a clear conscience because ... I've finished next year's book. The Hard Way is done ... and I'm pretty happy with it. It's a current day story ... it starts with a quiet cup of coffee in New York City and ends with a full-scale shooting war in the tranquil English countryside.
But that's for next year—now I have to re-read ONE SHOT so I can answer all your questions. Hope to see you somewhere.
With very best wishes,
Lee Child
Note from Webmaven Maggie:
LeeChild.com has a new look! Revamped from floor to ceiling, there are new features we hope you'll like. Take a moment to wander around the site. Don't leave before checking out the Reacher page or dropping into the Forum to let Lee know what you think of ONE SHOT. Lee's looking forward to your feedback!
Can't make it to one of Lee's events? On the website Appearances page we've provided as much information as possible to make it easy for you to meet Lee or—if you can't—pre-purchase a signed or inscribed copy of ONE SHOT.
Regarding the tour, for those of you who've inquired about Sydney events, you'll be pleased to see there are two! It's too soon to have all the details on the US tour, the full US schedule will likely be posted online in early June.
See you online!
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #9, Winter Solstice 2004
Looking back I realize it has been a long time since the last Reacher Report ... which is a reflection of how busy this year has been. THE ENEMY launched in April and May and became the most successful Reacher book so far, for which I thank you all. Your enthusiasm and support mean a lot to me. I toured to promote the book in the UK and the US and was delighted to see so many of you at the events. Always a pleasure. And thanks for the e-mails and letters.
The 2005 book is all ready to go. The title is ONE SHOT and publication in the UK, NZ, Australia and S'Africa will be in early April. In the US they're shooting for late June, I think. Keep an eye on the web site for more details. It's a current day story, told in the third person, set in an Indiana city ... a lone madman with a rifle hides out in a parking garage ... he takes aim into a crowded public square ... five random passersby are killed instantly. But by dint of excellent police work, the perp is in custody just five hours later ... where he refuses to say a word. Eventually he responds to his lawyer with a single sentence: "Find Jack Reacher for me." But why? The guy knows that Reacher hates him. Read on ... by the end of the book, nothing is what it seems.
And, of course, the 2006 book is underway now. The title is THE HARD WAY and these are the opening lines:
Jack Reacher ordered espresso, double, no peel, no cube, foam cup, no china, and in the time it took to arrive at his table he saw a man's life change forever. Not that the barista was slow. Just that the move was slick. So slick, Reacher had no idea what he was watching. It was just an urban scene, repeated everywhere in the world a billion times a day: A guy unlocked a car and got in and drove away. That was all.
But that was enough.
It's a kidnap story—or is it? It starts out in New York City, and I think it's going to finish in the UK, somewhere outside London. It's the tenth Reacher book and it feels pretty amazing to get to double figures. Again, thanks to you all for making it possible.
One of the fun things about 2004 was my rejuvenated short story career. As you may know I wrote one for an anthology called LIKE A CHARM, which was well received. People noticed ... said to themselves "Aha! Lee's willing to write short stories now!" So the requests have been trickling in. I just wrote one for an anthology called THE COCAINE CHRONICLES edited by Gary Phillips, a friend and a fabulous LA writer. The story is called "Ten Keys". (It's very short.) Plus, I agreed to do one for another anthology about hit men, and one for a Mystery Writers of America anthology edited by Harlan Coben. So it's going to be a busy winter. Both stories and THE HARD WAY need to be delivered before the end of March. Keep an eye on the web site for publication details.
My travel schedule for 2005 is shaping up and it's pretty exciting. Next up will be the UK tour during the first two weeks of April. Then the big news is that after five years I'm going back to New Zealand and Australia, during the second two weeks of April. The New Zealand itinerary looks to be pretty much wall-to-wall and the Australian leg is scheduled to cover four cities this time—Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth. (Click here to connect to Lee's UK, AU, NZ Appearances page.)
Then I'll hit major US cities for ONE SHOT in June and July, and I'll be at Bouchercon in Chicago in early September. Late September, I'm going to Sweden for the first time, to the Gothenburg Literary Festival. Sweden is a little behind some other countries in terms of publication schedule; ECHO BURNING just came out there and happily became a big hit with some serious review approval. So they want me to go visit. Hope they won't be disappointed.
So, wherever you are, watch the Appearances page on the web site and if you can make it to an event, I'd be very happy to see you there.
Finally, and as always, thanks for reading and liking the books. Keep the e-mails coming. I know that Maggie will reply promptly (what would I do without her?) and I read them all (what author doesn't love great feedback?). Business is so busy these days that I can't reply to as many as I'd like, but I'll keep trying if you'll keep sending them.
So, however and whatever you celebrate at this time of year, have fun, take care, and be good.
With very best wishes,
Lee Child
Note from Webmaven Maggie:
Regarding Lee's ONE SHOT tour, while we do have preliminary info on his Australia and New Zealand tour, we don't have any UK or US city or date information yet. As soon as we do, we'll post it online.
In January, a full synopsis of, and a longer excerpt from, ONE SHOT will be available on the web site, along with the US and UK cover art. And for you audio book aficionados, we'll post an audio excerpt as soon as it becomes available. If you haven't visited our Audio page before, you should. Ain't nothin' better than revisiting Lee's memorable first chapters narrated by Dick Hill.
We know how busy the holiday season is for most people but you shouldn't miss our new web site Forum. If you haven't come down for a visit lately, you'll be pleased to see it's password protected and spam-free. The Reacher Creatures are writing their own Reacher Christmas tale and it's not to be missed.
Happy Holidays to y'all! Here's to a great 2005!
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #8, late June 2002
Well, summer's over ... Labor Day has been and gone and the first leaves are falling off my trees. Which means it's time for two things: first, a rather belated thank-you for making Persuader such a big success this year. It was launched in the spring and did very well everywhere. I toured to promote it in the UK and the US and was delighted to see so many of you at the events. I like touring very much, basically because writing is otherwise a lonely job. It's fun to get the chance to meet real live people instead of the ones inside my head. So thanks for making the effort—it was great to see you. And thanks to those who were unable to come too—you have been very generous with your e-mails.
Second, this is the time to bring you up to date on what's next ...
The 2004 book is all ready to go. The title is The Enemy (barring any last-minute changes) and it's the prequel I told you about in the last Reacher Report. It was a challenge to write a younger Reacher but I enjoyed it very much, and I'm happy with the result. The two English language editions will be released between April and June 2004—keep an eye on the web site for exact dates as and when we get them (LeeChild.com FAQs).
And, this being September, and summer being over ... I have started to write the 2005 book. It will be a present-day story, told in the third person again. Right now I'm a couple of chapters into it. Can't tell you too much about it, because I don't do plans or outlines ... so right now I know as much as you do about what the story will be. But it starts out with a lone madman with a rifle, taking aim into a public square from a parking garage. He's a Gulf War veteran, and after his arrest the only words he says are, "Get me Jack Reacher." But in this particular guy's case, Reacher is the last man that's going to help him. Or is he? I'll write on, with the hope that you'll read on.
I also took a couple of days out to write a short story—which is very unusual for me, because I don't usually like short stories. But Karin Slaughter—a writer friend of mine—is putting together an anthology called Like A Charm (featuring about a dozen writers, I think) and one of her selected authors had to drop out. So she e-mailed and asked if I would pinch-hit, at very short notice. She needed a story yesterday, basically. Now there was a challenge I couldn't resist! So I did one ... and I took the liberty of branching out a little. The story is set in London, and doesn't feature Jack Reacher at all. It was fun to do. Keep an eye on the web site, and we'll provide details of when the anthology is coming out, just as soon as we get them.
Movie news? New Line Cinema told me the screenplay for Killing Floor is complete, and that they're very happy with it. They have "put it out to the talent" (as they say) and early reaction has been very positive, with three big-name actors expressing strong interest so far. Won't tell you who yet, because nothing is definite—and nothing may happen in the end (that's how it is with movies) but certainly the signs look better than ever this time around.
So, I'll be holed up and working now until about March—with the exception of October 16th—20th, when I'll be in Las Vegas for Bouchercon, which is the world's largest mystery convention. It's a big get-together of writers and readers, and it's always a lot of fun. This year, I'm flattered to be one of the special guests—the Toastmaster. It's a grand title, but I don't know exactly what the duties are. I expect I'll find out before I get there ... or not, as the case may be. If you can't get to Vegas, be sure to check out the web site scrapbook and forum—I'm sure there will be written and photographic records posted!
And finally, thanks for your continued enthusiasm and support. It means a lot to me. Keep the e-mails coming, and Maggie or I will do our very best to reply promptly. But please excuse us if we're slow—having a big audience is truly wonderful, but we do tend to get snowed under sometimes.
With very best wishes, Lee Child
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #7, late March 2003
The snow on my lawn is melting, which can mean only one thing ... it's nearly time for the new Reacher novel to come out.
Persuader is published first in the UK, on April 3rd, and then in the US on May 13th. People who have read it say it's the best Reacher yet. I'm not qualified to judge, so I'll let you decide for yourselves. It's written from the first-person point of view, like Killing Floor was, so we're back inside Reacher's head again. It's a revenge story, basically ... Reacher is hunting a man who wrecked his world a decade ago. Not a smart move on that guy's part ... but finding him isn't easy. There are numerous obstacles for Reacher to overcome.
If you decide to try it, I really hope you'll like it. Either way, join in with the web site forum discussions in the upcoming weeks. They're going to be lively!
And as usual, there's a tour schedule planned for both the UK and the US. In Britain, I know I'm doing formal bookstore appearances in Glasgow, Manchester, London and Cambridge—and there could be more stops added in the next few days. In the US, I'll be at stores in New York City; Dayton, Ohio; Houston, Texas; Denver and Boulder, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; Scottsdale, Arizona; San Francisco, San Diego and LA, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, DC; and Greenwich, Connecticut. Again, it's possible more dates could be added.
Check with the web site "Appearances" page for full details. We'll list all the information we've got and we'll update as and when necessary.
If you can make it to an event, I'd be delighted to meet you and say thanks for your loyal support. It's very much appreciated.
And ... you heard it here first—next year's book is just about finished and ready to go. It's the long-awaited prequel, set back at the turn of the year 1989-1990, seven years before the events of Killing Floor. Reacher is still in the army. He's just been transferred out of Panama to a mid-size army post in North Carolina, where nothing much is happening ... or is it?
I'm not sure what the title will be yet, but the book will appear exactly a year after Persuader.
Have fun, and I hope to see you somewhere!
Very best wishes, Lee Child
Note from Webmaven Maggie:
Following the April 3rd release of Bantam UK's edition of Persuader, signed copies can be ordered from all the stores listed on our UK Appearances page. We only list contact information for the formal events. Informal stock signings are exactly that—informal—so we don't have a list of which stores they'll be. Our suggestion? If your town is mentioned on our Appearance page, then call your local store to see if they're expecting Lee. Ask them to reserve a signed copy for you. Voila! Mission accomplished! :)
Before you ask...we don't have all the details yet for Lee's US tour because they're still being worked out by Delacorte Press. We're updating the site constantly, so check back before May 13th when the tour begins in NYC. The list of cities chosen so far can be found in the paragraph at the top of the Appearances page. If your city isn't listed there, don't despair! Lee plans to sign stock at the warehouse to ensure that any store wanting signed copies can order them. So there'll be lots of ways to get your hands on a signed Persuader: meet Lee at a formal signing, order a copy from any of the bookstores listed on the tour schedule (we've included contact information to make that easy), or see if your local bookstore has them.
Which is your favorite Reacher book cover? The beautifully colored UK or the dramatically graphic US? Visit the website forum and let us know!
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #6, December 2002
I hope this gets to you in time for me to wish you all the very best for a great holiday season, and for a terrific 2003. I hope 2002 was good for you, too ...
It was a fun year for me ... Without Fail came out in the spring and did very well everywhere, so thanks to you all for buying it and spreading the word so effectively. I had plenty of trips to promote it. The last Reacher Report was June, I think, so I mentioned the places I'd been up to that point ... since then, I went to Seattle (mainly for the Yankees/Mariners ball game—thanks Janine!—but we did a great event at Seattle Mystery Books too.) Then came Texas ... Bouchercon, the world's largest mystery convention, was in Austin in October ... and I went to Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, because a very perceptive professor called Ruth McAdams had included Echo Burning on her Texas Literature course. I had a ball there—first time I've ever talked in an academic context.
Then came Bulgaria, after one day at home. Reacher does very well there, and I was invited for a hybrid book tour and TV appearance on the Slavi Trifonev show, which is that country's highest-rated talk show. I had a blast—Bulgaria is a terrific place, right in the middle of reinventing itself after its long Communist interlude. I was treated wonderfully—drivers, bodyguards, armored Mercedes, VIP access everywhere. Lovely people, great scenery. Go if you get the chance.
So ... 2003 will see Persuader released—check the web site for dates, but it's basically April in the UK and May in the US. Early reaction to the book has been very positive. I hope you enjoy it.
Right now I'm almost half way through 2004's book. It's going to be called Best Enemy, I think, and the big news is that it's a prequel—set seven years before the events of Killing Floor, back when Reacher was still a serving military policeman. I'm happy with it so far. The challenge will be to get it finished before Persuader comes out—I feel better if I stay a whole year ahead.
I'll be touring again in 2003—not sure exactly where yet—keep an eye on the web site's Appearances section. I heard a rumor that I might be going to Scandinavia. Bouchercon '03 is in Las Vegas in October ... I've been invited to be the Toastmaster, which is one of the featured-author slots. You should try to come—Bouchercon is lots of fun, and is even worth a transatlantic trip—lots of people come over from Europe for it.
Again, happy holidays, happy new year, and thanks for your support and affection this year. It has meant a lot to me. And keep writing in ... I had over 1600 e-mails waiting for answers in June, and I've gotten it down to about 60 now, so I'm doing my best!
Very best wishes, Lee Child
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #5, late June 2002
I left home about eleven weeks ago on April 1st to start this year's promotion touring season for this year's book, Without Fail. It was a very stop-start schedule—and it isn't really over yet. I still have a few places left to visit—check the web site Appearances* page for full details. But so far, I've been to six countries—Scotland, England, Spain, Germany, Holland, and the United States. Along the way I met lots of fans and readers ... you know who you are, and I just want to say how flattered I am that you made the effort to come see me, and that your support and enthusiasm means everything to me. It's not really fair to pick out highlights—I had a great time everywhere—but I guess I should mention Cologne (thanks for speaking English!), and Aberdeen (likewise!), Norwich, Chandler, Arizona, and of course Waterstones in Manchester and The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, two of the world's greatest stops for a crime fiction author. But perhaps the best story comes from New York City ... and a certain family from Michigan who came all the way out to the Big Apple for the event, and left the city painted red. We've just about recovered, I think!
And happily, Without Fail was a big success everywhere, easily the best selling of the six Reacher books so far, although the previous titles continue to amaze me by still selling so strongly week by week in paperback. Thanks to all of you for spreading the word to new readers so effectively. Advertising and the internet and all the new forms of promotion are very important, but good old word-of-mouth is still the most reliable means of making new converts. And it's you supplying the word of mouth ...
Between each part of the stop-start schedule, I was at home and busy finishing next year's book. It's finally done, ready for a release date in 2003. The title is Persuader ... and I'm very happy with it. It's a first-person narrative, told from Jack Reacher's own point of view, the same way that Killing Floor was. It's set on the Atlantic coast of Maine, and I guess the basic themes are loss and revenge. And as you know, it's not a good idea to leave Jack Reacher feeling vengeful against you ... as one Francis Xavier Quinn is about to find out. The book starts fast and hard, and gets faster and harder ... as I said, I'm happy with it, and I hope you will be, too.
So now I'm starting to think about 2004's book ... I've got some good ideas brewing. And I'm trying to answer my e-mail ... at one point I had 1637 messages in my in-box, and I will answer them all, but forgive me if I haven't answered yours yet. I'll get to it for sure, but there might be a slight delay, for things like eating and sleeping!
So, thanks again for all your support, and keep reading ... and keep that word of mouth going—not just about my books, but about anybody's ... in fact, don't forget that although I write only one book a year, I read plenty more than that, so if you've got a suggestion for something good, let me know. Better still, get on the LeeChild.com forum, and let the whole world know. One thing we'll never get enough of is good books to read.
Very best wishes, Lee Child
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #4, mid-October 2001
Summer's over and we're well into fall here in New York—the leaves are turning, the air is cool, the Yankees are heading for another postseason triumph. Situation normal, I guess. Three things happen for me at this time of year. (Four really—my birthday approaches. Another year older!) First, next year's book is totally wrapped up—I've seen jacket designs from both the US and the UK, final copyediting is done, and it's heading to the typesetters. The title is Without Fail. Keep an eye on the web site for release dates (and for an early peek at chapter one). Second, I've started book # 7 for 2003. Working title right now is Persuader. Let me know if you really hate it.
Third thing is Bouchercon. It's the world mystery convention held every fall in a different city. This year it's being held in Washington DC, November 1st to 4th. Around two hundred writers and two thousand fans will get together for a weekend of panels, conversation and ad-hoc mayhem. It's a lot of fun. If you can't make it this year, look at www.Bouchercon2001.com to see what you're missing, and then consider Austin, Texas next year, or Las Vegas in 2003. I'm sure I'll be at both of them, because I love to meet readers and fellow writers. This year in DC my wife Jane and webmaven Maggie will be there with me, and we've got a few surprises planned for the hard-core Reacher Creatures.
Thanks for reading—keep in touch via the web site, keep posting on the forum, keep e-mailing me ... it would be a lonely life without you all.
Very best wishes, Lee Child
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #3, late July 2001
I've been back home for a week now and I'm feeling normal again (or at least, as normal as I ever feel!) The tour lasted 31 days from beginning to end, and took in 30-some formal events ranging from San Diego to Boston, Miami to Seattle. I did informal signings in maybe another 60 stores, a lot of radio, and some television. I met a lot of wonderful readers, and I want to say hi again, if you were one of them. Thanks for stopping by.
There were a couple of on-going themes I found everywhere. The first was, does the author photo on the book actually look like me, or am I cheating by using an old picture? Truth is, the photo is 5 years old, but the consensus was that I haven't aged too badly yet! I'll probably use a new picture next time. Got to stay honest!
Second main question was, am I going to take a break from the Reacher series and do a standalone book? And my answer was ... no, I'm going to stick with Reacher. I enjoy writing about him, and certainly I don't feel that there are stories I want to tell that couldn't include him. So, for better or worse, I'm staying with the series.
I'm working through accumulated e-mail right now. Please forgive me if I'm slow—and especially please forgive me if I lose your message and can't reply ... I'm not very computer-literate, I'm afraid.
I've spent about 8 weeks on the road so far this year, with the US tour and the Europe trip combined. I'll be at home now for a spell, chilling out and thinking about starting the new book, the one for 2003. Next year's—Without Fail—is already finished, as you know. I'll be at Bouchercon in early November—that's a great event for both readers and writers. If you can't make it to D.C. this year, think about coming to Austin, Texas next year. It's a fun event in a different city each year.
So ... it was great to meet as many people as I did. A sincere thank-you to everybody who made it to an event. You're all wonderful. If you couldn't make it to an event, you can always call one of the bookstores I visited and mail-order a signed copy. Or you can send me your copy (see the web site FAQ section for details) and I'll put in a personal dedication and mail it back to you. It would be a pleasure.
OK, now I'm going to unpack finally (and do some laundry—Reacher and I don't share everything in common!) and take a break by the pool. It's a hard life, but hey, somebody's got to do it!
Very best wishes to you all, Lee Child
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #2, late May 2001
OK, we're a little beyond halfway through the between-tours period. I was in Europe from March 26 until April 18th promoting Echo Burning and I'll be doing the same thing in the States between June 21 and July 21. Europe was a lot of fun—I got to meet some of you on the road and the book is doing very well everywhere. Thanks for all your support and enthusiasm! The US trip starts in New York and finishes in New Orleans a month later. The complete itinerary is on the web site and it gets updated as and when we receive new schedule information. So keep an eye on it. Sincere apologies if I'm not routed directly through your neighborhood. Unfortunately it's just not possible to cover the whole country, but this year we've tried to hit some new places, especially in Florida and the South. But if you can't make it to an event, you can always call ahead to one of the listed bookstores and place an order for a personalized copy, or mail-order a signature-only copy. Or you can send me your copy (see the FAQ section for details) and I'll put in a personal dedication and mail it back to you.
I'm using this period at home to finalize revisions on next year's book Without Fail and start thinking about the story for 2003 (no title yet.) Actually I've already written the first sequence—now I just have to decide where it leads to! That's the way I work—I don't really plan out the plot. I try to approach it with the same feeling as if I was reading it, not writing it. I want it to be as much of a surprise for me as it will be for you.
I'm very happy with Without Fail—it came out very well, and I'm excited about it. Of course, by the time it comes out I'll probably have forgotten most of it ... I had to re-read Echo Burning just before the first tour so I could talk intelligently about it. It feels very odd when readers know more about the details than I do! But I'm back up to speed on it now, and I'm looking forward to talking about it in bookstores around the country. I really hope I'll see some of you there. If you can't make it, please stay in touch through the web site.
Very best wishes, Lee Child
THE REACHER REPORT Issue #1, March 2001
Well, LeeChild.com is now about nine months old, and it's time for the first Reacher Report. I hope it will be the first of many.
The first thing for me to do is thank you all, as readers of my books and visitors to my web site. Being a writer is a little strange sometimes, because we work alone most of the year without much contact with or feedback from our readers. It's a very dislocated feeling. The web site has been fun for me because it has meant far more daily communication. So thanks to all of you for checking in, contributing to the forum, and writing me your e-mails. Keep them coming! They mean a lot.
This is the perfect time for the first Reacher Report because it comes at a particular point in the yearly cycle. I just finished writing a new book, and I'm getting ready to go on tour as publication dates happen all around the world over the next few months. But the book I just finished writing isn't the one that's coming out! That's another odd feature of being a writer—we work more than a year ahead. The book due out this year is Echo Burning, and I finished it in March 2000. The book I just finished in March 2001 is called Without Fail, and it'll be published in 2002 ... by which time I'll have finished the book set for 2003.
The reason is that way back when you write your first book, the publisher buys it and fits it into the next available slot in the publication schedule, which might be a year and a half away. But meanwhile, you're writing your next book, because if you intend to publish one a year, obviously you've got to write one a year. So by the time your first book comes out, you've already finished the second and maybe even started the third. That's why I always advise new writers not to jump on bandwagons—because if you do, by the time your own first book actually comes out you're probably three or four books behind wherever the bandwagon was when you started.
So ... Echo Burning. It's a Jack Reacher novel, of course, my fifth, and like the others runs to about 150,000 words and 354 pages in hardcover ... all of them inspired by a single photograph of a gravestone. The photograph was in a book about West Texas, and the gravestone was a simple gray granite monument to the "Gentleman Gunfighter", Clay Allison. It is inscribed with his full name, and the date of his birth and the date of his death, and underneath those it has a simple sentence: "He never killed a man that did not need killing."
The questions raised by that message blended in with a story idea I'd had at the back of my mind for a long time: suppose you met a woman whose husband was due out of prison any day soon—but she really didn't want him to come out? I wanted loneliness and betrayal in the story, as well as hope and courage, and a brutal empty landscape, and stunning heat pervading everything. I wanted new crimes and old crimes. I wanted to know what happens to a lonely community when an old secret comes out of the past and ruins everything.
So I wrote about what happens when Jack Reacher meets Carmen Greer, and her husband Sloop Greer, his brother Bobby, and his old buddies Al Eugene and Hack Walker, all of them trapped in ten thousand square miles of emptiness around the Red House ranch. It came out as a thoroughly modern story—but it's rooted in the same tradition that long ago spawned Robert Clay Allison, the Gentleman Gunfighter.
Publication happens in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on April 2nd. Then the US and Canada on June 25th. Audiobooks in those territories will be simultaneous, as will large-print and Braille. Translations for the rest of the world will follow shortly afterward.
I hope you find a copy, and if you do, I hope you enjoy it. Be sure to write and let me know either way.
And because all Reacher Report recipients are special people, I'll give you a heads-up on next year's book, Without Fail: it's set mainly in Washington DC and the wilds of Wyoming. How does the Secret Service make absolutely sure it's doing the best job it can in protecting the President and Vice President? One way is that it hires outside people to run an "audit" on security measures. The new head of the Vice President's detail once dated Reacher's brother, and she knows Reacher by reputation. So she finds him and asks him to run an audit, but there's enough urgency behind her request to convince him that this isn't just routine ...
I'll be touring in Holland, Ireland, Scotland, England, the US and Canada between late March and early July. The web site will carry full details as soon as we get them. It would be great to meet up with you in person, somewhere along the road.
So, until then, and until the next Reacher Report, I'll just say thanks for reading, and I'm thinking of you as I sit down to write the next Reacher novel.
