Ketchup

Here’s the cover art for Antídoto, better known to you and me as Plague War. It’s nice and freaky, and matches the first book perfectly. I like where Minotauro is going with the trilogy. La Plaga. Antídoto. Maybe the third book will be called New Outbreak, but in ultra-cool Spanish, of course.

In more somber news, my editor reports that the global crisis of the economic downturn is affecting the book world on the other side of the Atlantic, too. Minotauro looks strong, which is welcome news, but a rival publisher is laying off 500 people. Ouch. Sales numbers are tanking worldwide. This is not good for folks like myself who depend on consumers’ disposable income.

"Hmmm," you're thinking. "Should I pay the rent or buy a new book? Pay the rent or, uh..." Tough call, right?

And yet Team Minotauro has an evil plan which fills me with excitement, gratitude, and hope. They’ve put a rush on Antídoto. The book will be out in January, their intent being to capitalize on the success of La Plaga. Also, as a major coup, because of Minotauro’s support for both titles, book stores across Spain have agreed to maintain their floor displays and/or prominent shelf placement of La Plaga well after the normal promotion period would have ended, all the way through the holiday shopping season, at which time Antídoto will join La Plaga in those eye-popping front-of-store displays.

Wow. Just wow. I freaking love these guys, and I have to say that packing up the family and moving to Europe suddenly seems like a viable option again.

Habla español, dude?

Labels: Antídoto, book sales, La Plaga, Minotauro, the writing life