Publisher’s Weekly gave me a great review in their early September edition. Now I don’t know what to do. For my November release of Stuff To Spy For, they used words like Crazy, Wacky, and “laugh out loud moments.” And that’s exactly what I was going for. So what do I do? (see www.donbrunsbooks.com)

You see, I always start out my release with a really bad Publisher’s Weekly review. For seven books it’s been a tradition. They don’t like me. Then Booklist comes out with a starred review and compares the prose to Mark Twain. Or Library Journal says that I’m an underappreciated talent. Then the blogs kick in and they love the books. On line reviewers give me a standing ovation. And it all starts with a terrible review from PW.

Now, on the off chance that PW is reading this blog, I do appreciate the positive review. I don’t mean to disrepect your publication ( although at one time in my career I wrote them a letter and asked if I’d pissed off the reviewer.) But I’m not sure what to do.

It occured to me that the review of Stuff To Spy For has thrown off the balance of my tradition. Maybe I have to do things in a different order. Sign at stores I’ve never signed at. Travel to citys I’ve never visited.
Rent a Kia, or Hunday and stay at backwater hotels with no indoor plumbing. I should probably eat restaurant meals with food that I’ve never tried or don’t like. Like liver and onions. Prettles. Frog legs.

Maybe I should be a little uppity at my signings, a little arrogant. Do things backwards, because even though I love the PW review…it’s thrown me off my game. And I didn’t have that much game to start with.

Don Bruns