For most of the past year, I’ve been hawking my fourth and most recent novel, Pirates of Sausalito.
But this month, I’m pitching my first novel, Bones in the Wash: Politics is Tough. Family is Tougher.Set during the 2008 presidential campaign in New Mexico, Bones is one part political thriller, one part family soap, and one part murder mystery.
If you’re interested in politics and presidential campaigns, but feel overwhelmed by the news of the day, you might enjoy a fictional escape. Bones is full of dirty tricks, sleazy voter suppression, and the like, but it feels downright innocent from today’s vantage point.
(Speaking of innocent, I admit that in 2008 I believed that if the voter suppression tactics were exposed as what they were — attempts to limit voting by people who were more likely to vote for Democrats — that they would be discredited. How naive I was.)
Freedom! Now I have choice back for how I spend my free time, after 5 days of being enmeshed in this compelling story. Congratulations to my friend, J.B. Barry on this wonderful novel! I was actually a bit surprised, since it’s been a while since I wanted to read fiction, and even longer since I picked up a political thriller. And then, drawn in from the very beginning, I found myself “addicted,” reading after breakfast, on my commute, again after lunch and more before I turned the lights off to sleep over the last few days. —Roy Schachter
I was going to cut this one because it’s long, but once I reread it, I thought, no, I want you to read the whole review. 🙂
This is one of those unusual novels where you end up talking about the characters as if you knew them well—which itself makes for a wonderful read.
The setting is the 2008 presidential campaign in New Mexico, complicated by the romance, rage, and lives of two fabulously dysfunctional families.
From one family is the charming young Hispanic mayor of Albuquerque, Tomas Zamara, chair of the New Mexico Republicans for John McCain. From the other comes the astute, attractive, a tad plump but sexy Sierra Léon, an activist in a liberal nonprofit, who has been tabbed by her organization to run its campaign for Barack Obama in her native New Mexico.
Drawing on his own role in political campaigns, Barry deftly evokes a realistic sense of the heady thrills of a campaign, one that is sabotaged by Republican dirty tricks.
Sierra’s group bites back, once with a hilarious mock demonstration by “Billionaire Lobbyists for McCain,” complete with signs for NAARP, the National Association for the Advancement of Rich People, and other sarcastic taunts.
As the subtitle says, “Politics Is Tough. Family Is Tougher.” Zamara gets tangled in an affair with an attractive and brilliantly horny woman, Tory Singer, while he’s trying to rearrange some skeletons locked in the family closet. His autocratic father and his now-dead wife (it’s her bones in the wash) had cut shady deals with drug dealers and money launderers, which demands some deft maneuvers from Tomas.
As for Sierra, she has to cope with her depressive mother, her narcissistic dad, her cad of a boyfriend, and a reporter who’s desperate to get into her panties.
Zamara turns out to be the most interesting character, though some will not find him believable, because he’s a Republican who actually has integrity! —Bob Schildgen
★★★★★Five Stars I didn’t want to have to put the book down when I had to. —CACW
Here I am on April 9 after my talk with Cheryl Popp at Sausalito Books by the Bay. (Where you can buy Pirates of Sausalito and support our local independent bookstore.) Photo by Cheryl Popp.
My New Favorite Review
When I know someone has bought or read my book, I ask for a review. It’s impossible to know if or how much they help sell books, but they do provide social proof, and I know plenty of people who pay attention to reviews for everything they buy, from books to tents to coffee thermoses. I appreciate it when a friend posts a positive review, but I’m aware their praise may be overstated because we’re friends. But when a stranger posts a positive review, well, this one below made my day.
★★★★★A Soulful, Stirring Trip Into a Forgotten Chapter of Rebellion
Pirates of Sausalito isn’t just a story, it’s a time capsule. Set in the twilight of the 1970s, it captures the raw spirit of a community fighting for its right to exist, to create, and to live outside the lines. The houseboaters of Sausalito, who were considered outsiders, artists, dreamers, stand their ground as the tide of development threatens to wash away their world. What begins as protest and performance art slowly spirals into something darker when a stabbing rocks the shantytown. The writing is immersive and sharp, but what lingers most is the idealism, the messiness of chosen family, and the fragility of freedom. With cozy mystery vibes, this novel somehow balances joy, danger, and nostalgia in equal measure. A beautiful read for anyone who’s ever loved a lost place or been part of a movement that felt like home.
Why I’m Grateful for Every Reader
It’s been one year since I launched Pirates of Sausalito, my fourth novel. Like my previous novels, it took several years to write, even though I adapted it from a play.
In the past year, I’ve sold almost 300 books and received more than 60 ratings and reviews. Which, when I’m discouraged, feels paltry given how much time and energy I’ve devoted to the writing, the publishing, and the promotion.
(I’ve also given away about 30 paperbacks to friends, family, and beta readers, and almost 2,000 free ebooks through various promotional sites. Though it’s impossible to know how many of them read the book.)
Since I launched the book last spring, I’ve also given ten author talks, which I very much enjoy.
I frequently wish I had more readers, more sales, and more acclaim, but that would be the case if I sold ten times as many books.
I cannot control Amazon’s algorithms, however, or who sees my posts on Facebook or Bluesky, or how overcrowded the marketplace is. Every year, there are more than two million books published worldwide.
In my more sanguine moments, I remind myself of that, and I am grateful for every reader I have. Despite the million options available to them, they chose to read my book.
And a good review, like the one above, can boost my mood for weeks. (Hint, hint, if you haven’t written a review, you still can.)
What I can control are my own actions — my discipline, my focus, my organization. In the past dozen years, I’ve written two plays (and directed them as well) and four novels, and I’m working on a fifth novel. I’ve given dozens of author talks. I write and send this author letter regularly. I’m in a writing group that has been meeting twice a week for more than ten years. And while I don’t write every day, I write most days, at least something.
I also remind myself that most of the time I love the creative process — sometimes I’m literally thrilled by it — and I especially enjoy the imaginary universe in my head. Sometimes ideas percolate all day long, whether I’m walking to my crossing guard corner, taking a shower, or drifting off to sleep. And when I read or listen to a book or watch a movie or TV show, I’m always paying attention to how the creators put it all together, and I borrow ideas as appropriate. Not all ideas are good, of course, but coming up with new ones is exciting. If I can’t write them down, I open up my voice memo app and dictate them.
Regardless of my visibility or sales, I am living the life of an author, of an artist.
I don’t like to throw around the word artist because it can sound pretentious, but in my heart of hearts, I’ve always wanted to be an artist and now, in the third act of my life, I am.
I am forever grateful if you’ve read any of my books, and if you’ve written any reviews. (Well, not forever, but you know what I mean.) If you’ve done neither, well, what comes to mind is the old saying that the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago and the next best time is now.
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If you haven’t seen any of my talks about Pirates of Sausalito, below is a video of my first one, a year ago, at the Mill Valley Library, and co-sponsored by the Mill Valley Historical Society.
It was the first of my talks and the most well attended, and while I’m not the kind of person who brags about the size of my crowds, there were a lot of people there and even more have watched the video.
The talk is more about the true events that inspired the book than about the book itself, because that’s what the Mill Valley Historical Society asked for.
(Thanks to the Sausalito Historical Society and Bruce Forrester for permission to use their photographs for the slide show. And special thanks to Franklin Walther, Digital Services Librarian, for a fantastic job editing the video and integrating the slides into the narration. Far beyond the call of duty.)
But this month, I’m pitching my first novel, Bones in the Wash: Politics is Tough. Family is Tougher. Set during the 2008 presidential campaign in New Mexico, Bones is one part political thriller, one part family soap, and one part murder mystery.
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