Out In Print reviews Remain In Light

Out In Print has posted a brilliant review of Remain in Light. Many, many thanks to Jerry Wheeler for such a nuanced and intelligent read on the novel. Here's an excerpt:

Remain in Light is a wonderfully dark, sombre mystery steeped in Parisian culture as well as American know-how, creating its own little world you’ll be glad to inhabit.

You can read the entire review at this link.

Townsend Prize Recap

Thursday night was the ceremony for the 2012 Townsend Prize for Fiction at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Remain In Light did not win. The honor went to Thomas Mullen for his novel The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers. And while I'm disappointed, I'm still thrilled that my second novel was a finalist along with so many other fine books and authors. Remain In Light represented the small presses this year and also had the distinction of being the first eBook to be nominated in the award's 30 year history. That's an accomplishment in itself. You can read more about Tom Mullen and the Townsend ceremony at this link.

Many thanks to BFF Malory for being my date to the Townsend ceremony. The Botanical Garden was gorgeous and there was a big crowd there. Mixing and mingling with the authors (many of whom I'd never met) and the literature lovers was fun. I signed quite a few books during the evening and talked about The Venus Trilogy. The inevitable question from most was, "When is the third book coming out?" I have the outline, some leftover material that was cut from Remain In Light, and a goal to begin working on the book while I'm in London this summer.

Onward and upward.

Support independent bookstores

If you're in Atlanta, you can now find copies of the paperback of Remain In Light at Charis Books & More in Little Five Points and Bound to Be Read Books in East Atlanta Village. More shops will have the book soon. Support your local indies!

I'll be reading at Bound to Be Read on Sunday, April 1, 3 p.m. with fellow author and pal David-Matthew Barnes. Many thanks to The GA Voice for highlighting the reading in their spring preview.

Remain In Light now at Powell's Books

I'm delighted to announce that fabulous Portland indie Powell's Books now has  Remain In Light in stock and you can order copies online at this link. Remember to support the indies when you're shopping for books. Ordering a book from Powell's website most definitely counts.

Reader D. Young posted a great review of the novel at Amazon a few days ago: Collin Kelley's "Remain in Light" is an entertaining, plot-twister of a novel, in a setting that is gorgeously rendered throughout. You can read the full review at this link. Thank you!

Remain In Light reading Jan. 31

If you're in Atlanta on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 7:15 p.m. please come out to the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore St., for my debut reading from Remain In Light hosted by Georgia Center for the Book. Bound to be Read will be selling copies of both Remain In Light and Conquering Venus, so bring cash, cards or checks. There will be a Q&A and autographing session after the reading.

In other book news, author Jenny Milchman has featured my "Made It Moment" essay about the creation of my novels at her Suspense Your Disbelief blog. You can read it at this link. Thank you, Jenny!

Remain In Light a finalist for Townsend Prize for Fiction

The big news I've been wanting to share for a couple of weeks can now be shared: Remain In Light is one of the 10 finalists for the prestigious 2012 Townsend Prize for Fiction.

Previous winners of the prize include Alice Walker, Ha Jin, Kathryn Stockett, Judson Mitcham, Terry Kay, Philip Lee Williams and my friend and mentor Ferrol Sams. To even be nominated in the same category with these authors who have inspired me is the true honor. The award will be given at a ceremony in April at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

If you haven't read it yet, the book is now available in paperback or eBook. You can see a list of where to buy it in the sidebar of this blog.

Remain In Light out now in paperback

The trade paperback of my mystery/suspense novel, Remain In Light, is now available in paperback from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Powell's will have it soon. If the novel is not on the shelves of your favorite local bookstore (fewer and fewer small press books are these days), then please ask them to order a copy. Once again, thank you for your support. If you're in Atlanta on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 7:15 p.m. please come out to the Georgia Center for the Book event for my debut reading from Remain In Light. I hope to be scheduling other readings both in Atlanta and elsewhere for later in 2012.