Tuesday, September 11, 2007

NOBODY Hits Stores Today!

Well, I hope that title is a little misleading....what I meant was, my new novel, entitled NOBODY, hits stores today.....not that 'nobody' will hit stores to buy it! Although it's an exciting day, nothing really outrageously exciting happens on the day your book officially releases...not in my case anyway. Oh sure, we will have a few die hard fans who've been looking forward to the release of NOBODY, who will show up at stores to buy it, but nothing quite on the scale of, let's say, the Harry Potter books by JK Rowlings. Not yet, anyway.

As I'm between books, I've actually started writing two or three new novels, but can't decide which one to pursue. I am leaning toward one of the ideas, however, and am diving into that now.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of NOBODY. I got the idea to write about the homeless from some time I spent with my late father, Bernie Mapes, who pointed out a homeless man at a park we were visiting in St. Augustine, Florida. From there, the idea grew when my publisher sent me to Las Vegas to research the new novel. I met with a great guy named Brian Brooks of the Nevada Health Centers. Brian took me all over the Vegas homeless community.

Another great story behind the book was a meeting I had with Jud Wilhite, pastor of the enormous Central Christian Church in Henderson, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas. Jud shared a poem with me, which runs at the front of the novel, called I STAND BY THE DOOR. It's a poem about Christians getting so far involved in church that we forget about the ordinary people outside the doors. That's really the underlying theme of the book. It's a suspense thriller about a homeless man, found murdered, with a safe deposit box key and bankbook on him worth close to $1 million. In a race against time, a Vegas reporter named Hudson Ambrose is forced to investigate this man's life, find out why he had the money, who wanted him dead, and why the entire Vegas homeless community thought he was an angel in disguise.

Romantic Times has given the novel 4 Stars and called it "Compelling!" And here's what some best-selling authors are saying:

"Nobody was absolutely riveting from the opening scene to the final page. With compelling characters, a plot that surprised me at every turn, and a subtle, yet profound message that moved me to tears, this book goes straight to the top of my highly recommended list."

— Deborah Raney, author of Remember to Forget and Within This Circle


"A taut, entertaining novel of mystery, intrigue and spiritual truth. Creston Mapes deals a winning hand in Nobody."

— James Scott Bell, bestselling author of No Legal Grounds and Try Dying


"Nobody had me fascinated from the first paragraph and kept the surprises coming to the very end. Somehow, as the pages flew by it also managed to convey a beautiful picture of faith the size of a mustard seed. From now on I’ll read anything by Creston Mapes the instant it hits the shelves."

— Athol Dickson, Christy Award winning author of River Rising and The Cure


"Read this book where you can make a little noise. From the time Hudson Ambrose dips his hand into a dead man’s pocket until the moment this novel ends, you’re going to find yourself talking back at the pages."

— Tom Morrisey, author, In High Places

Hope to see you at the book store! For a list of places where I'll be signing, go to www.crestonmapes.com and click on "appearances." Regards, CM

5 comments:

Athol Dickson said...

Congratulations, Creston! This really is an excellent story, and I hope it finds the wide readership it deserves.

Creston Mapes said...

Thanks a million, Athol...If you guys haven't done so already, some of the finest fiction out there is written by this man, Athol Dickson, author of The Cure and River Rising. Thanks again, bro. Peace, Creston

K. Hutson said...

Sounds like a fab read...
I'll have to see if they have it here in Joplin...
Awesome.
Kaylea

What a great story line...
Can't wait to chat with you on Dancing Word about it...

Creston Mapes said...

Looking forward to the Dancing Word chat. Those are always fun. Hope to see a lot of you there.

Creston

Anonymous said...

Just got to read it for the Christian Fiction Review Alliance. I think the story was amazing! Thank you for a beautiful story. I put a review on my blog and can't wait to tell others to read it!
Tami from creativetree.typepad.com
Tree Swing Reading blog.