The next book project(s)

I’ve heard from a few people who read The Marinara Murders and then went on to read The Saints Go Dying, or vice versa. I can see quite easily how having more books means more overall sales. If one person really likes one of them, they’re likely to read more, and voila: one customer makes for 3 or 5 or 10 sales (Amanda Hocking and John Locke have both sold more than a million Kindle books, and one of the main reasons is that they each have more than 10 books in the store).  Problem is, I’m working on a Read more…

The election will be certified today

Today marks the actual end of my campaign to keep my seat on the Metro Parks board.  The Pierce County Auditor's Office will certify the election, and the final tally will be 53%-47%. That margin represents a lot of hard work and generosity on the part of so many friends and family. The support was overwhelming, and I think it's safe to say that I could not have won without it. Because I was appointed in early 2010, I am technically taking office (again) today, and will be sworn in at Metro Parks headquarters. And then I'll be swore in Read more…

“I look forward to his next case.”

Andrew Fry tweeted that review of The Marinara Murders today, and I guess it’s as good enough reason to post some of the other reviews I’ve gotten so far. “Again Erik Hanberg has produced the sort of book it is easy to get into and fly through.” — Booked Up. “I very highly recommend this book.  The writing is excellent with a story that’s full of mystery, suspense, and wonderful characters.” — Life in Review. “You will not be disappointed.” — The Book Diva’s Reads. “A very enjoyable read and [one] I found very hard to put down.” — Miss Lynn’s Books & More. Read more…

An American Explains Thanksgiving

One of the book blogs that reviewed The Marinara Murders is in the UK. She offered a guest post, and I tried to figure out what to write about. And then I realized, since Thanksgiving is such a big part of the book, I would describe the holiday. This is the post I came up with. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  An American Explains Thanksgiving My most recent novel, The Marinara Murders, is set at the beginning of a cold winter in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The climax of the book takes place on Thanksgiving Day. I recognize that many readers of Booked Up Read more…

Some thoughts after the publishing panel

It was a great panel today at the Tacoma Arts Symposium. I learned a lot from the fellow writers I was on the panel with: Tom Llewellyn shared his experiences blogging a book with "Letter Off Dead" and his experience publishing "The Tilting House" with Tricycle Press. He did sustained self-promotion, telling bloggers about Letter Off Dead, and going to schools for his "middle reader" level Tilting House. Bill Kupinse talked about creating Exquisite Disarray, a non-profit poetry publisher here in Tacoma. He had some good stories to share about the different poetry books they've published and choosing a local Read more…

Non-Traditional Publishing: Experience from Writers Who’ve Done It

I'll be leading a panel on alternative publishing this Sunday as part of the Tacoma Arts Symposium! Join this panel of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry writers as they discuss how they have used the various options of publishing including traditional publishing, self-publishing, co-publishing, independent publishing, blogs, ebooks, social media, and the author's role in promoting the book. Panelists will talk about the difference between these forms of publishing, the pros and cons of alternative publishing, what their experiences have been, and what has worked for them. Panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer period.   Of the Read more…

My most recent novel, The Marinara Murders, is now available in the Kindle store!

My mystery novel The Marinara Murders is live in the Kindle store for just $2.99! You can read it on your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android, or desktop computer. Mary designed a great cover for it: This is the basic story: A grown man living in his mother’s basement, disgraced detective Arthur Beautyman knows his life has fallen off a cliff. But that doesn’t mean he has to be happy about his mother’s solution to his woes: volunteering him to solve a case for her favorite bridge partner. Oh, and to make matters worse, she wants to be his partner on the case as well Read more…