Wow. Just Wow.

What an amazing honor. My novel THE DEEP, DEEP SNOW was just named a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original. I’ve told readers ever since this book was released that it may be my favorite among all of my novels — so recognition like this is incredibly meaningful to me.

My debut IMMORAL was a finalist for the Edgar for Best First Novel 15 years ago. It’s been an incredible ride all these years. Big, big thanks to the readers, librarians, booksellers, and publishers who have been such supporters of my work from the very beginning.

And congratulations to the wonderful writers who are fellow finalists for this award: Jess Lourey, Alyssa Cole, Jessica Moor, and Khurrum Rahman. Go out there and get their books!

Coming Soon: INFINITE

INFINITE…my all-new thriller coming March 1 in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio! You can pre-order the book now.
Kirkus gave it a starred review and calls it “a dizzying delight.”
Publishers Weekly labels the book “a tense, fast-paced chase through alternate realities” and says: “Clever plotting matches the well-developed characters. Freeman is sure to win new fans with this page-turner.”
This is the most unusual story I’ve ever told — but also a classic Brian Freeman thriller. I can’t wait to have it in your hands!

Our Editing Teamwork

Although Brian and I enjoy spending time on the road promoting his books, like so many of you, we’ve spent much of the last year at home. Now, the good thing about this is that Brian’s been able to really dive into his multiple projects. In fact, he will have three new books coming out this year…INFINITE (coming in March), THE BOURNE TREACHERY (coming in July), and THE URSULINA (coming sometime later this year, so stay tuned for a release date).
And speaking of the editing…folks are often asking me to explain my role in the process…and I’m always happy to describe it. Having done more than 20 books, we’ve developed a system that works pretty smoothly and quickly.
So, here goes…Once Brian completes a manuscript (no, I don’t read individual sections as he writes ’em), he prints it out and hands it over to me…along with a pen and a stack of post-it notes. My job is to go through the manuscript with a fine tooth comb…looking for anything and everything that might “stop” future readers as they’re going along. In other words, I’m looking at major plot details (does the story make sense and bring the reader along from beginning to end), descriptions (can I envision the people and places he’s describing), punctuation, misspelled/incorrect words (spell-check catches misspellings, but not incorrect word usage), and even missing words. When I come across any of these, I grab my pen and a post-it…make a note of the issue…then stick it right next to where I have a question. Because of the many levels of detail that I’m looking at, this intensive process can take 4-7 days…sometimes even longer when there’s feline assistance involved.
And Brian’s job during this phase is…to wait patiently (insert eye roll here cause it’s hard for him to be patient). During my reading time, he’s not allowed to ask me any questions (not even what page I’m on)..nor am I allowed to ask him any questions. And here’s why: we don’t want to risk his answering one of my questions…and giving me too much information. This could influence my judgment as to whether the book flows along well and eventually ties up all of the loose ends. In fact, prior to my reading the manuscript through for the first time…and to ensure that I have no previous knowledge nor preconceived notions…Brian and I don’t even discuss the plot of the book. (Even you–as readers–know more than I do when you get the book–because you can see the cover art and read the description.) I don’t know anything about the book–until I start reading. If I did, that might also color my impressions of whether the plot holds together.
Once my pen is down and I’m done with the post it notes…Brian and I sit down for a marathon session of going through and discussing every single post it note…! Needless to say, there is a lot of back and forth discussion between us–sometimes we agree…and sometimes we disagree. But of course, Brian has the final say as to what changes he’s going to make and which ones he doesn’t.
After he’s made his changes, he hands the book over to his publisher. Of course, the publisher will sometimes come back to him with a few suggested changes–but those are usually minimal. And then the book goes off to production…!
It’s an exciting process for us…because our goal is always to give readers the best book possible. And based on the many emails, messages and comments we receive from readers around the world who’ve written to tell us that they love Brian’s books–we know that our process works…!

Let’s Connect

You can find me in lots of places online, and Marcia and I love interacting with readers. My website at bfreemanbooks.com contains information about me and all of my books, including book club discussion questions and links to buy them. You can find me on social media, too, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. If you like my pages, you’ll always be up to date about new books, special sales and deals, and virtual events.

Also, if you’re not on my e-mail list, you can join the list by clicking here. I do a regular newsletter with news about books, video interviews and reviews, event announcements, and much more. So add yourself to the list!

And don’t forget…my new book INFINITE comes out March 1. You can pre-order now in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio.

A Dizzying Delight

New year…new book coming!
INFINITE arrives on March 1, and it’s available for pre-order now in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and audio. Click here to see it on Amazon.
Kirkus Reviews just gave this stand-alone thriller a starred review and called it “a dizzying delight.”
Buckle up…this one is a wild ride!