Is that a computer in your pocket, or are you just happy to read me?

Yeah, don't think about the title too hard.

The point is that evidently "From the Depths" is now for sale in the tiniest format available: the electron. If you have one of them fancy Kindle devices, you can download the whole thing and read it wherever (Except maybe while driving. Or underwater. Or fighting an unseen enemy onboard a derelict submarine.).

Anyway, give it a shot: Download it here. And welcome me to the 21st Century.

Photographic evidence

The International Thriller Writers have posted a gallery of photos from this year's Thrillerfest in New York City.

Besides the firearms 'n' such (which we've already discussed), there was this breakfast at which I actually was a guest of honor. To commemorate the occasion, I wore a designer T-shirt and a seersucker jacket. For real:

It's like Where's Waldo for lazy people.

I looked much more alert closer up.

It's like writing a story, except without the fun

Synopses. Greek-based. Neccessary. And aggravating.

If you write a novel, and I hope you do, you'll need one of these bad boys to convince agents and editors that it's worth reading. It's supposed to capture the feel of the story, touch on some major plot points, expose conflict and generally drag the reader by his or her hair directly into "I have GOT to read more" territory.

I've gotten a lot better at it than I once was. But it wasn't an easy skill to learn. Below is the original synopsis for "From the Depths," which, by the way, was origally titled "Dragon." Hello, Trivial Pursuit world championship.

Join me after the last thrilling sentence for a few words about how this thing came together. (this is only about the first two-thirds of the synopsis... I don't want to give EVERYTHING about the plot away in a blog post.)

My name is Dr. Christine Myers. I work for the CIA as a forensic scientist, wading through blood and bullet casings, then telling my bosses who killed whom, and how it was done. This assignment started like many others, with a late-night phone call.

A North Korean submarine, the Dragon, was defecting to the United States. The sub was a coffin cobbled together from rust and outdated technology, but it was important to national security, I was told. Onboard was some stolen North Korean weapons research that the Pentagon already was drooling over.

In the middle of the night, the sonarman on the U.S. submarine escorting the Dragon reported hearing what sounded like a brawl. Then gunshots. Then the unmistakable noise of a sub surfacing. A boarding party found the boat filled with chlorine gas and dead sailors. In the conning tower, a man had been shot to death.

My job? To decipher the mess of corpses. The Dragon was hours from shore, and had to be submerged before dawn, when satellites would spot it. A helicopter was going to drop a SEAL team onboard to get the sub moving. I was sent in with them.

And I’m the only one still alive.

The SEAL leader, Lt. Daniel Larsen, treated me like sand in the gears of his operation. Just a couple of the others stood out at first: His second-in-command, 2nd Lt. Matthews; and Campbell, the only one to bother addressing me as a real person. The rest of the team seemed like faceless automatons, dressed in black, ready to follow orders.

Then the SEALs began to disappear. Once their bodies, broken and twisted like cherry stems, turned up, my work became a little more urgent.

I kinda like it. I wrote it in first person to set it apart--and incidentally offer some of the flavor of the book itself, which also is written from Dr. Myers' point of view.

But it didn't start out that way. The first take was almost five single-spaced pages long. I tried to nail each plot point. But without dialogue... and description... and characterization... and pretty much everything else that makes something fun to read, that version had a big problem: it sucked.

Second take was shorter. I tried to leave some suspenseful hooks instead of leading the reader all the way through to the conclusion. But it still read like a summary. A clinical description, as Dr. Myers might say. Plus it was still too long.

Then a fellow writer and excellent advice-giver--we'll call her "Mom," for short--suggested that, like the book, this might be a story best told by Dr. Myers. And she was right. The result was a one page long, tight and suspenseful.

Most important, though: it was successful.

I still heart NY

I'm back from New York, my suitcases heavier with dozens of books and some ridiculously fly tumblers that Friends of the Blog Kipp and Kylie got me to celebrate my nominatedness.

In fact, we were all set to toast my shiny new trophy... except someone else won it. That someone was Joe Hill, son of an obscure 20th-Century writer named Stephen King. It was OK, though: I got two free drinks (thanks, Oceanview Press!), met a bunch of fascinating people and heard David Baldacci tell a Dick Cheney joke. And that was just the awards banquet.

I went to several breakout sessions at the convention, and although they were all useful and interesting, only one of them featured body armor, a bomb-sniffing dog and a grenade launcher. Andrew Peterson deserves all the credit in the world for making the photo below possible:

Yes, that is a Tommy gun, and no, I do not look cool.

Moving from cool stuff to cool people, I met pillars of the writing community like Karen Dionne, discovered that both Sean Chercover and I are useless without coffee in the morning, and learned a vital state secret while having cocktails with Brent Ghelfi. Hell, Shane Gericke took the picture above. If that doesn't underscore the sheer badassery of Thrillerfest, I don't know what does.

I learned a lot. I drank a lot. I had a lot of fun.

And hey--that's what writing is all about, with or without the trophies.

The city so nice they named it...

... no. I just won't do it.

Anyway, I'll be in New York City momentarily, carousing with some friends, trying to exude some serious big-city vibe to mask my touristy ways and rubbing shoulders with other authors.

One of the many ways to celebrate in New York.

Also, at this dinner on Saturday, I might win an award. And if that happens, New York, N.Y., will indeed be a wonderful town.

Scoreboard!

I just learned today from my talented editor that "From the Depths" has gotten another favorable review. This one is in Mystery Scene magazine. And it simply embraces conventional wisdom: Everyone loves a locked-room submarine murder story.

Or, as the magazine put it:

While From the Depths, Gerry Doyle (McBooksPress,$23.95),might be a bit light on Wideburg-style character development, it flourishes as an exciting underwater adventure replete with Navy SEALs, defecting North Korean submariners, and an intrepid heroine. Dr.Christine Myers, a forensic scientist for the CIA, helicopters out to the Dragon to determine what killed everyone on board the submarine. When she discovers papers referring to an onboard secret weapon dubbed the Serpent, she fears the deaths have been caused by an escaped biological substance. If so, howfar has it spread? To herself, and all the SEALs now on the sub? A genre-blending mix of mystery, thriller, sea story and science fiction, the sub’s claustrophobic setting intensifies the already considerable element of suspense. A terrific, rip roaring read, with a protagonist interesting enough for a sequel.

A sequel, huh? Hmmmm.

Epic Fail's good twin, Great Success

Good friend and detail-oriented Photographer of the Blog Christine sent along an interesting link.

It seems that "From the Depths," like Charles Lindbergh, has crossed the Atlantic. (and probably on an airplane.) Besides being in the Library of Congress, fighting for America's freedom, my book now resides in the British Library, which is just as cool but with a funny mustache and accent. Witness:

Jolly good!

What country will it surface in next? Maybe I'll cover that in the sequel.

Just flew back from Kansas City

And boy, are my jokes tired.

Other than my bag making it to Midway an hour after I did, it was a fun trip. Got to stomp around in my old stomping grounds, water in my old watering holes, chat with old friends and even take a nice stalker-style cell phone photo of the house I once inhabited.

Oh, and I also spread the Gospel of Christine (possible title for future novel?) around the Midwest. That was fun too.

Gerry Doyle, Cliche Slayer

Because I AM going home again.

Friday morning, to be specific. It's been months since I've made a pilgrimage to the homeland--with its barbecue and jazz and terrible baseball ownership--and I'm really excited. This is the first time I'll be in Kansas City as a novelist. I hope airport security is good; I hate it when I'm swarmed by autograph-seeking book lovers before I can get to my limo.

Awwww, for me? You shouldn't have.

Here's what the schedule looks like:

1) On Friday afternoon I'll be speaking to students at my old high school. I have a long talk composed about how to avoid poverty by not pursuing a writing career.

2) On Saturday I'll be at the Kansas City Literary Festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. I'll be seated at the Missouri Center for the Book's table, signing, chatting and looking author-ish. You can buy a copy for signing (and reading!) at the Rainy Day Books tent or at Barnes and Noble.

3) On Monday I'll be at the Borders in Lawrence at 7 p.m. for a book-signing. As I mentioned before, you can't get Boulevard products in Chicago, so there's a strong chance I will wind up at a local watering hole. But not drinking water.

Hope to see you, whoever you are, someplace in Kansas City. Except at the high school. That would be weird.

I also do weddings and bar mitzvahs

I just rolled in from St. Louis, and boy are... my... um... wheels tired. Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't get much sleep last night.

Anyway. The trip was a great success, with a packed house for the book signing at Webster Groves Bookshop (there's only one copy left in the store, so hurry over there now if you live in the 314, but don't get in a hury and make an illegal left turn on Lockwood. I'm just trying to help you out here.).

The book club the next night was phenomenal as well. The participants were full of thoughtful questions and observations. And there was wine, cheese and cookies. What more could an author ask for?

Now--onward to Kansas City....

The Serpent of St. Louis

It's official: Dr. Myers, me and several boxes of books will be descending on St. Louis (County) early next week for some signery.

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 12
WHERE: Webster Groves Bookshop, 100 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, Mo.
WHAT: Discussion of death-filled submarine, plus illegible signatures
CONTACT: (314) 968-1185

Mark your calendars. Use a red pen.

Close encounters of the Doyle kind

It's official: I (and "From the Depths") will be appearing all day at the Kansas City Literary Festival on May 17 in the beautiful if somewhat over-policed Country Club Plaza. I'll be sitting at the Missouri Center for the Book's table, and because that's not a commercial enterprise, you can buy a copy at the Rainy Day Books tent.

Here's the festival's Web site: http://www.kansascitylitfest.org/

I'll also be doing a signing at the Borders in Lawrence, Kan., home of the WORLD CHAMPION KANSAS JAYHAWKS, on May 19 at 7 p.m. The store's at 7th and New Hampshire, and rumors that the author will visit a local tavern afterward are almost certainly true.

More events that weekend are in the works. Watch this space for details. But be sure to blink.

Thrilled

I just got word that I have something in common with George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis and that guy who played Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men." A nomination.

Specifically, a nomination for best debut novel of 2008 from the International Thriller Writers.

BEST FIRST NOVEL 2008

Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell (Dutton)
Big City, Bad Blood by Sean Chercover (William Morrow)
From the Depths by Gerry Doyle (McBook Press)
Volk's Game by Brent Ghelfi (Henry Holt and Co.)
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (William Morrow)

Possible red carpet guest Barack Obama.

No, you can't stuff the ballot box. A panel of judges will make the final decision. And the judges are writers, who, as you know, want for nothing and are unbribeable. (by the way, do not under any circumstances take the preceding link seriously)

But it's still pretty cool. The only question is, should I go with the De La Renta tuxedo, or Armani?

But the pages matter too!

I came across this on Al Gore's Internet: A blog that does not judge books by their covers. Oh, no. It just judges the covers.

And hey, oddly enough, it judges MY cover. Other than the fact that my name is OUTRAGEOUSLY LARGE*, the design of "From the Depths" is, well,

... enough to put anyone in a relaxing, oxygen-free sleep. However, the blood-red name of the book keeps us from an untimely slumber. There's the scent of murder mystery in the confined air of this book, and it smells fishy.

It's worth pointing out that her blog looks niftier than mine, too.

*and I'm not Chuck Klosterman.

Econ 104 was not an easy class to stay awake for

Totally not my fault. It was right after lunch, first of all, so my hyperactive college student stomach was digesting whatever crap I had crammed into it. Second of all, by that time in the day the five hours of sleep from the preceding night were starting to wear off, like Mario under the influence of a flashing yellow star. Third, housepainting and shoe salesmanship probably were more interesting topics for me at the time.

But that didn't stop me from learning one key point: Scarcity drives value.

So it is with great anticipation of untold wealth that I announce that Amazon.com only has two more copies of "From the Depths" in stock. Which would put their value at approximately $60,000 each. I accept cash or checks.

But really, I'm just shocked that Amazon.com ran out of anything. You picture it as this dimensionless warehouse--possibly situated partially in a different dimension--filled with more stuff than the most consumer-driven society could consume.

So thank you, readers, for clicking your mouses (mice?) on my book so many times. If nothing else we have proved that the teachings of that long-ago econ professor were not lost on me.

Dr. Myers, the (blood-spattered) envelope, please....

It’s 2008, which means Dec. 25—not to mention Dec. 31—has come and gone, and THAT means that the first annual From the Depths Character Discussion contest is officially over. And no, I didn’t just come up with the name for the contest off the top of my head as I typed this. That’s crazy talk.

Here are the lucky 15 winners, who will receive their own signed copies of “From the Depths.” Yes, my signature really is that messy.

-Lindsay
-my tattered pages
-jeanette J
-wednesday (the poster, not the day)
-jettysgirl
-Lisa
-Phoenix
-Chria
-maithe
-carol
-stardreamer7880
-jayhawk prof
-pabtrek
-teasleybigt
-petev

Some of you will be contacted shortly by the friendly and harmless folks at my publisher, McBooks, who only want the best for you. In this case, that means a book. The rest of you need to get me your e-mail address… or your real address… or SOMETHING, so I can extend hearty congratulations and the aforementioned book.

Next on Fox News:

N. Korean sub found... crew dead... Chicago author blamed....

That's right, I'm in the media. An interview in the Chicago Star-News includes a dashing picture (thanks, Christine!) and quotes that don't make me sound like an idiot.

Doyle cites the influence of Stephen King and Elmore Leonard, master novelists whose books have frequently made the transition to the silver screen. Having From the Depths turned into a movie is something that Doyle has allowed himself to dream about.

In the role of Christine Myers, Doyle envisions Grace Park, an actress best known for playing Sharon Valerii on "Battlestar Galactica." "The story is very cinematic in a lot of ways, so I think it will lend itself well to the screen," he said.

Go read it now, and forward it to Bill O'Reilly.

P.S. The event last night at the Book Cellar last night went great--a recap with pictures is in the offing.

Meet the author and ask him tough questions!

He will then mumble something under his breath, sign your book and send you on your way.

OK, OK... not really. If you come to Local Author Night at the Book Cellar on Dec. 19, I promise I will listen respectfully to all your questions and comments, answer them if I can, and write something legible in your copy of "From the Depths" if you present it to me. I might even read from the book, too.

No, I won't do voices. Sorry.

So, to recap:

WHEN: 7 p.m., Dec. 19, 2007 AD
WHERE: The Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
WHO: Me. You. The book makes three.
WHAT: Local Author Night

Hope to see you there!

P.S. Another reminder about the contest: PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR ENTRY. It will not be published, but I need it to shower you with praise if you win.

An important message from our sponsor

Actually, it's a message from me, about the contest I'm running.

Please include your e-mail address in your comment when you tell me who your favorite female protagonist is. All comments are moderated--by the great and powerful Gerry--and I promise your address won't appear on my blog, unless it's attached to your blogspot profile.

If you don't give me some way of contacting you, I have no way of getting you your fabulous prize. Let alone discussing your "The Holograms would have been NOTHING without Jem!!!!" thesis.

Contest! Prizes! Win!

Fame! Glory! Adven... ah, you get the idea.

Here's what you have to do: Post a comment on this blog entry explaining who your favorite female protagonist in literature is. Yes, comic books count.

Dr. Christine Myers and I will sift through the entries and decide which 15 are the most cleverest. The winners will receive the envy and admiration and respect of many important people. And more impressive, an autographed copy of "From the Depths." Autographed by the author, even!

So get thinkin'. The deadline for entries is Dec. 25, and all entries must include a working e-mail address (but don't worry, they won't be published. The only people who will see them are me and the CIA). Good luck!