With the holidays coming up and transatlantic travels pending, I thought this would be a good time to give you an update.   

First and foremost, I finally have a website: www.samuelbarrantes.com. The basic premise is to curate those things that inspire me. More  than anything else, I want to create an online "portfolio" that is as much about what I find interesting as it is about me. There are quotes, music videos, essays, fiction, and various "about" sections (Who/What/Why); I also plan to start a page that displays art from friends of mine, so I can have a forum for those people and works that keep me going. 

Apart from the website, the Advanced Reader Copies ("ARCs" in the biz) are here, which means reviewers will start body-slamming my book to the ground (see the Paul Coelho (The Alchemist) quote just below for the excitement and terror of reaching this point). 

 “Oscar Wilde said: ‘Each man kills the thing he loves.’ And it’s true. The mere possibility of getting what we want fills the soul of the ordinary person with guilt. We look around at all those who have failed to get what they want and feel that we do not deserve to get what we want either. We forget about all the obstacles we overcame, all the suffering we endured, all the things we had to give up in order to get this far. I have known a lot of people who, when their personal calling was within their grasp, went on to commit a series of stupid mistakes and never reached their goal—when it was only a step away. This is the most dangerous of the obstacles because it has a kind of saintly aura about it: renouncing joy and conquest. But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here.” Paul Coelho 

Other tidbits: Never pass up a chance to play pick-up basketball. A few years back a college friend named Pete Walsh was visiting Paris, and although I was a bit tired that day, I decided to ball. This summer, thanks to connecting with him, I got to interview Scottie Pippen and write for SLAM Magazine. Once again, Pete has come through, securing a short book review in the February Issue of SLAM Magazine, as well as a novel excerpt on the website. It just goes to show a) people are awesome and b) never say no if you don't have a good reason (being tired or scared is not one of them). 

In other news, my twin brother, Aaron, may play some background music during readings for the book tour. Readings can be stuffy and downright boring, and since Lockart plays music in his bar, well a bit of blues and jazz will only increase the ambiance. So listen to him here and check out his album, because he is an amazing artist. Of course, he also has over a dozen drawings in the book. During the book tour, I have the incredible opportunity to attend the American Bookseller Association's Winter Institute in Asheville, NC. Apparently, one of my distributor's representatives liked Slim and The Beast enough to vouch for me, so it's a head-shaking honor that I'll be attending. Finally, in March, Inkshares' fantastic marketing gal, Angela, has lined up a Book Brahmin interview with www.shelf-awareness.com, a popular website for hundreds of thousands of writers and readers alike. 

And, to conclude, I have the tip sheet now. My distributor is fine with me sharing it with whomever would be interested in handing it off to a local book store, so shoot me an email at slopezba@gmail.com if you'd like a copy. As has already been proven 232 times, every person helps. 

Without your continued support (love getting emails from you all), I would most definitely be wasting a whole lot of time querying literary agents instead of having the chance to update you all and focus on the third novel. So as more people (hopefully) become interested in S and The B, I won't soon forget who supported me when it was a dream, not reality.