Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I have a few exciting updates on the book I'd like to share with you:

1) The Boston launch party at Row 34 went really well. Thanks to everyone who came by. I even received a copy of the CliffsNotes for #upMdownC! (Best gag gift ever.)

2) I did a signing at New England Mobile Book Fair, too. This meant so much to me, as the store was a staple of my childhood. If you're ever in the Boston area, take a morning to stop by and wander the aisles. It's a labyrinth of books, in the truest sense of the word.

3) I posted this on social media last week, but for anyone who didn't see it, Amazon chose a small number of books to be displayed at the front of their brick-and-mortar store in Seattle under the heading "Notable Fiction," and believe it or not, "Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside" was included! Just goes to show you that reviews matter!

4) The editors at Kirkus Reviews have chosen UMDC to be spotlighted as one of their Indie Books of the Month for January 2016! Hopefully, this will get their review (here) in front of more readers and buyers, which, at this point, is really all I can ask for.

5) I posted an excerpt of my second novel on Medium, where UMDC got its first exposure. I also submitted a blog entry about the first time I traveled alone in China to WorldTeach on Sunday, which will go live tomorrow.

That's it! Again, thank you so much to everyone who's been helping me promote the book. I can't stress enough how important word of mouth is. I've still got my fingers crossed that I'll hear back from one or two of the media outlets we sent copies to this month, but until then, there won't be any news until January 14th, when I'll be in Denver for a reading/discussion at the Tattered Cover (Colfax Avenue). If you know anyone who lives in the area, please tell them about it, if you think they might be interested.

Happy Holidays! Don't forget: Inkshares is offering a buy one, get one free deal on my book (and any others that have already been published) until December 11th while supplies last.

Quincy

Thank you so much to everyone who has been posting, reviewing and sharing online. Here is a write-up I received from Kirkus Reviews (one of the most trusted voices in the industry) yesterday. It's fair but, overall, very positive!

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/quincy-carroll/up-to-the-mountains-and-down-to-the-countryside/

Release party in Oakland tomorrow night! There will be a trivia contest for those who have already finished reading the book. Hope to see you there! Details below.

E.M. Wolfman General Interest Small Bookstore

410 13th Street, Oakland, CA

7pm - 8pm

Hi everyone,

Hope you're enjoying your copies of "Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside." If you've finished it already and are looking for something similar, check out the following list I put together of "9 Books Every Expat in a Non-Western Country Needs to Read."

Thanks!

Quincy