An Extra Shot from the Java Man

25 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by harrisgray in Events, Java Man

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“Hey I have an extra shot here, would you like it?”

How we dream of hearing that line from our baristas as they craft our mochas, lattés and Americanos. An extra shot, to take our drink to a higher level – just knowing that jolt of flavor and energy is on its way lights up your mind. Sadly, some coffeeshops will toss that extra shot, right in front of you, unwilling to slip it to you for free.

Not here. We love slipping you what we got. JAVA MAN is the tale of Brian Lawson, but it’s not the whole story. There was an episode, back when Brian was a California teen…legend has it Helen of Troy’s face launched a thousand ships, but did you know it was a girl named Marnie who punched Brian’s ticket to North Dakota? This is a short story of first love, young Brian Lawson head over heels and going way too far to get the girl.

An extra shot complements a great drink. For readers of JAVA MAN, this origin tale explains a lot. An extra shot can get you hooked. If you haven’t read JAVA MAN yet, we hope this Extra Shot leaves you craving more. Click here to take your shot.

An Extra Shot From the Java Man by Harris Gray

THE GIVEAWAY IS STILL OPEN! BARELY! THE DOOR IS CLOSING – GET INSIDE! NOW!

One grand prize winner will receive a KindleFire HD with $50 Amazon Gift Card, a signed copy of JAVA MAN, and 1 pound of Crowfoot Coffee. Five second prize winners will receive an ebook copy of JAVA MAN. Contest is open INTERNATIONALLY!

[Click here to enter via Rafflecopter]

Get on the Couch with JAVA MAN

05 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by harrisgray in Events, Java Man

≈ 2 Comments

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Blog tour, book release, giveaway, Java Man, Video, vlog

Java Man by Harris Gray We are very excited to announce the release of our new novel (and a new video, below). Java Man is about independent coffeeshop owner Brian Lawson battling the competition, and then cancer. Brian is assisted, and impeded, by friends, customers and employees—and two passionate, unique women with their own plans for the java man. As the story (and his cancer) escalate, Brian alternates between dark, humorous fatalism and a desperate search for a savior.

As much as we created this story, Java Man created Harris Gray. In the beginning, Allan frequented Jason’s coffeeshop, writing a fictional account of a controversial cancer cure, and eavesdropping on Jason’s storytelling. The writer and the storyteller, probably inevitable that we would put together a collection of Jason’s tall but true tales, each with a recipe (makes sense if you know Jason). A one-time collaboration, while Allan continued to write.

Through circumstances we’re still working out with our therapist, Jason got his hands on Allan’s unfinished manuscript. Back and forth we went, writing and editing and rewriting, in two very different styles. The story evolved—from the accounting of a cure to the tale of a man working desperately to build and save his life. Likewise for our partnership; we like to think Harris Gray was the final stage in this evolution.

Of course, there is no perfect, evolved being. Every relationship needs a little time on the couch. We invite you to violate therapist-patient confidentiality and watch the following video from our latest session. And then grab your favorite cup of joe, head for your own couch, and curl up for a few hours with Java Man.

Add JAVA MAN by Harris Gray to Goodreads TBR

Harris Gray is on tour, the blog tour, ten bloggers in twelve days. https://harrisgray.com/2013/11/04/java-man-takes-harris-gray-on-tour/ Each stop features something a little different, from guest posts and interviews to reviews of Java Man. Join us, and enter to win our giveaway while you’re at it, on the tour and on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/69009-java-man

JAVA MAN Takes Harris Gray on Tour

04 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by harrisgray in Events, Java Man

≈ 3 Comments

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Blog tour, giveaway, Java Man

JAVA MAN’s Blog Tour kicks off today! A twelve-day ten-stop tour across the world wide blogosphere – with a sweet giveaway (details below). Our wonderful tour hosts are allowing us to come in, kick our shoes off and call their sites our own. We’ll be posting excerpts, blogging about the origins of Java Man and Harris Gray, and turning their innocent questions into inappropriate confessionals. A few hosts will also be reviewing Java Man…try as we might, they would not allow us to put our words in their mouths, this will be honest-to-goodness feedback. Yes we are nervous.

So mark your calendars with the tour schedule below, or at least promise not to get too upset at the barrage of reminder blogs, tweets and postings coming your way. We’re pulling for you to win the contest, and we hope you’ll enjoy Java Man.

JAVA MAN
by Harris Gray
Release date: November 5, 2013

What do you do when a nightmare threatens your dream? In the disturbingly funny new novel from the authors of Vampire Vic, Brian Lawson receives a dread diagnosis: cancer. But he won’t spare a moment from saving his struggling coffeeshop, even if success comes with his dying breath.

Divorced and ostracized in the rural community, Andrea Goldine sets her sights on the charismatic java man. Brian’s doctors ravage him with chemo and radiation, yet the tumor on his shin grows. Brian drafts Andrea into his battle with a competing coffeeshop, desperate to tap the college campus’s retail gold mine. But Andrea yearns for a different partnership…

Passions simmer below the surface of the tight-lipped community. Fresh from prison, North Dakota’s legendary basketball goddess dangles a ticket to Brian’s campus coffee dreams, and a disgraced scientist’s toxin treatment tantalizes. Two miracles for two maladies—with one cure more deadly than the next.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Nov 4 – Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews

Nov 5 – BooksNerd

Nov 6 – Reader Girls

Nov 7 – Rumpled Sheets Blog

Nov 8 – Mary’s Cup of Tea

Nov 11 – My Cozie Corner

Nov 12 – Mythical Books

Nov 13 – Inside BJ’s Head

Nov 14 – Book Him Danno

Nov 15 – The Top Shelf

GIVEAWAY

[Click here to enter via Rafflecopter]

Java Man Cover Reveal and Giveaway

02 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by harrisgray in Java Man

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cover reveal, giveaway, Java Man

Finally, JAVA MAN revealed! Just the cover, for now. Many thanks to all the bloggers participating in this reveal (listed below in no particular order). Feel free to judge this book by its cover – colorful, big words (just a few), missing links, caffeinated. Bloggers, we’re finalizing the JAVA MAN Blog Tour. We want to entertain your followers; if you’d like that, sign up below.

Lis Les Livres
BooksNerd
Mythical Books
Please Another Book
My Life Beyond Labels
Not Very Ladylike Book Blog
Rumpled Sheets Blog
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews
Inside BJ’s Head
The Top Shelf

Java Man by Harris Gray – Release: November 5, 2013

Java Man by Harris Gray

What do you do when a nightmare threatens your dream?

In the disturbingly funny new novel from the authors of Vampire Vic, Brian Lawson receives a dread diagnosis: cancer. But he won’t spare a moment from saving his struggling coffeeshop, even if success comes with his dying breath.

Divorced and ostracized in the rural community, Andrea Goldine sets her sights on the charismatic java man. Brian’s doctors ravage him with chemo and radiation, yet the tumor on his shin grows. Brian drafts Andrea into his battle with a competing coffeeshop, desperate to tap the college campus’s retail gold mine. But Andrea yearns for a different partnership…

Passions simmer below the surface of the tight-lipped community. Fresh from prison, North Dakota’s legendary basketball goddess dangles a ticket to Brian’s campus coffee dreams, and a disgraced scientist’s toxin treatment tantalizes. Two miracles for two maladies—with one cure more deadly than the next.

Full Cover Wrap

Java Man Cover Wrap

(click image to enlarge)

Thanks for checking out the cover for JAVA MAN. Bloggers, there are still a few days left to sign up to take part in the JAVA MAN Blog Tour (click here to sign up)! If you’re not able to participate in the tour, but would like to review JAVA MAN, please contact our publicist: Jen(at)jenhalliganpr(dot)com. She’s hard on us, but she’ll be nice to you.

GIVEAWAY!!

Winner will receive one signed copy of JAVA MAN and a pound of coffee. Entrants must be age 18+ to enter. Open internationally.

[Click here to enter via Rafflecopter]

Going Clubbing

23 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by harrisgray in Events, Our Books, Vampire Vic

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Book Clubs, books, Java Man, Vampire Vic

Victor would give up donuts for these cookies.

A week ago today Harris Gray jetted to Minneapolis and marched bravely into a book club. And they seemed to like us, we didn’t even need the flask and the frequent bathroom breaks. We talked about the first book in our VV trilogy, Vampire Vic, and tried to make murky the origins of our peculiar collaboration, all the while demonstrating why we are only comfortable writing about fat, bald, aging accountant vampires. We also ate the sweetest cookies we’ve ever seen, and in general had a blast.

Ranked right after “How does such an odd couple like you two write together?”, was the next best question: “What else do you have coming out?” This gave us the opportunity to each preemptively finger the other as the source of the unusual sex in the upcoming Java Man.

Amidst all the fraternizing and spirited discussions, and maybe a glass of wine or three, we forgot to take a picture. Except of those wonderful cookies. Marketing guru Jonathan Gunson recently highlighted another author’s ingenious connection to his readers: Hugh Howey raffled his sci-fi trilogy in an irresistible, book-themed thumb-drive. For VV, we would use those cookies…if only cookies could be encoded with baked-in, edible information, and kept fresh for more than five days.

So here’s to the master Minneapolis cookie maker, Mary. And huge thanks to our buddy Nancy for organizing and hosting the book club, and the fifteen or so ladies who made us feel so welcome. To the rest of you – we would love to sit in your living room, drink your wine, and talk books with your buds. (Oprah, are you still running a club? Put Harris Gray on your standby list, we have a very flexible schedule. And for you, only for you, one of us is going to jump up on your couch and finally take responsibility for Java Man’s dirty pages.)