Hi gang, happy to announce that OATH OF OFFICE, my 17th thriller and the first book in the Lou Welcome series, is now on paperback.
In it, Lou is called to unravel a horrifying incident involving his client, Dr. John Meacham. Meacham, who recently had his medical license restored, goes on a shooting spree at his office and kills his business partner, staff, two patients and himself.
Lou knew that Meacham was an excellent doctor, and after hearing about the incident is in shock like everyone else. When Lou looks further into matters, the terrifying evidence he finds takes him down a path to an unspeakable conspiracy that leads directly to the White House.
At the heart of the terror in OATH OF OFFICE is corn modified with the genes of a flesh-eating termite known as Macrotermes bellicosus. Although the book is a work of fiction, it brings to light the substantial impact that genetic modification, corporate farming and shoddy labeling can have on our food system.
Order your copy today or pick one up wherever books are sold. Have a Happy New Year.
I’m excited to tell you that my book The First Patient is for sale for $2.99 on eBook for the next month or so. This is the one that got Bill Clinton’s nod of approval. It’s a great read—especially after recovering from a big dinner with family and friends. The first few chapters of Political Suicide (my 18th thriller, out December 11, 2012) are included at the end.
Warm regards from the North Coast of Boston. I hope that your fall has gotten off to a good start. As I write this letter I’m in the midst packing for a 16 day trip to the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands. I’m looking forward to the adventure and the chance to separate myself from my writing for a short while.
For book news, I’m happy to announce that my original short story On Call is available in e-book format for $1.99 in less than a week (10/16/2012). In the story, Lou Welcome of Oath of Office (2012) and Political Suicide (2013); and Gabe Singleton of The First Patient (2008) begin their medical residency at Eisenhower Memorial Hospital. Before long, they learn that the chief medical resident has been murdered in the on-call room known as the Love Shack, and Lou is the prime suspect. As they look into matters, the two friends discover that the circumstances behind this tragedy aren’t exactly like they seem. I encourage you pre-order your copy today. As an added bonus, On Call also comes with a sneak preview to my 18th medical and political thriller, Political Suicide–out in January 2013.
An exclusive ebook short story featuring Dr. Lou Welcome in his first crime-solving role: a murder at his medical school for which he is a person of interest. Working with a classmate—and fellow suspect—Dr. Welcome soon discovers that the circumstances behind this tragedy aren’t exactly like they seem.
Dr. Lou Welcome, from Palmer’s bestselling Oath of Office, is back in this heart stopping medical thriller. A desperate phone call embroils Lou in scandal and murder involving Dr. Gary McHugh, known around the Capital as the “society doc.” Lou has been supervising McHugh, formerly a black-out drinker, through his work with the Physician Wellness Office. McHugh has been very cavalier about his recovery, barely attending AA and refusing a sponsor. But Lou sees progress, and the two men are becoming friends. Now, McHugh has been found unconscious in his wrecked car after visiting a patient of his, the powerful Congressman Elias Colston, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Soon after McHugh awakens in the hospital ER, Colston’s wife returns home to find her husband shot dead in their garage. She then admits to the police that she had just broken off a long-standing affair with McHugh.
Something about McHugh’s story has Lou believing he is telling the truth, that the Congressman was dead when he arrived and before he blacked out. Lou agrees to look into matters, but when he encounters motive, method and opportunity he is hard pressed to believe in his friend—that is until a deadly high-level conspiracy begins to unravel, and Lou acquires information that makes him the next target.
I hope that you have all been enjoying the warm weather. As for me, I’ve been working away at my 18th medical thriller, POLITICAL SUICIDE and spending some time in New Hampshire with my family.
The book news for this month is that NO REST FOR THE DEAD, a collaborative novel (known as a “serial” in the book world) that I contributed to is now available in paperback. I’ve been involved in projects like this before, where talented writers come together to write a story, but this experience was one of my favorites. All proceeds are donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So far, the books’ sales have raised over $60,000.
Jeffery Deaver, Sandra Brown and David Baldacci are just a few of the notable authors who participated. I celebrated with all of the contributors last year Simon and Schuster Launch party last year. It’s always great to get together with the writing community. Watch highlights from the evening in this video below and pick up a copy of the book. As they sometimes say: two heads (or in this case, 26) are better than one. Watch the full video recap of the evening–it’s a lot of fun.
It’s hard to believe that June has arrived again—the month where authors, readers and publishers give audiobooks some (very deserved) special attention. I encourage you to get involved in the celebration. Pick up an audio version of your favorite novel at your local bookstore or library or enter an audiobook giveaway. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter – follow and tweet the hashtag #JIAM (which stands for “June is audiobook month”).
I very much enjoy listening to audiobooks, and wish that I had more time to dedicate to the hobby. Almost all of my 17 books are available in an audio format–I’m very grateful for MacMillan Audio for making this possible. I always get a kick out of listening to my writing in spoken word.
You can listen to an excerpt of my latest medical and political thriller, OATH OF OFFICE, narrated by Robert Petkoff by clicking the link below. Stay tuned—I will be giving away copies of the audiobook on my Twitter and Facebook pages throughout this month.
I hope that you are all doing well and enjoying the first taste of summer. It’s been a busy and exciting few months for me. As many of you know, my 17th medical and political thriller OATH OF OFFICEmade the New York Timesbestseller list. With your support, I was able to donate a percentage of the pre-order book sales to The Food Project, an organization in my community that empowers youth and promotes sustainable agriculture.
Now that I have (a little) time to breathe, I wanted to express my appreciation for your encouragement and enthusiasm since the release of OoO. Your kind thoughts, emails, tweets, Facebook posts, and appearances at book events continue to keep me going.
Here are just a few of the reviewers and book bloggers, who that read OATH OF OFFICEand featured the book on their websites. I encourage you to visit these blogs for more reading recommendations, writing tips and book news. Again- I am grateful for all of those who reviewed the book- I could not fit everyone in this post, but hope to share more about those bloggers soon.
Random Jottings by Richard Mabry- Richard and I have quite a bit in common—he’s a former physician who loves to write. Richard is the author of Medical Error, published by Abington Press. Learn more about what Richard is up to and read our full conversation here.
The Dirty Lowdown by Robert Carraher - Richard is a thoughtful blogger and reviewer that you may have seen through the Amazon Vine program or on Seattle Pi. Richard shares some great insights on books, music and technology on his blog. You can find his review of OoO here.
Words N’ Wags by Jacqueline Carney- This mother, wife and writer blogs about her experiences in nature and her favorite books (including the recent bestseller Defending Jacob by William Landay). She shares her thoughts on OoO here.
A Busy Mom of Two- One of my favorite “mommy bloggers” who can’t seem to stop reading. This year she reviewed OoO and Helpless (the second book by my son Daniel Palmer). She also records her recipe ideas and special offers for cleaning supplies.
EMS Reviews Books by Ems – Ems is a passionate reader and writer. She was kind enough to review and run a giveaway for OoO. You can read the full post here.
These are just a few of the great reading and writing blogs that are out there. Who do you turn to when you need a new book recommendation? Let me know by commenting below or by posting on my Twitter and Facebook pages.
My son Daniel Palmer (HELPLESS) and I at a recent "Night of Thrills" event
Greetings to everyone from the North Coast of Boston. Now that March is upon us, we’ve gotten one of the first substantial snow storms in the New England area. A strange winter indeed.
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement and for making this possible. I am so appreciative and grateful.
In other news, I will be spending the next few weeks on the road. I’m looking forward seeing writing friends and making new ones at book festivals in Tucson, Arizona; Ft. Myers, Florida and Easton, Connecticut. Take a look at the “events” page for the full schedule.
My 17th medical/ political thriller "Oath of Office" is now in stores and online.
The day has finally arrived: My 17th medical/political thriller, OATH OF OFFICE is now available in stores and online in a hardcover and digital format. You can also purchase the audiobook, narrated by Robert Petkoff, and produced by Macmillan audio.
The Associated Press says: “[OATH OF OFFICE] will have readers fearful of doing something as simple as taking a bite of food.”
Thank you for your encouragement throughout the past few months—reading and sharing preview chapters, discussing the book’s themes and sending me nice notes on Facebook and Twitter.
Most of all, thank you for helping me to support The Food Project, an organization in my community in Eastern Massachusetts engaging youth in social and personal change through sustainable agriculture education. Thanks to you, I am donating a percentage of OoO’s pre-order sales to their efforts.
As promised, I will also call one person who participated in this initiative (and their book club) at a time that is mutually convenient.
Warm regards from the North Coast of Boston. I hope that your fall has gotten off to a good start. As I write this letter I’m in the midst packing for a 16 day trip to the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands. I’m looking forward to the adventure and the chance to separate myself from my writing for a short while.
