THE MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE - Acclaimed Crime Novel - $2.99

LeeGoldberg · 07-17-2010, 02:28 PM

THE MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE - This book was published several years ago and scored the best reviews of my career. It was also nominated for the Best Novel award by the Private Eye Writers of America.

Despite all of that acclaim, we were never able to interest publishers in a paperback edition...so now I've made it available for $2.99 on the Kindle, Nook, and iPad... and in multiple e-book formats on Smashwords.

"As dark and twisted as anything Hammett or Chandler ever dreamed up [...] leaving Travis McGee in the dust." Kirkus, Starred Review

"Approaching the level of Lawrence Block is no mean feat, but Goldberg succeeds with this engaging PI novel." Publishers Weekly

Harvey Mapes is a 26-year-old security guard who spends his nights in a guard shack outside a gated community in Southern California, reading detective novels, watching reruns, and waiting for his life to finally start… which happens when Cyril Parkus, one of the wealthy residents, asks Harvey to follow his beautiful wife Lauren.

The lowly security guard jumps at the opportunity to fulfill his private eye fantasies and use everything he’s learned from Spenser, Magnum, and Mannix. But things don’t exactly go according to the books…or the reruns. As Harvey fumbles and stumbles through his first investigation, he discovers that the differences between fiction and reality can be deadly.

With the help of his mortgage broker neighbor and occasional lover Carol, Harvey uncovers a blackmail plot that takes a sudden and unexpectedly tragic turn…plunging him into a world of violence, deception and murder… and forcing him to discover what it really takes to be a private eye.

“A wonderfully fresh voice in the mystery genre, Goldberg will delight fans of Janet Evanovich and Robert Crais,” - Rick Riordan, author of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians"

"Lee Goldberg bravely marches into territory already staked out by some fierce
competition -- Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, the early Harlan Coben -- and comes out virtually unscathed." The Chicago Tribune

"Goldberg has a knack for combining just the right amount of humor and realism with his obvious love for the PI genre and his own smart ass sensibilities. THE MAN WITH THE IRON ON BADGE is a terrific read. Goldberg is the real deal and should be on everyone’s must read list." Crimespree Magazine

Worldwalker · 07-17-2010, 05:19 PM

I'm starting to regret having suggested this section. It's dangerous. Not only did I just buy this book, but I couldn't pass up the unsold TV pilots, either (just for sheer weirdness value).

LeeGoldberg · 07-17-2010, 05:35 PM

I hope you enjoy them!

Lee

Marcy · 07-18-2010, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I'm starting to regret having suggested this section. It's dangerous. Not only did I just buy this book, but I couldn't pass up the unsold TV pilots, either (just for sheer weirdness value).

Ditto.

But instead of weird TV I got sucked into the Brett Macklin and Charlie Willis books. Three Ways to Die sounded interesting but I thought $2.99 was a lot for 16K words.

-Marcy

LeeGoldberg · 07-18-2010, 03:01 PM

Marcy,

Thank you so much for getting sucked in. I can appreciate your hesitancy about purchasing THREE WAYS TO DIE...but $2.99 is the minimum price an author can charge and get the 70% royalty. As a result, I have lost some sales on the title but my income on it has more than doubled.

Lee

Marcy · 07-18-2010, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeGoldberg

Marcy,

Thank you so much for getting sucked in. I can appreciate your hesitancy about purchasing THREE WAYS TO DIE...but $2.99 is the minimum price an author can charge and get the 70% royalty. As a result, I have lost some sales on the title but my income on it has more than doubled.

Lee

Is this true for Smashwords? I thought that was for amazon only, but I'm not an author so really don't know. If so, how about a coupon for Smashwords...would that still net you the 70%?

-Marcy

LeeGoldberg · 07-18-2010, 10:03 PM

The reason I raised the price to $2.99 at Smashwords is because Amazon will lower the price to meet the lowest price of the competition. Smashwords doesn't bring me anywhere near the sales that Amazon does...so I didn't want to screw myself.

Lee

clintbradford · 07-19-2010, 03:25 AM

Just grabbed a copy from Smashwords - thanks!

clintbradford · 07-25-2010, 12:58 PM

Genu-winely enjoyable, Lee! Many thanks. What title of yours should I read next?

LeeGoldberg · 07-25-2010, 02:56 PM

Clint,
If you liked The Man with the Iron-On Badge, you might enjoy The Walk or My Gun Has Bullets.

Lee

clintbradford · 07-27-2010, 05:02 AM

>> ... you might enjoy The Walk or My Gun Has Bullets ...

Just grabbed 'em both from Smashwords.com - thanks!

LeeGoldberg · 08-03-2010, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clintbradford

>> ... you might enjoy The Walk or My Gun Has Bullets ...

Just grabbed 'em both from Smashwords.com - thanks!

Thank you, clint! I hope you enjoy them.

Lee

Worldwalker · 08-03-2010, 04:15 PM

I'm about a quarter of the way through ... Harvey is something else! (What else I'm not sure, but definitely something else) I've been alternating between wincing, cheering, and saying "Oh, Harvey Mapes, no!" (in the elevator, all three at once) He's just so ... Harvey. I'm fond of the same TV shows that hapless Harvey is, and of hard-boiled P.I. stories, so I'm just loving the collision between fantasy and reality as it plays out on Harvey's aching ribs.

Hmmm ... y'know, this book might make a great TV pilot!

LeeGoldberg · 08-03-2010, 04:25 PM

I have been trying to sell the show for years... and have pitched it all over town. I also wrote a script based on the book. And although the script hasn't sold, it's the writing sample that has gotten me several other assignments.

BTW, there's an "radio play" version of the book that was produced by the Firesign Theatre a couple of years ago that should be available soon.

Lee

07-17-2010, 02:28 PM	#1
LeeGoldberg Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	THE MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE - Acclaimed Crime Novel - $2.99 THE MAN WITH THE IRON-ON BADGE - This book was published several years ago and scored the best reviews of my career. It was also nominated for the Best Novel award by the Private Eye Writers of America. Despite all of that acclaim, we were never able to interest publishers in a paperback edition...so now I've made it available for $2.99 on the Kindle, Nook, and iPad... and in multiple e-book formats on Smashwords. "As dark and twisted as anything Hammett or Chandler ever dreamed up [...] leaving Travis McGee in the dust." Kirkus, Starred Review "Approaching the level of Lawrence Block is no mean feat, but Goldberg succeeds with this engaging PI novel." Publishers Weekly Harvey Mapes is a 26-year-old security guard who spends his nights in a guard shack outside a gated community in Southern California, reading detective novels, watching reruns, and waiting for his life to finally start… which happens when Cyril Parkus, one of the wealthy residents, asks Harvey to follow his beautiful wife Lauren. The lowly security guard jumps at the opportunity to fulfill his private eye fantasies and use everything he’s learned from Spenser, Magnum, and Mannix. But things don’t exactly go according to the books…or the reruns. As Harvey fumbles and stumbles through his first investigation, he discovers that the differences between fiction and reality can be deadly. With the help of his mortgage broker neighbor and occasional lover Carol, Harvey uncovers a blackmail plot that takes a sudden and unexpectedly tragic turn…plunging him into a world of violence, deception and murder… and forcing him to discover what it really takes to be a private eye. “A wonderfully fresh voice in the mystery genre, Goldberg will delight fans of Janet Evanovich and Robert Crais,” - Rick Riordan, author of "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" "Lee Goldberg bravely marches into territory already staked out by some fierce competition -- Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, the early Harlan Coben -- and comes out virtually unscathed." The Chicago Tribune "Goldberg has a knack for combining just the right amount of humor and realism with his obvious love for the PI genre and his own smart ass sensibilities. THE MAN WITH THE IRON ON BADGE is a terrific read. Goldberg is the real deal and should be on everyone’s must read list." Crimespree Magazine

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07-17-2010, 05:19 PM	#2
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	I'm starting to regret having suggested this section. It's dangerous. Not only did I just buy this book, but I couldn't pass up the unsold TV pilots, either (just for sheer weirdness value).

07-17-2010, 05:35 PM	#3
LeeGoldberg Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	I hope you enjoy them! Lee

07-18-2010, 03:01 PM	#5
LeeGoldberg Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	Marcy, Thank you so much for getting sucked in. I can appreciate your hesitancy about purchasing THREE WAYS TO DIE...but $2.99 is the minimum price an author can charge and get the 70% royalty. As a result, I have lost some sales on the title but my income on it has more than doubled. Lee

07-18-2010, 10:03 PM	#7
LeeGoldberg Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	The reason I raised the price to $2.99 at Smashwords is because Amazon will lower the price to meet the lowest price of the competition. Smashwords doesn't bring me anywhere near the sales that Amazon does...so I didn't want to screw myself. Lee

07-19-2010, 03:25 AM	#8
clintbradford Older ... slower ... Posts: 450 Karma: 1924 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Jurupa Valley CA US Device: Kobo, Kindles 2/3/Keyboard/Fire/Fire HD, HDX.	Just grabbed a copy from Smashwords - thanks!

07-25-2010, 12:58 PM	#9
clintbradford Older ... slower ... Posts: 450 Karma: 1924 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Jurupa Valley CA US Device: Kobo, Kindles 2/3/Keyboard/Fire/Fire HD, HDX.	Genu-winely enjoyable, Lee! Many thanks. What title of yours should I read next?

07-25-2010, 02:56 PM	#10
LeeGoldberg Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	Clint, If you liked The Man with the Iron-On Badge, you might enjoy The Walk or My Gun Has Bullets. Lee

07-27-2010, 05:02 AM	#11
clintbradford Older ... slower ... Posts: 450 Karma: 1924 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Jurupa Valley CA US Device: Kobo, Kindles 2/3/Keyboard/Fire/Fire HD, HDX.	>> ... you might enjoy The Walk or My Gun Has Bullets ... Just grabbed 'em both from Smashwords.com - thanks!

08-03-2010, 04:15 PM	#13
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	I'm about a quarter of the way through ... Harvey is something else! (What else I'm not sure, but definitely something else) I've been alternating between wincing, cheering, and saying "Oh, Harvey Mapes, no!" (in the elevator, all three at once) He's just so ... Harvey. I'm fond of the same TV shows that hapless Harvey is, and of hard-boiled P.I. stories, so I'm just loving the collision between fantasy and reality as it plays out on Harvey's aching ribs. Hmmm ... y'know, this book might make a great TV pilot!

08-03-2010, 04:25 PM	#14
LeeGoldberg Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	I have been trying to sell the show for years... and have pitched it all over town. I also wrote a script based on the book. And although the script hasn't sold, it's the writing sample that has gotten me several other assignments. BTW, there's an "radio play" version of the book that was produced by the Firesign Theatre a couple of years ago that should be available soon. Lee