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For National Library Week, we asked some of our authors to reflect on the libraries in their lives. Here's Ben H. Winters (The Last Policeman) on his:

Last weekend I took this picture of the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library, in Columbus, Indiana, about an hour from where I live in Indianapolis. Like a lot of buildings in Columbus—a small town with a  rich architectural tradition—this building is a masterpiece, built in 1969 by I.M. Pei.

At the end of the month, we're packing up some books and posters, and flying out to Chicago for C2E2. 

This is our first visit to C2E2 in three years, and we're psyched to be coming back. We've got a lot of fun things planned for our triumphant return, from giveaways to author panels. 

Speaking of those authors, you'll be able to catch Ben H. Winters, the Edgar award nominated author of The Last Policeman (on sale all month, btw!), on the Mystery Genre Panel on Saturday, April 27th (2:45pm – 3:45pm, Room W476). He'll also be signing advance review copies of the second book in The Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City. We'll be selling copies of the first book in the series and giving away those copies of Countdown City. 

E.B. Hudspeth, author of The Resurrectionist, will be featured on a Sci-Fi / Fantasy panel on Saturday, April 27th (12:45pm – 1:45pm, Room W475B), joined by Darth Vader and Son author Jeffery Brown. He'll also be signing copies of The Resurrectionist at our booth. Note, that the Resurrectionist isn't on sale until May 21st, so buying the book early at C2E2 is your chance to get a signed first edition before anyone else! 

As for giveaways, we'll be showcasing William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher and giving out gorgeous posters of the cover. You can also snag a super cute Planet Quirk totebag at our booth, which feature quotes from Geek Wisdom by Stephen H. Segal. 

Looking forward to seeing you all there! Check out the totebag after the jump!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 1, 2013

QUIRK BOOKS GOES “NORMAL.”

Quirk Books, the independent publisher known for its irreverent reference guides and innovative works of fiction, has gone and done the unexpected once again. Effective immediately, the company is launching a new imprint that will give readers exactly what they expect. Book-lovers of the world, meet Normal Books.

"We think that becoming more conventional is truly the most 'strikingly unconventional' move we could make," says President and Publisher David Borgenicht. "Readers have come to expect the unexpected from us, and I'm pretty sure no one was expecting this."

The Normal Books imprint will offer a completely retooled frontlist of regular, completely straightforward books, with titles including Breakfast for Breakfast, Miss Peregrine's Home for Regular Children, and Pride and Prejudice without Zombies.

This groundbreaking, daringly creative move was engineered with readers in mind, says Associate Publisher and Creative Director Jason Rekulak. "We’re convinced there’s an audience out there that craves the same-old, same-old,” he says. “We're excited to stop pushing the envelope, and start nudging it back into the desk drawer next to the pens and rubber bands." The concept is expected to yield a more manageable workflow as well. “The sales reps have been clamoring for less buzzworthy titles,” notes Moneka Hewlett, Senior Sales Director.

Besides its new catalog of traditional print titles, Normal Books intends to release all subsequent books in eBook format: as plain text with no pictures and in a single small, non-dynamic font. Says Vice President Brett Cohen: "In the digital age, Normal Books will be square in the middle of the pack when it comes to using new, innovative technology. There’s no need to show off."

Below are the titles that Normal Books will be releasing in the coming months:

This April, read the Edgar® nominated book that everyone is talking about for only $2.99.

Slate’s “One of the Best Books of 2012”

Named a Book of the Month by Amazon, Indie Next List, and Shelfari

Named a Book of the Week by Google Play and  the iBookstore

“Ben H. Winters makes noir mystery even darker: The Last Policeman sets a despondent detective on a suspicious suicide case—while an asteroid hurtles toward earth.”—Wired

“I’m eager to read the other books, and expect that they’ll keep me as enthralled as the first one did.”— Boing Boing

“…an insightfully drawn portrait about a police officer living in a world on the edge of the apocalypse.”—io9

“Extraordinary—as well as brilliant, surprising, and, considering the circumstances, oddly uplifting.”—Mystery Scene Magazine

“Exhilarating. . . . do not wait for the movie!”—E! Online

The trilogy continues on July 16, 2013 with Countdown City: The Last Policeman Book II.

Ah, one of the most compelling and, well, dangerous of literary characters – the femme fatale. Love her or hate her (probably both), she’s a staple in many stories. Here’s your guide to the lady (usually) in black.

The femme fatale is most notably a classic in detective fiction and the noir genre, but her origins go back much farther than that. This archetype is part of the folklore of many cultures and she became a prominent literary character in the 19th century. John Keats wrote about the femme fatale in many poems; the character of Matilda in The Monk is a classic example; and Edgar Allen Poe used the archetype in his work. She is also a central piece to a lot of paintings from this time period (by artists like Edvard Munch and Gustav Klimt).

The femme fatale will do the impossible to get what she wants, including flaunting her “sexy-and-she-knows-it” body to wrap millions of men around her red polished finger. However, the femme fatale isn’t a floozy – she won’t just throw herself at anyone. No, she sets her sights after careful consideration and follows through with a plan – one that never portrays her as a sexual prowess.

A common trick is deception, as the femme fatale fakes weakness in order to accept another character’s “help.” Once one has fallen for the femme fatale, there’s no getting away. She’s got you right where she wants you, baby.

The femme fatale character is everywhere. She exists in every corner of pop culture, although not on the cover of Britney Spear’s most recent album (aside from the name – Femme Fatale – the cover art is a terrible portrayal of the character type). Meet a few of our favorite femme fatales:

FAITH LEHANE
The Text: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Role: A “sometimes rogue, sometimes helpful” vampire slayer.
The Costume: All the cool clothes from the late 1990s + red lipstick.

VIVIAN RUTLEDGE
The Text: The Big Sleep
The Role: A ruthless and spoiled daughter of a very rich man.
The Costume: Classy white dresses + mysterious eyes.

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Maria Vicente is a literary agent intern living in Ottawa, Canada. She likes coffee, books, snail mail, and magic. You can find her on Twitter (@MsMariaVicente) or check out her website (mariavicente.com)