Monk Books

Book Club Pick

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MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIREHOUSE is a January pick of the Mystery Guild, which is offering members a hardcover edition of the book. When I was a kid, I was a member of the Literary Guild and the Mystery Guild and couldn’t wait for the new catalogs every month. And when those boxes of books arrived, it was like Christmas. Of course, now I collect first editions and I’m not interested in book club editions, but back then it was the only way I could afford new, hardcover titles.

A Very Important Message

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Dear Friend,

I am a former general in the Nigerian army who has managed to steal
countless millions from my people. It has come to my attention that you
are an investing genius and I would like your help establishing an
account at a U.S. bank.

To start with, you need to know that Lee Goldberg’s new mystery novel
MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIREHOUSE will be published on Jan. 3rd and is
getting a big promo push from The USA Network, which has posted
excerpts from his book and a dozen streaming video interviews with him
at their site:

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/bookreleases/firehouse/index.html

This is important, because I need you to buy 17,800 copies of the book.
In return, if you give me your checking account number, your credit
card number, and your social security number, I will wire you $122,000
as "reimbursement" for the purchase of this splendid book. We will all
be winners, especially you my dear, dear friend.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

General Rgo Zan

My Natalie Blog

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My first "Natalie Blog" is now up on the USA Network Monk Page.
The MONK novels are written from the point of view of Natalie, Monk’s assistant, so the blog will give
you a sample of what the books are like. Some of the blog entries are
"out-takes" from the first two MONK books, some are written just for
the site, and other stuff comes from the book I’m writing now. All of
the blogs entries, I hope, will give you some fresh insight into
Natalie’s character and her relationship with Adrian Monk. I look
forward to hearing what you think!

How to Order a Signed Copy of MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIRE HOUSE

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Here’s how you can order your own, signed copy of MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIRE HOUSE.

  1. Email Mysteries to Die For with the following information:

Name

Address

Phone number

Method of payment (check, money order or credit card)

Info about how you want the book inscribed (signed only, inscribed to ‘name’, etc.)


  1. Mail your check or money order made payable to Mysteries to Die For ($10.50 if you live in California; $10.00 for all other states except Alaska and Hawaii – if you live outside the contiguous 48 states, we’ll email you with pricing information) to this address: Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks CA, 91362.
  2. If
    you want to use a credit card, we will call you to get the necessary
    information so please be sure to include your phone number.
  3. If you want more than one copy of the book, we’ll email you specifics as to cost.

There is a possibility I will be signing with MONK co-star Traylor Howard. Please indicate on your order how you would like her to sign the book as well…assuming she is able to attend.

Early Christmas Present for Me

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Monkrevised_1
Today my author’s copies of MR. MONK GOES TO THE FIRE HOUSE arrivedMonkhawaii on my doorstep. I still get a thrill every time I see one of my books for the
first time…ah, that new book smell.  I love it. The book includes a teaser excerpt from MR. MONK GOES TO HAWAII, which comes out in July and has my name so small on the cover that you’ll need a magnifying glass to spot it.  Coincidentally, today I also finished writing the outline for MR. MONK AND THE BLUE FLU, the third book in the series. 

One of the things I’ve discovered with these books is how hard it is to be funny in an outline…unless you go into tremendous detail, include sample dialogue, and practically write the entire scene, which I am unwilling to do. So the outlines come across rather flat. I have to trust that everyone who has to read the outline and approve it will see the potential for comedy within the situations I’ve set up. The nice thing is I have two MONK books behind me already, so they know I will come through on the humor even if the outline isn’t a laugh fest.

Mostly what I do on the MONK outlines is get across broad stroke of the plot, leaving out the specific clues and jokes — knowing I will come up with them as I write. The finished book inevitably differs from the outline, but the basic spine of the story always remains the same.

I hope to start writing MR. MONK AND THE BLUE FLU around the first week of January to make my mid-March deadline…and then I start work on DIAGNOSIS MURDER #8, though I have no idea what that one will be about yet.

Sticking to the Character

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I got this email query today:

I have a question about novels based on tv shows.   When you write a
novel based on the tv shows how do you keep the characters lives from developing
beyond what has happened on the tv show?  Or do their lives develop differently
from their lives on tv?   Does that make sense? 

The short answer is that I worked hand-in-hand with the producers of  MONK to make sure my books are running on a parallel course, development-wise. And if I do create some new backstory (as I have done to some degree), that it’s acceptable to the creator of the show and consistent with what that have done or intend to do.

For more detailed informati0n on how tie-ins are written, check out the many articles at the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers website.