Dan Coxon

The days are getting shorter, the radio waves are brimming with festive cheer, the Salvation Army has mobilized its ground troops on every street corner... Yes, it's that time of year again, and as we all gear up - and stretch our credit limits - in preparation for Christmas I'm glad to say that I'll be keeping it simple this year. Just give me a good book and a pint of whiskey and I'll be a happy man. In keeping with the festive spirit, we're running some special discounts on Ka Mate: Travels in New Zealand throughout the holiday season. Please consider buying it for your loved ones, fellow readers, fellow travelers, or even just for a random person in the street. Nothing says 'hello new friend' quite like a Kiwi travel memoir. So here's the deal. From now through Christmas Ka Mate is 30% off when bought through Createspace . Use coupon code FGY57695 at checkout to get the discount. This is the best deal for those of you in the US, but we haven&

Two weeks ago I took part in the inaugural Lit Crawl Seattle - an evening of over 60 author readings dotted about the Capitol Hill neighborhood. My reading was part of the Debut Lit presentation, seven debutant(e) authors from Seattle (and nearby) who are just emerging onto a larger stage. It was my honor and my privilege to share the mic with Suzanne Morrison, Jeff Bender, Rebekah Anderson, Lance Weller, Will O'Donnell and Nicole Hardy. In a room packed with people, and against a LOT of background noise from the bar, I think we all did ourselves proud. My own reading was a collage of two separate excerpts from Ka Mate: Travels in New Zealand , stitched together to make some kind of coherent whole. If you want to read the full chapter - or you're intrigued to see what went down in Capitol Hill on the 18th - then you can read the unedited version for free on The Nervous Breakdown . And don't say I never give you anything. Luckily my reading took place early in the nig