Desert Dog Books News

September 2, 2019

Happy Labor Day from us to you, with an apology. It's been a long time and not a peep, but in the interim, we have regrouped to fix the errors that were found in the original edition of Carol Es's book, Shrapnel in the San Fernando Valley. We have just released a corrected second edition. It is now on sale here (signed copies), and on Amazon; also wherever books are sold. Please ask your local bookstore to stock it. Let us know too. We will gladly ask your local book store for a possible signing date and try to arrange for the author to do a reading near you.

March 30, 2019

Happy spring everyone. We would like to spread our happiness to all of you as we gear up for the launch of our first release, Shrapnel in the San Fernando Valley. It's only one week away!

We are excited to celebrate with author Carol Es. We're ready to pop the champagne corks, toot our kazoos, and release the hounds. We want to make a big stink about this momentous achievement and acknowledge Carol's hard work writing a courageous memoir. Her efforts recently won her the Bruce Geller Memorial Prize WORD Grant from the American Jewish University.

The April 6th publication date is one week from today! Any books that have been pre-ordered should be reaching you shortly. But first, an important note: the special edition sale price ends on April 6th. After next Saturday, the special editions go back to the publication price of $299, so get one now, while the getting's good. Remember, there are only so many letters in the alphabet!

More news and reviews keep coming our way. Carol has been listing reviews on the Shrapnel website. We hope you too will be kind enough to leave your feedback on Amazon or Goodreads. (Amazon won't allow reader reviews before the publication date.)

Coming up: Carol Es will be the special guest on the THIS IS NOT A TEST podcast: Saturday, April 6th. Tune in, turn on, download. All the kids are doing it.

And finally, a reminder. Carol's big day: MEMOIR—Book launch/signing and solo art exhibition: Saturday, April 13, 2019 at Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica Ca.

March 17, 2019

Happy St Patrick's Day from Desert Dog Books! There's been a change in the availability dates for the limited editions for Carol Es's Shrapnel in the San Fernando Valley. Our Pre-order page will be live in the coming days. Please, join our mailing list to be notified about this update. You can also join the author's mailing list to receive her newsletter about the pre-sale, the book launch, readings, and her book tour. There will be a $100 savings when pre-ordering the limited edition before the On Sale Date. As of recently, trade versions of the book (hardcover, paperback and eBook) can be pre-ordered on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other retailers. Ask your local book store to stock it! Electronic downloads in trade for a review on NetGalley are free until March 26th. Those reviews can be posted on Goodreads. We appreciate your gracious support. Thank you to all!

February 13, 2019

Exciting things are just around the corner. They'll be here before you know it. Shrapnel in the San Fernando Valley has received its first editorial review with KIRKUS REVIEWS, and we are close to finishing up the lettered edition in collaboration with the author, Carol Es. These will go on sale by March 1st, 2019. These special books will be priced within the $150 range and will only be available here on the Desert Dog Books website.

The lettered edition will be limited to 26 copies only. Each will come with a vintage cassette mix tape of 1970s and 80s music, an original 5x8-inch watercolor and ink painting, and a colored pencil drawing on one of the book pages. They are hard-cover cloth, wrapped in beige linen with red foil stamping on the spine.

The date is set for the launch party/signing/reading and a short Q&A on Saturday, April 13th at Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica, CA. It is also Carol's first solo show since 2016. Her work will be viewable in the middle gallery. Book signing starts at 4:00 PM sharp. Artist's reception to follow from 5-7 PM.

January 4, 2019

Happy New Year everyone. We are still here, alive after the holidays, and focused on officially launching this website in the coming days, so never fear. We haven't gone away. We are working hard behind the scenes and will poke our heads out soon. We will announce ourselves and the coming release of Carol Es's first book. Thanks for being so patient.

October 31, 2018

Happy Halloween from Desert Dog Books! We now have some titles listed on the site, and are in the process of preparing a book to launch in the spring of 2019: a creative nonfiction memoir by artist/writer Carol Es. Her first major work, Shrapnel in the San Fernando Valley, should be available sometime before April. Carol has been keeping a blog during her progress for the last couple years while creating the book at ShrapnelInTheSanFernandoValley.com. Check it out. It's a candid look into the artist's brain.

October 30, 2018

Test test . Hi everyone. Welcome to Desert Dog Books. We wanted to tell you a little bit about our new publishing company. We are here and queer (sometimes), and happily used to it. We are looking forward to being at your service. Since we're just starting out, there may be some bumps along the way, combined with the fact that we already have a couple of screws lose to begin with.

Our new website is coming along now. We're not sure if it's done yet, because it will eventually include a store and more titles, of course. It's an exciting time, and scary. It's risky and unknown too, but we like that sort of thing. Starting a business is a commitment and takes heaps of dedication. Small and independent publishers are not usually a get-rich-quick type of endeavor. It's always about the love for the art of the story, so we are hopeful about what the future brings.

While we continue to set up shop, we thought it would be interesting to keep everyone in the loop about our goings on. This week, we are trying to complete some our basic operational tasks and begin a social media presence on channels like, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We've been finalizing legal matters, art department details, and are in the process of procuring contracts for distribution.

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that starting Desert Dog Books couldn't be possible without a grant and the support from the California Arts Council and the National Arts and Disability Center. Thanks guys!

Please read our About Page for further insight on what we're all about.