No. 2 on David Higgerson’s holiday reading list: Gathering String

British journalist David Higgerson has dished out some more praise for Mimi Johnson‘s Gathering String.

Higgerson, who praised Gathering String early in 2013, featured it second in his post of 13 books by journalists to get you through Christmas:

This was the book which led to me starting 2013 with bags under my eyes.

In his January post, Higgerson said he was sleep-deprived after late night’s reading the novel:

You know when you think you don’t have time to read, then start reading a book when you get chance and then everything else that can be put to one side tends to go that way? This is one of those books.

Reviewer calls Gathering String a ‘page turner’

The latest 5-star review on Amazon for Mimi Johnson’ Gathering String, by M. Markham “Merrily”:

A page turner. Did not want it to end.

And, just to be clear, Mimi Johnson has not paid for any reviews of Gathering String. Every review has been done by a genuine reader. The New York Times reported today about reviewers for hire. This author/publisher does not follow that practice.

 

Mimi Johnson planning Iowa book tour for Gathering String

Gathering String author Mimi Johnson is making plans for an Iowa book tour to promote her novel.

Details will come soon, but she has already scheduled her first two Iowa events. She will be in Iowa the week of Oct. 1-6.

This is the ideal time and place for a Gathering String tour. Barely a month before this November’s election, an Iowa native will return to her home state to discuss her novel about the mystery surrounding an Iowa governor’s presidential campaign. Johnson grew up in Essex, Iowa, and has lived in Shenandoah, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. She was a student at Iowa State University.

Iowa bookstores, libraries, book clubs and journalists can email the author at mimi (dot) johnson (at) me (dot) com to schedule readings, interviews and book signings.

The print edition of Gathering String is available in time for the Iowa book tour. The Kindle edition, published in March, has been downloaded more than 10,000 times. Thirteen of the book’s 18 Amazon reviews have given the book a top rating of five stars.

“Loved this book!” wrote Carla Offenburger, whose Iowa book club is making plans for a visit with Johnson during her Iowa tour. “Every page was worth it,” Offenburger said in her Goodreads review. “I miss the characters and hope I get to see them again in a future sequel. Johnson creates a wonderful story around politics, journalism, love and family. Highly recommend it.”

Others praising Gathering String have been Tim McGuire, former president of the American Society of News Editors and now a journalism professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Andrew Beaujon of the Poynter Institute, and authors Don Fry, Buffy Andrews and Richard Hine. Iowans praising the book have included journalists Rae Riebe and Brian Smith.

The tour also could include a stop in Omaha, where Johnson studied creative writing at Creighton University.

Readers have blamed Gathering String for neglected chores, sunburn on the beach and for sitting by an outlet to keep reading after an iPad’s battery ran down. Bring Mimi Johnson to your bookstore, library or book club, so your community can see why readers can’t put this book down.

Gathering String print edition is available

The print edition of Gathering String is now on sale. You can order the book for $16 through Amazon now, and it should be available through normal distribution channels to bookstores in a few weeks. You can also buy the Kindle edition of Gathering String for $5.99. You don’t need a Kindle to read the book. You can read it on the Kindle app for iPad, iPhone or computer. The Kindle and print entries should be synced shortly so the Kindle reviews will show up with the print listing. If you want to read the reviews before deciding whether to buy the print edition, they are all compiled here, 13 five-star reviews out of 18 total reviews. In addition to the reviews, Gathering String continues to draw enthusiastic responses on Twitter:

 

 

 

Two more 5-star reviews for Gathering String

Reviewers continue to praise Mimi Johnson’s Gathering String:

Rae Riebe wrote:

Johnson has an ear for sparkling dialogue and a flair for dramatic pacing. Her dry wit made me smile, and her portrayals of Iowa, small-town life and the nitty-gritty of the news media are spot-on. The action unfolds quickly in the last quarter of the novel. I can’t remember the last time I stayed up most of the night to finish a book. I highly recommend “Gathering String.” It is a good read, and a timely one, too. Not just because this is an election year, but also because the book explores journalism ethics in a 24/7 news cycle.

Ted Schnell wrote:

Mimi Johnson’s “Gathering String” is a finely crafted mystery and an intriguing study of complex relationships that you won’t want to put down until you’ve read it to the end.

Gathering String is $5.99 on the Kindle Store. You can read it on the Kindle app for iPad, iPhone or computer if you don’t have a Kindle. A print edition will be coming out soon.

Yes, Mimi Johnson is working on a sequel to Gathering String

Good news for Gathering String fans who’ve been asking for a sequel:

 

The book averages 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with 8 of 12 reviews giving Gathering String 5 stars. The most recent review, by S. Evans, gives 5 stars:

The plot moves from romance to action and keeps you turning the “pages” of the Kindle. …This is a great read, and comes with a warning: You will be nostalgic for the days when journalists actually uncovered real stories, and sometimes braved public scorn and even loss of prestige to bring us the truth.

Gathering String likened to Primary Colors & Grisham novels

Recent reaction to Mimi Johnson’s Gathering String likens the novel to Joe Klein‘s Primary Colors (originally published as by Anonymous) and to John Grisham‘s legal thrillers.

Matt DeRienzo has provided the latest 5-star Amazon review for Gathering String, under a headline saying “If you liked ‘Primary Colors,’ you’ll love this book”:

There was a tipping point for me somewhere around half-way through the book, when it becomes clear how flawed and human the characters are, when I felt like I had to keep reading despite my draining iPad battery and the work emails that were piling up.

On Twitter, Menachem Wecker provided the Grisham comparison: