Robert James Russell

Sea of Trees is now also available in paperback at Barnes & Noble for $12.99. Digital coming soon!

I’m ecstatic to announce the official release of my debut novel(la), Sea of Trees, now available on Amazon for only $12.99.

Those of you who have or are thinking about getting a copy, I hope you enjoy!

I was asked to take part in an “interview in excerpts” over at The Collagist blog, where I answer their questions with excerpts from Sea of Trees. Very fun exercise, very interesting outcome.

Andrea Kinnear reviewed Sea of Trees at her blog Faulkner 2 Fibonacci. Here’s a taste:

“Never have I read a work so balanced, so pleasing, and yet so strange, in its very structure. At first my inclination was to cite precision editing to this near-perfect alternation of the main story line and the other stories of suicide. The lush setting of the forest complemented the story line…a little too well. Then I understood – what I perceived as artificial was the very essence of Japanese culture. My American reverence of individuality, of imbalance made Russell’s exquisite detail of balance in Asian cultures difficult to see. If for no other purpose, this distilling of Japanese culture and setting is not to be overlooked.”

Thanks for the review, Andrea!

The Collagist is a fantastic monthly online lit journal edited by the indisputably talented Matt Bell. I’m thrilled to have an excerpt of Sea of Trees in Issue 34, which is now online.

Check out my story here, and make sure you check out all the other fantastic pieces as well–I’m in excellent company.

And it’s nearing the release date. I can hardly stand it.

Issue 5 has landed, and it is a beaut.

Pick up a copy: $12 (Print), $2.99 (eBook)

I was recently interviewed by Mud Schematic–a new, clever site that posts micro-reviews/interviews pertaining to the literary world–about my endeavors with Midwestern Gothic.

It’s short and sweet. Check it out here.

Come get read to on March 28 by Elizabeth Ellen, Kyle Minor and Susanna Piontek. Additional details on the Wednesday Night Sessions site. Absolutely no better way to spend an evening.

I wanted to show off the beautiful cover for Midwestern Gothic Issue 5 (Spring 2012). It’s due out in early April. Head on over to the MG site for a full contributor listing.