N O V E L Amanda Stern's first novel, THE LONG HAUL came out in the Fall of 2003 from Soft Skull. BOOK'S DESCRIPTION: The Long Haul is about an alcoholic, his codependent girlfriend and all the consciously bad decisions they make. THE LONG HAUL is available online from these vendors: 1. Amazon 2. Barnes and Noble 3. Softskull Press Click here to read an Excerpt Click here for the Press Release Click here for the Tour Announcement For more information about Amanda and The Long Haul, contact Richard Nash at Soft Skull Press. THE AMAZING BLURBS Amanda Stern knows exactly how to keep us entangled and enthralled. She is A BRILLIANTLY PRECISE WRITER, and in this first novel she puts the right words in the right place to create a novel that is STARTLING, WRENCHING, BEAUTIFUL AND POWERFULLY RESONANT." --Joanna Scott (author of Arrogance and Various Antidotes) "Elegant and spare, Amanda Stern's daring first novel SPARKS THE HEART AND IGNITES THE IMAGINATION, introducing A BRIGHT NEW VOICE to the constellation of American Literature." --Melanie Rae Thon (author of Sweet Hearts and First, Body) "Amanda Stern's prose is SPARE AND GORGEOUS. This tough little book is like AN ELEGANTLY CLAD PUNCH IN THE GUTS." --Maggie Estep (author of Diary of an Emotional Idiot) "Amanda Stern has rendered A POWERFUL IMPRESSION of confusion, ambivalence, regret, rage, and occasional bliss with an exactitude that is, itself, funny and endearing."--Hal Hartley (The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Flirt) The Long Haul is a harrowing novel about the selfish parts of love. A woman gives herself wholeheartedly to a guy only to find out he's a worthless prick. What makes this novel special is that she renders the heartbreak with EASE AND GRACE. This touching story is less about the affair than a woman fighting to survive it." -- Victor LaValle (Slapboxing with Jesus and The Ecstatic) CLICK HERE to read reviews and interviews FOREIGN RIGHTS SOLD TO: Brazil ABOUT THE BOOK TOUR (of November 2003) I wanted to go on a book tour. My Publisher wanted me to go on a book tour. The only book tour any of us could afford was a driving book tour. Soft Skull would give me an unlimited gas card and all I had to do was spend one month driving across country. There was one small, tiny little problem, though: I didn't know how to drive. I DECIDE TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE. STEP ONE: Sign up for driving lessons STEP TWO: Take written Learner's Permit Test STEP THREE: Take first driving Lesson from Rey at the Professional Driving School of the Americas. STEP FOUR: I am not a very good driver. STEP FIVE: Tried to drive on the highway. Never want to do that again. Scaredy. STEP SIX: Okay, there is NO way I can drive myself across country in one month. This is preposterous. I might have to bag this whole thing. Have you ever had to drive across a bridge?? It's the worst. Never, ever, ever want to drive across a bridge again. Or a highway. I'm screwed. STEP SEVEN: I am holding a contest. If you would like to drive me across country on my book tour, please fill out the APPLICATION below. I am not kidding. Want to JOIN AMANDA on her book tour? Just complete this TOUR COMPANION QUESTIONNAIRE. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED in the beginning of October. STEP EIGHT: Take road test. UNFORSEEN STEP: Publishers' Weekly turns my contest into a story! STEP NINE: Fail road test. Take again. ANOTHER UNFORSEEN STEP: 45 people have applied to drive me across country! STEP TEN: Fail road test. Take again. THE WINNER of the TOUR COMPANION CONTEST is JENN MCKEE . Jenn hails from Michigan and has written a biography of Jack Kerouac. Read JENN'S APPLICATION STEP ELEVEN: PASS ROAD TEST!! GET LICENSE!! TOUR DIARY -- WEEK ONE TOUR DIARY -- WEEK TWO TOUR DIARY -- WEEK THREE TOUR DIARY -- WEEK FOUR HOW TO SHOWER IN AN AMTRAK TRAIN THE CEDRIC TO ENGLISH DICTIONARY BOOKS I DID AND DID NOT BRING WITH ME ON TOUR ROAD RUMINATIONS