TLC Book Tours

The Sky's The Limit...

Fred Venturini, author of The Heart Does Not Grow Back, on tour October/November 2014

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The Heart Does Not Grow Back 3About The Heart Does Not Grow Back

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Picador (November 4, 2014)

EVERY SUPERHERO NEEDS TO START SOMEWHERE…

Dale Sampson is used to being a nonperson at his small-town Midwestern high school, picking up the scraps of his charismatic lothario of a best friend, Mack. He comforts himself with the certainty that his stellar academic record and brains will bring him the adulation that has evaded him in high school. But when an unthinkable catastrophe tears away the one girl he ever had a chance with, his life takes a bizarre turn as he discovers an inexplicable power: He can regenerate his organs and limbs.

When a chance encounter brings him face to face with a girl from his past, he decides that he must use his gift to save her from a violent husband and dismal future. His quest takes him to the glitz and greed of Hollywood, and into the crosshairs of shadowy forces bent on using and abusing his gift. Can Dale use his power to redeem himself and those he loves, or will the one thing that finally makes him special be his demise? The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a darkly comic, starkly original take on the superhero tale, introducing an exceptional new literary voice in Fred Venturini. 

“Venturini has a voice that’s something like noir poetry, alternately hard-boiled and beautiful, and the story he tells with it is intriguing, intense, and—dare I say it—visceral. Keep your eye on this guy. He’s going to cause trouble.”—Isaac Marion, author of Warm Bodies\
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“A smart, funny, and dark coming-of-age story that successfully balances the weird and the heartfelt.”—Shane Jones, author of Light Boxes and Crystal Eaters
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“Fred Venturini is an awesomely talented writer, and he proves it on every page….This novel about a shy, emotionally damaged loser with a bizarre but coveted ability to regenerate his vital parts is one of the most engaging and ultimately satisfying that I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long time.”—Donald Ray Pollock, author of Knockemstiff and The Devil All the Time
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“Fred Venturini’s The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a marvel. Simply stated, it is like nothing I’ve ever read before. That’s a rarity, something to be treasured whenever you have the good fortune to encounter it. So thank you, Mr. Venturini.”–Nick Cutter, author of The Troop

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

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RKP_6216_WEBAbout Fred Venturini

Fred Venturini grew up in Patoka, Illinois. His short fiction has been published in the Booked Anthology, Noir at the Bar 2, and Surreal South ’13. In 2014, his story “Gasoline” will be featured in Chuck Palahniuk’s Burnt Tongues collection. He lives in Southern Illinois with his wife and daughter.

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 Connect with Fred

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Fred Venturini’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, October 13th: Benni’s Bookbiters

Tuesday, October 14th: Books a la Mode – author guest post

Wednesday, October 15th: Read a Latte

Thursday, October 16th: Benni’s Bookbiters – an unofficial soundtrack

Monday, October 20th: Bell, Book & Candle

Wednesday, October 22nd:  My Shelf Confessions – Wonderfully Wicked Read-A-Thon Giveaway

Thursday, October 23rd: Saints and Sinners

Monday, October 27th: A Fantastical Librarian

Wednesday, October 29th: In Bed with Books

Tuesday, November 4th: Read-Love-Blog

Thursday, November 6th: Sweet Southern Home

Friday, November 7th: The Steadfast Reader

Monday, November 10th: Fourth Street Review

Monday, November 10th: Guiltless Reading

Tuesday, November 11th: Bibliotica

Wednesday, November 12th: From the TBR Pile

Thursday, November 13th: More Than Just Magic

Friday, November 14th: The Feminist Texican [Reads]

Monday, November 17th: A Book Geek

Thursday, November 20th: Bibliophilia, Please

Saturday, November 22nd: Guiltless Reading – author guest post

Monday, November 24th: Tiffany’s Bookshelf