Sometimes I get asked for advice about being a writer.* Usually it’s a general question such as, “How can I become a writer?” or “What should I write about?” The answer to the first is easy: you either are or you aren’t, and deep down you know. But that second question is a tricky one. Conventional wisdom says “write what … Read More
Genre respect and the NYT
It’s an ongoing issue that genre fiction–mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror–is somehow less important than so-called “literary” fiction. That involves forgetting that in many cases the disposable genre fiction of yesterday (Jules Verne, HG Wells, Edgar Allen Poe, HP Lovecraft, Louis L’Amour, Jack London, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler) has become the acknowledged classics of today. [frame align=”left”] [/frame]Still, it’s … Read More
Eddie LaCrosse IV has a title!
At last! I’m proud to announce the title of the fourth adventure of Eddie LaCrosse, out in 2012 from Tor Books: WAKE OF THE BLOODY ANGEL. What do you think?
Kurosawa meets Eddie LaCrosse
Quite a while ago, I posted the trailer to Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller High and Low, and mentioned it was one of the influences on my novel Dark Jenny. I never got around to explaining that until now. High and Low is based on one of Ed McBain’s “87th Precinct” series of police procedurals, in this case King’s Ransom. And … Read More
Blinded by the Dark: chiaroscuro and Eddie LaCrosse
Recently a reviewer was kind enough to say this about my latest novel: “Dark Jenny is a fast-paced mystery with plenty of action; it’s also intelligent, original, and satisfyingly chiaroscuro.” You don’t encounter the word “chiaroscuro” every day, and several readers asked me what it meant. Quoting from Webster, it’s a “pictorial representation in terms of light and shade without … Read More
Win an ARC of THE HUM AND THE SHIVER
Curious about my next book, The Hum and the Shiver? Here’s your chance to check it out before it hits shelves. I have five advance reader copies; leave a comment on this blog post before midnight Sunday, June 12 for chance to win one. Be sure and leave an e-mail with your comment. Here’s the video teaser trailer to wet … Read More
The "Don’t Say Gay" bill and being "tender-hearted" in TN
So Tennessee, my home state and the setting of many of my stories and novels, has again made the national news. The State Senate passed a law dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill which outlaws even mentioning the existence of gay people in elementary and middle school. I doubt this also includes not mentioning the various slurs and code words … Read More
Mamet’s Theatre: an extended whine
Recently I had the unmitigated pleasure of discovering Beginnings, playwright/screenwriter Horton Foote’s memoir of his years as a young man in the theater. It started me on a little run of books about American theatrical thought, such as an immense collection of Lee Strasberg lectures, and made me eager to see a live theatrical performance, something I haven’t done in … Read More
Teaser trailer for THE HUM AND THE SHIVER
Here’s a glimpse of my next book, The Hum and the Shiver, out this September.
Help the southern storm and flood victims (and get cool swag)!
I’m donating both a signed copy of DARK JENNY and my personal DVD of “Excalibur” as part of the HELP WRITE NOW auction to aid victims of the recent southern storms, tornados and floods. Bidding starts at $5!