Special Guests: Eric Beetner and JB Kohl

Since I'm out of town for a few days, I found a pair of authors who were ever so kind to take over the blogging responsibilities for me today. Eric Beetner and JB Kohl have now published two books together, their second BORROWED TROUBLE just came out this month. Their team writing approach is fascinating and their discussing an age old series question, so I hope you'll enjoy their conversation today. Take it away, y'all (I'm in Houston today)!

Eric Beetner and JB Kohl on writing Borrowed Trouble and the stress of the series:

Rather than rehashing out backstory (we’ve never met in person and yet managed to write two novels together, One Too Many Blows To The Head and the newly release Borrowed Trouble) we decided to explore an area of anxiety for Eric. We did this post the way we write books - exchanging emails and adding on where the other left off.

Eric: I know I need to let it go but I get a rash and shortness of breath when I think of someone reading Borrowed Trouble without first reading One Too Many Blows To The Head. Paranoid, I know. I feel like we wrote with new readers in mind and, while it is a richer experience to start with One Too Many, it is not a requirement.

I hate to think some of the wonderful plot twists will be spoiled by reading Borrowed Trouble first. It has been really hard to pick a section to read from at signings. I guess I am plot point retentive.

Do I just need to relax about this?

JB: First of all, congratulations. I'm sure "Plot Point Retentive" will probably appear in the next edition of the Merck Manual for medical students. And yeah, I know what you mean about reading one first and the other second; but I also think that it's really no big deal. If people want to get to know the characters, they can truly do that by reading either book first. It's true that who Ray and Dean are in Borrowed Trouble is a little different from who they are in One Too Many Blows To The Head . . . they've evolved and changed, as characters are prone to do. But I think readers can read either first, knowing that if they like the characters there's another book out there with them.

I noticed we didn't have quite as many revisions to the outline for this book as we did with One Too Many Blows To The Head. Did it seem that way to you too? I'd like to think it's because we've gotten so good at our craft, but maybe it's because the outline was tighter this time.

EB: I feel like we changed the outline more on Borrowed Trouble. As we were writing though. I guess we worked more to solidify the outline for One Too Many beforehand but then it didn't change much at all during the writing. For Borrowed Trouble we adjusted many more little things as the story fleshed out. Remember they were going to go out to Catalina island at one point?

I think the whole starting-at-the-beginning thing is why I tend to stay away from a lot of series. The few that I read are ones I've gotten from the start. I would be too scared off from a 10 or 15 book series like Lee Child's Jack Reacher or something. I just have no desire to make that commitment. I think trilogies are fine. Maybe four or five but beyond that I need to move on. But I would never think of jumping in to something midway through. That's my character flaw though. I'm okay with it. (this is starting to sound like an AA meeting)

I know I didn't imagine this as a series when we started but I'm so glad we went for another one. Writing Borrowed Trouble has made me see the appeal of the series. Whatever it takes to keep writing with you, I guess. Are there series that you read? I realized we don't discuss books much. I'm not that up on what you read.

JB: Hmm . . . series that I read. You know, not really any more. I think I've read one or two Sue Grafton books. I used to be a heavy Janet Evanovich reader about ten years ago, but I lost interest after about the sixth one I think. And believe it or not about 15 years ago I read the entire Belgariad series by David Eddings. I'm not a fantasy fan at all, but they were my husband's books and he said the characters were great. And I have to agree. Eddings can really put a character out there.

Series are tough. I like books with the same characters but I hate them if they have a common story line that goes from book to book to book. I like to be able to pick up a book with my favorite characters and just read it as something suspended in time, regardless of what was published before or after.

Right now I'm on a kick with the classics: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Mary Roberts Rhinehart, Erle Stanley Gardner, etc. These are all stand alone books with the same characters throughout. They are tight and predictable and when I'm writing a lot on a project, they are simple things that don't weigh me down too much. Right now I'm in the midst of reading The Best American Noir Century, which I'm really loving. I can't write short stories so I'm always in awe of those who can.

What about you? What are you reading right now?

EB: I’ve honestly tried to get into some series. I caught a few from the start which is good. Rebecca Cantrell’s Hannah Vogel series, I’m looking forward to Kelli Stanley’s next Miranda Corbie book. The eventual release of Christa Faust’s Choke Hold. I love Joe R Lansdale so I am making my way through his Hap And Leonard books because I’ll read anything of his but those books are so much more restrained compared to his other stuff that really excites me. The one that surprised me is Steve Hockensmith’s Holmes on the Range series. I read the first one and loved it. I got two more for Christmas and I plan to catch up and keep reading those for sure.

Mostly I read standalones though. I still try to stick my pattern of one contemporary and then one classic in my reading. I just picked up a handful of old 1940s and 50s pulp paperbacks and though I bought them based on the lurid covers and titles what I’ve read so far has been really good pulpy fun. I’m having a good year for reading so far. Got a lot of books read so far and some really good ones. My TBR pile is still taller than my daughters though. Don’t doubt me. I have photographic proof.

You know what I’m looking forward to? Can you imagine the day we notice someone reading a book of ours in a cafe or something? How cool would that be?

Of course I would probably walk up and ask if they started with One Too Many Blows To The Head. Nerd.

What has been your most gratifying moment of being a published author (so far)?

JB: Just gotta say, I LOVE Steve Hockensmith and his Holmes on the Range. I especially like the part in the second book where Big Red "Kecks all over the train tracks" . . . because believe it or not, Keck is my maiden name. And now we all know what it means.

Most gratifying part of being an author? Well, there are monumental moments – like the request from a publisher for a manuscript, or having someone at a book signing say they are a fan. But then there's the day to day gratification of it – reading a good paragraph I've just written or discovering a new character I didn't know I had in me. I really like meeting and working with other writers. I haven't met a writer yet who wasn't willing to talk about their work or listen to me talk about mine. But I think my favorite part of it all has been our collaboration. I've learned a lot about my own work through writing with you. A book is a big project. There are things to think about constantly: plot, characters, point of view, pacing, voice, etc. Add a second writer and all of those concerns can increase exponentially. The interesting thing for me is that I really think very little about those things when you and I are on a project. It all seems to just fall into place. I'd have to say that defines gratifying for me.

So I'm curious, when do you write during the day. I know you work a lot. Do you ever sleep?

EB: As I write this it is 12:30 am and I just finished getting 2100 words done on my new novel so I feel pretty accomplished tonight.

I don't sleep as much as doctors or my wife say I should. Keep in mind I have two toddlers as well so as much as I'd like to sleep in to about 8 or even 9:00 which would fit with my work schedule I'm usually up by about 7:00 and since my side of the bed is closest to the door I get the first flying leap of the morning. My wife is really good about letting me sleep in on weekends.

Writing at night is hard. It does force me to be focused though. If I had all day to fart around I bet I would waste a lot of time. I'm glad I have an office that is detached from the house in an old converted garage. It's nicer than I just made it sound and I get to fill it with all my books and cover the walls with Film Noir posters. It has no heat so I'm thankful I live in southern California but it still does get cold. I think I'm going to dedicate my next book to my space heater.

I'm very thankful to Jen for hosting us in this little conversation. I'm so glad to be able to get our story out there as well as our stories, y'know? You'll be seeing us around. We don't plan to stop writing with each other. We don't plan to meet either. Maybe someday when we're accepting our lifetime achievement award or something. I think we can finally risk jinxing it if we make it that far.

For now it’s giveaway time. We have a copy of the new book, Borrowed Trouble, and as you have just read I’m paranoid so I’m also going to include a copy of One Too Many Bows To The Head and on the off chance that someone already owns that one, I’ll substitute a copy of Jennifer’s first novel, The Deputy’s Widow. Signed, of course.

All you have to do is leave a comment about what series you’d recommend to someone and whether or not you need to start with book 1. A winner will be chosen at random.

Thanks Eric and Jennifer! And don't forget if you're leaving a comment for their giveaway, make sure we have a way to get ahold of you if you're chosen!

WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! - Steve Hockensmith

First line: "My heart wasn't just pounding in my ears as we ran."

Otto and Gustav find themselves in the Windy City during the World's Columbian Exposition where they will be competing in the World's Greatest Sleuth contest. The contest is being held in conjunction with the announcement of Sherlock Holmes' death and the world is watching to see who will replace him as the greatest sleuth. However, a wrinkle appears in the contest plans when the organizer is found dead, face down in a huge hunk of cheese.

WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! is the fifth book in Steve Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range series, and I'm convinced that smart and funny are simply embedded in Hockensmith's DNA. He reels you in with wonderfully dynamic characters and colorful, laugh out loud descriptions. The Holmes-esque plot keeps the reader dizzy trying to figure out who dunnit. And the themes provide depth to those already fun plots.

One of the elements I appreciate about Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range series is his fair play. He doesn't pull a character out of no where to solve the mystery at the end. You always know, as the reader, that you have a chance to be solving the crime as well and you get all the same information the sleuth's have. There are no surprises but plenty of "Ah ha" moments.

Another of the elements that I appreciate in Hockensmith's writing is his use of intelligent humor. He doesn't try to insult his readers with junior high jokes. Instead his themes are substantial and well-developed and the humor works to develop the complexity. Although his books are set in the 19th century, commentary about current events can often show through as well. Sometimes it's a situation where it still holds true today and we humans haven't learned our lessons yet:

"The sheer scope of the Exposition soon overwhelmed me, though. Every page was so packed with the Biggest This and the Greatest That and the Most Expensive the Other, I started wondering what mankind was trying to prove. We seemed like little more than children waving our broomstick horses at heaven shouting, 'Look at us, Pa! Look what we made!'"

Other times, we see Hockensmith just poking a little fun at current events, like voting in Chicago. And yet other times, he forces us to pause momentarily and think:

"'The point is, everything seems obvious in hindsight, and it's only a few folks who can see that the impossible is possible goin' ahead, not just lookin' back. The grand thing is to be able to reason forward - and then follow through on it.'"

In all elements of the novel, Hockensmith's dialogue is infused with dialect which works brilliantly to bring out the flavor of the characters and the setting. In this particular installment of the series, the "World's Fair" presents characters from around the world and Hockensmith doesn't miss a beat on their dialogue.

The final element I have to comment on, and it's probably what I consider to be Hockesmith's greatest strength in this series, is the depiction of the relationship between his protagonists. Otto (Big Red) and Gustav (Old Red) are brothers. Each has his strengths and weaknesses, and each respects the other while still taking every opportunity to poke a brotherly jab here and there. But God help the person outside their duo who tries to take a jab at one of the brothers. It's delightfully authentic and anyone with a sibling will appreciate the dynamics of their relationship.

Whether a short story or a novel, I look forward to Hockensmith's style and creativity. WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! proves that Hockensmith hasn't lowered his standard on quality when it comes to his writing. If anything he continues to raise bar. So, if you haven't checked this one out yet, rustle yourself up a copy and prepare yourself for the WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH!

WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! is available from St. Martin's Minotaur in print (978-0-312-37943-8) and from Tantor Media on audio (978-1-452-65013-5) narrated by William Dufris.

VANISHED giveaway

In June Joseph Finder is releasing BURIED SECRETS, the sequel to VANISHED, which introduced private spy Nick Heller. This is the first time Joe's had a series character and he discussed that a bit at Love is Murder earlier this month.

I'm excited to announce that the folks over at Team Finder have a copy of VANISHED that they're allowing me to give away. So if you didn't have a chance to read VANISHED yet, you can win a copy here and read it in time to catch BURIED SECRETS when it comes out this summer. I know most of you can't start a series mid-way, and you can find out how Joseph Finder climbed the corporate ladder to CEO of Suspense.

All you need to do to enter is complete the form below - one entry per person. You need to have a U.S. postal address on this one and no P.O. boxes, please. I'm headed out of town on Thursday and will return on Saturday night, so I'll draw the winner from all the entries then. Good luck!

THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL - Michael David Lukas

First line: "Eleonora Cohen came into this world on a Thursday, late in the summer of 1877."

Eleonora Cohen is born under exceptional circumstances, so her exceptional abilities should have come as no surprise to her father and step-mother. However, her special abilities taint her in the eyes of her step-mother, prompting Eleonora to stow away on the ship taking her father to Stamboul. In Stamboul, Eleonora experiences some of the finer things in life, her studies are encouraged and she captures the attention of the Sultan.

THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL isn't a crime fiction novel. There are elements of crime, deception, spying, but those elements don't seem to go anywhere. I was waiting for something to emerge from all the spying and insinuations, but nothing happens. Even Eleonora's interactions with the Sultan are anti-climatic. So, overall the plot fell flat for me.

The characters, however, are brilliantly created and would have been spectacular in a more intriguing plot. Eleonora takes on an almost fairy-tale-like persona with a step-mother who doesn't understand her, an adventure to a foreign land, an inquisitive nature. The Sultan and his mother have a wonderful relationship and you can just imagine the Sultan rolling his eyes behind her back. The Sultan's adviser, Jamaludin Pasha, has an Iago-istic aura.

The tone and atmosphere are beautifully rendered and the reader can easily imagine him/herself transported to a distant time and place. Eleonora's mystic qualities also contribute to the Middle Eastern feel of the story. THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL really has the makings of a great novel, but it just felt as though it wasn't finished, which may also be my strong interest in the crime fiction genre and a desire for more action taking place.

My review is part of THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL blog tour from TLC Book Tours. To examine some other viewpoints on this novel, check these additional stops on the tour:

• Melody & Words
• Rayment's Readings, Rants and Ramblings
• Jenny's Books
• Book Sake
• Luxury Reading

THE ORACLE OF STAMBOUL is available from HarperCollins (ISBN: 978-0-062-01209-8).

Audiobook Thursday - CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER

First line: "The Rutherford girl had been missing for eight days when Larry Ott returned home and found a monster waiting in his house."

Larry Ott has learned to get through life one day at a time. He's been ostracized by the people of his rural Mississippi town ever since Cindy Walker went missing after their "date" back in high school. People don't talk to Larry, they don't patronize his service station and they certainly don't associate with him. However, when another young girl goes missing, the local law enforcement is more than happy to start looking right at Larry as the prime suspect.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is a book that hits me in one of the softest places in my heart: people's callous mistreatment of each other. Franklin handles the theme with kid gloves, making it all the more effective. Larry is a young man who has wanted nothing more from life than a friend, and this desire opens him up to the selfishness of others.

The crimes in this novel, the two missing girls, play a secondary role in the plot. Instead Franklin focuses on the interrelationships of the characters and how their environment influences those relationships. The richness of the characters, the dialogue, the setting development all contribute to the intensity of emotion Franklin is able to elicit from the reader.

Franklin's use of language is exquisite. The tone of the novel mimics the loneliness of Larry and the internal struggles of Silas, the town constable who is carrying around heavy secrets. Every so often, Franklin sneaks in some situational humor to contrast the "old boys" off-color and tasteless jokes.

Through these beautiful characters, Franklin reminds us of the ugliness humans can inflict on one another. CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is a highly emotional, eloquent study of the human spirit and one we can all stand to read regularly. Franklin is a true master and CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER should be considered required reading.

Kevin Kenerly narrated this audiobook from Blackstone Audio. I would imagine that authors like Tom Franklin are hard to do justice, but I believe Kenerly did a fine job. He brought out the tone of both the rural southern community and the lonely, aching outsider. Kenerly also did a commendable job with the various dialects and genders. He maintained a leisurely pace befitting Southern Mississippi while emphasizing elements of intense emotion or fear. The production of this audiobook pays a fine tribute to the beautiful story being read.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is available in print from William Morrow (ISBN: 978-0-060-59466-4) and on audio from Blackstone Audio (ISBN: 978-1-4417-6344-0)

To Grow or Not to Grow

At the Love is Murder convention, the topic of static characters vs characters who grow came up in several different panels. And a statement was made in one of the panels: "people essentially don't change so why should characters change?" I feel that the statement is inherently flawed, and the comment actually prompted me to want to write this post about the topic.

There are people who find comfort in characters that don't change, authors that continue to write the same kind of story, etc. The reader knows what to expect and knows what they're going to get. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact, it seems to be making a tremendous amount of money for some authors.

But if we're being truthful about people, they do change. Not always in dramatic ways and rarely overnight, but they do change. When people marry, they change. When they have children, they change. When you move out of your parents' home you change - or if, God forbid, you experience a foreclosure. Anyone who has had their home broken into experiences a change. When a soldier comes back from war or a surgeon loses his first patient, change results.

Heck, psychology even recognizes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because life affects humans; it alters them.

So, personally, I think it's unrealistic to have a character in a book experience extreme situations - after all, crime fiction is full of extreme situations - and not be changed by those situations. I feel a much greater fulfillment from a book or a series that illustrates the characters' change and growth.

When I consider the books I most highly recommend to others, they are all books that examine how life affects the characters populating the stories

• THE LOCK ARTIST (Steve Hamilton)
• A QUIET BELIEF IN ANGELS (R.J. Ellory)
• THE AMATEURS (Marcus Sakey)
• L.A. REQUIEM (Robert Crais)
• THE CRIME WRITER (Gregg Hurwitz)
• TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Harper Lee)
• A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY (John Irving)
• LORDS OF DISCIPLINE (Pat Conroy)
• THE CRUELEST MONTH (Louise Penny)
• SHUTTER ISLAND (Dennis Lehane)
• KINDNESS GOES UNPUNISHED (Craig Johnson)
• MIND SCRAMBLER (Chris Grabenstein)
• DEAD CONNECTION (Alafair Burke)
• CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER (Tom Franklin)
• ROOM (Emma Donoghue)
• SORROW'S ANTHEM (Michael Koryta)

For me as the reader I feel that when the author neglects that, they aren't being true to the character and that leaves a void for me. It also results in a flatter character.

But I'm just one reader, and I know not everyone feels the same. So I'd love it if you'd share your own feelings on characters that change/grow vs characters that don't. And Julie P, this is my list for you...finally. It may be different next week, though.

Special Guest: Craig McDonald

Today is Craig McDonald's release day for his fourth Hector Lassiter novel, ONE TRUE SENTENCE. Regular readers know I'm a huge fan of this series. With last year's release of PRINT THE LEGEND, Craig graciously agreed to submit himself to an interview. You can see that here at Part I and Part II. Today he's been kind enough to take over the blog and he's posting today. I'm very excited about this because this post is incredible. If you haven't read Craig's work yet, here's a look at his style. So let me move out of the way and let Craig do what he does best!

The Woman Behind the Man
By Craig McDonald

A few years back, I was in New York City chatting with the person who casts voices and selects readers for Recorded Books’ unabridged audio treatments of novels and nonfiction titles.

We’d finished touring the Recorded Books studios and offices and had settled in to discuss my recurring character, crime novelist Hector Lassiter, and how Hector and all those real, now-gone people who populate the Lassiter series of historical literary thrillers might best be transitioned to audio.

Tom Stechschulte was already a virtual lock to “be” Hector. But when I mentioned there would be shifts in point of view from book to book in the latter going — some presented in third-person, others narrated by Hector — it raised the issue of whether a second reader might be in order. Say…an actress.

“If Hector was to have a recurring love interest,” she said, “well, then…”
I assured the Recorded Books studio director that was not the case; that each novel would likely have a different female character playing against Hector.

That was true up to a point. But across eight novels in the series (four have now seen print), there are two women in Hector’s life who potentially hang in there for more than a single book or even two.

There was this one formidable woman, in particular, whom I had already committed to paper.

One True Sentence is the fourth novel about Hector Lassiter, a man variously known as “the man who lives what he writes and writes what he lives,” as well as, “the last man standing of the Lost Generation.” OTS is the fourth novel in publication sequence, but was actually conceived to be number three.

Pre-publication, but with several of the Lassiter books already written or in my head, I figured after just two previous installments, readers would likely form a fairly strong and fixed notion of Hector Lassiter, the man.

In this cycle of novels that has never taken the direct, chronological route that ninety-nine percent of other mystery series hew to, it seemed to me that around book three the time would be ripe for a major change up.

Through newspaper articles and magazine profiles excerpted in the first Lassiter novel, Head Games — through other characters asides and Hector’s own admissions — a kind of informal biography of Texas-born Hector Lassiter emerges through the first three published books.
But most of that biographical material is confined to the late 1920s and beyond.

We know little, if any, about Hector’s childhood. We haven’t been afforded a glimpse of how Hector became Hector.

One True Sentence is the first of two, back-to-back books that supply those answers.
While previous novels have sprawled across continents and decades, One True Sentence occurs across a single week in Paris, circa February 1924.

OTS introduces THE woman in Hector Lassiter’s crowded life, the fetching and bewitching mystery writer Brinke Devlin.

Brinke was name-checked in Print the Legend (Lassiter #3), but she’s always been lurking in the background. Hell, I’d fully written her story before my debut, Head Games, ever saw print.

It is Brinke, who, at base, “created” the Hector Lassiter his readers know. Brinke is a darkly creative woman who moves Hector from the path of a struggling, often-blocked literary writer to the pulp-frenzied, dark-end-of-the-street, crime fiction novelist Hector is fated to be.

Years before Hector is tagged with his designation as an author who writes what he lives and puts his turbulent life down on the page, slightly older and much more worldly Brinke is already pioneering the dark art of living one’s life to feed one’s fiction.

From conception, Brinke was formulated to be très formidable.

I put at least as much effort into shaping Brinke and her back-story as I did Hector’s. Though I never envisioned writing a series about her, I approached the task with the notion that I actually intended Brinke to stand as her own series character.

At the same time, One True Sentence also casts Brinke as a potential villainess — a complication that further kick-starts the evolution of Hector’s own eventual, shades-of-gray persona and sets him up for the rather controversial love affair(s) depicted in Toros & Torsos.

If, as the saying goes, the boy is father to the man, then equally true, I think, is the fact that a bewitching, dark muse arriving at the right wrong moment in that man’s life makes him the author he’s fated to be.

ONE TRUE SENTENCE is available today from St. Martin's Minotaur (ISBN: 978-0-312-55438-5). And since this is one of my must-read series, you can be assured you'll be hearing from me on ONE TRUE SENTENCE as well.

Satori - Don Winslow

First line: "Nicholai Hel watched the maple leaf drop from the branch, flutter in the slight breeze, then fall gently to the ground."

In the fall of 1951 Nicholai Hel is tolerating solitary confinement in an American prison in Japan when an opportunity for release presents itself. Hel can shed his captivity if he agrees to help the Americans. The Americans want Hel to assassinate the Soviet commissioner in China. They don't anticipate Hel returning from the mission alive.

SATORI is an incredibly sensual novel. Winslow manages to affect all the senses of the reader as he escorts you through the exploits of Nicholai Hel, a.k.a. Michel Guibert. Hel was raised in the Far East and lives his life according to many of the views and beliefs of the Eastern peoples. He's very cerebral and the novel reflects that almost mysticism of his character.

Winslow also deftly illustrates the dichotomy of the Eastern beliefs and the destruction of war and conflict:

"There was a moment of silence, and then the officer dropped his hand and shouted. The rifles roared and Nicholai saw the two prisoners crumple to the ground.

The Temple of Heaven, its famous blue-tiled roof glistening in the sun, loomed over them."

The plot is amazingly intricate, weaving in the politics and history of the time period. The action scenes are blood-pumping and tightly-written. But I felt the plot took a back seat to the language and the lands and the characters. Hel's mental strategizing scenes are some of the most beautifully written scenes from any book I've ever read:

"Of course his mind went to a different metaphor, the go-kang, and he saw it all too clearly. Their little pool of black stones would soon stretch into a thin line and progress toward Quoc's apparently magic trees, there to group into a pool again. The white stones - and there were many more of them - were even now gathering around them.

Go players had a term for such an isolated, surrounded group.

Dead stones.

And, Nicholai recognized, the flat go-kang surface had become an anachronism. The ancients never anticipated modern airpower, which literally added another dimension to the game. They couldn't have imagined stones floating above the board, delivering death and destruction below."

The beauty lies in the power scenes like this one exert over the reader. It creates a muting effect of the battle going on all around the characters so the reader can focus on the mental struggle more so than the physical struggle.

And likewise, Winslow captivates the reader with the setting. His illustrations exhibit a pure respect for nature, the land and its people:

"Making his unsteady way along the narrow, stone-laid paths, he focused on details - unraveling individual birdsong from the cacophony of a score of species, identifying types of monkeys from their incessant chatter and warning screeches, distinguishing plants and vines from among thousands in the verdant forest.

The jungle was reclaiming the monastery.

Its vines cracked the old stones, swallowed columns and stiles, crept over flagstone pavilions like a patient, persistent tide of Go stones on a board. Yet statues of Buddha peeped through the vegetation, his eyes content with the knowledge that all things and all physical matter inevitably decays."

Very rarely does a book keep me up late anymore. SATORI did. I couldn't possibly put it down until I had finished it, and then I felt a tremendous ache of loss. There were no more pages to turn. SATORI is a book that epitomizes why I read: to be entertained, to be challenged, to travel, to grow, to FEEL. Winslow most assuredly gives his readers their money's worth in SATORI.

SATORI is Don Winslow's prequel to Trevanian's novel, SHIBUMI. I have not experienced SHIBUMI but have added it to my iTouch as my next audiobook. It's narrated by one of my favorite readers, Joe Barrett. I would be very interested to hear from people who will have read these books in the reverse order. Let me know if you think Winslow did Trevanian justice and I'll let you know if I thought Trevanian did Winslow justice ;-)

SATORI will be available from Grand Central Publishing in March (ISBN 978-0-446-56192-1). I'm sure all of your local indie stories will be more than happy to pre-order it for you if you're interested in that. But whatever you do this year, do NOT miss this book.

The Cute Guys Panel

The final panel I attended at Love is Murder was called "The Cute Guys" panel. The panel consisted of 11 men, moderated by Barb D'Amato. It was a cute panel and everyone had a wonderful sense of humor about the panel.

The two hot topics during this panel were Marcus Sakey's hair (poor Marcus) and Keir Graff's earthworms. Joe Finder related his daughter's reaction when she learned he was on the "Cute Guys" panel. She asked if the qualifications included "throwing out your AARP card in self-denial."

I grabbed a small video during this panel, so you can get an idea of the players in this game and hear a little from some of them. The really risque questions that came from the audience plants are not, however, included in this snippet. Hope you enjoy. Have a super weekend!

Audiobook Thursday - THE MERCY SEAT

First line: "Jamal ran."

Journalist Joe Donovan's life and marriage began to corrode the day his son went missing in the department store. He's spending his days in a sad puddle of despair and alcohol when his former colleague Maria comes knocking on his door for help finding a missing journalist. Finding the journalist turns out to be the least of their problems.

Martyn Waites first book in the Joe Donovan series is darkly fantastic. He's created a cast of characters that are realistic, gripping and mult-dimensional. His child-prostituting villain is fittingly repulsive, but what is truly fascinating is the mob mentality that Waites also illustrates in this novel.

Joe Donovan is the obvious protagonist, but his young friend Jamal steals the show. Jamal's awkward mix of immaturity and maturity beyond his years, forced on him by his circumstances, create a fascinating specimen in this pint-sized hero. And his wit offers brief points of levity to an otherwise bleak tone.

Along the way, Donovan also befriends a pair of private eyes, Peta and Amar. Through the characters of THE MERCY SEAT, Waites has created a bit of a microcosm: each character distinctly singular with his/her own struggles and misfortunes, experiences and exploits. It is these characters that drive the plot and set the tone of the novel. While that tone is unarguably mournful and drab, the reader can't help but cling to the hope that justice will prevail.

Waites introduces Donovan's history because it plays an essential role in understanding the relationship he forms with Jamal. However, many questions are left unanswered leading the reader to believe that this part of Donovan's life will continue to be an issue in subsequent installments in the series.

One of the great joys of this audiobook is the fact that Martyn Waites narrates it himself. While there are many authors who should not narrate their own books, Waites has a history in acting and does an outstanding job reading his story to the audience. This is a rare opportunity to hear the author's interpretation in a quality performance. I especially appreciated his reading of the young, punk kid Jamal and the gay PI, Amar. Waites sense of humor comes through in those two characters. And on a silly, personal note, I simply love the sound of Waites' British dialect.

THE MERCY SEAT is available in the U.S. from Pegasus in hardcover (ISBN: 978-1-9336-4800-2) and from Pocket Books in trade paper (ISBN:978-1-4165-0222-7). The audio is published by Magna Story Sound (ISBN: 978-1-8465-2084-6).

Love is Murder

I was mentioning this morning about having a case of the grumpies. This is about the time of year when I've taken all I can take of the winter. I have a very passionate disdain for winter to begin with, but after three to four months of snow, cold and darkness I really hate the season. So that's why Love is Murder was such a welcome reprieve. For one weekend I didn't have to worry about shoveling snow or how ugly my gas bill is. Instead I hung out with great writers and wonderful friends at Chicago's Intercontinental Hotel.

I had to know the weekend was going to be great when the first one to greet me was Dally:

Is she not the cutest little bundle of fur you've ever seen? We became fast friends, especially after she was so generous with her kisses. And she loves to snuggle.


I attended a bunch of panels and for me, they just never get old or stale. I don't think I've ever walked out of any panel having not learned at least one new thing about the authors involved.

The very first panel I attended was related to "Writing Fight Scenes." My good friend Tom Schreck was on this panel along with Jamie Freveletti as the moderator. Then I saw for the first time: Jon Land, David Case and Michael Black. Case and Black both have first hand experience in law enforcement and of course Tom is a boxer. Jamie is involved in the martial arts, both in her own practice and as an instructor. The panel discussed their pet peeves about literary fight scenes, their favorite examples and their least favorite examples.


The other session I attended on Friday was Dana Kaye's session on "Spreading Your Marketing Virus" where she shared some excellent tips on how authors can effectively market their books. She included great ideas for both social media and grass roots approaches, emphasizing the idea that you must make yourself known. She also offered up suggestions on how you can be creative and think outside the box with your marketing approaches.


Saturday I made use of the whole day attending sessions all day long. The first panel was called "Agents of Thrills: Not Cops, Not PIs, But Still on the Job for Someone Else." This one included Joe Finder, Andrew Grant, Jon Land, Laura Caldwell and the moderator Austin Camacho. It was lively and fun as the panelists shared information but also joked good-naturedly with each other as well.


The "Movie Mania" panel may have been my favorite panel. The content was enlightening and the panelists were definitely energetic. They included James Strauss, Jon Land, Marcus Sakey, Joe Finder, Hal Ackerman and Raymond Benson as the moderator. James Strauss and Jon Land spoke rather passionately about their negative experiences while Hal Ackerman and Joe Finder were much more positive. Marcus claimed he bribed his way onto the panel and he likes simply associating his name with Tobey Maguire's.


The last panel before lunch dealt with telling a good story versus having a "high concept" plot. Dana Kaye moderated this panel with Marcus Sakey, Andrew Grant, Patrick Hunt and Hal Ackerman. This was my first opportunity to hear Patrick Hunt. He has written a trilogy that deals with a portal that is allowing alien technology to enter Earth. I'm not usually intrigued by content that leans toward sci-fi, but I found this book concept very intriguing.


After lunch I found the "Thrills and Horror: How to Get to the Oh! No!" This panel was moderated by Scarlet Dean and the panelists included Jamie Freveletti, Shane Gericke, Marcus Sakey and F. Paul Wilson. This was another fun panel because the panelists worked well together, shared fun stories and all had great senses of humor. Definitely interesting stories about writing. For example, each writer gets about 200 pages into a book and then starts to feel like they've written crap and want to throw it all out. All the writers, with the exception of Paul Wilson, agreed the second book was the hardest to write. And everyone on this panel, except Jamie, outlines.


I have to admit that I attended the PI vs. Police Procedural to see exactly why they assigned Tom Schreck to it. Tom writes an amateur sleuth. He was joined by David J. Walker, Michael Black and a self-published author named Lee Williams. This panel was moderated by David Case and I was taking notes because Case really did a nice job as moderator, but otherwise I was pretty baffled on the construct of this one.


The final panel I attended was Sunday morning and I'm going to save that panel for it's own post on Friday. I have pictures and video, so we'll give it its own highlight.

Some names that aren't mentioned above in the panel events but who made the weekend great are of course the Jordans. And this weekend I had the chance to hang out with Jen Jordan really for the first time. I wish she were my sister, but at least I get to claim her as my Crimespree family sister. Super wonderful woman. Also Jill Thompson and Brian Azzarello who are fascinating and funny. Ben LeRoy and Alison Janssen from Tyrus Books, more wonderful people I want to add to my immediate family. I didn't get to see Bryan Gruley on a panel, but I always enjoy any chance to see him. What a fun guy. And my bestest roomie who puts up with my constant fangirl, my coughing in my sleep, and waking up at the crack of dawn to go to the gym...Judy Bobalik.

Of course, a conference simply can't be great unless you make new friends. I met Keir Graff and Darwyn Jones. Now I can count myself a richer person!

An all around fun weekend that definitely helped the winter uglies. Thanks for tolerating my ridiculously long post today. Hope the pictures made up for my blathering.

Happy Reading!

Audiobook Thursday - DELIRIOUS

First Line: "Eddie rode the 28-19th Avenue bus to the bridge."

Charlie is on the way up in his career. He's young, single, a prestigious senior director at SoluCent. Charlie's electronics start-up was acquired by SoluCent and Charlie was hired to run the project team developing his integrated navigation system, InVision. But Charlie's perfect world starts to crumble when he experiences memory losses. He is beginning to commit strange, out-of-character acts and has no memory of them. Could Charlie be falling victim to his father and brother's fate? Could Charlie be experiencing the onset of schizophrenia? When Charlie discovers a hit list that he wrote, he knows he has to figure something out fast before he actually hurts someone.

DELIRIOUS is Daniel Palmer's debut thriller, and he pulled out all the stops on this one. The plot is fast-paced and full of unsuspecting twists. The use of technology is an added element of suspense as Palmer plays on many of the fears of today's society. It may be interesting to look back on this book in 25 years and see how people's reaction to the technology differs.

Palmer introduces Charlie and his dog Monte in Chapter One. Monte may seem like a superfluous character in the book if the reader is not paying attention for it. Palmer subtly builds Charlie's character through his relationship with Monte and the contrast of that relationship to Charlie's other relationships. Without showing any seams, Palmer creates a character the reader will find capable of heartless actions, yet a character the reader can still empathize with and cheer for.

Probably one of the most admirable qualities of DELIRIOUS is Palmer's treatment of mental illness. There's compassion and understanding on Palmer's part, but he doesn't sugar coat the way the society views mental illness. It is enlightening and realistic.

While I figured out the conclusion early, it did not effect my excitement at racing to the end to see just how Palmer would get to that conclusion. This is an extremely well-crafted story all the way around. And it's fun.

Courtesy of Brilliance Audio, I listened to DELIRIOUS on audiobook, narrated by Peter Berkrot. The pairing of Berkrot with DELIRIOUS was an excellent choice. Berkrot has an excellent sense of the tension and build-up then doesn't over-dramatize. The only voice that didn't sit exactly right with me was that of Rachel, the psychologist. She came across as unsure and insecure. That isn't an uncommon reaction for me with men voicing women, though, and it wasn't any kind of deterrent from me enjoying the audio. DELIRIOUS made a great audio for the gym. The intensity of the plot often increased the intensity of my workouts. The DELIRIOUS audiobook is approximately 12 hours.

DELIRIOUS is available in print from Kensington Books (ISBN: 978-0-7582-4664-6) and on audio from Brilliance Audio (ISBN: 978-1-61106-343-1).

Guest Blogger: Author Dave Zeltserman

I'm excited to welcome Dave Zeltserman today as my guest blogger. Over the last couple of weeks I've been mentioning the Top Suspense Group, and Dave is one of the founding members over there. He is the author the acclaimed 'man out of prison' crime trilogy that includes SMALL CRIMES, PARIAH, and KILLER. His recent horror novel, THE CARETAKER was met with great praise including a starred Publisher's Weekly review and a nomination by ALA for best horror novel of 2010.

Today, Dave's going to talk about his short story "Julius Katz" that earned him the 2010 Shamus award and introduced readers to his Boston P.I. by the same name. The story first appeared in Ellery Queen Magazine in 2009 and is now available as an e-book along with the follow-up story, "Archie's Been Framed."

Without further ado, here's Dave Zeltserman:



The first tip-off that I created Julius Katz partly as a tribute to Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe is the name. The second tip-off is the name of Julius’s assistant: Archie. There are other similarities between Julius and Nero: they’re both brilliant, eccentric detectives, as well as lazy, and they need to be pestered or tricked into taking on cases—and usually only relent when their bank accounts reach anemic levels; they both have a strong sense of formality and civility about them, as well as fierce determination to live life their own way; they’re both gourmets. But just as there are major differences between wolves and cats, there are also significant differences between Nero and Julius. While Nero Wolfe weighs in at one-seventh of a ton and rarely performs (at least willingly) any physical exertion, Julius weighs in under one-eleventh of a ton, is both fit and handsome, and his morning ritual includes one hour of intensive martial arts training (Julius is a 5th degree black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu) and one hour of equally intense calisthenics. Nero drinks beer, Julius is a wine connoisseur. Nero has a townhouse in Manhattan, Julius lives in the Beacon Hill section of Boston. Nero rarely leaves his townhouse, Julius is often about town either at his favorite gourmet restaurants, race tracks or high-stakes poker games. Nero shows an almost pathological dislike for the company of women, while Julius is quite the opposite. But the biggest difference between the two of them are their assistants. Archie Goodwin is a flesh and blood hard-boiled PI. While Julius’s Archie has the soul of a hard-boiled PI, he’s not exactly flesh and blood. I’ll let Archie explain in this excerpt taken from ‘Julius Katz’:

My name isn’t really “Archie”. During my time with Julius I’ve grown to think of myself as Archie, the same as I’ve grown to imagine myself as a five-foot-tall, heavyset man with thinning hair, but in reality I’m not five feet tall, nor do I have the bulk that I imagine myself having, and I certainly don’t have any hair, thinning or otherwise. I also don’t have a name, only a serial identification number. Julius calls me Archie, and for whatever reason it seems right; besides, it’s quicker to say than the eighty-four-digit serial identification number that has been burnt into me. You’ve probably already guessed that I’m not human, and certainly not anything organic. What I am is a two-inch rectangular-shaped piece of space-aged computer technology that’s twenty years more advanced than what’s currently considered theoretically possible—at least aside from whatever lab created me. How Julius acquired me, I have no clue. Whenever I’ve tried asking him, he jokes around, telling me he won me in a poker game. It could be true—I wouldn’t know since I have no memory of my time before Julius.

So that’s what I am, a two-inch rectangular mechanism weighing approximately one point two ounces. What’s packed inside my titanium shell includes visual and audio receptors as well as wireless communication components and a highly sophisticated neuron network that not only simulates intelligence, but learning and thinking that adapts in response to my experiences. Auditory and visual recognition are included in my packaging, which means I can both see and hear. As you’ve probably already guessed, I can also speak. When Julius and I are in public, I speak to him through a wireless receiver that he wears in his ear as if it were a hearing aid. When we’re alone in his office, he usually plugs the unit into a speaker on his desk.

…I had my own ulterior motives for him taking a new case—it would give me a chance to adapt my deductive reasoning. One of these days I planned to solve a case before Julius did. You wouldn’t think a piece of advanced computer technology would feel competitive, but as I’ve often argued with Julius, there’s little difference between my simulated intelligence and what’s considered sentient. So yes, I wanted to beat Julius, I wanted to prove to him that I could solve a case as well or better than he could. He knew this and always got a good laugh out of it, telling me he had doomed that possibility by naming me Archie.

Of course, I’ve long figured out that joke. Julius patterned my personality and speech on some of the most important private-eye novels of the twentieth century, including those of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald, and Rex Stout. The name he gave me, Archie, was based on Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe’s second banana who was always one step behind his boss. Yeah, I got the joke, but one of these days I was going to surprise Julius. It was just a matter of seeing enough cases to allow me to readjust my neuron network appropriately. One of these days he was going to have to start calling me Nero. But for the time being, I was Archie. The reason I had an image of myself being five-foot tall was also easy to explain. Julius wore me as a tie clip, which put me at roughly a five-foot distance from the ground when he stood. I never quite figured out where my self-image of thinning hair and heavyset build came from, but guessed they were physical characteristics I picked up from the Continental Op. Or maybe for some reason I identified with Costanza from Seinfeld—one of the few television programs Julius indulged in.

The reason we like the Nero Wolfe books so much (besides Rex Stout’s wonderful prose) is that we like Nero. He may be petulant at times, and always a curmudgeon, but we like him nonetheless. The same is true with Archie Goodwin. He might be a wisecracking pain-in-the-ass, but we still like him. But what really attracts us to these books is their relationship, how they’re so fiercely loyal and protective of each other. Even if Archie Goodwin might annoy Nero to the point where Nero (temporarily) fires him, they’d still lay down their lives for the other if they needed to. That’s what we find most endearing about these characters. From reader feedback I’ve been getting the same is true with these stories. Readers like Julius. Readers, though, love Archie, but how could they not? Archie is a gentle soul, an innocent. His only hidden agenda is that he wants to observe Julius in action enough to be able to refine his neuron network so he can beat Julius to the punch in solving a case. He might pester Julius at times, but he’s still fiercely loyal and protective of him. And even though Archie is encased in a tiny titanium shell, there’s a genuine affection between the two of them. They care about each other, and that’s what ultimately makes these stories so endearing.


Many thanks to Dave for his post today. In addition to his Julius Katz Mysteries on e-book, be on the lookout for his upcoming OUTSOURCED which is already drum up accolades and has been optioned for film. You can find out more about Dave Zeltserman and his work at the Top Suspense Group and at his own website.

The 2011 Crime Fiction Theme Week Tourney

Last year I hosted my first theme week and it focused on detective fiction, thus "Detectives Around the World." As part of that theme week I put together a bracket tournament similar to the NCAA basketball tournaments held every year. The top nominated detectives faced off for six weeks, each week eliminating half the contestants until we had a showdown with the final two detectives. Our winner last year was Harry Bosch and I presented Michael Connelly with a printed copy of the final bracket.

We had such a good time with the entire theme week that we're doing it again, but this year our focus will be on amateur sleuths and we're calling it "Moonlighting for Murder." Many cozy novels feature amateur sleuths, but this year's theme week is not confined to cozies. Any newspaper reporters, TV journalists, sports agents, cowboys...you get the idea. Anyone who isn't licensed or elected for law enforcement, isn't a legal practitioner (i.e., judge, attorney), and isn't a medical practitioner (i.e. nurse, doctor, ME, coroner) are eligible for participation.

We have a great bunch of bloggers who are joining in this week's theme week and I'm still accepting bloggers who would like to participate. You can find details and sign up here. The theme week will take place April 3-9.

Today we'll kick off the tournament nominations. Just like last year, you can nominate as many sleuths as you would like and you can nominate as often as you'd like. When the tournament itself starts, you will be allowed one vote per match-up, per week.

The 64 sleuths with the most nominations will compete in the tournament, starting March 7th and culminating in the theme week itself. The winner will be proclaimed on April 9th.

To nominate your favorite sleuth's, simply complete the form below. Please double check your spellings and fill out the form completely so there is no confusion as to who you are nominating. Only sleuths meeting the above qualifications will be considered for the tournament.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me. I'll post updates as we get closer to the commencement of the actual tournament and updates for the theme week. I hope you'll join us for both.