Introducing the Kent Harrington Yahoo Group

I am now the proud moderator of the all new Kent Harrington user group. If you would like to subscribe to this group, please click HERE. It is my hope that we can get Kent to join us to discuss his work and celebrate in one of the best all around genre writers there is. Kent has written noir (Dia De Los Muertos and Dark Ride), thrillers (The American Boys), Hitchcock like (The Tattooed Muse) and even has written comedy, a play that maybe he will talk about with us.

His brand new book RED JUNGLE should be out before the end of the end from Dennis McMillan Publishing. As I suggested earlier this year, contact Dennis, the limited editions of this book are almost sold out and Dennis hasn't even put an annoucement out yet!

I hope to see you on the list. If you have problems getting to the list, email me at mysdawg@sbcglobal.net

2 New Blogs That You Are Required to Pay Attention To

This is your conscience directing you (that means you have to) add these blogs to your daily routine. Failure to do so will result in a reprimand from me and possible further consequences that you would rather not know about. (Damn, I need my coffee to mellow me out ALOT)

First up, the wonderful and insightful Jennifer Jordan. Jennifer is an author, reader and part of the Jordan Clan that publishes the best new crime magazine Crime Spree. Jennifer also keeps me laughing and according to Jim Winter "Jennifer is scary. Which is a great turn-on, actually.

Next publisher/writer Clint Gaige who is the genius behind Quiet Storm Publishing which will be publishing the outstanding new book from Jim Winter called North Coast Shakedown, a Kepler novel.

PLOTS WITH GUNS - the Article

I'm sitting here at home on one of the rare occassions when no one is home and it is absolutely quiet. I have the stereo cranked and I've been typing since I got back home from dropping the kids (6) off at various locations around town. I still have a few hours before I make the rounds to pick them up again. After 4.5 hours of composing text, I thought I should take a break from writing this probably overdue article for Crime Spree.

This has been a fascinating assignment and I'm thankful to the Jordan clan for allowing me the opportunity to put this together and give my take on PWG.

What has occured to me while writing this is how does the average person find an e-like PWG? How many of you have taken the time to track down the authors of the pieces that you've like to provide them some feedback? I like your thoughts on this, so please respond either here or at my email address.... mysdawg@sbcglobal.net

Now its back to work or Jennifer JOrdan will have my butt!

Domenic Stansberry - Here in LA this Saturday!

This Saturday I'm looking forward to meeting Domenic Stansberry at Mysteries To Die For and the Mystery Bookstore. I don't know which location I will meet him at at this moment, but I will definitely meet up with him.

Stansberry has 2 books out this month. The first one is The Confession which is published by the outstanding new bad boys on the block of pulp publishing, Hard Case Crime. I quick devoured the book in one sitting and it made me wonder why this Hammett and Edgar finalist is just not better known.

Last night I finished the ARC of this new book Chasing The Dragon, published by St. Martin and is the start of a new series starring Dante Mancuso, a former San Francisco cop now working for a shadowy security company known as The Company. Dark, scenic and absorbing, this novel plays your emotions and makes the North Beach area of SF come alive. Being a first generation Italian-American (with the other half being Irish), Stansberry nails the area down and continues to produce some of the finest noir around. I was introduced to Stansberry when on DetecToday we were asked to read and comment on The Last Days of Il Duce.

3 Writers, an Agent + 2 Friends spells....A Short Story from ME!

Lee Lankford posted a great tale on Ed Gorman's site the other day and this tall tale has inspired me to write a short story based upon this true-life experience. Here is what Lee had to say....

EVEN MORE TROUBLE GOING HOME
My girlfriend Heidi and our friend Sandra accompanied me to the ceremony. Gregg Hurwitz (whose most recent bestseller is THE PROGRAM) called and wanted to ride down with us. We met him at his place and decided to take his car because it was larger than ours (I think he's got envy issues). After the ceremony our friend Kim Dower - the publicist more widely known as Kim-From-L.A. - needed a ride back to town because her rented car wasn't due to arrive for more than an hour (Kim doesn't drive on the freeways - but that's another strange story for another day). T. Jefferson Parker also needed a ride to his hotel. So we packed six people and six giant bags of books into the car and hit the road. We passed a cop on the way and instead of ticketing us he just shook his head in awe of the fact that some people never grow up. We looked like a bunch of wrinkled teenagers going to the drive-in in 1959.

After we dropped Jeff off there was slightly more room in the vehicle, but things were still tight for the hour long ride to L.A. Kim lives in the heart of the city so we had to perform a major detour to drop her off. And this is where things get weird. We're cutting up Fairfax at about midnight and all of a sudden we hear sirens behind us. Helicopters are also arriving on the scene, spotlights shining down on us. Hurwitz pulls his car halfway out of the fast lane (I later asked him if this was what he considered the "author's lane") and all of a sudden a vehicle on three wheels and a sparking rim flamed past us going about sixty, barely under control. It missed the side of our car by less than five inches. Fifteen police cars then ripped past us in hot pursuit. The guy tried to make a left turn about three blocks up and he crashed out at the corner. By the time we got there cops were everywhere, guns drawn and ready to rumble. More police cars were coming in from every direction.

I waiting for the pictures of the legs out the car window, but I can't think of a better story than one based upon real-life! When I have it finished I'll try to submit it to one of the e-zines. I hear that Dave Z over at Hardluck Crime need more submissions......

Erin Hart - Irish Bog Mysteries

On my way back from San Diego I was able to catch up with Erin Hart at the Mystery Bookstore. This was the last stop on her tour to promote her 2nd book Lake of Sorrows. Lake of Sorrows continues the story of pathologist Nora Gavin and archeologist Cormac McGuire, who were introduced to us in her first novel, Haunted Ground. Once again the the two team up to investigate a series of bodies buried in the bogs. Book three is almost done and continues with Nora and her adventures in archeology, Irish music and culture.

What I like best about Hart's books is that I can relive my Irish roots and remembers the summers I spent on my uncle's farm that was close to the bogs. His farm didn't have electricity, heating or modern plumbing and I can remember the few times that we ventured out onto the bogs to cut peat to heat the house and cook with. The rich traditions of Irish music and culture are dominant in the writing of the book.


This is Erin's young's fan, a wee bonny lass!

Conferences are tough, but I'm back!

It was a busy week last week attending a conference in San Diego. The four day event was fulfilling professionally and enjoyable. The down side is that I have been away for a week from work and this blog. This week I hope to catch up and post a few links. We'll see.

I would like to thank Bill Crider, Lee Goldberg and James Reasoner for my new addiction...50's and 60's pulps, especially Gold Medal and such. I did find time between meetings to hit the bookstores in San Diego and buy a few paperbacks.

UPDATE : Here are the photos from the conference. Notice, no pics of people sitting around the table talking, no pics of people looking learneded, just pics from the 30th floor of the Hyatt out onto San Diego Harbor.