Monday, March 07, 2011
Free Story (and a Good One, Too)
Livia J. Washburn: FREE: "I wanted to put this story up for free on Amazon's Kindle, but that option isn't available. Trying to come up with a way around this, the only thing I can think of is to email the file to anyone interested. Just send an email requesting the story to washburn@flash.net and let me know if you want the Kindle version or Microsoft Word."
Auction Update
YouTube - Robinson Collection.mov: "Adventure House will be offering the Frank M. Robinson Collection on our auction site, beginning in 2011. This collection includes the highest grade run of WEIRD TALES, ever assembled. This and nearly 10,000 other pulps, digests, books and artwork will all be offered this year. Check our website at www.adventurehouse.com for more information in the coming months."
Seepy Benton Knew this Already
Toronto Sun: "Long before the modern hippy discovered them, magic mushrooms -- hallucinogenic fungi -- were used by ancient humans in religious ceremonies.
Cave paintings discovered in Spain depict fungi with hallucinogenic properties in relation to religious rituals.
According to a report in New Scientist, a row of 13 small mushroom-like objects in the painting also match the known size and shape of so-called magic mushrooms, called psilocybe hispanica.
The report notes, however, that these are not the oldest representations of magic mushrooms used by people. A similar mural in Algeria dates the practice as far back as 9,000 years."
Cave paintings discovered in Spain depict fungi with hallucinogenic properties in relation to religious rituals.
According to a report in New Scientist, a row of 13 small mushroom-like objects in the painting also match the known size and shape of so-called magic mushrooms, called psilocybe hispanica.
The report notes, however, that these are not the oldest representations of magic mushrooms used by people. A similar mural in Algeria dates the practice as far back as 9,000 years."
Live Wire -- Harlan Coben
Myron Bolitar is back and Win is with him. That sentence alone is probably enough to guarantee Harlan Coben another muli-million seller. He's sold 47 million books now and is a bestseller in just about every country in the world. But what the heck. I'll take pity on him and mention his new book here, anyway.Myron's had lots of trouble heaped on him in the past, but he gets a real load of it here. And speaking of the past, that's where it all comes from. One of Myron's clients is married to half of a famous rock duo, one of whom was, long ago, implicated in the death of a young woman. As a result, nobody's seen in years. Myron's client, Suzze T, a former tennis player needs help because she's pregnant, and someone posted "Not his" on her Facebook page. Her husband's seen the post.
Then Myron takes a glance across a crowded room and sees Kitty, his sister-in-law, who he thought was in Peru. He's been estranged from her and his brother for years because of his actions before their marriage. And after that it gets really complicated. Most of the time I knew what was going on, and Myron ties it all up in the end very neatly and satisfactorily. Win performs as Win usually does. People get hurt. People die (and maybe not the ones you'd expect). It's all fast and furious, with some of Coben's trademark humor and asides, though not as much as in Coben's earlier, funnier books.
Coben also introduces a new character, Myron's nephew, Mickey. In an afterword we learn that Mickey is the primary character in Coben's new YA series that begins later this year. I'm betting Mickey's going to have a tough life, filled with angst. And that the books will sell millions. You go, Harlan!
eBay Update
I don't ordinarily plug eBay auctions here, but there appear to be some really good deals from Subterranean Press here. Check out Charles Ardai's Fifty-To-One for example:
A New Interview with Me
It's impossible for there to be too many Bill Crider interviews on the 'net, so here's another one. Check it out.
Up! Update
howhardcanitbe - Gizmodo: "This is really nuts. The people from National Geographic have built a house inspired by the Pixar movie Up! Yes, a house tied to gas balloons that actually flies."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
The Story | The Downtown Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In: "A guy in Austin, Texas starts buying up drive-in movie theater speakers on Ebay, teaches himself how to restore them, and opens the first ever Mini Urban Drive-In with the theory that smaller is better!
The Boutique drive-in is born by taking advantage of the main things that almost made the drive-in extinct."
The Boutique drive-in is born by taking advantage of the main things that almost made the drive-in extinct."
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Here's the Plot for Your Next Airline Heist Thriller
Passenger steals $238,000 from airplane cargo hold via toilet | Mail Online: "A airplane passenger stole $238,000 during a flight in the Caribbean by sneaking into the cargo hold that was loaded with cash through the bathroom."
Archaeology Update
Human Bones Found in Florida Yard Date Back 2,400 Years: "When a woman digging in her yard on the Florida Keys last fall turned up a jawbone and part of a human skull, detectives immediately could tell the bones had been there a while -- 'possibly as long as 75 years,' the sheriff's office said at the time.
Now the Monroe County Medical Examiner's office said the results of radiocarbon dating tests are in and the bones are much older -- about 2,400 years -- placing them in the time period of 200-440 B.C."
Now the Monroe County Medical Examiner's office said the results of radiocarbon dating tests are in and the bones are much older -- about 2,400 years -- placing them in the time period of 200-440 B.C."
Croc Update (Tour Edition)
Mail Online: "The cheerily-named Cage of Death, which lowers tourists into the water to swim alongside crocodiles, is meant to be the highlight of a visit to the cove."
Dissolution -- C. J. Sansom
It's the 16th century, and Henry VIII is dissolving the monasteries in England. At one of them, his emissary is murdered, and Thomas Cromwell sends Matthew Sharlake, a lawyer, to investigate. Shardlake takes along his young assistant, Mark Poer, who's a source of trouble because he's not as convinced as Shardlake about many things. Shardlake wants to believe that what he's doing is right, the Cromwell is right, that a better world will result, and Poer causes him to doubt. Poer also falls for Alice, the only young woman in the monastery, as does Shardlake, which is another problem. Poer is young, handsome, well formed. Shardlake is older, not nearly as handsome, and a hunchback.
The monks are a sorry lot, for the most part, and they resent Shardlake's presence. They help him grudgingly, and any one of them might be a killer. The investigation takes longer than Cromwell would like, and Shardlake is likely to fall out of favor. The weather is cold, the monastery is dreary, and there aren't many light moments. But the mystery is engaging, and the details of life at the monastery and in Tudor England are fascinating. It's no wonder this novel was nominated for a number of awards.
You're probably going to be ahead of Shardlake on at least half of the solution, but the resolution is satisfactory. The title refers to more than the monasteries, as becomes obvious before you've read too far.
I don't read a lot of historical mysteries, but since George Kelley recommended this series highly, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did.
Croc Update (Education Edition)
Herald Sun: "THE Northern Territory News launched a snappy new promotion this weekend, giving away a crocodile to a school in its area."
Get a Rope!
UPI.com: "A Florida high school student was questioned by authorities for wearing a T-shirt they found threatening.
The unidentified boy at East Lee County High School in Lehigh Acres wore a T-shirt Wednesday reading, 'A friend will help you move, but a real friend will help you move a body,' a Lee County sheriff's report stated."
The unidentified boy at East Lee County High School in Lehigh Acres wore a T-shirt Wednesday reading, 'A friend will help you move, but a real friend will help you move a body,' a Lee County sheriff's report stated."
The Old West in Photos
The Denver Post: "Between 1887 and 1892, John C.H. Grabill sent 188 photographs to the Library of Congress for copyright protection. Grabill is known as a western photographer, documenting many aspects of frontier life – hunting, mining, western town landscapes and white settlers’ relationships with Native Americans. Most of his work is centered on Deadwood in the late 1880s and 1890s. He is most often sited for his photographs in the aftermath of the Wounded Knee Massacre on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
40th Annual: "The 40th annual One Arm Dove Hunt will be held in Olney, Texas on September 9th and 10th, 2011. What started as a joke in 1972 became a tradition and has grown as the only event of its kind on Earth. It is quite a legacy that the two Jacks and the citizens of Olney have given the disabled. If you take two one armed politicians, add a Texas tall tale and a few high flying doves, you can say you have quite a story to be told."
Fashion Update
The post about the Alamo Gift Shop reminded me of my coonskin cap. Here's a photo of my mother wearing it as my sister looks on. This was taken in the back yard of the house we lived in on Hunt Street in Mexia, Texas, several years before the TV series aired. I was always ahead of the curve.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Johnny Preston, R. I. P.
Johnny Preston, 71, Singer of ‘Running Bear,’ Dies - NYTimes.com: "Johnny Preston, who had a No. 1 hit with the song “Running Bear” in 1960, died here on Friday. He was 71.
His death was confirmed by his son, Scott, who said Mr. Preston had bypass surgery late last year and suffered from lingering health problems.
Born Johnny Preston Courville in 1939, Mr. Preston spent most of his life in Port Arthur, Tex. He first performed in a group called the Shades at Lamar University, in Beaumont, in 1957 and was brought to the attention of Mercury Records by the disc jockey and singer J. P. Richardson, better known as the Big Bopper.
Mr. Richardson wrote “Running Bear,” which told the story of an ill-fated romance between Running Bear, an “Indian brave,” and Little White Dove, an “Indian maid.” It became a million-seller for Mr. Preston the year after Mr. Richardson died in the plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Mr. Preston’s follow-up single, “Cradle of Love,” reached No. 7 on the Billboard chart."
His death was confirmed by his son, Scott, who said Mr. Preston had bypass surgery late last year and suffered from lingering health problems.
Born Johnny Preston Courville in 1939, Mr. Preston spent most of his life in Port Arthur, Tex. He first performed in a group called the Shades at Lamar University, in Beaumont, in 1957 and was brought to the attention of Mercury Records by the disc jockey and singer J. P. Richardson, better known as the Big Bopper.
Mr. Richardson wrote “Running Bear,” which told the story of an ill-fated romance between Running Bear, an “Indian brave,” and Little White Dove, an “Indian maid.” It became a million-seller for Mr. Preston the year after Mr. Richardson died in the plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Mr. Preston’s follow-up single, “Cradle of Love,” reached No. 7 on the Billboard chart."
Some Great Photos
Shackleton’s Antarctica in colour, 1915: "These are Frank Hurley’s famous early colour photographs of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated ‘Endurance’ voyage, as part of the British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-1917. Hurley was the official photographer on the expedition.
Early in 1915, their ship ‘Endurance’ became inexorably trapped in the Antarctic ice. Hurley managed to salvage the photographic plates by diving into mushy ice-water inside the sinking ship in October 1915."
Early in 1915, their ship ‘Endurance’ became inexorably trapped in the Antarctic ice. Hurley managed to salvage the photographic plates by diving into mushy ice-water inside the sinking ship in October 1915."
Roller Derby Update
Austin Texas Roller Derby | Texas Rollergirls | News, training tips, events, and other information from the Texas Rollergirls: "Austin born and bred, Texas Rollergirls was formed in 2003 as the only sports league of its kind. Eight years later, the sport of flat track roller derby has grown exponentially and is now played by more than 450 leagues worldwide. In its current incarnation, roller derby is a genuine athletic competition complete with standardized rules, divisions, annual tournaments and an international governing body: the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) — Texas Rollergirls is one of the founding members. With four home teams bursting with talent and the all-star Texecutioner squad consistently in the national rankings, Texas Rollergirls – the “godmothers of flat track derby” – are an admired and highly visible presence in the roller derby world. Their year-round bouts are regularly covered by local, national, and international media."
No One Will Hear You -- Max Allan Collins and Matthew Clemens
This is the second in the Collins/Clemens series about J. C. Harrow and his Killer TV team, the stars of a TV reality show called Crime Scene. You might think it would be hard to top a first season that featured Harrow calling out the killer of his family on national TV. You'd be wrong.As he and some of the team members are thinking about calling it quits after the season ends, they find themselves involved in tracking down not one but two serial killers, known as Billy (or Billie) Shears and Don Juan. One attacks men; the other targets women. It's obvious almost from the start that their plan is to become stars on Crime Scene, and Don Juan e-mails videos of his kills, demanding that they be put on the air. If they're not, he says, he'll kill more. And more.
There are plenty of grisly details and some CSI stuff. There's romance. There's humor. The result is a highly entertaining package that's guaranteed to keep you turning pages past your bedtime. Check it out.
Bonus: The book is dedicated to our cop and blogger buddy, Paul Bishop.
No Comment Department
What Every Man Thinks About Apart From Sex: book of blank pages become surprise bestseller - Telegraph: "“Professor” Sheridan Simove has produced a 200 page book entitled “What Every Man Thinks About Apart From Sex”.
The work has sold out online on Amazon following heavy promotion in student unions across Britain."
The work has sold out online on Amazon following heavy promotion in student unions across Britain."
Hat tip to Fred Zackel.
Here's the Plot for Your Next Prison Break-in Thriller
Thieves break-in to New Zealand prison: "A New Zealand prison suffered a reversal of the norm when it became the victim of a break-in.
Police said Saturday that thieves had broken into the prison at New Plymouth, on the west coast of the North Island, just before midnight and stolen a large plasma television.
'If any members of the public saw anyone carrying a big TV at that time of night, or heard or saw anything in the area of the prison, let police know,' Sergeant Thomas McIntyre said."
Police said Saturday that thieves had broken into the prison at New Plymouth, on the west coast of the North Island, just before midnight and stolen a large plasma television.
'If any members of the public saw anyone carrying a big TV at that time of night, or heard or saw anything in the area of the prison, let police know,' Sergeant Thomas McIntyre said."
No Comment Department
ABC casts a sexy Edgar Allan Poe -- PHOTO | Inside TV | EW.com: "ABC promised the casting of Edgar Allan Poe in its fall drama pilot would be a physically nontraditional choice for the role, and it sure is."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Austin cop healing from coffee burns | KXAN.com: "An Austin police officer is healing from burns to his face after a woman threw a cup of coffee at him.
Police said Laura Lee Moore, 45, was harassing customers outside a Starbucks in North Austin.
An officer tried to walk her away from the coffee shop, when she allegedly threw hot coffee in his face."
Police said Laura Lee Moore, 45, was harassing customers outside a Starbucks in North Austin.
An officer tried to walk her away from the coffee shop, when she allegedly threw hot coffee in his face."
Where I Am Today
Take190West.com: "Killeen Salutes the Arts • March 5, 2011
The City of Killeen is now accepting applications for the 2011 Artists celebration, an event of the Take 190 West Art Festival. Take 190 West is Killeen’s week long salute to the arts. This year’s events include:
• The invitation-only Take 190 West Preview Party
• A host of Texas and national authors and illustrators conducting book signings and story times;
• A juried art show featuring artists from across the state displaying and selling their works.
• A sculpture contest featuring the works of national sculptors; and
• The KISD student Art Show."
The City of Killeen is now accepting applications for the 2011 Artists celebration, an event of the Take 190 West Art Festival. Take 190 West is Killeen’s week long salute to the arts. This year’s events include:
• The invitation-only Take 190 West Preview Party
• A host of Texas and national authors and illustrators conducting book signings and story times;
• A juried art show featuring artists from across the state displaying and selling their works.
• A sculpture contest featuring the works of national sculptors; and
• The KISD student Art Show."
Remember the Alamo ... Gift Shop
Houston Chronicle: "The Alamo's gift shop sells plenty of T-shirts, mugs and other commemorative tchotchkes bearing its iconic facade and marking the 175th anniversary of its historic siege. Dig a little deeper and you'll find more kitsch than you can throw a rubber Bowie knife at.Not just novelty coonskin caps either. Alamo-shaped lollipops, Old Betsy rifle pens and pistol-shaped shot glasses are just some of the curios that pay tongue-in-cheek homage to the Shrine of Texas Liberty."
Friday, March 04, 2011
Cy Watts, Hero
Mail Online: "But it seems Paris Hilton has finally found her knight in shining armour, revealing that boyfriend Cy Waits 'saved my life'.
The 30-year-old reality star and business woman sat down with Ellen DeGeneres yesterday to talk about Waits and how he rescued her from a knife-wielding intruder."
The 30-year-old reality star and business woman sat down with Ellen DeGeneres yesterday to talk about Waits and how he rescued her from a knife-wielding intruder."
Hat tip to John Duke.
The Decline of Western Civilization --- ah, the Hell with It. We're Done.
Sirius XM to Launch Tiger Blood Radio - TheStreet: "Sirius XM(SIRI_) announced plans to launch Tiger Blood Radio, a 24-hour channel dedicated to the ongoing controversy surrounding Charlie Sheen.
Tiger Blood Radio will launch on Sirius channel 108 and XM channel 139 on Saturday, March 5, at 6 a.m. EST. The station will be on the air for 24 hours, and conclude on March 6 at 6 a.m. EST."
Tiger Blood Radio will launch on Sirius channel 108 and XM channel 139 on Saturday, March 5, at 6 a.m. EST. The station will be on the air for 24 hours, and conclude on March 6 at 6 a.m. EST."
Here's the Plot for Your Next Meth-Dealer Thriller
Accused Meth Dealer Faces Loss Of His Beloved 18,753 Comic Books | The Smoking Gun: "A large-scale methamphetamine dealer who allegedly laundered drug profits by purchasing valuable comic books is in danger of forfeiting his 18,753-volume collection to Uncle Sam, according to a new court filing."
Blair River, R. I. P.
Blair River, 575-pound spokesman for Heart Attack Grill in Arizona dead at 29: "The nearly 600-pound man who gained fame as spokesman for the Heart Attack Grill –a Phoenix-area restaurant that prides itself in serving excessively unhealthy food – is dead at the age of 29."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Mug Shots of the Day
Couple arrested for running meth lab out of day care center: "Snack time could have been terrifying at a North Carolina day care center that was discovered to also house a secret meth lab."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Greg Goossen, R. I. P.
Greg Goossen, Baseball Player Who Broke Mold, Dies at 65 - NYTimes.com: "Yogi Berra called him overweight. Casey Stengel uttered a famous line about him. And Jim Bouton, the pitcher-turned-author, said he was the only teammate on the short-lived Seattle Pilots who interested him, because he could laugh at himself.
Greg Goossen broke the mold. He was once a young prospect who never lived up to expectations but who made his way around the major leagues — from the Dodgers to the Mets and teams beyond — and wound up figuring in some memorable moments in baseball history. Each might have made him only a footnote. Together they made him into something more."
Greg Goossen broke the mold. He was once a young prospect who never lived up to expectations but who made his way around the major leagues — from the Dodgers to the Mets and teams beyond — and wound up figuring in some memorable moments in baseball history. Each might have made him only a footnote. Together they made him into something more."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
New Legislation says “No!” to TSA in Texas – Texas Tenth Amendment Center: "Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview) introduced a package of bills into the Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday that would challenge the TSA’s authority in a number of ways. The first bill, HB 1938, prohibits full body scanning equipment in any Texas airport and provides for criminal and civil penalties on any airport operator who installs the equipment. The second bill, HB 1937, criminalizes touching without consent and searches without probable cause."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Houston Chronicle: "A veteran Houston police officer participating with a cooking team at the Houston rodeo's Bar-B-Que cook-off has been relieved of duty for reportedly tossing a tear gas canister at booth opponents during the popular event, apparently sickening several patrons."
UFO Update
UFO or Hoax? Dispute Over Alleged Sighting in Brazil [VIDEO]: "Is this actual footage of a UFO hovering above the Brazilian state of Sao Paolo? Or is it the work of hoaxers?
These are the questions Brazilians are asking after the news network G1 aired amateur video purportedly showing a bizarre object floating in the sky over the town of Agudos -- then disappearing in a burst of light."
These are the questions Brazilians are asking after the news network G1 aired amateur video purportedly showing a bizarre object floating in the sky over the town of Agudos -- then disappearing in a burst of light."
Forgotten Books: File on a Missing Redhead Lou Cameron
Everybody remembers where he was and what he was doing at some significant moment in his life. For example, everybody my age remembers where he was and what he was doing when he heard about the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.As for me, I also remember another day with startling clarity. It was January 27, 1969, when my daughter, Angela Antoinette Crider, was born in St. David's Hospital in Austin, Texas. In those days, in what I now think of as a more genteel and civilized time, fathers weren't allowed into the delivery room. Now, of course, they are, and they later invite friends and family over to the house for the showing of the full-color sound video they made of their children emerging from the womb. While I'm sure that's very enlightening for all concerned, I was quite happy to be shunted off to the waiting room to sit with other nervous fathers-to-be and wait until Angela was born.
So what did I do in the waiting room? I read a book, naturally, and I remember exactly which book it was: File on a Missing Redhead by Lou Cameron. A Gold Medal Book, as you might have guessed.
The other day on Angela's 36th birthday, in a fit of nostalgia, I pulled the book (sure, I still have it) off the shelf and read it again.
It was pretty much as I remembered it. Short, fast, and twisty. The narrator is Frank Talbot, a state trooper, which is kind of unusual when you think about it. He's investigating the murder of a redheaded woman found crammed into the forward trunk of a VW Beetle, and in the course of things he gets involved with the skip-tracing agency for which his former girlfriend (Hazel Collier) works. Hazel, as it turns out, dumped Talbot because he sent her current sweetie to the state pen. There are lots of entertaining details about skip-tracing in the novel (probably all outdated now, what with the Internet), and lots of nice CSI type stuff (also probably outdated). Plenty of procedural details, too. The violence is gruesomely described.
It turns out that the suspected killer of the redhead is being helped out by one of the agency's former workers, who knows all the tricks of the trade. And someone's trying to assassinate Talbot.
All this is wrapped up (maybe at a little too much length) in a surprising way. It even surprised me this time, on my second reading. And the final couple of pages were just great. I remember how much I liked them 36 years ago, and they're still satisfying today. Definitely not what you'd expect.
Cameron went on to create (and write a lot of books for) the Longarm series of adult westerns. I hope it made him rich.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
John Pickering, R. I. P.
Picks member John Pickering, a Holly backup singer, dies in Houston | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: "John Winton Pickering, 77, died of complications following a stroke on Feb. 28 in Houston, according to his wife, Vicky Pickering.
Her husband worked as a petroleum geologist for 53 years, she said.
To music fans, and especially fans of the late Buddy Holly, Pickering will be remembered as a member of vocal group The Picks.
The Picks are heard singing backup for Buddy Holly & The Crickets on nine of the songs featured on 2011 retrospective “Buddy Holly, Not Fade Away.”"
Her husband worked as a petroleum geologist for 53 years, she said.
To music fans, and especially fans of the late Buddy Holly, Pickering will be remembered as a member of vocal group The Picks.
The Picks are heard singing backup for Buddy Holly & The Crickets on nine of the songs featured on 2011 retrospective “Buddy Holly, Not Fade Away.”"
David Price, R. I. P.
The Education of a Pulp Writer: The Passing of David Price: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David Price on March 1, 2011 and have decided to re-run his 'last story' (Angel of Mercy, first published in January 2010) as a tribute to him.
On March 3, 2011, his short story was selected as a finalist for a 2011 Derringer Award."
On March 3, 2011, his short story was selected as a finalist for a 2011 Derringer Award."
We're From the Government, and We're Here to Help You
ATF Let Hundreds of U.S. Weapons Fall into Hands of Suspected Mexican Gunrunners - The Center for Public Integrity: "Hoping to score a major prosecution of Mexican drug lords, federal prosecutors and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives permitted hundreds of guns to be purchased and retained by suspected straw buyers with the expectation they might cross the border and even be used in crimes while the case was being built, according to documents and interviews."
Edward Wellen and Barbara Whitehead, R. I. P.
Deaths Noted: EDWARD WELLEN and BARBARA WHITEHEAD.: "Reported first by Jiro Kimura on his Gumshoe website, mystery and SF writer Edward Wellen died on January 15, 2011. Noted primarily for his short fiction, Mr. Wellen wrote two crime novels included in the Revised Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin, and one collection of criminous short stories.
[. . . .]
The death of author Barbara Whitehead was reported first by UK mystery writer Martin Edwards on his blog, Do You Write Under Your Own Name?."
Derringer Award Update
Short Story Finalists:
"Seventy-two Hours or Less" by Michael J. Solender, *A Twist of Noir,* April 23, 2010
"Broken Down on the Bonneville Flats" by Jack Bates, *Beat to a Pulp,* October 17, 2010
"Angel of Mercy" by David Price, *Beat to a Pulp,* Jan. 31, 2010
"Pewter Badge" by Michael J. Solender, *Yellow Mama," August, 2010.
"My Asshole Brother" by Eric Beetner, *A Twist of Noir,* May 7, 2010
"Seventy-two Hours or Less" by Michael J. Solender, *A Twist of Noir,* April 23, 2010
"Broken Down on the Bonneville Flats" by Jack Bates, *Beat to a Pulp,* October 17, 2010
"Angel of Mercy" by David Price, *Beat to a Pulp,* Jan. 31, 2010
"Pewter Badge" by Michael J. Solender, *Yellow Mama," August, 2010.
"My Asshole Brother" by Eric Beetner, *A Twist of Noir,* May 7, 2010
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Houston Chronicle: "Here's a compassionate twist on libraries' never-ending quest to collect overdue book fines.
At Sterling Municipal Library in Baytown, anyone with unpaid late fees can write them off with donations to local food pantries.
Through March, each nonperishable food item counts as $1 toward overdue library fines."
At Sterling Municipal Library in Baytown, anyone with unpaid late fees can write them off with donations to local food pantries.
Through March, each nonperishable food item counts as $1 toward overdue library fines."
I've been a guest speaker for the Friends of the Sterling Municipal Library. Fine folks, and a fine library.
Amelia Earhart Update
CNN.com: "The fate of famed aviator Amelia Earhart remains a mystery after DNA tests on one of three bone fragments discovered on a Pacific island proved inconclusive."
The Old Fold-Out Couch Trick
Cops: Man Trapped Woman In Fold-Out Couch | The Smoking Gun: "The victim, who had been “lying on a fold out couch,” told cops that Foreman said, “What is this?” He then allegedly “pushed victim onto the fold out couch and folded victim inside of the couch.”"
Walter Zacharius, R. I. P.
The Canadian Press: Walter Zacharius, who brought the world the romance novel and mass market fiction, dies at 87: "A longtime publisher who helped bring mass market and romance fiction into the mainstream and released the erotic classic 'Candy' has died. Walter Zacharius was 87.
Zacharius was founder and CEO of Kensington Books. He retired from there in 2005."
Zacharius was founder and CEO of Kensington Books. He retired from there in 2005."
Zacharius's roots ran deep in the paperback world. He was a publisher in the beginning of the pbo days, back in the '50s with some of the digests.
Mystery Scene Update from Kate Stine
Hi everyone, We've just finished up Winter Issue #118, which should be hitting newsstands and mailboxes early next week. In the new issue, author Robert Crais discusses his latest Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel, The Sentry, and Jill Paton Walsh talks about the challenges of continuing Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. Also, Lawrence Block recalls his friend Evan Hunter (aka Ed McBain), Kevin Burton Smith nominates Kalinda Sharma from The Good Wife as the "Best 'Tec on TV," and you won't want to miss the latest and final installment of our Book Collecting series. We also sit down for a chat with Steve Hockensmith, author of the Holmes on the Range adventures about two cowpoke brothers turned detectives. A special online exclusive review of The World's Greatest Sleuth, which we're sharing with you first, appears in this newsletter (below). And for your first look exclusive on March's Writers on Reading essay authorSimon Tolkien weighs in on John le Carré's classic, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Last but not least, Publisher Brian Skupin and I will both be attending Left Coast Crime March 24-27 in Santa Fe, New Mexico later this month. If you're also in town, please stop and say hello! Sincerely, Kate Stine Editor-in-Chief |
Whiners!
Los Angeles Times: "Charo says she has a beef with her neighbors. The Spanish-American guitarist and entertainer says she had to give up her pet bull after a neighbor in Beverly Hills, Calif., complained about the smell of its feces."
Hat tip to Angela Crider.
I'm Repeating This Post . . .
. . . in a blatant effort to get a lot of you to click over to the site and show the folks at EQMM how powerful the blog is. So what are you waiting for? (By the way, the podcast is available for download on iTunes.)
Makes Sense to Me
News.com.au: "ON-duty police officers who posed for a photograph with a woman who flashed her breasts in an inner Brisbane party district did nothing wrong and should not have been punished, their union says."
Looking Forward to Spring Break?
Head on a stick found in Chihuahua City - El Paso Times: "A severed head on a stick was found in Chihuahua City on Monday night."
They'd Have Nabbed Him if He'd Been Carrying Hand Lotion
NYPOST.com: "A passenger managed to waltz past JFK's ramped-up security gantlet with three boxcutters in his carry-on luggage -- easily boarding an international flight while carrying the weapon of choice of the 9/11 hijackers, sources told The Post yesterday."
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Paging Robert A. Heinlein
The gigantic underground moon cave - The Week: "India's space agency announced it had discovered an enormous volcanic cave under the surface of the moon, in the midst of analyzing 3D images taken last year by the lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1. Thanks in large part to its stable climate, the cave could provide suitable housing for humans who want to further explore the moon."
I Feel All Safer Now
Docs Reveal TSA Plan To Body-Scan Pedestrians, Train Passengers - Andy Greenberg - The Firewall - Forbes: "Giving Transportation Security Administration agents a peek under your clothes may soon be a practice that goes well beyond airport checkpoints. Newly uncovered documents show that as early as 2006, the Department of Homeland Security has been planning pilot programs to deploy mobile scanning units that can be set up at public events and in train stations, along with mobile x-ray vans capable of scanning pedestrians on city streets."
Lawn Mowing Time
I'm sitting here listening to a sound I've never heard before. John Duke once told me that it's one of the most pleasant sounds of the summer. It's the sound of someone else mowing my lawn.
I started mowing the lawn when I was big enough to push a mower (not a power mower). I've been mowing ever since. I've never had a riding mower or a self-propelled mower, though I do have a power mower now.
I always thought of mowing as a necessary evil, but lately I've been thinking more about it. As a rich and powerful writer and an important force in the blogosphere, wouldn't it be better for me to save myself an hour or so every week and devote the time to other pursuits? Of course it would.
So I got in touch with Mr. Alfredo Chica, who does the lawn across the street and asked him if he could do my lawn when he comes to do the other. Of course he could.
Now I'm sitting here listening to that sound. I'm sure it will soon be as pleasant as promised, though right now I'm feeling a little guilty. I have a feeling I'll get over it.
No Comment Department
This 26-Year-Old Is Making Millions Cutting Out Traditional Publishers With Amazon Kindle: "Welcome to disruption. 26-year old Amanda Hocking is the best-selling 'indie' writer on the Kindle store, meaning she doesn't have a publishing deal, Novelr says.
And she shouldn't. She gets to keep 70% of her book sales -- and she sells around 100,000 copies per month. By comparison, it's usually thought that it takes a few tens of thousands of copies sold in the first week to be a New York Times bestselling writer."
And she shouldn't. She gets to keep 70% of her book sales -- and she sells around 100,000 copies per month. By comparison, it's usually thought that it takes a few tens of thousands of copies sold in the first week to be a New York Times bestselling writer."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Alleged iguana meat seized at Texas-Mexico border - CNN.com: "Agriculture specialists with U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Sunday discovered nearly 58 pounds of alleged lizard meat that had been mixed with masa (corn dough), the agency said Tuesday."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Set the DVR!
Meet 10-Year-Old Alligator Girl - ABC News: "Ten-year-old Samantha Young's earliest memories are of her remarkable interactions at the Colorado Gators Reptile Park in Mosca, Colo., where she and her father, Jay Young, help to take care of some 350 alligators. Samantha has learned from her dad how to 'wrestle' gators safely to get them out of the water for medical attention, though she leaves the larger ones for her father to handle. Watch the full story on '20/20' on Friday at 10 p.m. ET."
Great photo at the link.
Marilyn Monroe Update
Marilyn Monroe: the unseen files - Telegraph: "The material – about 10,000 documents – had been thought lost for more than 40 years since the death of Monroe on the night of 4 August 1962. Now, here it was, a treasure trove, languishing in a Californian suburb."
A Podcast (with Surprises)
As you should know by now Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine has a series of podcasts of writers reading their stories that appeared in the mag. At the last Bouchercon, Janet Hutchings, the editor, asked me if I'd read a story that I wrote for her long years ago. It would have to be done in my hotel room, without any preparation. (Notice how I'm sneaking in my excuses early.) Naturally I agreed. Now the podcast is live, and while there are a couple of tiny glitches, I did pretty well. I guess. I hate hearing myself, so I can barely listen. Maybe you don't feel the same, but even if you do, there are some real surprises here. They're integral to the introduction, but the secrets aren't revealed until the end of the podcast. If you're at all interested, you can click here and discover the answers for yourself. You might get one of them, but I'll bet one is going to be a surprise for sure.
Preview of Coming Attractions
Hold on tight for a literary thrill-ride into the wickedly clever, frightening, and exhilarating world of Top Suspense, a sizzling collaboration of twelve master storytellers, including three DEAD MAN writers, at the peak of their powers in thirteen unforgettable tales. This pulse-pounding anthology – packed full of cold-blooded killers, erotic tension, shady private eyes, craven drug dealers, vicious betrayals, crafty thieves, and shocking twists – is only a taste of the thrills you will find in the breathtakingly original ebooks by these authors at www.topsuspensegroup.com. So sit back, bite down on a piece of strong leather, and prepare to get hit by some gale-force suspense and writing so sharp that it will draw blood.
Here's the Plot for Your Next Domestic Thriller
Wife Holds Onto Minivan Hood From Manteca To Pleasanton: "“She jumped on the hood, and that’s when her adventure started,” said Manteca police spokesman Rex Osborn."
So It's Come To This
San Jose Mercury News: "Lynch said it appears the teacher's table-rattling act startled a female student who left the class and called police from a cell phone."
Does Johnny Hart Get a Cut?
Here's a Better Looking, Less Awkward Segway: "Segways are nerdy and awkward, there's no way around it. This solowheel, a 'self balancing electric unicycle' is just as nerdy as a Segway but slightly less awkward. The Solowheel only weighs 20 pounds and comes in a relatively small package and is definitely no where near as unwieldy as a Segway."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Texas immigration bill has big exception - CNN.com: "Amid a number of bills filed in Texas that address the issue of illegal immigration, one, proposed by Republican state Rep. Debbie Riddle, stands out.
As proposed, House Bill 2012 would create tough state punishments for those who 'intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly' hire an unauthorized immigrant. Violators could face up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
But it is an exception included in the bill that is drawing attention. Those who hire unauthorized immigrants would be in violation of the law -- unless they are hiring a maid, a lawn caretaker or another houseworker."
As proposed, House Bill 2012 would create tough state punishments for those who 'intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly' hire an unauthorized immigrant. Violators could face up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
But it is an exception included in the bill that is drawing attention. Those who hire unauthorized immigrants would be in violation of the law -- unless they are hiring a maid, a lawn caretaker or another houseworker."
If This Isn't Manly, I Don't Know What Is
Feeling Emasculated? Maybe It's Time to Play With 'The Most Interesting Man in the World': "Stay manly, my friends: Emasculated males can live vicariously through their favorite TV commercial dudes with a new line of action figures: from left, the Allstate 'Mayhem' guy, Dos Equis' 'Most Interesting Man in the World' and the 'Old Spice Guy.'"
Congratulations to the Derringer Award Nominees!
Flash Story (1001 words)
"Blues in the Night," by Carol Kilgore, *Dark Valentine*, May 2010
"Homeless," by Patricia Morin, *MYSTERY MONTAGE*, 2010
"Stick a Needle in My Eye," by Julia Madeleine, *Powder Burn Flash*
No. 302, May 5, 2010
"The Book Signing," by Kathy Kencharik, *THIN ICE: CRIME STORIES BY
NEW ENGLAND WRITERS*, 2010
"The Unknown Substance," by Jane Hammons, *A Twist of Noir*, Dec.
27, 2010
Short Story (1001 - 4000 words)
PENDING - TO BE ANNOUNCED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Long Story (4001 - 8000 words)
"A Tour of the Tower," by Christine Poulson, *Ellery Queen's
Mystery Magazine*, March/April 2010
"Care of the Circumcised Penis," by Sean Doolittle, *THUGLIT
PRESENTS: BLOOD, GUTS, AND WHISKEY*, 2010
"Interpretation of Murder," by B. K. Stevens, *Alfred Hitchcock
Mystery Magazine*, December 2010
"Silicon Kings," by Richard Helms, *The Back Alley Webzine*, April 2010
" The Little Nogai Boy," by R. T. Lawton, *Alfred Hitchcock Mystery
Magazine*, September 2010
Novelette (8001 - 17,500 words)
"Deserters," by Chris Muessig, *Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine*,
March 2010
"Rearview Mirror," by Art Taylor, *Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine*, March 2010
"The Gods for Vengeance Cry," by Richard Helms, *Ellery Queen's
Mystery Magazine*, November 2010
"The Man With One Eye," by Stephen Ross, *Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine*, December 2010
"The Scent of Lilacs," by Doug Allyn, *Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine*, September/October 2010
"Blues in the Night," by Carol Kilgore, *Dark Valentine*, May 2010
"Homeless," by Patricia Morin, *MYSTERY MONTAGE*, 2010
"Stick a Needle in My Eye," by Julia Madeleine, *Powder Burn Flash*
No. 302, May 5, 2010
"The Book Signing," by Kathy Kencharik, *THIN ICE: CRIME STORIES BY
NEW ENGLAND WRITERS*, 2010
"The Unknown Substance," by Jane Hammons, *A Twist of Noir*, Dec.
27, 2010
Short Story (1001 - 4000 words)
PENDING - TO BE ANNOUNCED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Long Story (4001 - 8000 words)
"A Tour of the Tower," by Christine Poulson, *Ellery Queen's
Mystery Magazine*, March/April 2010
"Care of the Circumcised Penis," by Sean Doolittle, *THUGLIT
PRESENTS: BLOOD, GUTS, AND WHISKEY*, 2010
"Interpretation of Murder," by B. K. Stevens, *Alfred Hitchcock
Mystery Magazine*, December 2010
"Silicon Kings," by Richard Helms, *The Back Alley Webzine*, April 2010
" The Little Nogai Boy," by R. T. Lawton, *Alfred Hitchcock Mystery
Magazine*, September 2010
Novelette (8001 - 17,500 words)
"Deserters," by Chris Muessig, *Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine*,
March 2010
"Rearview Mirror," by Art Taylor, *Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine*, March 2010
"The Gods for Vengeance Cry," by Richard Helms, *Ellery Queen's
Mystery Magazine*, November 2010
"The Man With One Eye," by Stephen Ross, *Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine*, December 2010
"The Scent of Lilacs," by Doug Allyn, *Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine*, September/October 2010
Making It Up as You Go Along
6 Classic Series You Didn't Know Were Made Up on the Fly | Cracked.com: "None of the film or TV series we're about to mention are bad -- we're not saying that. Some of them are great, even. But each of them was presented as having a master plan from the start, an overarching story or mystery that caused viewers to wait intently for the resolution, to see what the creators had in mind.
But time and time again, it turns out that the creators had nothing in mind at all, figuring they could throw out the mystery now and figure out the rest when it got closer to deadline."
But time and time again, it turns out that the creators had nothing in mind at all, figuring they could throw out the mystery now and figure out the rest when it got closer to deadline."
Texas Independence Day
Texas Independence Day, documents signed in 1836 - Houston Chronicle: "A handwritten document proclaiming Texas was freeing itself from rule by Mexico is 175 years old.Wednesday is Texas Independence Day. It was March 2, 1836, when historians believe the original and five copies of the declaration were made and signed.
Only the original remains. The pages are on a now rare public display into April at the Texas Archives and Library in Austin.
Texas became a U.S. state in 1845."
The First Rule of Fight Club . . . .
The News Tribune: "Nine sixth-grade boys were expelled from Stewart Middle School Monday after officials at the Tacoma School learned about their suspected participation in a so-called “fight club.”
Tacoma Public Schools spokesman Dan Voelpel said it came to light when a relative of one participant spoke to television station KCPQ."
Tacoma Public Schools spokesman Dan Voelpel said it came to light when a relative of one participant spoke to television station KCPQ."
There Is Fun To Be Done!
There Is Fun To Be Done! Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss: "Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss, was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts.He published 44 children's books, which were often characterized by imaginative characters, rhyme, and frequent use of trisyllabic meter. He also authored over a dozen books as Theo LeSieg and one as Rosetta Stone
Geisel's birthday, March 2, has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association."
Hat tip to Fred Zackel.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Gator Update (They're Everywhere Edition)
Pa. man finds 3-foot-long alligator - U.S. news - Weird news - msnbc.com: "On Monday, around 6:45 p.m., Bethlehem Police responded to a report from the 1400 block of Schoenersville Road from a man who claimed to have caught an alligator.
When they arrived that they found the man holding the 3-foot-long, American alligator."
When they arrived that they found the man holding the 3-foot-long, American alligator."
He Should Have Stuck to Keeping Kids off His Lawn
cincinnati.com: "A 73-year-old man was arrested Monday after a patron of the city’s main library told police that the man stuck his head under the stall just as she was about to use the toilet."
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
Father, son charged with attacking man over last beer - Orlando Sentinel: "A father and son in Central Florida are accused of injuring a man in Lake County because he drank their last beer, authorities said Monday.
Lake County deputy sheriffs were called to a stabbing at an Astor home at about 6:30 p.m. Friday when they found 46-year-old Jeffrey Wilkerson with a 10-inch laceration that stretched from his abdomen to his back. Wilkerson had a towel over his stomach covered in blood when authorities arrived."
Lake County deputy sheriffs were called to a stabbing at an Astor home at about 6:30 p.m. Friday when they found 46-year-old Jeffrey Wilkerson with a 10-inch laceration that stretched from his abdomen to his back. Wilkerson had a towel over his stomach covered in blood when authorities arrived."
What Killed the Femme Fatale?
What killed the queen of film noir?: "What killed the femme fatale? There are several likely suspects — Hollywood, the moviegoing public, the changing times — but as Philip Marlowe knew, solving any murder comes down to the question of motive. The emotional core of that motive, I think, was a growing queasiness with misogyny, noxious whiffs of which have trailed the femme fatale since her creation by the male writers of hard-boiled fiction, in particular the trinity of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain."
Hat tip to George Kelley.
Amnesia Update
Now I Know: The Bourne Identity
This is also the type of amnesia suffered by the narrator of Dan J. Marlowe's Never Live Twice.
ste, Dell, 1960Saddle Up
Quentin Tarantino’s Next Project is a Spaghetti Western - Los Angeles Movie | Examiner.com: "Quentin Tarantino has had enough time off since his last work as a director for Inglourious Basterds to look at potential projects. Now The Playlist is reporting that Tarantino’s next project would be a spaghetti western with Franco Nero, Keith Carradine, Treat Williams and a whole bunch of unnamed actors."
Time Travel Update
Stephen Hawking's Time Machine : Discovery News: "In an article in the Daily Mail this week, British cosmologist Stephen Hawking outlined not one, but three, theoretically realistic ideas for traveling through time, one of which he says is even practical."
Invention of the Day
Now, a 'bum bra' for your sagging buttocks: "'The Biniki buttocks support idea came to me at a moment of personal need. One look in the mirror after some rapid weight loss showed me the unhappy truth, my bottom was sagging,' the Daily Telegraph quoted her, as saying."