Saturday, December 24, 2011
Free e-Books!
Paul Bishop has a couple of books going for free right now. Both great stuff, and if you have a Kindle, this is a no-brainer. Grab 'em. One is Penalty Shot, and the other is Croaker: Kill Me Again.
Robert Easton, R. I. P.
latimes.com: Robert Easton, a character actor whose command of a vast array of foreign and American regional accents led to a flourishing second career as a dialect coach to Hollywood stars such as Charlton Heston and Anne Hathaway, has died. He was 81.
Hat tip to Doc Quatermass.
Friday, December 23, 2011
And Keep Off Her Lawn!
NBC-2.com WBBH News: A 90-year-old woman, attacked by an alligator, is finally home with her family.
Margaret Webb almost lost her life, but the woman friends describe as "a fighter" is proving the alligator and the road to recovery were no match for her. Her return home is a Christmas gift, come early.
Margaret Webb almost lost her life, but the woman friends describe as "a fighter" is proving the alligator and the road to recovery were no match for her. Her return home is a Christmas gift, come early.
Don Sharp, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Don Sharp, a veteran film director who had never watched a horror movie until Hammer Films — the English studio described, usually admiringly, as dripping cinematic blood — enlisted him in the mid-1960s to help revivify its presentation of Gothic terror, died on Sunday. He was 89.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Paging Jeff Meyerson
NY Daily News: An illegal wolf-dog was found Tuesday roaming the wilds of Brooklyn.
No Comment Department
NJ man who overdosed at party to get $4M : Simon sued the pharmacy for not taking proper precautions to avoid theft of drugs. He also sued the party's host and his parents, along with several guests.
A Travel Guide to Prehistoric Places in North America
Geology News: A Travel Guide to Prehistoric Places in North America
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
WAFF.com: Black Eye Friday: Shoppers throw punches over new Air Jordans
Amazon Deal of the Day!
Amazon.com: The Kindle Daily Deal: Kindle Daily Deal: "The Dead Man" Books 1-5Today only, the first five books in Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin's "Dead Man" series--original short novels that blend the horror of Stephen King with the action of classic adventure novels--are just $0.99 each (67% off yesterday's price).
Yesterday's Price: $2.99
Today's Discount: $2.00
Kindle Daily Deal Price: $0.99 (67% off)
And It's Not a Fruitcake!
'Oldest' Christmas cake celebrates 100th year: What might be the oldest Christmas cake in the U.S. just marked its 100th anniversary, the Star Tribune in Minneapolis tells us.
The petrified, two-layer, 7-inch cake, baked just before Christmas 1911, was discovered in a closet in 1992 before an estate sale. Pierre Girard, of Golden Valley, Minn., thinks it's spice, because of a "faint fragrance," the newspaper writes.
The petrified, two-layer, 7-inch cake, baked just before Christmas 1911, was discovered in a closet in 1992 before an estate sale. Pierre Girard, of Golden Valley, Minn., thinks it's spice, because of a "faint fragrance," the newspaper writes.
Forgotten Books: My Best Science Fiction Story -- Edited by Leo Margulies & Oscar J. Friend
Is anyone but old guys like me interested in the history of certain genres these days? I've seen blog posts from whippersnappers who don't have any interest at all in reading the older books in their area of interest. I can understand, however, since I have little interest in reading the newer ones. But for somebody who does care about the history of SF, this would seem to be an essential book. It's fun because of the stories, of course, but each writer provides a short introduction to explain why a particular story was picked for the collection. (My favorite line in these is the final one in Henry Kuttner's intro: "Anyway, my wife wrote it.")
You have to wonder, considering the date of the collection (1949) if the writers would have chosen different stories later on in their careers. Too bad they're not around to ask. Cheap copies abound around the Internet, so why not pick one up an give it a try. See if you agree with the authors' choices.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Your Attention to Books of Interest
Free to Amazon Prime members for a limited time!
Amazon.com: The Dead Walked Book 1: Outbreak eBook: Vincent Stark: Kindle Store: Some said it was viral.
Others claimed it was an act of God.
Either way the result was the same and the dead walked.
September was her favourite time of the year, and late September, when the autumn was just preparing to hand over to winter, when there was still a residue of the late summer warmth in the air, as well as the crisp promise of the iciness to come, had always been, as far as Missy was concerned, the finest chunk of that particular month.
Not for her was the spectacle of high summer, nor the morose beauty of mid winter. Of course they both had their fineries but these paled next to the season when the leaves glittered with reflected sunlight. It was the autumn, with September being the highlight of that season, which she loved – a time when nature put on its finest display as the lush summer growth was magically transformed.
The sky itself seemed to glow at this time of year.
September was a time of promise.
A time of rebirth.
Not this September, though.
This September, Missy would remember as, the time the dead walked.
Book Giveaway
Women of Mystery: To Welcome in 2012...A Giveaway!: Have we bored you silly with all our talk of the Murder, NY Style anthology yet? No? Great! Let's talk some more! This time, I promise to keep it short and sweet.
If you've been on the "Nice" list and have been saving your money this season to spend on other people, we're going to give away a few copies! Let's go for three. Three paperback copies (or e-copies, if that's your preference).
If you've been on the "Nice" list and have been saving your money this season to spend on other people, we're going to give away a few copies! Let's go for three. Three paperback copies (or e-copies, if that's your preference).
Archaeology Update
The Raw Story: Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient Mayan city in the mountains of North Georgia believed to be at least 1,100 years old. According to Richard Thornton at Examiner.com, the ruins are reportedly what remains of a city built by Mayans fleeing wars, volcanic eruptions, droughts and famine.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Good Samaritan Santa pulls man from burning truck after crash | khou.com Houston: COPPELL, Texas- You'd think this late in the game, Santa Claus would be way too busy to just show up at the corner of Interstate 635 and Belt Line Road.
But, then again, he tends to be there when you need him. And so, there he was, right after a two-car collision, directing traffic around the burning wreckage.
But, then again, he tends to be there when you need him. And so, there he was, right after a two-car collision, directing traffic around the burning wreckage.
Had I But Known
The Local: Being good-looking can be as useful as a university degree when it comes to wages and promotions, with a person's attractiveness directly affecting pay-packets and careers, according to a new study.
Scotland Leads the Way
Heart attack on a plate: Chef serves deep fried butter and Irn Bru ice cream
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Sir Isaac Newton Update
Mail Online: Sir Isaac Newton's handwritten notes about momentous discovery of laws of motion and gravity now available online
More than 4,000 pages of scientist's works uploaded
Includes seminal Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
More than 4,000 pages of scientist's works uploaded
Includes seminal Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
Croc Update (Double Your Pleasure Edition)
UPI.com: The Nile crocodile, a species identified by ancient Egyptians, is in fact two distinct species that have been going by the same name, U.S. researchers say.
Incunabula: The Early Printed Books
AbeBooks: Incunabula: The Early Printed Books: Johannes Gutenberg first thought of the principles behind movable type in 1439. But it was not until 1452 that he finally brought his magnificent idea to fruition and published a complete book, the Gutenberg Bible, in the typographic style.
Gutenberg changed the way Europe thought of the book and heralded a new era of mass communication. For the first time in western history it was possible to quickly, and relatively cheaply, produce hundreds or even thousands of copies of a single work.
Today book collectors also view the invention of the printing press as a major cultural turning point - books made before and after this point are vastly different and so booksellers, collectors and historians dub books printed in this time of transition as ‘Incunabula.’
The term Incunabula (also incunable or incunabulum) refers to a book, pamphlet or other document that was printed, and not handwritten, before the start of the 16th century in Europe. The first recorded usage of the term incunabula came in 1639 when the noted bibliophile Bernhard von Mallinckrodt issued a pamphlet to mark the bicentenary of the advent of printing by movable type titled De ortu et progressu artis typographicae (“Of the rise and progress of the typographic art”).
Gutenberg changed the way Europe thought of the book and heralded a new era of mass communication. For the first time in western history it was possible to quickly, and relatively cheaply, produce hundreds or even thousands of copies of a single work.
Today book collectors also view the invention of the printing press as a major cultural turning point - books made before and after this point are vastly different and so booksellers, collectors and historians dub books printed in this time of transition as ‘Incunabula.’
The term Incunabula (also incunable or incunabulum) refers to a book, pamphlet or other document that was printed, and not handwritten, before the start of the 16th century in Europe. The first recorded usage of the term incunabula came in 1639 when the noted bibliophile Bernhard von Mallinckrodt issued a pamphlet to mark the bicentenary of the advent of printing by movable type titled De ortu et progressu artis typographicae (“Of the rise and progress of the typographic art”).
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Your Attention to Books of Interest
Amazon.com: Magic in a Minute Mysteries eBook: R.G. Wyatt, Mac King, Bill King: Kindle Store: Mac King’s Magic in a Minute Mysteries captures the humor and creativity of the syndicated Magic in a Minute Comic strip, by Mac and Bill King, through a delightful series of loosely connected chapters adapted by full time writer guy, R.G. Wyatt.Read about vanishing mummies, mysterious bank robberies and death-defying acts of heroism!
Learn magic tricks as you solve mysteries with Mac, Harry and Kelly.
Confound your friends with your new found wisdom.
Learn how to impersonate Abe Lincoln!
It’s all here for the first time ever in one thrill packed first person narrative with more than a dozen full color illustrations.
Officially, it’s appropriate for Grades 5 – 8, with a reading level of 9 – 12, but unofficially it’s for everybody who loves magic and adventure!
Once Again Texas Leads the Way
Orange UK: A US man has told authorities he wants to clear his conscience - and pay a $1 parking ticket he received 58 years ago.
Dale Crawford, of Houston, Texas, sent a letter to city officials after finding the ticket among some keepsakes.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Dale Crawford, of Houston, Texas, sent a letter to city officials after finding the ticket among some keepsakes.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Here's the Plot for Your Next Medical Thriller
The Raw Story: Two top scientific journals said Tuesday they were mulling whether to publish details of a man-made mutant killer flu virus that has sparked concerns of mass deaths if it were released.
A US government’s science advisory committee urged the US journal Science and the British journal Nature to withhold key details so that people seeking to harm the public would not be able to manufacture the virus that could cause millions of deaths.
A US government’s science advisory committee urged the US journal Science and the British journal Nature to withhold key details so that people seeking to harm the public would not be able to manufacture the virus that could cause millions of deaths.
The Moveable Feast of Ernest Hemingway’s Life and Writing
AbeBooks: The Moveable Feast of Ernest Hemingway’s Life and Writing: ou could argue that today’s writers produce so-so literature because they lead sheltered lives and lack true inspiration. Most have never been to war and rarely endured real danger. Today’s big-name writers jet around the world signing books and attending literary awards, but they haven’t survived multiple plane crashes or hooked marlins in the Caribbean, or been trailed by the FBI, or got drunk with James Joyce or F Scott Fitzgerald.
If you think of a writer who lived a full life then Ernest Hemingway is the first name on the list and frankly the second suggestion will be some way behind.
If you think of a writer who lived a full life then Ernest Hemingway is the first name on the list and frankly the second suggestion will be some way behind.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Mooned
Earth Has a Second Moon, Astronomers Say: In a research paper called "The population of natural Earth satellites", astronomers say that Earth has a second moon at any given time. While these moons are small, the scientific implications of this discovery are phenomenal.
The Beast Within (Dead Man #7) eBook: James Daniels, William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg: Kindle Store
Free to members of Amazon Prime!
Amazon.com: The Beast Within (Dead Man #7) eBook: James Daniels, William Rabkin, Lee Goldberg: Kindle Store: Matt Cahill was an ordinary man leading a simple life until a shocking accident changed everything. Now he can see a nightmarish netherworld that exists within our own. Now he's on a dangerous quest for the answers to who he is and what he has become...and engaged in an epic battle to save us, and his soul, from the clutches of pure evil.
Matt Cahill journeys deep into the Northern Michigan woods searching for a militaristic community that's led by a paranoid visionary... a man who claims to have defeated an entity eerily similar to Mr. Dark. This could be Matt's chance to solve the riddle of his nightmarish quest. But things go very wrong very fast... and soon he's trapped in a bloody siege between warring factions. The only way to escape from an unstoppable advance of mayhem, carnage and black magic is to trust his instincts, grab his ax, and unleash the ferocity of the Beast Within.
Get a Rope!
WKRN, Nashville: For the rest of the semester, a Rutherford County elementary student has to eat lunch at the "silent table" for allegedly waving around a slice of pizza some say resembled a gun.
Party Like It's the End of the World
News from The Associated Press: Only a year is left before Dec. 21, 2012, when some believe the Maya predicted the end of the world.
While some doomsday theorists may suggest putting together survival kits, people in southeastern Mexico, the heart of Maya territory, plan to throw a yearlong celebration. And to make a profit while they party.
While some doomsday theorists may suggest putting together survival kits, people in southeastern Mexico, the heart of Maya territory, plan to throw a yearlong celebration. And to make a profit while they party.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
The games are afoot but not everyone plays by the rules. There is plenty of cheating., on the court and in the bed. But these cheaters never win because they are up against Val Lyon and she has her game face on.
Chokehold -- Christa Faust
So Angel's on the run again, from the people who wanted her dead in the first place and from a bunch of killers who're after Cody, who happens to be a MMA fighter. The action never lets up, there's sex, and anyone can die at any time. If you think Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor gets run through the emotional wringer more than anybody, consider Angel Dare.
This is another sure winner from Faust and Hard Case Crime. Check it out.
Perspectives on McBain
Amazon Exclusive: Perspectives on McBain: Crime fiction master Ed McBain, also known as Evan Hunter, penned more than 115 books (among them the 87th Precinct and Matthew Hope series) and numerous screenplays, including the one for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. He is considered the father of the police procedural and hardboiled crime genres.
To celebrate the rerelease of much of his work, now available for the first time in digital format, Amazon Publishing imprint Thomas & Mercer asked a group of acclaimed mystery and thriller authors to tell us how Ed McBain influenced them:
Lawrence Block | Max Allan Collins | Bill Crider | Aric Davis | Nelson DeMille | Aaron Elkins | Charlotte Elkins | Stephen King | J.A. Konrath | Peter Lovesey | Matthew P. Mayo | Scott Nicholson | Tom Schreck | Harry Shannon | Johnny Shaw | J. Gregory Smith | Arni Thorarinsson | Blair S. Walker
To celebrate the rerelease of much of his work, now available for the first time in digital format, Amazon Publishing imprint Thomas & Mercer asked a group of acclaimed mystery and thriller authors to tell us how Ed McBain influenced them:
Lawrence Block | Max Allan Collins | Bill Crider | Aric Davis | Nelson DeMille | Aaron Elkins | Charlotte Elkins | Stephen King | J.A. Konrath | Peter Lovesey | Matthew P. Mayo | Scott Nicholson | Tom Schreck | Harry Shannon | Johnny Shaw | J. Gregory Smith | Arni Thorarinsson | Blair S. Walker
Out of bullets, throw the gun | Pablo D'Stair versus Crime/Noir Flash Fiction
Out of bullets, throw the gun | Pablo D'Stair versus Crime/Noir Flash Fiction: …what we have here is a contest pitting author Pablo D’Stair (they say the owl was a baker’s daughter: four existential noirs) against an assortment of the very best Crime/Noir flash fiction authors on the contemporary scene.
Stonehenge Update
The Independent: Scientists have succeeded in locating the exact source of some of the rock believed to have been used 5000 years ago to create Stonehenge's first stone circle.
By comparing fragments of stone found at and around Stonehenge with rocks in south-west Wales, they have been able to identify the original rock outcrop that some of the Stonehenge material came from.
By comparing fragments of stone found at and around Stonehenge with rocks in south-west Wales, they have been able to identify the original rock outcrop that some of the Stonehenge material came from.
Lat Minute Gift Suggestions
These candles don't smell like your favorite writer, exactly. The Whitman candle, for example, smells like grass, thyme, and red clover.
The Library Collection: For all the bibliophiles in our lives, we present the Library Collection. Pairing favorite quotes with exquisite fragrances, we pay homage to the literary greats.
The Library Collection: For all the bibliophiles in our lives, we present the Library Collection. Pairing favorite quotes with exquisite fragrances, we pay homage to the literary greats.
Bargain of the Day
Amazon.com: Hurt Machine (Moe Prager Mystery) eBook: Reed Farrel Coleman: Kindle Store: At a pre-wedding party for his daughter Sarah, Moe Prager is approached by his ex-wife and former PI partner Carmella Melendez. It seems Carmella's estranged sister Alta has been murdered, but no one in New York City seems to care. Why? Alta, a FDNY EMT, and her partner had months earlier refused to give assistance to a dying man at a fancy downtown eatery. Moe decides to help Carmella as a means to distract himself from his own life-and-death struggle. Making headway on the case is no mean feat as no one, including Alta's partner Maya Watson, wants to cooperate. Moe chips away until he discovers a cancer roiling just below the surface, a cancer whose symptoms include bureaucratic greed, sexual harassment, and blackmail. But is any of it connected to Alta's brutal murder?
Overlooked Movies -- Bronco Billy
Monday, December 19, 2011
Help an Old Guy Have a Happy Holiday -- Buy His Book
DEADMAN'S REVENGE is the third volume in the exciting Rancho Diablo series.
Once Again Texas Leads the Way
Corpus Man Steals Beer Twice, Gets Beaten Up, All in One Evening - Houston News - Hair Balls: For most people, a single day in which you were beaten badly enough by a group of men at a bus station to require a hospital visit and were caught (allegedly) swiping beer not once but twice would qualify as rock bottom.
For the unidentified 27-year-old man at the heart of this story, we get the feeling he would just call it "Thursday evening."
For the unidentified 27-year-old man at the heart of this story, we get the feeling he would just call it "Thursday evening."
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Interest
Amazon.com: One Horse Open Slay (A Crag Banyon Mystery) eBook: James Mullaney: Kindle Store: Dashiell Hammett meets Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town"Hello, you've reached Banyon Investigations...."
Crag Banyon is just your run-of-the-mill P.I. He's got a secretary who loves to hate and hates to love him. His worst enemy in the world is on the local force and relishes the thought of seeing Banyon behind bars. And he's got a knack for attracting all the crazies to his small downtown office above the fish market. So when an elf shows up on a stolen reindeer and hints of foul play at the North Pole, Banyon takes the whole thing in stride, refuses to take the case, and heads off to his favorite saloon. But when the elf turns up dead the next morning, the cops make their least favorite private eye the fall guy.
A hunted man, Banyon lams it to the Arctic Circle to clear his name. He quickly finds that Santa's workshop is a lot more dangerous than even a plucky P.I. with a ready quip and a five-alarm hangover can handle. Between fighting for his life and fending off the advances of a hot-to-trot Mrs. Claus, Banyon uncovers a conspiracy that goes far past December 25. If he can just ring in the New Year without a bullet in his brain, it'll all be just another day's work for Crag Banyon, P.I.
"....he's an SOB, but he's cheap. How may I direct your call?"
Mr. Monk on Patrol -- Lee Goldberg
In Mr. Monk on Patrol, Natalie and Monk go to Summit New, Jersey, to help out their friend Randy Disher, who, as regular readers of the series will recall, left San Francisco to take a job in Summit as Chief of Police. Now, because of rampant corruption in city government there, he's been installed as mayor, and he needs some crime-solving help asap. Monk's former assistant, Sharona, using the direct approach, helps Natalie get Monk across the country without much trouble, but things are different in Summit. There's a series of baffling burglaries, a ghost in a hotel, and finally a murder. Monk eventually wraps up everything, thanks to his unique approach to crime solving. I recognized a couple of familiar names in the story, and that's always fun. There are also a couple of big surprises in the book, and I'm not about to spoil them here. There's even a cliff-hanger ending, but I think I have it figured out. As usual, highly recommended.
Anna Nicole Smith Opera Update
Looking Back at ‘Anna Nicole,’ ‘Griselda’ and ‘Don Giovanni’ - NYTimes.com: The biggest surprise was “Anna Nicole,” the opera by the British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage that had its premiere in February at the Royal Opera in London. When I heard that Mr. Turnage was writing a work about the tawdry life and death of the Playboy Playmate and laughable actress Anna Nicole Smith, I feared the worst: something vulgar, sensational and full of cheap laughs. But “Anna Nicole,” with a witty libretto by Richard Thomas and an eclectic score, is a brilliant, outrageous and, finally, quite moving work that treats Smith as an unlikely tragic heroine. The dazzling production offered a showcase for the charismatic soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek, who also impressed New York audiences this year as Sieglinde in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Wagner’s “Walkure.”
Hat tip to George Kelley.
Hat tip to George Kelley.
Here's Your Chance
What's On Your Cult Film List? : NPR: The authors of the upcoming book "100 Cult Films" have put together their list of top cult films, but we think 100 movies aren't enough. Is your cult film favorite missing? Make your pitch for the 101st film in our comment section below, and we may read your pick on air!
Ralph MacDonald, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: Ralph MacDonald, the Grammy-winning writer, producer and percussionist who worked with everyone from Luther Vandross to Amy Winehouse and composed the classics, “Where Is the Love” and “Just the Two of Us,” died Sunday morning in Stamford, Conn., after a long illness. He was 67.
Shipwreck Update
Kaiser Willhelm's urinal found at bottom of Baltic - Telegraph: The piece of porcelain history was discovered in the wreck of the Udine, a light-cruiser which was sunk in the First World War by the Royal Navy, that now lies 28 nautical miles off the German island of Rugen.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
The Miracle of Revenge by Robert J. Randisi (eBook) Speaking Volumes, LLC: Liz Archer had an ache inside after the Nolan clan slaughtered her fiance and family. An ache only revenge could heal. She got help from Tate Gilmore who taught her how to shoot like a man and make love like a woman. He called her Angel Eyes because those huge baby blues would be the last thing the Nolans would ever see before she blew them all the way to hell!
Vaclav Havel, R. I. P.
Vaclav Havel, Dissident Playwright Who Led Czechoslovakia, Dead at 75 - NYTimes.com: Vaclav Havel, the writer and dissident whose eloquent dissections of Communist rule helped to destroy it in revolutions that brought down the Berlin Wall and swept Havel himself into power, died on Sunday. He was 75.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Steven Segal Update
Hollywood Reporter: Anchor Bay has acquired the distribution rights to Maximum Conviction, an action movie stawrring Steven Seagal and Steve Austin.
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