Saturday, January 02, 2010
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Refrigerator stops bullet during celebratory gunfire in southeast Houston - 1/01/10 - Houston News - abc13.com: "'I could see people shooting guns in the air and I know it was guns because you could see the muzzle fire about a foot to two feet long coming out the end of the guns. And it was more than one person,' said J.J."
Ligature Marks
Ligature Marks Fiction & Film - January Issue
A new e-zine with short fiction by the likes of Joe R. Lansdale, whoever he is.
Hat tip to Sandra Seamans over at My Little Corner.
A new e-zine with short fiction by the likes of Joe R. Lansdale, whoever he is.
Hat tip to Sandra Seamans over at My Little Corner.
Hard Case Crime Update from Charles Ardai
Friends,
First things first: Happy New Year.
2009 was Hard Case Crime's busiest year ever, with 13 books coming out. The last two are still in stores now, and if you haven't read them yet, you're missing a treat. Jonny Porkpie's THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES is a hilarious detective story set in the world of burlesque; A.C. Doyle's THE VALLEY OF FEAR is also a detective story, but it's set about 100 years earlier and features a detective you may have heard of once or twice. (Interestingly, I could see Robert Downey, Jr. playing the lead in a film version of either book.)
Want a taste? You can read sample chapters from both books (as well as all our upcoming titles) on our Web site, www.HardCaseCrime.com. Want more than a taste? You should be able to find them at your favorite local bookstore, but if they're sold out you can always order a copy online or by calling 1-800-481-9191.
Or...if you would like a copy of THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES that's been signed by the author and one of the lovely cover models, a few such copies were left after the stage show they put on in November. The author is making them available for $10 apiece (normal cover price plus a bit to cover postage/handling), and it's first-come-first-served -- so if you'd like one, send me an e-mail today and I'll pass it along to Mr. Porkpie pronto.
Or...if you prefer your PASTIES live, this month you've got another opportunity to enjoy a theatrical event celebrating the book, and this one's not just for New Yorkers. In the tradition of the long-running Off Broadway hit "Naked Boys Singing," last year saw the launch of a distaff alternative, "Naked Girls Reading" -- and this month's theme is "Naked Girls Reading Pulp Fiction." The titular naked girls (and yes, they really are) will be reading excerpts from a wide range of pulp novels, including THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES. The fun starts in Chicago on January 3, and then moves on to Seattle, Key West and Dallas (with possible stops in Madison, Miami, and Denver as well) before landing in New York on January 29. The author and cover models will be there at the New York event, so if you come to that one you can get your book signed and personalized; Jonny, Nasty, and GiGi won't be there in the other cities, but the lineup of sexy readers who will be there is certainly enticing enough to get you out in the cold. (Or in the warm, for those of you in Florida.) You can find out more at http://nakedgirlsreading.com/ -- and if you're interested in coming, you should get tickets pronto, since the NGR shows are held in intimate venues where seating is limited (just 40 seats in New York, for instance), and the shows tend to sell out quickly.
What else is coming up? Our next new book hits stores at the end of March, and it's a big one (both in terms of length and in terms of significance): MEMORY, the final novel by the great (and much missed) Donald E. Westlake. After that, it's the stunning, heartbreaking NOBODY'S ANGEL about a Chicago cab driver on the midnight shift, written by Shamus Award finalist (and Chicago cab driver himself) Jack Clark. Then the great Brett Halliday makes his first bookstore appearance in something like 20 years with MURDER IS MY BUSINESS, and then the equally great Max Allan Collins brings Quarry back in QUARRY'S EX.
After that? We'll see, we'll see. We've got a bunch of cool things cooking, but none's quite ready to come off the stove yet. Rest assured you'll be hearing more as 2010 trundles along.
In the meantime: Go to your favorite bookstore and buy some books. It'll give you great reading to entertain you on these long winter evenings, and it'll help keep the bookstores (and outfits like ours) in business. It might not always feel like your $7.99 makes a difference -- but I can tell you it really does.
With thanks and warmest holiday wishes,
Charles
----------
Charles Ardai
Editor, Hard Case Crime
Friday, January 01, 2010
Why Wait for 2012?
Biblical scholar's date for rapture: May 21, 2011: "[Harold] Camping, 88, has scrutinized the Bible for almost 70 years and says he has developed a mathematical system to interpret prophecies hidden within the Good Book. One night a few years ago, Camping, a civil engineer by trade, crunched the numbers and was stunned at what he'd found: The world will end May 21, 2011."
Ten for Tennant:
Parallel Universe: Ten for Tennant: Best 'Doctor Who' Episodes: "Ten for Tennant: Best 'Doctor Who' Episodes"
Hat tip to Toby O'B.
Hat tip to Toby O'B.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Rocket Launcher Found In Apartment - Houston News Story - KPRC Houston: "Police went to a southwest Houston apartment to break up a disturbance but ended up finding something else, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.
[. . . .]
They found an AT-4 shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. It can shoot a missile nearly 1,000 feet through buildings and tanks."
[. . . .]
They found an AT-4 shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. It can shoot a missile nearly 1,000 feet through buildings and tanks."
Here's the Plot for Your Next Psychological Suspense Novel
Half Guilty - Nick Kam: "How would the American legal system punish conjoined twins if one committed a murder while the other was completely innocent?"
Forgotten Books: THE BLUE STREAK AND DR. MEDUSA -- Art Elder
One of Medusa's intended victims is Bess Marigold. Her uncle hires the Blue Streak to protect her, but she's a spirited young woman and doesn't want to be protected. This leads to complications involving large caverns, underground rivers, whirlpools, encounters with Medusa's goons, murders, and even a bit of light romance.
All of this thrilled me when I was a kid, and I didn't notice the writing style, which is of the Hardy Boys school, or the problems with the story. I just enjoyed the adventures.
Now I wonder about the Blue Streak. Unlike a lot of Whitman books, this one doesn't seem based on a comic book, radio, or movie character. It's really a great deal like a Republic serial, but I don't know of one based on this character. It's also obviously set up for a sequel, though if there is one, I don't know of it. I don't know who Art Elder is, either, but I owe him big-time for the pleasure he brought me so many years ago. And now, too, for that matter.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Never Bring a Knife to a Swordfight
Beloit Daily News - your source for news, entertainment, sports, opinion, events, community, shopping and more > News > Local News: "A domestic abuse incident turned into a swordfight — reminiscent of a movie scene from “Crocodile Dundee” — Wednesday afternoon in a Park Avenue apartment.
Lester Burks, 33, pulled out a sword and engaged in a match with his girlfriend and mother of two children, Yvone Coleman, 31, who had grabbed a knife, according to police reports."
Lester Burks, 33, pulled out a sword and engaged in a match with his girlfriend and mother of two children, Yvone Coleman, 31, who had grabbed a knife, according to police reports."
Nightmare Alley: The Musical
Nightmare Alley: "Music, Book and Lyrics by Jonathan Brielle
Directed by Gilbert Cates
April 13 – May 23, 2010
Step into Nightmare Alley and enter the titillating world of carnies, cons and clairvoyants. With a score as wild as a funhouse and as evocative as a beautiful tightrope walker, this world premiere musical tells the tale of a young carnie couple who tempt the fickle hand of fate. Based on the darkly evocative 1946 William Lindsay Gresham novel of the same name, Nightmare Alley is a night at the theater full of special effects, wondrous feats and enough spirit to make believers of us all. But remember, here, things are never as they seem."
This musical was originally produced in 1966 and didn't last long. Probably a real toe-tapping good time, though.
Hat tip to Boing Boing.
Directed by Gilbert Cates
April 13 – May 23, 2010
Step into Nightmare Alley and enter the titillating world of carnies, cons and clairvoyants. With a score as wild as a funhouse and as evocative as a beautiful tightrope walker, this world premiere musical tells the tale of a young carnie couple who tempt the fickle hand of fate. Based on the darkly evocative 1946 William Lindsay Gresham novel of the same name, Nightmare Alley is a night at the theater full of special effects, wondrous feats and enough spirit to make believers of us all. But remember, here, things are never as they seem."
This musical was originally produced in 1966 and didn't last long. Probably a real toe-tapping good time, though.
Hat tip to Boing Boing.
Colorado Leads the Way
Bomb squad, police show up in force during search | police, squad, bomb - Breaking News - Colorado Springs Gazette, CO: "A standoff at a central Colorado Springs motel has ended after police entered the motel room in question, and it was empty."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)