The September Newsletter: Stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
Hey there, friends!
Stuff That Happened Last Month…
… or should I just call it news?
August was a busy month. Right after the book came out, I was on a plane to Killer Nashville where Big F@!king Deal was nominated for a Claymore for Best Comedy and I was going to be on three panels — all of which were buckets of fun. I could have serious conversations about humor alllllll day.
Then it was off to Bouchercon in San Diego where Big Fat F@!k-Up was a finalist for the Shamus Award for Best First P.I. Novel. (Sadly, it will remain only a finalist, but, truly it was an honor and a pleasure to be a finalist. And they can’t take that away!)
I was on another humor panel at Bouchercon — again at 9 am on a Sunday morning, what’s the deal with that? — and it was great. What I love about Bouchercon is that it’s a mix of fans and writers so the panels aren’t just about craft, they are an inside glimpse into process.
After the panel, we all headed to the book room for people to get signatures. A man came up to me, having read and enjoyed the first book, he told me how his son was a recovering alcoholic. The son is doing great and is now an actor. He also read the book and wants to star in the movie version. From his lips…
Needless to day, I was touched by the story. A lot of the conversation about Big Fat F@!k-Up is how funny it is — which is always great to hear — but the recovery part of it isn’t talked about much. So, it was great to hear that I’m doing all right with that part.
Next appearance(s)
I have a couple of weeks offs to catch up on life and then….
On September 16th, Jessica Hatch will be interviewing me over at Comp Title Book Club. We’re going to talk about Lisa Lutz’s The Spellman Files and probably my book too.
Then…
A week later, here in Los Angeles, is one of my favorite events, Noir At the Bar. It’s an opportunity to meet and hang out with writers and, as I’m fond of saying, find you next favorite author. It’s free… except for all the books you’re gonna buy.
Book Recommendation
I have a soft spot for the unlikely hero. Duh. And here we are with another one. Cobra Clutch by A.J. Devlin brings us “Hammerhead” Jed Ounstead, a former wrestler turned PI.
When his former tag-team partner comes to him with a job — someone has kidnapped his snake he uses for his character in the ring — Jed is pulled back into the seedy side of the world of wrestling.
And what a world. Off-kilter characters. The criminal underbelly of Vancouver. The book is great fun. And, if you like it, there are two more books in the series out right now.
Until next time!
—LA