Saturday, May 31, 2008

THE MARK is nominated for the Barry Award!

I learned late last night (Friend: "Congrats on your nomination!" Me: "What nomination?") that THE MARK was nominated for the Barry Award for "Best Paperback Original."

Needless to say I'm thrilled about the nom, especially since I was at Bouchercon last year when Sean Doolittle's terrific book THE CLEANUP won in this category. This is the third award THE MARK has been nominated for, though I'm hardly expecting a trip up to the podium since the competition includes Megan Abbott's QUEENPIN, which has already picked up an Edgar. But it really is an honor just to be nominated, especially since the PBO category includes more than debut authors.

Congrats as well to fellow Killer Year members Sean Chercover, Marcus Sakey and Brett Battles who were also nominated for Barrys (Barries? Barry's?). Way to go guys!

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Friday, May 30, 2008

Forgotten Books

Patti Abbott recently asked me to think of a book that I consider "forgotten," and to write about it. One book instantly came to mind. And even though the author is hardly an unknown, I consider this book an unheralded masterpiece. So here's my Friday forgotten book:

Simply put, this book captivated me growing up. When I dreamed of being a screenwriter and director, this was the book I dreamed of adapting. Written while King was still a college freshman and published years later under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, the story is deceptively simple. It centers around a young man, Ray Garraty, who has entered the country's premier sporting event, The Long Walk. The walk consists of 100 participants, all young men in their late teens to early twenties. The rules are simple. You must continue walking. You are given skimpy provisions and no bathroom breaks. If you fall below four miles an hour, you are warned. After three warnings, you are killed.

The last man alive wins.

All along the Walk's hundreds of miles, spectators turn out to cheer the entrant from their state. Garraty himself is "Maine's Own." Perched alongside the trail are tanks and caravans with heavily-armed soldiers. Most of the spectators are there to cheer. Many are there, however, in the hopes that a boy will fall below 4 mph for the last time in front of them.

The book is harrowing in that it both serves as a horrific harbinger of the reality-obsessed world in which we've become (the book was published in 1979--ironically the year I was born), and a fascinating study of human nature. It is a a mirror of the all but anonymous life of young men, and the bloodthirsty nature of our society.

It is fascinating to watch as these 100 young men--all strangers at first--form tight bonds despite knowing that all but one of them face will die by the end of the race. At first they are enemies, hoping to see their nemeses fall in the name of sport. Hoping to see them fall because that means one less person to outlast. But as more and more die at the hands of the brutal military overseeing the Walk, the more solidarity the boys develop, the more defiant they become. We flash back to various points in Ray's life. His mother, his father, the girl he loves but is too tentative to express his feelings toward. These remind us that despite the fact that we only get to know a handful of the participants in the race, each of the boys, like Garraty, has a home. A family who loves them. A family that will almost certainly see them die.

The ending is simply harrowing and heart-breaking. And though I've been a King fan my whole life, this is the book I remember most vividly. This is the book that haunted me most after turning the last page. And though King is hardly a writer that will ever be forgotten, this book deserves to sit at the pinnacle of anything he's ever created.

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Regis Lets One Rip

I nearly fell off my chair when I saw this. Look at Regis's intense concentration, and then watch Kelly's unsuccessful attempt to ignore the smelly elephant in the room.

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Best (and worst) blurbs

When a book, especially a first novel, is published, the author, agent and editor bend over backwards in an attempt to secure endorsement from other authors (hopefully highly recognizable ones) in order to entice people to buy it and stores to stock many copies. 

I'm fairly new to the blurb process, having only blurbed one book in my nascent career. And that blurb was incredibly difficult to write. You want a blurb to speak effusively about the book in question, but not so much that it becomes over the top (and readers become skeptical). Authors ideally want a blurb to contain two things: 

1) a pull quote about the book ("The Willow Tree is a phantasmagoric treat!"
2) a pull quote about the author ("Bill Fester is phantasmagoric!") These are desirable because they can be used on several books.

Anyway, a newspaper article got me thinking about the best and worst of the lot. I remember picking up Warren Ellis's CROOKED LITTLE VEIN and seeing this quote:

"Stop it, you're scaring me." --William Gibson

Now that's a great quote. I'd love to know some oft he best, worst and silliest blurbs you've ever seen. Here's a good one to start things off:

The London Spectator on CLEAR by Nicola Barker:
"The brilliance of Barker's style is beyond perfection."

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Tuesday, May 27, 2008

THE MARK audiobook: 
half-price for a short time only!

A lot of people have inquired as to whether my books are available on audio. I'm happy to be able to answer yes (and sometimes 'affirmative' or 'bingo').

Anyway, Audible.com is holding their annual half price sale, and THE MARK is available for a limited time for just $12.48. That's NINE HOURS AND NINE MINUTES of listening pleasure for just $1.27 an hour!

Think about what a truly incredible deal that is. For 1.27 you can:

--Park your car in a garage for 13 minutes
--Download 1 song on iTunes
--Buy 0.3 gallons of gas
--Watch the first 23 minutes of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (8 minutes if you include previews)
--Subscribe to the Wall Street Journal for 2 days

So if your MP3 player has a hankering for a good thrill, check out THE MARK on Audible.com.The sale only lasts one week!

Affirmative.

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Saturday, May 24, 2008

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Let's start by saying this: IJ4 is not a terribly good movie, though it is not a terribly bad one either. I left the theater feeling an odd mix of disappointment that it was not on par with "Raiders," and possibly not even on par with its two sequels, but also a sense of satisfaction because, on the whole, I certainly had fun and got my money's worth. And it's the kind of movie where upon a second viewing you might actually enjoy it more because you can willfully tune out the bad stuff.

The problem with the film, to me, is that the filmmakers have too much money. Whereas "Raiders" had a joyful sense of guerilla filmmaking, with real stuntment and no CGI, this new Indy is overrun with soundstages, CGI, and moments that not only stretch believability but drive it off the cliff. The Indy films are action movies. We know that what happens in them most likely doesn't happen to anyone in real life (except maybe Hillary Clinton). But the first three films worked because the characters never did anything superhuman. They all existed within our world. Indy punched, he kicked, he used his whip. When he took a beating, he got hurt. When he got shot, he bled.

I find it especially interesting having read several interviews with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg about Lucas's desire to make Indy an all digtial affair (like the recent Star Wars movies), and Spielberg's desire to keep Indy grounded in real world stunts. In the end we get an awkward mishmash of stuntwork, wire work, and CGI that totally takes the film out of the realm of plausibility and ruins any sense of danger or suspense. Is does not, however, take away the excitement. At least for the most part.

If you haven't seen it yet, STOP READING NOW!!!

Things that worked:

--Harrison Ford looks better than any 65-year old (or 55-year old) has any right to look.

--Shia LaBeouf gets off to a rickety start as Mutt Williams, but in the end his character perhaps is the most fully-realized of all of them. His scene with Indy in the soda shop is laughable in its attempts to paint Mutt as a James Dean-esque tough guy, but there are little quirks here and there (combing his hair when he's nervous, his sudden emotion when he realizes Ox has gone insane) that add depth to a character that probably didn't have it on paper. Even though Mutt and Ox have little screen time together, Mutt's scene in the sanitarium shows you how close these men were.

--Karen Allen is still a sparkplug. The film picks up tremendously when Marion Ravenwood (sorry, Williams) appears. And even though the ending feels a little too saccharine, part of you feels like they were meant to end up together.

--The supporting roles, notably Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone and John Hurt, are well-cast and do their best in thankless roles. I'm still on the fence about Cate Blanchett. The accent doesn't quite work, but she does exactly what Paul Freeman did well as Belloq in "Raiders," specifically that you feel her desire for the artifact is as much a personal obsession as professional one. It does make me wonder had Sean Connery come back (Spielberg says they'd written him a part) whether Henry Jones, Sr. would have played the Ox part. The possibility of seeing the elder Jones wandering around babbling like an idiot makes me glad Connery stayed out.

--The truck chase through the jungle is for the most part terrific.

--Mac yelling, "You don't know him!"over and over during the opening scene was a wonderful bit because Mac knows, like we do, that every time you think you have Indy cornered he pulls something spectacular out of his hat.

--The ending scene with the rocks crumbling and the saucer flying away is truly breathtaking, and perhaps the best (and only necessary) use of CGI in the film.

--The ant scene is pretty cool, and the final shot of the Russian being carried away into the anthill is icky in a good way.

--The fistfight between Indy and the Russian henchman is a throwback to the old Indy movies, especially the first one where he fights the massive bald German around the plane. As much as I liked "Batman Begins," I can't stand fight scenes that are so tightly shot and so quickly cut that you can't tell what the hell is going on. This fight was a refreshing reminder that good old-fashioned fisticuffs can work in 2008. Give me two guys standing toe-to-toe duking it out over a blurry melee any day of the week (and twice on Sunday).

--The quicksand scene, though unnecessary, was a ton of fun. ("Grab the snake!" "Stop calling it that!" "What the hell else should I call it, it's a snake!")

What doesn't work:

--Too many Bugs Bunny-esque stunts that had me rolling my eyes. Specifically the scenes where Indy becomes a Frigidaire repairman, Mutt channels his inner Tarzan, Marion drives the car off a cliff onto a tree limb that conveniently lowers them into the river then springs back to thwack the Russians off the ledge, Mutt getting nailed in the crotch by various vegetation while straddled across two jeeps, the game of Hot Potato with the skull during the jeep chase, and the triple waterfall where all the characters somehow manage to stay in the car. I have no idea if George Lucas was behind these scenes, but they were laughable in all the bad ways and totally shattered the image of Indy as a tough but human adventurer.

--The script is pretty lackluster. The human interactions seem to serve merely as timeouts between action scenes, and there's no real human drama. Marion's return and Mutt's revelation as Indy's son seem more like ploys to keep the plot moving than to offer any real introspection. Some of the best scenes in "Last Crusade" were Indy and his father talking, bantering. Ditto goes for "Raiders" with Indy and Marion. There's no real witty repartee, and Karen Allen is sorely underutilized. 

--The plot is pretty convoluted and makes little sense, even when all is "explained." If I can use one of my favorite Roger Ebert lines, the story surrounding the skull was told "with greater detail than clarity."

--Indy does not seem as fiery or feisty as in previous movies. He seems more weary, more grumpy, without the real sense of wonder or enjoyment as in the previous films. One of my favorite moments in "Raiders" is Indy's smirk right before he steers the truck into the trees. He's having as good a time as we are, and his enthusiasm was infectious. Indy rarely smiles, and his comebacks are relegated to yawners like "Drop Dead." What happened to, "Prepare to meet Khali...in hell!"

--Indy is way too passive. My favorite moment in "Last Crusade" is when Indy's satchel is stuck on the tank turret, and the German is about to drive him right into the wall. Right when we think Indy's about to get crushed, the tank changes directions and Indy is freed. He gives this awesome look that says, "Oh man, Indy is pissed. Prepare to meet your makers, Nazi scum!" Then the music swells, Jones beats the holy hell out of the goosestepping morons, and you're screaming "GET 'EM INDY!" like a lunatic. In ID4, Indy doesn't do a whole lot of fighting. In the jeep chase, he's driving the majority of the time while Mutt plays hero. I liked Indy smiling with pride at Mutt's success, but I would have preferred Jones himself to be kicking butt.

--This bothered me as much as anything...but nobody in the film actually calls him "Indy." Mac calls him Jonesy. Mutt calls him Professor. Ox calls him Henry. Irina calls him Dr. Jones. I don't want to think of Indy as a Professor or an old man or even a guy named Henry. He's INDIANA FREAKING JONES. Where's Sallah and Marcus and Short Round when you need them?

--Too much sound stage use. You can see the set decoration in nearly every scene, and the film seems shot almost like a sitcom instead of an action movie. There are no thrilling long shots like in "Last Crusade" of Indy chasing a tank on horseback, an actual desert surrounding them. The backgrounds are almost always patently fake, and the cutaways from Harrison Ford to the stuntmen are often jarring and obvious. 

--He only uses the whip once after the opening escape.

--I wanted to smack Indy upside the head for all the times he got trapped by the Russians. It seemed like every five minutes we'd have a thrilling action scene which ended with Indy and friends facing a squadron of rifles while Irina and Mac smiled triumphantly. And did Indy really buy Mac's "double agent" explanation? Was he really surprised when Mac turned on him for the 89th time at the end? (and what was with Mac's "noble" death? He was a greedy turncoat who sells his country and his soul for money, and then he basically lies on the floor like a slug before being sucked into the vortex. He could have easily made it out alive, but instead lies there like an idiot for 30 seconds before saying, "I'll be fine" like he'll be awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor. This might have just been bad timing on Spielberg's part, but seeing Mac lying there like a log with Indy pleading for him to get up was just silly and went against the character)

In the end, I would give Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a 'B'. Though I can't decide whether I'm pleasantly surprised by the B, or terribly disappointed.

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Coming July 29th
Five years ago the boy vanished without a trace. 
Today he came back.

Five years after he disappeared, young Daniel Linwood returned to his suburban home for dinner as though he'd never left. It's a blessing for both his family and their community. And I've snagged the exclusive interview.

But it turns out Daniel is just one of a string of abducted children who have mysteriously returned to their families with no memory of their lost years. Some people want me to leave it be. Some want me to simply let the healing process begin. But these wounds are deeper than anyone realizes.

To get the story on these bizarre kidnappings, I need the help of the one woman who owes me nothing. I've got to find answers before another life is snatched away from sight and time and memory. But doing so means we could be the next ones to go....

* * *

"Pinter's ambitious third Henry Parker novel opens as Daniel Linwood, 11, suddenly reappears on his family's front porch five years after being kidnapped. Parker, a young but seasoned New York Gazette reporter, snags an exclusive interview with Daniel and his overjoyed mother. But Daniel appears to have no recollection of his missing years, and something he absentmindedly says in the interview deeply rattles Parker—convincing him there's a sinister undercurrent to this feel-good story. Working with his ex-girlfriend, Legal Aid Society lawyer Amanda, Parker meets resistance from law enforcement officials, a popular politician and even his own editor. What he gradually uncovers involves seemingly disparate individuals with unexpected motives, desperate to keep their activities a secret. Parker's first-person voice dominates: it lists between Parker as gritty, desensitized journalist and young romantic who wants little more than to spend the rest of his life with one woman. The emotional dichotomy makes Parker a captivating and complex protagonist, one whose pithy observations about New York are dead on. Pinter's chunky plot, rapid pacing and credible dialogue do the rest."
--Publishers Weekly

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Starting the week on a great foot

Paul Goat Allen reviewed THE GUILTY in his latest column in the Chicago Tribune. 

"Murder, calamity and scandal are what sell newspapers, theorizes the head of the fictional New York Gazette in Jason Pinter's sequel to his 2007 debut, "The Mark," and heaping helpings of all three elements are what make "The Guilty" an addictively readable thriller."

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Friday, May 16, 2008

THE MARK hits the UK
Today marks the release of my debut novel, THE MARK, in bookstores across the United Kingdom. I'll be traveling over there from June 2nd to June 8th to promote in England and Ireland, attending the CrimeFest convention in Bristol while there. Once I have a more specific itinerary I'll post it. Oh yeah, and you can buy the book at Amazon UK.

The UK publishing team has done an otherwordly job promoting this book, and I wanted to point out some very cool things happening:

Virgin Radio is running an amazing contest where the winner receives a trip for two to NYC, along with other assorted goodies. Check out the contest details here.

I wrote an article for Publishing News (the UK equivalent of Publishers Weekly). It's available online here.

And here are some reviews that have recently come in:

'This is a great debut obviously written by someone who knows the genre very well. An innocent man caught up in a murder only to be hunted by both the police and the criminals alike. Yes, it does sound like familiar territory but Jason Pinter gives it a new, electrifying life that would make any writer in the genre jealous. The Mark has the kind of explosive writing that will put Jason Pinter up there amongst the top names, with its go-for-broke thematic attitude and foreboding atmosphere makes it a big reason why the book stands out amongst the crowd. And this oft revised scenario works with a darkly melodic power. I can’t wait for the next book in the series."
--ShotsMag UK on THE MARK

"A cut-above the norm in this area and a good start to what should develop into a terrific series."
--Lovereading.co.uk on THE MARK (May 2008 debut of the month)

"It’s a brilliant debut... the action simply blazes along and the reader is caught up in the ride. All the elements are there, plus that something extra special that makes this book a publishing phenomenon that's definitely not to be missed. Go on, I dare you not to finish it in one sitting!"
--CrimeSquad UK on THE MARK

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

THE STOLEN: the first review is in

"Pinter's ambitious third Henry Parker novel opens as Daniel Linwood, 11, suddenly reappears on his family's front porch five years after being kidnapped. Parker, a young but seasoned New York Gazette reporter, snags an exclusive interview with Daniel and his overjoyed mother. But Daniel appears to have no recollection of his missing years, and something he absentmindedly says in the interview deeply rattles Parker—convincing him there's a sinister undercurrent to this feel-good story. Working with his ex-girlfriend, Legal Aid Society lawyer Amanda, Parker meets resistance from law enforcement officials, a popular politician and even his own editor. What he gradually uncovers involves seemingly disparate individuals with unexpected motives, desperate to keep their activities a secret. Parker's first-person voice dominates: it lists between Parker as gritty, desensitized journalist and young romantic who wants little more than to spend the rest of his life with one woman. The emotional dichotomy makes Parker a captivating and complex protagonist, one whose pithy observations about New York are dead on. Pinter's chunky plot, rapid pacing and credible dialogue do the rest."
--Publishers Weekly

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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Line of the week:

My wife, upon realizing that Bruce Willis and his girlfriend were seated at the table next to us: 

"At first I just thought it was a father having dinner with his daughter."

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Friday, May 09, 2008

A Few New Reviews

A new review of THE GUILTY, and the first batch in from the UK...

"The author clearly did his research on gunslinger genealogy, and it makes for fascinating reading...well-executed gritty action...races along towards an ending of thriller proportions...Whether as journalist or crime stopper, Parker always manages to come out on top — and so has Jason Pinter, again."
--The Lincoln Journal-Star on THE GUILTY

'This is a great debut obviously written by someone who knows the genre very well. An innocent man caught up in a murder only to be hunted by both the police and the criminals alike. Yes, it does sound like familiar territory but Jason Pinter gives it a new, electrifying life that would make any writer in the genre jealous. The Mark has the kind of explosive writing that will put Jason Pinter up there amongst the top names, with its go-for-broke thematic attitude and foreboding atmosphere makes it a big reason why the book stands out amongst the crowd. And this oft revised scenario works with a darkly melodic power. I can’t wait for the next book in the series."
--ShotsMag UK on THE MARK

"A cut-above the norm in this area and a good start to what should develop into a terrific series."
--Lovereading.co.uk on THE MARK (May 2008 debut of the month)

"It’s a brilliant debut... the action simply blazes along and the reader is caught up in the ride. All the elements are there, plus that something extra special that makes this book a publishing phenomenon that's definitely not to be missed. Go on, I dare you not to finish it in one sitting!"
--CrimeSquad UK on THE MARK

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Thursday, May 08, 2008

Win a Trip for 2 To NYC (complete with helicopter ride!)

With THE MARK scheduled to arrive in UK bookstores on May 16th, my publisher has set up a pretty sweet contest with Virgin Radio. 

The winner will receive a trip for two to NYC, complete with hotel, airfare, helicopter ride, and dinner with me at Babbo. I've never been in a helicopter or eaten at Babbo, so this will be a first for all three of us. Not to how many people have turned down dinner with me over the years, and now it's a prize in a contest. Oh, the irony. 100 runners up will receive a copy of the UK edition of THE MARK, so please link to this contest and pass it along to friends.

The contest details can be viewed at the Virgin Radio site here. And here's a little video I made to help promote the contest:


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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

New Website!

I finally went and redesigned my prehistoric website, and the fruits of that labor can now be viewed at www.jasonpinter.com. There are still a few bugs and tweaks that need fixing, but I like the look a lot and it's a whole lot cleaner (and doesn't look like it was made by a third grader with a low attention span).

Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions!

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Iron Man

Quick housekeeping update, as my website is in the middle of undergoing a redesign. So jasonpinter.com is down for a brief bit while the files are transferred, so don't worry, I haven't joined Maximum Financial.

Last night I saw Iron Man, which is probably the best 'first' superhero movie I've seen since the first Spider-Man, and it does give that movie a run for its money. Why does this one work when so many others (Daredevil, Ghost Rider, pre-Christian Bale Batman, Fantastic Four, to some extent the new Superman) have failed? A few reasons.

First off is the cast. While there's no shortage of A-list talent, the biggest difference is that the A-list cast here is made of quality actors. No hammy, over-the-top performances. No bland heroes with impeccable hairdos. No villains cackling like Snidely Whiplash. The characters are, first and foremost, people. Robert Downey Jr. is terrific as Tony Stark, bringing both humor and surprising pathos to a man whose whole life has been spent in pursuit of women, money and fame at the expense of humanity. His transformation into Iron Man comes more from an emotional change than a physical one (no radioactive spiders, no gamma rays, he just sees the error of his ways firsthand). Stark has wrongs to right, but isn't against having a dirty martini or two along the way. Jeff Bridges, one of the most underrated actors working today, is nicely understated as Obadiah Stane. Gwyneth Paltrow is solid (if not a bit superfluous) as the dutiful Pepper Potts (think Alfred in a backless dress--then again, don't), and Terrance Howard shows promise as Stark's best bud Rhodes. (I'm not a fan of the comics, but according to the friend I saw it with there are a lot of seeds planted that touch on the comic's mythology)

Second is the script. The film is actually smart. No banal dialogue, no tortured soliloquies, and no gazing wistfully out of windows (I'm looking at you, Spider-Man). As much as this is a superhero movie, the characters in it talk like real people. A huge difference.  

Third is the direction: clean, crisp, and uncluttered. The action scenes are shot perfectly. No ADD-style quick cuts, no close up fights where you can't see what the hell is happening (my only quibble with Batman Begins). Jon Favreau--who has an extended cameo as Stark's limo driver (and now resembles Oprah with his drastic weight loss, then gain, then loss)--proves to be a surprisingly good action director. He uses the full frame. Plus, the film is not overlong. Clocking in at just over 2 hours, it's a lean, mean fightin' machine.

I give Iron Man a solid A- (the only negative the unnecessary romantic subplot between Stark and Potts that goes nowhere and adds nothing). The bar has already been set pretty high for summer action movies. And since I'm giddy as a schoolboy for Indiana Jones and The Dark Knight, this could be a pretty good movie season.

Oh, and if you see Iron Man, make sure to stay after the closing credits...

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Friday, May 02, 2008

Edgars, OK!

Congratulations to all the Edgar award winners, as well as the nominees. There are a lot of books on this list on my TBR pile, and I can't wait to get through them. I'm very sorry to have missed what sounds like a great banquet, but I promise not to miss another Edgar ceremony.

Right now I'm in Midwest City, Oklahoma as the OWFI conference. Today I'm speaking on the editor/author dichotomy, and tomorrow I'm on a panel critiquing query letters. The weather here is beautiful, save the completely random hail storm that occurred at about 8:00 last night and forced the hotel employees to seek refuge in a nearby storm shelter (seriously).

I'm also excited because THE MARK comes out in the UK two weeks from today. I'll be going across the pond on June 2nd to promote it over there and attend the CrimeFest conference. More to come on all fronts.

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