Jason Pinter's 'The Man in Black'

FAKING LIFE: Jason's first ever ebook exclusive novel now available!

2011-01-25T23:02:00.004-05:00

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED ANYWHERE! - Available for just $2.99 for a limited time!

How much is one life worth? In FAKING LIFE, internationally bestselling author Jason Pinter offers a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller that asks the ultimate question--that could cost three people their careers, their souls, and even their lives. John Gillis is a lifelong bartender looking to jump-start his stagnant existence after the death of a close friend by writing a raw, unvarnished memoir. Esther is an ambitious young woman searching for career inspiration and true love and believes in John she just might have found both. Nico Vanetti is a fading literary agent, a former King of Industry, who sees John Gillis as his meal ticket back to the top. Nico knows that in entertainment whatever bleeds, leads, and so in order to reap the millions he expects from John's story he'll do whatever it takes to manipulate John's life behind the scenes--even if it means forcing him to pay with his life. FAKING LIFE is high-stakes novel of suspense that shows just how far people will go to alter reality--even if it comes at the ultimate price.

Buy FAKING LIFE on Amazon Kindle!

Coming in 2011: Jason's first book for young readers!

2010-03-12T09:48:00.007-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce that I have just agreed to a deal to publish my very first book for young readers, tentatively scheduled to be released in late summer/early fall of 2011. I've been eager to write a book for children for a very, very long time and could not be more excited about this story, and must thank my editor and new publisher who have been enthusiastic about Zeke literally from the get go. Every time I talk to people about where my love of reading came from, I always say that it grew from the books I read as a kid. And with this new series I aim to write the kind of book that I loved when I was growing up. The kind of series and characters that I hope kids with vivid, active imaginations around the world will embrace and cherish. This is for them.

Here is the official release direct from Publishers Marketplace:

Jason Pinter's ZEKE BARTHOLOMEW: SUPERSPY!, a new series about a nerdy seventh grader who is mistaken for the world's most dangerous kid spy, and must save the planet with the help of some totally impractical gadgets, a mysterious young girl, and a little bit of dumb luck, to Daniel Ehrenhaft at Jabberwocky, in a two-book deal, by Joe Veltre at The Veltre Company.

Here's why I love Zeke Bartholomew and why I think kids all over the world will too: Zeke is just like me and you. Chances are that when you were 12, you were a little like Zeke. He's not all that popular, kind of dorky, not particularly brave, not particularly skilled, and must rely on the same things you or I might if we were tasked with saving the world (that's where the dumb luck part comes in). But perhaps there is a fire inside Zeke just waiting to be sparked...

These books will be funny and full of adventure and I can't wait to share more about Zeke's world with you. There will be action, humor, and a whole lot of gadgets that seem to serve no useful purpose whatsoever (but maybe Zeke will find a use for them). Because in 2011, the fate of the world will be in the hands of a 12-year old boy who tends to get the hiccups at the most inopportune times...which means we're all in big, big trouble...

A Note for Readers of THE HUNTERS

2010-01-12T10:51:00.013-05:00

I recently went to Amazon.com and was surprised to find rampant criticism of my free ebook novella THE HUNTERS, criticism that nothing to do with the content but with the publication of the book itself. Most were upset that THE HUNTERS was not a full-length novel, others incorrectly assumed that THE HUNTERS was simply a republication of several chapters from another one of my books under a different name. Based on those incorrect assumptions, many felt the book was a "gimmick" and blasted me for "lying" to readers. This could not be farther from the truth.

Let me make this clear: THE HUNTERS is not a full novel. It is a novella, about 40-50 pages long. It takes place during one frantic night between THE FURY and THE DARKNESS.

However: THE HUNTERS has never been published anywhere previously. It is not a 'sample' from another book, or a collection of chapters from any other published book. THE HUNTERS is a wholly original work that cannot be found anywhere else, in any of my other books. I wrote it with the intention that it would be offered for free. I make this very clear in the Readers Note that accompanies the work--but it seems many did not read that section. THE HUNTERS was written so that readers who have never tried my work could get a free, unique taste, and so longtime readers could get a brand new story that fleshed out characters while offering some great suspense.

I am proud of this story. It contains perhaps my favorite Jack O'Donnell scene ever. I am surprised and saddened to hear people claim they were 'duped'. This novella is offered for free; nobody ever paid a penny for this ebook, which I put considerable effort into. If you dislike the content, fair enough, but it is and hopefully always will be free. If you enjoy THE HUNTERS, I hope you might try one of my novels. If you don't like the ebook, that is your right, but please base those criticisms on content rather than false assumptions. I happen to think it's a pretty suspenseful and even emotional story. Either way, please decide for yourself.

You can download THE HUNTERS on:

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Sony E-reader

PDF

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T19:34:00.002-05:00

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2010, with plenty of thrills and chills from your favorite authors (and maybe some new ones to boot). I hope you enjoyed 2009's releases of THE FURY and THE DARKNESS, as well as the free ebook THE HUNTERS. Stay tuned for even more exciting stories!

All my best,

Jason Pinter

Jason's 20 Favorite Movies of the Decade

2009-12-08T13:08:00.003-05:00

Here are my 20 favorite movies from 2000-2009 (in no particular order). To be fair I haven't seen many of the films that have won awards or been critically acclaimed, so this should more accurately be called "The 20 Best Movies That I've Actually Seen This Decade".

Enjoy the list - What are your favorite movies from the last 10 years?

--Requiem for a Dream

--Gladiator

--No Country for Old Men

--The Hangover

--Sideways

--Let the Right One In

--The Dark Knight

--Wall-E

--Crash

--Lord of the Rings (all three films)

--High Fidelity

--American Psycho

--The Bourne Supremacy

--Anchorman

--The Incredibles

--Kill Bill (1&2)

--The Departed

--Finding Nemo

--Traffic (doubly good because my wife and I saw this on our first date!)

--Almost Famous

THE HUNTERS: never-before-published ebook available now!

2009-11-01T10:25:00.003-05:00

Starting today, you can download the FREE never-before-published Henry Parker ebook novella THE HUNTERS. This free book is available on both the Amazon Kindle and for many other ereaders and your home PC (includingthe Cooler e-reader, Sony e-reader, and the Barnes & Noble Nook)

Inside this tightly coiled package you'll get:

--THE HUNTERS: a thrilling novella that packs as much suspense and emotion into its pages as possible.

--An exclusive note from me to readers

--A "Who's Who" in the world of Henry Parker

--An exclusive excerpt from my next Henry Parker novel: THE DARKNESS.

Download THE HUNTERS for:

Amazon Kindle

PDF/Other ereaders (read this novella right from your computer screen!)

After one of the most harrowing weeks of Henry Parker's life, night has finally come. Settled in with Amanda Davies, he sleeps before preparing to chase a story alongside his mentor, Jack O'Donnell.

Meanwhile Jack sits on the other side of town, fresh out of rehab, hoping to salvage a once-great career derailed by public humiliation. This is Jack's last chance to leave his mark.

Elsewhere in the city, two killers are on the move. They are brutal, calculating, and after tonight their decade's long plan will come to fruition. But before the morning comes they have a few stops to make...

THE HUNTERS - On the Prowl November 1st

2009-10-26T09:01:00.004-04:00

Coming November 1st

Meanwhile Jack sits on the other side of town, fresh out of rehab, hoping to salvage a once-great career derailed by public humiliation. This is Jack's last chance to leave his mark.

THE HUNTERS is a brand new, never-before-published novella that will be released exclusively as an ebook starting November 1st, 2009. It will be available on the Kindle, Cooler, Sony ereader, and all your favorite ereaders, as well as a digital download to read right on your computer.

I packed as much mayhem into these pages as possible, and I think you'll be shocked at just what will happen when the sun goes down...

Independent Bookstores love THE FURY and THE DARKNESS!

2009-10-19T10:20:00.002-04:00

I'm thrilled to announce that both THE FURY and THE DARKNESS have been selected as Indiebound picks for the upcoming months.

THE FURY was named an Indie Next Notable selection for November, while THE DARKNESS is an Indie Next pick, garnering the tagline "Great Reads From Booksellers You Trust".

Independent bookstores have been incredibly supportive of my books, and I can't thank them enough for this honor. Pick up a copy of THE FURY now and THE DARKNESS on November 24th at your local independent bookstore. Visit Indiebound for info on where you can find my books, as well as great reads from your other favorite authors.

THE MARK takes down Dan Brown!

2009-10-01T11:16:00.002-04:00

Big News:

A few days ago, THE MARK became available as a free download on the Amazon Kindle for one week (through October 5th). Well, I'm thrilled to announce that for three straight days, THE MARK, has been #1 on the Kindle bestseller charts, ahead of THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown!

That's right, the first Henry Parker novel is currently ahead of one of the biggest publishing events in history, and it's all thanks to the readers who spread the word and downloaded THE MARK to their Kindle, iPhone or iPod Touch. Thank you for making this happen, and I hope this book will whet readers' appetites for the other books in the Parker series. And here's the proof!

Read THE MARK for free!!!

2009-09-28T15:49:00.001-04:00

All this week at the Amazon Kindle store, you can download the first book in my bestselling, multi award-nominated Henry Parker series. And if you like it--there are many more to whet your thriller appetite!

Download THE MARK for free here: THE MARK download

Four Stars for THE FURY!

2009-09-22T09:01:00.001-04:00

From RT Book Reviews:

"A well-crafted mystery that leaves some intriguing questions unanswered, this story will whet readers' appetites for the next Parker book. As always, the hero's wisecracking first-person point of view is a highlight. Four Stars."

James Ellroy and the 5 words that inspired THE FURY

2009-09-15T09:59:00.000-04:00

Five words.

Five words that have stayed with me for years, always on the back burner of my brain ever since I read them in a fairly worn copy of a paperback book purchased at the Strand bookstore in New York City.

Five words that on the page seem fairly innocuous, but reading them over ten years ago inspired nearly two hundred thousand words and two books that will be published within two months of each other this Fall/Winter. These five words epitomize the depth, strength, vitality and pain I try to infuse in my books and within my characters. Five simple words.

Bud White refused to die.

When I first read James Ellroy’s L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, it was because there was a movie adaptation hitting the screen. It starred two Australians (Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce) in the role of Los Angeles cops, and I had heard terrific things about the book it was based on. The year was 1997, and I was still something of a novice when it came to crime fiction. I was not yet eighteen years old when the film came out, and my thin history with the genre was thanks solely to my father. Every week or so, he would come back with a stack of books from The Black Orchid, a lovely independent mystery bookstore on the Upper East Side, and upon finishing each tome he would pass it along to me. Needless to say in 1997, I had a lot of catching up to do.

So that year, in advance of the film release, I picked up a used copy of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL at the Strand (I could not find a new edition), took it home and sat down to read. Just a few short days later, I was done. And I was stunned. And despite the labyrinthine plot, the myriad characters all with dirt under their fingernails, and the snapshot of an era before my time taken through a cracked lens, it was these five simple words that stayed with me: Bud White refused to die.

Those words haunted and inspired me. I wanted to write a book that, like Ellroy’s could be massive and complex, yet populated by characters whose breath you could smell through the pages. A book that began with what seemed like a simple, isolated crime (in Ellroy’s book, the Nite Owl Massacre), but as you read further you realized it was simply the tip of the iceberg.

When it came time to write my fourth Henry Parker novel, I wanted to try something like what Ellroy had done: start the book with a supposed isolated crime (in my book, the murder of a good-for-nothing junkie named Stephen Gaines), that unraveled into something far more sinister. I wanted the crimes and in this book to be symptomatic of the era I lived in, as Ellroy’s’s books were. And as I began to write, I realized my saga needed to span two books.

THE FURY will be released on September 29th, and the concluding volume, THE DARKNESS, will be released on November 24th. As many of you are aware, the economy has sapped a great deal from our country, and perhaps no industry looks different now than finance. So the questions these two books asks is this: If your wealth were to simply disappear, just how far would you go to get it back? Would you lie? Would you steal? Would you kill?

These books are my ode to Mr. Ellroy’s creation, Officer Wendell White. May he never die.

Coming in November: A brand new Henry Parker ebook!

2009-09-11T08:43:00.004-04:00

While most of you know that I have two books coming out this Fall--THE FURY and THE DARKNESS--I'm thrilled to announce that they will be joined by a brand new, never-before-published Henry Parker ebook novella entitled THE HUNTERS. This ebook is meant as a lead-in to THE DARKNESS, which will be released on November 24th. I will release more details on this ebook shortly, but I think I packed as much suspense and more emotion into this novella as it could handle. In this ebook you will learn more about Henry, Jack and Amanda--as well as witnessing more of the terrible truth behind the enigmatic person only known as The Fury.

As we approach release day, I will let you know where you can download and read THE HUNTERS. I hope you enjoy this ebook, and may it whet your appetite for what's to come.

September 29th: THE FURY

November: THE HUNTERS

November 24th: THE DARKNESS

Library Journal raves about THE FURY!

2009-09-01T10:14:00.000-04:00

Pinter, Jason. The Fury. Mira. Oct. 2009. c.384p. ISBN 978-0-7783-2627-4. pap. $7.99. F
A homeless man confronts newspaper reporter Henry Parker and then runs away. Later, the police inform him that the vagrant has been murdered and that evidence points to his being Parker's brother. The idea that he had a sibling he never knew about proves too tantalizing to resist, and Parker sets out to solve the crime and confront his father. When the evidence points to his father as the killer, however, Parker must use all of the tricks of his trade to establish his father's innocence, even though he hates the man. VERDICT Pinter does it again with his fourth Henry Parker outing (after the Crimespree-nominated The Stolen), an emotional and suspenseful journey with an engaging protagonist. While this one, the first of a two-book saga, ends on an obvious note, it's still a solid page-turner that would have been worthwhile value at a hardcover price. [The second half, The Darkness, will be published in December.—Ed.]—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

THE STOLEN is nominated for the Shamus award!

2009-08-22T09:37:00.005-04:00

I'm thrilled to announced that my third Henry Parker novel, THE STOLEN, has been nominated for the prestigious Shamus award. The Shamus is given out every year by the Private Eye Writers of America, and has a long and storied tradition. This is a tremendous honor, and my sincerest thanks go out to the members of PWA, and, of course to the readers. Here is the rest of the press release, which can also be found at the PWA blog:

From Ted Fitzgerald, Awards Chair:

PRIVATE EYE WRITERS OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES
2009 SHAMUS AWARDS NOMINEES

The Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) is proud to announce the nominees for the 28th annual Shamus Awards, given annually to recognize outstanding achievement in private eye fiction. The 2009 awards cover works first published in the U.S. in 2008. The awards will be presented at the PWA banquet, to be held Friday evening Oct. 16, 2009, in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. For banquet details, contact Robert J. Randisi at rrandisi@aol.com.

2009 Shamus Awards Nominees

Best Hardcover
Salvation Boulevard by Larry Beinhart (Nation Books), featuring Carl Vanderveer
Empty Ever After by Reed Farrel Coleman (Bleak House Books), featuring Moe Prager
The Blue Door by David Fulmer (Harcourt), featuring Eddie Cero
The Price of Blood by Declan Hughes (Wm. Morrow), featuring Ed Loy
The Ancient Rain by Domenic Stansberry (St. Martins Minotaur) featuring Dante Mancuso

Best First PI Novel
Stalking Susan by Julie Kramer (Doubleday), featuring Riley Spartz
Swann’s Last Song by Charles Salzberg (Five Star), featuring Henry Swann
The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang (Simon & Schuster), featuring Mei Wang
In the Heat by Ian Vasquez (St. Martins Minotaur), featuring Miles Young
Veil of Lies by Jeri Westerson (St Martins Minotaur), featuring Crispin Guest

Best Paperback Original
Snow Blind by Lori Armstrong (Medallion) featuring Julie Collins
Shot Girl by Karen Olson (Obsidian) featuring Annie Seymour
The Stolen by Jason Pinter (MIRA) featuring Henry Parker
The Black Hand by Will Thomas (Touchstone/Simon &Schuster) featuring Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn.
The Evil That Men Do by Dave White (Crown/Three Rivers Press) featuring Jackson Donne

Best Short Story
“Family Values” by Mitch Alderman (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, June 2008), featuring Bubba Simms
“Last Island South” by John C. Boland. (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Sep/Oct 2008), featuring Meggie Trevor
“The Blonde Tigress” by Max Allan Collins (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, June 2008), featuring Nate Heller
“Discovery” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Nov 2008), featuring Pita Cárdenas
“Panic on Portage Path” by Dick Stodghill (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Jan/Feb 2008), featuring Jack Eddy and Bram Geary.

---------

PWA was founded in 1981 by Robert J. Randisi to recognize the private eye genre and its writers. Previous Shamus winners include Lawrence Block, Ken Bruen, Harlan Coben, Max Allan Collins, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, O’Neil deNoux, Brendan DuBois, Loren D. Estleman, Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, Sue Grafton, James W. Hall, Steve Hamilton, Jeremiah Healy, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, John Lutz, Bill Pronzini, S.J. Rozan, Sandra Scoppettone and Don Winslow. P.I. Guy logo by Terry Beatty.

Why is Reed Farrel Coleman scared of Jason Pinter?

2009-08-21T09:09:00.003-04:00

If you watch this video, you'll see that they have a WHOLE lot in common...and you'll understand why renowned author Reed Farrel Coleman is just a little bit scared. Happy viewing!

Grand Reopening!

2009-08-10T08:51:00.003-04:00

Today marks the official relaunch of JasonPinter.com. With the publication of two new books, THE FURY and THE DARKNESS, on the visible horizon, I thought this would be a good opportunity to start fresh, reorganize, and give readers a chance to find out more about these new books.

But enough about that...THERE ARE PRIZES TO WIN!

By clicking here, you can enter to win a smorgasbord of awesome prizes, including:

--Win a character named after you (or friend/family member of your choice) in a future Jason Pinter novel!

--A $100 gift certificate to iTunes!

--A $100 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice!

--Signed advance copies of THE FURY and THE DARKNESS!

--In addition, 5 winners will each receive autographed copies of the first three books in the Henry Parker series (THE MARK, THE GUILTY and THE STOLEN).

To enter, click here and follow the extremely simple instructions. Good luck, happy reading, and stay tuned!

Movie Review: Funny People

2009-08-05T08:48:00.006-04:00

Last night I saw "Funny People," and so here is my review, done in more 'train of thought' than formal review. I will try to avoid spoiler.

--You have to start with Adam Sandler, who gives the best performance of his career, and perhaps the best of the year so far, as George Simmons. Simmons is an Adam Sandler-type guy, who started out as a stand up comedian then made it big as a movie star. He lives in a huge mansion, has every toy money can buy, and has legions of people who do whatever he asks. On the surface, he's what every young boy wants to be when they grow up. Once small difference: George Simmons is completely miserable, and is miserable to others. What makes Sandler so good is that his George is both despicable and sympathetic: he hates what his life has become, hates himself, but doesn't know how to do anything about it. He's too accustomed to living alone in his huge house with maids and revolving sexual conquests and lackeys who kneel before him. Sandler still makes goofy noises and funny faces, but there's a pathos beneath it, and an edge we've never seen before. He is the sad clown. If you're used to neutered Sandler starring in family-friendly comedies like "Big Daddy" and "Bedtime Stories," this is a whole different ballgame. Simmons is mean, ornery, and can be nasty. What makes it worse is that is nastiness comes with a smile. Let's just say my brain is still fried with the image of Sandler/Simmons having sex with a girl who doing an impression of a character from one of his movies: "Mer Man." Sandler's typical character is a man/boy who refuses to grow up, whereas in this movie he plays a man who's forgotten the wonder and happiness he had as a boy.

--The movie offers what feels like a pretty authentic look at the stand up comedy scene. Lots of young people performing for free hoping to get noticed, working crappy jobs in the interim and sleeping on friends' couches. They're hyper competitive (even though they pretend not to be), and aren't above trying to get closer to stars through ways other than their talent.

--The acting is solid, but I think Apatow needs to start casting other people in his movies. We've seen so much of Seth Rogen recently that it's hard to believe him as 'Ira Wright.' To me he's still Seth Rogen, acting in a Judd Apatow movie. Rogen is very funny, but I also think his role (as a struggling comedian who takes a job as Simmons's assistant/joke writer in the hopes that Simmons's fame will rub off on him) could have used a little more gravitas. Rogen is all wide-eyes and fart/sex jokes, which is fine, but there are scenes toward the end that needed a little more. They do smartly give Rogen's Ira something of a sweet love story, as he is smitten with a droll comedienne named Daisy (the very funny Aubrey Plaza). Their unusual courtship is far more organic than anything Rogen had with Katherine Heigl in "Knocked Up."

--My wife mentioned this last night, and she's totally on the money. Apatow's real life wife, Leslie Mann, should not have played George's love interest, aka 'The One Who Got Away'. Mann is terrific in small roles (i.e. "Knocked Up), but she just doesn't pull off a relatively complicated role that, in many ways, the film's success hinges on. Plus most people know she's Apatow's wife, and so it makes the casting decision seem inauthentic. Apatow's kids are also in the movie (as they were in "Knocked Up"), and while they're cute as buttons between them and the casting of Mann there are portions of the movie that seem remarkably self-indulgent.

--Sandler and Apatow do a great job of conveying the loneliness of celebrity, and how it can steal part of your soul. The movie opens with home videos of the real Sandler playing telephone pranks as a teenager. They're warm, funny, and joyful. Contrasting that with the sullen person George has become is a pretty remarkable transformation. George has everything and yet has nothing--he even has to pay musicians to jam with him because he has no real friends.

--There are some great cameos, including a scene with a hostile Eminem and defensive Ray Romano that had me cracking up. Yes, a scene with Eminem and Ray Romano. Together. That's the comedy equivalent of crossing the streams.

--Eric Bana, whom I normally don't care for, was actually quite good. As Mann's husband, he conveys real charisma and earthiness, perhaps because for the first time in a mainstream movie he uses his real Australian accent and can concentrate on other things. He has a real chemistry with Mann, which makes their scenes work because the audience isn't supposed to be quite sure whether they want them to end up together. Bana comes off as likable, a feat considering his character probably shouldn't be.

--As always, some of the best scenes are the supporting characters just sitting around shooting the breeze (a la the 'You know how you know you're gay' scene in "The 40-Year Old Virgin"). There's a great Thanksgiving dinner scene, some funny scenes with Rogen and Jonah Hill, and Jason Schwartzmann (another actor I haven't cared for in the past) does a funny turn as a young comedian who's found a modicum of fame on a terrible sitcom, and is more than happy to shove it in his friends' faces while using his 'celebrity' to his advantage.

--In the end, this movie is worth seeing for several reasons. Yes, it is too long by half an hour. Yes, the second half feels as much like an Apatow family reunion. But Sandler's performance is truly wonderful, and he deserves to be an early candidate for awards consideration. Though the movie is very long, it does make you laugh constantly and consistently, and even though we've seen Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen in seemingly every movie for the past two years, they're prolific for a reason: They're both darn funny. This is Apatow's most mature, heartfelt and personal movie ever, and thankfully he has a foil in Adam Sandler who gives a heartbeat to it. His character has a mean streak, a nasty edge, that I've never seen Sandler possess before. I can't imagine this movie being half as good without him.

THE STOLEN is Nominated for a CrimeSpree Award!

2009-08-04T08:46:00.004-04:00

I woke up this morning to find out that THE STOLEN had been nominated for a CrimeSpree award! Naturally I'm thrilled about this. And the reason I use the word 'had' instead of 'has' is because it's not too often you learn that you were nominated for an award and lost it on the same day. Guess it saves the anxiety of waiting.

Thanks to the good folks at CrimeSpree and the people who voted, and my heartiest congratulations to all the winners and nominees. There are some great books and great authors on this list, and it's cool just to be a part of it. Check out the full list of winners and nominees over at the CrimeSpree blog.

2009-07-29T10:42:00.010-04:00

G.I. Joe: The Movie

The Anatomy of Creating Anti-Buzz

(with an update written on 8/4/09--see end of post)

There's some bad buzz going around for the big screen adaptation of the popular cartoon show. I was a HUGE G.I. Joe fan growing up. Can't say I was thrilled to hear they were making a movie, but the first "Transformers" was far better than I expected. Anyway, when I saw the trailer my thought was, "Ugh...this looks terrible."

Now, I'm not a snob, and in fact I enjoyed "The Mummy" (also directed by Stephen Sommers). As we saw with "Iron Man" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" a really good trailer gets people juiced for the film (the IM trailer was so good that The Onion worried about stretching it out to feature film length). So here is a total breakdown of why the G.I. Joe trailer does not work. Here is the actual trailer, so you can follow along at home:

0:11 - Reveal of an underground lair that looks less like 'Cool and ominous' and more like 'Spongebob Squarepants'.

0:15 - Action Movie Cliche #1: Generic bad guy with unidentifiable accent saying, "I want the warheads ready to launch in one hour." Wait, why does that sound familiar...oh yeah!

Dr. Evil: "Here's the plan...we get the warhead and we hold the world ransom for...one million dollars!"

0:19 - Action Movie Cliche 2: Evil guy, over scenes of cartoonish effects and earth-boring drills: "When I'm finished, the world will never forget." Hey, you know who else used drills to deliver their warheads? DR. EVIL!!!!

0:30 - What looks like stock footage of warheads being fired. (wait, what was the point of the drills if they just launch the rockets into the air?)

0:36 - Rocket hits the Eiffel tower. And no, it's not an explosive warhead, it's...green gunk? Ectoplasm? Regardless, the problem with this scene is that in this Michael Bay movie world, we've seen the destruction of so many landmarks, and done with such better effects than in this scene. The effects in this scene are so bad that they look like a spoof of a Michael Bay movie (more than one person has commented that this movie looks like "Team America" only done with real actors. You're practically waiting for the Eiffel Tower to fall onto the Louvre)

0:52 - Action Movie Cliche #3: Dennis Quaid (in total paycheck mode) says, "We have never faced a threat like this."

0:57 - Action Movie Cliche #4: Quaid: "A team is being assembled." (Seriously, could Quaid sound any more weary or any less interested in his dialogue?)

1:00 - Action Movie Cliche #5: Quaid (again...sense a pattern?): "They are the best operatives in the world." (of course they are...sigh...of course they are)

1:03 - Action Movie Cliche #6: Quaid (good lord, how did he say these lines with a straight face?): "When all else fails...we don't."

1:10 - The Best Operatives in the World are given 'Accelerator Suits'. "What do they accelerate?" Duke asks. "You," replies the random in-charge dude.

Now, here's my biggest problem with this movie. In the cartoons, G.I. Joe wore uniforms that were colorful, camouflaged, patriotic. In the movie, they're jet black. No personality, nothing identifiable whatsoever.

Cartoon Duke vs. Movie Duke

Cartoon Hawk vs. Movie Hawk

Cartoon Ripcord vs. Movie Ripcord

Cartoon Baroness vs. Movie Baroness

My assumption? The studio (or other suits) felt that making a movie that was 'Too American' might hurt overseas box office. Problem is, now you have a movie that's bland as can be. Can you imagine if Iron Man's suit was black? Or if Optimus Prime was a rusty gray? These characters became popular for a reason, and the movie is just washing that out. What's the point of making a G.I. Joe movie if it has nothing to do with the cartoon? In fact, without the end credits to tell you the title of this movie, you would never have any idea it was even created in the same universe as the cartoon.

1:25 - After a few decent-looking action snippets, we launch right back into Action Movie Cliche #7: Quaid: "This is General Hawk. Mission is a go." (Of course it is! If it wasn't, we wouldn't have a movie! And what the hell is their mission? Stop the bad guy? Pick up some Lunchables?)

1:34 - Action Movie Cliche #8: Duke yelling, "Go go go!"

1:45 - Action Movie Cliche #9: Scarlett O'Hara: "We're running out of time!" (followed by Ripcord's plane getting ensnared by that cheesy green ectoplasm. Seriously, "Ghostbusters" came out in 1984 and their slime was more realistic)

1:58 - Even the G.I. Joe logo is now bland and devoid of personality!

Cartoon Logo vs. Movie Logo

2:01 - Action Movie Cliche #10: Baroness: "This has only just begun." (Mercy, I beg of you...)

2:06 - The trailer's 'Money Shot': Two completely unidentifiable guys (guys? girls? who can tell?) dodging a missile by doing all sorts of acrobatic maneuvers that look as realistic as Joan Rivers's face.

So let's analyze why this trailer sucks:

#1: For the most part, the special effects look cheesy and cartoonish compared to movies like "Transformers" and "Iron Man".

#2: G.I. Joe became popular for a reason. Kids loved the uniforms, the characters, the personalities. In this trailer, nobody is identified, nobody has any personalities, and all the uniforms are stark black. Hence at the end, when the two uniformed guys are hurtling through the air, you have no idea who they are. They could even be bad guys since everyone in the movie seems to have been tailored by Darth Vader. I mean, the G.I. Joe theme was one of the most recognizable cartoon themes of all time. (G.I. Joe! The real American Hero...) At least in their movie the Transformers still made that cool noise when they changed into cars and back.

#3: And perhaps the most egregious...there is not a single line of dialogue in this trailer that doesn't come from the moldy Action Movie Cliche book. Seriously, every single line of dialogue is groan-worthy, and delivered with a complete lack of emotion. You can almost sense the shame in the voice of Dennis Quaid (an underrated actor) when he delivers such ludicrous bon mots. And what's the point of having Marlon Wayans? Marlon is a terrific comedic actor who has also had one fantastic, award-worthy serious role (in "Requiem for a Dream" - one of my all-time favorite movies). But here? He has no funny lines, and does nothing of note. Other than Quaid, he's the most recognizable actor here, yet he does nothing except allow the audience to say, "hey, I know him!"

In the end, the trailer looks cheesy, bland and stupid. Now the movie might be a totally different experience (I doubt it, but let's give them a chance), but they could not have gotten people less excited than if they had a monkey fling feces at the audience during the trailer.

UPDATE: 8/4/09

Shockingly (or perhaps not), G.I. JOE seems to actually be getting some pretty good buzz. The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are pretty darn positive, and it appears G.I. JOE might be more "The Mummy" than "The Mummy 2". Still doubt I'll see it, but I will happily be proven wrong in my early assessments of the film's quality. Still, this not does detract from the fact that the trailer sucks, and if the movie is in fact good then whoever put the trailer together did the movie a great disservice.

2009-07-29T09:03:00.002-04:00

New Interview

Last month I did an interview with the Waterstone's website for THE STOLEN, but we touched on a number of topics. For Yankees, Waterstone's is basically the Barnes & Noble of the UK.

The interview can be read here. (Scroll about halfway down the page)

2009-07-21T20:20:00.006-04:00

THE DARKNESS

coming December 1st, 2009

So here it is at long last, the final cover for the second of my two books coming out this year, THE DARKNESS. Along with THE FURY (in stores 10/01/09), THE DARKNESS makes up one massive storyline covering two books that will change Henry Parker's life forever.

I'm incredibly proud of these two books, how they feel both intimate yet something on a large scale. They are ripped from today's headlines, yet are based on historical events that present a frightening 'What If?' scenario that may already be taking place.

For fans of the whole Henry Parker series, THE FURY and THE DARKNESS are the most explosive, personal and timely books yet. For newcomers, this is a two-part story that will hopefully rock your world and serve as a thrilling introduction to the series.

This two-part story was inspired by James Ellroy's brilliant masterpiece L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, for reasons that I will happily go into as we approach publication date. I'm not going to post the official description quite yet, but I will leave you with this small teaser...

What happens when a city on the brink--finally gets pushed over the edge?

2009-07-19T11:58:00.006-04:00

Who Doesn't Get It?

I woke up early this morning, flipped on ESPN and caught the tail end of "The Sports Reporters." I enjoy the show--despite it often coming off as preachy--but something Mitch Albom said caught my attention. During his final monologue, Albom discussed the death of Walter Cronkite. In doing so, Albom stated that young people "Don't see what the big deal is" about the legendary newsman.

Now, at 29 I'm not quite sure I can still consider myself--or speak for--'young people', but that didn't stop me from finding Albom's remarks incredibly condescending. I'm sure if you asked Albom what his kids thought about Cronkite, he would say they had tremendous reverence and respect for the man. So the 'young people' Albom is talking about are not his kids, they're yours or even perhaps you.

First of all, I think young people have as much respect for Cronkite--who came to prominence decades before people my age were even born--as you can have for someone whom you did not personally witness at the peak of their career. Naturally there will be something of a disconnect, likely the same way Albom's parents didn't see what the big deal was about Elvis or Woodstock. I have tremendous respect for Cronkite, but he declared his retirement in 1980, when I was exactly one year old, and he began anchoring the CBS evening news in 1962, 17 years before I was born. The vast majority of my knowledge about Cronkite comes from reading about him after the fact, yet I absolutely do know why he is a 'big deal'. And if you take a cursory glance over at his mentions on Twitter, a great many people from my generation revere the man's career and his influence.

Second, I guarantee Albom's statement was not made after polling hundreds of young people (and what age does the term 'young people' encompass? 18? 25? 38? 6? I picture Albom as the judge from 'My Cousin Vinny' asking, "What is a yout?"). It was made from of a feeling of superiority that he understands the significance of Cronkite's life whereas all these stupid little kids--what with their Xboxes and their Beyonces and their YouTubes--do not. Here's the thing: if people who grew up with Cronkite and understand his significance take the time to explain his legacy to those who did not witness it, odds are they would respect the man. Now, I respect what Albom has done in terms of philanthropy and I happen to think he's a pretty good sportswriter. But if these young people Albom refers to don't see what the big deal is, it is not their fault but the fault of those in Albom's generation who failed to teach them.

The bottom line is this: young people look up to those who speak to them, not at them. And by making such a silly, contrived, out-of-touch statement, I dare say that Albom is the one who doesn't get it.

2009-07-13T08:58:00.005-04:00

Free as a (Jail) Bird:

Why crime and genre conventions should be free for anyone under 18

When I was growing up, my family lived just a few blocks from the renowned Black Orchid bookstore. My father was a voracious crime fiction reader, and every few weeks he would come home with a bag full of books recommended by Bonnie and Joe. Once he was finished, he would pass them along to me, and I would dive right in. This is where I developed my love of the genre, became fascinated with many of my idols, and became a full-fledged lover of crime writing.

I would have loved to have been able to go to a conference to meet many of these men and women who created the characters and stories I so dearly loved. And I was far the only kid my age who would have done the same. I would have loved to go to a ThrillerFest. Bouchercon. Sleuthfest. Left Coast Crime. If I was a teenager today, sadly it would not even be a possibility. And for thousands of kids who love crime fiction, they're left on the outside looking in.

Between hotel, airfare, conference registration and other incidentals, crime conferences are going to run you upwards of $1,000. Few people have that kind of disposable income, and even fewer young people. And so as much as I love being at book conferences, I can't help but notice that the average age of the attendees tends to veer to the older side. This is not because only older readers read crime fiction, it's because they're the ones who can afford to actually meet their favorites writers while attending informative panels. I think this needs to change immediately.

Young readers are the future. They're our future. I guarantee if we make an effort to attract middle school and high school kids to our conferences, they'd be reading our books for decades. They would spread the world among their friends. Maybe they would recommend a George Pelecanos or Laura Lippman book to their friends along with Stephenie Meyer. Which is why I propose that anybody under the age of 18 should be granted free registration to book conferences.

I understand that there are costs involved with putting on a book conference, and many of those costs are defrayed by the registration fee. But I'd be shocked if you couldn't find a willing publisher (or author) who was willing to cover the costs.

Crime fiction needs to replenish its ranks. Promoting literacy should not only be in the hands of a few authors who have the resources to fund organizations and donate large sums of money. There are thousands, if not millions of eager readers out there who would lose their minds if given the chance to meet Lee Child, Sandra Brown, David Baldacci, Brad Meltzer, James Patterson and Clive Cussler. These readers would be thrilled to meet their favorite writers, and eager to find new authors to devour. We have simply priced these readers out. If we don't make a concerted effort to bring younger readers into the fold, we'll lose them altogether. We need to go out of our way to attract young readers to our festivals.

Let me repeat that: we need to go out of our way to attract young readers to our festivals.

Members of International Thriller Writers have sold over a billion books. Mystery Writers of America is one of the oldest and most prestigious writer organizations in the world. RWA and RT have some of the most fun and innovative conventions in the world. Sometimes these facts are lost on us. They are not lost on young readers.

Let anybody under 18 register free for our conferences. Let's make an effort to open up our worlds to them. And I guarantee you, many of them will never, ever want to leave.

2009-07-11T14:34:00.002-04:00

Live Tweeting the Thriller Awards

Thriller fans - I am planning to live Tweet tonight at the banquet for the Thriller Awards, presented by International Thriller Writers. Hopefully I can do this without drawing the ire of many people who know all sorts of ingenious ways to kill someone and dispose of their body.

You can follow my Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/jasonpinter.

2009-07-08T09:44:00.004-04:00

ThrillerFest

The fourth annual ThrillerFest begins today with Craftfest. I'm sure over the next few days millions of recaps and articles will be written, so I'll just point you to two links: the official ThrillerFest website, and author Jonathan Maberry's blog in which numerous authors (myself included) talk about ThrillerFest and ITW.

Tonight I'll be attending the second Strand Critics award ceremony. The Strand has been incredibly supportive to me, nominating THE MARK last year for "Best First Novel" while including that book and THE STOLEN among their best books of 2007 and 2008. It's a terrific magazine that publishes all sorts of things for mystery lovers of every ilk. Check out their website here and the list of this year's nominees here.

I'm also nominated for a Thriller award for "Best Short Story" for 'The Point Guard' which was published in KILLER YEAR: A Criminal Anthology. The awards will be announced on Saturday night. I'm up against a murderers row of writing talent, so I'l say it here first: It's an honor just to be nominated.

And if you plan to be at ThrillerFest, please stop by my panel:

Friday, July 10th

4:00 pm

WHO DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?: The books and authors that inspired you

Moderator: Tim Maleeney

Lisa Gardner

Andrew Gross

Patricia Gussin

Steve Martini

Jason Pinter

2009-07-06T08:10:00.016-04:00

Sarah Palin

I don't write about politics very often. Not because I don't follow it (I do), but because there's just so much out there from people vastly more informed than I am (and much from those who are not). But maybe that's why I should write about politics. I don't consider myself a hardcore member of either party (I could be swayed by a great candidate from the GOP or the Dems), and I'm definitely not a member of the 'loony left' or 'nutjob right'. Yet I do read commentary from both sides of the aisle (I have HuffPo and The Fox Nation bookmarked), and think that Keith Olbermann can spout as much bluster as Rush Limbaugh. So with that in mind, here are my thoughts about Sarah Palin:

As I've mentioned before, I was there when Sarah Palin spoke at the opening ceremonies at Bouchercon in Anchorage in 2007. She was sharp and funny --although more than one person remarked how little must be going on in Alaska for the Governor to take time to welcome a bunch of mystery writers. Still, she made such a good impression on me that when McCain announced Palin as his running mate, I thought, "Ooh, that's a game changer." Well, it was and it wasn't.

Palin proved to be an incredibly difficult politician to get a handle on. On one hand, she could deliver a knock-em-dead speech that electrified the G.O.P. faithful (like at the Republican

National Convention). On the other, when forced to speak off the cuff she came across as defensive, combative and uninformed. She redeemed herself slightly during the VP debate, though that was partly because the bar had been set so low due to her previous interviews. When interviewed by friendly hosts (Sean Hannity et al) whose questions seemed to fall into the "Why is Barack Obama so terrible?" and "Why does the mainstream media hate you?" category, Palin thrived. When comfortable, Palin was witty, and could deliver a line with enough bite to make an offhand remark sink in. Yet for those of us who fell more in the middle, we grew increasingly frustrated with Palin's inability to delve beyond talking points and platitudes, and at some point she officially became McCain's hatchet man, throwing about charges of socialism and accusing Obama of "palling around with terrorists."

Many on the right, including Palin herself, charged the media with 'elitism.' I always laugh at that, considering Barack Obama is the son of a Kenyan goat herder who made the vast majority of his money off of books he wrote himself, while George W. Bush came from a family of wealthy politicians and John McCain married a young millionaire heiress. No knocks on either, but charges of 'elitism' tend to be driven more by ideology than fact. But I digress.

There were many on the far left who hated Palin simply for her accent and way of life, calling her 'Caribou Barbie'. But for most of us, we took what she had to say at face value. I grew tired of the 'pro-America areas of this great nation' speeches, and how she seemed to view New York and California as though they were Sodom and Gomorrah. If you govern a country, you govern each and every one of its citizens--even in states that tend to vote blue. Yet I always felt like Palin openly believed every New Yorker/Californian had the exact same temperament as David Letterman, Maureen Dowd, or even Satan himself.

Eventually Palin played the sexism card, which she had a right to do, though it came off as somewhat hypocritical considering she had previously knocked Hillary Clinton's similar views. To some extent, the sexism/elitism charges were warranted. There were attacks on Palin and her family that neither Obama or McCain (or even the Bushes) ever saw. She was right in confronting David Letterman, whose joke about her 14-year old daughter was tasteless and defenseless. But then she crossed the line as well. Palin put out a statement condemning Letterman's remarks, the final paragraph of which stated, "Willow, no doubt, would want to stay away from David Letterman." The insinuation being that Letterman was either a child molester or someone who could not be trusted around a 14-year old girl.

Palin had the high road. And with this remark she took the low, low road. On the Today Show, Palin said of the comment, "Take it however you want." As though the comment might have numerous meanings. It did not. As a public figure you have every right to protect your family, but her comment was simply put, messed up. And very, very unbecoming of someone who might seek the highest office in the land.

After the election, Palin's star seemed to rise as McCain's dimmed. Her name was included in every discussion about the future of the G.O.P., and she was immediately considered a frontrunner for the 2012 presidential nomination.

And then she resigned.

Now as many have pointed out, there are four possible reasons for Palin's departure:

1) Family.

Palin and her family have been dragged through the mud, and face half a million dollars in legal bills. She's tired of the public scrutiny, tired of her children being in the spotlight, and she wants to lead a (relatively) normal life. Noble, if that's the case, but I don't really buy it. Everything Palin has said since her resignation has led us to believe she plans to stay in the public eye, even mentioning (on her Facebook page, of all things) that she has a 'higher calling' and still intends to work for change.

2) She wants to run for President.

At this point, I have to agree with Charles Krauthammer that Palin is just not a viable candidate. She already had a long way to go to convince anyone outside the far right that she was capable, and with her resignation Palin's Presidential ship has struck an iceberg. She barely made it 2.5 years into a 4-year term, and quit on the very people of Alaska who elected her. Use whatever basketball analogies you want, the bottom line is she quit. I still do not understand how an elected official can simply resign from office without informing her constituents of the reasoning behind it. The bottom line is this: if Palin runs for President, anyone who runs against her, whether it be Republican challengers or the Democratic candidate, can say, "You can't handle being the Governor of Alaska, how the hell can you handle being the President of the country?" And this is one question Palin simply cannot spin.

3) Money.

This ties into #1. Palin has mounting legal bills. But she is also the most recognizable name and brand in the Republican party. It is very possible that Palin knows she is a long shot to win a nomination and/or the presidency, so why not cash it when the chips are high? Between books, speaking engagements and a possible television show, Palin could easily reap in many multiples of the $125,000 she currently earns (or earned) as Governor. By doing this, she could continue to be a prominent right-wing voice without facing the scrutiny of being a national candidate.

4) Scandal.

It's possible, but I'm not sure I buy it. I just can't believe that after all the scrutiny she faced as a Vice Presidential candidate, somehow investigators (both Federal and in the media) failed to unearth some massive conspiracy up that would derail her career. I can't say it's impossible, but why would something come out now that did not come out during the campaign, when she was under a far more powerful microscope?

If I had to guess, Palin's resignation is a combination of 1 and 3. Mounting debts combined with massive earning power convinced Palin that the best thing for her would be to work from outside the Governor's office. We'll see if that holds water.

Sarah Palin remains one of the most interesting politicians of our age. She is without a doubt the most ring-wing politician on the national stage in some time, yet she does not look or act like a typical politician. But as John Green pointed out in this funny video, Chewbacca is not a typical politician either. This is not to compare Sarah Palin to a hairy wookie, but to say that she is simply not cut from the same cloth at Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich. If you're on the far right, this is a blessing. If you're on the far left, it's a curse. If you're like me and fall more in the middle, you simply interpret the facts as they come. And from my perspective, I cannot see Sarah Palin competing again on the national stage. I would not vote for someone who resigned from their elected position without having the decency to inform their constituents as to the reasons for their decision. Say what you want about 'politics as usual', but I would want my candidate to stand firm in harsh wind.

In the meantime, Chewie 2012!

2009-07-04T09:30:00.001-04:00

2009-07-03T10:53:00.000-04:00

Daily Mirror (UK) gives THE STOLEN 4 Stars...

2009-06-29T12:17:00.012-04:00

How to Make the Most of A Book Conference

Part 1: For Aspiring Writers

--Ask unusual questions. Everybody wants to know where authors get their ideas from. Tip: Most authors don't really know, and even if they did it probably won't be from the same place you get yours. Ask for specific advice that can aid your writing, such as how to write authentic dialogue, how to pace a thriller, the best ways to do research, etc...

--Bring a notepad and a few pens. Unless you have an incredible memory, you'll kick yourself if the next day if you can't remember that interesting tip from a bestselling author.

--Be polite. At an event recently, I was having a conversation with my agent when a woman came up and, quite loudly, said, "So you're an agent guy, right?" She then proceeded to spend ten minutes pitching her book, oblivious to the fact that she'd rudely interrupted us. Yes, agents often look for new writers at conferences, but there is a time and a place. Act like you would in a normal setting. Be polite, and others will too.

--Be organized. If you're pitching a book, have your pitch ready and your material on standby. Agents are busy bees and don't have time for you to spend three minutes digging through the hundreds of freebees and chachkis in your tote bag.

--Talk to writers outside of the panels. Keeping the polite rule in mind, authors do like to talk to aspiring writers (they were in that boat at one point too). Authors are more casual hanging out in the hotel or at the bar, and can sometimes speak a little more freely.

--Map your schedule out in advance. Running from Oak Room A on one end of the hotel to Cedar Room C at the other end at 10:03 for a 10:00 panel is no fun. Spend a few minutes the night before marking down the panels you plan to attend, and then figuring out where they are. You'll learn a lot more with that prime seat up front near the podium than in the back row behind the guy wearing the 'I Love Jack Reacher' sombrero.

--Remember that you're there to learn. Yes, there's a chance you might meet the agent of your dreams at a conference, but first and foremost you should focus on what you can do to improve your craft. Don't look at a conference solely as an opportunity for literary speed dating. Writing a great book should be your first priority, and there's a wealth of information at these conferences. It's your job to write it down and heed it.

--Don't only attend panels with famous authors simply because they're famous. Just because three #1 bestselling authors are on a panel about 'book tour war stories' does not mean that you should automatically sit in on it. Find the panels that are most conducive to your writing. Hey, maybe sitting in on that panel with three lesser known authors talking about historical fiction would benefit the historical novel you're working on...

Part 2: For Fans and Readers

--Similar to the aspiring author rule above...authors want to meet fans, but please be courteous. That means no following people into bathrooms (a rule that is shockingly broken at nearly every conference I've been to).

--Go out of your way to meet authors. Authors generally go to conferences for one reason, and one reason only: to meet readers. They want to meet you. So don't be shy. Get a book signed, chat, take a picture. Trust me, we love it.

--Buy Books. If you love an author, please support his or her work by buying a book or two at the conference. Even ask the author to recommend a fellow writer you might like as well.

--If you attend panels, try to refrain from asking questions like, "I love you and your books and I have a long story to tell you about it...". It's not that we don't want to hear your story--we do--but Q&A's are called that for a reason, and there are usually far more questions than time permits panelists to answer. So please tell it to us at a book signing or in the hotel so everyone can get the full experience. You'll have time to tell us your story, but those five panelists won't always have the chance to answer questions.

--Please do ask us specific questions about our books. I love it when a reader asks me about Henry Parker, or a certain scene in THE GUILTY. If you want to know what the author's motivation was, or why we had a character do such and such, those are often our favorite questions to answer. We love talking about behind-the-scenes stuff.

Part 3: For Newly Published Writers

--The courtesy rule extends to you too. Treat readers and aspiring writers as you would want to be treated. I've seen too many debut authors act dismissive towards fans, or rush people along on a signing line. These people want to meet you. Being published is a privilege--being read is an honor. Be humble about both.

--Never be 'that guy' in the bar. Authors like to drink. No secret there. But there's a fine line between tipping a few back in the hotel bar and having to be carried fireman-style back to your room.

--Don't hog the mic. If you're on a panel, less is often more. If you're a panel newbie, watch and learn. Take a page from the other writers on your the panel, and use discretion. Answer questions the best you can, but there's no reason to take up 10 minutes on a 45 minute panel to discuss your hatred for word processors or to go off on random tangents in response to questions that weren't asked.

--Be discreet about self-promotion. You are expected to plug your books, but don't do so at the expense of your fellow authors or your own dignity. I was on a panel last year where one author brought a massive stand-up display for his latest book that dwarfed the podium and was, frankly, embarrassing. Stand up your books (if everyone agrees beforehand), mention your latest book, but screaming "ME ME ME" won't win you any friends--or fans.

--Don't be shy about being a fan as well. At last year's ThrillerFest, I ended up alone in an elevator with Robert Crais. I had a total fanboy moment, nervous as hell, debating whether to say anything. In the end, I did. I introduced myself, told him I was a fan of his books, and he couldn't have been nicer. Be proud to be an uber book geek--I know I am--but don't let your geekiness get in the way of meeting your idols. (FYI, at last year's CrimeFest I ended up alone in a Men's restroom with Ian Rankin. I wisely left him alone.)

Part 4: For Everyone

--This is the most important tip, by far: Have fun. Enjoy yourself. The conference experience can be a wonderful one for everyone involved, and no matter which group you fall in to, you can leave having had a wonderful time, having made new friends, having learned about great new books, and having become a better writer.

2009-06-25T18:10:00.004-04:00

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson has passed away. This has been confirmed by the Los Angeles Times. Like millions around the world, I'm stunned. Growing up in the 1980's, I was a huge Michael Jackson fan. "Thriller" is one of two albums that dominated my Tape/CD players growing up--the other being "Use Your Illusion 1" by Guns N' Roses.

Jackson was one of the most famous people in the world and one of the iconic pop culture figures of all time: First for his music and incredible talent, and second, and sadly lastly, for his legal, emotional and financial troubles. The world has lost one of the greatest performers of all time, and one of the most tragic figures of all time.

2009-06-25T14:42:00.003-04:00

Back from London

I got in late last night from an 8-day trip to London that was absolutely fantastic. I'll post pictures and more soon, but I want to thank everyone in the UK--especially my publisher--for really going all out and doing a fantastic job. And thanks to the readers who are already making THE STOLEN into a hit!

Two quick notes:

--THE STOLEN has already debuted on the UK Heatseekers bestseller list...and it only came out last Friday!

--THE STOLEN is currently #36 on the Tesco bestseller list, and if you look at the other books on that list you can see why I'm pretty thrilled. Any time you're that close to James Bond and Stephenie Meyer, it can't be a bad thing.

26. DEVIL MAY CARE - Sebastian Faulks

27. SILKS - Dick Francis

28. NEW MOON - Stephenie Meyer

29. ECLIPSE - Stephenie Meyer

30. TWILIGHT - Stephenie Meyer

31. FRACTURED - Karin Slaughter

32. MYSTERY MAN - Bateman

33. GYPSY - Lesley Pearce

34. TESTIMONY - Anita Shreve

35. THE OTHER HAND - Chris Cleave

36. THE STOLEN - Jason Pinter

37. GUERNICA - Dave Boling

38. SECRETS - Freya North

39. THE TAKE - Martina Cole

40. THE BUSINESS - Martina Cole

41. GREAT LOVER - Jill Dawson

42. THE ATLANTIS CODE - Charles Brokaw

43. PALACE COUNCIL - Stephen L. Carter

44. MR. TOPPIT - Charles Elton

45. FIRE AND SWORD - Simon Scarrow

46. BLACK WIDOW - Jessie Keane

47. DON'T LOOK TWICE - Andrew Gross

48. THE FIFTH VICTIM - Beverly Barton

49. DEADLY INTENT - Lynda La Plante

50. LIBRARY OF THE DEAD - Glenn Cooper

2009-06-20T07:24:00.003-04:00

THE STOLEN: now available in the UK

My third Henry Parker novel, THE STOLEN, has just hit shelves across the pond. The cover is fantastic, the book is getting great reviews, and I'm currently in London where I'll be helping to spread the word.

You can buy the book at your local independent bookstore, as well as at:

Amazon UK

Waterstones

Tesco

Borders UK

WH Smith

2009-06-18T17:04:00.002-04:00

Now this is a grand sight

2009-06-15T09:30:00.006-04:00

London and a Father's Day contest!

Tomorrow morning I leave for London--part vacation and part business--as THE STOLEN comes out in the UK on June 19th--the same day the mass market edition of KILLER YEAR hits UK shelves. Buy THE STOLEN here, and KILLER YEAR here. Posts will likely be limited over the next week or so, but hopefully I'll have some good pictures to share. In the meantime, we're going to have a little fun...

In celebration of Father's Day, I'll be giving away signed copies of the first three Henry Parker novels. You can enter three ways:

--Leave a comment on this blog

--Email me at jason@jasonpinter.com (please type 'Contest' in the subject line)

--Send me an @ reply on Twitter (twitter.com/jasonpinter)

One lucky winner will be chosen on Friday, and they'll receive signed copies of THE MARK, THE GUILTY and THE STOLEN to give to a Father of their choice.

Let the festivities begin!

2009-06-11T09:49:00.005-04:00

A Conversation at the offices of Esquire magazine

Editor: We need to stir the pot a little, and nothing stirs the pot like criticizing something that everybody else seems to like without even trying to understand why people might like it in the first place. Let's see...it's summertime...people go to the beach...people read on the beach...hey, let's do a hatchet job article on books people might read at the beach!

Writer: Great idea. There are already several books that I have to hold my nose at just to be in the same room with.

Editor: Terrific. Now, not only do you have to hate these books, but you also have to mock people who might like them. Make it clear you abhor literary commercialism. We're a serious magazine, and by taking a stance against these stupid books it will increase our street cred in the literary community. Don't make it too long, though, we need to save room for A.J. Jacobs's article about the time he wore a bunny outfit for a month straight.

Writer: This is perfect. I'll make sure our readers know how much we look down on commercialism. These books might look pretty and have millions of readers, but there's nothing of substance underneath. This is ripe for the picking!

Editor: Perfect, you have your assignment. Oh, and don't worry about reading the books. You can cherry pick a few lines or even words to make your case.

Writer: Good. I wasn't planning to.

Editor: Well this was a productive meeting, and I think your article will go a long way in showing the high regard with which we consider our culture. No schlocky books, nothing superficial in our magazines. We're all class, all the way. Oh, did you see our most recent magazine?

Writer: No, sorry, I've been re-reading the last fifty years worth of New Yorker issues in reverse chronological order.

Editor: Ooh, that sounds like fun. Will you be at the beach?

Writer: Nah, people who go to the beach are crass and stupid. And who needs the agita of putting on lotion? Personally, I like to read in the elevator of my apartment building. Makes the setting more intimate.

Editor: Totally. Anyway, check out last month's issue of our magazine.

Writer: Ooh, hot, isn't that the chick from Transformers? Megan Fox?

Editor: Yeah, totally. She's like half naked and everything. And check out our exclusive sexy Megan Fox video!

Writer: Is that her bra? Homina homina homina.

Editor: Tell me about it. Oh, and here's the most recent issue.

Writer: Oh good gracious...is that...

Editor: Damn right, Bar Refaeli, this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model.

Writer: Awesome! And she's, like, totally naked! Wait...are those words painted on her naked, glistening body?

Editor: Yeah. I totally got to do that myself.

Writer: I'm so jealous.

Editor: So listen, get cracking on that article. Commercial literature is just crass and people who read it should feel ashamed of themselves. I'm glad you and I are here to make sure our magazine only covers issues of real substance.

Writer: Speaking of substance, I can see Megan Fox's boobies!

Editor: Totally! I love boobies! High five!

2009-06-10T08:05:00.000-04:00

Anatomy of an Awesome Book Package

I like all my book covers. Each edition--whether foreign or domestic--has their own strengths. I'd be lying if I said there weren't a few covers I wish I could tweak here or there, but by and large I'm very happy with how my covers have come out and thankful that my publishers have really put a lot of thought and effort into them. I was happy with my book covers. Until yesterday.

Yesterday I received the first copy of the UK edition of THE STOLEN, which hits shelves across the pond on June 19th (UK fans can pre-order here). And I don't just like this edition. It doesn't just make me happy. I LOVE it.

This thing is just beautiful. Sometimes in publishing you hear someone say, "Seeing the cover online doesn't do it justice." Well, seeing the UK edition of THE STOLEN does not do its cover justice. The whole package--front, spine and back--has this very cool silver/metallic finish that catches the light, reflects and will stand out on a shelf like nobody's business. When I say this cover shines, I mean it shines. Even the back cover and spine look cool. It's hard to say if this package is my favorite out of all my books--but it's hard to say that it's not. My sincere thanks to my UK publisher for doing just an extraordinary job on this book. I even took photos to analyze why this package works so well:

The fantastic front cover. Perfectly captures the book's tone, while also offering a clear central image that gives the reader an immediate sense of what lies within. The font is atmospheric, and the neat smudges and burn marks make the whole thing look ominous as hell. This baby should be in a textbook entitled "How to create an awesome book cover."

Does everything a back needs, and does it well: A bold reading line, a synopsis that hooks you, quotes to let you know that other people besides my publisher and I think the book is worth reading, and full color photos of my backlist so you can catch up on the whole series.

Did I say this baby shines? I mean it SHINES.

Central image. Title. Name. Shiny. Even the spine is cool.

Each of my foreign editions (give or take one or two that haven't arrived yet). The fact that my books are available in so many countries and so many languages still blows my mind.

2009-06-09T11:02:00.004-04:00

Funny Video Day

Zack Attack is back!

Zach Galifianakis interviews Bradley Cooper on "Between Two Ferns"

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis from Between Two Ferns

Click here for more "Between Two Ferns," including thought-provoking interviews with Natalie Portman, Jimmy Kimmel and Jon "Honey Baked" Hamm. I highly recommend this, and highly recommend that you see "The Hangover".

2009-06-04T09:50:00.003-04:00

I've Been Punished

If you're a comic book fan, or have a strange desire to see me slaughtered in horrifically brutal fashion, pick up a copy of the new Punisher Max: Naked Kill, written by Bram Stoker award-winning author Jonathan Maberry. Aside from being a fantastic issue, Jonathan was kind enough to name a character after me. And if you want to see what happens to my character (it's the Punisher, I'm sure you have an idea) pick up a copy at your local comic book seller. And I don't want to hear anyone else say, "You got what was coming to you."

2009-06-02T09:15:00.012-04:00

To Market, To Market

Last night, my wife and I sat down to watch "Ratatouille," the Pixar movie about a rat with a heightened sense of smell who ends up cooking in a famous Paris restaurant. It's a wonderful movie--the word 'wonderful' is pretty much a given when talking about Pixar--but at one point we paused it to have a brief discussion about an article I'd read about a rift between Pixar and Disney. Disney was upset at Pixar due to the difficulty they would have marketing a movie in which, let's face it, rats run rampant in a kitchen. Needless to say Disney (rightfully) felt this was not the most, well, appetizing plot for an animated family film.

In the end the critically acclaimed movie made well over $200 million. And our conversation about this marketing brouhaha lasted less than a minute. Yet it got me thinking. I've never watched a movie or television show, listened to an album or played a video game and thought, "I wonder how they marketed it." The product obviously was marketed, otherwise I never would have heard about it, but as a consumer those things didn't interest me. The product I was watching, listening to or playing was all I was concerned about.

This got me thinking about books and book marketing. This blog has been running for over three years now, and since starting it I've discussed many issues pertaining to marketing. I've gone to numerous conferences since THE MARK came out, and I've been on panels where we've discussed nothing but book marketing. In the bar at the end of the night with other authors, what's the most prevalent topic of conversation? Marketing. Publicity. Whose book is being marketed well, whose isn't, and who is doing what to get the word out.

Frankly, I'm a little tired of it.

Not the marketing itself. As an author, you pretty much have no choice but to market your books. Barry Eisler once compared an author's advance to a loan given to a small business. You can shove the money under your mattress, or you can invest it to grow your business. Marketing is all about growing that business. If you put a group of authors in a bar, they can and will talk about marketing until the bar closes (and even then the bartender might have to call the cops to roost them). If an author blogs, most likely they'll write some pretty lengthy stuff about the marketing of their upcoming book or what they've done in the past that has and has not worked.

I've done that. And I'm a little tired of it. So from this point on, this blog will not be used to discuss marketing. I don't think most readers want to hear how the hamburgers are made, and I'm weary of talking about it to people who, frankly, just want to read a good story.

Readers are like my wife and I watching "Ratatouille." They care about book marketing as much as I care about boardroom meetings between Disney and Pixar. In the end if I watch the movie and enjoy it, I could care less about the marketing efforts behind it. Most readers, nay, the overwhelming majority of readers could care less about marketing. It's all about the story, the characters, the authors. They want to know how an author came up with this idea, how this character is going to grow, and whether that scene in chapter four is based on fact. As authors, sometimes we have a hard time seeing the forest for the trees. Because we love talking about marketing and publicity, we assume everyone does. Therefore we kill hundreds of cyber trees every day talking about it, while the readers who don't work in publishing houses and don't have contracts to fulfill are sitting in their favorite chair with a cup of coffee wondering how Jack Reacher, or Kinsey Milhone, or (hopefully) Henry Parker is going to get out of their latest predicament.

There are some great blogs devoted to book marketing, and they will always have their audience. In the end, it's all about what you want to accomplish, what kind of audience you want to reach. See, I'm a reader, first and foremost. When I was entranced as a kid by Terry Brooks's SWORD OF SHANNARA series, I didn't even know what marketing was. I loved the stories, loved reading about Shea Ohmsford and the Druid Allanon, and my brain would have shut off if you tried to talk to me about co-op placement. And right now, I have more in common with that kid than ever.

This is not to say that authors shouldn't care about marketing. They absolutely should, especially these days as more of the marketing and publicity burden is falling on authors. But authors should care about marketing in the same way a farmer cares about soil conditions. It might matter a whole lot to them, and they could probably talk your ear off about nutrients and fertilizer, but the person buying the vegetables doesn't really want to hear about it. All they care about is whether the food tastes good.

I'm a reader. Give me a great story and wonderful characters, and I promise you, I won't care how the book was marketed.

2009-05-27T08:37:00.013-04:00

My Own Personal BEA

With Book Expo America right around the corner, I thought I'd get in the spirit and have my own little BEA right here. These are the books that are showcased in my booth, the ones I can't wait to read. Some may be obvious--some less so. But if you love to read do yourself a favor and check these out.

When I was a kid, I grew up on three authors: Terry Brooks, Brian Jacques and Stephen King. While away at summer camp, I would stay up until ungodly hours of the night plowing through 1,000 page epics like "The Stand" and "It." To say these were some of my favorite childhood moments is an understatement. While King has always has a propensity to write long books, it's been some time since we've been granted a thousand page doorstopper of a novel. For some reason, I have the most trouble with King's books that top out around 600 pages. They seem not quite long enough to be stretched up to epic length, but not quite short enough to have the locomotive velocity of "Carrie" and "Cujo." I haven't loved King's recent books ("Cell" was the last one that felt like real, old-school King), but when I heard 'thousand page book about a town in Maine suddenly and inexplicably encased within a dome' my ears perked up. That sounded, well, cool. So I'll happily shell out my $35 and strap on a weightlifting belt to give my back support while I churn through this monstrous bad boy. Hopefully it'll make me feel like a kid again. Plus the book comes out on my birthday. This is a good sign. (November 10th, Scribner)

Guillermo del Toro has firmly established himself as one of the most visionary pop directors of his generation. Somewhere between Steven Spielberg and Sam Raimi, he has created some of the most incredible and enchanting characters and worlds that have come along in some time. Don't believe me? Just watch "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army," which is inhabited by some of the most awesome and colorful monsters and weirdos since the Mos Eisley Cantina scene in "Star Wars." Not to mention del Toro is currently at work on adapting J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and you get a sense of the guy's vision and clout. So combine this with the strong writing of Chuck Hogan, throw in a vampire virus threatening to wipe out New York (shades of King's "The Stand"), and you should have one of the summer's most fun reads. The advance buzz for this book is quite good, showing that it just may live up to the hype surrounding del Toro's involvement. (June 2nd, Morrow)

Let me be frank. I hate celebrity tell-alls. Especially celebrity tell-alls by washed-up, D-list actors and reality show stars who sell out their friends, their family and their dignity for the chance to stretch their fifteen minutes just a little further. But I'll make an exception for Dustin "Screech" Diamond. Like many people of my generation, "Saved by the Bell" was pretty much the most important show of my lifetime. I spent enough hours watching the exploits of Zach, Slater, Screech, Kelly, Jesse and Lisa to quality for Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours corollary (I shudder to think how many geniuses were ruined by this show). I don't know what it was, but this show transfixed me. You couldn't relate to the plots (an oil field is discovered under the school's football field, the crew starts a band called, wait for it, "Zack Attack"), everyone in the cast had hair that looked like Vidal Sassoon lived on the set, and only at Bayside High in the 90's could a male character call a female classmate "Mama" without being slapped with a harassment suit. It didn't matter. I loved this show, and plan to analyze Screech's tell-all like it was the freaking Zapruder film. So Diamond, who's been a tabloid prince the last few years with a sex tape and various reality show gigs, promises to spill the dirt on his years at Bayside (Screech does deserve a better cover. This thing looks like a monkey decided to play around with Photoshop). I don't know about you, but I can't wait to find out just what really happened with Screech, Lisa, and that metal detector at Stacy Carosi's summer resort... (September 29th, Gotham Books)

Few sportswriters are more polarizing than Bill Simmons. He wears his Boston heart on his sleeve, isn't afraid to call out anybody at any time, has seriously campaigned not once but twice for NBA GM jobs, and he writes just about the funniest sports columns you've ever read. His first book, NOW I CAN DIE IN PEACE, was an appetizer for Simmon's fans--tasty, but we wanted the main course. That book was a collection of previously published columns (with more footnotes than a David Foster Wallace novel), a love letter to the 2004 Red Sox who reversed 86 years of the franchise's futility which Simmons chronicled in painstaking detail. In addition to his humor and love for pop culture (Simmons never met a 90210 reference he didn't like), he writes some of the most insightful and poignant sports stories that aren't afraid to slaughter sacred cows in search of the truth. Add in a healthy ego that seems to compel him to work his butt off, and this book, clocking in at a whopping 720 pages, will no doubt have NBA fans buzzing by the time the 2009-2010 season begins. Though at 720 pages, this book will require many, um, trips to a certain room--if you're a Simmons fan you know what I mean. (October 27th, ESPN/Ballantine)

I thought OFFICER DOWN was one of the best debut novels I've ever read, and after PROBABLE CAUSE and the brilliant PERSON OF INTEREST (how that was not nominated for an Edgar is beyond me) Schwegel has quickly joined my "day of release purchase" club. Many crime authors write interesting plots. Schwegel writes interesting plots with some of the most human and flawed characters ever to hit the genre. Anyone can hold a gun. Anyone can investigate a crime. Schwegel proves that the best crime novels are the ones where you care about the people involved. Schwegel is a combination of Ed McBain, James Lee Burke and Harlan Coben: tough police procedurals with flawless writing populated by characters who could live right next door to you. I'm still waiting for another Samantha "Smack" Mack book, but in the meantime I'll be happy to devour this offering. And can anyone explain to me why PERSON OF INTEREST didn't rack up every award nomination possible? Anyone? I thought so. (July 7th, St. Martin's Minotaur)

2009-05-22T17:38:00.005-04:00

Where I Am Compared to Jodi Picoult

The Book Bag (UK) has just posted their review of THE STOLEN, and what can I say other than it's these kind of reviews that just brighten your day and make the hours spent hunched over a keyboard hooked into an a coffee IV drip feel worth every second. While writing a book, you're never totally sure that what you're putting into the work is what readers are going to take out of it. So when someone 'gets' what you're trying to accomplish in your book and with your characters, to quote Stephen King, "we've engaged in an act of telepathy."

You'll have to read the review to find out how the reviewer compares me to Jodi Picoult. (For the record, I've read three of Picoult's books and enjoyed each one)

2009-05-21T10:14:00.004-04:00

Brainstorming Meeting

When I was an editor, we would have semi-regular gatherings called "Brainstorming Meetings." In these meetings--attended by editors and publicity folks--we would toss around ideas that we think would make good books. They would always include memoirs by the celebrity-of-the-moment (who was usually no longer famous by the time the meeting ended), but occasionally ideas for some really intriguing books would materialize, and an enterprising editor would contact the right folks and an actual book would come of it.

So I'd like to try this right here, have a book "Brainstorming Meeting" at the Man in Black to see what books you would love to see written. They can be memoir, fiction, humor, history or politics. They can be young adult, mystery--any kind of book that isn't out there that you would like to read. Try to be somewhat realistic--J.D. Salinger doesn't seem that keen to pen a sequel to CATCHER IN THE RYE. Otherwise everything is fair game.

I'll start things off with a few ideas:

--A collection of Mitch Hedberg's journals (a la the Kurt Cobain journals that were published a few years ago).

--David Morrell's sequel to FIRST BLOOD.

--A new big, bad, unputdownable 1,000 page Tom Clancy novel.

--A Quentin Tarantino book on film

What are some books you'd love to see published?

2009-05-16T08:40:00.002-04:00

MAYHEM!
The BookHampton Mystery Festival
Saturday to Sunday May 16th-17th

I'll be on two panels this weekend at the inaugural BookHampton Mystery Festival. I'll be at the Bookhampton in Sag Harbor both days. Below is my schedule, but you can view the full itinerary and find more details at Bookhampton.com.

Saturday, April 16th
3:00 PM
"No More Mr. Nice Guy: Why Thrillers Thrill Us"
LEE CHILD, JASON PINTER, JONATHAN SANTLOFER, JUSTIN PEACOCK

Sunday, April 17th
12:00 PM
Authors' Reading
LORENZO CARCATERRA, DON DAHLER, JASON PINTER, REED FARREL COLEMAN, LAWRENCE KELTER

2009-05-14T08:27:00.013-04:00

LOST: Season 5

Season Finale

Random Thoughts

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read this if you haven't seen the episode. Do not read this if you have missed any episodes. Do not read this if you have consumed alcohol within the last 45 days, or thought that the timeline of the "Terminator" movies was just too darn confusing.

And away we go...

--Great start to the episode. Exactly what we need, the introduction of two more characters (Jacob and he-who-wants-to-kill-Jacob) we've never met, and now must pay attention to. Because the 87 we're currently following weren't enough. Was anyone else slightly, I don't know...disappointed that Jacob was just a regular dude? Shouldn't he have been someone way cooler, like Erik Estrada or Al Bundy?

--Hey, the big stone statue! For a while there I was convinced they were simply going to 'forget' this thing because there didn't seem to be any rational explanation for it being there. Wait, did I use the word 'Rational' in a "Lost" recap? Silly me!

--I did like the Jacob flashbacks, especially the Locke one. Seeing him fall from that building and go splat right behind Jacob made me jump. Good stuff.

--So Eloise is pregnant, presumably with Daniel. That's messed up. Poor girl kills her son...while pregnant with him at the same time. Some therapist is going to get rich off of her.

--When did Radzinsky take over the Dharma initiative? When we first met him, wasn't he a glorified janitor? And where is Horace? And has Horace ever looked in a mirror and realized that he's wearing the bus driver from South Park's wig?

--Juliet commandeers the sub, because she has officially taken control of Sawyer's (cough, LaFleur's) cojones.

--Lapidus wakes up with the group led by the girl who tried to arrest Sayid. I'd completely forgotten about these people. Apparently they have something of great importance in a box. Marcellus Wallace has been looking for that since 1994!

--Richard asks the same question I've been pondering about Locke for three seasons: Why is he so special? The guy keeps getting shot and injured, falls for traps and ploys like he's getting paid to, not to mention that he has slight man-boobs. Why is everyone convinced he has some grand destiny?

--Now Ben is going to kill Jacob. Sure. Why not?

--Jacob distracts Sayid, leading to Nadia's death. Whoa. Didn't see that coming. And now we know how Nadia died. Good scene.

--Suddenly Sayid knows how to operate a nuclear warhead? Wasn't he just a guy who was good at plucking peoples' fingernails out with pliars? He must have hung out with Nicholas Cage's character from "The Rock" since they're the only two people who can dismantle a nuclear device with nothing more than a Swiss army knife.

--Wouldn't you love it if you could just bonk someone on the head, rendering them unconscious for the exact amount of time you require, whereupon they wake up with nothing more than a slight headache? Seriously, every episode there's at least one 'we need this person out of the way' bonk to the noggin that incapacitates them at the right moment. Nobody ever gets a concussion or heaven forbid a fractured skull, and nobody requires more than one bonk. Wouldn't this have been great when you were a teenager? "Son, why didn't you get home until 4 a.m. last night? And why do your clothes smell likes the inside of a Portuguese toilet? And who is this 40-year old woman and why is she wearing your pants?" Bonk. They're out for just enough time for you to cover your tracks.

--Jack and Sayid try to "hide in plain sight" (great idea, doctor) and a massive gunfight breaks out. Sayid takes a bullet in the stomach (NOOOO!!!! SAYID HAS BEEN AWESOME THIS SEASON!), but Jack 'Eastwood' Shepherd kills like 18 people before they're rescued by the Hurleymobile.

--Holy poop on a stick! Vincent! Rose! Bernard! Where have you been? Oh, right, living in a little hut and growing a Gregg Popovich beard. I loved Sawyer's explanation ("We haven't seen you guys since the fire arrows!"). Which is code for, "The writers completely forgot about you, but the fans sent so many letters asking where the hell you were that we needed to address it." Still, nice to see characters again who are content to just live and not get caught up in this interdimensional brouhaha.

--Ben is awesome. After Sun catches him in a lie, he says, "That's what I do." When Locke says, "Can I ask you a question," Ben immediately replies, "I'm a Pisces." I would pay money to watch a show of Ben just messing with people for an hour.

--Ah, so now we get to see for ourselves the story Jack told Kate in the very first episode. And who is waiting outside the operation room? Jacob. Coolness. (Though having recently undergone spinal surgery, this scene made me squirm)

--Wait...so Jack wants to set off the bomb because he and Kate are no longer dating? Seriously dude, that's your rationale? At least this leads to a sweet fight between Sawyer and Jack (which has been a long time coming). Jack holds up surprisingly well considering he's a surgeon and Sawyer is a career scumbag. Three points for the ridiculous field goal kick to the groin. The Gramatica brothers would be proud.

--Juliet breaks up with Sawyer because she thinks he'll break up with her for Kate? Not sure I buy this (or the "not everyone is meant to be together" flashback). Sawyer seems sincere in his love for her, and he's lived with her for the past three years in happiness. Plus he shaved. Getting Sawyer to shave is like getting the Pope to admit he watches the Spice channel.

--Ah, we finally learn how Hurley got out of prison (he was discharged). Slightly anti-climactic. And was anyone else hoping for a Keyser Soze moment when Hurley was getting his possessions back? ("One cigarette lighter, gold. One pocket watch, gold. Extra stretchy band.")

--So Jacob lives in a...foot? Who is he, Miss Marple?

--Locke and Ben enter the foot (that sounds like a bad Jackie Chan movie). Locke gives Ben a knife. I don't think he needs it; Ben could just undermine Jacob to death.

--Miles, the lone voice of reason: what if the hydrogen bomb is what causes the 'Incident' rather than prevents it. And everyone else has an 'aw, hell' moment. I like Miles.

--Another massive gunfight, as the Hurleymobile provides cover for Jack as Radzinsky and Phil shoot at him. Between the whiny Phil, the scraggly Radzinsky, plus Hurley and his band of merry misfits, this seems like the kind of gunfight that would break out at a Star Trek convention.

--Jack throws the bomb down the hole and...nothing. Except the hole starts sucking everything metal towards it, leading to an awesome impaling of Phil by a steel rod. I don't think those rods serve any purpose other than to impale people.

--Really emotional moment, as Juliet gets tangled in chains and dragged into the hole. Sawyer catches her, but the pull is just too strong and she slips away. I have no jokes--that was a really wrenching scene.

--Ilana arrives at the foot and speaks to Richard in a different language. She also calls him Ricardus. Huh? Then she spills open the box to reveal...John Locke's body? Double huh? So who's in the foot?

--Ben and "Locke" find Jacob, and Jacob applauds "Locke" for finding the loophole. Seems the guy from the first scene who wanted to kill Locke has inhabited Locke's body. Again, huh? Though it makes perfect sense for Locke's character: the guy really was just a huge patsy used and manipulated by everyone who ever met him. He believed he had some grand destiny, but in the end his destiny is just to be manipulated to the ultimate degree. If that's true, then it's brilliant.

--Ben kills Jacob (who seemed like he was asking for it). Then he pushes him into the fire. Then he says "you suck" and smears gum in his hair. Ok, I made that last part up.

--Juliet is still alive at the bottom of the hole (yay...huh?), but badly hurt. And right next to her is the bomb. (Wait...the dynamite from the ship goes off if you look at it the wrong way, but a nuclear device can withstand a 100-foot freefall?) So Juliet picks up a rock and bashes the device (so much for Faraday's "specific instructions" on how to detonate it), until finally...Boom.

And so here we are. Some questions answered. Lots more asked. And now, I need an Advil.

2009-05-12T08:38:00.006-04:00

THE FURY
Coming September 29th, 2009!

Dear Henry Parker fans -

It's been a long wait. Trust me, I know how you're feeling. Ever since THE STOLEN came out last August, I've gotten tons of emails all asking the same question: When is the next Henry Parker novel finally going to come out? The official answer is: September 29th, 2009. And because you've been so patient, you deserve a bonus. Here, at long last, is the final cover for the fourth Henry Parker novel: THE FURY. I love it, and hope you do too.

I'm thrilled that #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly has offered his endorsement for THE FURY. I've been a huge fan of Mr. Connelly's for years, and if he thinks THE FURY rocks I'm pretty sure you will too. THE FURY is the first book in an epic two-book series set to be released in 2009. In these two books, Henry will learn a devastating truth about his own past while uncovering a terrifying story that could be ripped from tomorrow'sheadlines. And at the end of these two books, I promise you, nothing will be the same--and not everyone will make it out alive.

And if that's not enough, here is the jacket copy for THE FURY:

Henry Parker must uncover the most devastating secret of all...his own.

Am I my brother's keeper? if I'd known I had a brother I might have been. But he's dead--shot dead point blank in a rat hole apartment wasted by hunger and heroin. Stephen Gaines, a man with whom I shared nothing...except a father.

For some reason this stranger who shared my blood came to me for help...and I blew him off thinking he was just some junkie. Now I'm forced to question everything I ever know...and figure out why this man was murdered in cold blood.

All I can do for Stephen Gaines now is find his killer--and with the help of Amanda Davies uncover the whole, hard truth. If it means tracking down a vicious drug kingpin--who may or may not exist--then so be it...

Newsflashes
--Jason was nominated for a Thriller award by International Thriller Writers (ITW) for his short story "The Point Guard" which appeared in KILLER YEAR: A Criminal Anthology. KILLER YEAR is available in paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound.
--Jason's books have now been published in over a dozen countries in numerous languages. Recent additions include: Italy and the Netherlands. See what THE MARK, THE GUILTY and THE STOLEN look like around the world!
--On Twitter? Jason was named one of the top 10 0 authors to follow! Follow his Twitter feed at http://www.twitter.com/jasonpinter.
--In addition to his acclaimed blog 'The Man in Black' (jasonpinter.blogspot.com), Jason is also a weekly contributor to Genreality, a blog featuring six bestselling and acclaimed writers across numerous genres, including Science Fiction, Romance, Horror and Urban Fantasy. Check it out at www.Genreality.net.

Upcoming Appearances

May 16th, 3:00 pm
Bookhampton
Reading and signing
with Lee Child, Jonathan Santlofer and Justin Peacock
Sag Harbor, NY

May 17th, 12:00 pm
Bookhampton
Reading and signing
with Lorenzo Carcaterra, Don Dahler, Reed Farrel Coleman and Lawrence Kelter
Sag Harbor, NY

May 20th, 6:30 pm
New York Public Library (mid-Manhattan branch)
Panel & Discussion
New York, NY

May 28th-30th
Backspace Writers Conference
Radisson Martinique
New York, NY

Keep your eyes glued to JasonPinter.com for news, reviews, upcoming events, and a brand-new look to JasonPinter.com that will launch this summer.

Happy reading!
Jason

2009-05-11T18:01:00.000-04:00

Breaking News

Cover art for Henry Parker #4, THE FURY, will be revealed tomorrow. A certain #1 New York Times bestselling author thinks that this book ROCKS...

2009-05-08T13:09:00.003-04:00

Authors on Twitter

Mashable has put up a list of 100+ of the best authors on Twitter, and I'm pleased to make the cut (even though the KILLER YEAR anthology seems to have two different subtitles). Check out the list here.

And of course follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/jasonpinter.

2009-05-06T09:43:00.003-04:00

Briefly

I got back yesterday from the Festival of Mystery in Pittsburgh, and once again the great folks at the Mystery Lovers Bookshop put on a great event. Around 40 authors and hundreds of great readers braved crummy weather for the love of books. Brings a tear to my eye. I love this event because it gives you a chance to meet readers face to face, one on one--something that doesn't happen much during conferences and panels. Lots of readers who bought THE MARK last year came back to pick up THE GUILTY and THE STOLEN (and a few were mildly perturbed that THE FURY was not out yet--just a few more months, I promise!). It's at events like this one where you can really sense just how much readers fall in love with a series. Thanks to the readers who came back for more of Henry's stories, and to the ones who decided to give him a shot for the first time.

And on THE FURY front, I have three great pieces of news:

1) The official release date for THE FURY is September 29th, 2009.

2) The official finished cover is now in my possession, and I plan to post it shortly (ignore the one currently on Amazon and other sites). Needless to say the finished cover rocks, and I have to thank my publisher's art department for working their butts off. It was worth it.

3) Galleys for THE FURY should be arriving within the next two weeks, maybe as early as next week. At that point in time I'll be running contests to give a few out. Thanks to everyone who's been patiently waiting for the next Parker novel. Like you, I can't wait to see these bad boys in print with the finished art.

Stay tuned!

2009-05-01T08:13:00.002-04:00

Buy Indie Today!!!

Please support independent bookstores today by buying one book (or more!) from your local indie. Hardcover, paperback, audio, doesn't matter, as long as the purchase is made at an indie. Independent bookstores are imperative to the health of the book industry and contribute greatly to the vibrant culture of our communities. Visit the 'Buy Indie' Facebook group for more info. And to find a list of local independent bookstores in your area, please visit www.indiebound.org.

If you're looking to read the 2009 Edgar winners and nominees, there are two terrific independent mystery bookstores in NYC. Both have smart and knowledgeable staff members, and both have every kind of mystery--contemporary, foreign, rare first editions, frontlist, backlist--you can shake a stick at. If you're in NYC today, do yourself a favor and visit one of these two fine establishments.

Partners & Crime
44 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 243-0440

The Mysterious Bookshop
58 Warren Street
New York, NY 10007
(212) 587-1011

2009-04-27T11:24:00.003-04:00

Edgar Week

"Live every week like it's Edgar Week." --Tracy Jordan

Ok, Tracy didn't actually say that, but this week is Edgar Week. Due to several scheduling snafus, this will be my first Edgar Week since 2006. Last year I was in Oklahoma for the OWFI writers conference, and in 2007 I was in Houston for the Romantic Times convention (which I covered here. Ironically I was one of the few men there who was actually covered). Back in 2006 I attended the famous Black Orchid Edgar pre-party as a newly-signed author. And though I'm sad that the Orchid has closed its doors, Bonnie and Joe still come around a lot, and the Mysterious Bookshop has graciously taken over pre-party duties.

So if you're in NYC on Tuesday, April 28th, stop by the Mysterious Bookshop at 6:00, where the Mystery Writers of America will be introducing their brand new anthology: THE PROSECUTION RESTS edited by Linda Fairstein. I had the chance to meet Linda at last week's Murder 203, and she had some fantastic stories to tell. If this anthology maintains that level of quality, it'd be a crime to miss it (Mystery writer pun!).

The rest of the week will be filled with informative symposiums, book parties, and, of course, the presentation of the prestigious Edgar awards. For more info on all the Edgar activities, go to TheEdgars.com. See you there...

2009-04-22T08:52:00.003-04:00

Romantic Times Redux

In honor of the start of this year's Romantic Times convention, I thought I'd repost the blog I kept from my 2007 trip to RT in Houston. Needless to say, it was quite an interesting experience.

April 25, 2007: Day 1

April 26, 2007: Day 2

April 27, 2007: Day 3

April 28, 2007: Day 4

2009-04-21T08:46:00.006-04:00

Why Dan Brown Matters

Now that I'm back in NYC full time, at least once I day I walk through my local bookstore. On any given afternoon, I'm likely to see a group of teenagers huddled in several aisles, hunkered around a book or manga, pointing, talking, laughing and enjoying themselves. To these kids, reading is cool, something to experience and talk about among their friends. They could be doing any one of a dozen other things, but they're hanging out in a bookstore. Things like that make me smile.

Yesterday I wrote a post, perhaps overly snarky, about a poster of Orlando Bloom promoting reading hanging on the wall of a library. Now, regardless of what I think about Mr. Bloom, something in children's literature seems to be working. When you think about all the books that have been published over the last few years that have been cultural touchstones, they're all books aimed at children and young adults. The publication of new books by J.K. Rowling, Christopher Paolini and Stephenie Meyer have become events. People line up at midnight on release day for their copy, just like I did for a brand new U2 album back in the day (my dad always came with me to our local HMV because I was too young to drink the bottle of Guinness that came free with each purchase).

The night Stephenie Meyer's BREAKING DAWN was published last year, I was walking my dog. We passed by my local Barnes & Noble around 11:00, and the line to get in had already wrapped around the block. Kids were dressed to the nines, costumed and buzzing with excitement. I was informed by a security guard that nobody else would be allowed into the store because there was no room. No room! These kids weren't home watching television or playing videogames or texting. On this night, kids were lined up outside of a bookstore because reading was cool. I thought back to a few years ago when my friend Mike had a pool party. I remember all of our friends hanging around, drinking beer and margaritas...all of us except for my friend Mark. Mark was sitting on a chair, reading the sixth Harry Potter book which had just come out. And we all knew to leave him alone.

Yesterday, Knopf/Doubleday announced the September 15th publication of Dan Brown's long-awaited followup to THE DA VINCI CODE, one of the best-selling books of all time. Five million copies of THE LOST SECRET will be shipped to stores. But five months before the book comes out, the sniping has already begun.

The book will be a critical and commercial disappointment.

The book won't save the publishing industry.

Dan Brown has goofy hair.

The haters can shove it. To my mind, THE DA VINCI CODE was a perfectly decent thriller. No more, no less. Sure the prose was a bit clumsy, but the plot kept me entertained for a few hours (something that should not be taken lightly). Obviously the book touched a nerve far deeper than that of pure entertainment, just as books by Ms. Rowling and Ms. Meyer have. I have read three different New York newspapers this morning, and all three have prominent articles on the impending publication of THE LOST SECRET. These articles are not buried in the middle of the paper, but are printed within the first eight or so pages (right up there with tawdry wedding scandals and mockery of David Patterson--you know, the important stuff). The publication of this book is a bona fide event. When was the last time a book for adults was an actual event? Sure Grisham and Patterson sell books by the truckload, but their release dates are hardly the kind of thing you call your friends to talk about.

So naturally, the haters are going to come out of the woodwork, as is their right. There are a lot of people who disliked the book for the book itself, but there are also a lot of people who hated the book for what it stood for ("This is one of the best-selling books ever?"). I don't really care much about those people. THE LOST SECRET is a thriller, first and foremost. Even the press release touts it as pure entertainment ("...a brilliant and compelling thriller...readers will feel the thrill of discovery..."). And yet within minutes September 15th became a full-fledged pop culture event. People will be lining up to buy their copy. And even if it doesn't come close to the success of THE DA VINCI CODE, I can't remember the last time there was this kind of buzz about a book aimed at adults. Perhaps Bill Clinton's memoir approached it, but I'm willing to bet a whole lot more people actually read Brown's book than Clinton's (I bought Clinton's MY LIFE, and it looks lovely holding up the foundation of my apartment building).

So September 15th will come, and there will surely be a great deal of criticism before and after the fact. I don't really care. I'll buy my copy and I'll read it, and I know a lot of other people who will too. The book may be brilliant, or it may suck. It may shatter every sales record, or it may be a commercial disappointment. It may be read as entertainment, or it may be read for the religious and spiritual implications. The bottom line is that all of this discussion and argument, all of this buzz and anticipation...this makes reading cool for people of all ages. And that is something that should never be taken for granted.

2009-04-20T08:52:00.006-04:00

Look into my eyes...

While speaking at a library over the weekend, I came upon...this. Now, perhaps I am not exactly the demographic that can be persuaded to read a book by a sultry-looking Orlando Bloom...but is this not the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen? It's not as if celebrities advertising reading is a bad thing (just across the room was a poster featuring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart reading a copy of TWILIGHT while looking like they're actually enjoying it. Yes, they were reading it. Not clutching it like Linus with his blanket). So why is this ridiculous? Let's go step-by-step:

1) Orlando does not look like he shows any interest in reading. In fact, he seems to be saying, "Let me take that silly book from you so we can snuggle."

2) What kind of book is he holding? Some sort of bible from the middle ages? I think he's trying to channel Ron Burgundy: "I am Orlando Bloom...I own many leather-bound books, and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."

3) Who does this appeal to? Teenage boys? Nope. Older men? Uh-uh (at least I hope not). Older women? Come on, they're into Hugh Jackman. Teenage girls? Ick. Orlando is 32. That's entering creepyhood.

4) Orlando is clutching that book so tightly it's as if he wants to do everything in his sharp-cheekboned power to prevent you from reading. "Oh, you want this book? You know where I have lots of books? In my bedroom (wink, wink)."

5) "Orlando Bloom @ your library"--is that a threat?

2009-04-17T08:25:00.000-04:00

Murder 203

I'll be heading up to Trumbull, Connecticut today to take part in this weekend's inaugural Murder 203 conference. Having gone to college in CT (Wesleyan '03, let me hear you!) this will be an exciting opportunity to meet readers from the area. If you plan on attending, please stop by and say hello. I'm quite a friendly person. My panel schedule is:

Saturday, April 18th, 2:30 p.m.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION...

Moderator--Jason Pinter (that's me!)

Cathy Pickens

Brunonia Barry

Jane Cleland

S.J. Rozan

Saturday, April 18th, 3:45 p.m.

WRITING URBAN CRIME vs. SUBURBAN CRIME

Moderator--Joe Meyers

Linda Fairstein

Rosemary Harris

Jason Pinter

Justin Scott

Sunday, April 19th, 10:45 a.m.

GREAT ENDINGS AND WHY THEY MATTER

Moderator--Lawrence Goldstone

Alison Gaylin

Jennifer McMahon

Jason Pinter

M.J. Rose

2009-04-14T07:51:00.003-04:00

The Space Between

I've had a bit of an odd feeling recently. Most people are aware that the fourth Henry Parker novel, THE FURY, was originally slated to come out in March (last month), but was pushed back to October. Nevertheless, I am often reminded that not all my readers follow this blog or all the other time-wasting social networking sites that drain my soul. Other the last month I've received a lot of emails all basically saying, "Uh, at the end of THE STOLEN, the teaser chapter says THE FURY will be out in March. What happened?"

Well, suffice it to say THE FURY did not come out in March. Because THE FURY was written as the first part of a two-book series, my publisher decided to push both books back and release them in a short time frame to increase shelf presence and hopefully maximize publicity. So THE FURY will be out in October, and the fifth Parker novel, THE DARKNESS, will be out in December. I took great pains to make sure each book could be read individually, but I'd be lying if I didn't say the books were meant to be read in order. I certainly hope that's how most people read them.

Now, I'm not sure if this is possible for someone who's contracted to write two books a year, but I'm getting a little stir crazy. Because I had three books out out in the span of thirteen months, I was getting used to the rapid publication schedule. I loved the entire process. Loved seeing new cover concepts, loved writing and revising back cover copy, and loved talking about the books to anyone who would listen. But after those three books in thirteen months, it will now be fourteen months between releases (from THE STOLEN in August '08 to THE FURY in October '09). So I've found myself getting kind of antsy. Because I wrote THE FURY during my original publication schedule, the book was done, copyedited and proofed months ago (I believe that process was finished in October '08). Galleys should be in around mid-May. The last few months I've been working full-tilt to finish up THE DARKNESS, a process that wasn't easy considering I was also recovering from major spine surgery.

Two weeks ago, I turned in the final draft of THE DARKNESS. I should see copyedits some point over the next two months. In between, though, I've been slowly getting to work on the sixth Parker novel (tentatively titled THE INVITED), while also working on a side project (close followers of this blog and my Twitter feed know what I'm talking about. No, it's not a Parker novel. It's not even a crime novel.). I'm so excited for the next two Parker novels come out, but since that's not for another five and a half months I need to pace myself. I don't want the books to come out and feel like my excitement has dwindled. It shouldn't. I honestly feel like these two books are the best in the series so far, and every time I tell people what they're about I get goose bumps. They're the most personal books yet for Henry, as well as the most timely and intricate stories. The first early reader who finished THE DARKNESS actually cried. Call me a sadist, but that made me smile.

So for now, it's back to work on Parker #6. Strange feeling to be working on the sixth book in a series nearly six months before the fourth even comes out. I'll plow through, though, because I have enough on my plate to keep me excited, enough ideas for future Parker novels, and one or two more ideas that have really inspired me lately.

I should also have final cover art for both THE FURY and THE DARKNESS soon. I can't wait to share them, as they might be my favorite covers yet.

2009-04-09T20:50:00.000-04:00

Passover 2009: The Wise (and furry) Child

2009-04-06T09:49:00.003-04:00

May 1st, 2009

International 'Buy Indie' Day

On May 1, 2009, please support your local independent bookstore by buying one (or more!) books. Hardcover, paperback, audio, doesn't matter, as long as the purchase is made at an indie. Independent bookstores are imperative to the health of the book industry and contribute greatly to the culture of our communities. Join the 'Buy Indie' Facebook group for more info, and and stay tuned to hear about local indie activities and signings in your neighborhood. To find a list of local independent bookstores in your area, please visit www.indiebound.org.

2009-04-03T10:04:00.003-04:00

PBO vs. Hardcover

Who wins (and does it matter?)

There's an interesting discussion about the stigma and economics of publishing books as paperback originals over at The Kill Zone. This stems from ITW's decision to eliminate their "Best Paperback Original" category from this year's Thriller awards.

Check out Michelle Gagnon's take, and then John Gilstrap's. As a current PBO author, I decided to chime in on Michelle's post.

2009-04-02T07:34:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning...

...and realized yesterday was just a dream. Phew.

2009-03-31T08:37:00.002-04:00

I'm Nominated for a Thriller Award!

I was completely taken by surprise yesterday when I was informed that my short story, "The Point Guard" from KILLER YEAR: A Criminal Anthology, was nominated for a 2009 Thriller award. I was also happy to see that the legendary Ken Bruen is nominated in the same category for the story he graciously contributed to KILLER YEAR. ThrillerFest was the first crime convention I attended as an author, back in July 2006 in the sweltering Arizona heat, and it'll be very cool to attend this summer as a nominee. My sincerest thanks go to the ITW judging committee, the rest of my Killer Year comrades, and to the good folks at St. Martin's Press for publishing this bad boy.

Congratulations to all the nominees. And since I harbor no delusions of actually winning the award, I can honestly say it's an honor to be nominated.

BEST THRILLER OF THE YEAR
Hold Tight by Harlan Coben
The Bodies Left Behind by Jeffery Deaver
The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver
The Dark Tide by Andrew Gross
The Last Patriot by Brad Thor

BEST FIRST NOVEL
Calumet City by Charlie Newton
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Criminal Paradise by Steven Thomas
Sacrifice by S. J. Bolton
The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd

BEST SHORT STORY
Between the Dark and the Daylight (Ellery Queen Magazine) by Tom Piccirilli
Last Island South (Ellery Queen Magazine) by John C. Boland
The Edge of Seventeen (The Darker Mask) by Alexandra Sokoloff
The Point Guard (Killer Year Anthology) by Jason Pinter
Time of the Green (Killer Year Anthology) by Ken Bruen

2009-03-27T10:35:00.002-04:00

Please remain seated

I'm neck-deep in revisions for THE DARKNESS, the second of my two Henry Parker novels that will be out this year. The more I talk about these books, THE FURY and THE DARKNESS, the more excited I get. I'm definitely getting a little stir-crazy with the 14-month gap between the publications of THE STOLEN last August and THE FURY this October, but I think once readers read both upcoming books they'll find them well worth the wait.

2009-03-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

Can MILF Island Be Far Behind?

2009-03-20T09:34:00.009-04:00

A Conversation in Bob Barnett's Waiting Room

(note: I have met Bob Barnett, and he's a very nice guy)

(Interior: Elevator opens into the office of a high profile literary agency. President Barack Obama walks out. He approaches the receptionist.)

Barack: Hi...um, Shelly, right?

Receptionist: It's Sheila.

Barack: Sheila, right. Sorry, haven't been here too often. Kinda busy, you know. Did you see me on Leno last night?

Receptionist: Sorry, I don't stay up that late.

Barack: No sweat, neither do I. Anyway, I have an 11:45 with Mr. Barnett.

Receptionist: Sure thing Mr. President. He's running a little late, please have a seat in the waiting room.

Barack: Sure thing. Can I smoke in there?

Receptionist: No, sir.

(Obama, disgruntled, heads into the waiting room, where he is shocked to see...)

Barack: George W. Bush, what are you doing here?

George: Oh, hey Barack. Good to, um, see you. I'm just waiting to meet with my agent.

Barack: Your agent? Bob Barnett?

George: That's right. When it came time to write my book, there's nobody else I would want brokering my deal. Why are you here?

Barack: I, um...needed somewhere to smoke.

George: I thought this was a no smoking office.

Barack: Ok, you got me. I'm here to meet with my agent.

George: Wait...are you saying Bob Barnett is your agent too?

Barack (sighing): Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

George: Hold on, didn't you used to have a different agent?

Barack: Yeah, but that was a long time ago, back when nobody really knew who I was.

George: I hear you, partner. Once you hit the big time, you need to run with the big dogs.

(George holds his fist out. Barack just stares at it.)

Barack: Uh...

George: Come on, don't leave me hanging.

(Barack reluctantly touches George's fist)

George: Alright! Terrorist fist jabs for everyone!

Barack: Please don't call it that.

George: Isn't this so weird? I mean, what are the chances that we'd both have the same literary agent? Isn't that, like, so funny?

Barack: Hilarious.

George: So what's your book about?

Barack: Well, I've written two critically-acclaimed, bestselling memoirs that have sold millions of copies around the world. I'm thinking about a children's book, and maybe a book reflecting on my presidency once I leave office. What about you?

George: Paranormal erotica.

Barack: Huh?

George: I'm just joshing with you. It's a book on the hardest decisions I had to make while president.

Barack: That sounds like it could be insightful.

George: Does it? I kind of wanted to write one of those cookbooks. You know, "Kill 'Em and Grill 'Em" or something. But some 'people' (George makes finger quotes) thought I should write something a little more 'serious' (more finger quotes).

Barack: (silence)

George: So who's writing your book?

Barack: Excuse me?

George: You know, who did you choose to interview you with a tape recorder and then ghostwrite your book?

Barack: Um, I wrote both of my books myself.

George: Riiiight. So who really 'wrote' your books?

Barack: I did. Really.

George: Ok, ok, I get it. You're really embracing the whole 'ghostwriter' thing. Me? I'm thinking of using that Salter guy McCain seems to like. He told me he'd going to need at least half an hour of tape. How about that, he must think I have a lot of wisdom to impart!

Barack: You know, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I mean, during the campaign I basically implied your presidency was up there with the reign of Satan himself. And now we're here, in the same office, selling our books through the same agency?

George (laughing): I know. What are the odds?

Barack: Yeah. What are the odds.

(The door opens. In walks Bill Clinton)

Bill: George! Barack! What are you guys doing here?

Barack: Hey Bill, I'm waiting to meet with my agent.

George (reading a copy of 'Highlights'): Hey Bill, my Dad says hi.

Barack: What are you here for, Bill?

Bill: Well, Bob sold my first two books. Got me a sweet, sweet deal for both of them. So when it came time to write a new book, there's nobody I'd rather have handling my contract. You know Barack, would you mind giving Hillary whatever exercises Michelle is doing for her arms? Hello, two tickets to the gun show please!

(Bill extends his fist. George leaps forward and taps it while Barack shakes his head.)

George: That's right, Bill, you old hoss. So what are you writing?

Bill: Paranormal erotica.

Receptionist: George, Mr. Barnett will see you now. And Mr. Obama, please put out your cigarette.

2009-03-18T07:42:00.003-04:00

Exclusive Updates on Twitter

I just announced an updated UK release schedule for the next two Henry Parker novels on Twitter. For the chance to follow my semi-witty banter with other Twitterers--plus more exclusive updates--follow me at www.twitter.com/jasonpinter .

2009-03-17T09:15:00.011-04:00

Back in Town

We got back in to JFK last night around 1:30 am, and naturally couldn't get to sleep due to our internal clocks being three hours earlier. So, in an effort to try and fall asleep, we turned on "27 Dresses" starring Katherine Heigl. Two quick notes on this movie:

1) Is it just me, or does Katherine Heigl seem mildly annoyed in every movie/tv show she stars in?

2) "27 Dresses" is an absolutely abysmal movie.

Note: This is not a biased opinion on chick flicks (we watched "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" the other night and I was terribly disappointed). But "Dresses" is just stupid, contrived and lame. And can Heigl play anything other than "slightly frazzled"?

Anyway, not to be completely negative, I have two big time recommendations:

1) THE SPELLMAN FILES by Lisa Lutz. I started this on my wife's recommendation, and loved it. Lutz is a terrifically funny writer, and her characters are witty and rich. We have the second book in the series, CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS, and I'm eager to dive in.

2) I was at the Barnes & Noble in the Grove in L.A. and heard a song over the speakers that I immediately thought was fantastic. I used the 'Shazaam' app on my iPod, and found out that the song was called "People, Turn Around" by a band called Delta Spirit. Well, I downloaded the song, then their live album, and I can honestly say I now love this band. Check them out.

And finally, I went with Brett Battles and Stephen Blackmoore to Barry Eisler's signing at the Mystery Bookstore. Barry surprised Brett and I by wearing the very t-shirt we gave him back in the summer of 2006 at ThrillerFest in Arizona:

I also finally had a chance to meet Bobby and Linda, both a pleasure, and they gave me the honor of signing the store's 'Jail Registery', a literal who's-who of every author who's set foot in the store. Everyone from Michael Connelly to Mickey Spillane. Needless to say, I took pictures:

Is there more eclectic company than Jerry Stahl, Val McDermid and Joan Rivers?

I sold three copies of my books on the 14th--and I was there as a fan. Now that's a great bookstore!

2009-03-12T12:37:00.004-04:00

City of Angels

Apologies for the lack of posts, but I'm on a business/pleasure trip in L.A. for the week. A few thoughts:

--I had the best coffee of perhaps my life yesterday at the Griddle Cafe on Sunset. Just delicious (making Homer Simpson drooling noise).

--I've stopped at four bookstores, and every one of them had at least one of my books. It's really just a thrill to see them outside of New York.

--Met up with my buddy/Killer Year mate Brett Battles yesterday. He introduced me to a very cool coffee shop called The Novel Cafe that seems very conducive to writing. Just tables and tables of people writing on laptops and drinking coffee while surrounded by packed bookshelves. I might have to steal this shop and bring it back to NYC.

--Californians don't have much perspective when it comes to weather. During our time here it's been 65 degrees and sunny, and people are literally apologizing to us for the terrible weather. Little do they know that last week I was literally digging our car out of the snow with a broom.

--Apparently Los Angeles basically shuts down at the slightest hint of rain. I actually kind of want to witness this.

--I'll be going to Barry Eisler's signing at the Mystery Bookstore on Saturday. This will be my first time seeing the renowned store (not my first time seeing Barry), and I'm very excited.

--Tonight we're having dinner and drinks with two friends, one who writes for a fantastic tv show and another who's a junior agent. Trying to get the whole L.A. experience. Tomorrow I will walk around in front of Grauman's and hope to be discovered. A nice producer already asked if I might be interested in writing for "independently-produced, mature-themed videos starring today's hottest young talents." This sounds like a great opportunity, though I did find it strange that he said I'd need to take a blood test before reporting to work. Hmm...

2009-03-06T08:05:00.004-05:00

Liveblogging the first 13 minutes of "Castle"

So there's this new show premiering called Castle, in which a rock-star mystery author (Nathan Fillion) tails a female cop (Stana Katic) in order to research his new book. Or something like that. Anyway, the first 13 minutes are online and I figured I'd live blog it.