Update: August 29, 2008

New appearance:  Palatine (Illinois) Library, September 20, 2008 at 2 p.m.

See the Appearances Coming Up section way down below for details!

Five Star picks up Saintly Remains!

I'm thrilled to report that at long last Saintly Remains has found a publishing home, and it's right back where the series started, at Five Star Publishing. Tentative date is March, 2010. I know that's a long time between installments, but don't forget that if you want to a little more about what's happening with Nick Bertetto, there's a short story in the March/April issue of Crimespree magazine. (See the note below about that.)

Racing Can Be Murder is a 2008 Best Book of Indiana!

 In July, Racing Can Be Murder, which I co-edited and have a short story in, was named one of only two finalists in the 2008 Best Books of Indiana competition, fiction division, by the Indiana Center for the Book, which is sponsored by the Indiana State Library. At the awards ceremony on August 16, we were bested by Kirk Curnutt and his marvelous book, Chasing Out the Ghost, which I'll be reviewing in my "What I've Been Reading" section next time I update. Kirk is a terrific guy (and an upcoming mystery writer--Dixie Noir comes out in 2009), so if we had to lose, at least it was to someone we instantly liked. Brenda and I and the RCBM gang congratulate him on being declared the first place winner. 

But that means we took the silver (to put it in Olympic terms), and there's nothing wrong with that! We're thrilled to be recognized and receive the award.  Here's a group photo of those of us at the ceremony.  From left to right they are Tom and Adriane Doherty (our publishers at Cardinal Publishing), Debi Watson, Brenda Stewart, Diana Catt, me, Lucy Schilling, and Andrea Smith.

Short Story in Crimespree magazine

For those of you who are fans of the Nick Bertetto series, the March/April issue of Crimespree magazine carries my short story, "The Medium and the Man." The story is about Nick and his mom and dad, and the love his parents had for each other. I wrote it for my dad, who passed away recently. If you visit your local mystery bookstore looking for the the magazine, here's what it looks like:

The story begins on page 34.

Cover Man

Some of you know that I live in the small town of Plainfield, which is just outside of Indianapolis.  In a weird turn of events, I find myself on the cover of the latest issue of Plainfield magazine, promoting Racing Can Be Murder (see below for details of that book).  Here's what the cover looks like:

The story can be read online at www.plainfieldmagazine.com.

Racing Can Be Murder!

RCBM is an anthology of short stories put out by our local Sisters-in-Crime chapter (Speed City Indiana) that I was fortunate enough to co-edit with Brenda Robertson Stewart. The book has 19 short mysteries, all revolving around the Indianapolis 500. The book launch was last year (October 7th) at the Mystery Company in Carmel, and the book debuted at #14 on the Indianapolis best seller list. We've had good coverage from the local press, and a number of library appearances in the Indianapolis area both last year and this year, particularly in April, May and June. (The list is located below.) My own short story, "The Land Grab," appears in the book. RCBM (as we've taken to abbreviating it) is published by Blue River Press, a division of Cardinal Publishing, ISBN # 978-0-97633-619-8, $12.95 trade paperback.

How to get a copy if we're not coming to a store near you...

If you don't see a library or bookstore in the list below and you want an autographed copy, click here for The Mystery Company's website.  Jim Haung, owner of the Mystery Company, has some signed copies in stock, and if he runs out, we'll sign more!  Just a reminder that Jim ships for free on any new book, hardback or paperback.

Latest RCBM panel discussions and signing locations and dates:

We've done so many of these signings since the book came out last October, we're only doing a few of these over the next couple of months:

• September 6, Monrovia Library, 2 p.m.
• September 23, Barnes & Noble, IUPUI Campus Center, downtown Indy, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

I'm positive I'll be at the Monrovia Library, but am waiting for some other things to firm up before I can commit to the B&N signing. If I'm not there, though, rest assured that there will be many other authors from the anthology signing, and I encourage you to go. 

Angels Whisper is out in mass market paperback!

Well, sort of. Worldwide Library did in fact bring out the mass market paperback of Angels Whisper ($5.99). That's the good news. The bad news is, because Worldwide doesn't make their copies available to distributors, you won't be able to buy the book in bookstores. The even worse news is, they only printed the exact number of books needed to fulfill their contract with me. That means I received a small number of copies, and they are gone already. (Sigh.) I have a few remainders of the Angels Whisper hardback left, which I sell for a special low price. I'll have them with me at upcoming booksignings, convention appearances, and you can look for it (or ask for it) in independent booksellers who have obtained copies from me. Of course, you can always get my books from Jim Huang's marvelous bookstore, The Mystery Company, which can be reached toll free at 800-643-6737, or you can click here to get to that page on The Mystery Company's website. 

Check eBay for used copies of my books!

Someone showed up at a booksigning recently with a virtually new copy of Angels Whisper in paperback and I asked them where they got it.  Turns out, you can find copies on eBay.  So I guess if you're looking for a back copy, eBay is the place to search.

Odds & Ends:

• A quick reminder that Mystery Muses is out from Crum Creek Press.  It contains essays from 100 mystery authors about what author, and specifically which book, influenced them the most in becoming a writer. I was honored to be asked to be one of the 100, and my essay about Agatha Christie and And Then There Were None is in it.  Look for it at your local bookstore, or contact The Mystery Company to get a copy from them. It's an interesting read. I'm sure many of your favorite authors have essays in it.  By the way, the book won both the Anthony and the Macavity Awards in 2007 for mystery non-fiction, and was nominated for an Agatha Award in that category.  (This may be the closest I will ever get to one of those awards.)
• The Final Mayan Prophecy is an original screenplay I've finished under contract for a Hollywood producer.  Where it goes from here is anyone's guess (this is Hollywood, after all!)  I do have the rights to turn it into a novel, and I'm working on that now. More as details develop...
• Appearances  LIBRARIANS and BOOKSTORE MANAGERS:  I'm a hardworking author who will put on a good presentation, talk to all your patrons, and do my best to sell books without being alienating to customers. Want references? Want to book an appearance? Contact me via on my contact page.

What I've been reading...

Random Victim by Michael A. Black is a standalone novel from a writer I particularly admire. This is a break from his wonderful Ron Shade series.  It's a paperback original about corruption in Chicago and will keep you guessing, as the bodies pile up and the tension mounts, as to who is the source of the corruption. A tough, gritty novel, just the kind you'd expect from Mike, who's a veteran policeman. I very much recommend it.

The 47 Rules of Highly Effective Bank Robbers by Troy Cook is one of those fun books that you enjoy reading just because the writer has a great imagination. The characters are a little thin and sometime do things that felt inconsistent to me, but there is no doubt it's an entertaining novel that will keep you laughing. Troy is a former screenwriter and this is his first novel. As a novice screenwriter, I can see how he's been influenced by the conventions of screenplays and is just getting his feet wet in the differences of novel writing.  I have no doubt he will continue to develop and will become as good a novelist as he is screenwriter. If you want to read a book that has a lot of good laughs, pick up Troy's book.  It's out from Capital Crime Press.  Just heard that it's being developed into a movie, which makes perfect sense.  (And yes, I'm jealous...)

Speaking of laughs, you can't go wrong with a Janet Evanovich book, and Fearless Fourteen is another outstanding entry.  This time Brenda's wacky new character is Brenda (no last name, like Cher), an aging country singer/reality TV star/reporter who turns out to be a great foil for the Stephanie and Lula team, who are protecting her from a stalker.  There's the usual Ranger/Morelli dilemma, and Tank and Lula get engaged.  Plus, Grandma Mazur takes up playing online video games.  It's a scream.  You'll love it.

What the Dead Know by Laura Lippmna was recommended to me by Mystery Company bookstore owner Jim Huang as a book to get my wife Debbie (an avid mystery reader) to take on our recent trip to Hawaii.  Debbie couldn't put it down! I had the chance to read it later, and I agree. It's an excellent book that gets you into the heads of a bunch of different characters, as you (along with the detectives) try to figure out what happened to the two sisters that disappeared from Baltimore and how one of them has now shown up, claiming her sister was  murdered. Great suspense work in a standalone novel from Lippman.

Want an autographed, personalized copy of my books? 

Autographed, personalized copies of any of my books that are still in stock can be had from The Mystery Company in Carmel, Indiana, which is not too far from where I live.  The staff will take your book order and ship you a copy. Shipping is FREE!  Be sure to let them know that you would like it autographed and personalized (and to whom it should be personalized) and I will go into their store and sign it accordingly before they ship it. Please note that Jim Huang (the bookstore owner) DOES NOT CHARGE for this service! So between the free shipping and the autographed, personalized copy, it's a bargain. The Mystery Company's toll free number is 1-800-643-6737, or you can click here to get to that page on The Mystery Company's website. 

Appearances Coming Up:

(See the above list of library appearances for Racing Can be Murder. As for the rest of this year, I'll add when I know for sure what I'm doing.  But I'll no doubt be at Magna.)

Palatine Public Library, Palatine, Illinois, Saturday, September 20, 2008, 2 p.m.

I'll be appearing at Palatine with several of my good friends, including Julie Hyzy, Michael A. Black, and Doug Cummings, and we'll be talking about...what else?  mysteries.  Special thanks to librarian Marlene Leonardi for arranging the talk.  If you're in that area, please stop by and visit with us.

Magna Cum Murder, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, October 24-26 2008   

Magna is one of my most favorite conferences.  Kathryn Kennison, who created the conference and heads it up, is terrific.  There are always a lot of authors, great panels, and great fans!  If you've never been, you should take it in.  Everyone is friendly and gracious.