I Got My Name in the Paper!
By E.A. Aymar
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Author's Note
New Releases (That I'm Excited About!)
Two Writers You Should Read
Events
It's Contest Time!
Other Writing
I Got My Name in the Paper!
I mentioned this in my last newsletter, but something very cool happened a month or so ago. I got a byline in the Washington Post!
I write quite a bit of nonfiction, almost entirely essays, but this was the biggest publication I’ve written for. It was cool to be a part of it for a few reasons, and I’d figured I’d tell you all how it happened and what I thought about it. FAQ style.
So, E.A., how’d it happen, FAQ style?
Honestly, out of the blue. One of the book editors from the Post e-mailed me and asked if I’d be interested in writing a crime fiction roundup.
Because you’re becoming a well-known figure in the literary landscape?
Lolzno. A friend passed along my name to the editor. I had no idea, but it was the sweetest thing.
Did you like doing it?
Well, yes and no.
Why the hell not? It’s THE POST. Don’t you like writing book reviews?
Here’s the thing…not really?
Don’t get me wrong, I think book reviews are hugely important and impactful, and I admire the craft. People like Kristopher Zgorski and Dru Ann Love have been wonderful champions of the crime fiction community, particularly of women and writers-of-color and cozies, all of which have been historically disregarded. I like what they do.
And I’ve written book reviews before. I wrote a handful for the Independent, and I still distinctly remember the two I wrote that were negative. I tried to be fair, and I was desperate to make sure my critiques were validated, but I still felt terrible about them. I don’t want to give negative reviews.
Unless the writer is, like, a bigot. Or just super duper sucks.
But in any event, there are other things I’d prefer to write. Fortunately, I didn’t have to worry about giving a negative review with the four books I read for this writeup.
But you knew this was a review, right?
I did! And, despite my hesitation about writing reviews, I felt like it was too good an opportunity to pass up, and I’m not in a place where I feel I can turn down good opportunities. My mindset, though, was to approach this differently.
Mainly I want to write novels. But when I do write essays, I want them to fall under the category of "commentary” rather than “review.” There’s a writer I admire named Steph Cha who is a passionate, fearless voice in crime fiction, and her nonfiction is a compelling exploration of crime writing’s cultural significance.
That was my hope for this crime fiction roundup.
How’d that go for you?
Not well! I wrote a scathing introduction to the column about the sexist disparity faced by women writers in crime fiction, and how these four novels firmly counter that narrative.
That was, um, not what the Post had in mind.
So you’re mad at the Post? It sounds like you’re mad.
Not in the least. We compromised, and I was okay with the compromise. And, look, this is what professional writing is. Every bit of published writing fits into some sort of category and, to an extent, follows the rules of that category.
More importantly, the Post wasn’t wrong.
In a review, there’s a duty of the reviewer to the book, not to themselves. I have my own social and political views, and I have a personal rule as a reviewer NOT to impose those views on the book. If I did, that would make the review more about me, and less about the other writer. And that’s what my early version did. I don’t think they were wrong to change it.
I do think the points I made were worth stating, but not in the context I was offered. That’s fair.
Are you going to write more roundups?
I don’t know. I think I would, either with the Post or elsewhere, but I’d have to think about it. This review was rather voiceless, and that made me sad. A writer’s individual voice is so important; it’s the thing that I loved so much when I first started reading. I think it’s the reason most people return to the same writers, either in books or bylines. There wasn’t anything in my review that was particularly unique.
I wouldn’t write something else in that same vein, although maybe writing more of these would help me figure out a way to personalize a review in a way that’s fair to the reviewed books, but also offers readers a good reading experience. The kind of thing Ron Charles does so well.
If I felt like I wasn’t going in that direction, then I’d probably refuse.
Your complaining is so irritating. That’s not a question.
I know it is! I’m sorry! I’m truly grateful for the opportunity.
And, look, something lovely came out of it. One of the writers posted on social media how she was so touched that the Washington Post gave her book a glowing review. She said she was near tears, and that just made me so happy. To give that kind of excitement to someone else, to another writer, was the loveliest feeling. I’m glad I was able to do that, to provide that kind of warmth. Really, that’s the goal of writing, right? To write something that offers that emotional connection, that gift.
So when I say I’m grateful, I do mean it.
EA
As I said, I have my own social and political views.
Jackie & Me
Louis Bayard
In 1951, former debutante Jacqueline Bouvier is hard at work as the Inquiring Camera Girl for a Washington newspaper. Her mission in life is “not to be a housewife,” but when she meets the charismatic congressman Jack Kennedy at a Georgetown party, her resolution begins to falter. Soon the two are flirting over secret phone calls, cocktails, and dinner dates, and as Jackie is drawn deeper into the Kennedy orbit, and as Jack himself grows increasingly elusive and absent, she begins to question what life at his side would mean. For answers, she turns to his best friend and confidant, Lem Billings, a closeted gay man who has made the Kennedy family his own, and who has been instructed by them to seal the deal with Jack’s new girl. But as he gets to know her, a deep and touching friendship emerges, leaving him with painfully divided alliances and a troubling dilemma: Is this the marriage she deserves?
Narrated by an older Lem as he looks back at his own role in a complicated alliance, this is a courtship story full of longing and of suspense, of what-ifs and possible wrong turns. It is a surprising look at Jackie before she was that Jackie. And in best-selling author Louis Bayard’s witty and deeply empathetic telling, Jackie & Me is a page-turning story of friendship, love, sacrifice, and betrayal— and a fresh take on two iconic American figures.
No Love Lost
LynDee Walker
A trail of dead bodies throws Texas Ranger Faith McClellan into a race to catch a serial killer obsessed with stealing organs…
The Rangers are running an active shooter simulation in an empty mall when they find a young woman’s body, wrapped in plastic in a mechanical closet. When the medical examiner discovers that this woman is missing several organs, it is Faith’s first clue that this is not your average murder.
Soon, Faith discovers a trail of bodies matching the killer’s M.O., all stored in remote indoor locations, all with organs removed, each one closer to the last. With the missing organs affecting the decomposition timeline, it’s almost impossible to pinpoint the time of each murder, and the investigation takes on a life of its own.
Faith will risk everything to put a stop to the murders—but the killer is smarter than she thinks, and they won’t hesitate to cut down anyone who interferes with their lethal plan…
Lawyers, Guns, and Money: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Warren Zevon
Edited by Libby Cudmore and Art Taylor
From classics like “Werewolves of London,” “Excitable Boy,” and “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” to lesser-known gems across a career spanning nearly four decades, the songs of Warren Zevon are rich with crime and intrigue and suspense—guns and gunners, assassins and drug dealers, a supernatural serial killer, and a heap of hapless losers along the way too. And Zevon himself was a fan of crime fiction, especially the work of iconic mystery writer Ross Macdonald, to whom Zevon dedicated his 1980 album Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School.
In Lawyers, Guns, and Money, fifteen fantastic writers—avid fans of Zevon’s genius—offer fresh spins on his discography with tales that span the mystery genre: caper, espionage, noir, paranormal, private eye, and more.
Contributors include Gray Basnight, William Boyle, Dana Cameron, Libby Cudmore, Hilary Davidson, Steve Liskow, Nick Mamatas, Paul D. Marks, Matthew Quinn Martin, Josh Pachter, Charles Salzberg, Laura Ellen Scott, Alex Segura, Kevin Burton Smith, and Brian Thornton.
White Out
Dana King
It’s been a tough winter in Penns River and things aren’t getting any better. A major snowstorm looms as a police officer shoots and kills a man after a bar fight. There are four complicating factors:
1. No weapon is found on the dead man.
2. The cop is Black; the victim is white.
3. The victim is not just white; he’s a white supremacist.
4. A national leader of the movement wants to use Penns River to set an example and create a martyr for the cause.
Fellow travelers from several neighboring states converge on the town for the funeral as an even bigger snowstorm roars in with them.
While the Penns River police try to keep the lid on, the Allegheny Casino holds a poker tournament. One hundred players each put up $10,000 in cash. The winner walks away with all of it. In cash. The situation is fraught enough without the local cops having to answer every call as if it might be the start of a riot.
Meanwhile, business as usual goes on. Domestic calls still require attention. Traffic accidents increase in the snow. The police department is in transition as older officers leave, their slots filled by either new officers fresh out of the academy, or those who followed the new chief to Penns River from Boston and have big-city attitudes about small town situations.
Detective Ben “Doc” Dougherty is still getting used to his sergeant’s stripes as he’s pulled into the streets for riot duty and must confront the idea some of his peers may be more sympathetic to the incoming agitators than they are to some of those they swore to protect and serve.
The weekend will stretch the department to its breaking point as events converge to a violent conclusion.
More Than You'll Ever Know
Katie Gutierrez
The dance becomes an affair, which becomes a marriage, which becomes a murder...
In 1985, Lore Rivera marries Andres Russo in Mexico City, even though she is already married to Fabian Rivera in Laredo, Texas, and they share twin sons. Through her career as an international banker, Lore splits her time between two countries and two families—until the truth is revealed and one husband is arrested for murdering the other.
In 2017, while trawling the internet for the latest, most sensational news reports, struggling true-crime writer Cassie Bowman encounters an article detailing that tragic final act. Cassie is immediately enticed by what is not explored: Why would a woman—a mother—risk everything for a secret double marriage? Cassie sees an opportunity—she’ll track Lore down and capture the full picture, the choices, the deceptions that led to disaster. But the more time she spends with Lore, the more Cassie questions the facts surrounding the murder itself. Soon, her determination to uncover the truth could threaten to derail Lore’s now quiet life—and expose the many secrets both women are hiding.
In The Dark We Forget
Sandra SG Wong
When a woman wakes up with amnesia beside a mountain highway, confused and alone, she fights to regain her identity, only to learn that her parents have disappeared—not long after her mother bought a winning $47 million lottery ticket.
As her memories painfully resurface and the police uncover details of her parents’ mysterious disappearance, Cleo Li finds herself under increasing suspicion. Even with the unwavering support of her brother, she can’t quite reconcile her fears with reality or keep the harrowing nightmares at bay. As Cleo delves deeper for the truth, she cannot escape the nagging sense that maybe the person she should be afraid of...is herself.
Beneath Cruel Waters
Jon Bassoff
Holt Davidson, a Kansas firefighter, hasn't been back to his hometown of Thompsonville, Colorado, for more than two decades, but when he learns that his estranged mother has taken her own life, he returns for the funeral, hoping to make peace with her memory. He spends the night at his childhood home, rummaging through each room, exploring the past. But instead of nostalgic souvenirs, he discovers a gun, a love letter, and a Polaroid photograph of a man lying in his own blood.
Who is the dead man? Was his mother the one who killed him, and, if so, why? Who sent the love letter? And what role did his sister, institutionalized since she was a teenager, play in this act of violence? As his own traumatic memories begin to resurface, Holt begins an investigation into his mother's and sister's pasts -- as well as his own.
Hilary Davidson is one of my favorite writers and people in the crime fiction community. I had the chance to work with her on the pair of anthologies I co-edited with Sarah M. Chen, The Night of the Flood and The Swamp Killers, and she's such a powerhouse of a writer - gifted, versatile, with a enviable understanding of craft. She's one of those authors who fits that description of "your favorite writer's favorite writer," and it was recently announced that her latest novel (the outstanding Her Last Breath) has sold over 50,000 copies! Her next book, a novella in the Grifter's Bond series, comes out next month (look for it in the recommendations section of next month's newsletter).
And a writer Hilary recommends?
I’d like to recommend the best debut novel I’ve read in forever: HER NAME IS KNIGHT by Yasmin Angoe. Speaking as a fan of TV shows like “Alias” and “Queen Sono” that feature kick-ass heroines and complicated family dramas, this book completely captivated me. It’s a thriller with the power of a rocket that takes you to international settings while also being emotionally honest about the lingering effects of trauma. The best news is that it’s the start of a series and book two, THEY COME AT KNIGHT, will be out in September. I can’t wait!
To learn more about these authors, click on the photos above.
I have no events this month.
It's contest time! The monthly contest winner wins copies of the books listed in my "Two Writers You Should Read" segment. And the winner is...
warriorprincess__@_____.com
Well, that's just the baddest-ass e-mail I've ever seen! Congrats, and keep your eye out for a separate e-mail from me!
Last year I wrote about the launch of Sisters in Crime's Pride Award, a grant for LGBTQIA+ writers. A year later, I had the chance to interview the inaugural winner of the Pride Award, C.J. Prince! You can read the interview in the Washington Independent Review of Books.
Until next time, much love and happy reading!