Out of Control
Drugs never worked for me. The (few) times I smoked or swallowed anything illegal, I worried excessively about being out of control of my actions, far too much to enjoy the hallucinatory effects. Even alcohol, contrary to its idealized purpose, leaves me unhappy when I overindulge. I am decidedly more satisfied sober, and completely in control.
My new novel has been on submission this fall and, for those that don’t know, having a book on submission is brutal. At any moment (literally any moment), you can check your e-mail and open it up to an offer for publication – an offer that validates the time you put into your book and, in many respects, genuinely changes your life.
Most often, however, your e-mail is empty. And that validation, and the potential for greater success, is still off in the distance. A blurry but visible horizon.
And that success isn’t just about you. You want, and need, to support the people who support you. I’m fortunate to know wonderful people. My literary agent is outstanding, both as a confidant and professional ally, and I genuinely love working with her. My wife is patient and loving and undemanding. My friends outside of writing are caring and, in many cases, the results of relationships spanning over twenty or thirty years. And I unabashedly love the friends I’ve made through writing – I can tell many of them will be lifelong friends, even if we only met this last decade. My day job rarely interferes with my non-working hours. Some of this is the result of a life carefully crafted to support writing. Some of it is luck. All of it is fortunate.
Still, it’s hard to maintain perspective or gratefulness when your novel is being considered by publishers, and the waiting for responses stretches on. I’ve written about this before, so I won’t take up too much time here. I only write all this to say that, for me, the lack of control is shaking.
And, as always, the only thing you can control is your writing. The only thing you can control is the excitement of what you’re writing next, that joyous, secretive feeling of a new idea or character or plot twist.
That tapping into an unknown universe where, suddenly, the stars are filled with light.
As we close this year, for all those who have spent 2019 searching for some sort of refuge – whether it’s a home or a relationship or a professional environment – I wish you success in finding it. And, just as importantly, I wish you happiness during the search.
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University Club Annual Book Fair
This Wednesday is the annual book fair at the University Club of Washington, D.C. Stop by on Wednesday night to purchase books from some of the region's best writers. I've never been to this event, but I've heard great things, and I'm excited to hock The Unrepentant this Wednesday.
Mystery Author Extravaganza
Every year the local chapter of Sisters in Crime has an event at Reston Public Library where chapter members, who published a book or story that year, have the chance to briefly discuss their work with their fellow members and the public. It's another wonderful opportunity to load up on gift for you and your nerd friends!
They also have cookies and the cookies are always amazing. The event is Saturday, 12/7, at 1 PM.
I am so excited about the two writers in this month's "Two Writers You Should Read!" Nadine Nettmann has moved from a writer I didn't personally know, but professionally admired, to someone that I now consider a valued friend and confidant. Her Sommelier mysteries were acclaimed and a frequent at annual awards. She and Jess Lourey, the writer she chose to highlight, were both with Midnight Ink, a fantastic independent publisher that, regrettably, shuttered. Happily, Lourey's next novel, Unspeakable Things, is coming out from Thomas and Mercer this month, and Nadine explains why you should read it:
A writer people should read is Jess Lourey. I’ve just finished Unspeakable Things and I can’t stop thinking about it. While Jess has multiple books (her Mira James series is delightful) and multiple award nominations, I feel Unspeakable Things is her breakout book and should be on everyone’s radar.
Thanks to Nadine for this suggestion, and click on the pics and names above to learn more about both writers and their most recent work.
It's contest time! as I mentioned last month, I've decided to change my approach to the costume going forward. The monthly contest winner is going to win copies of the two books listed in my "Two Writers You Should Read" segment. SO, the winner of this month's contest, and copies of Pairing a Deception and Unspeakable Things (upon publication this month) is...
bunnyclem@______.
Congrats, Bunny! I hope you're not really a rabbit because, if so, these books will be lost on you. If not, check your e-mail for a separate note from me, and happy reading!
Two other writers I'd like to mention in this newsletter are Dharma Kelleher and Chris McGinley. I had the opportunity to blurb both their upcoming books, and I want to recommend them to you guys.
Dharma writes two different series, and I blurbed the latest in her Jinx Ballou series, about a trans bounty hunter who lives and works in Arizona:
There is no shortage of dangers coming at transgender bounty hunter Jinx Ballou in Dharma Kelleher's A Broken Woman, but Ballou is a protagonist readers will root for as she navigates her way through bullets and hatred. Unapologetically feminist, socially progressive, and filled with vivid action, deep relationships, and sharp twists, Kelleher has written a fearless, much-needed thriller as we close out a tense, complicated decade.
And Chris McGinley's powerful collection of short fiction, Coal Black, tells the stories of people in rural Appalachia:
Brutal yet beautiful, sparse but with moments of lush emotional resonance, Chris McGinley's debut collection of short fiction, Coal Black, heralds a new and necessary voice in crime fiction. The prose is so sharp that it begs to be read slowly, to linger with the reader, as McGinley's stories explore the effects of a lost industry and the devastation of opioids in rural Appalachia. Rarely have I come across a debut so assured. This is a book that deserves an audience, and stories that deserve to be remembered.
You can pre-order A Broken Woman HERE. The pre-order page for Coal Black isn't up yet, but it comes out on December 13. I'll be posting the sales link on social media, or you can keep an eye on Shotgun Honey for order details.
As for other writing, I wrote a column for the Independent about diversity in publishing, and the resistance from publishing's old guard. At the end of every year, it's common for writers to highlight what they're most proud of, and I'm really proud of that column. I don't often engage in writings' wars on social media, because I try to keep social media a light, happy place, so I save my thoughts for these essays. And this one meant a lot to me
The other thing this year that I'm proud of is, of course, The Unrepentant. The first book I wrote (I'll Sleep When You're Dead) was with a tiny publisher and didn't exactly make waves upon publication. It's sequel (You're As Good As Dead) followed that same pattern, and my agent and I made the decision to pull those books from the publisher, with the hope of someday finding them a new home. I was okay with that decision - the first novel had some of the growing pains common to first novels and, although I thought the sequel was markedly better, the readership was low.
The Unrepentant was many things for me but, career-wise, it was the opportunity to establish myself, to write a book I was proud of, a book that proved I deserved a seat at the table. Appropriately, I was terrified on publication day, but the enthusiasm and support for the book this year has meant so much to me. Thank you to everyone who bought it and read it and posted about it or recommended it. It means so much more than you realize.
Now let's get back to work.
Have the happiest of holidays, and I'll see you in 2020.