Such a Heel
Why, yes, the painting above is titled The Death of Achilles and, no, I don't think I'm being dramatic.
So, as you may have heard if you follow me on social media, or if you're just a big fan of people complaining, I tore my Achilles tendon a week or so ago and I'm housebound for the next six weeks. That means no ThrillerFest (happening right now!) and no 1455 Lit Fest (happening next weekend). But I'll be ready for this year's Suffolk Mystery Author Festival, which is one of the area's best festivals (see LynDee Walker's write-up here), and I have the enviable task of interviewing this year's headliner, Julie Hyzy!
In the meantime, I'll be home recuperating, writing, and reading, and probably watching way too much TV. What am I saying? There can't be too much TV.
Suffolk Mystery Author Festival
I mentioned this above, but I'm really excited to take part in this year's SMAF! I was supposed to do it last year, but my Jeep needed repairs and I couldn't make the trip. Fortunately, the only thing that needs repairs this year is me!
Northern Virginia Noir at the Bar
You might know that I host the D.C. Noir at the Bar reading series, and I'm really happy that short story master Josh Pachter took it upon himself to start a NoVa counterpart (and that he invited me to read at the debut event)! We have so many outstanding writers in this area that it's impossible to get them all on stage once a year, so the more events, the better. Make sure you come out for this one on Sunday night, August 25th!
The Unrepentant
Thanks again to everyone for all of your support for The Unrepentant. I keep hearing from people who read it, months now after the pub date, and their warm thoughts (and occasional "are you, um, okay" sentiments) are truly wonderful to hear. And, of course, if you read the book and are so inclinced, a review on Amazon or GoodReads would be fantastic.
I've been a fan of Laura Ellen Scott's for a while (and you might remember her from this feature when Tara Laskowski wrote about her). So I'll read anything she writes, and I'll also read anyone she recommends. I'll let her explain why you should pick up Penni Jones' latest work:
We’ve got this growing, growling pack of grit lit writers taking us to the edge and over it, and Penni Jones is an alpha in the making. Whether she’s writing about an anxious parolee in Arkansas or righteous bootlegger in the Religious Resistance, Jones is unflinching.
And click on the images above to learn more about Laura, Penni, and their most recent books.
My flash fiction story "Eulogy" was published in the most recent issue of Mystery Tribune magazine! You can check it out HERE.
My most recent column in the Washington Independent Review of Books was about the importance of writing inside and completely defacing all of your print books. As you can imagine, that went over well. I also recorded a fun podcast for So Many Books, So Little Time. And I had the fantastic fortune to be interviewed in three great places by three great writers. First, Roger Johns talked with me about craft for the Murder Books blog. Then Clea Simon had me on her blog for her "Five Questions" segment. And my friend and occasional co-editor Sarah M. Chen interviewed me for the Los Angeles Review of Books, which is a wonderful site that completely flooded me with imposter syndrome (in a good way). Thanks to all the writers and sites who took the time out to talk with me!
Oh yeah! I have to do that contest thing!
Without further pause, the winner of an Amazon gift card is...
Kerri Greenwell!
Kerri, you'll receive an e-mail soon from me! Good luck, everyone, for next month!
Thank you for reading! If you see me hobbling somewhere, please purse your lips and convey your deepest sympathies. It's all I ask.
EA