The Bad and the Good
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
The Bad and The Good
"Grim...sad...unconvincing. Not for the squeamish."
No Home for Killers got reviewed in Publishers Weekly!
Squee! Let's do a FAQ!
Did they love it???
Well, see. No.
Good lord, then why are you telling us this?
All right, look FAQ, I promised you all when I started this newsletter that I'd share the truly good and bad about publishing. And publishing is a bit different than other careers - not better or worse, just different. My first day job was in marketing, for a cable network. I started there after college and I was happy and so, for twenty-two years, I rarely looked to leave. I respected and loved the people I worked with, and I don't believe in chasing happiness when you've already found it.
For most writers, that kind of predictable career trajectory is unattainable. Our career - and this is true for most in entertainment - is going to be a journey with an uncertain path.
And one of the shining stars I used to navigate my journey was that I'd never received a negative review from any of the four major trades.
I don't mean to Sir Mix-A-Lot this, but I'm sensing a "but."
But, yeah, I knew I was due.
Every writer gets reviews that eviscerate their work, and there's nothing we can do about it. And, more importantly, very few people outside of the industry actually read these reviews. They're written for booksellers and publishing insiders and librarians. Usually, the only time you hear about a review is when a writer shares a positive one.
That's a nice thing to tell yourself!
I know! I've said all this to many reeling writers, and it's very easy to consider in the abstract.
But, of course, it's different when it's your own work.
Does it matter what PW thinks?
Publishers Weekly was the first trade to review No Home for Killers, the first eyes to scan its pages outside of my agent and editors and friends. And those friends read the book to blurb it, and I kindly expected them to lie to me and call it the Book of the Year and tell me how envious they are of my talent (that's what friends do, I don't ask for much). So I'm beyond curious to know what people who don't owe me the kindness of friendship think.
Did they like it?
They said they did! And, look, I know No Home for Killers isn't going to appeal to everyone, although I think there are elements of the book that will. It probably is too brutal at times, although I think it's par for the course for dark thrillers. I disagree with other elements of PW's criticisms, but it's a given that I would.
So how did you feel after reading the review?
Shaken, like one of those weird belt things at old gyms that jiggled your fat.
I can't look away from that GIF. He's...wonderful.
Anyway, I was shaken. This book matters to me and, yes, of course, every book matters, but this is the first time I've had the opportunity to publish with a large publisher. This is one of the first times the people who depend on me have made money off my writing. And, as I've written in the past, No Home for Killers is the book I've written that I identify with the most. I love what I said, and I'm proud of how I said it. As a writer, that's our goal.
It's also exceptionally difficult to know when we've deceived ourselves.
Did other reviews come in yet? Did they say that they hate the book and despise you and your stupid haircut?
I waited for the other three major trade reviews to come in, Library Journal or Booklist (neither have reviewed my novels in the past) or Kirkus.
Oh. Kirkus.
I know. Kirkus has a notorious reputation for mean-spiritedness - if you want to play a fun game, ask any writer about Kirkus and watch them wince (this isn't to confuse Kirkus's paid service with their free reviews). I'd been fortunate to review a glowing review from Kirkus for They're Gone and, knowing their take-no-prisoners reputatiuon, it stunned me. But if PW went in on me, I worried Kirkus would do the same.
But like you said...
Like I said, I know better. Even though I tell myself not to worry, that it ultimately doesn't matter. That its one anonymous reviewer at a trade magazine. That, no matter what, I'll continue to believe in what I have to say.
And then the review from Kirkus came.
I read it dispassionately, and I told myself at the start it didn't matter. I also told myself that at the end.
And then I picked up my eight-year old son and danced with him around our kitchen, to his surprise and shrieking delight.
Kirkus liked it.
Was your son truly delighted to be dancing with his father?
Until my back started aching and I dropped him, yes.
And I know it doesn't matter. I know, no matter what Kirkus said, I'd be where I am right now. Sitting at my desk, writing this newsletter after excitedly working on a new novel.
But there is a validation in connection, in someone (whether that someone be a reviewer, a spouse, or a complete stranger) understanding what you attempted.
Can you use a metaphor to beat this point home? Just kidding, I don't want...
This is an uncertain journey. And, truthfully, particularly these last years, we've walked longer than we realize, and are probably more tired than we know.
Receiving a kind word, like a stranger helpfully offering you a flashlight to make sure you find your way in the dark, does give us strength.
It's important to understand that we're on the right path.
And sometimes that's all that matters.
No Home for Killers comes out February 1, 2023, and I'm truly excited for people to read it.
EA
I mentioned this in the last newsletter, but I'm really excited to have a story in this collection of stories, based off titles of Paul Simon songs! These music-themed anthologies have been popular in recent years, and celebrated short story writer Josh Pachter has done a fantastic job of spearheading many of these projects.Make sure you check out the anthology HERE or on the graphic below!
Kari James, Urban Native, is a fan of heavy metal, ripped jeans, Stephen King novels, and dive bars. She spends most of her time at her favorite spot in Denver, a bar called White Horse. There, she tries her best to ignore her past and the questions surrounding her mother who abandoned her when she was just two years old.
But soon after her cousin Debby brings her a traditional bracelet that once belonged to Kari’s mother, Kari starts seeing disturbing visions of her mother and a mysterious creature. When the visions refuse to go away, Kari must uncover what really happened to her mother all those years ago. Her father, permanently disabled from a car crash, can’t help her. Her Auntie Squeaker seems to know something but isn’t eager to give it all up at once. Debby’s anxious to help, but her controlling husband keeps getting in the way.
Kari’s journey toward a truth long denied by both her family and law enforcement forces her to confront her dysfunctional relationships, thoughts about a friend she lost in childhood, and her desire for the one thing she’s always wanted but could never have…
It’s spring and Three Pines is reemerging after the harsh winter. But not everything buried should come alive again. Not everything lying dormant should reemerge.
But something has.
As the villagers prepare for a special celebration, Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir find themselves increasingly worried. A young man and woman have reappeared in the Sûreté du Québec investigators’ lives after many years. The two were young children when their troubled mother was murdered, leaving them damaged, shattered. Now they’ve arrived in the village of Three Pines.
But to what end?
Gamache and Beauvoir’s memories of that tragic case, the one that first brought them together, come rushing back. Did their mother’s murder hurt them beyond repair? Have those terrible wounds, buried for decades, festered and are now about to erupt?
As Chief Inspector Gamache works to uncover answers, his alarm grows when a letter written by a long dead stone mason is discovered. In it the man describes his terror when bricking up an attic room somewhere in the village. Every word of the 160-year-old letter is filled with dread. When the room is found, the villagers decide to open it up.
As the bricks are removed, Gamache, Beauvoir and the villagers discover a world of curiosities. But the head of homicide soon realizes there’s more in that room than meets the eye. There are puzzles within puzzles, and hidden messages warning of mayhem and revenge.
In unsealing that room, an old enemy is released into their world. Into their lives. And into the very heart of Armand Gamache’s home.
Girls from immigrant communities have been disappearing for months in the Colorado town of Blackwater Falls, but the local sheriff is slow to act and the fates of the missing girls largely ignored. At last, the calls for justice become too loud to ignore when the body of a star student and refugee--the Syrian teenager Razan Elkader--is positioned deliberately in a mosque.
Detective Inaya Rahman and Lieutenant Waqas Seif of the Denver Police are recruited to solve Razan’s murder, and quickly uncover a link to other missing and murdered girls. But as Inaya gets closer to the truth, Seif finds ways to obstruct the investigation. Inaya may be drawn to him, but she is wary of his motives: he may be covering up the crimes of their boss, whose connections in Blackwater run deep.
Inaya turns to her female colleagues, attorney Areesha Adams and Detective Catalina Hernandez, for help in finding the truth. The three have bonded through their experiences as members of vulnerable groups and now they must work together to expose the conspiracy behind the murders before another girl disappears.
What could be more restful than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s generous brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It'll be three couples on this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R.
But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.
A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep.
How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?
Jody Asher had a plan. Her charismatic husband, Martin, would be a political icon. She, the charming wife, would fuel his success. For fifteen congressional terms, they were the golden couple on the Hill. Life was good. Until he wasn’t.
Martin’s secret affair with a young staffer doesn’t bother Jody personally. But professionally? It’s a legacy killer. Soon a reporter gets word of this scandal in the making, and Martin’s indiscretions threaten to ruin everything Jody has accomplished.
When Martin suddenly dies, it’s a chance to change the narrative—but the reporter won’t let go of his lead. As the balance of power shifts in the Asher house and on the Hill, it’s time for Jody to take control. And there’s nothing the ruthless widow won’t do to secure the future she’s entitled to. Even if she has a secret of her own.
When Alex first began posting unscripted family moments and motivational messages online, she had no intention of becoming an influencer. Overnight it seemed she’d amassed a huge following, and her hobby became a full-time job—one that was impossible to manage without her sharp-as-a-tack personal assistant, AC.
But all the good-will of her followers turns toxic when one controversial post goes viral in the worst possible way. Alex reaches out to AC for damage control, but her assistant has gone silent. This young woman Alex trusted with all her secrets, who had access to her personal information and front row seats to the pressure points in her marriage and family life, is now missing and the police are looking to Alex and her husband for answers. As Alex digs into AC’s identity – and a woman is found murdered – she’ll find the greatest threat isn’t online, but in her own living room.
Sherry Harris is a fixture in the crime writing community. She made a name for herself with her Agatha-nominated Sarah Winston Garage Sale mysteries, and she now has a new series out - the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries. These are cozies, and cozies often get a bad rap by stupid people. But I personally couldn't imagine the inventiveness of writing a compelling series and having each installment offer development as well as the sort of lovely recognition readers seek. Plus, Sherry's book are so funny! I gave a class for Writers Digest years ago about incorporating humor in your work, and Sherry's books were on my syllabus.
Oh, and in her spare time she served as the national freaking president of Sisters in Crime! She's amazing. I got tired just writing this.
And a writer Sherry Harris recommends?
Cheryl A. Head has a knack for grabbing readers from the first line and pulling them headlong into a story. With her Charlie Mack Motown Mystery series, she’s created a group of compelling and unique characters. They are so unlike each other, yet so emotionally real, that it takes her stories to the upper echelons of mystery writing. I’m anxiously waiting for the release of Time’s Undoing (February 28, 2023) based on the unsolved murder of a member of Cheryl’s family. I highly recommend reading everything Cheryl’s written.
To learn more about these authors, click on the photos above.
The Return of DC's Virtual Noir at the Bar!
One of the wonderful things that happened at in-person conferences this past year was the number of strangers stopping me (I rarely get stopped, so this was very cool) and telling me how much they loved the dozen or so virtual Noir at the Bars I did in 2020. And, honestly, I loved them too. So it's fun to have another one with Sara Jones singing and Chantal Tseng mixing and, honestly, this lineup is insane. We've had a lot of good virtual N@Bs, but I think this one will be the best. Find out more information and register HERE.
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...
mo______vine@gmail.com
Congrats, and keep your eye out for a separate e-mail from me!
I did something I've never done before. With my new day job and the new book coming out and the deadline for the next one coming up, I took a sabbatical from the Washington Independent Review of Books. I love that site and want to write for it forever, but I just didn't have the time to put together something worth reading. I'll return to it, but I needed a break.
But I'll have something in this space next month probably, because I'm a workaholic and that's VERY HEALTHY SHUT UP.
Speaking of health, my son and I have both been hit by the flu and, although I did my best to make sure this newsletter is coherent and grammatically apt, there may be miskates.
Until next time, much love and happy reading!