About Me

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"We need to make books cool again. If you go home with someone & they don't have books, don't fuck 'em."--John Waters

I'm the author of more than twenty novels including SHADOW SEASON, THE COLD SPOT, THE COLDEST MILE, THE MIDNIGHT ROAD, THE DEAD LETTERS, and A CHOIR OF ILL CHILDREN. Look for my next one THE LAST KIND WORDS due out May '12 from Bantam Books. Contact: PicSelf1@aol.com

Thursday, July 30, 2009

"What's Been Going On, Pic?" Well, Since You Asked...

Let's hope he doesn't fall off the roof while reviewing THE COLDEST MILE. Our favorite librarian from the L.D. Fargo public library in Lake Mills, WI is out of the basement and up on the roof battling his air conditioning unit while telling the world on YouTube to check out TCM.

New interview up with the nicest writer of haunting crime novels you're likely to find, the inimitable Ed Gorman. Check out what he has to say about his latest THE MIDNIGHT ROOM over at The Big Adios.

A new blurb for SHADOW SEASON is in from one of the very best in the biz. If you haven't already checked out Bill Pronzini's novels, you're doing a disservice to yourself. His Nameless Detective series continues to rock hard after 40 years, and his standalone novels are just as good.

"Reading SHADOW SEASON is like being put through an emotional wringer. Visceral. Savage. Intense. Powerful. Finn is a fascinating character, the most complex of all Pic's noir protagonists; I can't think of another in recent memory with such a multi-faceted personality or more compelling mix of gut-level feelings. Flawless portrayal of his blindness and his ways of dealing with it, particularly in crisis situations. For my money, Pic's best novel to date."--Bill Pronzini, MWA Grandmaster

Books you should be reading:

Ken Bruen & Reed Farrel Coleman's dynamic & twisted collaboration TOWER.

Lester Dent's lost crime novel HONEY IN HIS MOUTH written back in '56 by the man who brought you most of the Doc Savage pulps. Sharp & engaging noir.

HOGDOGGIN' by Anthony Neil Smith, a riotous hardboiled biker novel. Sequel to his YELLOW MEDICINE.

Megan Abbott's superb historical noir BURY ME DEEP, based on the true story of the "Trunk Murderess."

PARIAH by Dave Zeltserman, brutally dark follow-up to his first novel SMALL CRIMES.

Charlie Williams' uber-funky crime-horror-dark fantasy-rock'n'roll crossover STAIRWAY TO HELL.

KILLING MUM by Allan Guthrie, a black as night noir about a murder broker who discovers somebody wants him to off his own mother. And the Kindle version comes with a grabber of a cover, featuring a squirrel that looks ready to chew your face off, man.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Soft Hearts of Hard Case Crime

Some generous words have come in from one of my faves and yours: "Tom Piccirilli is at the forefront of the new breed of crime writers, welding his sense of history to a modern sensibility, creating a strong new voice."--Max Allan Collins, author of ROAD TO PERDITION.

Check out Al's Hard Case Crime novels featuring his hitman for hire QUARRY.

And:

He's hot! You love him! You want him! You need him! You got him! New interview with crime/suspense author Jason Starr, author of THE FOLLOWER, FAKE ID, and the upcoming PANIC ATTACK over at The Big Adios.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

More on Punisher #75


In Joe Quesada's regular Cup O' Joe column he spotlights Punisher #75, an issue where the direction of Punisher Max is bound to change.

Kiel Phegley: After last week’s CUP O’ JOE about Marvel’s pricing sparked discussion of what gets published under the MAX banner, you’re back with some MAX news this week on the Punisher front?

Joe Quesada: Yup. “Punisher: Frank Castle” #75 is a double-sized special with stories by Charlie Huston (“Moon Knight”), Gregg Hurwitz (“Vengeance of Moon Knight”), Peter Milligan, Duane Swierczynski and a great crime novelist, Thomas Piccirilli with art by Ken Lashley (“Black Panther”), Laurence Cambpell (“Punisher”), Das Pastoras (“Wolverine”) and more.
All the stories take a hard look at that fateful day in Central Park when Frank Castle’s family was slaughtered in a mob crossfire, and the Punisher was born.
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Looks like crime fiction fans are really going to have a good time with this one. Charlie Huston's "Hank Thompson" books are some of my very fave neo-noir novels (and also make sure you check out his latest THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH). Gregg Hurwitz's latest TRUST NO ONE is racing up the charts, and my buddy Duane Swierczynski tackles suspense/thriller fiction like no one else out there. His novels SEVERANCE PACKAGE, THE BLONDE, and THE WHEELMAN are all ripsnorters that will keep you nailed to the page

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Neuroses is Me, Still

Amazing how after 20 years, 20+ novels, and 200+ stories, the skin can still be thin and the insecurities abundant. Advance Reading Copies (actually just bound manuscripts as for the time being Bantam is no longer printing true arcs up for their mass market paperback originals) of my new novel SHADOW SEASON are winging their way to various reviewers, friends, peers, comrades, hopefully a literary hero or two--and so once again my heart's on the line. I guess it never gets any easier, really. And I guess it's not supposed to. The fact that a writer still worries, gets excited, or becomes anxious is probably a sign that this bizarre biz/art of ours still matters deeply to us. Or maybe we are just fucking crazy.

ITW Announces Thriller Award Winners

On the evening of Saturday, July 11th, 2009, the International Thriller Writers announced the winners of their literary awards at a gala celebration in New York City. Unfortunately I couldn't be in attendance though my tale "Between the Dark and the Daylight" from Ellery Queen was up in the short story category. I got crushed but I hold no grudges. I'm just all zen-like and shit.

ThrillerMaster Award: David Morrel: In recognition of his vast body of work and influence in the field of literature
Silver Bullet Award: Brad Meltzer: For contributions to the advancement of literacy
Best Thriller of the Year: THE BODIES LEFT BEHIND by Jeffery Deaver (Simon & Schuster)
Best First Novel: CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith (Grand Central Publishing)
Best Short Story: THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN by Alexandra Sokoloff (in Darker Mask)

Congratulations to the winners.

A generous comment came in from Publishers Weekly about the piece, which is also the title of the new Gorman & Greenberg Year's Best.

Between the Dark and the Daylight and 27 More of the Best Crime and Mystery Stories of the Year Edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg. Bleak House (www.bleakhousebooks.com), $27.95 (600p) ISBN 978-1-60648-058-8; $17.95 paper ISBN 978-1-60648-059-5

"Gorman and Greenberg follow up A Prisoner of Memory (2008) with another impressive anthology, which features a diverse assortment of styles and settings. Readers familiar with Steve Hockensmith only from his novels will enjoy "The Devil’s Acre," a typically amusing story featuring the Amlingmeyer brothers, cowboys inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Joyce Carol Oates continues to display her facility with crime fiction with her portrait of a man’s descent into violence in "The First Husband." The title story should attract deserved notice for Tom Piccirilli, who tugs at the heartstrings while maintaining the moral relativism of classic noir. Other contributors include Michael Connelly, T. Jefferson Parker, Charlaine Harris, Bill Pronzini and Charles Ardai. "