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 29, 2010

You'd Better Watch Out


That's the title of my latest noirella (with incredible kickass artwork by Andrew McKiernan), due to be published in Festive Fear. Info below:

FESTIVE FEAR – GLOBAL EDITION

The fear returns and this time it’s worldwide! Anthology of original dark stories set around the Christmas period. Tales that will encourage you to check and recheck doors and windows are securely locked, that you know exactly what ingredients went into the punch before taking a sip, and evokes a heart murmur every time you hear, "Merry Christmas!"

Gift bearers:
Christopher Conlon - Christmas Night
Steve Cameron - Ghost of the Heart
Paul Kane - Humbuggered
Tim Curran - That Olde Christmas Spirit
B. Michael Radburn - They Own the Night
Ellen Shaw & Wayne C Rogers - Givers & Takers
Scott Tyson - Dear Santa
GNBraun - Santa Akbar!
Matthew R. Davis - Debutante
Adrian Chamberlin - Winter Sun
Daniel I Russell - It Comes But Once a Year
Alison J Littlewood - Cold White Fields
Lee Thompson - A Bell Ringing in the Empty Sky
Tom Piccirilli - You'd Better Watch Out

Now available to pre-order through the Horror Mall: https://www.horror-mall.com/FESTIVE-FEA ... 21016.html

Cover art by Daniele Serra
Internal illustrations by Andrew McKiernan
Limited to 200 soft covers
Only $15.95
Released this December


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New blog by me up at The Book Trib: "Neverending Puberty and Ongoing Mid-Life Crisis Duke it Out for My Soul and Career." http://booktrib.com/?tag=tom-piccirilli

You can check out my tale "Husks and Formless Ruins" for free online at: http://www.thehorrorzine. Drop a line and let me know if you enjoy it.

Ed Gorman weighs in on my noirella The Last Deep Breath. He says, in part: "Tom Piccirilli has given us a small but absolute masterpiece that is the kind of work that all neo-noir should aspire to."

New interview with Bill Pronzini, creator of the Nameless Detective series, up over at The Big Adios: http://thebigadios.yuku.com/topic/1223

Norm Partridge has some generous words about my work in his latest blog. http://americanfrankenstein.blogspot.com/2010/07/dedication-day.html

Monday, July 12, 2010

Thrillerfest & THE COLDEST MILE

Just got back from Thrillerfest in NYC, a conference I’d never attended before but will certainly be heading off to again. What a great bunch of encouraging, embracing folks. The big news was that THE COLDEST MILE won a Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original, so wha hoo for that (...and yes, just let me repeat, wha hoo).

It was especially great to meet the hardworking Bantam/Random House Publishing team, whose efforts I appreciate in the extreme. So a big shout-outs to:

Gina Centrello, President and Publisher of the Random House Publishing Group; Kim Hovey, Associate Publisher of Ballantine Bantam Dell, Libby McGuire, Publisher of Ballantine Bantam Dell; Kristin Fassler, marketing; Theresa Zoro and Susan Corcoran, publicity; Kate Miciak, Editorial Director, Jennifer Hershey, Editorial Director, and Randall Klein, editor, who promised he would catch me if I stage-dived into the audience, despite the fact that I would have flattened every vertebrae in his spine. And of course to my editor Caitlin Alexander, who actually started green-penning my speech at the banquet table. Is this a woman who takes her job seriously or what?

Terrific to see old friends and meet new ones and discover email pals in the flesh, including John Schoenfelder, Chris Golden, Doug Clegg, Nate Kenyon, Matt Schwartz, Linda Addison, Hank Wagner, Dave Sakmyster, and John Rector.

Another real high point of the conference was finally getting a chance to meet two of my fave Jasons–Jason Pinter and Jason Starr. Two incredible writers of noir/hardboiled/thrillers and two terrific guys. Rock on, buds.

Other incredible folks I wish I’d had more time to spend with included Joe Finder, Joe Moore, Larry Light, Laura Caldwell, MJ Rose, Steve Berry, Heather Graham, and the master himself Ken Follett. But just being in their very presence and listening to them on panels was inspiring in ways I can’t fully explain.

Lastly, I’d like to give a special word of thanks to David Morrell, who’s a true literary hero of mine. Not only did he start the Thriller Writers organization but he’s always gone out of his way to offer advice and encouragement my way. Sitting and talking with him and learning craft at the knee of such a fine gentleman means more to me than I can possibly say. Although I didn’t actually take the time to dedicate my Thriller Award to anyone while I was on stage, if I may do so now, I humbly dedicate it to David Morrell.

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Other stuff:

Only 20 trade copies left of THE LAST DEEP BREATH. Hardcovers have long since sold out. Last chance to nab this bad boy.

My huge new collection FUTILE EFFORTS is due to ship soon from Cemetery Dance. Last chance to pre-order and save.

Shroud Publishing is doing an extremely limited second run of my novella ALL YOU DESPISE. Only 50 copies, but you'll get the same sig sheets signed by me and Brian Keene, who did the introduction.

A lengthy three-way interview with Norman Partridge, Gary Braunbeck, and me own self. Enjoy.

Here's the cover art for the German edition of Shadow Season...Der Geruch Von Blut...The Smell of Blood. Due out in early December.

Brian Lindenmuth of Spinetingler wrote a brief review/article on my recent noirellas.