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, December 30, 2010

Thank Christ that 2010 is Fucking Over

Or almost so. Man, I don't think I know anyone who had a truly good year. Every kindness was tempered with some vicious blow to the kidneys. Everybody was pretty wrecked financially, took a shellacking personally and professionally, and more than a little emotionally. Most of us made it through though, singed around the edges as we might be.

Those of you paying attention know my wife Michelle suffered a heart attack back on April 1st (prompting me to actually tell the 911 operator, "This isn't an April Fool's joke, man, send an ambulance pronto.") After a spookyass ride to the hospital where I followed behind the ambulance and watched as it stopped at all the stop signs, casually drove the speed limit, and waited patiently at red lights, only to see them finally turn on the siren about a half-mile from the hospital, they finally got to the ER and zipped her inside. (Ambulance driver drove around the parking lot twice looking for the ER entrance--seriously). In any case, she came through surgery with flying colors. She handled a few days in ICU and months of physical rehab like a trooper. She's now much healthier than me. And you, for that matter.

At least three of my buddies saw the dissolution of their marriages, and several watched as their careers took a major step backwards for one reason or another. For the first time in something like 11 years I didn't have a novel come out in print, although NIGHTJACK did see its digital and audiobook release.

For more on the beatdown, you can check out my essay "Dead Mower Dreams & the Weeds of Boo Radley."

But some good stuff did occur in 2010, so let me focus on that from now until we usher the nasty bitch right out the door:

A ton of my stuff was released on Kindle through Crossroad Press, including NIGHTJACK, THE FEVER KILL, ALL YOU DESPISE, FUCKIN' LIE DOWN ALREADY, SHORT RIDE TO NOWHERE, LOSS, and THE NOBODY.

Bookgasm noted FUTILE EFFORTS as Collection of the Year.

The audiobook of THE MIDNIGHT ROAD became available.

THE COLDEST MILE won the International Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original.

And of course, in the end, the best thing I can say about 2010 is that I survivied it, and so did you. We're both still here, my friend, trying to hold onto our faith. It's not always easy. In fact, often its impossible, but somehow we find ourselves still moving forward, trying our damnedest to collect the dream and haul it in close for a bear hug. Here's hoping 2011 is a little easier on us all. In the meantime, thanks for being here and sharing this bizarre thing called life with me.

6 comments:

Lee Thompson/Thomas Morgan/James Logan/Julian Vaughn said...

So glad that you and Michelle are doing all right! My year was great. I had a couple stories in places with my hero Tom Piccirilli! (Delirium Book's Horrorwired antho, Tasmaniac's Festive Fear 2). I'm easy to please. Congrats on all the good things, Pic!

Josh Jabcuga said...

Happy New Year! Josh (Bookgasm/Cuga's Cuts)
www.JoshuaJabcuga.com
Twitter: @Jabcuga

Tom Piccirilli said...

Thanks, guys, have a great '11!

Anonymous said...

Man, I remember how stunned I was when you let everyone know about Michelle, and then your own health problems so soon after...but vast relief when you both came through it all. Yes, 2010 sucked for many folks (though I've had worse years, namely 2007 right through most of 2009), and can say that the good years have a way of sneaking in amongst the bad ones.

So here's hoping '11 finds someone else to pick on, and that it's a good one for you and Michelle.

Buddy

Patricia Stoltey said...

I know so many folks who suffered some kind of trauma in 2010. Spooky!

Wishing you and Michelle a happy and healthy and very successful 2011. Happy New Year, Tom.

Like the new blog look. That frosty blue photo in the banner is beautiful.

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