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

Order from: bugme@tasmaniacpublications.com

http://www.tasmaniacpublications.com/

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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."

http://newimprovedgorman.blogspot.com/2010/07/last-deep-breath-by-tom-piccirilli.html

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

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.

Raven's Tree Jewelry

My wife Michelle's back to making fine hand-crafted jewelry, which she finds very therapeutic. Tons of new stuff listed. Plus, she's doing a shipping sale. $1 anywhere, no matter how many pieces you order! Quotes from Poe, Plath, Wilde, Baudelaire...gothic images, etc. She does book covers, personal images, pets, you name it.... Check it out.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ravenstree

Last Deep Breath & Thuglit

Here's the finalized cover layout for THE LAST DEEP BREATH. A big shout-out of thanks to Daniele Serra, for doing such a fantastic noirish job with the artwork, and my pal Patrick Lussier, who wrote a humbling introduction for the novella. (And just wait until Patrick's next movie DRIVE ANGRY hits theaters, starring Nicolas Cage. It's a throwback to 70s road rage/evil car on the road flicks and it's going to rock us all).

Also, keep an eye out for:

Blood, Guts & Whiskey Edited by Todd Robinson. Kensington, $14 paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-7582-2268-8 Twenty-four gritty, violent stories of the mean streets slug their way through a third volume mostly culled from the Web zine Thuglit (after Hardcore Hardboiled and Sex, Thugs, and Rock & Roll). Max Allan Collins's concise yet wide-ranging introduction traces the tough guy school of short crime fiction from Hammett writing in the pulp Black Mask up to the current generation riffing off the films of Tarantino. Highlights include the Derringer Award–winning “The Cost of Doing Business” by Mike Penncavage, and a fistful of tales appearing for the first time anywhere from the likes of upcoming noir stars such as Dave Zeltserman (“Bad Move”) and Tom Piccirilli (“The Return of Inspiration”). For dedicated fans of the genre, this anthology is worth the money just for “Death of a Rat,” a prison yarn found in the files of the late Edward Bunker (aka Mr. Blue in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs), iconic author of No Beast So Fierce. These stories are as bleak and exciting as a cold rainstorm. (June)--Publishers Weekly

Hell, never expected to share a TOC with the great Eddie Bunker! Very proud to be a part of this anthology. If you dig hardboiled/noir fiction and haven't already tried the previous two anthos edited by Todd Robinson, go now and do so.

Clown in the Moonlight

My first horror tale in a while "Clown in the Moonlight" went up for sale today from Digital Darkside/Delirium. It's available in two formats:

Digital Edition: https://www.horror-mall.com/darksidedigital/product.php?productid=20677

Audiobook: https://www.horror-mall.com/darksidedigital/product.php?productid=20678

Hope folks dig this one.

Update #2 - Professional

Received the news that two of my novels are up for a Thriller Award in the same category! Is it wrong that I want to tie with myself and win twice? Probably just proves I'm a greedy bastard.

2010 THRILLER AWARD NOMINEES

Best Hard Cover Novel:
VANISHED by Joseph Finder
LONG LOST by Harlan Coben
FEAR THE WORST by Linwood Barclay
THE NEIGHBOR by Lisa Gardner
THE RENEGADES by T. Jefferson Parker

Best Paperback Original:
SHADOW SEASON by Tom Piccirilli
URGE TO KILL by John Lutz
VENGEANCE ROAD by Rick Mofina
THE COLDEST MILE by Tom Piccirilli
NO MERCY by John GilstrapBest

First Novel:
FRAGMENT by Warren Fahy
DEAD MEN’S DUST by Matt Hilton
COLLISION OF EVIL by John J. Le Beau
DRACULA: THE UN-DEAD by Dacre Stoker
RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL by Jamie Freveletti

Best Short Story:
THE DESERT HERE AND THE DESERT FAR AWAY by Marcus Sakey
A STAB IN THE HEART by Twist Phelan
ICED by Harry Hunsicker
BOLDT’S BROKEN ANGEL by Ridley Pearson

Big-time congrats to all the nominees!

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Also, SHADOW SEASON has been nominated for a Spinetingler Award. Voting is open to the public, so take a minute and go vote for your favorite novels, short stories, graphic novels, etc.

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Some more extremely generous blurbs have come in for THE LAST KIND WORDS, tentatively set to be released in May '11:

"For the first time since The Godfather, a family of criminals has stolen my heart. A brilliant mix of love and violence, charm and corruption. I loved it."—Nancy Pickard, author of THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS

"You don't choose your family. And the Rand clan, a family of thieves and killers, is bad to the bone. But it's a testimony to Tom Piccirilli's stellar writing that you still care about each and every one of them. THE LAST KIND WORDS is at once a dark and brooding page-turner and a heartfelt tale about the ties that bind. Fans of Lee Child will love this hard-boiled, tough-as-nails novel."--Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of FRAGILE

"There's more life in Piccirilli's THE LAST KIND WORDS (and more heartache, action, and deliverance) than any other novel I've read in the past couple of years. Nobody in crime fiction is doing a better job than Tom Piccirilli right now. Simple as that."–Steve Hamilton, Edgar Award-Winning Author of THE LOCK ARTIST

Update #1 - Personal

As many of you already know, my wife Michelle suffered a heart attack at 3:30am April 1. Paramedics couldn't have arrived any quicker and they immediately zipped her off to the new Medical Center of the Rockies, where she was met in the ER by a crack cardio team. They ran a line up through her femoral artery and put a stent in to clear a blockage. She was in the ICU for two days before being moved to her own room for a half day.

She's now home relaxing, doing excellent, and recuperating quickly. She's on several medications and tires easily but she's making an ultra-speedy recovery. The tough part for her is that she's had to quit smoking and we're now on a heart-healthy diet. No more of the shit I usually eat. This has been a big wake-up call all around (already lost 6 lbs just not pigging out the way I normally do).

Thanks to everyone for their prayers, well-wishes, cards, flowers, books, and wonderful thoughts. It all means a lot to Michelle and just as much to me.