The PI Blog Crawl, New Spinetingler & Thought for the Day

This has to be one of the most innovative ideas I’ve seen on the blogs – a blog crawl, in support of the launch of Pale Immortal by author Anne Frasier.

I received an ARC of Pale Immortal and have reviewed it for the next Spinetingler. Here’s a sneak peek at what my review says:

Frasier delivers twist upon twist. Things I expected to have happen didn’t, turned out differently, or she added another dimension to the situation that made it hit home effectively. This is the kind of book that builds to a slow boil, and then bubbles incessantly and will keep you turning pages to the end, desperate to find out what happens. It was a different kind of read for me, with the vampire/paranormal elements to the storyline, but Frasier is an expert at haunting the reader.
I don’t want to give any spoilers or delve too deeply into the plot, but my usual routine is to read a book, write up a ‘quick and dirty’ review and then let it sit for a week. I go back, look over my initial thoughts, and then write the proper review. It gives a book a chance to settle. It tells me if it’s utterly forgettable, or the kind that lingers with you long after you’ve read the last page.
Pale Immortal is the kind that lingers. The characters are rich, complex. The story is masterfully spun. The deeper issues at play in the book resonate. It seems a bit early for predications, but I’m betting this book will be on my top ten reads of 2006.

If that isn’t enough to convince you to check it out, perhaps this will do the trick:



Spinetingler News

The next Spinetingler features numerous goodies. JT Ellison has a short story in this special double issue. So do bloggers Bill Blume, James Goodman, Steve Allan, Tracy Sharp and James Oswald.

We also have short fiction from a number of other contributors, including a writer from Botswana, but this is no Precious Ramotswe story!

The issue is filled with other goodies. It’s a double issue in every sense, with 19 stories, over 20 reviews and extra author interviews and features. And Sandra will never, ever again take on such a monumental task. At least, not until she suppresses the memory of doing this issue. The new issue will be up later next week.

Today is the last day to submit to the Cozy Noir contest, and we are open to regular submissions again. Yes, yes, I’d better get the website updated…

Thought for the Day

A few days ago I was obsessing about the book, about how hard it is to let it go and say it’s done. One of my blog friends, who is also one of the people I trust to kick my ass when critique is needed, said something wise in the comments:

When you spend that much time being critical of your work, as you should, it makes perfect sense that the habit continues--even past the point of its appropriateness. - Daniel Hatadi

I found it hard to mentally switch gears, to say the book was essentially done and (except for any major boo boos that sneak into the galley) I can’t play with it anymore. I guess I friend my brain cells in the process of the final tweaking, and I certainly wasn’t eating or sleeping on a normal schedule (as those exchanging emails with me at 2 am can verify). It ended up feeling like high school, when you cram for an exam or an essay or class presentation. Yes, I’m sick, and I’m still not 100%. As a result, I’ve hardly been to any blogs and I know there are some emails lingering, waiting for a response, but they require too much thought at the moment.

For today, my priority will be making myself available to JT for any Killer Year stuff that needs to get done. Beyond that, it’s naps and Barry Eisler. I’m really behind on Barry’s blog, but that’s because it’s a blog that requires a lot of higher brain functioning and time to process thoughtfully. My friend Brett sent me a copy of Barry’s latest book, The Last Assassin for my birthday, but with my schedule being such a mess, I haven’t had a chance to read it until now. I’m glad, because it makes being stuck in bed for part of the day enjoyable. You people have no idea how hard I’ve been trying to phrase this so that nobody would make the obvious jokes.

Be sure to drop by Anne’s blog
and congratulate her on the release of her new book.

Meanwhile, a joke. This one comes from The Rentable Writer and I saved it for this week, when TRW is theoretically back from vacation. TRW’s had a rotten summer with computer woes, so be sure to drop by the blog and say welcome back.

A father stands outside of his house, watering the plants one evening, when his little daughter comes running out.

"Daddy, what's sex?" she asks.

The father is surprised that she would ask such a question, but decides that if she is old enough to ask the question, then she is old enough to get a straight answer.

He tells her about the birds and the bees; the egg and the sperm; and the male and female. When he has finished explaining, the little's girls eyes are wide, startled.

"Why do you ask, honey?"

She replies: "Because Mommy told me to tell you dinner would be ready in a few secs."