I was going to be all subtle and shit about it, but Jackpot will be debuting at #13 on the New York Times bestseller list this week and I’m geeked. Lifelong dreams come at you weird ways sometimes but that doesn’t make it any less sweet. If I’m being honest with myself, it feels a … Read moreJackpot is a New York Times Bestseller
I love my family, and I love being home to see them all the time, but occasionally I need to get work done. When we first moved into this house I set up my office in a corner of my bedroom that worked well enough for the first year. But now Becky is home too … Read moreThe Office
Remember that cool secret project I was working on? I can now officially announce that I co-wrote the new Teddy Fay book with Stuart Woods. It’s called JACKPOT and it will be published in June 2021, but it’s available for pre-order RIGHT NOW From the Publisher: When Peter Barrington and Ben Bachetti come under threat … Read moreSo, About That Secret Project…
My current book is this weird hybrid of domestic suspense and noir revenge thriller that I envision as part A STRANGER IN MY GRAVE and part IN A LONELY PLACE (book not movie), but I can never settle in my mind if it’s worth writing. Over the last two years, I’ve cut it from seven … Read moreSome Thoughts on My Current Book
Very excited that my short story “Howard’s Heart” has been selected to appear in the next Mystery Writers of America anthology A Stranger Comes to Town. This is *very* exciting for me because I have always wanted to be in one of the MWA anthologies. I think they’re the premiere anthology of crime fiction every … Read moreI Sold a Short Story to MWA
My beat is crime fiction, as most of you know, but I also dabble in other corners of the literary fun house and certain authors who write a lot online like John Scalzi and Chuck Wendig have crossed over into the larger literary community as a whole and are read by folks well beyond … Read moreFinding Comfort in Weirdness, Structure, and Murder: An Interview with Kameron Hurley
The first writing session of the year resulted in a net of 220 words. The last couple weeks of December and the first week or so of January were spent working on an outline for the secret project, and now that’s out the door so I had some time to work on this bit of … Read moreFirst Writing Session of 2020
Personally and professionally, my twenties were almost an entirely wasted decade. Wasted time, wasted opportunities, and wasted mental space. My thirties dragged me into adulthood at warp speed, and I spent most of that decade catching up on life, making up for past transgressions, digging myself new holes, and getting myself out of those holes … Read moreMe, A Decade in Review 2009 – 2019
If you’re voting for crime fiction awards in 2020, I’d love for you to consider my short story “Mercenary” from the anthology Murder A-Go-Gos edited by Holly West. I think this is the best short story I have ever written and think it’s themes about race and opioid abuse and masculinity are very timely. Other … Read more2020 Awards Consideration Post
We all know what I think of Laura Lippman in general, but one thing she’s done in recent years that makes me (almost) forgive her for everything is is encourage people to condense their dreams and goals and fears and hopes for the new year into a one word resolution. I’ve really enjoyed this and … Read moreOne Word Resolution, 2020