Noir at the Bar part DUEX (AKA further proof that I'm just not that cool part 2)

I've been MIA, gang, I know.

Over the past couple of weeks it's been tough to turn anytime over to maintaining old Bloody Knucks due to wrapping up some long term projects. . .

But I wanted to come out of the Bat-cave for a few minutes tonight in order to pimp an event going down in St. Louis on August 2nd.

I'm, of course, talking about the Second edition of Noir at the Bar at the Delmar lounge!

You remember the first one right?

Well, Jed Aryes has set up another barn burner of a line up for this Sunday that is sure to please.

First up, one of my all time favorite hard-boiled perverts, Scott Phillips,

who will be reading his story, Ten Gallons of Infected Saliva, from Jen Jordan's spectacular new Bleak House anthology, Uncage Me. (and seriously, folks, if you haven't grabbed a copy yet, get your lazy, cheap ass to a book store or Amazon and pick up a copy, because the anthology is the absolute shit!!)

Next in the line up is Jed Aryes, who I'm sure will

be reading one of his standard pieces of filth.

Next is Chicago novelist Malachi Stone who will be reading from his novel, St Anges's Eve. I haven't read Mr. Stone, but since he's a associated with Scott and Jed, I'm sure he's hard-boiled to the core.

But the headliner of the show is really something special.

I'm, of course, talking about Edgar award wining novelist, Theresa Schwegel.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Schwegel a few weeks ago at the Poisoned Pen along with Megan Abbott. Now, I'll be the first to admitt that I'd never read Theresa, but I picked up her first two novels and after making it home from the appearance, I cracked opened her first one, Officer Down, and I plowed through it in a couple of hours.

My God. . . Seriously, Theresa writes cops the way I wish I could: Gritty, corrupt, and hard.

Theresa will be reading from her new novel, Last Known Address.

So, folks, if you're in the St. Louis area, make sure to drag your ass down to the Delmar Lounge for some high quality crime fiction and a few beers.

Okay, folks, now onto the geekiness, and further proof of my dorkiness.

In anticipation of Theresa's appearance at the Delmar, I had the pleasure of sitting down with her to give her a brief warning about meeting Jed for the first time.

By the way, I apologize ahead of time for the shakiness of my camera work and stumbling over my own tongue more than a few times. But I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Further proof that I'm just not that cool pt.1

Alright, folks, I'm ready to finally admit something about myself.

Something that's been a long time in coming.

Something that I'm sure is pretty self evident to most people who know me, but that I've been trying to deny for a number of years.

Here it goes. . . . . . .

Are you ready?

I'm a dork.

I'm a nerd.

I'm a complete and total . . . . . . . .

Fanboy.

Yeah, big shock right?

What made me realize this about myself, you ask? Well, it was the author events at the Poisoned Pen I attended last week.

I completely dorked out when I met Joe Lansdale.

I mean, seriously, this was a guy I'd been reading since I was 14. . .and that's how I felt when I actually got sit down with him. . .14-years-old, standing in the book aisle at the K-Mart in Victorville, CA thumbing through one of Lansdale's Drive-in paperbacks, practically drooling and hoping my mom would let me throw it in with the rest of our purchases.

The same thing happened with Megan Abbott.

But more on that tomorrow. . .

Anyway, here's some pics and a video I shot with Mr. Landale.

By the way folks, Tim Maleeny was also at the Poisoned Pen along with Mr. Lansdale pimping his new crime novel, Jump. I wasn't as nerdy with Tim, but I think this might have something to do with us being around the same age and our conversation largely focused on the business of publishing (I am a BIG fan of Tim's Cape Weather's series. If you haven't read them, they are great big pulpy fun with a capital P.) and I felt just a little more at ease with him.

But I'm sure Tim thought I was a huge dork too.

Here's Joe and Tim after me and Jason Duke put them through the question ringer.

And here's the proof that I'm a total nerd:

Intermission

I'm about as tired as can be tonight.

It's been one long, busy weekend (to top off my long, busy, albeit fun week.) and all I pretty much feel like doing tonight is vegging out with a book and maybe hitting the sack a little early. But, I'll be back tomorrow with a full fledged blog post. However, as you can see up above, I'm giving you a taste of the sheer dorkiness of the post to come. (Can you tell I was really excited to meet and hang out with Joe Lansdale?)

As always, it wouldn't be a proper post without plugging some of my own shit. In case you haven't read it already, head on over to Flash Fiction Offensive and check out my new story, the blood, the shattered glass, and all the rest. Juri Nummelin of Pulpetti also picked up the story for his crime fiction magazine, Assa, and will be appearing in 2010.

So, yeah, my little degenerate ode to asshole mother-in-laws and desperate drunks is going to be translated.

Pretty excited about that one.

Anyway, goodnight, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Sunday Shartings

I've been slacking.

I know I should be maintaining old bloody knucks more than once a week.

I know I should be keeping myself on my usual Tuesday and Friday schedule.

But you know how it goes?

The fiction writing thing tends to get in the way.

Plus the day job.

Plus family life.

Plus I like doing things like reading, sleeping, eating, etc.,

So old Bloody Knucks here, well, it's just going to have to be happy with my weekly visit.

This'll change, though, it always does.

Before I know it, I'll be on here every other day posting links and news of publication dates on stories I've got coming out, blah blah blah.

Anyway, on the fiction front, I was looking through my sent items of my g-mail account and counted up the number of stories I have out in the wind right now, and with the two I sent out on Friday, I currently have eight stories making the rounds (and this isn't counting the two that have already found homes.) and I've got to admit it's got me a little plugged up. No, not to the point where I'm not writing at all (I go pretty bugshit if I'm not writing something.) but it is slowing down my pace a bit.

But on the good news side about publication side of things, David Cranmer of Beat to a Pulp sent me the final edits for my horror story, Marmalade, yesterday, and I've got to say I was pretty happy with the final product. The story should be popping up in about two weeks right after Cindy Rosmus' piece. I loved writing the story, so I'm pretty pumped to have it appear in BTAP.

Okay, onto the links.

In the new market category:

First up is Quarterflash. As the name implies, it's a flash fiction market, 1000 words or less, and all is permissible except Science Fiction, Fantasy, and poetry. It's going to be a quarterly, PDF based zine. Click HERE for all the details.

Next up is Fried Chicken and Coffee. It's a blog zine and the editor pretty much only wants stories and poems based in rural areas, but as far as content is concerned, it's pretty much open season. From what I've read so far, the stories are solid and a bit on the filthy side. (Yeah, my kind of place.) And it's a paying market, sort of. The editor, Rusty, will give you a book from his personal library. Click HERE for all the details.

Okay, onto new stories and shit from other people I like to read.

Jason Duke had quite the week, making his Pulppusher debut with his story, Fuck the World,

(BTW, stick around the zine to read Sophie Littlefield interview Sean Doolittle about his suburban noir, Safer. As usual Sophie does a great job of it.) and then the man followed it up with his story in Flash Fiction Offensive, Bloody Sunday. And then Cullen Gallagher of Pulp Serenade selected Jason's story, Running for Zero, for his usual Stories for a Sunday feature.

So to Jason, good one on you this week, dude.

Speaking of Pulp Serenade, make sure to stop by and check out Cullen's interview with Ed Gorman about his new crime novel, the Midnight Room. I started reading it this weekend and I've got to say it's probably one of the creepiest novels I've read this year. Really fantastic stuff, even though Leisure books is trying to market it as a horror novel.

And last but not least, the Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ kicked off its 'Fest of the West' programme today, which means there's going to be a shitload of author appearances going down this week. Now I'm not going to list the entire goings on, nor will I be attending all of them. But I will be at the Joe Lansdale/Tim Maleeny appearance on Tuesday and the Megan Abbott/Theresa Schwegal signing on Thursday with my books to be signed and my mouthful questions to be answered.

And, yes, I'm bringing the webcam.

So it should be a good time all around.

Anyway, folks, have a good one.

July 4th=blog vacation

It's July 5th.

All the barbecue has been eaten, all the cheap headache inducing beer's have been drunk and pissed away, and the fireworks have been shot into the night sky amid the protests of terrified toddlers and dogs alike.

I've spent my long weekend probably doing the exact same things most of you have,

i.e.,

Eating too much.

Drinking too much

and spending tons of time outside with friends and family, which for us desert dwelling folks here in the Phoenix metro area means spending as much time as possible in or near water.

We skipped out on the fireworks displays, though, our three-year-old tends to get insanely grumpy if she isn't in bed by 8 PM and most fireworks displays in Phoenix started up around 9.

Yup, my little vacation (blogging or otherwise.) is at it's end. I'll be hauling out the lawn mower in an hour or so to spend a couple of hours battling my old nemesis, yard work.

But first, me and the daughter will head out to the pool one last time

But before we go, I'll pass on some links.

First up, if you haven't already, go ahead and swing by Bookspot Central and check out the BCS summer 6 pack. It's a cool feature me, Kieran Shea, Nate Flexer, Tim Maleeny, Sean Chercover, Brett Battles, and a ton of BSC staffers participated in. It's a great little piece if you're needing some help with expanding your summer reading list.

Next, Chad Eagleton is a favorite of old Bloody Knucks, and the man himself made his Forgotten Books Friday review debut. Click HERE to check it out.

In the new fiction department, Frank Bill stuck his head out of whatever backwoods gin mill he's been holed up in and sent a couple of new stories over to Darkest before the Dawn.

Make sure to check out:

the Accident

and

Playing the Part.

if you haven't already.

And, some one was actually crazy enough to sit down and interview Paul Brazil.

Check it out over at the Outsider Writer's Collective.

And last but not least, last week I posted a brief interview I conducted with Seth Harwood. Well after I finished up with him, he turned around and did the same thing to me and Jason Duke.

I'll warn you right here, I come off like a belligerent drunk in this one: