Saturday, December 21, 2024

Annual review

I just put this up on Facebook. Thought I would share it here.

 A couple of my friends have put up reviews of their writing year, so here's mine. 

 The biggest highlight: Down and Out Books published the first anthology I ever edited, Crimes Against Nature: New Stories of Environmental Villainy.

Second highlight: SleuthSayers, the blog I helped found in 2011 published their first anthology, Murder, Neat. I wrote the introduction and have a story in it. Oh, and I wrote a theme song for it! 

And I have stories in three more anthologies: Murder Most International, Lost and Loaded, and Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy.


Then I had four stories in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Plus one in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (my 4th appearance there in, literally, 48 years of trying).

Six stories in Black Cat Weekly.

Two more in the late lamented Mystery Magazine.

That's a total of 18 stories, many more than I have in any previous year, and I strongly suspect more than I shall ever score again.

But wait! There's more. Otto Penzler chose my story "The Accessories Club" (from AHMM) for his list of Other Distinguished stories, and Steph Cha picked "Memorial" (Black Cat Weekly) for her Other Distinguished list.



What happens next year? I have four stories accepted but not yet published. Eleven more are waiting for judgments by editors.

And I'm still writing. I hope you're still reading.

Saturday, December 14, 2024

Crimes Against Nature at Kevin's Corner


 Aubrey Nye Hamilton reviewed Crimes Against Nature at Kevin Tipple's website.  Here is her conclusion:

This is a fascinating collection of stories with as diverse a set of protagonists and plots as I can remember seeing. The annual major gift-giving season is upon us and this book would be welcomed by any crime fiction reader who also champions ecological causes. I found it informative and entertaining, and I expect they would too. Recommended.

Ms. Hamilton is clearly a very perceptive critic.

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

The Book Deal


 No, I am not announcing a new contract.  "The Book Deal" is my contribution to Colin Conway's new anthology, published today.  All the stories are set in Spokane and mine is about a publishing meeting at the Conference Center  and editors competing for a new book by an influencer.