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.

Crimes Against Nature on Crime Wave

 

Bonnar Spring was kind enough to interview me about Crimes Against Nature for her podcast Crime Wave.

https://on.soundcloud.com/sA3sZXGWvPEZHVc26

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tagdtbQbzCR0QO5Gby99U

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crime-wave-rob-lopresti-crimes-against-nature/id687959058?i=1000680633001

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-authors-on-the-air-global-88373959/episode/crime-wave-rob-lopresti--249047398/

 

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.

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.

Shanks Gets Lost

 

It's been a banner year for Leopold Longshanks.  This is his second story in two weeks: "Shanks Gets Lost" is in Black Cat Weekly #167.

The Library of Poisonville on the Air

 My story "The Library of Poisonville" appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's' Mystery Magazine in 2020.  Rabia Chaudry has performed it on her podcast The Mystery Hour.  I just enjoyed listening to it on the Podcast App  on my phone I can't seem to make it work on my computer but your mileage may vary.

Shanks Has Reservations

 

Leopold Longshanks has been a busy boy. This is his fifth appearance of the year.  Black Cat Weekly #166.

The Trouble with Saving The World at The First Two Pages

 

Art Taylor was kind enough to let me write about "The Trouble With Saving The World" at his The First Two Pages blog.

Robert Lopresti, Authorfella, Fall Newsletter

 I shot right past Summer. Sorry. It's been busy.

Biggest busy-maker happened this month.  Down and Out just published the first anthology I have edited. Crimes Against Nature: New Stories of Environmental Villainy features mystery stories focused on ecological issues: pollution, drought, invasive species, recycling, environmental justice, etc. And get a load of the contributors!

Michael Bracken, Susan Breen, Sarah M. Chen,  Barb Goffman, Karen Harrington, Janice Law, R.T. Lawton, Robert Lopresti, Jon McGoran, Josh Pachter, Gary Phillips, SJ Rozan, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Mark Stevens, David Heska Hanbli Weiden.

That's a ton of prize-winners with some relative newcomers mixed in.   And they all put their money where their mouths are: Half the royalties are going to environmental nonprofits they selected.  

I hope you give it a look.

So, what else?

I made my fourth appearance this year in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.  "Christmas Dinner" in the November/December issue is the third novella starring Delgardo, a beat poet in 1958. This is the sixth time I have been on the cover, and ain't that some cover?   The first two Delgardo tales, The Red Envelope and Please Pass the Loot can be purchased in Amazon if you want the complete set.  

My story in Ellery Queen is the opposite of a novella: flash fiction (less than 1,000 words).  You might say "Welcome to JFR!" ia my revenge for 35 years of work as an academic librarian.  It introduces a scholarly journal written for and by felons.  Silly but I've heard from some readers how much they enjoyed it.

Let's see. What else?

My mystery-writer-and-reluctant-amateur-sleuth Leopold Longshanks made his fourth appearance this year.  "Shanks's Last Words" arrived in Black Cat Weekly #161. This one explores the cliche of the dying words message. Shanks is most fun for me when he's poking around in our Big Pile o' Tropes. 

In case you're keeping track (which would border on the creepy) I have had 12 stories published this year, and if things go as expected there should be a few more coming. 

I didn't have time to record a new song this time (although I wrote a few, including an ode to chickpeas, and a jolly song about Julius Caesar being killed). But here is an older one I haven't linked to before.

See you in three months!

 

Crimes Against Nature at SleuthSayers

 

Today at SleuthSayers Barb Goffman writes about her story in Crimes Against Nature.

Welcome to JFR!

Crazy week, huh? The November/December issue of EQMM features "Welcome to JFR!" It's my fourth appearance there in 48 years of trying.

Please Pass the Loot at Amazon

 And speaking of Delgardo, his second novella, "Please Pass the Loot" is now available at Amazon.  

Christmas Dinner

 Wow! The November/December issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine has arrived and I'm on the cover.  "Christmas Dinner'" is the third novella about Delgardo, the Beat poet detective.

Crimes against Nature at Miss Demeanors

 

Susan Breen has written about her story in Crimes Against Nature on the Miss Demeanors blog.

Crimes Against Nature is Published

Happy publication day to my first anthology.

The way we treat the world is a crime—fifteen of them, in fact. Some of the best and most honored mystery writers today have written new stories for this book dealing with environmental issues including pollution, wildfire, invasive species, climate change, recycling, and many more.

Authors include Michael Bracken, Susan Breen, Sarah M. Chen, Barb Goffman, Karen Harrington, Janice Law, R.T. Lawton, Robert Lopresti, Jon McGoran, Josh Pachter, Gary Phillips, S.J. Rozan, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Mark Stevens, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden. Half of their royalties will be going to ecological nonprofits they chose.

The stories cover a wide variety of styles including noir, comic, caper, psychological, police procedural, and even a tale inspired by comic books.

https://downandoutbooks.com/bookstore/lopresti-crimes-against-nature/

Memorial is DIstinguished

 Wow. Otto Penzler listed "The Accessories Club" in his distinguished list and now Steph Cha has done the same for "Memorial," which appeared in Black Cat Weekly #95. My name is spelled wrong but, hey, you can't have everything.