My friend and co-editor, E.A. Aymar, writes a column for the Washington Independent Review of Books. His latest features short stories and he asked two very talented short story writers, Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski (who by the way are also in The Swamp Killers!) to name their favorites. Oh, and he also asked me.
So if you want an escape from all this craziness but still find it difficult to break away too long from the endless updates, then a short story is your answer!
Read the column for some excellent recommendations. I don’t really have a favorite short story but I do have a favorite short story writer. Read on to find out who!
So I know there’s a pandemic and scary virus going around that will keep us indoors for a while. I know this is a strange, uncertain time. And I know that promoting a book right now is pretty laughable. BUT I’m going to still do it because if you’re like me, YOU’VE BEEN PREPARING FOR A QUARANTINE YOUR WHOLE LIFE.
This is not my TBR pile but I love this image because there’s an Elmore Leonard book in Swedish.Photo by: imadc/depositphotos
So let me add to your TBR pile by tempting you with The Swamp Killers: A Novel-in-Stories. Ed Aymar and I edited it and it’s sort of our follow up to The Night of the Flood but not really. We’ve got a few of the same authors and some awesome new ones.
Book description:
Here’s what we know is true.
Timmy Milici, a low-level hitter with the infamous Atlanta-based Duplass crime family, ran off with Melody Duplass to Jacksonville, Florida. Olivia Duplass, her mother and head of the Duplass family, was incensed, and put a price on Timmy—a hundred thousand for his corpse, but with explicit instructions that her daughter not be harmed.
We know that’s true.
Or, at least, we think we do.
Sixteen writers tell their versions of what happened those fateful days in this gripping novel-in-stories, brought to you from the team behind The Night of the Flood.
Contributors: E.A. Aymar, Sarah M. Chen, Hilary Davidson, Alex Dolan, Rebecca Drake, Gwen Florio, Elizabeth Heiter, J.J. Hensley, Susi Holliday, Shannon Kirk, Tara Laskowski, Jenny Milchman, Alan Orloff, Tom Sweterlitsch, Art Taylor, and Wendy Tyson.
I know there’s a lot of craziness and panic going on around all of us right now with COVID-19. It’s a very scary time and we all are unsure what’s going to happen next.
I’ve canceled Left Coast Crime which I was greatly looking forward to. It’s so unfortunate that many writers had to do the same. I know it takes a lot of work to put on a conference. Many book / literary festivals and conferences are canceling as well.
Meanwhile, it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy and watch the news 24/7. But it’s important to remember to check out now and then. Turn off the TV and don’t look at social media. Regroup, refresh, and revive.
Which is how I came up with my column today over at The Thrill Begins.
Ed Aymar and I were on the Thrill Seekers podcast hosted by Alex Dolan! You can check it out on Soundcloud. We discuss our upcoming novel-in-stories The Swamp Killers which releases March 16, 2020. Alex also has a story in the anthology called “Gunfight at the Tooth and Ale” which many of the other Swamp authors referenced.
The Faking of the President comes out April 21, 2020 but if you’re curious who is in this anthology (besides me!), check out this fun Q&A. Three Rooms Press asked us TFOP “cabinet members” why we chose our specific president to write about and who our favorite president is. Find out the answers by clicking on the cover below!
It’s my first attempt at writing about how ashamed I was of my Chinese background. I wish I could go back in time and change how I thought of my dad and our heritage but I can’t. I wish I could have embraced my Chinese culture but I didn’t.
But I’m grateful that I am finally able to celebrate it. I want to learn about my Chinese roots as much as I can, while I can. My dad and I have become much closer over the years and I’m extremely blessed that our relationship has strengthened and grown.
I’m on a panel! It’s called The Novella and the Short of It: Talking Short Stories and Novellas. I think it’s a safe bet that I’ll be talking about Cleaning Up Finn. And probably the short stories that I have coming out this year.
And I’m also part of an Author / Reader Connection. It’s a great way to get to know other writers and readers at LCC. I’ll be co-hosting again this year with Travis Richardson and Stephen Buehler. We’ll be discussing writer groups and short stories. And everyone who hangs out with us gets a free book and a free drink. And hopefully some good advice from us!
I’ll have more LCC announcements as we lead up to the conference which is at the San Diego Marriott in Mission Valley. Can’t believe it’s in a little over a month. My first conference in two years so I’m excited!
For more information about the book, here’s Three Rooms Press editor and publisher, Peter Carlaftes, talking about the inspiration behind The Faking of the President and the process of putting this White House noir collection together: Inspiring Change Through Noir Fiction
I’m so excited to be a part of this unique collection! It includes my dystopian story “In Mother We Trust” set in the not-too-distant future of the 2024 election.
THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT: Nineteen Stories of White House Noir pulls back the curtain on the “new norm” for America’s highest office, with a collection of bizarre new stories by a diverse group of renowned authors that take readers across the chasm of reality into an alternate universe—where Nixon takes a wacky psychedelic trip with Elvis Presley; where a time-traveling renegade targets members of the George Bush administration with disastrous results; where a spy seizes a sudden opportunity for power after Woodrow Wilson’s stroke. The stories are outlandish—but when it comes to the White House of today—strange behavior and kinky, zany antics are no longer implausible.
Spinning new tales of White House noir, these yarns confirm that absolute power—minus checks and balances—absolutely corrupts. THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT acknowledges the wacko state of politics today, and openly wonders how far down the rabbit hole the American presidency can go.
The line-up of award-winning authors includes Eric Beetner, Peter Carlaftes, Christopher Chambers, Sarah M. Chen, Angel Luis Colon, S. A. Cosby, Nikki Dolson, Mary Anna Evans, Kate Flora, Adam Lance Garcia, Danny Gardner, Alison Gaylin, Greg Herren, Gary Phillips, Travis Richardson, S. J. Rozan, Alex Segura, Abby Vandiver, and Erica Wright.
BOLO Books hosted the cover reveal of the upcoming novel-in-stories that E.A. Aymar and I co-edited. The Swamp Killers is coming to you on March 16, 2020 with Down & Out Books! I’m so excited for this one. It’s most of the same crew from The Night of the Flood with the addition of some new writers.
THE SWAMP KILLERS: A Novel in Stories
Here’s what we know is true.
Timmy Milici, a low-level hitter with the infamous Atlanta-based Duplass crime family, ran off with Melody Duplass to Jacksonville, Florida. Olivia Duplass, her mother and head of the Duplass family, was incensed, and put a price on Timmy—a hundred thousand for his corpse, but with explicit instructions that her daughter not be harmed.
We know that’s true.
Or, at least, we think we do.
Sixteen writers tell their versions of what happened those fateful days in this gripping novel-in-stories, brought to you from the team behind The Night of the Flood.
Contributors: E.A. Aymar, Sarah M. Chen, Hilary Davidson, Alex Dolan, Rebecca Drake, Gwen Florio, Elizabeth Heiter, J.J. Hensley, Susi Holliday, Shannon Kirk, Tara Laskowski, Jenny Milchman, Alan Orloff, Tom Sweterlitsch, Art Taylor, and Wendy Tyson.
Today my interview with Liz Donatelli, the events coordinator for Creating Conversations, is up on The Thrill Begins. It’s part of our “Promoting Your Book” series in which each week we discuss different ways to promote your book. Liz has some great advice for authors, including get to know your local booksellers! Shop at your local store! As a former bookseller for Creating Conversations, I can’t reiterate this enough.
