Hi there! It’s been a while. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. And Halloween. And Labor Day? I sent my last newsletter right before Bouchercon, which was the expected whirlwind of panels, tourism, alcohol consumption, catching up with old friends, and meeting new ones. Crime writers are good people by and large, and they’re also readers, more of whom were familiar with my work than I generally encounter in my day-to-day life. If you ever wondered if you’d make a writer’s day by telling them you’ve read and enjoyed their books, wonder no more. You definitely would.
The only real downside to Bouchercon (aside from the sticker shock of my hotel bill when checking out) was the nagging feeling that I should be devoting my time to finding an agent. Now, I don’t know how many writers actually get agents at Bouchercon, but I’m betting the number is pretty small. Still, I thought I should make the effort to at least introduce myself should the opportunity arise. I actually had made plans to grab a beer with one agent I’ve corresponded with several times over the years, but he ended up cancelling his trip. On my last night in San Diego, I spotted one of my top targets in the bar and worked up the nerve to say hello. Turned out he was well aware of me, but closed to new clients for the foreseeable future. Oh well.
That was three months ago, and things have changed, as one of the greats of contemporary crime fiction announced on that platform formerly known as Twitter:
In addition to Don Winslow, The Story Factory is home to Meg Gardiner, Lou Berney, Adrian McKinty, T.J. Newman, and other worldwide bestsellers. It’s truly a murderer’s row of crime fiction authors, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to join them. As I’ve said elsewhere, it’s as if I’ve been called up from Single A ball to an all-star team. I’m looking forward to what comes next, including my next novel, and sharing it with you.
But that will have to wait until after the holidays. Now is the time for year-end retrospectives, and I plan to share my favorite reads of 2023 with you next time.
News & Notes
The Lowdown Road audiobook is part of the big Audible sale ongoing as I write this - a steal at $2.45! I believe the sale goes through November 30, but why take the chance? Get it today!
At some point during my hiatus, this interview with Michael Schaub ran in several southern California newspapers, including the Orange County Register and the L.A. Daily News.
Congrats to the Story Factory for enlisting you! Looking forward to your future stuff. Enjoyed that interview too.
Congrats on Story Factory. Super exciting!