Add CrimeSpot to your site with CrimeSpotExpress Recent Posts: Double Trouble Mug Shots #6; A Respone to William Ahearn Send Thoughts and Prayers Congrats all round; Mug Shots #5 New! Improved? Donald Hamilton, 1916-2006 In Which I Talk About Sex In Which I Have Issues Richard S. Prather Dies A Worthy Cause; Mug Shots #4 Complete Archives: 01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006 04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006 05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006 06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006 07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006 08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006 10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006 11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006 12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007 03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007 04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007 06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007 07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007 Message On A Bottle Monday, February 20, 2006   Something original in publishing, for a change. Marketing student Joanna Wojtalik had an idea - distribute small magazines which "fits onto a fast moving consumer product and distribute via grocery rather than traditional magazine channels." Now it's a reality, as the tiny magazine iLove goes on sale soon, attached to a bottle of water. This has obvious applications to the mystery field. An Anthony Neil Smith story with your Abita beer? Sure! Ken Bruen on your can of Guiness? Why not! Gabriel Cohen's Red Hook on a real Red Hook? Of course! Though we suspect that some of today's bigger blockbusters would require the 40 oz. Bull... posted by Graham Powell at 6:53 PM     Hardluck Stories Horror/Crime Issue Thursday, February 16, 2006   The Horror/Crime issue of Hardluck Stories is now online, with stories by Ken Bruen, Ed Gorman and J.A. Konrath, among others. Dave Z. and guest editor Harry Shannon have put together one of the best lineups I've seen in a while. Be sure to check it out. The complete lineup: "Punk", by Ken Bruen "The Confession", by J.A. Konrath "The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday", by Adrian McKinty "A Handful Of Dust", by Harry Shannon "Beauty", by Ed Gorman "Shy One Pearl", by Robert W. Walker "Second Choice", by Pat Lambe "Flies", by Dave Zeltserman Plus nonfiction articles by Harry Shannon and Charles Ardai. posted by Graham Powell at 12:29 PM     Ed Gorman's Pro-File: Marijane Meaker Saturday, February 11, 2006   Ed Gorman has started an interview series on his blog called "Pro-Files", in which he presents professional writers with seven questions and records their responses. Past installments include Bill Crider, P.J. Parrish, and Max Allan Collins. This time out he talks to Marijane Meaker, who as Vin Packer was a prominent writer of paperback originals back during the 50s and 60s, in addition to writing lots of other stuff, notably a series of young adult novels as M.E. Kerr. Her novels had a psychological depth and complexity not usually found among the paperback classes; among hardback writers, she could easily be compared to, well, Patricia Highsmith. If you've never read her, the kind folks at Stark House Press are reprinting many of her books, and they're well worth a look. posted by Graham Powell at 7:48 AM     ThugLit Issue 5 Monday, February 06, 2006   There's a new issue of ThugLit on-line, so I thought I'd throw a little cyber-love their way. I've seen them mentioned around here and there, but they don't seem to get the attention they deserve. Here's how they describe the latest issue: A doper finds revenge and reality not all he thought they would be. Some say that words are weapons. One man finds out the difference between the two. A woman exacts burning vengeance on those who killed her man. Old mobsters never die. Some don't fade away, either. A desperate father must find out who or what Mr. Tickles is, before it's too late. Be careful which drug dealers you cross. And how hard you cross them. A remorseless young man gives a Master Class... on how to beat the system. And a radioactive freakin' babboon. That's right. Shut it! Authors for this issue: H. Kim Lee Mary V. Kolar Colin C. Conway Jason Paltanavich Eric Boermeester Rob Rosen Jason Gantenberg Jordan Harper And a note of congratulations to Big Daddy Thug Todd Robinson, who has landed a deal for his debut novel, Thug. You could see that title coming, couldn't you? posted by Graham Powell at 10:15 AM     CarnEvil #1 Friday, February 03, 2006   John Rickards and his Flying Monkeys have now found themselves a permanent home: MysteryCircus.com. John's fevered skull bones reportedly envisioned this as a sort of central hub for crime fiction on the Internet, not realizing that such a thing already existed. (We actually started our projects at about the same time, and even corresponded a time or two.) It looks to be pretty well done, too, though the real test will be what kind of denizens it attracts. Since John and his minions seem to know everyone (and where they live, and what they're wearing right now) this is likely to be an interesting group. posted by Graham Powell at 10:16 AM