JonBassoff

The Marvelous Possibilities of the Irrational by Jon Bassoff

Jon Bassoff is well-known as the author of thought-provoking, critically acclaimed noir. His consistently original, and deeply disturbing, novels explore the darkest corners of his characters’ psyches. Bassoff has been compared with luminaries such as Cormac McCarthy, Donald Ray Pollock and Jim Thompson, and his novels Corrosion, The Incurables, and The Disassembled Man have been adapted for the big screen. Today I’m pleased to welcome Jon back to the site in conjunction with his latest release, The Blade This Time (DarkFuse).
Incognito

Incognito

“I’ve worked on two manuscripts with Elizabeth, both of which were picked up by publishers, and there’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be returning to her for my next. With her legal background and editing skills, Elizabeth is super sharp and astute. Not only will she correct your copy to the standard, but her development skills will catch things you didn’t notice. She’ll let you know what needs to be corrected, offer suggestions for change, and sensibly question details so that the story sounds logical, without distorting your writer’s voice. Take my word for it, you’re in safe hands.” — Khaled Talib

JeffHess

Cold War Canoe Club Author Jeffery Hess Interviewed by James R. Duncan

Doing something a little different here today, in which I welcome two authors I’ve had the pleasure of working with, Jeff Hess and Jim Duncan, for an interview between the two of them. I worked with Jeff on his novel Beachhead and the just released collection Cold War Canoe Club, both from Down & Out Books, as well as on a couple of projects in the pipeline. In what turned out to be a somewhat prescient manuscript, I had the pleasure of working with Jim on Blood Republic, a story in which America descends into a second civil war, one driven by conservative vs. liberal ideology run amok in the wake of the most hotly contested presidential election in history. Jeff and Jim know each other from their work on the award-winning Home of the Brave anthologies, which Jeff edited and Jim contributed to as an author. Today, Jim interviews Jeff about Cold War Canoe Club and how Jeff used his six-year stint in the Navy to fuel the stories therein.
BrokenCountry2

Dancing Fingertips Over A Skull by Court Merrigan

It’s a pleasure to welcome Court Merrigan back to the site. Court’s short fiction has been in publications such as Thuglit, Pulp Ink, Crime Factory, Plots With Guns, Beat To A Pulp, and Needle over the years, and he was a contributor to the collections Trouble in the Heartland and Home of the Brave: Somewhere in the Sand. His first solo work, the collection Moondog Over the Mekong, was well-received by readers. Today, Court stopped by to talk about the role the pseudoscience phrenology plays in his debut novel The Broken Country.
Klingborg

A Brief Primer on Martial Arts for Writers by Brian Klingborg

Brian Klingborg’s recently released debut, Kill Devil Falls (Midnight Ink), is racking up five-star reviews and was described by Mystery Scene magazine as “truly scary” and “deliciously creepy.” Reviewers consistently point to the book’s “intrigue and action,” with one reviewer saying Klingborg had his foot on “the adrenaline pedal until the very end.” It should come as no surprise then that Klingborg takes getting the details of his action scenes seriously, and today he’s here to share some tips from his nearly thirty years of experience practicing and researching martial arts.
KhaledTalib

Experiencing A Book through Virtual Reality by Khaled Talib

I’m pleased to welcome Khaled Talib to the site today. Based in Singapore, Khaled is a former journalist whose articles were syndicated worldwide. His short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines, he is a member of both UK Crime Writers Association and International Thriller Writers, and Khaled’s debut novel, Smokescreen, was met with great reviews from both readers and Khaled’s peers. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Khaled on two novels, the first of which, Incognito, drops today from World Castle Publishing. Look for Gun Kiss later in 2017.
NickK

Revisiting Rural Noir by Nick Kolakowski

It’s a pleasure to welcome Nick Kolakowski to the site. Nick’s work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, North American Review, Thuglit, and Crime Syndicate Magazine, and he previously released the well-received collection Somebody’s Trying to Kill Me. Today, Nick’s here to talk about rural noir and small-town classics in support of his newest, A Brutal Bunch of Heartbroken Saps (Shotgun Honey), billed as “a gonzo noir journey into obsession, violence, and the power of love.”
ColdWarCanoe275

Cold War Canoe Club

“At some point in the revision process, writers inevitably lose sight of the words they’ve written. The sharp eye and mind of Elizabeth White can help you see your work anew. She tells you where you’ve done your job well, and where you’ve made a mess of things—story notes, line edits, fact checking, you name it. And all this feedback comes with the vibe of a smart friend who gets what you’re doing.” — Jeff Hess

SWLauden2017

Crazy Reads by S.W. Lauden

S.W. Lauden is back on the site today, this time to talk about his newest, Crossed Bones (Down & Out Books), the sequel to Crosswise, the book that introduced readers to series characters Tommy and Shayna. It seems several people, including me, have used the word “crazy” (in a good way) as part of their description of Crossed Bones, which got Lauden thinking about what that word means when describing art, what some of the craziest books he’s ever read are, and he invites you to share your “crazy” book thoughts.