Chris Holm's Blog, page 33
April 10, 2013
CM: Best Laid Plans
Today at Criminal Minds, I channel my inner Dexter to ponder the question, "When you come up with a brilliant fictitious murder, are you just a little bit frustrated that you can't actually off some jerk?" Click through if you dare. (Editor's note: Dare away. Chris' inner Dexter is apparently a mamby-pamby peace-loving wuss.)
April 3, 2013
Possibly my favorite review ever...
So Amy Durant dove into my two short story collections over at Insatiable Booksluts, and here's a (large, but totally justified on account of how flattering it is) snippet of what she had to say (click through to read the rest):
"I’m officially a Holm fan. The man can write. Oh, can the man write. His mind is a twisty place, a dark one, and it’s quicksilver-fast. I couldn’t get enough. He can do in just a few words what some authors attempt (and fail) in an entire novel. He’s talented and he’s wryly funny and he’s very intelligent. If he can manage to make me forget my dislike of crime fiction? Well, he’s a talented man."Um, wow. Also, thanks! Also also, feel free to engrave any part of that on my headstone.
April 1, 2013
My Spine, It Tingles
Well, ladies and gentleman, it's that time of year again: voting for the Spinetingler Awards is now open! I'm delighted to say that not only did DEAD HARVEST garner a Best Cover nomination (more the doing of Marc Gascoigne and Martin Stiff than I, but still, I'll take it), but two anthologies in which I appear (BEAT TO A PULP: ROUND TWO and SHOTGUN HONEY PRESENTS: BOTH BARRELS) are nominated as well!
Congrats to all the nominees. Now go get voting!
Congrats to all the nominees. Now go get voting!
March 27, 2013
CM: Cut It Out
The question of the week at Criminal Minds reads as follows:
"How often do your personal interests (hobbies, sports, restaurant preferences) find their way into your books as your characters’ interests?"My answer? As little as possible. Click through to find out why.
March 13, 2013
CM: [Untitled]
This week at Criminal Minds, we're talking writing superstitions. Well, the others are, at least. Me? I'm using my post to break free of my only one. Check it out here.
March 11, 2013
Eh. Who needs cred?
Today, at Crimespree's blog, I talk about the real star of my fiction-writing show (in her own mind, at least): my cat Binkley. The piece is my contribution to the twin traditions of cats in crime fic and on the interwebs. Also, awww. (What? Raymond Chandler freakin' adored his cat. Look it up.)
March 8, 2013
Short Post, Long Tail
Looking at my calendar, I realize today marks one year exactly since my launch party for DEAD HARVEST. And my, what a year it's been. These past twelve months have been so action-packed, in fact, it seems like a lifetime's passed, which is why I'm psyched (and a teeny tiny bit surprised) to see folks are still finding their way to my humble little series debut.
The latest review for DEAD HARVEST comes courtesy of writer/reviewer/bookseller Josh Cook, who, at his blog In Order of Importance, declares the book "Like the good Die Hard. With demons." (Welcome to the party, pal!)
And in other DEAD HARVEST news, author Erik Arneson declares it one of his Favorite Five Books of 2012. High praise, indeed, when one considers the caliber of the other four.
So thanks to Josh and Erik both, and thanks to all of y'all for making this past year one to remember. Fingers crossed there's plenty more kickassery ahead.
The latest review for DEAD HARVEST comes courtesy of writer/reviewer/bookseller Josh Cook, who, at his blog In Order of Importance, declares the book "Like the good Die Hard. With demons." (Welcome to the party, pal!)
And in other DEAD HARVEST news, author Erik Arneson declares it one of his Favorite Five Books of 2012. High praise, indeed, when one considers the caliber of the other four.
So thanks to Josh and Erik both, and thanks to all of y'all for making this past year one to remember. Fingers crossed there's plenty more kickassery ahead.
March 2, 2013
DEAD LETTERS Sale!
For a limited time, my Kindle collection DEAD LETTERS (which features my Anthony-eligible short "The Putdown") is available for just $0.99!
To hell with secret ballots...
Well, fellow B'con attendees, the time is upon us to make our nominations for this year's Anthony ballot. And while I can't speak to whether anything I've penned is deserving, I can at least tell you what I've written that's eligible, and for what category.
Best First Novel
DEAD HARVEST (Angry Robot Books, February 2012)
Best Paperback Original
THE WRONG GOODBYE (Angry Robot Books, September 2012)
Best Short Story
"The Putdown" (Grift Magazine, March 2012)
"Not Forgotten" (SHOTGUN HONEY PRESENTS: BOTH BARRELS, October 2012)
"The Great Plains" (MURDER AND MAYHEM IN MUSKEGO, November 2012)
But it's a whole big world out there, folks, and I'm far from the only game in town. Those of you with ballots are allowed to nominate up to five works each in a variety of categories, provided those works came out in 2012. And since it's tough to keep track of what books/stories/whatever are eligible for a given category, I'm throwing open the comments section for fans and writers to put their recommendations (and/or their own stuff) out there. Just be sure to include the category for which the work is eligible. The complete list of categories is as follows:
Best Novel (hardcover book)
Best First Novel (debut book, either hardcover or paperback original)
Best Paperback Original (first published as trade or mass market paperback)
Best Short Story
Best Critical Nonfiction Work
So have at it! Toss out some suggestions!
Best First Novel
DEAD HARVEST (Angry Robot Books, February 2012)
Best Paperback Original
THE WRONG GOODBYE (Angry Robot Books, September 2012)
Best Short Story
"The Putdown" (Grift Magazine, March 2012)
"Not Forgotten" (SHOTGUN HONEY PRESENTS: BOTH BARRELS, October 2012)
"The Great Plains" (MURDER AND MAYHEM IN MUSKEGO, November 2012)
But it's a whole big world out there, folks, and I'm far from the only game in town. Those of you with ballots are allowed to nominate up to five works each in a variety of categories, provided those works came out in 2012. And since it's tough to keep track of what books/stories/whatever are eligible for a given category, I'm throwing open the comments section for fans and writers to put their recommendations (and/or their own stuff) out there. Just be sure to include the category for which the work is eligible. The complete list of categories is as follows:
Best Novel (hardcover book)
Best First Novel (debut book, either hardcover or paperback original)
Best Paperback Original (first published as trade or mass market paperback)
Best Short Story
Best Critical Nonfiction Work
So have at it! Toss out some suggestions!
February 28, 2013
On Agents, or the Lack Thereof
Sunday, September 11, 2005.
That's the day this blog went live. At the time, I had no web presence, no writing credits. Though I didn't know it yet, I was still a year out from the completion of my first novel (nearly seven years before a book of mine would see the light of day), and thirteen months from my first short story acceptance. I thought back then the novel would take a few more weeks at most to finish. And, having that very weekend finished writing my first short story ("The Toll Collectors," which didn't see the light of day until '09), I assumed my first publishing credit was imminent.
In short, I was an idiot.
But there was one thing I was right about that fateful day in 2005. Here's how I ended my first post:
My writing life, writ large for all to see.
Well, most of it, at least. See, the difficulty with blogging about one's writing life is, the farther one progresses, the more complicated it becomes to decide what can, or should, be shared. Back in '05, the only person affected by my blogging was me. Now what I say can affect contracts, publishers, editors, booksellers, agents, and what have you. That can, and should, and does, give a blogger pause. Which is to say, I've gone back and forth as to whether I should write this post. But ultimately, it proved too big a milestone for me to let pass unremarked upon.
A few weeks back, my longtime agent and I parted ways.
The specific details as to why are unimportant. Suffice to say that it was my decision, and that said decision was borne of differences in goals and strategy -- and of the direction my muse is taking me -- rather than any animosity or ill-will. The split was amicable, and I continue to hold both she and the agency in the highest of regard. The fact that I'm not including names here is simply a function of the search-engine world in which we live; a good agent ought not have her internet presence gunked up by what might be perceived by someone unacquainted with the business as a knock against her, particularly when it's not intended as such.
So what comes next? I'm not sure. I just sent one novel to an editor-friend of mine, and I've got another I'm putting a final polish on before I once more begin the query process. As for where it, or I, will end up...
Stick around -- maybe we'll both find out.
That's the day this blog went live. At the time, I had no web presence, no writing credits. Though I didn't know it yet, I was still a year out from the completion of my first novel (nearly seven years before a book of mine would see the light of day), and thirteen months from my first short story acceptance. I thought back then the novel would take a few more weeks at most to finish. And, having that very weekend finished writing my first short story ("The Toll Collectors," which didn't see the light of day until '09), I assumed my first publishing credit was imminent.
In short, I was an idiot.
But there was one thing I was right about that fateful day in 2005. Here's how I ended my first post:
"What, you might ask, does it take to be a working writer? Stick around -- maybe we'll both find out."Since then, this space has served as record for every triumph, every milestone, and even the occasional speedbump on my winding path to publication. (The speedbumps, for the record, have been far more frequent than this blog may suggest, but I'm not one to revel in my misfortunes. I've been lucky enough in life that doing so might well piss people off.) Short story credits. Query woes. Landing an agent. Winning awards. Losing awards. Shelving that first novel after three years' worth of shopping. Writing a new novel. Shopping it. Selling it, and then two more. Reviews. Releases. A book tour. The whole nine.
My writing life, writ large for all to see.
Well, most of it, at least. See, the difficulty with blogging about one's writing life is, the farther one progresses, the more complicated it becomes to decide what can, or should, be shared. Back in '05, the only person affected by my blogging was me. Now what I say can affect contracts, publishers, editors, booksellers, agents, and what have you. That can, and should, and does, give a blogger pause. Which is to say, I've gone back and forth as to whether I should write this post. But ultimately, it proved too big a milestone for me to let pass unremarked upon.
A few weeks back, my longtime agent and I parted ways.
The specific details as to why are unimportant. Suffice to say that it was my decision, and that said decision was borne of differences in goals and strategy -- and of the direction my muse is taking me -- rather than any animosity or ill-will. The split was amicable, and I continue to hold both she and the agency in the highest of regard. The fact that I'm not including names here is simply a function of the search-engine world in which we live; a good agent ought not have her internet presence gunked up by what might be perceived by someone unacquainted with the business as a knock against her, particularly when it's not intended as such.
So what comes next? I'm not sure. I just sent one novel to an editor-friend of mine, and I've got another I'm putting a final polish on before I once more begin the query process. As for where it, or I, will end up...
Stick around -- maybe we'll both find out.
