Sam Wiebe's Blog, page 6

Upcoming Events

It's shaping up to be a busy summer. A couple of new events have been planned, including When Words Collide in Calgary, Alberta, and some events in the fall in the Vancouver/Burnaby area. Check out the Upcoming Events page.

Sirens of Suspense and Genre Snobbery

My guest blog is up at Sirens of Suspense, talking about genre snobbery and why mainstream disdain is perhaps a good thing. You can check it out here: 



http://sirensofsuspense.com/Sirens_of_Suspense/The_Siren_Song/Entries/2015/6/15_ongenresnobberyb.html

Shamus Award Nomination

Last of the Independents has had a hell of a run, considering it hasn't been out a year. It won the 2012 Unhanged Arthur manuscript award, was nominated for an Arthur for Best First Novel, placed first on the House of Crime and Mystery Readers Poll, and has made it onto the shortlist for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. And now it's nominated for a Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America.



I'm humbled by the support the book has received from readers, from critics, and from other writers. It's incredible. I don't know what I expected when I wrote the book--what I do know is, I can't take any of this for granted, and I have to make the next one better.

I'm in an enviable place right now. I don't know how else to put it. If you've read or reviewed the book, then you've had a hand in its support, and you deserve my thanks. (If you haven't read it, of course...)



What's on the horizon?

Invisible Dead.

Details to come...

Kobo Emerging Writers Shortlist; Summer/Fall events

More Last of the Independents news: it's been shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize! If I were prone to emoticons, this would be a "double smiley face atop a blinking kitty riding a skateboard"! As it is, it's a tremendous honor. Check out the shortlist press release here.



The novel is also nominated for a Crime Writers of Canada award for Best First Novel. The ceremony is tomorrow, in Toronto, and while I wish I could be there, I am stuck marking summaries and preparing midterms. In any case, win or lose, I'm very moved by the support CWC has shown me. Last of the Independents won the Best Unpublished First Novel Award in 2012; to see the book now in the Best First Novel category is unbelievable. It's ourageous. I'm the luckiest.



There's a bunch of stuff scheduled for the summer and fall, and more in the works. I've updated the Events Page. Check back regularly. Thanks for reading this. 



 

 

Arthur Ellis Nomination; Mysterious Bookshop;

I just got back from Montreal and New York. One of the highlights was visiting the Mysterious Bookshop, one of the best mystery and crime bookstores in the world. I got to sign copies of Last of the Independents, and picked up a few books myself. Thanks to Ian and the rest of the staff!

I flew from New York to Seattle and took the train home, and the evening of my arrival was the Arthur Ellis Awards event at the Burnaby Public Library. I was on a panel with Kay Stewart, Don Hauka, and Owen Laukkanen, answering questions about Canadian-ness and crime writing. It was a good time.

And the big news--Last of the Independents has been nominated for a Best First Novel award!

(Owen Laukkanen, Don Hauka, and me. Credit to Don for the photo)

Updates, Events for March

Some upcoming events in March, which I'm excited for:



Saturday March 7th I'll be at the Fleetwood branch of the Surrey Public Library for an event with Robin Spano, E.R. Brown and Dietrich Kalteis. 11:45-12:45.

March 12-15th is Left Coast Crime in Portland. No details on panels and events yet, but I'll be there.

March 24th we return to the Shebeen Whisky Room for Noir at the Bar. Always fun, and one of my highlights. 

April 23rd I'll be at the Crime Writers of Canada shortlist event, held at the Burnaby Public Library near Metrotown.

And finally, May 2nd is Authors for Indies. I'll be appearing at Pulp Fiction's Main Street location. 

So a busy spring to look forward to. That's good. I just handed in the draft of a novel to my agent, and now I have a large project looming, which I hope will carry me through the spring. It's a longer, different type of novel than I've written before. Not sure I can pull it off, and that's kind of the reason why I want to give it a try.



Hopefully I'll have some news to share soon on the follow-up to Last of the Independents. So far the responses have been really cool. 



Have a wonderful February. 

Good News, Everybody

Now this is cool--Last of the Independents won best Canadian crime novel at the House of Crime & Mystery Third Annual Reader's Poll! This is very flattering, especially considering the other amazing writers involved, and the fact that it was voted on by readers. Thanks to Jacques Filippi at House of Crime, and thanks to the voters!

Also worth checking out: an interview I did with S.W. Lauden for his website, Bad Citizen Corporation. We talk Last of the Independents, classic P.I. fiction, the writing process, Vancouver as a setting, and I manage to namedrop Soundgarden and John McFetridge. Image below courtesy of his site:

Twenty Fifteen

 

"Describe my writhing process? Well, a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth, some garment-rending...oh, you meant writing process."

It's December 30th for another hour.  I'm waiting for my paycheck to be deposited so I can pay some bills. I don't have anything profound to say about the end of one year or the beginning of the next.

A couple of plugs:

I love reading Dietrich Kalteis and Martin Frankson's Off the Cuff dialogs, and I'm always happy to get participate in them. OTC 12 also features Irish author Samantha J. Wright. Check it out here.

At House of Crime and Mystery, you can vote for Last of the Independents in the Favorite Crime Books of 2014 poll. The book is in the Canadian category next to works by Dietrich Kalteis, Owen Laukkanen, and John McFetridge, and that's good enough for me.

Do Some Damage selected Last of the Independents as part of the Favorite Crime Fiction Books from 2014. Glad to be mentioned amidst such esteemed company. 

My own best of list? The best crime novel I read was John McFetridge's Black Rock, and the best mainstream novel was Janie Chang's Three Souls. I'd highly recommend both of them. I also discovered Peter Temple this year. I've read most of his Jack Irish series, as well as some of his stand-alones. Terrific writer.

Happy New Year. Thanks for your support.

Happy Holidays

 

I'm trying to think of some way to wrap up or summarize the year's events and accomplishments. "I wrote a novel; some people thought it was good; working on another." That's the best I can do and it's pitiful. Bear in mind I was up very late last night watching Batman movies and drinking.

It's the end of the year, and the novel has made it on a few lists, including Sukasa Reads's Mystery and Suspense List,  Bad Citizen Incorporated's favorites, and Quill & Quire's "Last-Minute Gifts Chosen by Indie Booksellers." I appreciate being included.

Margaret Cannon of the Globe and Mail writes that Last of the Independents "has smarts, style, and a slick P.I. who deserves a long series of searches...Wiebe’s characters are believable and well drawn." Nice to be included on the G&M's "18-Must Reads..." list.

2014 is the year I discovered Peter Temple, an outstanding Australian crime novelist. It's the year I watched Calvary, an amazing Irish film about death and God. I read John McFetridge's Black Rock, which makes me proud to be a Canadian and a crime writer, and right now I'm enjoying Janie Chang's Three Souls, which deserves all the hype it's getting and then more.

Here are some of the hare-brained schemes I have lined up for 2014: a graphic novel; an East Coast tour; a radio play; an anthology of wrestling noir stories; a revamped website. It's possible none of them will come to fruition, but I'm doing my damnedest to get to all of them. I also have some novels to write. 

Thanks for reading this, and thanks for your support. Happy holidays and we'll see you in the New Year.

 

Giveaways

Monday Morning Giveaway!

The first three people to rate and review LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS on Chapters and Amazon will receive cool prizes!

All you have to do is post a review on Chapters, Amazon and Amazon.ca (all three would be great, but any two will qualify.) Post to let me know, and I'll send you prizes, including:

1. A copy of SubTerrain magazine's "Pulp Fiction" issue, featuring a brand-new story by me;
2. A pair of Last of the Independents coasters (I'm running out!)
3. A Last of the Independents bookmark;
4. A nice Facebook message thanking you, using the emoticon of your choice. (I'm partial to PandaDog and Friends,but I can see arguments in favor of Meep.)

Thanks!

Get in touch via email or facebook.com/wiebesam