If it's lunchtime it must be Belgium

Sitting here having my noonday repast of fruit, cheese & crackers, olives and nuts, and it occurs to me it's time for an update of sorts. I joined Twitter recently (I KNOW. Don't say it.) and now I can't remember what I've communicated and what I haven't.
 

Big disappointment to the two people in the world who look forward to my next fantasy effort, I realize. Here's how that went down. I was outlining away and doing all the research and the more I researched and outlined, the more I realized a - this was a fairly complicated endeavor -- first book in a four book series, after all, and b - I REALLY liked the story and characters and it was a shame to rush it -- and rush it I'd have had to in order to get it out in time. So in the spirit of realism that has gripped me for the last couple of months, I contacted my editor and publisher and requested that we push the entire thing back a year. It will be a better book and a better series for doing so, believe you me.

I've continued to work on it, still researching and outlining, and maybe I'll share a snippet a bit later on, but meantime...next big release will be Friday's Petit Morts from JCP Books. There are five stories this time around, two from me, two from Jordan, and one from Sean Kennedy. I've read them all and every one of them is a lot of fun. I think they're perfect for Halloween, assuming your idea of a Halloween well spent involves reading and not throwing eggs at houses.

Speaking of which, what have you been reading? I've been reading A Taste of Ashes by Howard Browne. It's a hardboiled classic -- actually the fourth book in a series, which I didn't realize when I started it, but it doesn't matter. "Series" back in the day didn't mean quite what it does now. Anyway, Browne was a contemporary of Chandler and Hammett. He lacks the diamond-brilliance of Chandler (doesn't everybody?) but I think he's a better writer than Hammett ( though maybe not so inventive). It's a shame that he's sort of lost in the shuffle because he's really good. Anyone in the mood for classic hardboiled PI fiction, give Browne a spin. I especially recommend him for anyone aspiring to write hardboiled detective fiction because ATOA is like a step-by-step How To. It's that clean and precise.

As for my TV viewing...I've been watching TV voraciously for the hour I can manage to stay awake when the day's slog is done. Think I've reached the breaking point with the Wallender series on PBS. It's so beautifully filmed and acted -- but maybe that's part of the problem. The thing is so stylized...and if Wallender breaks down crying one more time! Crikey. It's in stark contrast to the Irene Huss series, which I've also been watching -- Swedish production about a Swedish cop.  It's a bit gory at times, but everyone behaves like cops and law enforcement which the Kenneth Brannagh effort -- though probably twice the budget -- does not. (Irene does get knocked out too much, I have to say, but hey.)

What I did enormously enjoy, though, was the PBS offering SHERLOCK. Now that was fun, I thought. Anyone catch that?

Let's see...oh. I'm always surprised at the stuff I've failed to communicate, but here's a brief business announcement for anyone interested. I do have an official mailing list (such as it is) and it's heyah. Well, theyah, actually. Just follow the link.

I have a discussion list on Good Reads.

I'm on Face Book.

And now, yes, Twitter. (Don't. Say. It.)

So...projects left for this year. The Petit Morts stories on Friday. Icecapade from Carina Press on December 1st. All She Wrote from Samhain on December 28th. That's pretty much it for the year. Everything else has been cancelled or kicked back to next year. 

That's my overdue update. What about you? What are you up to these days? What are you reading, watching, working on?