Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Ransom Note


First things first. Got a contest this week with the best prize ever. Brit crime writer Jay Stringer has got a piece of the Do Some Damage blog that also features John McFetridge, Steve Weddle, Dave White, Russell D. McLean, Scott D. Parker and Mike Knowles. Over there he’s just published an interview with badass crime writer Scott Phillips in two parts. The prize in this week’s contest is an autographed, nay – personalized, copy of Scott’s story The Crow Killers. The story first appeared in the print anthology Plots With Guns edited by Anthony Neil Smith and features my favorite Phillips character – Wayne Ogden - as a young slightly amoral man before he blossoms into a complete psychopath in The Walkaway and later this year Supply Sarge. This is a parallel English/French edition out of print now and never available in the United States – a real collector’s item in other words – I have a feeling you’ll love it. So the contest? Go read the interview and count how many times Scott mentions my name (both parts)… How simple and self serving could it be? Just click on my profile on the right side of your screen and email me the answer by Sunday night Feb. 7 and you’ll be entered in the drawing… Awesome.

Next order of business. I’ve got a new gig, providing content for Barnes & Noble’s Ransom Notes blog and my first post went live today. I’ll be posting there Tuesday and Friday mornings. Look for more interviews, reviews and provocative topical, perhaps juvenile pieces like you’ve come to expect here. Not to worry, Hardboiled Wonderland ain’t closing shop – for one thing I can’t fuckin say fuckin shit over there and I needs to let a swear go once in a while. Shit. That goes for you too. You wanna leave a comment at Ransom Notes? Leave the potty mouth at home.

In case you’ve been locked out of the internets for a couple of weeks, David Honeybone’s formerly defunct publication Crime Factory magazine has been resurrected. It’s now available for free as a PDF or for $1 on your Kindle. It’s an exciting crime rag for the hardcore fans featuring articles by Gordon Harries, The Nerd of Noir, Scott Phillips and Adrian McKinty. There's also fiction by Ken Bruen, Frank Bill, Dave White, Steve Weddle and Hilary Davidson. Beyond that are reviews and opinionated shit from editors Keith Rawson, Liam Jose and Cameron Ashley as well as Patti Abbot, Jimmy Calloway and Kieran Shea. Dude – check it out!

Badass short fiction author Jordan Harper joined the writing staff of CBS’s The Mentalist and the first episode with his name in the credits airs this week, (Thursday @ 10). I’ll be tuning in. I always think of (the star of the show) Simon Baker as that guy who’s appeared in movie versions of two of my favorite books L.A. Confidential and Ride With the Devil (from the book Woe to Live On by Daniel Woodrell).

Speaking of Woodrell, (nice transition, no?), Winter’s Bone the movie not only premiered at the Sundance film festival recently, but took home the Grand Jury Prize. Director Debra Granik and co-writer Anne Rosellini also grabbed a screenwriting award.

Also Thuglit issue 35 is up, featuring twisted fiction from Graham Bowlin, Nicola Haywood, Nolan Knight, Nate Southard, Jordan McPeek, Tom Casatelli, Christopher E. Long and S. Craig Renfroe Jr.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Scott mentions you, uh, once? Then I think he calls you, that tall dude with the beard...but I think he means Fidel Castro. Wait. I don't know...shouldn't be taking all this cough medicine but the bong hits are making me cough soooo much, y'know?

Unknown said...

Wedgie, Ayres. Remember.

CrimeNerd said...

Congrats on the new gig, Jed.

I used to read the crime club shit when I worked at a B&N in college b/c the internet at the store would only connect to the B&N site - while on the clock, naturally.

I fucked over my corporate masters something huge...until they looked at the security cameras, that is.