N@B 2015 Newsletter vol. 3

Scott Phillips - Scott's kicking off 2016 with an appearance at N@B-Mitzvah ed. here on January 14th and then heading to N@B-Twin Cities on the 17th. Looking the hell forward to St. Louis Noir - the book he edited for Akashic's city noir series. I think it's gonna be great.

Tawny Pike - Have not heard nearly enough of/from Ms. P. Her fiction's a force of nature - you feel it and perceive its effects, but you can't quite capture and harness that shit... like in a book. I'd like that shit harnessed - printed and condensed into a clean-burning fuel source. Please. 

Robert J. Randisi - Still going strong with no signs of stopping. N@B's pulp-master don't mess around.

John Rector - Haven't seen John in a couple years. He must miss me something awful. Maybe he's avoiding me since I suggested a themed N@B anthology of celebrity chef erotica featuring his In the Kitchen With Rachel Ray (from Noir at the Bar vol. 2), Joseph Hirsch's Guy Fieri/Paula Deen piece Won't You Take Me to Flavor Town and any old thing Scott Phillips and Malachi Stone and y'know I think Laura Benedict and Hilary Davidson could really put this thing over the top. C'mon, John, I know you want to do this.

Caleb J. Ross - Haven't seen the man in a bit, but the good news is he's podcasting now. Like obsessively. Like... how many exactly? Several. Go here for podcast links. He's a man of many interests and someday he'll find one he's good at. I kid, I kid. Caleb's funny as hell and twisted too. Don't believe me? Then go here for links to his fictions.

John Joseph Ryan - John's debut novel A Bullet Apiece came out in 2015 and looks to be only the first of a few titles featuring detective Ed Darvis. Look for John and Ed on award ballots of the future.

Theresa Schwegel - It's been a bad year for stories involving Chicago cops. Hell a bad decade or half century. Fuck. Let's just put it this way - if you prefer your fucked up Chicago cops to be fictional, Theresa's got you covered. Get some.

Anthony Neil Smith - Every time I write a Smith update I fuck something up, so I'll try to limit my 2015 observations to this: Worm was released and it's got a beautiful paperback cover. I hear things about upcoming projects, but will refrain from speculation at this point. Someday I'll do an entire ANS speculation post and you can all Choke On My Lies.

Duane Swierczynski - I dig Duane's work with his original comics Ex-Con and The Black Hood a bunch, but what's really got me hot to trot is this just revealed cover for 2016's novel Revolver. The workingest man in work town over here. Work it. 

Malachi Stone - Somewhere in the wilds of south-western Illinois a man sits at a computer with a plastic bag on his head chatting online between fifteen alter egos about classic literature and philosophy, religion, the law, sex criminals and the bouquet of celebrity buttholes. I have met this man, but do not know his name. I know him only as Stone, Malachi Stone... and I've read his work. It will never make him rich, but it will make you more than a little uncomfortable, and if you value that rarity in the age of fifty shades of gilt-edged, buffed out, mass market smut rejoice. Dude has a bunch of novels available and probably more in the next year.

Jason Stuart - Guy took a much needed step back from the machinations of publishing (so long, Burnt Bridge, and thanks for all the books - Pig Iron was a helluva swan song) hosting N@B-NOLA and authoring writings. Not too busy to make movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger though. Did you see him in Terminator: Genysis or did you blink? Hoping to see more fictions from the man shortly and I'd really like to hear him read again. Hey, Jason - are you planning a N@B event for Bouchercon in New Orleans this year? Hope to see you there.