Ask me...

I've got my contributor copies of CRIMESPREE MAGAZINE and I'm willing to part with one. Of course, if you're a subscriber, then your copy is already in your hands or on its way, but if you're not a subscriber, here's your chance to give the magazine a try totally free of charge. If you haven't ever read a short story by me, you can give that a try too. Toss your name in the comments ring and I'll pick someone tomorrow.

By the way, the story "Bronx, 1971", introduces a character named Ray Cruz to the world - Ray is a very angry man, but he has his reasons. Jennifer Jordan, gonzo editor at large (not sure what that means, but it sounds right) said yes to Ray Cruz which shows she is very wise indeed.

Other Ray Cruz stories are under consideration at EQMM/Black Mask, Plots with Guns, and Thuglit.

Booklist weighs in...

Here's part of what Booklist had to say about BLACKOUT IN PRECINCT PUERTO RICO, my latest:

The fifth entry in this spare, beautifully written series functions as a prequel to the other four novels in which readers will finally understand the source of the older Gonzalo’s seriousness, occasional melancholy, and seemingly overcautious investigatory technique. Fine reading.

Hard to argue, I think.

They Like Me! They Really, Really Like Me!

The Short Mystery Fiction Society has put out their list of Derringer nominees for stories published last year and one of my stories got the nod. "the Biography of Stoop the Thief" was published in last year's anthology Uncage Me! edited by Jennifer Jordan and published by Bleak House.

Not to toot my own horn any more than I already have, but... Publisher's Weekly mentioned my story as being the most "moving" in the bunch and that's high praise because a) PW hasn't always seen eye to eye with me on my writing, and b) it's a moving bunch of stories. In any event, I think it's the best short story I've written, I'm quite proud of it and the entire antho is for sale at a deep discount over at Amazon. Not sure why.

Well, go on. Get it.