Attention, Fellow Bloggers!

Hard up for things to blog about? I know I am. Just look at this lame excuse for a blog. No updates in almost three weeks? What's up with that?

Fortunately, the fine folks at Quirk Classics have saved me -- and perhaps you -- from blogger limbo by offering up something cool to write about. Our approaches will have to differ slightly, though. You see, I get to write about the free advance reader copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls that you might get if you contact Quirk pronto. Then, five or six weeks from now, you get to write about how much you looooooooooooooved the book. Yes, I get the instant gratification of adding to my blog today. But you'll get the free book, not to mention my eternal gratitude (or, if you haaaaaaaaaaaaaate the book, my eternal resentment). Click here for details.

But wait! There's more! Now that I'm back here in TypePadLand again, I realize I actually have other things I can tell you about. Did y'all know I'm in a new anthology of Sherlock Holmes stories? Well, I am! It's called Sherlock Holmes: The American Years, and it'll be out any day now. Some of you might be thinking, "Chuh? I bought that book, like, a year ago!" Nope. You're thinking of Sherlock Holmes in America, which I'm also in. That was a different book entirely. I think I'm the only writer who contributed to both, actually, so I guess I've successfully cornered the market on Holmes-goes-stateside anthologies. If some publisher announces Sherlock Holmes Solves Crimes Committed in the Continental United States or whatever, you know I'll be in it.

But wait! There's more! I'm also in the new antho Between the Dark and the Daylight and 27 More of the Best Crime and Mystery Stories of the Year. My contribution is the Big Red/Old Red adventure "The Devil's Acre." Given that I also appeared in The Widow of Slane and Six More of the Best Crime and Mystery Novellas of the Year, Wolf Woman Bay and Nine More of the Finest Crime and Mystery Novellas of the Year and Mystery Writers of America Presents Death Do Us Part: New Stories About Love, Lust and Murder, it looks like I'm cornering the market on books with more than 20 syllables in the title, as well.

But wait! There's...!

Oh. No, there's not.

Steve Hockensmith
January 29, 2010

P.S.: Originally, all the back-list links above went to Amazon.com, but this morning I changed them to other sites. You can find the explanation here. The upshot: As part of its ongoing drive to destroy the publishing industry with predatory pricing designed to move Kindles and bankrupt bricks-and-mortar bookstores, Amazon has stopped selling books from my publisher, St. Martin's Minotaur (which is owned by Macmillan). So, for the time being, the "Holmes on the Range" novels are no longer available to buy new via Amazon. I'm guessing this embargo will be lifted quickly, but who knows? In the meantime, all I can do as a wee teeny-weeny microscopic David getting squashed by this particular Goliath is raise up my wee teeny-weeny microscopic middle finger. How much will it hurt Amazon if a guy like me refuses to link to their site from now on? Oh, about this much. [Holds wee teeny-weeny microscopic fingers half a micron apart.] But, to quote an old Joe Jackson song, I'd like to think of it as another tiny blow against the evil empire.

P.P.S.: My books are available from Amazon.com again. I'm still pissed at Amazon, though.

Comments

[Evan Lewis]

Cool. PAPAZ:DOTD requested.

[Stella]

Congratulations! Tou're a hard worker :D
I'm really interested in "Sherlock Holmes: the american years".
Maybe I can order it.

[Steve]

Thanks, Stella! I'm guessing you'll be able to buy the book via the Italian version of Amazon (there is an Italian version of Amazon, right?). As of the moment, though, it's not available for purchase directly from Amazon in the States because AMAZON'S RUN BY A BUNCH OF @$%&* $&@*(# @&*$(#+s!!!

[Clears throat.] Excuse me. Couldn't stop myself.

Anyway, American readers interested in buying the book can go here:

http://bit.ly/doqklR

-Steve

[Stella]

Ah, ok, Thanks!!
Yes, there is the Italian version. No problem, I'll wait!

[Lee]

I've asked for a copy for my book club. I'm waiting for you to update your appearance list so I can come and "squee" at a SoCal bookstore...or perhaps Festival of Books?

[Steve]

Turns out I was making a false assumption last year, Lee. I thought I'd be touring to support DOTD, but now it looks like all my promotional who-ha's gonna be done from home. There's still a slight chance a few signings will pop up on the calendar, though -- I'll alert folks if something comes together. As for the Festival of Books, I'd love to do it again sometime, but it's probably too late to get on the schedule for this year. Maybe I should mention it to the Quirk folks, though. The timing would actually seem to be pretty good, given that DOTD will have only been out a month or so. Hmmmm....

-Steve

[Lee]

Last year at Festival, I could not find a Pride & Prejudice & Zombies for all the tea in China. Every stand that normally would carry it reported the immediate disappearance of it.

I say Quirk needs to get you there and promote, promote, promote. Maybe a panel about crossing genres?

Well, if you do a Saturday signing, I'll see if I can trek up to SF.

[Steve]

I've tossed the Festival idea at Quirk, so we'll see if anything comes of it. Stay tuned....

-Steve

[Ron]

Steve,

I'm one of the many lucky bloggers to get a copy of your book, and while I'll be reviewing it officially, I just dropped by to say that I got a serious kick out of it. Loved your execution of the concept! I'm definitely going to check out your other books now.

Cheers!

[Ron]

Also, I just noticed we're both Louisvillians! Weird!

[Steve]

Hey, Ron! Thanks a million for the thumbs up! Hopefully, you'll be the first of many happy readers. And if you're not...well, at least I'll know *somebody* liked the book!

Give me a shout once you've posted your review, and I'll link to it from my blog.

-Steve