"Bacon" is up at A Twist of Noir

First, everyone needs to recognize and acknowledge, the editorial and personal greatness of Christopher Grant! He has assembled the largest flash fiction challenge ever undertaken by a single person. We're talking over a hundred stories! Mr. Grant invited virtually every author that has been published on A Twist of Noir to submit a story. The idea was in addition to the usual ATON fare, he would post stories that were to be between 600 to 700 words.

It's not enough to compile over a hundred tales, proof them and check the word count, but to devote that amount of time takes outstanding dedication. The results have been astounding to say the least, with a great yarns from both professionals and amateurs.

I can't do a teaser for the story, because it would pretty much just give it away. Well, without further adieu, here's "Bacon."

David Cranmer interviews my "Dad!"

David Cranmer, Publisher of Beat To A Pulp Magazine, has seven questions for my "Dad!"*




That's right he interviews Christopher Grant, the very man who once said, "That's right, I'm pulling for my bastard son Cormac." Christopher runs one of the best sites for fresh and reprinted noir, crime fiction and mayhem.

David asks some great questions, covering Spaghetti Westerns, A Twist of Noir, Christopher Grant's character "The Deaf Guy," the future of ATON and desert island reads. Please, pop on over and read it.



*I'm twelve years older than him, but he is the most supportive parent when it comes to all of us writers of crime fiction.

"The House of Half A Hundred Cats" is up at A Twist of Noir!

Katherine Tomlinson's "The House of Half A Hundred Cats" is up at A Twist of Noir!

Think...

...then get amnesia, what is wrong with you? Forget about all that bad face painted, crappy leotard costumed and hackneyed musical nonsense! We're talking about Katherine Tomlinson, and we're talking about A Twist of Noir! Think...

...and you will be in the right frame of mind.

Get Plugged In #5

John Donald Carlucci has the third episode of Fierce Cravings up on YouTube!

Katherine Tomlinson makes her Powder Burn Flash debut, with "Dangerous Chartreuse."

Last, but not least, Chad Rohrbacher comes to A Twist of Noir.

"A Red Lipstick" Is Up At A Twist Of Noir

From Astonishing Adventures Issue #5, "A Red Lipstick" is up at A Twist of Noir. This version is unique to A.T.O.N. Christopher Grant made a couple of changes here and there, so that it reads a little smoother than the original.

On a personal note, if a writer or an author is entitled a little self-indulgence every once in a while? This is my favorite story of all of my work, in terms of how it was plotted out. Katherine Tomlinson had me pare down some extraneous subplots and characters, because sometimes less is truly more.

The Last Links Of The Year

I'm waaayy behind in terms of blogging, and I'm not going to have my Top Ten Books of 2009 up before the end of the year. Still, let me get in the last links of 2009 and go from there...

Editor and Author, Katherine Tomlinson has a new story up at A Twist of Noir, called "Fair-weather Friend," that will change the way that you behave at a bank.

Sandra Seamans was nice enough to include one of my yarns in her Top Ten Short Stories of 2009. Not only that, she turned me on to Flash Fire 500, the site that it was on in the first place. Also on her list is one of my favorite stories from Paul D Brazill, "The Tut," which gives Edgar Allan a run for his money.

Turn about is fair play, so if you haven't checked Sandra's work out yet, let me recommend Sandra's "Midnight Showdown," which was also featured on Beat To A Pulp. It's one of the best westerns that I've read, and it will definitely surprise you.

To finish things off with an awesome dessert, Sandra defends, sci-fi, genre writing and fiction, in general.

Katherine Tomlinson owns The Internet

Katherine Tomlinson is all over the Internet.

At A Twist of Noir, she gets you ready for the holidays, with a Pulp Christmas.

For all my people from The Twelve Tribes, she has a Do-It-Yourself Chanukah at Bier Magazine. Of course, we goyim can enjoy these good noshes, too.

If the holidays aren't your thing, I'll bet you chocolate is. Katherine has a chocolate truffle recipe, and an even easier fool-proof recipe for idiots like me, who tend to mangle desert.

She does this while editing Astonishing Adventures Magazine, writing her own fiction and covering movie scripts. That, is why I call her the "Super Editor."

Get Plugged In #4

Jean-Paul Sartre said that, "Hell is other people."

Super Editor and author, Katherine Tomlinson has a brilliant story up at A Twist of Noir called "Another Day In Paradise," that says Sartre was only half-right.

But that's not all, she also the Chocolate Editor for BellaOnline. Her article not only has recipes, but everything that you can think of that is chocolate-related. Health links, Vegan links, books, how you can prepare it sans sugar, and gifts for chocophiles.

Last but certainly not least, Johnny Dollars a.k.a. Editor JDC a.k.a. Publisher JDC a.k.a. John Donald Carlucci, has made the leap to webisodes.

I've already checked out the first episode of "Fierce Cravings," and it's good stuff...along the lines of a certain low-budget, super successful film from the 90's. Check out his press release for more details-

MANITOWOC, November 19, 2009 – Darke Media, the film production studio and producer of the digital magazine “Astonishing Adventures,” today announced the release of the new webserial “Fierce Cravings.”

Looking to explore online sources for distribution, Darke Media is releasing the entirety of “Fierce Cravings” for free through sources such as YouTube and iTunes. Plans are in place to launch a second serial, starring the mascot Scarlett, of Astonishing Adventures, in mid 2010.

“Uncertain where the horrific changes to his body and mind are leading, the masked man begins documenting his descent into Hell.”

“Fierce Cravings” tells its chilling tale in the same cinematic style utilized by hits like “Paranormal Activity”, “The Blair Witch Project”,and “Quarantine.”

For more information on Darke Media please visit the dedicated website at http://darkemedia.wordpress.com/

For the online in-story diary of “?” from “Fierce Cravings” http://fiercecravings.wordpress.com/

"Retribution" is up at A Twist of Noir!

It was originally printed in the Premiere Issue of Crooked Magazine and now, my story "Retribution," has come to A Twist of Noir!



And remember, anything you say in bed, can be used against in the Court of Noir.

"Proof Of Life" is up at A Twist of Noir!

Many crime writers (including yours truly) tend to see crime fiction in just two dimensions and thus, on some levels, it becomes predictable. Now Katherine Tomlinson told me that she wrote a tale for Thug Lit a couple of years ago and I told her that I had absolutely no idea.

Her story "Proof of Life" was in Issue #19 of Thug Lit and it is probably one of the most unique crime fiction stories that you will ever read. Katherine truly gave my favorite genre a third dimension, so please see for yourself with "Proof of Life." Todd Robinson really got it right when he chose it for that issue.

Yet, she's not one toot her own horn and so the work that should be recognized, almost becomes a strange version of that koan about the forest.

Two years later, Christopher Grant enters the picture, because that's the beauty of his site, A Twist of Noir. The stories that didn't find their proper audience the first time, can reach a new one and the reader benefits this time. Because not only do you get a chance to discover or rediscover a story, the artist gets a chance to do the little things to improve that story.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Christopher Grant gives you the revised and improved version of Katherine Tomlinson's "Proof Of Life."

Paulie Decibels types softly...

It is not a question of "if," as it is a just a question of "when" the British crime fiction wave will wash over our shores.

Over at the other side of the pond, they bring a fresh perspective to noir and quite frankly, it tends to have a little more depth than most (though, not all) of American crime fiction. It is my belief that among those writers to change things up over here, will be Paul D. Brazill. He shifts from the abyss, to humor, to poetry, and all with amazing ease.

I will give you an opportunity to see for yourselves, by giving you two links to some of his horror writing:

His story "This Old House" is up again at A Twist Of Noir, and let's just say Bob Villa wouldn't last a minute in that abode.

And part of Erin Cole's Thirteen Days of Horror, comes "The Friend Catcher."


Enjoy.

Here and there

Because let's face it, I have you more twisted than Pretzel Dog, here-

Friday Flash Fiction #5 is up and the starter sentence was: "Come with me if you want to give..."

A special thanks to The Doc, who straightened out a logistical error in firearms with this story.

There-

Run, run for your lives! The Bad Lieutenant's Wife is back!...for the moment, at least.

No, I won't resort to gasoline or henna, but I guarantee you that I will be a Firecrotch one day.

Finally, I leave you with a grand interview with two great authors, and a pretty damn good filmmaker.

"A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing" is up at A Twist Of Noir!

If you haven't checked out "A Twist of Noir," you really should. Not only does Christopher Grant have some outstanding new crime fiction up there, but he helps a new audience discover older stories that they might have missed the first time.

In one such case, I wrote a story called "A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing" that got caught up in an awkward transition when Crooked Magazine switched over from a monthly PDF. into a story that posted stories as they came. So if I were to use my Statcounter as a basis of readers that came over from Crooked and the comment section under the story in question, it didn't find the audience that it could have the first time around.

So here it is, via Christopher Grant, another chance for you to check out "A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing."

"Beetner Me To A Pulp, Redux"

What was that tagline for "Alien?" Oh yeah, "In space...no one can hear you scream."

Well on the Internet, you can't tell whether I'm joking or not, unless I do my job as a writer. Obviously I didn't.

I mean...


...even she knows that my tongue was in cheek.

And even Clark Kent knows when I'm winking so hard that it looks like I'm having a stroke.

So when I say that I'm hiring Betty White to pull a hit? I hope that you understand that in no way am I being serious, okay? I was using the most absurd thing I could think of...it's what I do...that, and ellipses. Obviously poorly, but it's what I do.

Eric Beetner wrote a terrific story and it's up at A Twist of Noir. It features a bunch of writers that you might know from Powder Burn Flash, A Twist of Noir, Crooked Magazine and so many other crime zines. Go check it out.

Blogpourri Redux

Corey Wilde's interview with David Zeltserman is here and it is a must read for fans, and non-fans of crime fiction. We're talking not only his books, but a nice little foray into the publishing world. My favorite excerpt-

It’s also interesting that publishers have no problem publishing subversive dark books if they’re labeled literary, such as what Chuck Palahniuk’s been writing. It’s only when the books are labeled mystery/crime that they blanch at this and don’t trust their readers with anything other than what they consider safe books.

I just read Palahniuk's "Snuff" last week and I couldn't agree with him more.

The King is dead, long live The King. If you missed Paul D Brazill's (a.k.a. Sir Paulie Decibels deHartlepool) "Swamplands" on Flashshot, A Twist of Noir has reissued it.

Last but not least, The Missus has created two-

new


necklaceseseses, necklai?*




*I know, I know, "necklaces."

"Going To See A Whale About A Man"

The Heist Man commeth, and he has changed careers for the moment. I have a story up at A Twist Of Noir called "Going To See A Whale About A Man." It features the return of The Heist Man and features both, a certain crime author famous on both sides of the pond, and the jewels of America's most famous bimbo.


As I sit down, I notice that Kieran is twice as good as I am at scanning a room. You wouldn’t know that he’s taking everything in, unless you too had pay attention to everything in order to stay out of jail and stay alive. His eyes go to the front door as he raises his beer, and then they go to the bathroom as he puts the glass down. His eyes widen ever-so-slightly as they return to the front door, and that’s tipped me off that something is about to go down.

From their angry mumbling, I’m guessing that they are Vietnamese, but I don’t know Vietnamese from Laotian. I do know that they have guns, because they are doing such a poor job of disguising this fact, that I can see this in the dirty mirrors behind Kieran. I’m screwed because they’ve taken up position behind me, and any move on my part at this time will most likely get me shot. Kieran has his right hand under a napkin on the table and I guarantee that’s not a fork under it.

“Gentlemen, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Kieran lays it on thick, solely for the benefit of the diners. Despite the beer-filled haze, everyone in here seems to have figured out that these guys aren’t here as some kind of new alternate entertainment for a mariachi band. The one behind me with the pink and green gel-covered hair, straight out of an anime, leans over me and puts a gun in my back.


Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "Going To See A Whale About A Man."

Post-Draft Blogpurri

Ante Scriptum- Paulie Decibels reworked "Sleeping It Off" into "Bingo Master's Breakout" and it was just posted on A Twist Of Noir. Now Ladies and Gentlemen, back to the original post-

Do you think that a certain Paul D. Brazill...



...Bares a certain resemblance to Will Durst?

Is it me, or is it a coincidence that you never see both in the same venue, at the same time?

Of course, they are rarely within 5,000 miles of each other, they really don't actually look alike and there is a noticeable fifteen years difference between them, but don't let that get in the way of an Internet-based rumor.

At any rate, on Silents and Talkies, Paul D. Brazill talks about one of the greatest actors of all time and the favorite actor of most of the writers I know, Robert Mitchum.

Patti Abbott takes on a trip On Paladin Road, think what would happen if Scott Wolven met The Twilight Zone, Hitchcock meets Rod Serling.

Last but not least, Google/Blogger gave away Quin's old blog, lock, stock, and barrel. Just like that, no rhyme, reason or warning. In the meantime she has started anew, here at-

quinbrowne.blogspot.com.

Please do me a huge favor and "follow" her blog if you ever loved her Six Sentences or her musings.

Read On, Read On

I'm going on a quick blogging vacation at least until Wednesday, but that doesn't mean that there isn't abundant content to be read.


Keith Rawson won the First A Twist of Noir's Story Contest with "In The Shower, Thinking."

Eric Beetner was in second place with the neo-noir "Past Due."

Kevin Michaels points out why it's not a good idea to flash your cash in "Hard Streak."

Paulie Decibels writes about the horror, the horror, at Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers, with "This Old House." Think more Halloween British style, than Bob Villa.

Last but not least, mi amica, Pyzhan tries to get me and everyone else hip to other hardboiled MacDonald, John. D. If you only saw how big my TBR pile was, Pyzahn, you'd cry like a baby.

Around The Web

If there's one expression that makes me wince, whether I hear it in the movies or on TV, or whether I see it in print? "The word on the street."

Now, I've heard people say "I've heard that," or "I heard around the way," or "people have been telling me," but I've never, I repeat never, heard anyone in real life say, "the word on the street is." Well, Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein found out just what the word on the street actually was.

Hey, Christoper Grant not only runs a wonderful crime fiction site, he can pen a good word or two.

Why ask Abby? Don't ask Alice, either, because the Door Mouse was full of it anyway and the stuff they have to feed your head nowadays? You will wind up making Gary Busey look coherent in comparison. Ask Sinjin instead, for a refreshing answer to your most vexing problems.

There are rumors that I haven't had time to personally verify, but I understand that Katie Schwartz is back and if you know my blogs, I loves me some Katie. She's my best, best online friend ever.

Last, but certainly not least is The Missus, who has her own jewelry blog. Go ahead, take a peek.

A Twist of Noir Has "Tit-For-Tat" Up

Let me just say that out of all the things that I have written, this the piece of work that I am the most proud of. Not to mention it is rare for any author to be happy with each and every line, or each and every word. With "Tit-For-Tat," I couldn't love any of my stories more than this one.

With echoes of Hammett and Chandler, I tried to capture pulp in all its Black Mask glory. I don't know if I succeeded in doing that, but I am still extremely happy with the results. Charles Grant was nice enough to reprint a story that first appeared in the premiere issue of Astonishing Adventures Magazine, so ladies and gentlemen, I give you "Tit-For Tat."