Barbara Neely: R.I.P.

Well, this is very sad news, indeed. Mystery author Barbara Neely passed away earlier this week.  i only met her a few times, but she was always positive and fun. I loved her books. Barbara was a Brash Books author, and Publisher Lee Goldberg, posted this on his Facebook page.

She was recently named the 2020 Grandmaster by the Mystery Writers of America and is best known as author of the Blanche White mystery series, which we are honored to publish. The following obituary was supplied by her family:

"Early in her life Barbara demonstrated a vivid imagination, by making up stories from her daily experiences, developing into a young griot. Barbara was observant, a good listener and she knew how to ask probing questions. Sometimes her information gathering would result in her developing a storyline for one of her many short stories. She used these talents not only as a writer, but when she produced and hosted several radio programs.

In addition to her writing, Barbara was also a Social Justice Warrior who dedicated her time and talents to causes such as Economic and Criminal Justice, Women’s Rights and Equality. Her Socially Conscious work was acknowledged by receiving several awards.

She incorporated her dedication to social change with her love of writing. The fruit of that labor was a wonderful series of four mystery books featuring Blanche White, an African American women employed as a domestic. Blanche is a proud independent woman, with a curious mind and keen observational skills. Not only does she solve crimes she also shines a light on many social, cultural and economic issues. The Blanche series was so well received it has been translated into several languages including French, Czech, German and Japanese. Barbara has also won several distinguished awards for her writing.

Barbara died after a brief illness. She leaves a loving family and millions of adoring fans to celebrate a life well lived."

Indeed!

Lee Child & Stephen King talk Jack Reacher

Great talk at the Harvard Bookstore. Lee Child and Stephen King talk Jack Reacher! Thanks to Lee Goldberg for the link. Almost like being there!

WriteNow! 2017: Conquer the Publishing Jungle: August 11-12

WriteNow! 2017, the annual writers conference held by Desert Sleuths, the Phoenix Chapter of Sisters in Crime, will be held August 11-12 at Changing Hands Book Store and Embassy Suites, 4415 E. Paradise Valley Parkway South, in Phoenix. You won't want to miss the great workshop and conference. Read on:

Clive Cussler is the headliner. Cussler has turned out adventure-mysteries that inevitably hit best seller lists. Known primarily for his novels featuring Dirk Pitt, Mr. Cussler began with, “The Mediterranean,” published in 1973 and soon followed with such famous titles as “Raise the Titanic!,” “Sahara,” and many others.His latest work, “Nighthawk,” was released May 30, the press release stated.. Like many writers, however, his range of writing extends beyond Dirk’s manly escapades to non-fiction and children’s stories. At Writer Quest: Conquer The Publishing Jungle, the title of this year’s conference, Cussler will share his techniques, secrets and strategies for conquering the literary jungle.

The conference will also feature Lee Goldberg. Goldberg is a two-time Edgar & Shamus Award nominee and a NYT bestselling author who’s written over 40 novels and non-fiction works. He has also written and produced several TV series as well as having co-written with Janet Evanovich, the press release stated.

Also featured will be Robin Burcell. For 30 years of her life Robin Burcell served in law enforcement as a police officer, criminal investigator, and hostage negotiator before writing the Kate Gillespie police procedural series, the Sydney Fitzpatrick series, and a Streets of San Francisco novel. She now writes thrillers and works with Cussler on his latest offerings.

Dana Kaye a publicist, social media pro and brand manager, specializes in coaching clients on how to establish their personal brand. She has authored a book, and she created “Branding Outside the Box,” an online resource to help people launch their personal brand.

Also on hand will be literary agent, Jill Marr, who will take pitches, and editor, Holly Lorincz, who will do editing sessions with attendees, the press release stated.

The conference, open to the public, will be held on Aug. 11 and 12. It begins with a reception on Friday evening at the Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix, 300 W. Camelback Road. The reception will celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of the Sisters in Crime, begun in 1987 by author Sara Paretsky, who organized a group of women mystery writers.

The day-long conference on Saturday will include the aforementioned speakers, panel discussions, editing and pitching sessions, as well as the opportunity for attendees to buy the speakers’ books. Lunch and snacks are included in the entry fee and a silent auction will be held.

For registration visit http://desertsleuths.com/events/writenow-2017/. For more information email DesertSleuths@gmail.com.

Scribe Award Nominations: International Association of Media Tie-In Writers

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers announced
the Scribe Award Nominees for 2015.

Acknowledging excellence in this very competitive field, IAMTW's Scribe Awards honor licensed works that tie in with other media such as television, movies, gaming, or comic books. They include original works set in established universes, and adaptations of stories that have appeared in other formats and cross all genres.

The Scribe Award winners will be announced at ComicCon San Diego in July.

BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL – GENERAL

24: *Deadline* by James Swallow
Murder She Wrote: *Death of a Blue Blood* by Don Bain
Mike Hammer: *King of the Weeds* by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins
Homeland: *Saul’s Game* by Andrew Kaplan
The Killing: *Uncommon Denominator* by Karen Dionne

BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL – SPECULATIVE

Sleepy Hollow: *Children of the Revolution* by Keith R. A. DeCandido
Grimm: *Chopping Block* by John Passarella
Star Trek: *Disavowed* by David Mack
Star Trek: *Foul Deeds Will Rise* by Greg Cox
Grimm: *The Killing Time* by Tim Waggoner
Pathfinder: *The Redemption Engine* by James Sutter
Fringe: *Sins of the Father* by Christa Faust

ADAPTED NOVEL – GENERAL AND SPECULATIVE

*Dawn of the Planet of the Apes* by Alex Irvine
*Noah* by Mark Morris
*War of the Worlds: Goliath* by Adam Whitlach

YOUNG ADULT – ALL GENRES, ORIGINAL AND ADAPTED

Spirit Animals: *Blood Ties* by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
Battletech: *The Nellus Academy Incident* by Jennifer Brozak
*Penguins of Madagascar *by Tracey West

SHORT STORIES

Pathfinder: *Hunter's Folly* by Josh Vogt
Mike Hammer: *It's in the Book* by Max Collins and Mickey Spillane
Stargate: *Perceptions* by Diana Botsford
Pathfinder: *Queen Sacrifice* by Steven Savile
Tales of Valdemar: *Written in the Wind* by Jennifer Brozek

AUDIO

Dark Shadows: *The Darkest Shadow* by Nev Fountain
Dark Shadows: *The Devil Cat* by Mark Thomas Passmore
Blake’s 7: *Fortuitis* by George Mann
Doctor Who: *Iterations* of I by John Dorney
Pathfinder Legends: *The Skinsaw Murders* by Cavan Scott

HT: Lee Goldberg

Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Ok, maybe you don't think of the names Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg in the same breath, but it's going to happen in the future.

From MediaBistro:
Janet Evanovich has inked a deal with Random House for four more novels in her Stephanie Plum series.  She also sold four novels in a series co-authored with Lee Goldberg.

Here’s more from the release: “The new Evanovich-Goldberg series will feature FBI agent Kate Winslow and international fugitive Danny Cole and will be a thrilling combination of crime, romance, and adventure. The first in the series is scheduled for publication in fall 2013."

SCRIBE AWARDS: Media Tie-in Writing

The International Association of Media Tie-In Writers co-founders Lee Goldberg & Max Allan Collins are pleased to announce the 2012 nominees for the Scribe Award, honoring excellence in media tie-in writing. 

The awards will be given at a ceremony in July at this year's Comic-Con convention in San Diego.

GRANDMASTER (Lifetime Achievement): KEVIN J. ANDERSON

GENERAL FICTION / BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL:

ROYAL PAINS: FIRST DO NO HARM by D.P. Lyle
MIKE HAMMER: KISS HER GOODBYE by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane
BURN NOTICE: THE BAD BEAT by Tod Goldberg 
 
SPECULATIVE FICTION/BEST ORIGINAL NOVEL
STAR WARS: KNIGHT ERRANT by John Jackson Miller
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS – FORGOTTEN REALMS: BRIMSTONE ANGELS by Erin M. Evans 
SUPERNATURAL: COYOTE’S KISS by Christa Faust
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: THE SHARD AXE by Marshiela Rockwell
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM by A.C. Crispin

BEST ADAPTATION GENERAL OR SPECULATIVE
CONAN THE BARBARIAN by Michael Stackpole
CRYSIS LEGION by Peter Watts
TRANSFORMERS: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON by Peter David
COWBOYS & ALIENS by Joan D. Vinge

BEST YOUNG ADULT
ME & MY MONSTERS: MONSTER MANNERS by Rory Growler (Ian Pike)
THE SMURFS movie tie-in by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon
THUNDERBIRDS: EXTREME HAZARD by Joan Marie Verba

BEST AUDIO MIKE HAMMER: ENCORE FOR MURDER by Max Allan Collins & Mickey Spillane
DARK SHADOWS: THE LOST GIRL by D. Lynn
HIGHLANDER: ALL THE KINGS HORSES by Scott Andrews
DOCTOR WHO: THE MANY DEATHS OF JO GRANT by Cavan Scott & Mark Wright
  

Hat Tip: The Rap Sheet

Peter Falk: R.I.P.

Actor Peter Falk,  best known for his role in the TV series "Columbo," died yesterday at the age of 83.

Falk suffered from Alzheimer's disease and advanced dementia that intensified after a series of dental operations in 2007. In 2009, his wife, Shera, and daughter, Catherine, engaged in a legal tug-of-war over who should be in charge of his personal affairs; a judge ruled that Shera would retain control.

Falk was best known for his role as iconic cop Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running TV series. He won four Emmy awards for his work on the show.

Falk also found success on the big screen. He was nominated for Oscars for his roles in "Murder, Inc."(1960) and "Pocketful of Miracles" (1961).

He began his career in theater and returned to the stage late in his career. In 1972, Falk won a Tony for Neil Simon's "The Prisoner of Second Avenue."

Read Lee Goldberg's article in the Wall Street Journal "How Peter Falk made Lt. Columbo Iconic"

Hawaiian Mysteries

Right about now, you're thinking, "I'd rather be in Hawaii." Well, Left Coast Crime, one of the premiere mystery conventions, will be held on the Big Island, March 7-12, 2009 at the Marriott Waikoloa, and it's not too late to register. Airfares are low, and the hotel rates are great! Guests of Honor: Barry Eisler and Rhys Bowen. Toastmaster: Lee Goldberg, Ghost of Honor: Earl Derr Biggers. Here's a list of other authors and fans registered. This will be an unconventional convention with panels, interviews, Luau, a performance of House without a Key (adapted by Hal Glatzer), Desserts to Die for, Awards Brunch, trips and tours and so much more.

I always like to read mysteries set in the place I'm going to visit, so to get ready for this trip I've consulted the LCC website for a great list of mysteries set in Hawaii. For another list and "all things Hawaiian," go to Hawaian Eye: Mark Troy on Crime Fiction.

Say Aloha to Murder!

Lee Goldberg

Lee Goldberg, Toast Master at Left Coast Crime in Hawaii (March 7-12, 2009) and author of the Monk novels, just sent some info about his latest books to IACW and I thought people would be very intersted.

"The latest Monk novel, MR. MONK IS MISERABLE, is out today and picks up right where MR. MONK GOES TO GERMANY left off. It's set in Paris, which makes it a very personal book for me. My wife Valerie is French, born and raised in Paris, and we go there each year to visit my inlaws. On our last visit, I took our 13-year-old daughter Maddie to The Catacombs. She took one look at the millions of bones stacked underground and said "Can you imagine Monk here?" Yes, I could. We both could. And from that moment on, I couldn't stop seeing Paris through Adrian Monk's eyes. And neither could she, which turned this book into sort of a family affair.

As familiar as I am with Paris, I still had to do a lot of research into the sewer system and, on a subsequent trip, scout locations for the book. The hotel, the restaurants, and just about every other setting in the book actually exists. I also named many of the characters after my French family and friends.

My next Monk book, MR. MONK AND THE DIRTY COP, comes out in July 2009 and takes place back in San Francisco, where I also feel a special connection. I was born and raised in the Bay Area. After two books "on the road," it was nice to be home again. The book I am working on now, MR. MONK IN TROUBLE, will be out in December 2009 and is set in San Francisco and California's gold country.

I haven't decided yet what comes after that. All I know is that, whatever those next two books are, they will be published after the TV series ends.

How will Monk change after the finale of the TV show? I have no idea yet...or how those changes will impact future books. I look forward to finding out!"

Want to spend some quality time with Lee? He's an incredible raconteur. Register for Left Coast Crime and join the group at an amazing Unconventional Convention!