Ella Clah is Back

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Th_0765324512Several years ago, Bill Rabkin and I had the pleasure of adapting Aimee & David Thurlo's terrific Ella Clah novels into a one-hour pilot for CBS. We loved that script, but the network passed us over in favor of  Queens Supreme, which was cancelled after just three episodes.  

But Ella Clah has continued to enjoy a long, healthy run in print. And now she's back in her 17th novel, BLACK THUNDER. Here's what Publishers Weekly had to say about it:

In the Thurlos’ satisfying 17th novel featuring Navajo policewoman Ella Clah (after 2010’s Never-Ending-Snake), a remote area near a steep-sided outcrop called Hogback becomes a murder scene with the accidental discovery of a buried body with two bullet holes in the skull. More grave sites in the same area, including one just outside tribal boundaries, make it a multijurisdictional investigation bringing in San Juan County (N.Mex.) sheriff Paul Taylor and FBI agent Dwayne Blalock. Tracking the victims, some dead for several years, complicates the investigation. An attempt to get rid of a possible witness, a young boy playing near Hogback, heats the action. Meanwhile, Ella must deal with the needs of her teenage daughter, Dawn; mother, Rose Destea; and romantic interest, Rev. Ford Tome. Navajos known as the Fierce Ones threaten to worsen the situation with vigilante justice in this insightful portrait of a native culture still evolving between tradition and modernity. 

 The Thurlos are among the most prolific authors I know — I think they're juggling three book series now — and they always deliver a great read.  Do yourself a favor and grab this book!

The Mail I Get

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I got this irresistable offer tonight:

Dear Webmaster,

Today while searching good link partner to my website I came across through your great website And willing to exchange link with your quality site.

As you know reciprocal linking is very useful for high ranking on Google.

If you are agree to exchange link with our site then please add following information on your site 

If you have any query please do not hesitate to contact me! 

Waiting for your quick an positive reply.    

Thanks and Regards,
Michel Ponting

The links were all to bootleg video sites for episodes of Battlestar Galatica, Babylon Five, Charmed and other SF shows. Clearly, English is not this guy's first language. And the only thing dumber than asking me to link to a bootleg video site would be to link to one bootlegging my shows.

And guess what? He did that, too. The dimwit.

“Charles Manson Calling, Will You Accept the Charges?”

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Twice in the last two days I've received automated calls from Global Telelink Advance Pay Authorization Payment Services asking me if I would accept collect calls from the Pritchess Detention Center, East Facility. Obviously, I hung up…but I have to wonder, how did those prisoners get my number and what makes them think I'd let them make calls on my account?

The Dead Man is Alive!

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0460 Lee Goldberg Dead Man Series_V2_3Amazon re-launched THE DEAD MAN series an hour ago…and with it, their 47North imprint. They are pricing the books at 99 cents for a very limited time. You can read all about the creation & writing of the series today on the Amazon Kindle Post blog and on the product page for Face of Evil. In addition, there are interviews with each of the individual authors on the product pages for Ring of Knives, The Dead Woman, and Blood Mesa.

The Mail I Get

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I received this email this morning. I have removed the author’s last name to spare him embarrassment. 

Hello,

My name is Sean L.

I discovered you through J.A. Konrath’s blog.

Basically, I’m just getting into the world of self-publishing. I’ve recently published my first ebook through the Kindle and I’m looking for ways to get my name out there to the masses.

If you’re interested in helping me, I have a few ideas.

Thank you for your time!

Regards,

Sean

Here is the reply that I just sent him:

I am so glad that you have some ideas to help me get your name out there to the masses, because I am stumped.

I set everything aside that I was doing this morning, including writing my book that’s due on Nov. 1 and my efforts to publicize Amazon/47North’s launch of the “Dead Man” series this week, to put some serious thought into how to make you a success, and my mind was just a blank. Maybe that’s because you’re a complete stranger to me, but that’s no excuse for my lack of inspiration.

This is so incredibly frustrating for me since I know how important reaching the masses is for you. But rest assured, I will be devoting the day, if not the entire month, perhaps even the remaining days of my life, to this important task, so please forward to me as soon as humanly possible your  ideas on how I can best promote you.

Lee

His response:

So…..no then?

He may be clueless, but at least he has a sense of humor.

The Mail I Get

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I got this email from Mark Sanders, a MONK fan.

I enjoy watching the reruns of Monk and reading your book, Mr. Monk and The Dirty Cop.   Though the personality Natalie had in the book, seemed more like Sharona.   It was a good read, however, I don't think I would have paid the $22.00 cover price.    I got it on sell for $5.00.

I replied:

I'm so glad that you were able to find my book at a bargain price. Of course, that means we'll have to eat beans this week… 

Good Writing Advice

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I found an excellent piece of writing advice in Randy Boyagoda's  New York Times review of Charlies Frazier's novel Nightwoods.

It’s too bad the writing gets in the way of the storytelling — or, to be truer to Frazier, it’s plangently unfortunate the writing style gets all up and troublesome-like in the whisper-leaved way of the true and fine telling of this terrible and valiant tale of priapic violence and distaff recompense. A little girl doesn’t hurt her nose, she “pierced the wing of her nostril.” Bottles don’t spill or break, they are left “shattering with spewing concussion” and falling “in festive breakage.” Furniture doesn’t just age with time and use, but instead is “buffed to a pale silver nub by many decades of buttocks.” Writing that invites this much attention, that so strives to concentrate our attention on its effects, has to achieve more than precious and overwrought evocation.

That's so true. If you're a writer, that's advice worth remembering.