So… What have you all been up to these past thirty
months?
Whatever you’ve been doing, I'll bet it hasn’t been waiting
breathlessly for a new blog post from me.
Even before this long hiatus I wasn’t exactly a dependable content
provider.
Why the sudden revival? By chance, I’ve gotten into a habit
of writing regular posts, just not for this blog. For the past two years I’ve been president of
the Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and among the
many (many) tasks that accompany that job, I would write the introductory
column for the chapter’s monthly newsletter.
All of my random thoughts on writing and career quirks went into the Rap
Sheet, as it was called.
Now that I’m out of office—my administration’s dictatorial stance
on oxford commas proved to be a powder keg—I want to keep the momentum going. I’ll aim to post here at least once a
quarter, ideally every couple of months or whenever there’s big news or a fun
event on the horizon.
Speaking of: The fifth Van Shaw thriller is headed to the
printers! A DANGEROUS BREED finds Van following
a thread of information about his mother Moira, who died when Van was only six
years old. That thread leads to the
discovery of the teenaged Moira’s boyfriend, who may very well be the father
that Van never knew. But the man in
question has a past and family connections that make Van’s own criminal history
pale in comparison. Is he a blood relation?
Or just a man with blood on his hands?
A DANGEROUS BREED hits shelves in the U.S. on July 14. (See the awesome cover from William Morrow below!) Before then, I’ll be at Left Coast Crime in
San Diego in March and working hard on the next book. And collaborating with the good people at
Xuni to revamp my website, allowing for quicker updates on news and appearances
in the future.
I also want to have more interaction with fans through email
and especially on Goodreads. If you have
a question about Van, the writing biz, or any other related topic, send those
my way! Here's my page on Goodreads.
