Koryta's So Cold The River Continues "Best of 2010" Run

Marilyn Stasio names her Notable Crime Books of 2010 in The New York Times and Michael's novel is on the list!

Here's her look back at some of the best mysteries of this year.

How we wound up topless

Tremendous Salon.com cover article by our good pal Laurie Pomeranz on braving breast cancer with friends. Cute friends. How we wound up topless

Swierczynski Brings Deadpool and Cable Together Again

Deadpool and Cable, Together Again

DEADPOOL & CABLE #26
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Penciled by LEO FERNANDEZ
Cover by DAVE WILKINS

Cable is dead, and no one’s more devastated than his old friend and partner, Deadpool (a.k.a. Wade Wilson, a.k.a. the Merc With the Mouth, a.k.a. the guy who’s in pretty much every other solicit this month). Sitting by Cable’s grave, Deadpool struggles to find the perfect way to honor his fallen mutant pal. Then… light bulb! Deadpool remembers Rumekistan, the troubled and totally fictional European country that Cable once tried to turn into a Utopia on earth. Deadpool travels there to establish up a Cable museum! A Cable amusement park! A Cable cable TV show! But Rumekistan isn’t quite what it used to be, and Deadpool’s appearance only makes things worse. To set things right, Deadpool will have to do more than just honor his old friend -- he must become him!

Greg Rucka in Dallas at Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen

Originally uploaded by dhslit

Dubya's book-signing wasn't the only big book event in Dallas last week. DHS Literary hosted a happy hour book-signing party at Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen last Tuesday night to celebrate the publication of New York Times best-selling author Greg Rucka's new novel, THE LAST RUN. Rucka was in Dallas on his book tour, after a signing at Murder By The Book in Houston on Monday night. Barnes & Noble was on hand to sell books and Zeus Comics was there with a pile of Greg's beautiful graphic novels for sale, too. The Rathbun's staff did a fantastic job with the food and drink for the event, and a large crowd turned out to welcome Greg to town and buy books. Thanks, everybody!

Word Balloon The Comic Book Interview Podcast: The Rucka 10 10 Debrief Part 2

Word Balloon The Comic Book Interview Podcast: The Rucka 10 10 Debrief Part 2: " Download The Mp3 here On This episode of Word Balloon, it's part 2 of The Rucka Debrief. Writer Greg Rucka talks more about his upco..."

Mulholland Books Releases Exclusive Excerpt of New Swierczynski novel

Check out this high octane blast of "playful mayhem."

The True Believer, by David Hale Smith

A literary agent has to be a True Believer. Some days it's a piece of cake.

Greg Rucka Signs 3-book Deal for New Series at Mulholland Books

Publisher's Weekly reports today that NYT bestselling author and award-winning comics creator Greg Rucka is moving to Little, Brown's Mulholland Books suspense imprint. Mulholland's John Schoenfelder bought world rights in a three-book deal from David Hale Smith of DHS Literary, Inc. Rucka's credits include two established book series, the novels featuring Atticus Kodiak and the Queen & Country international espionage series, as well as numerous comics, including his legendary creator-owned Queen & Country and his new crime series, Stumptown, and an astonishing amount of other great material. At Mulholland, Rucka will begin a new series involving "a former Delta Force operator who discovers that his allies are not who they appear to be and are pursuing a dark agenda far different than his own." The first book in the series is called Alpha.

NPR Includes Gischler's Go-Go Girls in "Apocalypse Trio"

A special end-of-days thanks to our new pal Ron Currie, Jr., for his awesome story here yesterday with his picks for...

Three Books To Help You Enjoy The Apocalypse!

Release of the new Dark Prophecy teaser trailer

INNOCENT MONSTER launches on Oct. 7!

Swierczynski takes on the Black Widow!

"Black Widow #6 is probably the most intense jumping-on point I’ve experienced in my comic-reading experience so far this year, and it’s earned its place in my heart for many a reason... it won me over as soon as I read its first page.

The way that Swierczynski manages to have readers looking one way while he lobs a rather nonchalant curve in the opposite direction is a skill that many-a-writer, selling double the numbers, have yet to master, yet Duane makes it look simple... Swierczynski & Garcia purposefully leave readers not just wanting to know more, but needing to.

Between the exciting story and effective art by Manuel Garcia I only have one question: Why aren’t you reading it?"

- Alternate Reality Comics

More love for Moe

Bookgasm is thrilled that "Reed Farrel Coleman’s Moe Prager is back, folks...INNOCENT MONSTER is another masterfully written descent into Prager’s world of regret and anguish...like most of the Prager series, it is utterly compelling and nearly impossible to put aside. So INNOCENT MONSTER is highly recommended for those willing to take a stroll down the darker side of human nature, with Coleman and Prager as your guide."

Gay Comic Book Character Hall of Fame

Flavorwire showcases significant gay characters in mainstream comics, and includes the best-selling BATWOMAN:

"Kate Kane’s Batwoman has, due in no small part to the stellar writing of Greg Rucka, become a well-rounded and intensely interesting character"

The summer Mystery Scene

Michael Koryta is the cover boy for Mystery Scene magazine's summer issue (#115).

Swing by your local bookseller for a copy today. Inside is Kevin Burton Smith's article "Michael Koryta: Take Me to the River" and Lynn Kaczmarek's write-up of "Stefanie Pintoff: In Old New York".

Gischler's chart-topper

CBR has a great interview with Victor Gischler, author of crime novels and "X-Men #1 – the only single issue to notch over 100,000 copies in sales estimates [in July] – which kick-started the heavily promoted 'Curse of the Mutants' storyline."

Amie Streater tells it like it is

"[A] straightforward approach to helping believers get out of debt. [Amie Streater] encourages living in light of God's abundance, not in overindulgence, and growing God's kingdom through sound financial practices. Speaking with integrity and with the wisdom of experience, she advises readers, shattering money myths and replacing them with sound biblical teaching in personal finance.

Your Money God's Way is a practical guide on how to reflect Christ to others through debt reduction, budgeting, tithing, giving and a financially responsible lifestyle. Heartfelt stories, scripture and practical application encourage personal growth."
- Christian Retailing

Little, Brown Goes Back to Basics To Put Michael Koryta on the Map

Little, Brown Goes Back to Basics To Put Michael Koryta on the Map

Innocent Monster scores a starred review

"Sashi Bluntstone, the 11-year-old Next New Thing on the New York art scene, has been abducted, and Moe Prager—former NYPD cop and former PI—is asked by his estranged daughter, Sarah, to join the search. He expects only tragedy; Sashi has already been missing for three weeks, and he hasn’t been a PI for seven years.

Now a well-to-do wine merchant, Moe agrees, primarily to attempt to restore his relationship with Sarah. He quickly learns that nothing increases the value of paintings faster than the death of the painter. Suspects abound: wealthy, self-important collectors; greedy gallery owners; odious rival artists; even the victim's parents. But Moe abides. This sixth Moe Prager novel is pretty much note perfect.

[Reed Farrel] Coleman's take on the art world as a den of iniquity is priceless, as is Moe himself—intelligent, street smart, and tough, especially for a sixtysomething. He’s also sophisticated, despite seeing himself as a “poor schmuck from Brooklyn.” He’s a mensch, and his bone-deep world weariness and mordant sense of humor should enthrall lovers of old-school, tough-talking, loner private eyes (think Loren D. Estleman's Amos Walker)."

- Booklist, Starred review

Dracula returns on Sept. 9!

From Marvel's press release:

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at X-Men #3 by the jaw-dropping creative team of Victor Gischler and Paco Medina.
After back to back sell-outs, the red-hot Curse of the Mutants story continues! In a desperate attempt to end the vampire outbreak, the X-Men do the unthinkable - they resurrect Dracula! Will the former Lord of the Vampires play nice with Cyclops' plan to take down Xarus? Find out this September in X-Men #3.

Check out preview pages at CBR!

2010 Shamus Award Nominees

The Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) sure know how to pick 'em!

Michael Koryta's THE SILENT HOUR is nominated for Best Hardcover PI Novel.

Gary Phillips' "Blazin' on Broadway" in PHOENIX NOIR is nominated for Best PI Short Story.

2010 Crimespree Award nominations

Congratulations to Reed Farrel Coleman, Michael Koryta, and Greg Rucka for their Crimespree nominations!

TOWER is up for Favorite book of 2009.

THE SILENT HOUR and WALKING DEAD are both nominated for Best in an on-going series for 2009.

Quote-unquote

DHS is quoted in a LA Times story about pal Mary Ann Naples and OpenSky, a new web biz that lets authors sell directly to consumers.

Dig this Spinetingler interview with Gary Phillips

Gary Phillips interviewed by Keith Rawson from Damon Cap on Vimeo.

The Eisner Awards are announced

Congratulations to Jill Thompson:

MAGIC TRIXIE AND THE DRAGON scores the 2010 Eisner Award Winner for Best Painter/Multimedia Artist!

Victor Gischler @ San Diego Comic Con

Check out CBR's recap of Gischler's X-Men panel.
(Photo by DHS)

Rucka scores big on the NYT Best Seller list!

The collected hardcover of BATWOMAN: Elegy debuted at #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list for Hardcover Graphic Books.

Congratulations, Greg!

Shout-out from Blake Crouch

"At the moment, I'm tearing through Michael Koryta's new book, So Cold the River. It's a departure from his PI series and his excellent crime fiction standalone, Envy the Night, but I'm loving it. The main character is a washed-up filmmaker reduced to shooting video montages for funerals, and he goes to this strange town to investigate the history of his reclusive subject who no one seems to know anything about. This is no doubt Koryta's strongest book yet." (via Writers Read)

Amazon.com chooses SO COLD THE RIVER as one of the Best Books of 2010! Way to go, Michael!

Congratulations to Tom Piccirilli!

Tom scores a big win at 2010 Thrillerfest: Best Paperback Original for THE COLDEST MILE!

Wired Mag is sweet on Rucka's Batwoman: Elegy.

"[Kate Kane, aka Batwoman, is] off to a great start with the literary-minded mayhem of Batwoman: Elegy, which collects issues No. 854 to 860 of Detective Comics and features a foreword from political geek Rachel Maddow.

Smartly written by Greg Rucka with sublime art from J.H. Williams, who is also writing and drawing Batwoman’s ongoing series starting in July, the new hardcover is a promising, powerful and often psychedelic phenomenon in a sexualized superhero landscape dominated by men in tights." - Wired magazine

A quick rave for SO COLD THE RIVER

"Michael Koryta's novel is being compared to the writings of Stephen King and Peter Straub. He lives up to the comparison in this dark novel." - USA Today

A snapshot from Stefanie Pintoff's Tour de Tejas

Beneath the dome

The New Yorker visits Indiana for the West Baden Springs Hotel experience, Pluto Water not included.

In D. C., The Washington Post feels the chill. "[T]he material is so fresh and the characters so appealing that my interest never flagged. After reading it, I'm sticking to good old D.C. tap water. "

SO COLD THE RIVER also gets a nice write up in Australian paper The Age.

Stefanie Pintoff brings Det. Ziele to Texas

Join Edgar Award-winning author Stefanie Pintoff in Houston tomorrow (Saturday) night for a discussion about her critically-acclaimed Detective Ziele series. She'll be at Murder by the Book at 5 pm.

And, if you're in North Texas, no worries! You can meet Pintoff at the West Plano Barnes & Noble on Monday, 7 pm.

The just-released second book, A CURTAIN FALLS, has garnered critical praise, such as this rave review from Oline H. Cogdill (Sun Sentinel):

"In her second novel, Stefanie Pintoff shows how the best in historical fiction not only unveils our past, but shows how our modern concerns evolved. Her comparison to Caleb Carr is well earned, although Pintoff shows a wider range and deeper affinity for storytelling than the author of "The Alienist."

Pintoff's meticulous research captures the heart of the era but her detailed characters and gripping plot about greed, jealousy and obsession for fame set "A Curtain Falls" on a higher plane. Pintoff nails the historical aspects with aplomb while giving close attention to characters. The people who inhabit "A Curtain Falls" give glimpses into how New Yorkers lived at the turn of the 20th century."

All Things Considered dips into haunted waters

NPR has posted Michele Norris' conversation with Michael Koryta. Listen to the intriguing story here.

You can also read an excerpt and hear "Short Trip Home", the Joshua Bell song that shaped this chilling story.

Also up is a review in Entertainment Weekly:

"well-plotted...Michael Koryta, the author of first-rate Midwest-set mysteries, swigs from the fount of Stephen King with So Cold the River — much of the story takes place in a resort hotel á la The Shining"

Swierczynski's new deal at Little, Brown!

"Mulholland Books launches in Spring 2011 with novels by the famed L.A. prosecutor Marcia Clark and mystery grandmaster Lawrence Block, new novels by UK prizewinners Mark Billingham and Michael Robotham, a trilogy of novels by Marvel Comics writer Duane Swierczynski to be published over five months, a border thriller by L.A. Times veteran Sebastian Rotella, and a trade paperback gathering of Daniel Woodrell’s legendary Bayou Trilogy of novels set in St. Bruno Parish, Louisiana. Future lists will include novels by rising stars Charlie Huston and others. The plan is for Mulholland to grow to 24 books a year, one hardcover and one paperback a month, by 2012."

As Spinetingler says, "it’s going to kick some ass"!

"major Marvel mutant moment"

More preview art from X-MEN (Victor Gischler and Paco Medina) posted on LA Times' blog Hero Complex.

Calling all Houstonites

Murder by the Book is hosting Michael Koryta's visit to Texas tomorrow:

June 15, 6:30 p.m.
2342 Bissonet Street

Go hear about his newest thriller SO COLD THE RIVER, and get your own autographed copy.

To top it all off, BookingMama reports that he is "cute and funny...I have to say that SO COLD THE RIVER is not my usual book fare, but I LOVED IT! I think I read this book (which is over 500 pages) in less than 24 hours! I didn't want put it down, and there actually came a time when I couldn't put it down.
Mr. Koryta actually brought these small towns in Indiana to life, and after reading this novel, I will forever think of French Lick as more than just Larry Byrd's hometown!"

Visit Michael Koryta's blog for some more nice coverage in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and The Boston Herald.

Be sure to tune into tomorrow's edition of "All Things Considered" on NPR, where Michelle Norris will be interviewing him.

UPDATE: Koryta also chats with LA Times' blog Jacket Copy about summer reads.

More zexy news

Wait, Duane Swierczynski's been sitting on Scarlett Johansson?!

Get the deets here.

A sexy tease

Rucka scores a Barry nom

Outstanding news to kick off the weekend:

WALKING DEAD, the newest Atticus Kodiak thriller, is nominated for Best Thriller!

Way to go, Greg!

The Hulk has returned

Issue synopsis: Three years of epic storytelling explodes as Greg Pak and Paul Pelletier bring you the biggest conclusion imaginable--SKAAR, SON OF HULK, finally confronts the father who abandoned him at birth in pain and fire. It's the heartrending, senses-shattering climax to WORLD WAR HULKS--and the Incredible Hulks will never be the same! (INCREDIBLE HULK #611, August 11, 2010)

But, never fear, Greg Pak has a plan!

Gischler heralds The Heroic Age

"Marvel is proud to present your first look at the extra-sized DEATH OF DRACULA #1, beginning the biggest changes in the Marvel Universe since Civil War!

Acclaimed writer Victor Gischler and rising star artist Giuseppe Camuncoli enter the Heroic Age by killing one of the Marvel Universe’s most dangerous villains.

But just why does this put the future of the Marvel Universe at stake? Find out in Death of Dracula #1!" (On sale June 30)

Tune in to BlogTalkRadio now

For more of Michael's great music recommendations, visit the NY Times' Paper Cuts blog or Largehearted Boy.

Pick up the perfect summer book today

Available online and in stores today, SO COLD THE RIVER is the literary vacation you're looking for!

In her NY Times Sunday Book Review, Marilyn Stasio agrees wholeheartedly.

"If all good mysteries make ideal summer reading, what does a mystery fan turn to for true escape? How about a super­natural mystery that intensifies the suspense by thickening the atmosphere.

SO COLD THE RIVER (Little, Brown, $24.99), by Michael Koryta, is a superior specimen, with its eerie tale of a lovely valley in Indiana where at one time an elixir known as Pluto Water bubbled up from the underground springs. The restoration of the valley’s two old spa hotels attracts the interest of a cinematographer from Chicago who drinks the water and starts having visions...Koryta sets a beautiful scene, resplendent with dreamy images."

And the nominees for the Macavity Award are...

Reed Farrel Coleman, Ken Bruen and Stefanie Pintoff continue to shine!

Just last Friday, we found out that they're nominated for the 2010 Anthony Award, and now they have also been shortlisted for the Macavity Award:

TOWER is in the running for Best Mystery Novel.

IN THE SHADOW OF GOTHAM is nominated for Best Historical.

Congratulations all around!

Presenting "The Curse of the Mutants"

"Marvel is proud to present your first look at X-Men #1 from the red-hot creative team of Victor Gischler and Paco Medina."

Feast your eyes on these preview pages of the first X-Men #1 in 2 decades!

Elizabeth Somer has the top 10 foods to wake you up

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Recap from Murder by the Book

Check out these funny videos of Duane Swierczynski, Lisa Brackmann, and Victor Gischler's booksigning in Houston last weekend:








UPDATE: Scott D. Parker gives us a glimpse of the jackpot at Do Some Damage.

Koryta is a "Born storyteller"

Bestselling thriller writer Jason Pinter says "So Cold the River is a breathtaking departure from Koryta's crime novels, upping the plotting and characterization skills that Koryta has displayed through five books...The result is a gripping, terrifying, and sometimes astonishing read."

Pinter's BEA interview with Koryta is up at The Huffington Post.

Live Chat with Michael Koryta tomorrow, 1 pm ET

A note from Miriam Parker (top-notch publicist at Little, Brown):

I will be chatting live with Michael Koryta on the Little, Brown channel of BlogTalkRadio on the publication date of SO COLD THE RIVER, June 9th at 1PM ET.

I would love for you to participate! You can call in with a question to (646) 378-0040.
You can listen to the show live online or via the phone at the call-in number (if you just want to listen, tell the screener that you are “just listening”.)

There will also be an archived edition of the show up on the Little, Brown channel of BlogTalkRadio about 30 minutes after the show ends.

If you’d like to RSVP for the event or get a reminder for your Outlook calendar, click here.