WRITERS CONFERENCES, EUROPEAN PUBLISHERS AND JACK GETZE

Hi folks,

Been an exciting week! First, the best interview I’ve ever had the pleasure of being involved in was published in Grift Magazine Issue #2. Then, Benoit Lelievre posted a terrific review of my novel JUST LIKE THAT in his online magazine The Deadend Follies.

And then… Frank Nowatzke, publisher of the German publishing imprint, Pulpmaster, who had earlier purchased the German rights to THE RAPIST, made me an offer to publish the German language rights of THE RAPIST and also made an offer to publish first rights (in German) of my black comedy crime caper, THE GENUINE, IMITATION, PLASTIC KIDNAPPING. And now, Italian publisher Matteo Strukul has requested a copy of THE RAPIST for consideration for publishing the Italian rights. And, another German publisher, Dr. Thomas Wortche of PenserPulp, has requested several of my manuscripts and is reading them now and considering publication. Viva Europe!

 

I’d like to give a BIG SHOUT-OUT to a good friend of mine, Jack Getze, and his novel, BIG NUMBERS. This is one of the most enjoyable hard-boiled detective novels I’ve read in a long, long time. “Page-turner” is an adjective used perhaps too much in describing novels, but in this case it applies. It’s also genuinely funny and will remind you of Carl Hiassen’s novels. I highly, highly recommend it. It’s also a product of an exciting publisher, Down and Out Books, run by Eric Campbell. I met Eric at the last Bouchercon when he came to a reading of noir authors and what he’s doing with his press is resurrecting deserving novels that are out-of-print that he feels deserve to be resurrected. He’s putting together a kick-ass list of books like Jack’s.

And, finally, I’ve been asked to and have accepted invitations to appear at two writer’s conferences next May in Texas. Being a native Texan (born in Odessa and raised in Freeport), I’m really stoked to be going home! Also, I get to meet up with some good friends of mine, Bob Stewart and Carl Brush and some others.

The first event will be the Dallas-FT. Worth Writer’s Conference held May 2-4 at the Hurst Conference Center, Hurst, TX (Dallas). So far, besides myself, old friend, uber-agent Don Maass is appearing and the headliner is best-selling novelist Jonathan Maberry. The director, Kirk von der Heydt,  aware that “Les likes his Jack Daniels,” told me that each presenter is assigned what they call a “wrangler”--a person who gets them places and escorts them around, and that he assigned me a guy who always carries a flask with him since the bar doesn’t open until 7:30. Seven-thirty!? What th?! Is this Texas? Anyway, it’ll be lots of fun so hope some of you can make it and we get to meet. After 7:30 you’ll find me… well, you know where…

Then, I come back home for a few days and then go back down again to San Antonio, where I’ll be appearing at my third Writer’s Retreat Workshop (WRS) for director Jason Sitzes. These are intensive 10-day affairs and a total blast! I was privileged to teach at two earlier ones when they were held in Kentucky and they were fantastic. I’m planning on hooking up with several of my writer friends, including Bob Stewart, Carl Brush, and SusanBaker. And old friends from when I appeared a few years ago. People tend to go back to WRW, over and over. It’s an amazing retreat and will run from May 9-18 2014 in San Antonio, TX., at the Purple Sage Ranch. It's going to be one of the most fabulous venues yet. I can’t wait and I hope we’ll get to go down to the Riverwalk—it’s one of my favorite places in America!

Finally, I've received emails from folks who tell me they can't find my novel THE BITCH on Amazon. Well... that's because I've taken back the rights from the original publisher and sold the book to New Pulp Press and it will be coming out anew in January in both paperback and in ebook format. It will also be coming out in a German edition in paper and ebook from Pulpmaster. Sorry for the inconvenience but I'm really excited about the new publisher and the edition that will come out. There's be new material in it as well--including a foreword and a reader's guide.

Welp… thas’ about it!

Blue skies,

Les

Me reading at the Noir at the Bar event in Cleveland at the last Bouchercon where I met Eric Campbell of Down and Out Books.