This year I took a pass on winter. In more ways than one, you might be thinking. I have been absent from this blog, not particularly active on my “author” Facebook page. What the heck was I doing?
Writing, mainly. I finished a book at the end of January, which allowed me to celebrate my birthday in great style, revised it in February, then enjoyed another respite that was perfectly timed to coincide with Mardi Gras. (Although I did write a short story in that lull, for Laurie King and Leslie Klinger’s anthology of Sherlock-Holmes-related stories. Link tk.) On Monday, I will send the copy-edited pages back to my editor; I also just finished an essay on MILDRED PIECE, which I will promote once it’s been posted on line.
And now I have to start another book. For those keeping score at home, I started my 16th novel, THE MOST DANGEROUS THING, in February ’10 and finished it in less than twelve months. My next novel is due in January ’12. Uh-oh. Doesn’t bode well for the old blog, does it? But I will try. Here I am, on a Saturday, when I’m supposed to be on Internet Sabbath, but my household is as quiet as Sleeping Beauty’s kingdom during the spell, everyone else napping after a trip to a small festival thrown by a French school. Frites, croque monsieur, bierre and zydeco. It was a very nice festival.
This year also marks the first time in my life I have been an accidental snowbird. I always have — and always will be — a little vague about my whereabouts, but I can tell you now that I spent most of the winter in warm climes, New Orleans primarily, with my usual annual trip to St. Petersburg. And every time I showed up in Baltimore, it was freakishly warm.
I can’t say I missed winter, yet — I missed winter. I don’t feel I’ve earned spring, yet here it is. A few things of note.
I’D KNOW YOU ANYWHERE is nominated for the Edgar (r), The Los Angeles Times Book Award and the Spinetingler “Best Novel (by a legend) award. I am happy. The Edgar shortlist includes three people I consider good friends (Harlan Coben, Tom Franklin, Steve Hamilton). Tom is also nominated for the LA Times award. We asked our mutual publisher, Morrow, to let us fly together from NYC to LA. Is is possible to want someone else to win an award over you? I think it might be and I hope to have that theory tested.
Baltimore Blues became an ebook bestseller fourteen years after its initial release, thanks to a Barnes & Noble program that dropped the price to 99 cents for a month.
The Girl in the Green Raincoat, which was once available for free, also hit the Times list when it was published in trade paperback.
I am on the verge of re-signing with Harpercollins for three more books. I’ve already written sixteen novels and one book of short stories, all for the same editor.
And how was your winter?
I was wondering why the only Thursday bruises I had were from Ann’s elbows–my ribs were missing the Lippman boxout bumps. You will be pleased to know that the folk are still fed here in the northland, and that we are all pleased to hear the peepers in the marshes and see the skunk cabbage along the streams. No bloodroot yet. The Orioles won their opener and boys everywhere are carrying sticks. All is well.
Glad to hear about more books coming. I’ve always been a huge fan, but even moreso after meeting you several years ago at a Ft. Worth book signing; you were so gracious and witty.
We’ve missed you, is all I can say. My 17 year-old son gave me “I’d Know You Anywhere” for the holidays, as per my request, and I read in in about 10 hours while visiting in-laws in Hilton Head, the chapters interrupted by long, thoughtful walks in the snow on the beach, as much of it hit home. Selfishly wish you’d write more than a book a year, yet fiercely glad for you that you don’t.
Happy to hear the finished book! Any news on potential upcoming movies? We also just finished The Wire series — we really enjoyed them (please pass this along) — it was sad to say goodbye to the characters.
Wow! So busy but your strong work ethic means so much more for all of us to do when we have down time!
I cleaned out the cabinet under my kitchen sink.
Reading Girl/Raincoat and I’d Know You Anywhere, of course! Totally different feels, and hard to imagine written by the same person. Loved them. And, volunteering for Meals on Wheels to keep people fed. Check out our web site to see how you can help. Or, do your own thing, just help.
Absolutely wonderful to hear all this positive news. Just this afternoon, I finished a really marvelous book called Madison and Jefferson, co-authored by Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg, who are both professors at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge (a little ways up the river from New Orleans).
I first heard of it on C-SPAN’s book-tv – a truly wonderful series of shows – and if I could have asked a question of them, it would have been “How the heck do you work out who writes what?”. I could swear that the “voice” in the narrative noticeably changed from time to time.
By way of saying, people who can write well have an amazing talent – and now that that book is out of the way, I have two Laura Lippman books that I’ve been saving….and daylight is burning!
Broke up with my sweetheart twice, suffered miserably through the heaps of snow and still standing. Thanks for asking! Glad to read that you’re thriving.
The yeti and other assorted grim and dangerous snow folk came in waves, but we managed to hold them off yet another year. My Arizona-raised wife about had a conniption this morning when there was fresh snow on the ground, but I assured her I was up to the task of hitching up the dogs and making sure there would be a steady flow of coffee in the village.
I wish I could say with certainty that winter is over, but here in Michigan, we’re in that period when spring is a promise and winter clings with all of its might.
We survived.
Winter is most definitely not over in the mountains of Colorado.
Say, a week ago I cleaned up and reorganized our bookshelves, and found an LL book that I hadn’e read yet – By A Spider’s Thread – and then I promptly read it.
What a great book! – I liked all the places that the narrative goes, especially including Grantsville, despite that Fort Wayne pops up with an overwrought bank teller irritating Tess.
I stopped for the night the night at a motel in Grantsville some years ago, on the way to Gettysburg. I was hungry, but it was after 9 pm and they had rolled up the carpet in that town; the desk clerk recommended a truck stop across the way. As I sat there eating and looking at my map, a fellow came over and said “Where are you headed?”, and when I said “Gettysburg” he sighed and informed me that you can’t take a semi truck into Gettysburg. When I told him I was driving a car, he said something like “Oh! Ohhhhh! Well – but if you WERE driving a truck, you couldn’t go there” (etc)
Anyway – I loved the book, even despite that midway through, it was casting a pall upon me.