The big news this week is the BYE BYE, BABY book tour (above). This is the first California tour Barb and I have done in over a decade. A few dates may be added (like the Davenport Barnes & Noble) and there is a booksellers association event in October in Dearborn, Michigan, that may be added as well. Barb will be at every appearance to talk about the Barbara Allan books, and Matthew Clemens will join us at Mystery Cat Books to sign the new Harrow novel, NO ONE WILL HEAR YOU.
The first – and very nice – review of the long-awaited second Morgan the Raider novel, THE CONSUMMATA, by Mickey Spillane and myself appeared in Publisher’s Weekly.
A nice article (mentioning THE CONSUMMATA) appeared on the Library Journal blog, discussing the new Mike Hammer contract with Titan.
And I rated some attention (limited but appreciated) in a Salon.com piece about authors continuing the work of other authors (don’t tell Mickey I called him an “author”).
We’ll end with something that Bob Goldsborough – author of the post-Stout Nero Wolfe novels that I wish he were still writing – sent me an e-mail quoting from my Agatha Christie-as-detective novel, THE LONDON BLITZ MURDERS, wondering if I were psychic. See what you think:
“I don’t read The News of the World,” Agatha said, with prim disgust.
“Someone on the Yard must be on the payroll. Several someones, judging by the various stories.”
M.A.C.
Tags: Barbara Allan, Barbara Collins, Book Tour, Bye Bye Baby, Nathan Heller, Reviews, Signings, Spillane, The Consummata, The London Blitz Murders
Tell you what, I was going to just moan and groan about your C&S appearance being on a Thursday evening instead of a weekend afternoon (all in fun, of course), but something happened today that supersedes my old transportation problem (which you’re already bored with anyway).
About an hour ago, I was in the Borders on State Street here in Chicago, wher the final sale is proceeding apace.
Due to a personal money shortfall, I’m waiting for some prices to drop to rock bottom. Meanwhile, I’m scouting the shelves for things that I hope will still be available when everything is down to 50% off.
So I happen to come across a coffee-table book, THE COMPLETE LYRICS OF JOHNNY MERCER. I’ve always been a fan, so I give it a look-see, and what do I find –
– In 1967, Johnny Mercer wrote a whole bunch of songs for a proposed musical version of Mike Hammer, to be called MIKE.
According to the book, Mercer may have also composed the music, but they don’t know for sure (anyway, there’s no sign of the score). I didn’t have more than a few minutes to read much of the lyrics (that pesky business of having to get back to work and all); I do recall that one song was called “Betsy”.
I looked at the cover, and the list price was $65. Even 30% off from that is still a bit steep for me right now.
At this point, it occurred to me that as the reigning expert in things Hammerian, you might know something more about this musical-that-wasn’t that you could share with us all.
See you September 8th.