Posts Tagged ‘Appearances’

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Comic Con 2013 Schedule

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013
SDCC

Here is our San Diego Comic Con schedule:

THURSDAY 6:30-7:30. With possible signs of increasing sales in manga and anime, is this a good time to enter the world of freelance translation and localization? Get some questions answered, hear some fun stories, and learn of possible upcoming trends with long-time freelancers and industry insiders William Flanagan (Fairy Tail), Jonathan Tarbox (Fist of the Northstar), Shaenon Garrity (Case Closed), Mari Morimoto (Naruto), Stephen Paul (One Piece), Ed Chavez (marketing director, Vertical), and Nathan Collins (Metal Gear Solid)! Room 26AB

FRIDAY 6:00-7:00 International Association of Media Tie-in Writers: Scribe Awards — Max Allan Collins (Mike Hammer), co-founder of the IAMTW, will announce the winners of this year’s Scribe Awards for excellence in tie-in writing, including honoring this year’s Grandmaster Award “Faust” winner, Ann C. Crispin (Pirates of the Caribbean). Join panelists Kevin J. Anderson (Dune), Nathan Collins (Metal Gear), Peter David (After Earth), Glenn Hauman (Star Trek), Jeff Mariotte (Terminator), and Rebecca Moesta (Star Wars) for a freewheeling look at one of the most popular and yet under-appreciated branches of the writing trade. Followed by a Q&A session. Room 23ABC

SIGNINGS: I will be at the Hermes Press booth on Sunday from 1 to 2:30 P.M. I’ll be signing the beautiful complete collection of the MIKE HAMMER comic strip that I edited and introduced, but you are welcome to stop by with any book of mine. Also, I will be hanging around the Mysterious Galaxy booth that same day from noon till 12:45, and Nate and Barb will be on hand, too. Copies of Nate’s METAL GEAR book will be available, and some Barbara Allan titles will be there for signing as well. We have no formal signing set in the autograph hall.

We will be doing daily updates from the convention, starting Thursday morning (we will be attending preview night on Wednesday).

Movie recommendation: PACIFIC RIM. Imagine a smart TRANSFORMER movie – contradiction in terms? Maybe. It reminded Barb and me of STARSHIP TROOPERS, and that’s a good thing.

* * *

Here’s a review of STRIP FOR MURDER from Mel Odom. Mel usually likes my stuff, but he’s less keen on this than its predecessor (A KILLING IN COMICS). This novel hasn’t had a terribly warm response (tepid on Amazon), which is a head-scratcher to me. I think it’s at least as good as the first Jack Starr, but that may be because I am very interested in the true story behind it (the Al Capp/Ham Fisher feud).

Lots of coverage in Mississippi and Tennessee on the upcoming Cinemax QUARRY shoot – which starts July 22! Check out samplings of that local coverage here and here.

And two more cast members, one from SONS OF ANARCHY and another from THE WIRE.

Here’s a Matt Clemens interview promoting his upcoming Muncie conference appearance.

And, finally, check out this unusual MS. TREE splash page from Terry Beatty and the amusing headline.

M.A.C.

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MAC on NPR

Sunday, June 2nd, 2013

If you missed Max on NPR, they’ve posted the seven minute COMPLEX 90 interview (streaming and download), along with a transcript of the highlights, and an excerpt from the book.

Here’s the link:

http://www.npr.org/2013/06/01/187093598/pulp-fictions-bad-boy-mike-hammer-returns-in-complex-90

And don’t forget to check back on Tuesday for the weekly update!

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A Tale of Two Christmas Eves

Monday, December 24th, 2012

Here’s a piece about my two most memorable Christmases that I wrote recently for Bookreporter. Happy holidays, everyone, and thank you for your interest and support in 2012.

My ambition, from junior high school onward, was to be a mystery writer, specifically to write and publish the kind of hardboiled fiction people are calling “noir” these days.

I had written four novels in high school and a number of short stories, spending my summers creating the manuscripts that I would send out during the school year. I had any number of encouraging responses, but no sales.

At the University of Iowa Writers Workshop, I was blessed to have Richard Yates — the great mainstream author of REVOLUTIONARY ROAD — as my mentor. He helped me shape my pulp fiction into something that strove to be something more, even if it didn’t always. He got me an appropriate agent in New York, a crusty ex-paperback editor named Knox Burger, who said of my Raymond Chandler/Mickey Spillane-inspired work, “I’m afraid young Mr. Collins has learned to be a blacksmith in an automotive age.” Yates had told Burger that he thought I was another Dashiell Hammett. Burger said, “No — W.R. Burnett maybe.”

The story continues over at Bookreporter.com.

And here are pics from my appearance at Centuries and Sleuths in Forest Park, Illiniois, doing a Q and A at the Midwest MWA Christmas party on Dec. 16.

Before I sign off, here are a few links you might like to check out.

Here’s an interview I did about the Disaster series, in support of the current reprint program from Thomas & Mercer.

This is a well-done “get to know” me and my work from the fun site Mystery People.

The private eye-centric blog Sons of Spade has a nice TARGET LANCER review.

And here’s a very much appreciated positive review (and more) from the great Bill Crider about the forthcoming (February) SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT.

M.A.C.

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Collect ‘Em All, Kids!

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

Last week, Amazon offered for sale the new Thomas & Mercer trade paperbacks (and corresponding e-books) of fourteen of my novels, including two by Barb and myself appearing for the first time under our “Barbara Allan” byline (REGENERATION, BOMBSHELL).

These are outstanding packages, with outstanding covers, really just beautiful. I’m thrilled that these novels – all out of print, some out of print for years – are available again. It’s any author’s dream to have his or her work perpetually available, and one positive aspect of the changing world of publishing is that that dream has come true for many writers, myself included.

The five Mallory novels and the six “disaster” mysteries make up the bulk of the list, with the Barbara Allan titles and the standalone eco-thriller MIDNIGHT HAUL rounding it out. Virtually everything of mine is in print now – Perfect Crime has the Nolan and Quarry series, and Speaking Volumes has Eliot Ness.

The new Thomas & Mercer titles are priced very reasonably, and look for great promo deals from Amazon after the first of the year. I have done interviews on both Mallory and the disaster books, and Barb and I did a “Barbara Allan” interview, and I’ll let you know when and where those are going to show up. [Note from Nate: Click each cover for links to purchase Kindle, trade paperback, and audiobook editions at Amazon, major booksellers, as well as local independent booksellers via Indiebound]

Barb and I appeared at Centuries & Sleuths in Forest Park, Illinois, on Sunday. This was a great event – lots of fans, plus we were generously made a part of the Midwest chapter of the Mystery Writers of America’s Christmas party. In fact, my Q and A was the entertainment. It was a treat seeing so many wonderful writers, particularly my friends Bob Goldsborough and Raymond Benson, who are with me in the very small club of writers being chosen to continue great series (Nero Wolfe, James Bond and Mike Hammer respectively). Centuries & Sleuths, with its history and mystery theme, is one cool bookstore. The book tour has one last stop, in nearby Davenport’s BAM! on Dec. 22.

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy, be prepared for books, comic books, video games, rap music, movies, and other popular culture to be served up as a safe, convenient scapegoat. This is a very old, sour tune that our society just can’t get enough of – just like it can’t get enough of violent entertainment. Personally, I would like to see the assault rifle ban reinstated, and a campaign of education to advise people of the risks taken by owning a hand gun in a home where mentally disturbed and/or depressed people live. If you have a troubled loner son, maybe taking him to the shooting range to “learn responsibility” isn’t such a great idea.

The second of three installments of Dan Luft’s in-depth look at the Nolan series has just appeared. Smart stuff.

Take a look at this incredible TARGET LANCER review.

And speaking of censoring pop culture, here’s another nice advance review of SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT.

M.A.C.

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