Posts Tagged ‘Nathan Heller’

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Hi, Hi Baby

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
Bye Bye Baby

Today (Aug. 16) is the publication date of the first Heller in almost a decade (but you knew that): BYE BYE, BABY. All I ask is that everybody reading this buy 25 copies and ship them to friends (or strangers if necessary).

The audio book is also available, and is the first of a new series from Brilliance that will present every single Nate Heller novel – and the two short story collections – in new audio presentations. This is exciting news, at least for me, and these audio presentations will tie in with the new trade-paperback/e-book reprint series of the complete Nathan Heller Memoirs from Amazon/Encore.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be doing daily updates while Barb and I are on the road the next week’s whirlwind West Coast Tour for our bouncing BABY (see tour schedule above).

This will be a busy week around the Collins household. Barb and I are preparing for the tour, which also will be promoting “Barbara Allan” and other projects, like Hard Case Crime titles and ongoing Mike Hammer projects. And (speaking of Hammer) I will be continuing a crazy work schedule to complete LADY, GO DIE! before we leave next Monday.

Also this week, Barb and I have our 45th high school reunion and of course Crusin’ is playing for that, this coming Saturday night. The band will have a monster rehearsal this week picking up even more ‘60s material for that very special gig.

There are a few nice MAC mentions that have popped up in the last week or so on the Net. Here, for instance, is a cool discussion of Chicago crime that talks about the movie and book, ROAD TO PERDITION, liking both but liking the latter more.

The New York Post has included BYE BYE, BABY on a “required reading” list.

This blog entry – again from the Ed who isn’t Gorman – has smart things to say about Mickey Spillane and Mike Hammer, and a particularly insightful look at the film KISS ME DEADLY. Ed Who Is Not Gorman also highly recommends my documentary on the Criterion release.

There’s a very nice overview of the hardboiled/noir genre in multi-parts that includes Nate Heller and me. But the whole series is good, with insightful comments about Mickey and Hammer.

You’ll have to scroll down to find it (or just read your way down, because it’s a good blog), but here’s a nice review of the upcoming QUARRY’S EX.

M.A.C.

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Bye Bye, Baby Book Tour

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

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:

He folded open the newspapers, and a particularly vile tabloid was on top: the front page asked, LONDON PLAGUED BY NEW RIPPER?

“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.

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Back in the Heat and Humidity

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

We are back in Iowa, safe and sound and ready for Barb to get back to ANTIQUES CHOP and me to begin work on LADY, GO DIE! We don’t miss the San Diego weather at all. That weeping you hear is out of joy to be home.

That’s pretty much it for the update, after five in five days…other than to mention we have just received two fine BYE BYE, BABY reviews from two terrific crime writers. Tom Piccirilli finds the new Heller his favorite of them all.

And Bill Crider thinks Nate is looking like Mickey Spillane these days, in his great review at what is probably my favorite of the mystery writer sites. Check out my response, by the way.

The BLACK HATS buzz keeps buzzing – 52 separate articles, at least! At Ain’t It Cool News, several stalwart know-it-all’s think BLACK HATS is just like James Garner’s movie SUNSET, in which James Garner travels to Los Angeles (in reality, he lived there) to consult on a Tom Mix movie. Right. I think that’s exactly the same as Wyatt Earp going to New York to join Bat Masterson in aiding Doc Holliday’s son in his battle against mobsters, including young Al Capone. I should be ashamed.

M.A.C.

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Hammer Grand Slammer

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

This news came in shortly after the last update was posted, so you may be aware of this – it got lots of play on the net – but my radio-style audio novel, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF MIKE HAMMER: THE LITTLE DEATH (starring Stacy Keach), won the Audie for Best Original Work. The Audies are the Academy Awards of the audiobook world, so this is a big deal. Blackstone Audio posted their congratulations here.

And if you haven’t listened to THE LITTLE DEATH – or its (I feel) even better follow-up, ENCORE FOR MURDER – you are missing out. Whether a Spillane buff or M.A.C. fan (or both), you will have a great time.

Kiss Her Goodbye

Also, Stacy Keach’s reading of KISS HER GOODBYE has just been released, with a different cover than the hardcover novel. We are listening to it now, and Stacy is just great. Any writer benefits when Mr. Keach is making them look good.

Another great piece of news comes with a rave review from Dick Lochte for KISS HER GOODBYE on the front page of the LA Times Calendar section. This stunning review has been picked up all over the net, and should give the book a very nice boost.

Also exciting is having January magazine single out KISS HER GOODBYE as one of Pierce’s picks of the week. But especially cool is the cyber zine singling out Pierce’s choice and the book for a front-page rave. Check it out.

J. Kingston Pierce’s new weekly pick has already been posted, but here is last week’s pick (KISS HER GOODBYE) for your reading pleasure.

The KISS HER GOODBYE raves just keep coming. Here the terrific site Singular Points makes some singular points about the book.

The same site has a very nice write-up about meeting Mickey Spillane some years ago.

Yet another great KISS HER GOODBYE review.

And courtesy of Jeff Pierce, this time at his Kirkus mystery-reviewing blog, comes the very first advance review of BYE BYE, BABY…and it’s glowing (something that hasn’t exactly always happened to me with Kirkus reviews).

Some advance love for BYE BYE, BABY is viewable at another site, as well.

And this unexpected valentine to my first series character – in fact, first novel – comes from Paul Bishop (cop, writer, TV personality, handsome devil, talented, too…why don’t I hate him?) who made BAIT MONEY his “Forgotten Book” of the week, which is a compliment…trust me.

Another first-rate writer, Mel Odom, read Paul’s write-up and waxed nostalgic about Nolan and Jon himself.

What was it John Huston said in CHINATOWN? Something about whores and ugly buildings, if they last long enough, finally gaining respect?

M.A.C.

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