RAT PACK CORNER ~ HOLLYWOOD INDIGO ~ JOHNNY COPPOLA!

RAT PACK CORNER ~ HOLLYWOOD INDIGO ~ JOHNNY COPPOLA!

THIS IS SOMETHING REALLY COOL AND SWINGIN’ VIA JENSENBRAZIL . . .

Johnny Coppola's Hollywood Indigo is a rarity, a one of a kind concept record, an endangered species in this day and age if you will. It's a hip melange of original songs and poetry reflecting the swinging jet age 1950's and 60's of New York and Hollywood. It seamlessly transports you to back to that era when no man would leave his house without his necktie and Fedora, when Kennedy lived in Camelot and free love was just around the corner. The record evokes the devil may care attitude of Las Vegas, swinging nights fueled by top shelf booze, beautiful women, love affairs and heartbreak.

TRACK LISTINGS:

01. I've Been in Love
02. I'm Just a Singer (The Left Jab)
03. My Lover All of My Life
04. Another Lonely Night
05. It?s a Blue World
06. Hazel Eyed Brunette
07. Day In-Day Out
08. I Was Drinkin' (Crooner's Lament)
09. Who's Better Than Me?
10. I Only Have Eyes for You
11. Just Another Night in Vegas
12. My Little Secret
13. She Was Spectacular
14. These Foolish Things
15. I Will Welcome the Fall
16. The Continental Kid

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

BEAT TO A PULP #62!

BEAT TO A PULP #62!

COERCION BY MARK BOSS

Blood oozed through the kid's hair and crept along the floor, channeled by the grout lines between the white ceramic squares. I dug my cell phone out, but when I flipped it open it slipped out of my blood-slick hand and broke on the tile floor. I knew there was a landline in the kitchen, but the kid was bleeding bad so I went to the bathroom for a towel.

Now, no one's gonna force ya, but I'd highly recommend you follow the link to check out the rest of Coercion by Mark Boss.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark's short stories have been published in The Emerald Coast Review, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, and Blazing Adventures. He is searching for a literary agent to represent his novel, and can be reached at mark.boss.writer@gmail.com

TO READ COERCION CLICK HERE

FANTASY CORNER: THE JAMES POTTER SERIES!

FANTASY CORNER: THE JAMES POTTER SERIES!

It seems I have been missing out on a semi-official Harry Potter tie-in ~ the James Potter stories written by G. Norman Lippert.
The first novel, James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing, takes place 18 years after the Battle of Hogwart’s and one year before the Epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, during the 2016 – 2017 school year.
It is James Sirius Potter’s first year at school. He is attending with his cousin Victoire Weasley , a 6th year, and his father’s godson and close family friend, Ted Lupin, a 7th yr.

There are two other novels, The Curse of the Gatekeeper and The Vault of Destinies, along with several short stories. All are available as PDF downloads, which makes them perfect for Kindle conversion.

I haven’t had a chance to check it all out yet, but the website is pretty impressive, so check it out

TO VISIT THE JAMES POTTER WEBSITE CLICK HERE

LIES, DAMN LIES, AND STATISTICS!

LIES, DAMN LIES, AND STATISTICS!

I was tagged with this meme earlier in the week by J. Kingston Pierce over at THE RAP SHEET. I’m not much for participating in memes and passing them on, but this one is kind of fun to participate in at least, so that’s what I’m going to do.

The main idea is to tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth - OR - switch it around and tell six outrageous truths and one outrageous lie, which is what I’ve chosen to do.

SO WHICH ONE OF THESE STATEMENTS IS NOT TRUE?

1. I once arrested a suspect at his residence who had a copy of my latest book on his nightstand.

2. I once had a juror stand up during the middle of a trial and ask me to autograph a copy of one of my books, which she’d pulled out of her knitting bag.

3. Years ago, I arrested a Los Angeles mayor’s daughter on narcotics charges.

4. My first assignment out of the police academy was undercover as a high school student just like 21 Jump Street.

5. Not only was I an Eagle Scout, but I earned all 42 of the merit badges available at the time (1971), not just the required 21.

6. I qualified to run the Boston Marathon on my 50th birthday by Running the St. George Marathon in 3:18.

7. I once pursued a woman at twenty miles an hour for ten miles through red light after red light before getting her to stop. Her excuse was Elvis had just died and she was so distraught she didn’t know what she was doing.

From those who leave the correct answer in the comments, I’ll pick a random winner and send them a copy of CINEMA RETRO #15 – featuring a previously unpublished Lee Marvin interview, articles on Steve McQueen, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Alistair MacLean.

FORCE MAJEURE!

FORCE MAJEURE!

WRITTEN BY JULIE HOVERSON

NEW FROM 19 NOCTURE BOULEVARD . . .

What can it mean when a man knows the exact date and time he's going to die?

And what does THAT mean to the people he hires to save him?\

"What kind of a place is it?

Why it's a cheap honkytonk, can't you tell?"

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

IN PERSON AT THE AMERICANA ~ JULIE LONDON ~ 1964!

IN PERSON AT THE AMERICANA ~ JULIE LONDON ~ 1964!

MORE FROM MY FAVORITE GIRL SINGER VIA JENSENBRAZIL . . .

TRACK LISTINGS:

01. Opening - Lonesome Road
02. Send For Me
03. My Baby Just Cares For Me
04. The Trolley Song
05. Daddy
06. Medley
07. Kansas City
08. Bye Bye Blackbird
09. By Myself
10. I Love Paris
11. Gotta Move
12. Cry Me A River
13. The Man That Got Away – Closing

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

ESPIONAGE CORNER ~ MISSION APOCALYPSE!

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN!

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN!

THE BEST IN ANY LANGUAGE!

U.N.C.L.E. ALERT!

U.N.C.L.E. ALERT!

AVAILABLE ON E-BAY . . .

This is an original set of Man From UNCLE walkie talkies that came out after the Cragston version. Although Cragstons had a long wire between two. (You had to by two separate ones to actually use them.) this set put out in 1966 by Gabriel Industries was an actual FM frequency set of one channel transmitters. I do not know what the range was but you could play with these and be REAL UNCLE agents since no connecting wire was needed.

For original MGM logo UNCLE toys this is one of the rarer ones for issue.

Channel D is long gone. But it's spirit lives on.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

VINTAGE U.N.C.L.E. ADVERTISING!

AND THE WINNER IS . . . !

AND THE WINNER IS . . . !

THE WINNER OF BISH'S BEAT'S FIRST EVER BOOK CONTEST IS JESSE WILLIS!

CONGRATULATIONS, JESSE!

THE COPY OF THE HARDBOILED NOIR NOVEL CITY OF DRAGONS WILL GO OUT TO YOU ON MONDAY -- PROVIDING YOU SEND ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR ADDRESS!

LATER NEXT WEEK, I'LL BE FIRING UP ANOTHER BOOK CONTEST FOR A COPY OF HEIST SOCIETY BY ALLY CARTER ~ MY FAVORITE Y/A BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR!

CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT CHRONICLES!

CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT CHRONICLES!

COMING IN MAY!

Written by John J. Nance, Stephen Mertz and Chuck Dixon, art by Vatche Mavlian, cover by Richard Clark. Born in the blazing crucible of war, but sworn to fight for peace, the mysterious obsidian aviator known only by the codename Captain Midnight... flies again!

An ace pilot, super secret agent, and astounding scientific genius, the heroic Captain Midnight returns when we need him most, along with his legendary Secret Squadron -- to battle spies, saboteurs and the mercenary armies of the evil warmonger Ivan Shark and his delectably deadly daughter, Fury.

Join the Captain and his elite air warriors in eleven all-new stories by some of the greatest adventure writers in the world, as they battle evil and fight for freedom all over the world!

Softcover, 234 pages, $16.95.

Hardcover, 234 pages, $29.95.

MOONSTONE BOOKS

DOC SAVAGE #2!

DOC SAVAGE #2!

COMING IN MAY!

Written by Paul Malmont, co-feature written by Jason Starr, art by Howard Porter and Art Thibert, co-feature art by Scott Hampton; Cover by J.G. Jones

“The Lord of Lightning” continues as Doc Savage and his compatriots dig themselves out from last month’s brutal attack on their homes – but in accepting help from Doc’s phenomenal sister, Pat Savage, have they made her a target as well?

Written by Paul Malmont, New York Times best-selling author of The Chinatown Death-Cloud Peril, with art by Howard Porter (JLA)! And in the JUSTICE, INC. co-feature written by crime novelist Jason Starr (THE CHILL), Richard Benson and his team of detectives come face-to-face with the dark secrets of their kidnapped friend – and the grief of his family!

40 pages, Full Color, $3.99

BLOOD 'N' THUNDER #25!

BLOOD 'N' THUNDER #25!

NOW AVAILABLE!

ZORRO - THE CURSE OF CAPISTRANO

This features a wide variety of articles covering pulp and pop-culture history. Highlights include Hulse's comparison of the original 1919 Zorro novel with its groundbreaking 1920 movie adaptation and old-time radio expert Martin Grams on the Early years of the Green Hornet radio show. Also novelist Bill Maynard on reviving Sax Rohmer's immortal Fu Manchu and historian John Locke's chronicle of the early 30s fusion of horror with the pulp detective story.

Includes the second half of a lengthy retrospective covering Street & Smith's flagship pulp, The Popular Magazine, and a review of the 1943 Republic serial, Daredevils of the West. Great articles with lots of vintage artwork and photos.

Each issue of the award-winning Blood 'n' Thunder now tops 100 pages and sports laminated color covers, giving it the appearance of a trade paperback. Single-copy price is $11.95 plus $2.50 postage, but Ed is now offering one-year, three-issue subscriptions for $30, which represents a considerable savings.

Please make your checks or money orders payable to Ed Hulse and send to him at 2467 Route 10 East, Bldg. 15, Apt. 4B, Morris Plains, NJ 07950.

THE BEST FROM ADVENTURE!

THE BEST FROM ADVENTURE!

VOLUME 1 1910–1912

EDITED AND WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY DOUG ELLIS

COMING SOON!

Adventure Magazine first appeared in late 1910 and soon, attracting top name authors, became renowned for the type of fiction its name implied. It grew into a powerhouse in the genre fiction field, and was later dubbed by Time magazine, the "No. 1 Pulp." But in its early years, the magazine printed a surprisingly wide variety of fiction types—from westerns to light-hearted comedy, from South Seas tales to adventures set in the deepest jungles—to even works that could be deemed science fiction.

Culled from its first 26 issues, this collection brings together 30 of the best tales that appeared therein, including rarely or never-before reprinted works by Talbot Mundy, Damon Runyon, Rafael Sabatini, William Hope Hodgson, R. Austin Freeman, James Francis Dwyer, Frank L. Packard and others.

TALES OF THE RED PANDA ~ THE MIND MASTER!

TALES OF THE RED PANDA ~ THE MIND MASTER!

Sinister forces are at work, striking within the very heart of the city's elite with powers that seem otherwordly. Are the attacks random? Simply for profit? Or is an unknown predator hunting our masked heroes themselves? If the mysterious Ajay Shah really does have powers that rival the Red Panda, will even the Terrific Twosome of Toronto be able to resist the might of... The Mind Master?

The second volume of the Tales of the Red Panda series is written in the breathless style of the classic Hero Pulps of the 1930s and 40s. The heroes from "The Red Panda Adventures"; a popular full-cast audio drama adventure series make the leap into pulp prose in spectacular style. This story is a self-contained adventure; you needn't have heard a single episode of Decoder Ring Theatre's long-running audio drama series to enjoy the thrills, mystery and adventure... but fans of the series will take special delight, as the story fits neatly within the series continuity.

If you love classic adventure stories, mystery men, pulp fiction and golden age superheroics, you won't want to miss Tales of the Red Panda: The Mind Master!

TO ORDER TALES OF THE RED PANDA: THE MIND MASTER CLICK HERE

AND REMEMBER, THE ONGOING RADIO ADVENTURES OF THE RED PANDA CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND FOR FREE DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW!

NOIR CORNER ~ THE FEMME FATALE!

NOIR CORNER ~ THE FEMME FATALE!

VIA SEAN PHILLIPS FOR A BACKUP FEATURE IN CRIMINAL . . .

AGE OF ACES PRESENTS!

AGE OF ACES PRESENTS!

DOWNLOADABLE PDF AIR WAR PULP STORIES!

NEW THIS WEEK:

THE FLYING FORTRESS BY ARCH WHITEHOUSE

JUNE 1932 ACES

FEATURING THE CASKET CREW

A YANK PILOT SAID TOO MUCH AT A PARIS ESTAMINET, A BRITISH AIRMAN SAID TOO LITTLE ON THE WAY TO THE FRONT. AND A BATTLE THAT BEGAN AT TWELVE THOUSAND FEET HURTLED TO A HANGAR DOOR. WILL THIS BE THE END OF THE CASKET CREW?

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

ICEBOX RADIO THEATER ~ THE DIARY!

ICEBOX RADIO THEATER ~ THE DIARY!

NEW FROM ICEBOX RADIO THEATER . . .

THE IBRT'S SERIES OF DARK FANTASY, FROZEN FRIGHTS RETURNS WITH 'THE DIARY' A CHILLING GHOST STORY STARRING AELA MACKINTOSH AND LYNDA FAITH.

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

SCI-FI CORNER ~ VETERAN!

SCI-FI CORNER ~ VETERAN!

GAVIN SMITH

Three hundred years in our future, in a world of alien infiltrators, religious hackers, a vast convoying nation of Nomads, city sized orbital elevators, and a cyborg pirate king who believes himself to be a mythological demon Jakob is having a bad day:

"Nothing gets in the way of a hangover like being reactivated by your old C.O and told to track down an alien killing machine. The same kind of killing machine that wiped out my entire squad. And now it's in my hometown.

My name is Jakob Douglas, ex-special forces. I fought Them. Just like we've all been doing for 60 bloody years. But I thought my part in that was done with.

My boss has other ideas. If I didn't find the infiltrator then he'd let the Grey Lady loose on me. And believe me; even They've got nothing on her. So I took the job. It went to shit even faster than normal.

And now I'm on the run with this teenage hacker who's had enough of prostitution. The only people I can rely on want to turn the internet into God. And now it turns out that They aren't quite what we'd all thought.

I've been to the bottom of the sea and the top of the sky and beyond trying to get to the truth.

And I still can't get far enough away from the Grey Lady.
All things considered I'd rather be back at home deep in a whiskey bottle."

Veteran is a fast paced, intricately plotted violent SF Thriller set in a dark future against the backdrop of a seemingly never ending war against an unknowable and implacable alien enemy.

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #90!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #90!

Join the “Big W” this week as he spins, with drink in hand, a full hour of Space Age Pop directly from 7 1/2 reel to reel tapes! Enjoy the crisp, warm analog Hi-Fi tape sound on Buddies Lounge…in LIVING STEREO.

PLAYLIST:

• Start Of Something Big - Ray Charles

• George Girl - Liberace

• Come Back To Me - Steve & Eydie

• Strike Up The Band - Van Alexander

• Thunderball - Percy Faith

• I Love Paris - Terry Snyder

• Day By Day - Frank Sinatra

• La Bamba - Esquivel

• Dancing With Tears In My Eyes - Three Suns

• The Pink Panther - Henry Mancini

• 77 Sunset Strip - Warren Barker

• Mission Impossible - Lalo Schifrin

• Everybody Loves A Lover - Keely Smith

• Route 66 - Martin Denny

• St. Joe Mo - Billy May

• Fly Me To The Moon - Nat “King” Cole

• Tiny Bubbles - Sammy Kaye

• Pick Yourself Up - Jim Tyler

• Shooting Star - Les Baxter

• I Got Rythem - Peter Nero

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

FORGOTTEN BOOKS ~ PAY THE DEVIL!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS ~ PAY THE DEVIL!

JACK HIGGINS

Much like Clive Cussler, Jack Higgins has become a brand name. Unfortunately, this is not necessarily a good thing. For years the debut of a new Jack Higgins’ novel had me down at the bookstore with cash in hand. However, since around the time of Higgins’ novel The President’s Daughter in 2003, when his eponymous character Sean Dillon began his campaign against Middle Eastern terrorism, his books have become bloated parodies filled with cardboard characterizations and ‘who cares’ generic ‘big’ thriller plots.

But in his early days prior to his breakthrough novel, The Eagle Has Landed, and right through to the first three or four Sean Dillon novels, there wasn’t a pulp thriller writer anywhere to whom Higgins took second place.

Pay The Devil is a 1999 entry in the Higgins’ canon, but reads as if it had been written much earlier.

PAY THE DEVIL

Searching for the peace and quiet that eluded him for four long years as a Confederate colonel in the Civil War, surgeon Clay Fitzgerald sets out for Ireland to lay claim to the estate and fortune he's recently inherited. Once there, he finds himself caught in the midst of yet another civil disturbance at the Fenian Rising.

Clay finds he can not stand idly by, having witnessed the awful living and medical conditions of the poor. With the help of neighbors, his new love, Joanna Hamilton, and a dutiful servant, Clay comes to embrace the plight of the passionate Irish rebels.

Assuming the identity of a legendary romantic outlaw hero, "Captain Swing," he puts his own life at risk to further the peasants' cause. Higgins (Drink with the Devil) adds fuel to his intense plot with well-defined characters and atmospheric historical details.

For me Higgins is at his best when he’s writing about Irish characters and the troubles in that troubled land ancient or current. If you’ve never read Higgins, you are missing out on one of the best of the best from a time when the tag thriller meant high adventure, not high tech.

AIR FIGHTERS!

AIR FIGHTERS!

THE FIRST ISSUE OF MOONSTONE BOOKS' AIR FIGHTERS #1, FEATURING ALL NEW STORIES OF THE GOLDEN AGE AVIATORS AIRBOY, VALKYRIE, SKY WOLF, BLACK ANGEL, THE IRON ACE, ETC., WILL BE IN STORES NEXT WEDNESDAY, THE 24TH.

THIS ISSUE ALSO INCLUDES THE FIRST NEW CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE IN DECADES, "PYRAMID OF FEAR," WRITTEN BY CHRIS MILLS (A FELLOW C.O.B.R.A.S.) AND ILLUSTRATED BY RICK BURCHETT AND RICHARD CLARK.

THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD!

LAST DAY TO ENTER!

LAST DAY TO ENTER!

CITY OF DRAGONS CONTEST!

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO LEAVE A COMMENT AND ENTER THE CONTEST TO WIN A COPY OF THE 1940s, SAN FRANSICO, CHINATOWN, NOIR NOVEL, CITY OF DRAGONS!

I’LL MAKE A RANDON DRAWING FROM ALL ENTRIES TOMORROW MORNING AND ANNOUNCE THE WINNER TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

CHEROKEELY SWINGS ~ KEELY SMITH ~ 1962!

CHEROKEELY SWINGS ~ KEELY SMITH ~ 1962!

PER KELLY’S LOUNGE SOUNDZ . . .

For Keely Smith collectors here's another one to add to your stash. Forty-eight years ago the cover was probably quite acceptable. Now? OK to some, not very PC to others. Despite this it's a nice album with Keely at her swingin' best and Billy May brilliant as always.

TRACK LIST:

01) To Each His Own
02) Song From Moulin Rouge
03) My Heart Cries For You
04) Yellow Bird
05) That Lucky Old Sun
06) Too Young
07) True Love
08) Secret Love
09) Rags To Riches
10) Young At Heart
11) Stranger In Paradise
12) My Devotion

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

ANYTHING GOES ~ HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL ~2009

ANYTHING GOES ~ HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL ~2009

ANOTHER COOL DOWNLOAD FROM JESNSENBRAZIL . . .

TRACK LISTINGS:

01 - Fascinating Rhythm
02 - Pararaio
03 - The Trolley Song
04 - That Old Black Magic
05 - Dinorah/Morning
06 - It’s Only A Paper Moon
07 - Let’s Face The Music And Dance
08 - Morning Coffee
09 - I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face
10 - Who Are You?
11 - Besame Mucho
12 - Anything Goes
13 - I’ve Got You Under My Skin
14 – Laura

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

JUSTIFIED!

JUSTIFIED!

THE UPCOMING FX SERIES IS BASED ON THE ELMORE LEONARD STORY FIRE IN THE HOLE AND STARS TIMOTHY OLYPHANT (DEADWOOD, DAMAGES) AS U.S. MARSHAL RAYLAN GIVENS, A MODERN DAY LAWMAN WITH A RATHER STRONG-HANDED SENSE OF JUSTICE.

JUSTIFIED DEBUTS MARCH 16TH.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ THE PHANTOM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ~ THE PHANTOM!

74 YEARS AGO TODAY, LEE FALK’S THE PHANTOM MADE HIS COMIC STRIP DEBUT.

DIAL B FOR BLOG HAS POSTED A COOL PHANTOM COVER CAVALCADE TO CELEBRATE THE OCCASION.

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

A TIP OF THE PURPLE FEDORA TO PULP 2.0

THE PRÊT-À-PORTER AFFAIR!

THE PRÊT-À-PORTER AFFAIR!

I’m not exactly sure where I stand on the subject of fan fiction. Some authors are vehemently and vocally against it, while others seem to take it in stride or pay no attention to it at all.

In general, my personal stance has to do with if the fan fic writer is trying to make a profit from their tales by charging for stories involving another writer’s characters to which the fan fic writer has no rights (bad), or if they are just writing the adventures and sharing them freely as they participate in the fannish world that surrounds so many of the television shows around which most fan fic centers (not so bad).

For the most part, what fan fic I’ve read has been harmless and, in most cases, poorly written (that’s why it’s fan fic). I do have some sympathy, however, as I remember being ten years old and penciling out my own Man From U.N.C.L.E. tales on lined notebook paper. Of course, the Internet wasn’t available to give my juvenile scrawlings an infinitely wider, and undeserved, audience.

Occasionally, though, I come across some fan fic worth mentioning simply because of it’s different approach. Such is the Prêt-À-Porter Affair, a Man From U.N.C.L.E. doll photo story by Marianne Smith, a member of Yahoo’s Channel D Man From U.N.C.L.E. forum.

TO CHECK IT OUT AND MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION CLICK HERE

FANTASY CORNER ~ UNKNOWN!

FANTASY CORNER ~ UNKNOWN!

RACHEL CAINE

BOOK 2 IN THE OUTCAST SEASON SERIES, A SPINOFF OF RACHEL CAINE’S WEATHER WARDEN BOOKS

My name is Cassiel, and I was once a Djinn — a being as old as the Earth herself, rooted in her power. I cared little for the small, scurrying human creatures who busied themselves with their small lives.

Things have changed. Now I am a small, scurrying human creature. In form, at any rate. Thanks to a disagreement with Ashan, the leader of the True Djinn, I can only sustain my life through the charity of the Wardens — humans who control aspects of the powers that surround us, such as wind and fire. The Warden I’m partnered with, Luis Rocha, commands the powers of the living Earth.

I have made mistakes, in my short existence as a human. I have made promises I could not keep. I have lost those I learned to love.

I will not let it happen again.

Even if every instinct tells me I must.

Living among mortals, the djinn Cassiel has developed a reluctant affection for them-especially for Warden Luis Rocha. As the mystery deepens around the kidnapping of innocent Warden children, Cassiel and Luis are the only ones who can investigate both the human and djinn realms. But the trail will lead them to a traitor who may be more powerful than they can handle…

DOUBLE IDENTITY ~ CONTEST!

DOUBLE IDENTITY ~ CONTEST!

COURTESY OF FIRST LOOK STUDIOS, CHRIS MILLS IS RUNNING A GIVEAWAY CONTEST ON HIS DVD LATE SHOW 2.0 BLOG FEATURING SEVERAL COPIES OF THE UPCOMING NEO-EUROSPY THRILLER DOUBLE IDENTITY, STARRING VAL KILMER!

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ENTER CLICK HERE

YOUNG BOND COVER ART!

YOUNG BOND COVER ART!

THE YOUNG BOND DOSSIER GIVES US A SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE COVER ART FOR THE U.S. VERSION OF HURRICANE GOLD, AND THE BRITISH PAPERBACK VERSION OF THE DANGER SOCIETY . . .

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

ZEPPELIN CENTRAL: ZEPPELINS AGAIN!

ZEPPELIN CENTRAL: ZEPPELINS AGAIN!

Army officials kicked off a procurement Thursday for an advanced airship packed with radar and communications gear, saying they wanted to have the craft in operation over Afghanistan 18 months after contract award.

Under the procurement, the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Ala., seeks to acquire an airship, called the Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle, that can stay aloft for three weeks at an altitude of 20,000 feet and carry a payload of 2,500 pounds. The Army said it wants a vehicle that can operate either manned or unmanned.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

OLD DOGS!

OLD DOGS!

DONNA MOORE

COMING FROM BUSTED FLUSH PRESS IN JUNE 2010

La Contessa Letitzia di Ponzo and her sister Signora Teodora Grisiola are not who they might seem. Now in their seventies, they're actually Letty and Dora, a pair of ex-hookers turned con-artists who've decided to steal a pair of gold, jewel-encrusted Tibetan shih tzu dog statuettes from a Glasgow museum.

Unfortunately, it seems everyone wants to get their hands on the expensive pooches. There's the dodgy chauffeur, a pair of delinquents who work in a crematorium, an out-of-work insomniac bent on revenge, and an innocent young islander who's obsessed with returning the dogs to Tibet. And yet the elderly con-artists might just manage to execute their plan and live the rest of their lives in the lap of luxury. That's if they can avoid the Australian hitman with his sights on a very different future for them . . .

Donna Moore is the author of Go to Helena Handbasket, winner of the 2007 Lefty Award for most humorous crime novel. She has short stories in various anthologies, including Damn Near Dead and A Hell of a Woman (both Busted Flush Press). Donna runs the blog Big Beat From Badsville, which focuses on Scottish crime fiction.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

NOIR CORNER ~ DAMN NEAR DEAD 2!

NOIR CORNER ~ DAMN NEAR DEAD 2!

I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE FIRST DAMN NEAR DEAD ANTHOLOGY OF GEEZER NOIR FROM BUSTED FLUSH PRESS AND CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS ENTRY TO ARRIVE LATER THIS YEAR . . . AND WHAT ABOUT THAT COVER!

DAMN NEAR DEAD 2: LIVE NOIR OR DIE TRYING

EDITED BY BILL CRIDER.

INTRODUCTION BY CHARLAINE HARRIS.

Featuring original "geezer noir" stories by Ace Atkins, C. J. Box, Christa Faust, Ed Gorman, Carolyn Haines, Joe R. Lansdale, Denise Mina, Marcia Muller, Bill Pronzini, Cornelia Read, Kat Richardson, S. J Rozan, Don Winslow, and more!

Trade paperback original / $18
November 2010

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

GREEN HORNET COVERS!

GREEN HORNET COVERS!

ABOVE, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES GIVES US A LOOK AT THE COVER FOR THE SECOND ISSUE OF GREEN HORNET: YEAR ONE . . .

BUT NEWSARAMA ALSO GIVES US FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA'S VARIANT COVER, WHICH I THINK IS FAR SUPERIOR.

A TIP OF THE FEDORA TO PIMPERNEL’S BLOG

THREE MUSKETEERS REBOOT!

THREE MUSKETEERS REBOOT!

PER FILM: BLOGGING THE REEL WORLD . . .

Producer Lionel Wigram, a former Warner Bros creative executive who oversaw the first three Harry Potter films and went out to create/pitch/write Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, has hired screenwriter Peter Straughan (The Men Who Stare at Goats) to adapt Alexandre Dumas‘ classic 17th-century adventure novel The Three Musketeers.

The plan is to update the story to appeal to young, contemporary audiences, playing up the action/sexier elements. This project should not be confused with Paul W.S. Anderson’s planned 3D adaptation of the Three Musketeers. No director or cast has been attached to the project.

FANTASY CORNER ~ THE CONQUEROR’S SHADOW!

FANTASY CORNER ~ THE CONQUEROR’S SHADOW!

ARI MARMELL

With The Conqueror’s Shadow, Ari Marmell brings a welcome seasoning of wit to the genre, proving that dark fantasy can address the enduring questions of good and evil and still retain a sense of humor. Playful yet intense, sharply sarcastic yet deeply sincere, The Conqueror’s Shadow announces the appearance of a unique talent—and an antihero like no other.

They called him the Terror of the East. His past shrouded in mystery, his identity hidden beneath a suit of enchanted black armor and a skull-like helm, Corvis Rebaine carved a bloody path through Imphallion, aided by Davro, a savage ogre, and Seilloah, a witch with a taste for human flesh. No shield or weapon could stop his demon-forged axe. And no magic could match the spells of his demon slave, Khanda.

Yet just when ultimate victory was in his grasp, Rebaine faltered. His plans of conquest, born from a desire to see Imphallion governed with firmness and honesty, shattered. Amid the chaos of a collapsing army, Rebaine vanished, taking only a single hostage—the young noblewoman Tyannon—to guarantee his escape.

Seventeen years later, Rebaine and Tyannon are married, living in obscurity and raising their children, a daughter and a son. Rebaine has put his past behind him, given up his dreams of conquest. Not even news of Audriss—an upstart warlord following Rebaine’s old path of conquest—can stir the retired warrior to action.

Until his daughter is assaulted by Audriss’s goons.

Now, to rescue the country he once tried to conquer, Rebaine once more dons the armor of the Terror of the East and seeks out his former allies. But Davro has become a peaceful farmer. Seilloah has no wish to leave her haunted forest home. And Khanda . . . well, to describe his feelings for his former master as undying hatred would be an understatement.

But even if Rebaine can convince his onetime comrades to join him, he faces a greater challenge: Does he dare to reawaken the part of him that gloried in cruelty, blood, and destruction? With the safety of his family at stake, can he dare not to?

THE BACHELOR PAD RADIO SHOW!

THE BACHELOR PAD RADIO SHOW!

2/12/10

Esquivel—Mini Skirt (Theme Music)
Bobby Darin—Hello Young Lovers
Don Ralke—Love Is Here to Stay
Peggy Lee—I Am In Love
Julie London—In the Middle of a Kiss
Dean Martin—Let Me Love You Tonight
Hugo Montenegro—Come Back To Me
April Stevens—I'm In Love Again
Kirby Stone Four—Zing!
Edd Byrnes—Like I Love You
Esquivel—You Belong To My Heart
Blossom Dearie—Love Is a Necessary Evil
Jonah Jones—You're Just In Love
Louis Jordan—Knock Me A Kiss
David Rose—This Thing Called Love
Anita O'Day—Easy To Love
Sammy Davis, Jr.—The Tender Trap
Art Carney—That's Falling In Love
Sam Butera—Honey Love
Les Paul—Lover
Jet Set Six—My Torrid Heart
Frank Sinatra—Let’s Fall In Love
Pete Rugolo—My Funny Valentine
Diana Dors—Love for the Very First Time
Xavier Cugat—Love And Cha-Cha-Cha
Marlene Cord—I'm Thru With Love
Linda Lawson—Don't Know What Love Is
Jack Jones—Where Love Has Gone
Frankie Laine—Snow In Lovers Lane
Keely Smith—I Wish You Love
June Christy—Make Love To Me
Fran Warren—I'm In The Mood For Love
Mel Tormé—Prelude To A Kiss
Marilyn Monroe—Kiss
Ray Martin—Many Splendoured Thing
Chris Connor—I Love You Yes I Do
Georgie Auld—Just Around the Corner
Howard Roberts—Love

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

DON’T FORGET ~ CITY OF DRAGONS CONTEST!

DON’T FORGET ~ CITY OF DRAGONS CONTEST!

THIS COMING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH, IS THE LAST DAY TO LEAVE A COMMENT AND ENTER THE CONTEST TO WIN A COPY OF THE 1940s, SAN FRANSICO, CHINATOWN, NOIR NOVEL, CITY OF DRAGONS, WHICH I'VE PIMPED OFF SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS BLOG.

TO ENTER JUST LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW STATING YOU’D LIKE TO BE IN THE CONTEST BEFORE FEBRUARY 18TH. I’LL MAKE A RANDON DRAWING FROM ALL ENTRIES AND ANNOUNCE THE WINNER ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19TH.

COMIC TWART ~ THE BLACK BEETLE!

COMIC TWART ~ THE BLACK BEETLE!

THIS WEEK, THE GANG AT COMIC TWART TAKES ON FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA'S OWN BLACK BEETLE!

THE ILLUSTRATION ABOVE IS BY DECLAN SHALVEY . . . FRANCAVILLA'S BELOW . . .

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

SPY VIBE CONTEST!

SPY VIBE CONTEST!

JASON WHITON’S SPY VIBE BLOG HAS ANOTHER COOL CONTEST GOING – THIS TIME FOR THE COMPLETE TIME TUNNEL, GOLD KEY RE-PRINT COLLECTION FROM HERMES PRESS!

TO ENTER CLICK HERE

HARD CASE CRIME NEWSLETTER!

HARD CASE CRIME NEWSLETTER!

In six weeks, we're going to publish Donald E. Westlake's unpublished novel, MEMORY.

Both Publishers Weekly and Booklist have given it starred reviews, calling it "a significant final work from a master" and "absolutely a must-read." The book hits stores at the end of March -- but if you're reading this message you have a chance to get a copy sooner than that.

At the start of March we're going to be sending 12 free advance copies of the book to randomly selected people from our mailing list. Interested in throwing your hat into the ring? Well, we don't need your hat -- just send your name and the address to which you'd like the book mailed if you're chosen to: DRAWING@HARDCASECRIME.COM/ before 5PM (New York time) on February 28. It's as simple as that. All we ask is that if you're selected you help us tell the world about the book, either by posting a review on a site like Amazon.com or BN.com, or by wrting about it in your blog (if you have one), or in whatever other ways you can think of. Actually...we'd be grateful for anything you can do along these lines regardless of whether yours is one of the dozen names we wind up drawing. MEMORY is one of the most important books we've ever had the privilege to publish, and anything you can do to help spread the word about it is much appreciated.

Other news: We've added another forthcoming title to our Web site, QUARRY'S EX by Max Allan Collins -- you can see the cover art by Greg Manchess at WWW.HARDCASECRIME.COM/ This will be our fourth novel about the enigmatic hitman and we're thrilled to bring him back.

On the "high adventure" side of the house, we're bringing two-fisted adventurer Gabriel Hunt back as well, for three more adventures, and the first of these -- HUNT BEYOND THE FROZEN FIRE, co-written by Christa Faust (author of the Edgar-nominated MONEY SHOT) -- will arrive in stores on the same day as MEMORY. In this one, Gabriel assembles a crack team to go down to Antarctica and bring back a scientist who's gone missing near the South Pole. Only what they find when they get there isn't nearly what they expect... For more info (and a glimpse at Glen Orbik's delicious cover painting), visit WWW.HUNTFORADVENTURE.COM/

And as long as we're mixing genres, here's one more reading suggestion, and it's not even a book we published. When you're next in your favorite local bookstore, why not pick up a copy of WARRIORS, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois? It's a hefty collection featuring new novellas by 20 major authors, ranging from crime stories to epic fantasy to science fiction, all on the theme of warfare, broadly defined.

The authors include Hard Case Crime's own Lawrence Block, as well as hardboiled masters Joe Lansdale and David Morrell. But my personal favorite author of the bunch is Naomi Novik, who is not only the New York Times-bestselling author of the TEMERAIRE series but also...my wife. The story she wrote for the book is a heart-stopping account of warfare on a distant planet, between a technologically advanced invading force and the desperate natives who use their connection to the biological world around them to fight back. If this premise sounds a wee bit familiar, I can only assure you that the story was written well over a year ago, before she (or I) had ever heard of AVATAR, never mind seen it. And having seen AVATAR since...I can also tell you that her story's better. (Yes, I'm biased.)

One last tidbit of news before I vanish for another month: We just bought our first title for 2011, and though I can't tell you the title yet, I can tell you this: it's by Christa Faust, it stars Angel Dare.

And if you don't know who Angel Dare is, all I can say is: Why haven't you read MONEY SHOT yet?

More soon,
Charles Ardai
Editor, Hard Case Crime

DICK FRANCIS ~ R.I.P.

DICK FRANCIS ~ R.I.P.

FIRST ROBERT PARKER, NOW DICK FRANCIS. MY LITERARY HEROES ARE TURNING TOES UP WITH DISILLUSIONING RAPIDITY.

MY LOVE OF FRANCIS’ BOOKS (I DON’T CARE WHETHER OR NOT HIS WIFE ACTUALLY DID THE WRITING) GOES BACK TO WHEN I FIRST DISCOVERED HIM IN MY TEENS.

I’VE BLOGGED BEFORE ABOUT RECEIVING AN UNSOLICITED LETTER OF PRAISE FROM HIM FOR MY NOVEL CHAPEL OF THE RAVENS, A PERSONAL EVENT WHICH REMAINS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY WRITING CAREER.

WHILE HIS SON, FRANCIS, IS WELL POSITIONED TO CARRY ON THE TRADITION OF A FRANCIS FOR CHRISTMAS, I WILL MISS THE MAN HIMSELF, HIS LOW KEY HUMOR, AND HIS GENTLE PERSONALITY.

BBC: Writer Dick Francis, famous for his horse racing-based crime novels, has died aged 89, his family has said.

Francis, who wrote more than 40 best-selling novels during his career, was also champion jockey in the 1950s and the Queen Mother's jockey.

He first published his autobiography in 1957, and his first thriller, Dead Cert, followed five years later.

Francis's most recent works, including Dead Heat and Silks, were co-authored by his son Felix.

LITERARY ACCOLADES

Mr Francis said he was "devastated" at the loss of his father, who produced a novel a year during his long career.

"We share in the joy that he brought to so many over such a long life. It is an honour for me to be able to continue his remarkable legacy through the new novels," he added.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the Queen would be "saddened" by the news.

Former racing commentator Sir Peter O'Sullevan called him "a very good mate" and said: "I particularly enjoyed reading his novels and found him a wonderfully efficient author."

Former jockey John Francome said: "He was a lovely person who always had a sparkle in his eye and he had a wicked sense of humour.

"I remember we used to laugh out loud about the old times."

Francis went on to sell some 60 million books worldwide and his novels were published into 20 languages.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

NOIR CORNER ~ TOKYO VICE!

NOIR CORNER ~ TOKYO VICE!

AN AMERICAN REPORTER ON THE POLICE BEAT IN JAPAN

JAKE ADELSTEIN

I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS RIGHT NOW AND IT’S A GREAT READ!

A young Japanese-schooled Jewish-American who worked as a journalist at Tokyo newspaper Yomiuri Shinbun during the 1990s, debut author Adelstein began with a routine, but never dull, police beat; before long, he was notorious worldwide for engaging the dirtiest, top-most villains of Japan's organized criminal underworld, the yakuza. A pragmatic but sensitive character, Adelstein's worldview takes quite a beating during his tour of duty; thanks to his immersive reporting, readers suffer with him through the choice between personal safety and a chance to confront the evil inhabiting his city.

He learns that "what matters is the purity of the information, not the person providing it," considers personal and societal theories behind Tokyo's illicit and semi-illicit pastimes like "host and hostess clubs," where citizens pay for the illusion of intimacy: "The rates are not unreasonable, but the cost in human terms are incredibly high."

Adelstein also examines the investigative reporter's tendency to withdraw into cynicism ("when a reporter starts to cool down, it's very hard... ever to warm up again") but faithfully sidesteps that urge, producing a deeply thought-provoking book: equal parts cultural exposé, true crime, and hard-boiled noir.