Title 18: Word Crimes

On this episode, Mary Wilson reads "The Bottom Line" by James Grady. James Grady is the author of the classic thriller Six Days of the Condor, which was made into a movie starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway called Three Days of the Condor. He’s written more than a dozen other novels, including Last Days of the Condor, Nature of the Game, and Mad Dogs. On top of all that, I can report first hand that James Grady is also a heck of a nice guy. "The Bottom Line" by James Grady was originally published in the anthology D.C. Noir, edited by George Pelecanos and published by Akashic Books. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

On this episode, Mary Wilson reads "Autumn at the Automat" by Lawrence Block. Lawrence Block is one of my literary heroes. He's published more than 100 books, including novels about Keller, a hitman who collects stamps; Matthews Scudder, a cop turned private investigator; and Bernie Rhodenbarr, a gentleman burglar; among many others. His non-fiction books about writing are outstanding. Lawrence Block is a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America. He's won the Edgar and Shamus awards four times each, the Japanese Maltese Falcon award twice, and the Nero Wolfe and Philip Marlowe awards. Among his many other recognitions is the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement in the short story. And he rides the train whenever possible. The man is cool, and his writing is amazing. "Autumn at the Automat" was originally published in the anthology In Sunlight or in Shadow, a collection of short stories inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/  

On this episode, Mary Wilson reads "A Nice Pair of Guns" by Nick Kolakowski. Nick Kolakowski is a writer and editor. He's the author of the short story collection Somebody's Trying to Kill Me and the humorous How to Become an Intellectual: 100 Mandatory Maxims to Metamorphose into the Most Learned of Thinkers. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Washington City Paper, WebMD, McSweeney's, North American Review, Crime Syndicate, and many others. He's also an editor at the great flash fiction website Shotgun Honey. This story, "A Nice Pair of Guns," was originally published by Thuglit. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Eryk Pruitt is a screenwriter, author and filmmaker living in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife Lana and cat Busey. His short films FOODIE and LIYANA, ON COMMAND have won several awards at film festivals across the United States. His short fiction has appeared in The Avalon Literary Review, Pulp Modern, Thuglit, and Zymbol, to name a few. His novels DIRTBAGS and HASHTAG are available in ebook and paperback. Eryk’s the host of the radio show “The Crime Scene with Eryk Pruitt” and the Noir at the Bar series in Durham, and his next novel will be published by Polis Books in October 2017. This story, “Knockout,” was originally published by The Flash Fiction Offensive at Out of the Gutter Online and was a finalist for a 2015 Derringer Award.

April Kelly is an Emmy-nominated television writer and producer. Her debut novel WINGED won first place in Kindle’s 2013 International Book Competition in the General Fiction category. Her novel MURDER: TAKE THREE, the third book in the detective series she co-writes with former federal prosecutor Marsha Lyons, was a finalist for a 2014 Shamus Award. April’s short fiction has appeared in DASH Literary Journal, the Mark Twain House online magazine, Seven Hills Review, DECASP, Floyd County Moonshine and Hunger Mountain Literary Journal. The story featured on this episode, “Thoroughly Murdered Millie,” was originally published by Shotgun Honey.

This episode features two stories from the anthology WAITING TO BE FORGOTTEN: STORIES OF CRIME AND HEARTBREAK INSPIRED BY THE REPLACEMENTS. S.W. Lauden reads his story "Customer" and Erik Arneson reads his story "Election Day." Published by Gutter Books and edited by Jay Stringer, WAITING TO BE FORGOTTEN is available now.

"Three Cases Only a Desperate, Below-Average Private Investigator Would Take" is included in my new short story collection THE THROES OF CRIME, which features 26 short stories and six brief true crime essays. All proceeds from THE THROES OF CRIME go to the James and Jeanne Arneson Memorial Scholarship Fund, created in memory of my parents, which benefits graduates of Wilmot High School in Wilmot, South Dakota, who display an aptitude in creative writing by authoring a short story. THE THROES OF CRIME includes stories published by Thuglit, Needle, Otto Penzler's Kwik Krimes, Shotgun Honey, Out of the Gutter Online, and more. It also includes six stories that have never been published anywhere, including the one featured on this episode.

Eric Beetner writes hardboiled crime fiction. A lot of it. He won the 2012 Stalker Award for Most Criminally Underrated author. His books include RUMRUNNERS and its sequel LEADFOOT, which is coming out in November. Also: THE DEVIL DOESN'T WANT ME and WHEN THE DEVIL COMES TO CALL. Book 3 in that trilogy, THE DEVIL AT YOUR DOOR, is due out in 2017. The list doesn’t stop there. DIG TWO GRAVES, WHITE HOT PISTOL, THE YEAR I DIED SEVEN TIMES, and the story collection A BOUQUET OF BULLETS. And many more. Eric Beetner lives in Los Angeles where he co-hosts the Noir At The Bar reading series. He has toured as a musician, painted, written screenplays, acted in short films, been to China twice, fished in the Mississippi, once met Barry Manilow, and his name has been on television more than a hundred times. He also designs book covers.

Eryk Pruitt is a screenwriter, author and filmmaker living in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife Lana and cat Busey. His short films FOODIE and LIYANA, ON COMMAND have won several awards at film festivals across the United States. His short fiction has appeared in The Avalon Literary Review, Pulp Modern, Thuglit, and Zymbol, to name a few. In 2015, Eryk Pruitt was a finalist for the Derringer Award for his short story "Knockout." His novels DIRTBAGS and HASHTAG are available in ebook and paperback. He's the host of the radio show "The Crime Scene with Eryk Pruitt" and the Noir at the Bar series in Durham, and his next novel will be published by Polis Books in October 2017.

On this episode of Word Crimes, Eryk Pruitt reads "Farewell from a Desert Rat" by Erik Storey. Erik Storey is a former ranch hand, wilderness guide, dogsled musher, and hunter. He spent his childhood summers on his great-grandfather's homestead or in a remote cabin in Colorado's Flat Tops wilderness. He has earned a number of sharpshooter and marksman qualifications. He and his family live in Grand Junction, Colorado. NOTHING SHORT OF DYING is Erik Storey's first novel, and it's won praise from a lot of people, including bestselling author William Kent Krueger, who called it "the year's best thriller debut." NOTHING SHORT OF DYING features a drifter with lethal skills, whose mission to rescue his abducted sister pits him against a ruthless meth kingpin and his army of killers.

What can you say about Todd Robinson? If you don't know his writing, do yourself a favor and get a copy of his debut novel, THE HARD BOUNCE. Booklist says it's packed "with a host of imaginatively drawn thugs, villains, victims, and rascals" and Pop Culture Nerd called it "simple perfection." I say it's fantastic. And Todd's next novel, ROUGH TRADE, will be released by Polis Books in 2016. Todd has also written plenty of short stories. You can find them in anthologies like TROUBLE IN THE HEARTLAND, BLOOD & TACOS, and DANGER CITY. Or, better yet, in his very own collection of short stories called DIRTY WORDS. On top of all that, Todd Robinson edits one of the best magazines around: THUGLIT. I was fortunate enough to have a story published in issue #16 of THUGLIT, so if you're not familiar with THUGLIT, start with #16.

S.W. Lauden's debut novel, BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, is out now. I love that title, and the cover is absolutely superb. The website My Bookish Ways described BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION as "Black Flag meets Point Break meets Fatal Attraction with a hint of Eddie and The Cruisers." It's also been described as "punk rock noir." Lauden, who in addition to being a writer is also a drummer, has had short stories published by The Flash Fiction Offensive at Out of the Gutter Online, Shotgun Honey, and Akashic Books' Mondays Are Murder series.

Jon McGoran writes great thrillers -- I totally recommend his novels DRIFT and DEADOUT, both featuring Philly detective Doyle Carrick. The third book in the series, DUST UP, will be out in 2016, and it's one of the topics we focus on in our conversation. If you haven't read any of Jon's books yet, start with DRIFT. Jon's totally creepy short story "Appetite" was featured on Word Crimes a few episodes back -- if you haven't listened to it yet, definitely check it out.

Paul D. Brazill has written a number of novels and short story collections, including GUNS OF BRIXTON, described as "a foul-mouthed, violently comic crime caper," and THE NEON BONEYARD, which features one of his most memorable characters, private investigator Roman Dalton. Dalton -- who happens to be a werewolf -- is also the star of the short story "Drunk on the Moon," featured on this episode. Paul's short stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF BEST BRITISH CRIME numbers 8, 10 and 11, where his work appeared alongside stories by the likes of Lee Child, Val McDermid, and Neil Gaiman.

Rob Hart is the author of NEW YORKED,  which came out earlier this year and has been raved about by far too many people to list here. Rob’s follow-up to NEW YORKED, CITY OF ROSE, will be available in early 2016. In addition to being a great author, Rob is the associate publisher at MysteriousPress.com and the class director at LitReactor. Show notes are available at www.WordCrimesPodcast.com.

Jon McGoran writes great biotech thrillers -- his books DRIFT and DEADOUT are fantastic. The third book in the Doyle Carrick series, DUST UP, will be out in 2016. McGoran is also the author of the sci-fi story AFTER EFFECTS, and, writing as D.H. Dublin, he authored three forensic thrillers: BODY TRACE, BLOOD POISON, and FREEZER BURN. If you haven't read McGoran's work, I recommend starting with DRIFT. You'll thank me later. Show notes are available at www.WordCrimesPodcast.com.

Duane Swierczynski -- his last name sounds just like it's spelled -- has written nine novels (an even dozen if you include the three he wrote with Anthony Zuiker), half a dozen non-fiction books, and far too many comic books to count, including Godzilla, Judge Dredd, Bloodshot, X, and Ex-Con. His latest novel, CANARY, and his latest comic book project, THE BLACK HOOD, are both set in his hometown of Philadelphia.

This episode was recorded live at NoirCon 2014 in Philadelphia. One of the panels at NoirCon was Three Minutes of Terror, during which about 20 authors read their work, the catch being that we each only had three minutes. If we ran over the time limit, our emcee Joe Samuel Starnes had a chainsaw -- Fisher Price brand, even -- and he was not afraid to use it. This is part 2 of 2.

This episode was recorded live at NoirCon 2014 in Philadelphia. One of the panels at NoirCon was Three Minutes of Terror, during which about 20 authors read their work, the catch being that we each only had three minutes. If we ran over the time limit, our emcee Joe Samuel Starnes had a chainsaw -- Fisher Price brand, even -- and he was not afraid to use it. This is part 1 of 2.

Season 2 of the Word Crimes podcast continues with Scott Detrow reading "Bliss" by Merry Jones, a short story originally published in the anthology Liar Liar. Merry is a prolific author whose most recent book, IN THE WOODS, is a thriller set in a Pennsylvania state park. The protagonist is Harper Jennings, an Iraqi War vet and an archeology graduate. Check the show notes at ErikArneson.com for links to Merry's website, all of her Harper Jennings novels, and more.

Season 2 of the Word Crimes podcast opens with Scott Detrow reading "Luck" by Johnny Shaw, a short story originally published in Thuglit. If you're not familiar with Johnny's writing, Erik highly recommends that you check out his Anthony Award-winning novel BIG MARIA. Also excellent: DOVE SEASON and PLASTER CITY. And if you're not familiar with the magazine Thuglit, check out any issue at all. Every issue is full of powerful crime fiction.

Jonathan Woods, Erik Arneson, Duane Swierczynski, and Jon McGoran read their own work in front of a live audience in Philadelphia. Recorded at Misconduct Tavern on October 29, 2014. Hosted by Peter Rozovsky.

Merry Jones, Don Lafferty, Sarah Weinman, and Dennis Tafoya read their own work in front of a live audience in Philadelphia. Recorded at Misconduct Tavern on October 29, 2014. Hosted by Peter Rozovsky.

Thom Nickels, Jen Conley, Joe Samuel Starnes, and Matt Cook read their own work in front of a live audience in Philadelphia. Recorded at Misconduct Tavern on October 29, 2014. Hosted by Peter Rozovsky.

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "Merciless" by David Cranmer, writing as Edward A. Grainger, a short story originally published in Pulp Modern Issue #4 and also included in the book Further Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Authors Seth Harwood, Jess Lourey, and Rob Hart joined host Erik Arneson to record a live podcast - in front of a live audience - at Bouchercon 2014 in Long Beach, California. Each author was limited to no more than four minutes, so it's a very fast-paced show.

Erik Arneson interviews Andrew Nette, an author and one of the people behind Crime Factory Publications, at NoirCon 2014 in Philadelphia.

Erik Arneson interviews Robb Cadigan, author of the novel Phoenixville Rising, at NoirCon 2014 in Philadelphia.

Erik Arneson interviews Matt Cook, author of the novel Sabotage, at NoirCon 2014 in Philadelphia.

Erik Arneson interviews Rob Hart, author of the novel New Yorked, at NoirCon 2014 in Philadelphia.

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "Pretty Little Things" by Chris Holm, a short story originally published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "The Window" by Steve Weddle, a short story originally published in the charity anthology Off the Record 2: At the Movies. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "Sole Operator" by Erik Arneson, a short story originally published by Out of the Gutter Online's Flash Fiction Offensive. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "Kick" by Jen Conley, a short story originally published by Literary Orphans. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "Strangers" by Joe Clifford, a short story originally published by Thrillers, Killers & Chillers. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "The Biggest Myth" by Tom Pitts, a short story originally published by All Due Respect. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you Christopher Irvin's "Vacation Package," a short story originally published by Out of the Gutter Online's Flash Fiction Offensive. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "Oh Well," a crime fiction story originally published by Out of the Gutter Online. Plus we feature a second great story: "On the Sly" by Ron Earl Phillips. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "Swing and a Miss," a crime fiction story originally published by Near to the Knuckle. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "Twelve Before Nine" and "Blow Out the Candles," two crime fiction stories originally published by Shotgun Honey. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/ http://www.erikarneson.com/

Erik Arneson and Scott Detrow team up to bring you "For the Honesty," a crime fiction story originally published by Out of the Gutter Online's Flash Fiction Offensive. http://www.wordcrimespodcast.com/ http://www.erikarneson.com/