This summer I went to Prague and Kraków. I visited bookstores and read books related to the cities and experienced an unsettling level of dread at the Kafka Museum and drank a TON of beer. Then I wrote about it for LitReactor. Check it out.
Author Archives: robwhart
KWIK KRIMES on sale today
Kwik Krimes, an anthology of flash fiction edited by Otto Penzler, is on sale today.
There are some really great authors in this book, like Ken Bruen, Christa Faust, David Corbett, Gar Anthony Haywood, and James Grady.
And somehow also me.
You should buy a million copies and then read my story “The Gun With Two Triggers.”
It’s available from bookstores (like The Mysterious Bookshop) and websites (like Amazon).
ACCEPTED!
Got a short story accepted by the lovely folks at Shotgun Honey!
“A Blow to the Head” will appear in RELOADED: Both Barrels Vol. 2. I like this one a lot. A little violent, a little funny. Hitting sometime in September, I believe?
Check out the full lineup at this link. Some good company indeed.
James Ross at LitReactor book club
The June pick for the LitReactor book club is a favorite of mine—They Don’t Dance Much by James Ross. Released in 1940, it was the only book Ross ever published, but it’s been lauded by authors like Raymond Chandler, William Gay, Daniel Woodrell, and Flannery O’Connor.
I wrote a lengthy piece for LitReactor about the history of the book, and the process of publishing it at MysteriousPress.com. Here’s a (very brief) excerpt:
Ross’ prose is both sharp and laconic. Lush with detail and stark in its representation of the human spirit. From page one, the book is shaded with a foreboding sense of dread—you know these people are on a collision course with tragedy. It’s just a matter of how they get there.
You can read the full piece here.
If you’re looking for something to read during the month of June, it’s not too late: Get the book here.
May updates!
- I’ve got a piece up at Salon on the cult of self-publishing. I measure my relative success or failure on how long it takes for someone to call me a douchebag. Since it happened in the first comment, I’d call this a success.
- We’ve got a solid slate of classes coming up at LitReactor, covering query letters, eBook coding, thriller and horror writing, character archetypes, and grammar. Find ’em here.
- New podcast! We talk about transgressive fiction. Good times all around.
Mark you calendar for Noir at the Bar!
Mark your calendar: The next NYC Noir at the Bar is May 26 at Shade on Sullivan Street.
And I’ll be there, readin’ stuff. Out loud.
Which, ok, fine, I know that isn’t too big a draw. But look at the rest of the roster: Dennis Tafoya, Dana C. Kabel, Reed Farrel Coleman, Jedidiah Ayres, Keith Gilman, Justin Porter, Scott Adlerberg, Josh Bazell, Keiran Shea, Jim Baker, and Todd Robinson.
Right? You know you want in. It’s going to be fun. I’ll be drinking heavily and may even embarrass myself. Why would you want to miss that?
New short story!
I’ve got a new short story in the latest issue of Thuglit.
It’s called “Happy Ending” and it’s about Asian massage parlors. It’s a little noir and a little naughty. Also, this issue is chock-full of awesome stories by some really talented writers. You should check it out.
While you’re at it, pick up The Hard Bounce by Todd Robinson. He’s the dude who runs Thuglit, and it’s a great book. I explain why on this episode of the LitReactor podcast!
There should be a print edition of Thuglit coming down the pike soon, but you can get the digital edition for 99 cents right now.
That’s cheap. You have no excuse. Buy it.
UPDATE: Now available in print!
Representin’
I’m excited to announce that I’m signing with Bree Ogden of the D4EO Literary Agency for my first full-length novel, New Yorked.
Bree is a very smart, very cool lady, and she gets the book, and I’m thrilled to be taking this next step in my writing career.
Also, now that I have an agent, prepare for me to be insufferable. At least, more so than normal.
April news round-up
I wrote an article for LitReactor called Top 10 Storytelling Cliches Writers Need To Stop Using. It’s gotten more than 35,000 hits. Insane.
There’s a new podcast episode up, featuring special guest Patrick Wensink, author of the fantastic Broken Piano for President. Give it a listen.
My online marketing class starts in less than a week. It’s going to be fun! Check it out.
Speaking of classes, we’ve got a packed slate, with some really cool workshops lined up. Don’t believe me? Go take a look.
Finally, galleys are in for Kwik Krimes. Fancy!
New podcast
A new episode of Unprintable, LitReactor’s podcast, is live. Bask in it. We talk about a lot of goofy stuff, but mostly reading habits. But also how much I LOVED The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch. Which you should read, toot sweet.
Also, in case you’re looking to brush up on your writing skills, we’ve got nine (9!) awesome classes currently accepting enrollments at LitReactor. Including one with Lidia. And also with Jon Gingerich, John Skipp, Zoe Fishman, David Corbett, Suzy Vitello, Richard Thomas, Patrick Wensink, and, oh, me!
Rob Hart 