Heeeeey, It's Really Great to Be Here

At last report, The Divine Miss Sarah was in a distant city, mobbed by a bevy of Cute Boys. In a fit of what I can only describe as questionable judgment, she has asked me, Cornelia, to keep an eye on things while she's gone.

I am tremendously honored, but do want to say right up front that asking me to keep  an eye on so much as a shotglass full of Sea Monkeys is about as practical as tossing your Porsche keys to the first sixteen year old you trip over in a 7-11 parking lot, especially if you actually tell the kid there's a sheet of blotter acid in the glove compartment.

I mean, sure, you MIGHT have the car returned unscathed and even freshly Turtle-Waxed by the end of the weekend, but every single oxygen atom in your living room MIGHT also suddenly rush to the upper left-hand corner of the ceiling. At least I think the chemistry-teacher chick back in '79 claimed such an event was entirely possible. The oxygen, not the Porsche.

Anyway, that's the disclaimer out of the way and nothing's burst into flames yet... excellent.

Have to drive a kid to a schoolbus, so here are some amuse-bouche links in the meantime:

Jeff Ayers' Genre Spotlight for Library Journal, "Mystery Goes Global," looks at crime fic trends, happenings, and forthcoming titles. It's chock full o' quotes from industry insider types, including my own sainted editor, Kristen Weber.

David Montgomery does his usual brilliant roundup for The Chicago Sun-Times, discussing David J. Walker's All the Dead Fathers,  Sarah Strohmeyer's Bubbles Betrothed, Charlie Stella's Cheapskates, Reed Farrel Coleman's The James Deans, and Harley Jane Kozak's Dating is Murder (which I read this weekend between Victor Gischler's Suicide Squeeze and Gun Monkeys--all three of them drop-dead gorgeous books).

Clifford Krauss reviews Howard Engel's Memory Book for The New York Times, in which PI Benny Cooperman is afflicted with the rare brain disorder alexia sine agraphia. "Benny's failed memory, his near inability to read and his unfortunate new proclivity to brush his teeth with shaving cream cannot stop him from solving a murder that has baffled two experienced police detectives..." relates Krauss.

Comments

[Karen Olson]

Thanks so much for linking to the Library Journal article, Cornelia. It was great to see Louise Ure's Forcing Amaryllis noted, as well as my own Sacred Cows!Also, I read with much interest the article in the NYTimes this morning about Howard Engel, fascinating.

[Jim Winter]

"Benny's failed memory, his near inability to read and his unfortunate new proclivity to brush his teeth with shaving cream cannot stop him from solving a murder that has baffled two experienced police detectives..."

Oooookay...

Well, we're always hearing how we need to reinvent the PI. I suppose that's one way.

[Andi]

Okay, okay, the LJ article is good. But (shhhh) I'm still pouting about it. I wrote it last year. Hmph. Long story.
Good morning Cornelia!!!
My chemistry teacher did the "if I hit this granite topped desk over and over forever, eventually, the atoms would all align and I'd break through it" example. Nice guy. Went to night school. Became a lawyer. Did they read this stuff in "chem teacher's weekly" or something?
And Karen, not only was I glad to see your book mentioned, but we thank you EVER so for including Louise's book in YOUR mention. I'm doing publicity for Louise on Forcing Amaryllis and it's lovely to see that folks know about it, and that there's buzz out there.
But I don't WANNA see Benny failing. I LIKE Benny. Couldn't that crap happen to a protagonist I don't like?

[Sarah]

Maybe, but in Benny's case, it resulted in a hell of a good novel (I'll have more to say about this when I come back mid-week, but there is a US deal just inked for the book and the one after that.)

[David Skibbins]

Thinking about Benny: Almost all the niches amateur detectives can have for professions and psychopathology have been taken. I'm wondering about maybe a fetal detective, second trimester, but sarcastic and witty, none the less. Womb with a View Series. Maybe she psychically communicates with Mom's rottweiler, catching both the cozy and the noir audiance. What do you think? Great to have you at the helm, Cornelia!