Announcements!

My apologies for the lack of posts this summer, have been busy and have had other things to think about. But I did want to make a couple of announcements.

I think I already mentioned that I have been nominated for a Barry Award for Best Thriller. Well, you can add a nom for a Shamus Award for Best First Novel!

Here's the official announcement.

Private Eye Writers of America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 2, 2008

CONTACT: Ted Fitzgerald – Shamus Awards Chair tedfitz [at] msn.com

PRIVATE EYE WRITERS OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES
2008 SHAMUS AWARDS NOMINEES

The Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) is proud to announce the nominees for the 27th annual Shamus Awards, given annually to recognize outstanding achievement in private eye fiction. The 2008 awards cover works first published in the U.S. in 2007. The awards will be presented at the PWA banquet, to be held Friday evening Oct. 10, 2008, in Baltimore, Maryland, during the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. Banquet details will be announced later in August.

2008 Shamus Awards Nominees

Best Hardcover
Head Games by Thomas B. Cavanagh (St. Martins Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books), featuring Mike Garrity.
Soul Patch by Reed Farrel Coleman (Bleak House Books), featuring Moe Prager.
The Color of Blood by Declan Hughes (William Morrow), featuring Ed Loy.
A Welcome Grave by Michael Koryta (St. Martins Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books), featuring Lincoln Perry.
A Killer’s Kiss by William Lashner (William Morrow), featuring Victor Carl.

Best Paperback Original
Songs of Innocence by Richard Aleas (Hard Case) featuring John Blake.
Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong (Bantam) featuring Nadia Stafford.
Stone Rain by Linwood Barclay (Bantam) featuring Zack Walker.
Deadly Beloved by Max Allan Collins (Hard Case) featuring Ms. Michael Tree.
Blood of Paradise by David Corbett (Mortalis/Ballantine) featuring Jude McManus.

Best First Novel
The Cleaner by Brett Battles (Delacorte), featuring Jonathan Quinn.
Keep It Real by Bill Bryan (Bleak House Books), featuring Ted Collins.
Big City, Bad Blood by Sean Chercover (William Morrow), featuring Ray Dudgeon.
When One Man Dies by Dave White (Three Rivers Press), featuring Jackson Donne.
The Last Striptease by Michael Wiley (St. Martins/Thomas Dunne Books), featuring Joe Kozmarski.

Best Short Story
"Kill the Cat" by Loren D. Estleman, DETROIT NOIR (Akashic), featuring Amos Walker.
"Trust Me" by Loren D. Estleman, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, June 2007, featuring Amos Walker.
"Open Mike" by James Nolan, NEW ORLEANS NOIR (Akashic), featuring Vincent Panarello.
“Hungry Enough" by Cornelia Read, A HELL OF A WOMAN (Busted Flush Press), featuring Philip.
"Room for Improvement" by Marilyn Todd, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Dec. 2007, featuring Lois Hepburn.



PWA was founded in 1981 by Robert J. Randisi to recognize the private eye genre and its writers. Previous Shamus winners include Lawrence Block, Ken Bruen, Harlan Coben, Max Allan Collins, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, O’Neil deNoux, Brendan DuBois, Loren D. Estleman, Carolina Garcia-Aguilera, Sue Grafton, James W. Hall, Steve Hamilton, Jeremiah Healy, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, John Lutz, Bill Pronzini, S.J. Rozan, Sandra Scoppettone and Don Winslow.
P.I. Guy logo by Terry Beatty.

As I was with the Barry Nom, I am deeply touched and honored. In fact, it's still hard to believe, but hard to argue with the black and white announcement!