I first heard of Christa Faust when I picked up a copy of the Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 16 and read her story, "Tighter." I've been a fan of hers since. Earlier this year, Dark Arts Books released SINS OF THE SIRENS, a four author collection, featuring short fiction from some of the hardest hitting women in the genre. Christa Faust was one of them. (Maria Alexander, Loren Rhoads and Mehitobel Wilson being the others.) Again, Christa's stories blew me away.

When I heard that Christa was switching gears and had gone from writing horror to noir mysteries, I never doubted that she could pull it off. Though I did wonder if the visceral edge and (at times) painful honesty that I so appreciated in her short fiction would translate well into her new found niche. I'm happy to report that it has.

MONEY SHOT is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. I've been reviewing books for about a year now for Dark Scribe Magazine. At times, I have encountered books that are painful to read. But not in a good way. I've read a couple of books in that time that have made me wonder why I ever wanted to review books in the first place. And then I have to remind myself why I did want to start reviewing books. I did it because I wanted to learn more about the craft, to analyze stories to figure out what works and what doesn't in hopes that I will become a better writer because of it. Now if I could only wrap my mind around all the things Christa did right in this book, I might finally be on the right track.

More thoughts to come on the analytical side of why I enjoyed this book as a writer. I need to think that through a bit more before I start rambling.

What I can tell you as a reader is that Christa Faust takes you on a ride into a world (the adult film industry) that I don't think has been explored honestly in modern fiction. That's what gets me about Christa's writing. It's brutally honest. It hurts. It's painful because what she's saying about whatever fictional world she has her readers living in is true. It's true and it hurts and I love it because there is no bullshit. She makes you look at situations that you would otherwise avert your eyes from and face them. As her characters make choices, the reader is forced to examine the choices they might make given similar circumstances. Facing those truths, being forced to examine who you really are, how far you might go if pushed, can be a fascinating mental exercise. I love it when an author gives me a reason to want to keep turning pages. I curse those authors when I have to put those kind of books down. Waiting to find out how it ends is hell. And if an author can get me that hooked, I'm happy to admit it.

So kudos to you, Christa. And to anyone who hasn't read MONEY SHOT yet...you should.

Ever since the announcement was made that WHC 2008 would be held in Salt Lake City, I heard nothing but complaints on various message boards about the "bad" choice of venue. Prior to making the trip, I will admit I was a little concerned about how the con would turn out in light of all the negative commentary. I'm happy to report that my fears were unfounded.

When I stepped out of the airport, I was awed by the scenic view of the mountains that surround the city. The breathtaking scenery made up for the fact that it was as cold in SLC as it had been in Chicago. (I patted myself on the back for bringing my winter coat.)

I got settled at the hotel, noting that my roommate, Bailey Hunter of Dark Recesses Press, had not yet arrived. I figured that we would catch up sooner or later and headed off to registration to get checked in.

WHC 2008 Chair, Charlie Harmon, was at registration making sure everything was running smoothly. Charlie did a fantastic job of pulling things together and her team of volunteers were friendly and helpful, every step of the way. I had the pleasure of coordinating the readings again this year. And while I didn't get to do as much hostessing as I would've liked, I received many compliments on the line-up. The readers and audience seemed to be very happy overall and I couldn't ask for anything more.

When I wasn't in the reading room, I could often be found in the dealers' room tempting patrons with the fictional wares of Dark Arts Books. We were lucky to have several of our authors in attendance. John Everson, Bill Breedlove and Mort Castle from Candy in the Dumpster. Jeff Strand and Adam Pepper from Waiting for October. Loren Rhoads and Maria Alexander from Sins of the Sirens. And last but not least, Cullen Bunn from our latest collection, Like A Chinese Tattoo.

I was also a panelist on the Persephone: Male or Female? Gameshow. The point of this panel was to discuss gender bias in dark fiction. For some reason, there are people out there who don't think women can write horror. Each of the panelists brought a couple of selections from their favorite authors. After reading the passages, our contestants, Gary Braunbeck and Mike Myers, had to guess if they thought the author of the passage was male or female. Gary made the assertion that female writers tend to focus on the internal thoughts of the character while male writers tend to focus externally. I was able to stump Gary with a selection from Jack Ketchum's short story, "Closing Time." I will admit that the first time I read the scene in question, I actually remember thinking "I can't believe a man wrote this." So I guess gender bias works the other way, too.

I attended a lunch meeting with agent, Kristen Nelson and learned a lot about current trends in the marketplace. I was also fortunate enough to have a pitch session with Kristen where I also got some great feedback on some of the projects that I am currently working on.

The Stoker Banquet was held on Saturday night and followed by the 1st (and hopefully not last) annual Dark Arts Books Pajama Party. I had the pleasure of chatting with many fine authors while serving as one of the bartenders.

The next thing I knew, Sunday arrived and it was time to head home. Every year, I tell myself that I am not flying back early on Sunday and every year the flight schedule just works out that way. I hope I can get a late flight back from Winnipeg next year...LOL!