This weekend I will be signing copies of Hell in the Heartland, The Book of Dead Things and Tales From The Red Lion in the Peoria/Pekin, IL area.

Here's the schedule:

Saturday, June 7th

11am -1pm - Illinois Prairie Booksellers, Pekin, IL
3pm - 5pm - I Know You Like A Book, Peoria Heights, IL

Sunday, June 8th

11am - 1pm Borders at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie, Peoria, IL

Also signing at these events are: Wayne Allen Sallee, Larry Santoro, Roger Dale Trexler, Joshua Doetsch and Sylvia Shultz. If you're in the area, stop in and see us.

I will also be reading at Twilight Tales on Monday, June 30th at 7:30pm. Check the Twilight Tales website for updated schedule information.

Tonight - 2/11/08

I'll be reading a steamy story at Twilight Tales Red Light Night. Other authors scheduled to appear include: John Everson, Larry Santoro, Michael Penkas and the always delightful Sukie de la Croix. Show starts at 7:30pm at The Mix on Halsted (just north of Diversey.)

Thursday - 2/21/08

I'll be reading at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square (4736 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago) with some of my fellow authors from Tales from the Red Lion and The Book of Dead Things. The readings start at 7pm.

WHC 2008 - 3/27-3/30/08

I'm coordinating the reading series at WHC this year and will be selling books for my friends at Dark Arts Books, too.

Last night, Twilight Tales celebrated their 14th Anniversary at one of my favorite haunts, The Red Lion Pub. The evening was bittersweet because Twilight Tales has met there every Monday night virtually since its inception. The bar is being torn down, rebuilt and will be closed for the next year or so. So I had to say goodbye to a place I love, a place where I have learned more and grown more as a writer than I ever thought possible.

I have often said that I would not be a published author had I not met Joe Konrath. Joe challenged me to change my views about what a writing career is and over the years has taught me so much about the craft and business of writing. He also introduced me to Twilight Tales. So it was only fitting that we should be sitting out in the beer garden last night, talking about how to solve plot problems over a Guiness.

The Red Lion Pub will always hold a special place in my heart. I hope that the new improved version retains much of the old English charm. Goodbye, for now...but not forever.

The first time I heard Marcus Sakey read at Twilight Tales, I knew that it wouldn't be long before his fiction would be prominently displayed on the shelves of bookstores everywhere. His characters were memorable, the plots were intriguing, and every time he left me wanting more. I was happy to hear of his two-book deal with St. Martin's Press. I even cried when I saw his book on the shelf at Barnes & Noble (not out of jealousy that I didn't have my own two-book deal, but because Marcus is a damn nice guy and it's nice to see good things happen to good people.)

Anyway, enough chatter about the man. Let's get down to the story...

THE BLADE ITSELF is the story of Danny Carter, a former criminal, who has worked hard to overcome his past and build a good life for himself. His new life is threatened when his former best friend, Evan, is released from prison and resurfaces in Danny's world. How far will Danny go to protect his future from his past?

I don't like book reviews where the reviewer tells the reader the plot of the book, so my commentary is bound to be vague. I enjoyed the story on many levels. The characters felt very real to me and I cared from the outset about what would ultimately happen to Danny. The pacing was tight. I read the book in the course of an evening and didn't want to put it down until I hit "THE END." I may have lost a couple of hours of sleep that evening but it was worth it. There is one point (a legal question I had about the set of circumstances that the book opened with) that has been bugging me but since I can't find the answer to that question, I'll have to assume that Marcus was right and if that's the case then everything else plot-wise falls into place nicely. I like the way Marcus describes Chicago, everything from the setting to the dialogue rang true. Suffice it to say, that if you like David Morrell, you will probably like Marcus Sakey.

Marcus's second book, AT THE CITY'S EDGE, is due to be released early next year. For more information, check out his website at www.marcussakey.com or for some entertaining reading check out the blog he participates in at http://theoutfitcollective.blogspot.com/

Two of my short stories will be published in upcoming anthologies from Twilight Tales.

"The Mummy Lost Her Sarcophagus Where A Mother Found Her Soul" will appear in the expanded edition of The Book of Dead Things.

"A Penny For Your Thongs" will appear in the expanded edition of Tales From The Red Lion.

Both books should be available in early June 2007.

More information (including pre-orders) can be found at www.twilighttales.com.