tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77138333306863724702024-03-07T01:13:27.141-08:00Small CrimesDark and, at times, amusing fiction from Dave ZeltsermanDave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.comBlogger928125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-54785397958366312502024-02-21T04:52:00.000-08:002024-02-21T04:52:55.934-08:00More Julius Katz and Archie On sale now!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1FXzikmfmsCLm6lCsdfE8sSUbVFxw2X-xfQGhSZvPv4QgoGnN6hw0cdApBqsYCZbONcahWIZY7x0EtsPSwB1nm-pcqxnGoUrAwVOOJDlOzZZWF0Vlga9EX2kZe2gzDMbza9WrKKKwPoOIpHl_qGh79Utpvh3ek8trVpuLLbdcm2E28gu5Pmi5W1yyXYv/s2397/More%20Julius%20Katz%20and%20Archie%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2397" data-original-width="1501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1FXzikmfmsCLm6lCsdfE8sSUbVFxw2X-xfQGhSZvPv4QgoGnN6hw0cdApBqsYCZbONcahWIZY7x0EtsPSwB1nm-pcqxnGoUrAwVOOJDlOzZZWF0Vlga9EX2kZe2gzDMbza9WrKKKwPoOIpHl_qGh79Utpvh3ek8trVpuLLbdcm2E28gu5Pmi5W1yyXYv/w250-h400/More%20Julius%20Katz%20and%20Archie%20cover.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"The puzzles are clever, and Zeltserman plays fair with readers. Stout devotees will be delighted with this loving homage." Publishers Weekly (starred review)</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093RWX7YW/">On sale now for $2.99!</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-25429676767519454752024-02-10T07:34:00.000-08:002024-02-10T07:34:25.155-08:00Jury Box review of Detectives and Spies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7q2qSuiTG2EDxEHEWql4f6s_juWOJsH4bOTu21Pt-ARy1L3uzheX3sEQ5Hs_3KZdH1xK7KP20gcKlhDsLUKr-sloFtHY4uVJIOcX-08mzG3zFS32BB4ttKoi_jxVeefDBNMkren2j6aL61kZkpqKjMhX5av4gdwQjHFV_NBuYAu0Khfe84BRdip-u9yZo/s2401/DetectivesAndSpies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2401" data-original-width="1501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7q2qSuiTG2EDxEHEWql4f6s_juWOJsH4bOTu21Pt-ARy1L3uzheX3sEQ5Hs_3KZdH1xK7KP20gcKlhDsLUKr-sloFtHY4uVJIOcX-08mzG3zFS32BB4ttKoi_jxVeefDBNMkren2j6aL61kZkpqKjMhX5av4gdwQjHFV_NBuYAu0Khfe84BRdip-u9yZo/w250-h400/DetectivesAndSpies.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>In the March/April issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Steven Steinbock offers the following review of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Detectives-Spies-Julius-Katz-Detective-ebook/dp/B0CL3R5L12">Detectives and Spies</a> in his Jury Box column: <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Zeltserman, who has garnered multiple EQMM Readers Awards as well as the Derringer and Shamus awards, has brought together nine stories, the first four featuring an artificial-intelligence device called Archie Smith, followed by three stories about former L.A. cop Morris Brick and two hardboiled crime stories featuring Hell’s only private eye, Mike Stone. Most of the stories first appeared in EQMM or in its sister publication </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. My favorites are the stories about Archie, especially relevant with AI constantly in the news. Archie, a “highly-sophisticated neuron network,” serves as Watson to private eye Julius Katz in the first two stories, then is passed on to Katz’s sister, international spy Julia Katz, for the next two. Reading these tales is like playing a lively game of Clue, except with more colorful characters and an AI at your side.</span><p></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-22381225091652170912023-12-12T05:11:00.000-08:002023-12-12T05:11:24.841-08:00Detectives and Spies available now!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FvtF86qKLEekxpIi0izQZ4qMBbJRGTpJKTVFGXW6RWFlycG0-4oflSDEwGpc8fH-atvUmOpf67HlzI7_07KrvrDPsWTLUT-XEHKlNonjpzT9Y1MviFJSkFRbjmqF-YXf_b0jAMvee_xhzV64Vq5UvsHWfgRuaVogzbWRuTbG-U4t1v7POBiR1Bf2BAEg/s2401/DetectivesAndSpies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2401" data-original-width="1501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FvtF86qKLEekxpIi0izQZ4qMBbJRGTpJKTVFGXW6RWFlycG0-4oflSDEwGpc8fH-atvUmOpf67HlzI7_07KrvrDPsWTLUT-XEHKlNonjpzT9Y1MviFJSkFRbjmqF-YXf_b0jAMvee_xhzV64Vq5UvsHWfgRuaVogzbWRuTbG-U4t1v7POBiR1Bf2BAEg/w250-h400/DetectivesAndSpies.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Detectives-Spies-Julius-Katz-Detective-ebook/dp/B0CL3R5L12">Kindle </a>and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Detectives-Spies-Julius-Katz-Detective/dp/B0CL4PFD8S">paperback </a>editions of my latest collection are available now! Also, look for my new Steve Heller & Joe "Red" Sullivan story in the Jan/Feb issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, out now.<p></p><p><br /></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-55437772930680611832023-12-05T19:01:00.000-08:002023-12-05T19:01:16.781-08:00New mystery collection featuring stories with Julius Katz + Morris Brick + Mike Stone<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wJZt45YLGiaVyFAcIRnxYxnON_43Av0RYf_WBXvYWKSqHlz6ZTDub55QAtSiLrz-BvRzUsL6I5bn-k-mu8wX_7DFNT1MSu62dELil6pta5kYO8cRv0S6uxX9dcWEEhW1DKziYzccEeRFQ4dh_semSAIp73MRtrOpQ36BOiDOd9HA3F5DWUGUTTA2Xa2w/s2401/DetectivesAndSpies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2401" data-original-width="1501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wJZt45YLGiaVyFAcIRnxYxnON_43Av0RYf_WBXvYWKSqHlz6ZTDub55QAtSiLrz-BvRzUsL6I5bn-k-mu8wX_7DFNT1MSu62dELil6pta5kYO8cRv0S6uxX9dcWEEhW1DKziYzccEeRFQ4dh_semSAIp73MRtrOpQ36BOiDOd9HA3F5DWUGUTTA2Xa2w/w250-h400/DetectivesAndSpies.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THREE
sections. Four different types of mystery and crime stories.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whether it’s the brilliant Boston detective Julius Katz, or
his sister Julia, the first three stories in the KATZ section are traditional
mysteries. A crime has been committed, the potential suspects are questioned,
and the guilty party is exposed. While the fourth story in the KATZ section, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Archie’s Been Stolen!</i>, has the same
style, tone and humor as all the other Julius Katz and Archie stories, it’s a
caper. There’s no mystery to solve, only a heist of sorts to commit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The three stories in the BRICK section are crime thrillers
featuring investigator Morris Brick, his bull terrier Parker, and the rest of
the MBI team. These stories and the five Morris Brick novels that I wrote under
the Jacob Stone pseudonym for Kensington have similar humor and style, are
fast-paced, and are populated by hardened criminals and mobsters. Where they
differ is the novels have very bad people committing horrific acts while the
stories are lighter. While there’s plenty of danger in these stories,
ultimately no one gets badly hurt. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The two stories in the STONE section features Hell’s only
operating private eye, Mike Stone, from my novel Everybody Lies in Hell. Even
with the unique setting and the fantastic elements, such as souls being
tormented by demons and demonic racing horses that bite the heads off of
jockeys, these are hardboiled PI stories. These stories are about stripping
away the self-deceptions and lies we tell ourselves to expose the ugly truths
underneath, and there’s not much more hardboiled than that!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So given that these are all mystery and crime stories, why
the title <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Detectives and Spies</i>? While
all the stories have either detectives or spies acting as detectives, three of
the stories are a merging of the mystery and spy genres.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Detectives-Spies-Julius-Katz-Detective-ebook/dp/B0CL3R5L12">Kindle </a>and paperback editions of Detective and Spies will be available in one week!</p><p><br /></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-25830653472529548242023-11-18T09:34:00.000-08:002023-11-18T09:34:50.564-08:00My Julius Katz paperback collection<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSBMKf_6sVoD4NRZvdNKY4fVoXvxH6MQ3qgKslOJA-HAXK-Z51hCcI3aHbwRqf5-kkwKBBWj97oxvSNgTb1u6uuZpgAM1lTp1F-pbbREZtFCiJXYT0Sq3Q4nSTRSU2r5GJnaGkk2sZyyHbqpg2g1mYGwTrvS7Rio-bJzzwwsnCEAAVy-EFdBvGUvYd7l5/s4032/Julius%20Katz%20Paperback%20Collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuSBMKf_6sVoD4NRZvdNKY4fVoXvxH6MQ3qgKslOJA-HAXK-Z51hCcI3aHbwRqf5-kkwKBBWj97oxvSNgTb1u6uuZpgAM1lTp1F-pbbREZtFCiJXYT0Sq3Q4nSTRSU2r5GJnaGkk2sZyyHbqpg2g1mYGwTrvS7Rio-bJzzwwsnCEAAVy-EFdBvGUvYd7l5/w300-h400/Julius%20Katz%20Paperback%20Collection.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>With 'Detective and Spies' coming out Dec. 12th, I gave a hard look at the paperback versions of my other Julius Katz books and ended up redoing 'Julius Katz and Archie' and 'More Julius Katz and Archie.' The change to 'More Julius Katz and Archie' was simply changing the font to Garamond 12-pt, which I'm using for all of these books, and which I decided is (for me) the ideal font for a book. Along with changing the font for 'Julius Katz and Archie', I also changed the size of the paperback from 6in x 9 in, to 5 in by 8 in, which I think is a much more attractive size. I also a cover designed as opposed to using Amazon's cover creator for the original paperback. The new paperback design:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0a6KyosUHtsqTKzqlHGPKYh3Npykb6F6vYlKaz9BHobDkyg_vd2dn6bN8UjAn5yWyFp99VgXs86cBboQqg4oM_NVHzR1ojBvOShaE1l_V9RofuLWGBCPJZXUPZdp0udw4zfXF7NE42U4OVbo02ni_OKIWteE-U6fnx9som4-3VJUzjAuzkBExP-flf1bn/s3283/Julius%20Katz%20and%20Archie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="3283" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0a6KyosUHtsqTKzqlHGPKYh3Npykb6F6vYlKaz9BHobDkyg_vd2dn6bN8UjAn5yWyFp99VgXs86cBboQqg4oM_NVHzR1ojBvOShaE1l_V9RofuLWGBCPJZXUPZdp0udw4zfXF7NE42U4OVbo02ni_OKIWteE-U6fnx9som4-3VJUzjAuzkBExP-flf1bn/w400-h301/Julius%20Katz%20and%20Archie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This new version will be available for purchase on Dec. 1st. With these changes, I now have a set of paperbacks that Julius Katz fans will be proud to put on their shelves, and will have (in my opinion) the perfect font and size for reading.<div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-12486712253151707162023-11-14T18:07:00.000-08:002023-11-14T18:07:39.317-08:00Coming Dec. 12th -- Detectives and Spies<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yl9z16Q1XP2L62CgvKclxZiOwyuC5yts2G-sIPzbdC9LSgm82iBkSQQ0e5Stqoy1vGTJkrbtWIfrOLywiEUvSR-WHTGSx3LzrKsfNnSefXPCoGZhnNLzZis2vjtSfiZtPvrf_aRlp015AYN7Gy7WlIn2VU8HDL2WMKRK9fU8Qnjr-E-QupjRE3xaYCwT/s2401/DetectivesAndSpies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2401" data-original-width="1501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yl9z16Q1XP2L62CgvKclxZiOwyuC5yts2G-sIPzbdC9LSgm82iBkSQQ0e5Stqoy1vGTJkrbtWIfrOLywiEUvSR-WHTGSx3LzrKsfNnSefXPCoGZhnNLzZis2vjtSfiZtPvrf_aRlp015AYN7Gy7WlIn2VU8HDL2WMKRK9fU8Qnjr-E-QupjRE3xaYCwT/w250-h400/DetectivesAndSpies.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Katz. Brick. Stone. Traditional mysteries. Crime thrillers. Hardboiled PI. The Katz section has 4 stories, including a new novella, "Julius Katz and the Ruined Roast." The Brick section has 3 stories, including the new story "James & Bond." The Stone section has two PI in Hell stories starring my PI from Everybody Lies in Hell.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Detectives-Spies-Julius-Katz-Detective-ebook/dp/B0CL3R5L12">Detectives and Spies</a> will be available as a kindle ebook and paperback on Dec 12th. </p><p><br /></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-42785871774816181032023-11-11T07:41:00.001-08:002023-11-11T07:41:17.157-08:00My horror+crime novel Blood Crimes on sale for $0.99<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbq44JUqoNjLXYaz7iXbCuNzYpPPjOiCHPWpJ0crSRCLwR5g2i9-I1_5iDtlRZeTYvERTESPJmNmLKM-OPBcsLRTQl0xHpwGFCw4UexCnluJBBXdJriHEhxqhUs4Qp0z-wnh2i3HxldluE2kad6vzUusngsi87Tfg4m3FMh6yLtNakg-7oa-Lio7g2PqRh/s800/Blood-Crimes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="519" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbq44JUqoNjLXYaz7iXbCuNzYpPPjOiCHPWpJ0crSRCLwR5g2i9-I1_5iDtlRZeTYvERTESPJmNmLKM-OPBcsLRTQl0xHpwGFCw4UexCnluJBBXdJriHEhxqhUs4Qp0z-wnh2i3HxldluE2kad6vzUusngsi87Tfg4m3FMh6yLtNakg-7oa-Lio7g2PqRh/w260-h400/Blood-Crimes.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />Blood Crimes is a genre-bending collision of dark urban fantasy and crime that rides shot-gun with Jim and Carol as they carve a homicidal path cross-country. Jim is infected with the vampire virus. Carol isn't. Yet. But they're united in their hunt for society’s most dangerous predators for Jim's dinner -- so he can feed without harming the innocent. What they don't know is that they're not alone. There are others on their trail, and the climax of Blood Crimes is a shocking jolt of pure mayhem and rock 'n roll violence.<p></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Crimes-Book-One-ebook/dp/B004HO5J56/">On sale now for $0.99</a>.</p><p><br /></p><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-24576018427094510222023-10-08T11:46:00.002-07:002023-10-08T11:46:45.072-07:00For this Halloween season<p>I might be better known for my crime and mystery fiction, but I've also written a few horror novels should provide the necessary chills and atmosphere for this upcoming Halloween season:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKoTe1u6ExT-tgaZAYzMLMwc8xnWCNJdEXFxYBSpOoVzc3RwUXgUU5a3WkWd-5-sIIwmf8xaEnup0bRKO26Mxx6Zkg9lswO1YFB6k3bqjO41OQZmESjMM6vNmyY_1ZYv7B7NwwW5hBxDpdHo1mLOhWncvkrrrsQQ2aDJrceiRktWSJ4tFwdKtRmaxWWsR/s2700/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKoTe1u6ExT-tgaZAYzMLMwc8xnWCNJdEXFxYBSpOoVzc3RwUXgUU5a3WkWd-5-sIIwmf8xaEnup0bRKO26Mxx6Zkg9lswO1YFB6k3bqjO41OQZmESjMM6vNmyY_1ZYv7B7NwwW5hBxDpdHo1mLOhWncvkrrrsQQ2aDJrceiRktWSJ4tFwdKtRmaxWWsR/w266-h400/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">"Classic pulp, noir, and horror--think James N. Cain and Bukowski and Palahniuk--are all ground up in a blender and the result is a nasty, wild, and ultimately redemptive novel that only Dave Zeltserman could write." </span><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">Paul Tremblay</span></div><div><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ_FuXDZA4ltvjjCzAtQ8ustY6QiFek_DTtN7353uF2ZUZbvIvG9pxo8naKwgASWl7rIQVOVuBGdKshv563edX38WTsuzHI60ON9oBvY8H0Or15yrEu12cQl1Zkeuj_m7D3glu0Dk9Pn3KwjBd7zuJ3x3X6x8vslMX1ZJgaWTB4HaLfdwpCqjULe3C9Fz/s2495/Caretaker%20of%20Lorne%20Field.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2495" data-original-width="1620" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZ_FuXDZA4ltvjjCzAtQ8ustY6QiFek_DTtN7353uF2ZUZbvIvG9pxo8naKwgASWl7rIQVOVuBGdKshv563edX38WTsuzHI60ON9oBvY8H0Or15yrEu12cQl1Zkeuj_m7D3glu0Dk9Pn3KwjBd7zuJ3x3X6x8vslMX1ZJgaWTB4HaLfdwpCqjULe3C9Fz/w260-h400/Caretaker%20of%20Lorne%20Field.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">"A superb mix of humor and horror...Zeltserman orchestrates events perfectly...Readers will keep turning pages to see how the ambiguous plot resolves." </span>-- <b>Publishers Weekly (starred review)</b></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGW_nUhgK2zKmblVZcinG8RvmHW0mqVD7pLLR6Tz01Nz4YuRgEI065_YIvJF7MYvxB_KI1xPR2deTXQMCcrkHTScB3tlM9jD53EymaqOqRcybv-6zbZpHEMS7F9zXFD25LTBLB5j_V7Q9EEr-Lz1aUSWQFMtZYS20pmU8jIH0J_2yx4BDDGAX8mC46qcL/s2400/Monster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1613" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGW_nUhgK2zKmblVZcinG8RvmHW0mqVD7pLLR6Tz01Nz4YuRgEI065_YIvJF7MYvxB_KI1xPR2deTXQMCcrkHTScB3tlM9jD53EymaqOqRcybv-6zbZpHEMS7F9zXFD25LTBLB5j_V7Q9EEr-Lz1aUSWQFMtZYS20pmU8jIH0J_2yx4BDDGAX8mC46qcL/w269-h400/Monster.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">"Zeltserman's monster is every bit as eloquent as Shelley's, though his rage is more focused. This is juicy material for Franken-fans, and Zeltserman is just faithful enough to the original that his many fresh contributions feel entirely normal. Well, </span><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">abnormal</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">, to be accurate, but deliciously so." </span><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">Daniel Kraus</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">, <b>Booklist </b></span><span class="a-text-bold" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">(*Starred Review*)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT84u7wuKOdQnF8w1pGJBDoTBfaREBct2Nx-sTkTsVf_J53dmqmGsmuaiAEk-fI6jpuFZf7ThoacBdYzJCdWtUPAlCVY7YnPXRDI5m0K6HNl0OItn_-BBet5JUzPN9QlpD-s5Z1tk0Vzi2uRJlq-Br0vWkb_b3Fij4AbNiPJcpKZN1DK8GNUDpkmHA5PSJ/s2622/Husk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2622" data-original-width="1682" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT84u7wuKOdQnF8w1pGJBDoTBfaREBct2Nx-sTkTsVf_J53dmqmGsmuaiAEk-fI6jpuFZf7ThoacBdYzJCdWtUPAlCVY7YnPXRDI5m0K6HNl0OItn_-BBet5JUzPN9QlpD-s5Z1tk0Vzi2uRJlq-Br0vWkb_b3Fij4AbNiPJcpKZN1DK8GNUDpkmHA5PSJ/w256-h400/Husk.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">"The story is at once tender, brutal, fantastic, and vibrantly real. A unique and splendid novel"</span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"> ― </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;">Booklist Starred Review</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXLSk_F2KM1TGYnUisuq7SD5bcCX_cEskNx1tJdcQGgptJK09QrPdR25s_-qfpTZceBD-PG-fRS-XBc_uBHXl-EntlMDvU2cL7nkh6yhJx2WpHBYjWjxSt41GEsImA72FnMKV8hHvmyWIpM2lThqHBs4hbNOhJmRfc5WmV8kLOKweyWkwDE7EzEMxK_pc/s10988/BoyKilledDemonsHC_Mech_FinalRev.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="10988" data-original-width="7440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXLSk_F2KM1TGYnUisuq7SD5bcCX_cEskNx1tJdcQGgptJK09QrPdR25s_-qfpTZceBD-PG-fRS-XBc_uBHXl-EntlMDvU2cL7nkh6yhJx2WpHBYjWjxSt41GEsImA72FnMKV8hHvmyWIpM2lThqHBs4hbNOhJmRfc5WmV8kLOKweyWkwDE7EzEMxK_pc/w271-h400/BoyKilledDemonsHC_Mech_FinalRev.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">"The sympathy that Zeltserman invokes on behalf of Henry is heartbreaking, and readers will fully believe in both the madness and the greatness of his tragic young hero." -- <b>Publishers Weekly (starred review)</b></span><br /><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeEuBdmfRZ0sA5B4Hrey0urdcsGYEKBrxSWHms1welqr77yxJddu4fT5tW9fuubutW_9fQFtPhkypi5bHhRbooX_yrD8HuuTpJsXqIVlqgZt-0udirER1BPwClEMFDUqSEeIQs6X5HU9I6NTxrAIwtEfCqjGvAHgwwrGlxYC1VBPJnIhlAMO-XetZgY_r/s800/Blood-Crimes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="519" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeEuBdmfRZ0sA5B4Hrey0urdcsGYEKBrxSWHms1welqr77yxJddu4fT5tW9fuubutW_9fQFtPhkypi5bHhRbooX_yrD8HuuTpJsXqIVlqgZt-0udirER1BPwClEMFDUqSEeIQs6X5HU9I6NTxrAIwtEfCqjGvAHgwwrGlxYC1VBPJnIhlAMO-XetZgY_r/w260-h400/Blood-Crimes.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="auto-style10" style="font-family: Georgia; font-style: italic;">"Dave, has managed to meld the two genres of crime and horror into one hell of a ride, PI's, crime lords, drug gangs, sultry babes and more low life scum than you can count all collide with explosive results in this genre bending masterpiece. If you like crime buy this book, if you like horror buy this book, if you like well written books, buy this book."</span><span class="auto-style9" style="font-family: Georgia;"> <strong>Jim Mcleod, Ginger Nuts of Horror</strong></span></span><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFU5NDkdRPutw2axE2gywSdUarsOMc0UC6OOK-vBYkCtyGQsUFhg65r1lmnQdmK0Tj3Cdhz1oRQan5W5bRhIVT4gjrF0MbVvviysOzw1Ja5RMeWIy3kVCy-E2xRZHX5Ndfa6vj5BGPR4VgSa6IJfPVw5UNLNuMp_LLopCNd1hgIRDcWjFcaN_8RnPRWRW/s900/Bad%20Thoughts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="582" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFU5NDkdRPutw2axE2gywSdUarsOMc0UC6OOK-vBYkCtyGQsUFhg65r1lmnQdmK0Tj3Cdhz1oRQan5W5bRhIVT4gjrF0MbVvviysOzw1Ja5RMeWIy3kVCy-E2xRZHX5Ndfa6vj5BGPR4VgSa6IJfPVw5UNLNuMp_LLopCNd1hgIRDcWjFcaN_8RnPRWRW/s320/Bad%20Thoughts.jpg" width="207" /></a></div></span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">"This fast-paced, gritty psychological tale balances the fine line between mystery and horror" Library Journal</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span><div><br /></div></div></div>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-56031060106395787842023-09-07T04:59:00.004-07:002023-09-07T04:59:53.575-07:00Hell on Sale!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXFUPg-TBciRWZyjEa-Ls_UrswUNFSo6Jj0Op6X-gKgAFq99szO1Wis051kUw5zVqG__Ul5-mw4wWHzs2z_Jw8sxyX1LVACAo_-NlBWLmMf2NGjoUeDOpob0NhyM5bTBF4uUL5__1H5JmCEad3CzHtwkiV9ElPe45wmvocKDDgRlxjbcchekI7auu1JjI/s2700/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXFUPg-TBciRWZyjEa-Ls_UrswUNFSo6Jj0Op6X-gKgAFq99szO1Wis051kUw5zVqG__Ul5-mw4wWHzs2z_Jw8sxyX1LVACAo_-NlBWLmMf2NGjoUeDOpob0NhyM5bTBF4uUL5__1H5JmCEad3CzHtwkiV9ElPe45wmvocKDDgRlxjbcchekI7auu1JjI/w266-h400/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>On sale for next <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Lies-Hell-Dave-Zeltserman-ebook/dp/B0C6HBXQLR/">2 days for $0.99!</a></p><p><br /></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-2825369278180491902023-09-03T12:57:00.005-07:002023-09-03T12:57:52.478-07:00Another Everybody Lies in Hell excerpt<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzYjEwZzFwDpDN7JHjbnxtcNtT3SdXQ1QfiirlPlKFTxsxsOjEmzEIMC_G9FgD781xMglJC6UmOdlzLziKUn8rnNadgwDCl9nV6uaiFmbObkg7S2paZu6DKs0FdzZXrqmO_YnAYEWRonxJ9ezRyEux93khi_XJsEV2jCchD8ODYkN4bo60Jf4Ww53-Xqk/s2700/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzYjEwZzFwDpDN7JHjbnxtcNtT3SdXQ1QfiirlPlKFTxsxsOjEmzEIMC_G9FgD781xMglJC6UmOdlzLziKUn8rnNadgwDCl9nV6uaiFmbObkg7S2paZu6DKs0FdzZXrqmO_YnAYEWRonxJ9ezRyEux93khi_XJsEV2jCchD8ODYkN4bo60Jf4Ww53-Xqk/w266-h400/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">One
of my squatters who acted as a cabdriver and went by the name of Edwin usually
kept his yellow cab at the corner of Pierrepont and Hicks. All I could do was
hope he was there now. As I ran thunder exploded beside me as if bombs were
being tossed at me, but what was coming my way was a hell of a lot deadlier and
scarier than any bomb.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
didn’t look back as I ran. I knew I’d see more of Brooklyn melting away and
being replaced by a desolate mountain terrain, and in the middle of all this Al
Zaoud and his horde of murderous cutthroats would be riding their demon
stallions at full gallop. In my mind’s eye I could imagine those horses’ eyes
shining bloodred and froth pouring from their mouths and steam blowing out of
their flaring nostrils. I knew they still had to be a half mile or more away,
but I couldn’t shake this sensation of them being directly behind me. I could almost
feel on the back of my neck the pungent steam that they’d be exhaling; a steam
that would smell no different than burning sulfur.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
wanted to kiss Edwin full on the lips when I saw him sitting in his cab where I
hoped it would be, and given that he resembled a bloated bullfrog with a really
bad complexion, that was saying something. I jumped in the back of his cab and
told him to start driving. “Go over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan and head
uptown towards the Bronx,” I ordered him breathlessly. “And there’s an extra
fifty for you if you ignore the speed limits.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Unusual
weather we’re having,” he stammered out dumbly, his reflection in the rearview
mirror showing a dead fish paleness to his face, his eyes wide open but with
little life in them. Squatters have a defense mechanism where they go catatonic
whenever they’re confronted with the fact that the reality they’ve adopted
isn’t real. He was close to shutting down, but I didn’t have time to pull him
out of the driver’s seat and take his place. I looked behind me and could see
that the Brooklyn landscape was erasing quickly. Al Zaoud and his horde were
close enough now that I could make out the severed heads tied to their horses’
manes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“If
you don’t start driving now I’ll put a bullet in the back of your skull,” I
yelled at Edwin. “I swear to God I will!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> “Jesus, what’s the rush?” he muttered half
under his breath. Even if he looked directly at Al Zaoud and his murderous
horde he wouldn’t acknowledge their existence. But he pulled away from the curb
and headed toward the bridge and away from Al Zaoud. He wasn’t going nearly
fast enough but at least he was moving. I reached over the back of his seat and
pinched the top of his right ear and gave it a hard twist.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Ow!”
he cried.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Give
it more gas or I’ll bloody rip your ear off!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">He
gave it more gas and the tires squealed. Al Zaoud was still gaining on us as
more of my Brooklyn faded from sight, but at least we were moving now at a more
reasonable speed. At least we had a chance. If Al Zaoud’s reality causes a
ravine or mountain to materialize in his path, that would slow the bastard down
enough where I might be able to escape him. Still, though, the buffer between
us was disappearing quickly, and if something didn’t change it would only be a
matter of seconds before I’d be pulled into his godforsaken reality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“You
better damn well floor it! And if you as much as touch the brakes I’ll fucking
kill you!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Jesus,
Mike, what’s gotten into you?” Edwin cried, but the taxi leapt forward as he
pushed down on the gas pedal. The car did a little side-to-side jig as he
almost crashed up, but he got it back under control and had it speeding over
the bridge. We were maybe three quarters over it when the other end of the
bridge faded away, replaced by Al Zaoud’s hellish world. I watched as one of
the zombies jumped from the middle of the bridge but never made it into the
East River as he disappeared beneath the rocky terrain that replaced my reality.
I guess given a choice of being drowned in the river or crushed under tons of
rock and soil there wouldn’t be much of a difference as far as that zombie was
concerned<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Edwin
had the cab shaking again as he almost lost control for a second time. “I’m gonna
crash up with the way you’re making me drive,” he cried out.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Don’t
you dare slow down!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">He
didn’t slow down, but he started blubbering. “The cops are going to throw me in
jail and take away my hack license. I don’t know what I’ll do without my hack
license. Jesus, Mike, you’re killing me here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I
laughed at that. A nervous, excitable, near hysterical laugh. It wasn’t me that
was going to be killing him. If Al Zaoud caught up to us, it would be that crazy
medieval warlord killing him for all eternity. And besides, my reality didn’t
have any squatters acting like cops, at least none that I’d ever seen, so he
had nothing to worry about on that front.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Let
me deal with any cops, you concentrate on getting us the hell out of here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="tab-stops: 270.75pt; text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“What’s
the rush? For Chrissakes, what’s the rush?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I didn’t bother answering him as he continued to
blubber away, but I did let out my breath when I saw that we caught a break. A
ravine appeared between us and Al Zaoud. It wasn’t steep enough to stop him for
long, but it would slow him down, maybe enough for me to escape him.</span></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-36093442750556035252023-08-25T09:40:00.001-07:002023-08-25T09:40:22.560-07:00The Interloper on sale!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSsL1LWgQv26UD6YfhNq6xfnWaObbAFjVUTFWjtAnVNh1fYwvTgUdyQkDBgxqNjQrPCg0K0kyKnz-dIxnoES8l9mbMBJF_nurtEaxDufBXglJ9UM10hi0ZgBr-11jZi5_vaYEJKEnX6p6rMlQcvQueH5cDxR8L4Ydjt8pNknK0LmMTslau5w9QOI7wQmY/s1000/The%20Interloper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSsL1LWgQv26UD6YfhNq6xfnWaObbAFjVUTFWjtAnVNh1fYwvTgUdyQkDBgxqNjQrPCg0K0kyKnz-dIxnoES8l9mbMBJF_nurtEaxDufBXglJ9UM10hi0ZgBr-11jZi5_vaYEJKEnX6p6rMlQcvQueH5cDxR8L4Ydjt8pNknK0LmMTslau5w9QOI7wQmY/w250-h400/The%20Interloper.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">"action-packed, darkly witty thriller" Publishers Weekly</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">My crime/conspiracy thriller, The Interloper, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Interloper-Gripping-Crime-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00JU4H93I">is on sale for $0.99</a> for the next 2 days.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-89485966326758456392023-08-12T06:32:00.001-07:002023-08-12T06:32:59.031-07:00Everybody Lies in Hell excerpt<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To celebrate Everybody Lies in Hell now being available as a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Lies-Hell-Dave-Zeltserman-ebook/dp/B0C6HBXQLR/">Kindle ebook</a>, here's an early excerpt from the book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gRCKnWT3nsgmCuOgSq3Q8QQ0RR1NPsL1Cty25ep7hdjUdnhAG5Bn0vgDPjCnpRur7j2lFzTAfT7wDGEvmQ8OR62H9UGpvAcSEZxkkWuIY072YWPau_iLe7mmFSl7i84w2TqDYXj9WZtp_ZDGLr-n5yCLLmexDyli_VxlmutCf5NwT2tFPP-nq2hEbDl6/s2700/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gRCKnWT3nsgmCuOgSq3Q8QQ0RR1NPsL1Cty25ep7hdjUdnhAG5Bn0vgDPjCnpRur7j2lFzTAfT7wDGEvmQ8OR62H9UGpvAcSEZxkkWuIY072YWPau_iLe7mmFSl7i84w2TqDYXj9WZtp_ZDGLr-n5yCLLmexDyli_VxlmutCf5NwT2tFPP-nq2hEbDl6/w266-h400/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.2in;">The split second
after I died I found myself standing on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, but
I knew I wasn’t really in Brooklyn. First off, I was murdered in Newark, New
Jersey, and I remembered my death vividly, but even without that I would’ve
known I wasn’t really in Brooklyn given how unnaturally quiet it was without another
single person in sight. And while Montague Street looked pretty much as I
remembered it, some of the buildings were wrong, and some of the stores lining
the street were from my childhood instead of the present day. I probably
couldn’t have articulated at that precise moment that I was in a version of
hell of my own making, but at some level I knew that was what had happened.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I started walking
west on Montague Street so I could see whether the Manhattan skyline was still
there, and it was, at least mostly as I remembered it. I’m sure some of the
buildings were wrong, but it still seemed very real to me even though I knew it
wasn’t. After I stood gaping at the skyline for what seemed like an eternity
but was probably only minutes, I headed south toward Coney Island. I don’t know
why exactly but I guess I wanted to see how much of my version of Brooklyn
existed. I knew many of the street signs I passed weren’t right—they were from
other neighborhoods, and some of them from other boroughs. And then there were
other street signs that were too blurry to make out. But none of that mattered,
because by then I knew where I really was. Still, though, I kept walking. At
one point, I stopped to look at my reflection in a storefront window and
realized that I was wearing a cheap suit and a fedora. When I was alive I never
wore a hat, and almost never wore suits, and certainly never the fifty-nine
dollar variety that I had on. At the time I was murdered I was wearing jeans,
tennis sneakers, a polo shirt, and a leather jacket, which was what I usually
wore when I worked my job as an investigator. Still, on seeing my reflection in
that window, the suit, scuffed up shoes, and hat seemed right<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I was somewhere
in Bay Ridge when this man who looked like he’d been dropped in from the eighteenth
century wandered into view. I was never much of a history buff, but that was the
way he looked given his blue satin waistcoat, frilly silk shirt, and
knee-length breeches, as well as his overall shaggy appearance. As he shuffled
toward me, he looked almost like he could’ve been an extra from a zombie movie,
although one set several hundred years in the past. His expression was a rictus
of fear, and there was only deadness in his eyes. I gave him a wide berth as he
ambled past me and watched as he staggered to the front of an eight-story
brick building. He stood transfixed for a long moment, and then all at once
started clawing at the brick wall and violently smashing his face against it,
and he did this quietly without ever uttering a sound.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I picked up my
pace after that trying to put some distance between us, and it was only seconds
later that I left Brooklyn and found myself someplace entirely different.
Instead of the Brooklyn streets where I’d been walking for hours, behind me now
were meadows and a mountain range that was of such lush greenness that it
seemed more like a painting than anything real. The sky that had been a grayish
white in my version of Brooklyn was now a deep blue, and the sun that had
earlier been missing behind New York smog and clouds was shining brightly
overhead. Off in the distance were groves of a tall and thin variety of pine
tree that I’d never seen before, as well as other types of trees, shrubs, and
plants that were foreign to me, and up ahead past rolling meadows was a
sparkling ocean made up of different shades of blues and aquamarines that were very
different from anything I’d ever seen of the Atlantic Ocean from Coney Island.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I trekked across
the meadows toward the ocean, and as I got closer I could see palm and coconut trees
along a crescent-shaped beach, and in the middle of this a person lying on a
lounge chair.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">I had to climb
down a steep incline of rocks to get to the beach, and as I did this, I could
see that the person was a woman wearing a floral-patterned beach cover-up, her
hair a perfect silver. There was an empty lounge chair next to her, and between
her chair and the other was a small drink stand on which sat a glass containing
a brownish-orange drink with a hibiscus flower floating in it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">She heard me
approaching and turned her head toward me. She was wearing sunglasses so I
couldn’t see her eyes, but her expression at first was one of disinterest. That
changed as she smiled thinly at me, and with a wave of her hand, invited me to
sit next to her. She looked ageless yet not young with perfect, unwrinkled skin
and a slender, attractive body. If it wasn’t for her well-coifed silver hair,
she could’ve passed for being in her thirties. After I settled into the lounge
chair next to her she held out a manicured slender hand and introduced herself
as Olivia Danville, her accent sounding as if she came from England and was
from money.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Mike Stone,” I
said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">When I took her
hand I expected to feel something cold and clammy. After all, we were both
dead. I was surprised to find how warm and dry her skin felt. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Where am I?” I
asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">That caused a
wan smile to form over her lips. “Where do you think you are, Mike?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’m guessing I
wandered from my version of hell into yours. Yours isn’t bad. We’re on a tropical
island in the Pacific?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Very good,
Mike. Yes, my reality, or hell, ended up being Kapalua, Maui. We’re on probably
the nicest beach on the island. Not the biggest by any stretch, but the prettiest.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">As I looked out
at the ocean I realized it wasn’t just the two of us out there. There were
others in the water. I could make out several bodies that were floating face
down before they sank, and only a minute later an elderly woman’s face popped
up out of a wave before she disappeared for good. Olivia must’ve noticed me
staring at these drowning people, but she didn’t comment about them. Instead
she asked me if I knew how I died.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Yeah,” I said.
“It would be hard to forget this soon. It only just happened.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“What do you
mean by that?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“It was only a
few hours ago that I was fatally shot, and then the next thing I knew I was in
Brooklyn wearing different clothes than what I had on when I died and without
my chest ripped open by a .45 slug. Except it wasn’t really Brooklyn, only a
version of it that I somehow created. And now I’m in your version of hell,
which lucky for you happens to be Hawaii.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">She shifted in
her chair to get a better look at me. I couldn’t see her eyes because of her sunglasses
but I knew she was staring at me intently. She shifted again in her chair so
that she was back to gazing out at the ocean.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Do you know
what you did to end up in hell?” she asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Yeah, I know
exactly why I’m here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We sat quietly
after that for several minutes. When she spoke next it was to ask me why I
thought I ended up in her version of hell. I told her it was probably because
her version was stronger than mine. “Somehow I got sucked into yours, although
I’m guessing if I walked back to where I came from I’d find myself again in
Brooklyn.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">She picked up
her drink and brushed the flower away from her mouth so she could take a sip.
She carefully placed the glass back on the stand. “Your level of awareness is
quite remarkable,” she said. “Out of the billions of souls here in hell only a
tiny percentage have any sense of awareness, and very few of those would know
what you already do this quickly after dying. Do you feel sick yet?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“I feel fine.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Incredible. You
should’ve been feeling quite ill by now.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Why is that?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“It’s what
happens when you’re pulled into a stronger reality, at least for the first few
times in that same reality.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A larger wave
than any of the others crashed onto the beach, and it washed a man’s crumpled body
onto the shore. The suit he wore was badly torn and he was covered in seaweed, and
from what I could tell it looked like the type of suit someone would’ve worn in
the early nineteen hundreds. His face was hidden from me, but from how
unnaturally bloated and white his hands and exposed skin looked I would’ve
guessed he’d been in the water for months, if not much longer. It probably
shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did when he pushed himself to his
knees and crawled back into the ocean, and he soon disappeared under another
wave.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Those souls out
there drowning,” I said. “What is it with them?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-indent: .2in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“You should be
able to explain that as well as I can.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-20822647772387879572023-08-02T15:31:00.003-07:002023-08-02T15:31:42.851-07:00Everybody Lies in Hell now available!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFrbWOQabJFfFzB-f5j86nQhNN-3wUs1pwjLIFm8wBJqlvhb5yjwaDaaUhU-9WvNy6aSe67gVYNAD5CXzSU-vnV_FhET5H2x4vg323E4Fjac-M3sABnjXKyyqyqgKB51Od691Ii8OQ39JGzl77GItM5XJQGt1uMO2Nu8M7y9GjBjLvg2YNHxNbeXZOBFj/s2700/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFrbWOQabJFfFzB-f5j86nQhNN-3wUs1pwjLIFm8wBJqlvhb5yjwaDaaUhU-9WvNy6aSe67gVYNAD5CXzSU-vnV_FhET5H2x4vg323E4Fjac-M3sABnjXKyyqyqgKB51Od691Ii8OQ39JGzl77GItM5XJQGt1uMO2Nu8M7y9GjBjLvg2YNHxNbeXZOBFj/w266-h400/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Everybody Lies in Hell is now available for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Lies-Hell-Dave-Zeltserman-ebook/dp/B0C6HBXQLR/">purchase</a>. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"In Everybody Lies in Hell Mike Stone's eternal damnation is a private detective's office in a re-imagined Brooklyn. In Hell, the beautiful woman with a case opens a literal Pandora's Box, and Stone is soon inundated by all-too-recognizable evils and lies of Hell's tortured souls, powerful ancient demons and devils, and haunting personal ones. Classic pulp, noir, and horror--think James N. Cain and Bukowski and Palahniuk--are all ground up in a blender and the result is a nasty, wild, and ultimately redemptive novel that only Dave Zeltserman could write." </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic !important;">Paul Tremblay</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-25682697745894305682023-07-28T18:02:00.001-07:002023-07-28T18:02:18.627-07:00New Release Date for Everybody Lies in Hell<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdey623jO3TBkGRjeu2zaZrxTbteHz1DjWb2Lf94U6Q2XyBHpCnrJgJyNkznvPtA9SHqDOoi3Cs-AEw31gcRlm9i8YhVxu-D8ekb7Jk_7XdZIl6faaRAcNkefDzkuR8RRbs5Wpy8_axW0DYGMNSXtWAwR-vQmSMpHHD7HxJ3CxJEmArpCN5j4mFF2V9l_Q/s2700/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdey623jO3TBkGRjeu2zaZrxTbteHz1DjWb2Lf94U6Q2XyBHpCnrJgJyNkznvPtA9SHqDOoi3Cs-AEw31gcRlm9i8YhVxu-D8ekb7Jk_7XdZIl6faaRAcNkefDzkuR8RRbs5Wpy8_axW0DYGMNSXtWAwR-vQmSMpHHD7HxJ3CxJEmArpCN5j4mFF2V9l_Q/w266-h400/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everybody-Lies-Hell-Dave-Zeltserman-ebook/dp/B0C6HBXQLR/">Kindle version of Everybody Lies in Hell</a> will now be available for purchase Aug. 2nd!</p><p><br /></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-4459340073992862002023-07-27T18:57:00.001-07:002023-07-27T18:57:30.773-07:00Once upon a time .... Outsourced<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKERaUVgwGDk1b_UhLLD2iH02w9l8ZVz8rv-wiLQW30R7SF-99HKKSTA_e4-IUeCidmcSmEimbp2I4H-DXD1CX2TZv4sbmaTgZMMmy_QCQZVZjjO0U9rFrL9HGbDq4ssrs6_Y3UA9pEmEu7Gn4uFIZMmXLtmDJcKUgIrMtdt7ip5YrZypsUc3vAbB9-olu/s2268/Outsourced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="1501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKERaUVgwGDk1b_UhLLD2iH02w9l8ZVz8rv-wiLQW30R7SF-99HKKSTA_e4-IUeCidmcSmEimbp2I4H-DXD1CX2TZv4sbmaTgZMMmy_QCQZVZjjO0U9rFrL9HGbDq4ssrs6_Y3UA9pEmEu7Gn4uFIZMmXLtmDJcKUgIrMtdt7ip5YrZypsUc3vAbB9-olu/w265-h400/Outsourced.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>What reviewers said about Outsourced:<p></p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">"Bodies mount up as the double dealing and revenge gather apace. The blurb on the book describes it as a "fast-paced, edge-of-your seat crime novel," and it really does live up to the hype. Add this to your holiday reading list for a piece of escapism." Morning Star<br /><br />"A small gem of crime fiction" Booklist<br /><br />"a dark gem of a story...a macabre delight to read" NPR<br /><br />"A dark, lightening-paced read" Financial Times<br /><br />"Zeltserman’s nifty bit of neo-noir is damned decent fun" DIG Boston<br /><br />"And here again, Zeltserman manages to tell a riveting story in the straightforward, personality-driven manner at which he’s so accomplished. There’s no purple in his prose even though he obviously has learned lessons of the genre from masters like Jim Thompson. His characters aren’t as hard-bitten, which perhaps is why it’s easier to identify with them." Boston Globe<br /><br />"Back in the “real” world, Dave Zeltserman’s Outsourced is a dryly witty take on the heist caper genre with a gaggle of reluctantly redundant software engineers planning the perfect bank robbery. He brings together crazed hitmen, Russian mafiosi, Iraqi antiques smugglers and domestic angst in a fast-paced action romp that has the inestimable advantage (or not) that its characters are actually human." Peter Millar, London Times</span></i><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-size: medium;">"DAVE Zeltserman is one of the new, highly original voices in crime fiction, his writing spare, disciplined and concrete. His plots are as original as anyone writing hard-boiled fiction with an attractive noir edge, and always grimly entertaining. Like his characters. Outsourced, already being turned into a movie, follows an all-too-human bunch of outsourced software engineers who have no job prospects and no long-term insurance but do possess a plan. They are going to use their computing skills to rob a bank, and Zeltserman delivers a finely paced, witty and stylish take on the heist caper novel. More than most authors churning out mysteries, Zeltserman is fully steeped in the conventions of crime fiction. He remains absolutely his own hard man." The Australian</span></i><div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-52245433369642656412023-07-09T08:18:00.002-07:002023-07-09T08:18:24.554-07:00Two new stories<p> I have two new stories out:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRmhDo6rL8-bu6jV0VN3LIA5lK_VNh_cHlU-U1o6nXZsTdo95bLDI-pd0SkHnpYJg5qmYQi0XlDz5o-oA_4wfh5oUEm0Ij06ZbP1lBFmB60RiRhxk7b-dXPxxM0EFIKeOUqdXehDYvBe1McYplg4kxeCIGWgGIrl80kNcioQVC0SUP3SAzLEe0hT86wAz/s570/EQM_JulAug2023_400x570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRmhDo6rL8-bu6jV0VN3LIA5lK_VNh_cHlU-U1o6nXZsTdo95bLDI-pd0SkHnpYJg5qmYQi0XlDz5o-oA_4wfh5oUEm0Ij06ZbP1lBFmB60RiRhxk7b-dXPxxM0EFIKeOUqdXehDYvBe1McYplg4kxeCIGWgGIrl80kNcioQVC0SUP3SAzLEe0hT86wAz/w281-h400/EQM_JulAug2023_400x570.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><p>A new Archie story, Archie's Been Stolen, in the latest issue of Ellery Queen.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rrW4qTlnqtlJodRwF969P1mqpjP-pjtlX-h2jR5e6hmYh_RMbQqTEPgrRmJq9s82lWvq3ItLmVPX19lFxPw7IiCTw2Z8XzvsuanhaayI8cE2U0XkpRMHeJGL-OdnCIoYxI0KHeA9-pj-2Ob53eWzR6BRYdiPVwqC26ufj5ZESALhPBqYaigV_eGHzckT/s1280/BCW_097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rrW4qTlnqtlJodRwF969P1mqpjP-pjtlX-h2jR5e6hmYh_RMbQqTEPgrRmJq9s82lWvq3ItLmVPX19lFxPw7IiCTw2Z8XzvsuanhaayI8cE2U0XkpRMHeJGL-OdnCIoYxI0KHeA9-pj-2Ob53eWzR6BRYdiPVwqC26ufj5ZESALhPBqYaigV_eGHzckT/w300-h400/BCW_097.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And in this week's issue of Black Cat Weekly, my very meta comic serial killer thriller spoof, The Matzo Ball Killer. Any similarities between myself and the character Dan Seltzerberg are purely intentional.</span></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-667096921497227072023-07-04T07:45:00.001-07:002023-07-04T07:45:27.775-07:00More Julius Katz and Archie on sale<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrtCjCkrDt2cBuOMC8mHkK-xxDd5v7ur5sHb0pC0FBavWSv9mBsMaSW4O8d3UzT69HAb0fsE9XtngoBw1xkdR_vG2KRx3gGgi6xdUB_JFSNy5FMJhzgP6XQ5aViDUnwD-QQgkGF-qYJvCB0kW57BCPo9Nm6PGiYENpyrEDKa1fbTa5gYwLrcoN2GS1fdn/s2397/More%20Julius%20Katz%20and%20Archie%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2397" data-original-width="1501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrtCjCkrDt2cBuOMC8mHkK-xxDd5v7ur5sHb0pC0FBavWSv9mBsMaSW4O8d3UzT69HAb0fsE9XtngoBw1xkdR_vG2KRx3gGgi6xdUB_JFSNy5FMJhzgP6XQ5aViDUnwD-QQgkGF-qYJvCB0kW57BCPo9Nm6PGiYENpyrEDKa1fbTa5gYwLrcoN2GS1fdn/w250-h400/More%20Julius%20Katz%20and%20Archie%20cover.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"The puzzles are clever, and Zeltserman plays fair with readers. Stout devotees will be delighted with this loving homage." Publishers Weekly (starred review)</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My second collection of Julius Katz detective stories is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093THXZLF/">on sale thru July 6th for $0.99</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-49598600910154316682023-05-27T16:28:00.002-07:002023-05-27T16:28:50.502-07:00Kindle version Everybody Lies in Hell available for pre-order!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12EVmryeXXJmspXhWTe9mfG-u-jNnoOHRjke6OeLm9P-5RJx4wCqJrvVQ7rvEneOe74fjx7wJb-u88LKxrHi5pDyzUg4p4MfwbSu9si5hNSN9Lrsf5TMhlZFrHHKqrLsCzPmHxH5NMesuL1qUgJz8BI1YFdtVQBnT7l7Muy7-OHcmsanK_Wu8X1LEbQ/s2700/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12EVmryeXXJmspXhWTe9mfG-u-jNnoOHRjke6OeLm9P-5RJx4wCqJrvVQ7rvEneOe74fjx7wJb-u88LKxrHi5pDyzUg4p4MfwbSu9si5hNSN9Lrsf5TMhlZFrHHKqrLsCzPmHxH5NMesuL1qUgJz8BI1YFdtVQBnT7l7Muy7-OHcmsanK_Wu8X1LEbQ/w266-h400/new%20cover%20Everybody%20Lies%20in%20Hell.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The kindle version for Everybody Lies in Hell will be on sale Aug. 23rd and can be <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6HBXQLR">pre-ordered</a> now!</p><p><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">"This clever depiction of hell explores the lies that people tell, both to others and to themselves... Zeltserman has developed a rich world with a complex protagonist, and the stated stagnation of hellish eternity doesn’t stop his story from moving briskly along." </span><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">Publishers Weekly</span></p><p><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal;">"</span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Everybody Lies in Hell</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal;"> is a wild adventure centered on confronting our demons--literally and figuratively. At once compulsively entertaining and bizarre, Zeltserman has written a metaphysical masterpiece. Hell has never been so much fun." </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Jon Bassoff</span></span></p><p><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;"><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal;">"In Everybody Lies in Hell Mike Stone's eternal damnation is a private detective's office in a re-imagined Brooklyn. In Hell, the beautiful woman with a case opens a literal Pandora's Box, and Stone is soon inundated by all-too-recognizable evils and lies of Hell's tortured souls, powerful ancient demons and devils, and haunting personal ones. Classic pulp, noir, and horror--think James N. Cain and Bukowski and Palahniuk--are all ground up in a blender and the result is a nasty, wild, and ultimately redemptive novel that only Dave Zeltserman could write." </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Paul Tremblay</span></span></span></p><p><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;"><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span class="a-text-italic" face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-86239362791210097912023-01-15T15:20:00.001-08:002023-01-15T15:20:19.433-08:00When Pigs Fly<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzmtIMXX7TFG1FzLVZTAcTlEy0_6Zo6dLz673ugzFCdu1xuZ_rEvG366wvJ52NpkCrNBkakxAAFqV2umr_QdAyQsZMPUhLk_cFe-YAyqtP6WbYfVhNh7TjC_MG9KK4139dEMR8zY_-j3D1QuGHsJ3Am-6BoQ9Y6L-SRUrFb2a7ku-Sa3ousSzx-_OTg/s1280/BCW_072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzmtIMXX7TFG1FzLVZTAcTlEy0_6Zo6dLz673ugzFCdu1xuZ_rEvG366wvJ52NpkCrNBkakxAAFqV2umr_QdAyQsZMPUhLk_cFe-YAyqtP6WbYfVhNh7TjC_MG9KK4139dEMR8zY_-j3D1QuGHsJ3Am-6BoQ9Y6L-SRUrFb2a7ku-Sa3ousSzx-_OTg/w300-h400/BCW_072.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>I've got a time-travel paradox story in the latest issue of <a href="https://blackcatweekly.com/">Black Cat Weekly</a>. If you haven't discovered this magazine yet, you should--it's a nice of mix of new and old mystery + sci-fi short fiction.<p></p><p><br /></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-80462332615355823252022-10-23T11:16:00.003-07:002022-10-23T11:16:25.170-07:00Three new stories out now<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFJJ_WmQEnJymNS4TnRq2MSRRDZedo9AN4t7pOH0Dr8qJDbTXDSiclrUHbUSElHBNmu1zb0Th784QBHboBiKxE-oFYOgzjT0FJoSKoW6eo1Tvl9fegH-hCYGAIEgC6LdE252IgoQCPqE6RFBYxYM5jicREM1lteWOTuVfT1osomy1elJoBWswW7jxQg/s570/eqmm-12-2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFJJ_WmQEnJymNS4TnRq2MSRRDZedo9AN4t7pOH0Dr8qJDbTXDSiclrUHbUSElHBNmu1zb0Th784QBHboBiKxE-oFYOgzjT0FJoSKoW6eo1Tvl9fegH-hCYGAIEgC6LdE252IgoQCPqE6RFBYxYM5jicREM1lteWOTuVfT1osomy1elJoBWswW7jxQg/w281-h400/eqmm-12-2022.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>Julius Katz might be retired, but Archie and Julia continue the adventure in 'Archie Smith International Spy'<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_C-Cw5UxkrpsU3HMbvyOb1Gt2151r1G1uiWYgpEk6WSw36Pvus7x8hEnARaXVktCy1bZouIozzRcaanxQiqjH_kfZVQ3SjvQuIXz-_JjF8XyjYNpGAotgewOhxGT9ILmavPdkM199HDhGYXip0aRQ2qIi8CE1DYgPGs0pQ819id7dvHNg85YtPX2LA/s350/AHM_NovDec22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="246" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_C-Cw5UxkrpsU3HMbvyOb1Gt2151r1G1uiWYgpEk6WSw36Pvus7x8hEnARaXVktCy1bZouIozzRcaanxQiqjH_kfZVQ3SjvQuIXz-_JjF8XyjYNpGAotgewOhxGT9ILmavPdkM199HDhGYXip0aRQ2qIi8CE1DYgPGs0pQ819id7dvHNg85YtPX2LA/w281-h400/AHM_NovDec22.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In my latest Morris Brick crime story, 'Fay & Wray', Parker has been dognapped!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqprVkUtzasRV1DIb5A_EfIG6BvTsm8dGYfq5K3nWQfM2QGzvkCC3OhxbTDK7g214vTXp1StkrSPdrYSORnSZYPCShvqeJyDP-FNvmIycebYuvUuWUFT57sve6q_kobskbashGArvPaFnn3P6LMPP7O_0tjkUXLjYlPenYcle4oQyyZlP3GwkKB-DfQ/s853/BlackCat60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqprVkUtzasRV1DIb5A_EfIG6BvTsm8dGYfq5K3nWQfM2QGzvkCC3OhxbTDK7g214vTXp1StkrSPdrYSORnSZYPCShvqeJyDP-FNvmIycebYuvUuWUFT57sve6q_kobskbashGArvPaFnn3P6LMPP7O_0tjkUXLjYlPenYcle4oQyyZlP3GwkKB-DfQ/w300-h400/BlackCat60.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>'Buxton' is a quiet and very unusual story that I think fans of 'The Caretaker of Lorne Field' will like quite a bit. I hope folks check this one out!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-27141778870006716262022-08-21T09:07:00.002-07:002022-08-21T09:07:51.982-07:00HUSK on sale for $1.99<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIYEZ1i3Ig2_hs4qpMTnCjLDCjNLN3ovX6C5aQZc5IEzPmMLnbYvFQWjyE-3TCXQKaOQKZmOlFnFz3EeiUMEwFuOEHYoiKXFHQ3lCOw_rNNLfZu8RmAkF-A64YzuPjb1R_gE4LIKXklcCISyQ_F4bNPdO3yrRLT0i6Eh5o3FMQh7cA5g5MVlxT4uJbQ/s480/HUSK-cover-new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="308" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIYEZ1i3Ig2_hs4qpMTnCjLDCjNLN3ovX6C5aQZc5IEzPmMLnbYvFQWjyE-3TCXQKaOQKZmOlFnFz3EeiUMEwFuOEHYoiKXFHQ3lCOw_rNNLfZu8RmAkF-A64YzuPjb1R_gE4LIKXklcCISyQ_F4bNPdO3yrRLT0i6Eh5o3FMQh7cA5g5MVlxT4uJbQ/w256-h400/HUSK-cover-new.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>My publisher has HUSK on sale for $1.99. You can get the Kindle version <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Husk-contemporary-horror-Dave-Zeltserman-ebook/dp/B07FK5W58S/">here</a> and the Nook version <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/husk-dave-zeltserman/1140193057?ean=9781780109831">here</a>.<p></p>"The story is at once tender, brutal, fantastic, and vibrantly real. A unique and splendid novel" ― Booklist Starred Review<div><br /></div><div>“Dave Zeltserman’s Husk is a compelling, quirky, twisty, smart, page-turner mix of horror, satire, and even a little romance with (yeah, I’ll say it) bite. A brutal love story perfect for our dark times.” ― Paul Tremblay, author of Cabin at the End of the World</div><div><br /></div><div>"HUSK may be Zeltserman’s best book to date.... Many of the twists and turns are saved for the final third of the novel, but they come hard, fast and heavy, right up to the last sentence, which is one of the best I have read this year."</div><br />"I loved this book" Becky Spratford, RA for All: HorrorDave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-1464981645628524782022-01-02T07:24:00.004-08:002022-01-02T07:24:53.196-08:00"A unique and splendid novel"<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiePZlR340iR12MNVTNig4j-PZP2j1huWWiTEbpk9jQcVa_80tWNQsoqn3rQj907UmaRHHpOJy9wfY18WwSGVzkMLAZ5MOAi9LV0B6n-uJObYkeMYgbXlX0ikVlbA40qYUNMEC76ebtsFPbx26w_CjTBp3MhqrumRodVfFhi_N9bptOQePClVxAYuaL_w=s480" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="308" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiePZlR340iR12MNVTNig4j-PZP2j1huWWiTEbpk9jQcVa_80tWNQsoqn3rQj907UmaRHHpOJy9wfY18WwSGVzkMLAZ5MOAi9LV0B6n-uJObYkeMYgbXlX0ikVlbA40qYUNMEC76ebtsFPbx26w_CjTBp3MhqrumRodVfFhi_N9bptOQePClVxAYuaL_w=w256-h400" width="256" /></a></div>Charlie Husk is a cannibal, a member of a clan of flesh-eaters who live hidden away from the world. His job is to travel into civilization, abduct people (college students are favored prey), and bring them back to the clan. He's quite good at it; he's stealthy, ruthless, and smart, easily able to adapt to unexpected changes in circumstances. When he falls in love with a human girl, Charlie's whole life changes instantly, like a switch has been thrown. And, so, Charlie abandons his clan and his heritage, and determines to live among the people who used to be his prey. The author takes on a tricky challenge making a monster a sympathetic character and he's completely successful. Zeltserman keeps the story grounded in reality, giving Charlie practical problems to overcome (like finding a way to deal with the craving for human flesh, or learning new words, like social security number), and the story is at once tender, brutal, fantastic, and vibrantly real. A unique and splendid novel.--Booklist's starred review.<p></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-62563793934582318122021-11-20T08:52:00.000-08:002021-11-20T08:52:00.888-08:00A Killer's Essence -- on sale for $1.99!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFpmeye9hy-cotj1kWW0XFfAvkXGauHmfgHYyf2UOWDnjCvbmS8NI6J7NOjl7C-HGgIOax0UX7yY8065PchTuvuPUO4XmWpfbuA0BWCFbTlFZS8eOF359a0f51WhdzfnTaz-PxmkFZEBH/s2048/A+Killers+Essence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1384" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFpmeye9hy-cotj1kWW0XFfAvkXGauHmfgHYyf2UOWDnjCvbmS8NI6J7NOjl7C-HGgIOax0UX7yY8065PchTuvuPUO4XmWpfbuA0BWCFbTlFZS8eOF359a0f51WhdzfnTaz-PxmkFZEBH/w270-h400/A+Killers+Essence.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RS15WKK/">The kindle version </a>of A Killer's Essence is now on sale for $1.99! What some reviewers said about this mix of crime, noir, paranormal, and baseball:<p></p>“Zeltserman’s lean but muscular style, so evident in A Killer’s Essence and <i>The Caretaker of Lorne Field</i>, is just as sharply honed here . . . Riveting.” —The Boston Globe<br /> <br />“This eerie thriller deftly blurs the lines between madness and the perception of reality.” —The Star-Ledger<br /> <br />“[A] chilling page-turner attuned to the most discerning of avid crime lovers. Well written and well paced. Recommended.” —New York Journal of Books<br /> <br />“Zeltserman’s signature creepiness is available here and there, but what really drives this novel is the engaging portrait of an honest, hardworking cop who, on the job and off, gives the best he’s got, knowing how rarely it will be enough.” —Kirkus Reviews<br /><br />"Zeltserman's new work retains the honed-razor psychological insight of his award-winning <i>The Caretaker of Lorne Field</i> (2010). A scary, keep-you-guessing thriller not to be missed" — Booklist<div><br /></div><div>A KILLER’S ESSENCE is complete in itself, but Zeltserman leaves just enough plot threads dangling at the end that a sequel, while not necessary, would be appropriate. And Green? I was screaming at the guy halfway through the book, but by the conclusion, I wanted to buy him a beer. And a ticket to a baseball game. Sequel or not, you need to meet Green and read A KILLER’S ESSENCE." —Bookreporter<div><br /></div>"Dave Zeltserman’s <i>Monster </i>was the first book I read by the author and I was blown away. So, when I got my hands on <i>A Killer’s Essence</i> I was ready for a great story, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Zeltserman is the author of more than 10 novels and when it comes to his crime stories, this one is a great place to start." — Crime Fiction Lover</div><div><br /></div>"And that is the kind of writing which shines, especially in a genre that can be filled with books that seem to feature super cops or, worse, know-it-alls who figure out the mystery faster than a speeding bullet. ESSENCE is hard to classify since it’s as much a crime story as one in which fantastical elements play a central role. This is a terrific introduction to a writer on the rise whose style only grows each time." — Bookgasm<div><br /></div>"In riveting narrative, Zeltserman illustrates what happens to a wounded man whose psychic powers outstrip his ability to cope. Think you'd like the power to see inside the dark hearts of others? Think again. How would it feel if, on the way to the office, we saw demons on the sidewalk, harpies on the subway? This is strong stuff, and the author is expert at sharing Zach's horror, as well Green's empathic reaction to it. In the end discovering the killer's identity isn't half as compelling as the inner torment of two men who are "gifted" with psychic abilities." MysteryScene Magazine<div><br /></div>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-47747034514190311492021-10-16T07:12:00.001-07:002021-10-16T07:23:20.347-07:00Two Very Different Short Story Collections<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjRsS_JwzlROqhKBQ0bzkcVjtuTxujyGRc61yq_JY8vMtu83U4gnErKRrJVEtpx7z5M-wznKxGowfQu7tid3gSP3WOMARgqSDJDq9dsz-OImnJ1ts4y68zHjVW-OdmPJ3UEkDXRSdNMpm/s2048/UnluckySeven.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjRsS_JwzlROqhKBQ0bzkcVjtuTxujyGRc61yq_JY8vMtu83U4gnErKRrJVEtpx7z5M-wznKxGowfQu7tid3gSP3WOMARgqSDJDq9dsz-OImnJ1ts4y68zHjVW-OdmPJ3UEkDXRSdNMpm/s320/UnluckySeven.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQVG0AhiWGc9SgW-XnmskR15CDZNGvuWW0AhX1yAiR8ZJW6VUr1lVPxWOy7EYEGolL_NJ-qE93W0Z_PVH0rX49QpYfjQaDvq46JJGLHd9ngf7GTPLyAVODU0EDiXX9yLsi7Mj0A0oWdor/s2048/More+Julius+Katz+and+Archie+cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1282" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQVG0AhiWGc9SgW-XnmskR15CDZNGvuWW0AhX1yAiR8ZJW6VUr1lVPxWOy7EYEGolL_NJ-qE93W0Z_PVH0rX49QpYfjQaDvq46JJGLHd9ngf7GTPLyAVODU0EDiXX9yLsi7Mj0A0oWdor/s320/More+Julius+Katz+and+Archie+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PSM7HYD/">Unlucky Seven</a> is noir crime fiction, while <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093THXZLF/">More Julius Katz and Archie</a> is made up of fun + amusing mysteries featuring a brilliant private detective and his erstwhile assistant. One thing they both have in common (other than I wrote them!) is that they received starred reviews in PublishersWeekly this year, with PW saying of Unlucky Seven: "The seven short stories in this impressive collection from Zeltserman combine sharp-edged prose with grim twists.", and of More Julius Katz and Archie: "The puzzles are clever, and Zeltserman plays fair with readers. Stout devotees will be delighted with this loving homage." So anyone looking for short mystery or crime fiction, I've got you covered!<br /><br /> <p></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7713833330686372470.post-79627766438117094302021-10-14T18:55:00.003-07:002021-10-14T18:55:53.461-07:00PW starred review for More Julius Katz and Archie<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKqwfAummKPFZD1SCQC9gPBu-9T-3hESlrK48E8v2DDjtbiZsVn8lvBY5CfZ89mDX3S-0eS3SmgenAeacVgAGKxibVmiThMizRm5arMES0PhIuZa5FpysBCmiw9F3qre2G9EtKdM7U7jd/s2048/More+Julius+Katz+and+Archie+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1282" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKqwfAummKPFZD1SCQC9gPBu-9T-3hESlrK48E8v2DDjtbiZsVn8lvBY5CfZ89mDX3S-0eS3SmgenAeacVgAGKxibVmiThMizRm5arMES0PhIuZa5FpysBCmiw9F3qre2G9EtKdM7U7jd/w250-h400/More+Julius+Katz+and+Archie+cover.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">From Publishers Weekly starred review of my short story collection <a href="https://www.amazon.com/More-Julius-Katz-Archie-Detective-ebook/dp/B093THXZLF/">More Julius Katz and Archie</a>: The puzzles are clever, and Zeltserman plays fair with readers. Stout devotees will be delighted with this loving homage. <br /><br /></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></p>Dave Zeltsermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04007736514118297783noreply@blogger.com0