Bad Thoughts in the Blogosphere

It was a nice surprise finding this on the Dover Public Library blog (Dover, NH):

If you like mysteries told from a killer's perspective and don't mind a lot of blood and murder you may want to look into a little known subgenre called "noir fiction". These crime novels often combine obsessive passion with murder and always involve evil, weaving together just enough of the dark side to make one wonder. Most recently I came across an entertaining mystery that included all the noir characteristics, "Bad Thoughts" by Dave Zeltserman. I was so enticed by the tense, fast pace I immediately wanted another like it.

Nothing But Jerks over at Pulp Pusher

The story, that is.

Tony, who runs the show over at Pulp Pusher and almost overnight has turned his site into one of the premiere crime fiction publications either on the web or in print, is a very cool guy, and decided he wanted to publish my pulp story, Nothing But Jerks. This is one of my really early stories--I wrote this one when I first started writing, and a couple of years ago Jean-Pierre Jacquet and I adapted it to a comic book for Hardluck Stories Bank Job issue. It also features Manny Vassey who also appears in Triple Cross and Next Time (Hardboiled #22). In these early stories, Manny Vassey was mostly a two-dimensional caricature of a malevolent thug who was always eager to put his butcher's table to use, but I always had a soft spot for the guy and brought him back for Small Crimes, except fleshing him out into someone very real. Actually, I brought back two of him, both Manny Sr. and Manny Jr., but you'll see when Small Crimes is out next March. In the meantime there's a small dose of him in Jerks, a story about the problems that can happen when you have a bank robber with hurt feelings. And, yeah, there are plenty of jerks in this story...

Poisoned Pen Bookstore on Bad Thoughts

From Poisoned Pen's Booknews:

"The hardboiled savant's second novel (after HB club pick FAST LANE) is an ambitious genre-bender combining the paranoia and existential dread of the best noir with a liberal dash of The Twilight Zone. Bill Shannon, a cop in the Boston area, is still plagued by nightmares years after coming home from school as a boy to witness his mother's brutal murder. Every year, as the anniversary of her death approaches, Shannon's nightmares get progressively more severe until he ultimately blacks out and disappears from sight for a few days. Funny thing is, women have recently ended up dying in the same manner as his mother during these little spells. Could her killer be back...? It seems unlikely, since Shannon put him in the grave two decades back. Not to be missed. Zeltserman runs a fine online hardboiled zine called "Hardluck Stories" and is himself an up-and-coming star in the noir firmament." --Patrick Milliken

Defining Psycho Noir

Since I've been using the term psycho noir a lot lately in interviews I think I should offer a definition for it, especially since psycho noir is a relatively new term that's been popping up mostly to describe movies like Blue Velvet, Fight Club and Memento where the protagonist is somewhat out of touch with reality.

As far as how it pertains to literature, especially for Jim Thompson's great noir books (Hell of a Woman, Savage Night, Killer Inside Me, Pop. 1280, etc.) I posted the following definition on my Hardluck Stories web-site when I was requesting submissions for my psycho noir issue:

"...where the protagonists perceptions and rationalizations are just off center enough to send them to hell."

The esteemable James Winter posted the following definition on his Northcoast Exhile blog, which I think spells it out pretty well:

"In psycho noir, the protagonist is, quite frankly, a scumbag, knows he's a scumbag, yet deludes himself that he is not."

My own first novel, Fast Lane, fits both of these definitions, and I think sits squarely in the psycho noir category.

As far as standard noir goes, I look at books like James M. Cain's "Double Indemnity" and "Postman Always Rings Twice" where the protagonist crosses a line and there's no turning--basically the equally esteemable Jack Bludis's definition of noir==screwed.

Anyone who has a different definition for psycho noir, I'd like to hear it. Also, let me know your favorite examples of it.

on the web

Bethany Warner interviews me over at Word Nerd and last Thursday I was guest blogger over at the most excellent site, Murderati, where I detailed my 15 year journey over 3 books and 4+ publishers.

Pariah, Killer and Bad Thoughts

Lots of news. Serpent's Tail is going to be publishing my South Boston Irish mob book, Pariah, on 1/09, and my Boston Mafia hitman book, Killer, sometime afterwards. I'm thrilled to have Serpent's Tail publishing Small Crimes, Pariah and Killer, but what's really exciting to me is that although all three books are standalones, Serpent's Tail is going to be selling them as a "badass just out of prison" trilogy. More about all three of these books later.

Bad Thoughts was reviewed this past Sunday in the Virginian-Pilot by Timothy Lockhart, who had a lot of nice things to say about the book, including a comparison to Silence of the Lambs:

"Fans of Thomas Harris' "The Silence of the Lambs" and other novels featuring killer/cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter will enjoy "Bad Thoughts." Although he is not as brilliant or cultured as Lecter, Zeltserman's killer is as frightening and cruel and has certain powers that Lecter lacks. Moreover, because Zeltserman is careful to show the reader why his character became and remains a killer, the murderer in "Bad Thoughts" is in some ways more believable than Lecter.."

Jim Winter also examines Bad Thoughts in January Magazine, and finds it a compelling horror novel, particularly enjoying the smell of it. Romance Review Today also examines Bad Thoughts, and comes to the following conclusion:

"A fast paced psychological thriller, BAD THOUGHTS has many graphic descriptions, but even so, turning the pages is effortless all the way to the climactic end. Every page pulls pull the reader deeper into Bill's nightmares, leaving you wondering who the bad guy really is. Trust no one...If you like hard-edged drama and tense mystery, BAD THOUGHTS is the just the ticket!"

Joe DeMarco at Mysterical-E and Kevin Tipple at Mouth Full of Bullets also weigh in positively on Bad Thoughts, as does Midwest Book Review, calling Bad Thoughts "a must read for thriller fans." Finally, Patrick Milliken at Poisoned Pen Bookstores makes Bad Thoughts one of his July hardboiled picks.

Back Pages Books

I received my shipment of Bad Thoughts late last week and am now going to local bookstores to try to arrange signings, readings, etc., and yesterday visited Back Pages Books in Waltham MA. This is a terrific bookstore, and the owner, Alex Green, is absolutely passionate about books, especially in trying to build a more eclectic collection for his customers than what you typically find. I left him a copy of Bad Thoughts, but regardless of whether or not he wants to do something with it, this is a store I'm going to be highly recommending in the future. It's the type of store that anyone who loves books wants to see prosper, and if you're in the Boston area, check it out at 368 Moody St., Waltham. You can make a day of it--go to the Back Page Books, see an indie film at the Landmark theatre a block away, and eat dinner at any number of very good restaurants on Moody Street, including one of my favorites, the Tuscan Grill.

My "Bogusly Autobiographical Life in Writer's Hell" Series

I have written a series of short crime fiction that I refer to as my "bogusly autobiographical life in writer's hell" stories. What I like to do with these is have just enough superficial similarities with myself that they appear autobiographical even though they're completely fictitious. Usually I get several concerned emails when one's published. The first of them, More than a Scam, could be the first (and maybe only??) Nigerian email scam story written, and received honorable mention in the 2003 Best American Mystery Stories anthology. Here's the complete series so far (all online), but more will follow, and maybe even a novel.

• More Than a Scam
• She Stole My Fortune! (originally written for the Quertermous/White "Junk in the Trunk" Blogathon)
• Flies

Not bad from the back either...

Bad Thoughts, that is. Back cover turned out as impressive as the front. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

Library Journal on Bad Thoughts

"This fast-paced, gritty psychological tale balances the fine line between mystery and horror."