It's All Good

© by Gerald So | 5:30 A.M.

I wanted to check in after falling off blogging in recent weeks. The last two of November, I proofed and published The Five-Two's fifth annual ebook of fifty-two crime poems.

I had a good Thanksgiving at my cousin's, closed out with the board game Pandemic, in which players cooperate as CDC members against worldwide outbreaks.

For Black Friday, I got great deals on DVDs of Lucifer Season 1 and The Big Bang Theory Season 9.

Finally, for the past week, I've been writing a story I'm going to submit to a food-based anthology. Fondly, it's brought back characters I created twenty-one years ago in a novel-writing class.

Thank you for your ongoing interest here.

At The Five-Two: "Financial I.V."

© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com | 1:00 A.M.

This week, Dennis Weiser returns with what might be considered our second Halloween poem of the year:



Subscribe to Channel Five-Two for first view of new videos.

Also, The Five-Two's fourth ebook of fifty-two poems (2014-15) is now available in Amazon's Kindle Store.

And I'm accepting James Bond-themed poems through November 6.

Flash and Bang Launched

© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com | 1:00 P.M.

Published October 8 by Untreed Reads, Flash and Bang is the Society's first member anthology. Available in paperback (ISBN 9781611878295) and ebook, it features nineteen new short (1,500–3,000 words) and flash stories (300–1,000 words) containing either a flash or a bang:

• "The Conflagration at the Nameless Cotton Gin" by Bobbi A. Chukran
• "The Perfect Crime" by Herschel Cozine
• "Don't Let the Cop into the House" by O'Neil De Noux
• "Fireworks" by P.A. De Voe
• "Rosie's Choice" by John M. Floyd
• "The Wrong Girl" by Barb Goffman
• "Murder on Elm Street" by Su Kopil
• "Silent Measures" by B.V. Lawson
• "Don't Be Cruel" by JoAnne Lucas
• "A Simple Job" by Andrew MacRae
• "Arthur" by Sandra Murphy
• "Thor's Breath" by Suzanne Berube Rorhus
• "Beautiful Killer" by Judy Penz Sheluk
• "A Day Like No Other" by Walter A.P. Soethoudt (translated by Willem Verhulst)
• "The Raymond Chandler Con" by Earl Staggs
• "The Bag Lady" by Laurie Stevens
• "Fractured Memories" by Julie Tollefson
• "The Fruit of Thy Loins" by Albert Tucher
• "Sierra Noir" by Tim Wohlforth

Individuals: If you purchase the paperback ($16.00) and ebook ($4.99) at the same time from the Untreed Reads store, the ebook cost will be subtracted from your total. Also, in October, Flash and Bang is part of Untreed Reads' 30% off sale on horror and mystery titles.

Retailers and Libraries: Email Jay Hartman (JHARTMAN at UNTREEDREADS dot COM) about carrying copies. Standard retailer/library discount is 40% on returnable copies, 50% on nonreturnable copies. On orders of ten or more, the discount on returnable copies goes to 43%.

Reviewers: Email Jay Hartman (JHARTMAN at UNTREEDREADS dot COM) for ebook review copies.

Independent bookstores carrying copies:

• The Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren St., New York, NY 10007

The Society had long considered anthology ideas, but it wasn't until March 2014 that one finally got off the ground. As vice president at the time, I received approval from President Tom Sweeney to create the SMFS Anthology Plans Yahoo! Group, where interested members could explore anthologies without disrupting the main Shortmystery Yahoo! Group.

I didn't steer Antho group discussion, but as facilitator, I wrote the pitch to Jay Hartman to publish the first Society-themed anthology. Jay came up with the flash-or-bang guidelines and opened submissions to all Shortmystery members. I couldn't be prouder to see this plan come together.

Now having read the finished product, I most enjoyed the stories by Bobbi Chukran, O'Neil De Noux, and Barb Goffman, but as the Society represents all of mystery & crime short fiction, Flash and Bang has something for every taste: from cozy to hardboiled, historical to contempory, amateur and animal sleuths to police and private detectives.

THE CRIME OF OUR LIVES by Lawrence Block

© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com | 7:00 A.M.

Published in ebook last week, The Crime of Our Lives is largely a collection of introductions Lawrence Block has written to other crime writers' work over his long career.

Like most people who read for pleasure, I'd bet, I usually skip introductions and get to the main content. I've also taken several writing workshops by choice, and my writing is better for them, but discussions of craft usually don't interest me. There's some appeal in knowing how a magic trick is done, but knowing doesn't mean you can do the trick with the same flair yourself. Very often, what works for one writer doesn't work for the rest.

In this case, though, when Block offered me an ebook of "T-COOL" to review, I jumped at it because I enjoy hearing Larry talk about writers and writing. After all those workshops, I found myself teaching freshman composition at Hofstra University, a most un-creative job that fortunately included the privilege to check books out of Hofstra libraries for semesters at a time. That was how I came across Block's writing manuals, which, more than any workshop, sustained the notion of spending my life writing.

With the same dry wit and way with words in The Crime of Our Lives, Block gives closeups of twenty-one writers' tricks and leaves the fun of reading them intact because he's a reader, too.

New Poetry Video

© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com | 6:15 A.M.

Yesterday I made a video of my poem "Four Weeks Before the Wedding":



Four Weeks Before the Wedding
by Gerald So

Your fiancé’s name
shows on Caller ID;
I imagine
my RSVP
upset you
more than I know,

and he's calling
to say
it would mean
the world
if I attended.

I pick up,
say hello twice,
and hear you
far enough
away to tell
you butt-dialed me.


The text was originally published in the February 2011 issue of Mat Black Online Magazine, and it's included in my ebook of twenty-four poems on love and chance, We Might Have.

E-Born

© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com | 4:00 A.M.

James O. Born is a career law enforcement officer with a talent for bringing his experience to the page. He has written series about FDLE agent Bill Tasker (Walking Money, Shock Wave, Escape Clause) and ATF agent Alex Duarte (Field of Fire, Burn Zone), and earlier this year co-wrote a novel with Lou Dobbs (Border War).

Within the past few days, Jim has made all of his books available for Kindle. I recommend them.

At The 5-2: "The All-Consuming" by Tim McLafferty

This week, The 5-2's Halloween poem, "The All-Consuming" by New York City writer and drummer Tim McLafferty:



The 5-2 Volume Two ebook is now available from Amazon's Kindle Store, all fifty-two poems from our second year for $3.99.

WE MIGHT HAVE News

My ebook of twenty-four poems on love and chance, WE MIGHT HAVE, has hit #2 on the Kindle Store's bestseller list of Paid Asian American Poetry ebooks. Pick up a copy for Kindle or Nook and commiserate Valentine's Day with me.

International Please Don't Pirate My Books Day

Today, in other words, is the brainchild of novelist, screenwriter, and game designer Chuck Wendig. I'm participating because, like Chuck, I believe creative and clerical work has value. The books I publish will never be free, but ebooks do cost less to make than print books, and ereader vendors control how long ebooks are stored. I set my prices accordingly.

Perhaps pirates don't genuinely value what they take. If they did, they would pay for it. But everyone values something and would cry foul if that something were taken without compensation.

An artist's creation expresses his individuality on levels even he doesn't see. In that sense, it's more valuable than any price one could set. Please consider paying a fair price.

RIDE 2: MORE SHORT FICTION ABOUT BICYCLES ed. Keith Snyder

I'd known of Keith Snyder for many years as a fellow Robert B. Parker fan and author of the Jason Keltner mystery series. Two years ago, he attended a reading of crime fiction and poetry at which I performed, and since then we've bonded over poetry, Parker, and ebook production.

When Keith mentioned that this second volume of bicycle-themed fiction also featured two poems, I jumped at his offer of a review copy. The eight contributors to Ride 2 clearly share Keith's passion for cycling, and the book is sure to appeal to readers who do, or to someone like me, who last pedaled the block on training wheels but fondly recalls the feeling of coasting under my own power.

Sunday Sales

The ebook version of The Lineup #2 is now available for Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook. The shortest of our four issues, it's a fine introduction to poetry at $1.99.

I was unable to obtain electronic reprint rights for four poems from the original print issue, but you can get 20% off any Lineup print issues ordered from Lulu.com today through December 14 with coupon code FELICITAS.

Finally, through tomorrow, December 10, you can get 15% off orders of $50 or more from The 5-2's CafePress shop with coupon code SHOPUP.

Thanks for your support.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

I love printed books. They will always have certain advantages over ebooks. For one, you can read them without electricity or batteries. For another, when you buy a physical book, it's yours. You walk out of the store and go home with it and keep it for as long as you want.

To the surprise of some, that's not the case with ebooks. Major vendors control whether and how long you can read ebooks you've "bought". (They now say "rented" is a better description of downloaded books.)

Still reading more paper books than ebooks, I hadn't come to think of purchased ebooks as permanently mine. As a poetry editor, I have to be up on how ebooks are read and created because I want the e-reading public to read poetry. That said, my ebook pricing reflects that ebooks aren't solid like books, in the same way MP3s aren't solid like CDs. If I can't hold them in my hand, I expect to pay less for them.

The ebooks I publish will always cost less than print would, reflecting that no money was spent on paper, ink, and binding. My ebooks will never be free because I believe creative and clerical work have value; but, if and when Amazon or BN decides to pull back your purchases, you're only out the cost of a movie rental.

Available Now: The 5-2: Crime Poetry Weekly, Vol. 1

The 5-2 Volume 1 ebook is available now for Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook. It collects The 5-2's first year of fifty-two poems.

Poems by Nyla Alisia, R.A. Allen, Margaret Anderson, Michael A. Arnzen, Randall Avilez, Jack Bates, Alec Cizak, Robert Cooperman, Ray Daniel, Michael Chacko Daniels, Cassandra de Alba, C.J. Edwards, John M. Floyd, Kent Gowran, Bruce Harris, Clarinda Harriss, Chad Haskins, Kathleen Hellen, Kyle Hemmings, Paul Hostovsky, Peter Ivey, Dorothy James, Tonia Kalouria, Susan Kelley, Ian Khadan, Rauan Klassnik, Lola Koundakjian, Dennis Mahagin, Catfish McDaris, Trevor Nelson, Brett Peruzzi, Thomas Pluck, David S. Pointer, Kimberly Poitevin, William Dylan Powell, Charles Rammelkamp, Keith Rawson, Stephen D. Rogers, Nancy Scott, Jackie Sheeler, Hal Sirowitz, Duane Spurlock, Jay Stringer, and Ray Succre.

Now Available: LOST CHILDREN: PROTECTORS

I'm pleased to have contributed an original poem, "Hushed", to a new anthology edited by Thomas Pluck, thirty-nine stories and two poems benefiting child protection lobby PROTECT, available in ebook and trade paperback.

"Pain shouldn't be this fun."

...reads the title of Shawn Robertson's Amazon review for my poetry ebook, We Might Have. Shawn runs the text-and-audio fiction website Tales of Old, and is on Twitter @TalesOfOld. Thanks very much, Shawn.

@g_so I loved "We Might Have." Poems about pain should not be that fun! B&N site would not let me review, but I put one on Amazon.

— Shawn Robertson (@TalesofOld) August 30, 2012

Coming in October: The 5-2 Volume One Ebook

Fifty-two poems by fourty-four poets, $3.99 for Kindle and Nook.

Featuring poems by Nyla Alisia, R.A. Allen, Margaret Anderson, Michael A. Arnzen, Randall Avilez, Jack Bates, Alec Cizak, Robert Cooperman, Ray Daniel, Michael Chacko Daniels, Cassandra de Alba, C.J. Edwards, John M. Floyd, Kent Gowran, Bruce Harris, Clarinda Harriss, Chad Haskins, Kathleen Hellen, Kyle Hemmings, Paul Hostovsky, Peter Ivey, Dorothy James, Tonia Kalouria, Susan Kelley, Ian Khadan, Rauan Klassnik, Lola Koundakjian, Dennis Mahagin, Catfish McDaris, Trevor Nelson, Brett Peruzzi, Thomas Pluck, David S. Pointer, Kimberly Poitevin, William Dylan Powell, Charles Rammelkamp, Keith Rawson, Stephen D. Rogers, Nancy Scott, Jackie Sheeler, Hal Sirowitz, Duane Spurlock, Jay Stringer, Ray Succre.

LAST CHANCE LASSITER by Paul Levine

LAST CHANCE LASSITER is an ebook novella published this month, a prequel to TO SPEAK FOR THE DEAD, the first novel featuring Miami Dolphins linebacker-turned-lawyer Jake Lassiter. The novella has Jake refusing to represent James Farrell, a man who all but admits to beating his wife. Shortly after quitting his firm, Jake takes a case of music plagiarism on referral from the boss he just antagonized.

As with any prequel, the most compelling question is not whether things work out, but how they work out. A crafty lawyer and writer in his own regard, Levine paints Jake into quite a corner and just as craftily gets him out.

If you haven't read the Jake Lassiter novels, this is a chance to get in on the ground floor, so to speak. If you're a Lassiter fan like I am, you'll jump at the chance to see more of Jake's history.

Another Solomon vs. Lord Giveaway for Kindle

Giveaway Winner: Colleen Collins won the copy of SOLOMON VS. LORD for Kindle. Thanks to all who entered.

This week, I gave away a copy of Paul Levine's short story "Solomon vs. Lord Sink or Swim" for Kindle. Next week, thanks again to Authors on the Web, I'll be giving away a copy of the first Solomon vs. Lord novel for Kindle. (I notice the third book in the series is free today on Amazon. Collect them all.)

To enter, email g_so AT yahoo DOT com with the subject line "Solomon vs. Lord Giveaway". One entry per person. Emails must be received by Wednesday, May 16, 11:59 P.M. Eastern. Winner will be notified and announced Thursday, May 17.

Read a new guest post from Paul at Janet Rudolph's Mystery Fanfare.

Paul Levine's Solomon vs. Lord on Kindle and a Giveaway

Giveaway Winner: Joe de Marco has won the copy of "Solomon & Lord Sink or Swim" for Kindle. Thanks to all who entered.

I was a Paul Levine fan from his Jake Lassiter series and his work on TV's JAG when I heard he was writing a new series, Solomon vs. Lord, based in part on his real-life marriage. Knowing the characters were supposed to end up together, I was afraid I wouldn't believe it when they did. As guarded as I was, I loved the whole series, four books published six months apart. I'm pleased to see the series re-released as ebooks.

Paul presents this sample of Solomon's Laws:

Photo by Alan Weissman

"When the law doesn’t work...work the law."

So says Steve Solomon. It’s his First Commandment, and you won’t find it in the statute books. Which makes the following conversation even stranger. A Miami lawyer recently told me that he uses “Solomon’s Laws” to train young associates in his firm.

That’s akin to teaching manners to sharks by tossing them chunks of red meat.

"Someone's gonna get disbarred," I told the lawyer.

“No way. Those laws teach lawyers to be fearless and creative.”

Also irreverent, insolent, and contemptuous. I ought to know. After all, I practiced law for 17 years and had my share of courtroom victories, defeats, and being held in contempt. Honestly.

I also created Steve Solomon, a beer and burger guy with a night school degree and a crooked smile. He’s the rule-breaking half of Solomon & Lord, while Victoria Lord is his proper and meticulous partner. Victoria graduated from Yale and believes in the sanctity of the law.

In SOLOMON VS. LORD, these squabblers extraordinaire defend a young woman accused of killing her wealthy, older husband during a night of kinky sex. Reviewers have compared the bickering law partners to Nick and Nora in The Thin Man, Dave and Maddie in "Moonlighting" and Tracy and Hepburn in well...everything.

So what are Solomon’s qualifications as a legal philosopher? Well, he barely graduated from Key West School of Law; he passed the Bar exam on his fourth try; he advertises on the back of buses; and he’s frequently held in contempt of court. Atticus Finch, he’s not.

I always believed there was something special in the attorney-client relationship, and so does Solomon, who has this advice for clients: "Lie to your priest, your spouse, and the I.R.S. But always tell your lawyer the truth."

On the other hand, there’s this advice for lawyers: “Always assume your client is guilty. It saves time.”

In jury selection, I always used this rule, now codified in THE DEEP BLUE ALIBI: “Choose a juror the way you choose a lover. Someone who doesn’t expect perfection and forgives your bullshit.”

Some of Solomon’s Laws have nothing to do with the practice lf law, but rather reflect hard lessons learned from his checkered personal life: “When meeting an ex-girlfriend you dumped, always assume she’s armed.” In Florida, with the proliferation of concealed firearms permits, that’s a particularly appropriate rule.

Here’s a law from KILL ALL THE LAWYERS that used to get me in trouble.

"A creative lawyer considers a judge’s order a mere suggestion."

Then there's this law, which pops up after Solomon encounters a sunbathing femme fatale: “When you run across a naked woman, act as if you’ve seen one before.” If you ask whether that one is based on personal experience, I’ll plead the Fifth.

For an overview of criminal law, here’s a tidy observation from HABEAS PORPOISE: “A prosecutor’s job is to build a brick wall around her case. A defense lawyer’s job is to tear down the wall, or at least to paint graffiti on the damn thing.”

That’s the thing about Steve Solomon...he never runs out of paint.

(The Solomon vs. Lord novels have been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller, and James Thurber awards. All four legal thrillers are now Kindle Exclusives. For more information, please visit the author’s website: http://www.paul-levine.com)

For a Q & A with Paul, head over to Chatterrific.

And for a taste of Steve and Victoria's chemistry, I'm giving away Paul's short story "Solomon & Lord Sink or Swim" for Kindle thanks to Authors on the Web.

To enter, email g_so AT yahoo DOT com with the subject line "Sink or Swim Giveaway". One entry per person. Emails must be received by Wednesday, May 9, 11:59 P.M. Eastern. Winner will be notified and announced Thursday, May 10.

Welcome Back, Cuddy.

Robert B. Parker's Spenser hooked me on P.I. fiction, but as my knowledge and taste within the genre developed, Spenser began to seem larger than life. He didn't age or feel the effects of a case for more than one book. By this time, I preferred characters who showed more humanity, who did more investigative work than rattling cages and seeing what developed. In a name, I preferred Jeremiah Healy's John Francis Cuddy.

Cuddy and Spenser have similar backgrounds, Cuddy serving in Vietnam as a military policeman, but Cuddy has a less intimidating presence and questioning style, gaining as much if not more cooperation. Like Spenser, Cuddy is monogamous, but the love of his life, Beth, died young from cancer before the series' first book. Though he tries to maintain a new relationship, he remains mindful of Beth, often visiting her grave for insight into cases.

For my money, the Cuddy series is one of the most cohesive and satisfying in all of P.I. fiction, so I'm pleased to share the news that the first nine Cuddy books are now available in Kindle, Nook, Apple, and Google formats from Mysterious Press/Open Road Media:

Blunt Darts (1984)
The Staked Goat (1986)
So Like Sleep (1987)
Swan Dive (1988)
Yesterday's News (1989)
Right to Die (1991)
Shallow Graves (1992)
Foursome (1993)
Act of God (1994)

In celebration of the ebook release, Healy will also publish a new Cuddy novel soon, his first in thirteen years.