Hard Case Crime Update from Charles Ardai

First off, we're only a bit more than a month away from Hard Case Crime's big relaunch.  Our first two new titles in over a year come out on September 20th, and our next two arrive on October 4th: GETTING OFF by Lawrence Block, QUARRY'S EX by Max Allan Collins, THE CONSUMMATA by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins, and CHOKE HOLD by Christa Faust.  We've already started seeing some early reviews online and I'm delighted to see that people are really enjoying the books.  MIchael Rogers of Library Journal, for instance, is halfway through reading THE CONSUMMATA and just blogged "It's a blast."  And blogger Julia Barrett wrote this about GETTING OFF: "Occasionally I watch a movie or read a book that makes such a deep and lasting impression [that] I can’t stop thinking about it...Well, GETTING OFF did it to me.  Last night was the first time in ages a book has kept me up all night."  If you'd like a little taste of each book, you can find sample chapters and cover art for all four on our Web site, www.hardcasecrime.com.  If you would like to pre-order the books -- either in physical or e-book editions -- you can do so by clicking on the "Order Now" link for each book (or by going directly to your favorite local or online bookseller).    A number of you have asked us if our new publisher, Titan Books, will be offering a subscription service along the lines of the "Hard Case Crime Book Club" that our old publisher, Dorchester Publishing, used to offer.  Titan has told us they would like to do so -- but it's not something they've ever done before, and they're still looking into how they could pull it off.  As soon as we get a definitive answer from them, we'll let everyone on our mailing list know.  In the meantime, though, I doubt they'll have it up and running in the next month...so if you'd like to get our new books delivered by mail when they're published, pre-ordering them is your best bet.  For those of you in or around New York City, there's another option, which is to pick up copies in person at the relaunch event we're holding the evening of Wednesday, September 21, at the Mysterious Bookshop.  The Mysterious Bookshop is one of the oldest and best-respected mystery booksellers in the world, run by the legendary Otto Penzler, and we're thrilled that he's invited us to unveil our new titles in his store.  Lawrence Block will be there to sign copies of GETTING OFF, and Christa Faust will be there from the West Coast to sign copies of CHOKE HOLD.  I'll be there, too, and I'll be inviting other Hard Case Crime authors to come.  We'd love to see you there, if you happen to be in the vicinity and can make it.  The event will probably start around 6 or 7pm (the time hasn't been nailed down yet), and the store is at 58 Warren Street, just off West Broadway.  I realize most of you reading this message aren't anywhere near NYC and won't be able to come -- but for those of you who are, I hope you stop by.  In other news, we've announced our next 2012 title: BLOOD ON THE MINK, by science fiction grandmaster Robert Silverberg.  This is one of his rare non-science fiction novels, and in fact may be his rarest novel, period -- it has never been published in book form, only in the final issue of an old pulp magazine called TRAPPED DETECTIVE STORIES half a century ago.  It's a terrific story about counterfeiters and the federal agent who goes undercover to bring them down, and it features a great cover painting by Michael Koelsch.  You can check it out when you visit our Web site.  Finally, I wanted to remind you that the second season of the TV series "Haven" -- inspired by the book Stephen King wrote for Hard Case Crime, THE COLORADO KID -- recently started airing on SyFy.  It's on Friday nights at 10pm here in New York, and it's just been getting better and better.  I've been lucky enough to get to work on the show and I can tell you there are some good stories coming.  So if you haven't started watching it yet and you find yourself with some free time on a Friday night...check it out.  You'll be glad you did.  And when September 20 comes and you start reading our new books...let us know what you think.   Can't wait.  Best, Charles ----------- Charles Ardai Editor, Hard Case Crime