In which the author finally exhales...

If you're reading this, chances are you know the third book in my Collector series, THE BIG REAP, comes out soon. July 30, to be precise. It's the longest in the series by a damn sight, and the most ambitious as well. Of course, ambitious ain't the same as good, so when advance copies were made available this week, I started sweating its reception something fierce.

Its first review went live today over at Snobbery, and I'm delighted to say it's the kind of review authors would gladly give a pinkie for. Here's a taste (click through to read the rest):

"You know those books that you want to tell everyone to read, but when asked to describe what they’re about, you kind of draw a blank because even tiny details venture into spoiler territory? Chris F. Holm’s third book in The Collector series, THE BIG REAP, is one of those books."

Thanks, SJ, for the kind words. You made my day.

First the argument, then the booze...

My last post, if you cast an eye toward the comment section, proved quite the pot-stirrer (in a good way, I think), so it's only fitting this one is as frivolous and hedonistic as can be. Today, I'm partaking in oenophile/author/foodie blogger Richard Auffrey's Authors, Alcohol, and Accolades feature, in which Wesley Chu, Zachary Jernigan, and I discuss our favorite libations. Stalkers take note, if you ever feel like delighting me with a bottle at a signing.

Only One Rule That I Know Of

Recently, the science fiction and fantasy community has been embroiled in a heated debate over the treatment of women both on and off the page. It was triggered, in part, by the cover pictured above, which appeared on the official Bulletin of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Many members of the SFWA objected to the image on the grounds that its regressive depiction of an outmoded female archetype does both our genres and our organization a great disservice.

I'm one of them. And if you read my contribution to this week's SF Signal Mind Meld, you'll know why.

I don't want to spill a lot of ink on this issue or the tumult it has caused within the community, because at root, there's nothing to debate. Not that that's stopped either side from lobbing their respective intellectual clunkers at one another. To wit:

• Your First Amendment rights do not, in fact, preclude you from criticism for slinging sexist bullshit, and if you think they do, you might consider shutting up for however long it takes you to reread said amendment.
• When you tell people to buy more books by women authors, you're making books by women authors sound like fungible commodities, which in turn reduces those authors to human vessels for their naughty bits just as surely as the side you're trying to rail against. What I think you mean is "Endeavor to read widely," which is, in itself, problematic, because who are you to tell people what to read?

It seems to me the only position out there worth a damn is to try your best to treat people equitably off the page, and to create fully-fleshed characters on it. Or to distill the point down further, I defer to the inimitable Kurt Vonnegut, who seems to've already said anything I've ever tried to say worth saying, only better:

Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies -- God damn it, you've got to be kind.

The Big 500

Hmm. It would seem this is my 500th blog post. Kinda wish I'd hung some streamers or something. Alas, it's naught but a quick link update. Maybe 501 will be chock full of big haps.

Today's my day to post at Criminal Minds; I'm talking about the realities of writing while holding down a day job.

And Brandon Sears at Every Read Thing takes a look at my first short collection, 8 POUNDS. Thanks for giving it a read, Brandon!

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to blow out these candles and dish up some 500th-post cake. Then it's into the rented Moon Bounce for me.

"Pretty Little Things" Now Available!

The July 2013 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, featuring my short story "Pretty Little Things," is on shelves now!

Most of my short stories are long-gestating affairs of nebulous origin; they kick around inside my head until I get sick of 'em rattling around, and put them down on paper to get them out. Not so "Pretty Little Things." The tale was inspired by an odd phone call, and my ensuing attempt to figure out from whence it came. Turnaround from precipitating event to finished story was 48 hours. And I daresay it's one of the best shorts I've ever written. I'm delighted Janet Hutchings thought it worthy of EQMM's pages, and pleased to see it running alongside the likes of Twist Phelan and Bill Pronzini. I hope you folks dig it, too.

CM: Lost in a Good Book

Which fictional sleuth's world would you most like to inhabit? That's the topic at Criminal Minds this week, and today I offer up my (slightly left-field) selection.

"The Well" Revisited

Today, I'm over at the ever-charming Sabrina Ogden's blog, talking about my short story "The Well" as part of her blog series dedicated to the stories included in the FEEDING KATE charity anthology. Thanks for having me, Sabrina!

CM: If you wanna find hell with me...

At Criminal Minds this week, the topic involves our protagonists' mothers. I think the idea was to write something sweet for Mother's Day. If so, I missed the mark, because the closest thing Sam's got is Lilith. Hints about THE BIG REAP abound. There may also be some gratuitous Glenn Danzig, on account of he's the source of my post's title.

A DEAD LETTERS Rave!

Over at Every Read Thing, Brandon Sears (an avowed short story skeptic) dives into my new short story collection, DEAD LETTERS, and declares:

"At the risk of sounding like a fanboy, I can’t get enough of Mr. Holm’s work. Between his Collector series and now this short story collection, he’s an author that everyone should be looking out for..."

Thanks, Brandon, for the kind words! DEAD LETTERS is available here for your Kindle or Kindle app.

Happy Book Release, Dan O'Shea!

Today, Dan O'Shea's much-anticipated debut novel, PENANCE, is available in stores the US over, and on ereaders worldwide. I was lucky enough to get an early peek at it, and here's what I had to say:

“PENANCE is a rare novel, at once staggering in scope and achingly human. A brutal, white-knuckled tale of betrayal and redemption in which the sins of the fathers are laid upon their children tenfold, O’Shea’s astonishing debut delivers pulse-pounding thrills and the beating heart to match. Fans of Le Carré and Lehane had best take note.”

You want a copy? (Let me field that one for you: you want a copy.) Click here to find out where. Or march into your local indie and demand they order a copy or ten. That way, when Dan blows up huge, they can say they saw it coming.

Every Read Thing Guest Post

A while back, Brandon at Every Read Thing asked me by to talk about short stories that've stuck with me over the years. Poor guy had no idea the can of worms he was opening. But I managed to get my list down to eight (okay, maybe nine, depending on how you count), featuring the likes of Chandler, Poe, Lovecraft, and Powers, as well as newer stories by Hilary Davidson, Stuart Neville, and Steve Weddle. And in the comments section, I've posted links to (legally) read a bunch of my picks!