Christa is pretty cool. I had the chance to meet her and author Megan Abbott at a recent signing at the Murder by the Book bookstore in Houston. Prior to the signing, both authors talked about their books and took questions from those in attendance. Faust talked about all the praise she has gotten from those within the porno industry about her novel "Money Shot," and her accurate depiction. She also talked about her experience doing the movie novelization of "Snakes on a Plane" and how she had to churn out 95,000 words in a six-week period. Considering that the script for "Snakes" was pretty thin, it allowed her to go on weird tangents (20 pages about babies on the plane) and so on. Fun stuff.

Anyone else recognize the book next to the dame in this cover image? (I know...not that anyone is really looking at the book...)

http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk41/cover_big.jpg

She's a John Lange fan too! :)

I got this one yesterday. Looking forward to reading it. (I read the old Lange titles years ago in the Bantam paperbacks -- I used to scour used book stores for them -- and they were always a lot of fun.

I'm very pleased that Cricht-- er, I mean, Lange has allowed them to be reprinted.

Really excited about the April Hard Case Double of Robert Bloch's Shooting Star and Spiderweb. While we wait, I thought I'd post some images of the original covers, along with a URL with some other Bloch goodies. Enjoy!

http://mgpfeff.home.sprynet.com/star.jpghttp://mgpfeff.home.sprynet.com/spiderweb-br.jpg

From http://mgpfeff.home.sprynet.com/larson_early.html

If you are in the book of the month thing with the publisher, when in the month do you normally get your book? I haven't received anything yet from signing up mid February.

I suspect that it probably takes a while for things to get going once you sign up. But they should be pretty regular after that. (I did belong at one time, but I don't remember what time of the month they came.)

FWIW, I usually get mine right around the end of the month. Typically a few days after they show up at Barnes & Noble.

Edited to add: If I had to guess, I'd think you would get the April title. I don't think it took too long to start getting mine.

Well, this is interesting. Check out what just appeared at the Hard Case Crime site: a new book from Charles Ardai, this time under his own name...

(...and from what I can deduce, it looks like the book's chapters will be named after books in the HCC line? Makes me wonder if it will have 50 chapters, covering them all...?)

http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk50/cover_big.jpg

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF HARD CASE CRIME!

Okay, not really. But what if, instead of having been founded 50 books ago, Hard Case Crime had been founded 50 years ago, by a rascal out to make a quick buck off the popularity of pulp fiction? Such a fellow might make a few enemies—especially after publishing a supposed non-fiction account of a heist at a Mob-run nightclub, actually penned by an 18-year-old showgirl. With both the cops and the crooks after them, our heroes are about to learn that reading and writing pulp novels is a lot more fun than living them...

First publication ever!
By the Edgar award-winning author of SONGS OF INNOCENCE and LITTLE GIRL LOST (written as "Richard Aleas")
Featuring a full-color insert section containing images of the first 50 Hard Case Crime covers!

Wow. That cover artwork is gorgeous and the theme of the book sounds really cool as well!

I like the idea of celebrating a remarkable run, but I hope this isn't TOO self-referential and jokey. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, though. :)

I don't know if this is supposed to be a secret or not... (hope not!) ... But Charles told me last summer that's what he's doing. First chapter is called Grifter's Game and that title features into what happens in that chapter, etc., etc., on down the line.

Sounded like a crazy idea to me, but maybe it'll work.

Probably as good a time as any to remind everyone that the HCC site always posts sample chapters of forthcoming books (even this new one). That's where I saw that Chapter 1 of Fifty-to-One is titled "Grifter's Game."

Fantastic cover art and a great concept IMO. I can't wait for this one. Now I just need to catch up on the 20 or so HCC that are sitting on the shelf waiting to be read in anticipation of this release (I got side-tracked when I got into reading Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett!)...

I think the idea sounds fun for those who are totally into the line of books. For someone who might be considering the line for the first time, it sounds like it wouldn't be the best option.

I do look forward to reading it. For whatever reason, I love stories that pay homage to other stories.

I called about my book club membership and the customer service person for the publishing company was the nicest, most helpful person i have ever encountered on the phone. My membership will begin at the end of this month with April's book.

Now i have to go out and chase down the book for March. Was it Zero Cool?

My first book club book came in the mail Friday. I had completely forgotten that April was going to be the double book. Very cool.

Also, did someone on here say the novel with Treacle in the title was kind of weak? I was at Borders yesterday and was going to pick up on of the Lawrence Block books i had missed (I loved Lucky With Cards) and was trying to decide between The Girl With The Long Green Heart and A Diet of Treacle.

<I>Long Green Heart</I> good. <I>Treacle</I> bad.

Yeah, I didn't like Treacle at all, and I usually love Block.

OK, folks, the April "double" title is on its way to stores...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...rL._SS500_.jpg

Actually, it should be in stores now. Picked mine up 2 days ago...

So what are people thinking about this newest release? I haven't had time to start it yet so I have no personal comments.

I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't had the time yet either. I did peruse the first few pages of Shooting Star, and for some reason it seemed very familiar. Does anyone know if these books have seen publication in any limited-edition or small-press publications in the past 20 years? I know Richard Matheson had a book of old noir titles published in a limited edition a while back (Noir: Three Novels of Suspense), but I could swear I've seen these fairly recently too. I'm probably imagining things, because I can't find any mention on the Web...but still...it's familiar.

The January 2009 title has been posted at the HCC site...

http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk51/cover_big.jpg

BECAUSE IN 1961, NO ONE WOULD HAVE CALLED
FIDEL CASTRO THE RETIRING TYPE

There were five of them, each prepared to kill, each with his own reasons for accepting what might well be a suicide mission. The pay? $20,000 apiece. The mission? Find a way into Cuba and kill Castro.

This breathtaking thriller, originally published the year before the Cuban Missile Crisis under a pen name Lawrence Block never used before or since, is the rarest of Block’s books—and still a work of chilling relevance all these years later, with Castro and Cuba once again commanding headlines.

First publication in almost 50 years!
First publication ever under Block’s real name

I liked the cover, does that help? :D

Seriously, I haven't had much desire to read any HCC books lately. I find myself reading them in bulk. The last time I got interested in the line, I read 4-5 in two weeks. I'm sure I'll wake up one morning and tear through a bunch of these again.