There are times when maintaining a blog is a drag, a necessary evil for a fiction writer who would frankly rather spend her precious time writing fiction. Times when I struggle to find something interesting to blog about.
Other times there’s so much going on, I hardly know where to start. This is one of those times.
Monday this week saw the launch of Hard Labour, published by Crime Factory, an anthology of Australian short crime fiction, which includes my short story ‘Killing Peacocks’ among stories by Garry Disher, Peter Corris, Leigh Redhead, David Whish-Wilson and others.
The reviews are starting to roll in.
Grit meets girt by sea and no amount of water can wash away the dirt. Hard Labour, the all Australian crime anthology exemplifies this in a similar yet uniquely down-under way. Language as colourful as its characters, plots as sharp as its knife wielding crims – from tales of outback horror, traitorous hit men, MMA fighting, and cults, to not so common thieves, there is a little something here for everyone.
Fair Dinkum Crime (this one comes with a spoiler alert)
The individual contributions to Hard Labour are unified by Australian flavour and realism – and the recurrent theme of stuffing up. Narrators…draw the reader closer before slipping a knife between their ribs, with a smirk, a wisecrack or a gentle kiss.
Morgana Macleod
Though I live with one of the editors, also a contributing author, I’m only just reading the whole anthology and I’m seriously impressed with the talent Crime Factory has assembled for this anthology. It’s a genuine thrill to have my own story, which one reviewer says “sings the murder ballad of an authentic, empathic character”, included in such a quality collection.
In other news, my publisher recently advised that my first two Jayne Keeney novels will be available in the USA from June 2013 — just before the third is due for release.
Hot on the heels of this welcome news, my first novel was brought to the attention of California based mystery novelist and blogger Margot Kinberg (thanks to Kathy Durkin). Margot not only included references to Behind the Night Bazaar in a couple of her distinctive, erudite thematic posts (see here & here), she generously featured me in a Best-New-To-Me Crime Fiction Authors meme under the title Getting to Know You.
I reckon using a lyric from a musical set in Thailand to introduce an author whose novels are set in Thailand is a master stroke.
The rest of the month promises to be busy with finishing the edits for the third book in the Jayne Keeney series, The Dying Beach, as well as several other projects I have on the boil.
Wouldn’t be dead for quids.
Angela Savage 
Angela – First, congratulations and well done on breaking into the U.S. market!! I couldn’t be happier for you. I also can’t wait to read The Dying Beach 🙂 :-). I hope it’s released soon. And thanks so much for your awfully kind mentions of my blog. That means a lot to me *blush.* It’s a pleasure to include your work in what I write.
I’m really excited too to read Hard Labour. I’ve just got my copy and can’t wait to dive in. Well done to all of you.
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Thanks for your comments Margot. Will be keen to hear what you think of Hard Labour. As I like my crime on the lyrical side, I particularly enjoyed David Whish-Wilson’s story ‘In Savage Freedom’ — by the way, another example of poetry fragment as crime title, as per your recent post (in this case, by Marcus Clarke). But I am also enjoying a taste of the hard-boiled: stories by Leigh Redhead, Cameron Ashley and Greig Johnstone, to name a few.
I wonder which stories will prove to be your favourites…
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Congratulations Angela! Delighted for you and Jane!
Cheers
Sulari
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Thanks my friend.
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Oh, that’s just brilliant news, Angela. Congratulations!! I hope Jayne ( and you!) set the US crime writing world on fire. xx
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Thanks Wendy. We’re talking the Australian edition of my books being available in American bookshops and listed on Amazon US — not going into US editions at this stage. Not sure what that means for competitive pricing. But hey, it’s a whole new potential audience and very exciting.
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Congratulations Angela. How well-deserved is this attention. We only hope that the U.S. crime fiction world of readers and reviewers become as smitten with Jayne as some of us are who’ve been luckily enough to read Book I. I eagerly await Book II, and will look for Hard Labour.
Yes, that song set in Thailand was quite a stroke of genius on Margot’s part. Her blogs never disappoint; there are not only an abundance of great mysteries discussed and often complicated themes, but music is always part of the mix.
Best wishes on all of your books.
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Thanks for your message Kathy and for introducing me to Margot and her blog. I greatly enjoy her take on crime and mystery writing and judging by her use of lyrics in blog post titles, we have similar tastes in music 🙂
My partner in life and crime fiction Andrew Nette will be in NY in time for Hallowe’en and will post The Half-Child to you then. I look forward to seeing what you think.
Thanks again for all your support and good wishes.
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Thanks so much for the book. And to arrive near Halloween — what a treat! I can’t wait to read this book and then pass it along to friends. And, of course, I’ll comment at Amazon.
Behind the Night Bazaar has stirred up some interesting conversations among friends.
Now if we could only solve the world’s problems!
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