I truly believe that one of the greatest joys we can get in this life is in helping others and in seeing our friends and love ones achieve success. I have the pleasure of calling Matt McBride and Frank Bill my friends. I posted interviews with both these authors on this very site several months ago and I predicted both of these guys would hit it big. Well.. now months removed, I can say I was right. Matt's book "Frank Sinatra in a Blender" is now available for purchase on Concord E-books website and Amazon for $7.77. It includes a wonderful intro from Ken Bruen, one of the living legends in the mystery genre. I read this puppy when it was nothing more than a manuscript and I loved it and I sent it to Ken who was nice enough to read it.. and thank goodness he loved it. The rest is history...Matt's enormous talent so evident in his early short stories was finally given a home by Concord Free Press. This is only the beginning and someday we'll be able to sit back and laugh about the early days when he was a struggling writer. But, don't take my word for it, get over there and buy the dang thing..I think Matt gets half of every book sold & the other half goes to Concord Free Press to help with their charitable efforts. The only downside to Matt's book is my character, Officer Wiethop, got left on the cutting room floor. Such is my life story...close but no cigar !! Ha ps Also left on the cutting room floor was take a, LEFT ON PHILLIPS & RIGHT ON AYERS now those were streets I was looking forward to driving.
Frank Bill's first book "Crimes in Southern Indiana" comes out via FSG on Sept 7th & Aug 30th via Amazon. I read an early draft and this is one terrific book and early reviews are drawing lines to McCarthy, Woodrell, and William Gay. Those are HUGE shoes to fill. However, Tom Franklin and William Gay himself, have both recently given it high marks. Donald Ray Pollock, author of Knockemstiff gave raving reviews as well. So, mark it on your calender as this is one book your not going to want to miss.It's available for pre-order on Amazon as we speak.Then as we get closer to those above dates I'll have some other special things posted on here. Jed Ayres and myself spent a weekend with Frank & his wonderful wife Jenn,(she was a saint to put up with the 3 of us) not too long ago, and we shot some terrific stuff down there that will come out in due time. Don't forget Frank will be in St. Louis on June 11th at Noir@Bar and he will also have a short story published in Playboy some time in the Fall. Oh, and he's a Hoosier by the way..born & bred like yours truly.
The great thing, the exciting thing here, is that both of these guys are just scratching the surface of what will be long and fruitful careers. Get aboard these trains now before they leave the station.
Hi Rod. I've known Matthew for a while and have been impressed with his writing. I'm new to Frank but I must say that I'm excited for them both. It's great to see fellow writers breaking through. I'll be getting their novels when I get my Kindle in a couple of weeks. Great post!
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