Category: Authors

Truman Capote’s IN COLD BLOOD Trivia!

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In Cold Blood was the book that made Truman Capote famous.  Upon publication it quickly rose to best-seller status and is still one of the all-time best-selling true crime books.  A year after the book was released an award-winning movie adaptation premiered which only added to Capote’s stardom.  

I’ve seen the film In Cold Blood.  It’s an excellent movie which gets better with each new viewing.  I’ve had the In Cold Blood novel sitting on one of my many to-be-read book shelves for years.  After reading April Snellings’  7 Chilling Facts About Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood posted at Mental Floss, I’ve decided to finally read Capote’s book.  Before you click over to Snellings’ piece, here are my three favorite facts from her piece and my thoughts on each.

HARPER LEE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN RESEARCHING IN COLD BLOOD.  (That’s right, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird traveled with Truman Capote to Holcomb, Kansas and assisted Capote in getting access to people with for background info for the book! Harper Lee was Capote’s assistant! – Craig)

A FIGHT OVER THE FILM RIGHTS TO IN COLD BLOOD GOT TRUMAN CAPOTE’S AGENT ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT. (Capote’s agent was Irving “Swifty” Lazar!  Lazar also represented Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Cary Grant, Ernest Hemmingway, Cher and Richard Nixon to name just a few.  When Otto Preminger learned that Lazar had sold the rights to someone else, they got into a heated argument.  Preminger ended up with a busted head and a trip to the hospital.  Lazar ended up with charges for felony assault!  Read Snellings’ account for full details! – Craig)

THE MEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDERS DETAILED IN IN COLD BLOOD ARE SUSPECTED OF KILLING A FLORIDA FAMILY AFTER THEY FLED KANSAS.  (I had never heard this fact before.  Sounds like there could be another book in the making! – Craig)

 

Bram “Dracula” Stoker – Facts You May Not Know!

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Almost everyone knows that Bram Stoker wrote one of the pillars of horror fiction, Dracula.  Brigit Katz at Mental Floss dug deeper and came up with 11 Enlightening Facts About Bram Stoker.  Before you click over, here are three of my favorites with my thoughts on each…

IT TOOK BRAM STOKER SEVEN YEARS TO WRITE DRACULA. (What’s interesting is he liked to say the story came to him in a dream after “a too-generous helping of dressed crab at supper.”  I’ll admit his version is more fun than the reality of seven years of writing, research and rewriting. – Craig)

DRACULA WAS ALMOST NAMED “COUNT WAMPYR.” (Count Wampyr!  C’mon, man, you know that sounds wimpy compared to Count Dracula.  Plus “DRACULA in Wallachian language means DEVIL.”  Thankfully Stoker changed his mind and went with Dracula! – Craig)

BRAM STOKER SENT FAN MAIL TO WALT WHITMAN. (Whitman responded and the two authors actually did meet three different times.  I love it when I learn trivia like this.  It makes both men seem more down to earth. – Craig)

“Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol” – The Trailer for the New Series is Here!

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Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol could be good.  .I plan to check it out.

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol is streaming September 16th on Peacock with new episodes every Thursday: https://pck.tv/3xeZ66d

Synopsis: Based on Dan Brown’s international bestselling thriller “The Lost Symbol,” the series follows the early adventures of young Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Ashley Zukerman), who must solve a series of deadly puzzles to save his kidnapped mentor and thwart a chilling global conspiracy.

Jordan Harper Talks Shop and Welcomes You to the Hammer Party!

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Jordan Harper has worked as a journalist, rock critic and television writer.  He was a writer on Gotham and the lead writer on The Mentalist.  Harper also writes crime fiction.

His crime novel She Rides Shotgun won multiple awards including being named the 2018 Edgar Award Winner for Best Debut Novel.  She Rides Shotgun gets my highest recommendation as well.  If you like crime fiction, then you owe it to yourself to take a look.

Eli Cranor interviewed Jordan Harper and it is well worth a read.  Hats off to Cranor for a fun, insightful interview.

Jordan Harper has a newsletter and occasionally posts on Twitter.

Gun Honey is Coming!

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Titan Comics and Hard Case Crime are teaming up to present Gun Honey, a four issue mini series written by Charles Ardai (Hard Case Crime co-founder), with art by Ang Hor Kheng.  The series will premiere in September with variant covers by Bill Sienkiewicz (shown above), Robert McGinnis, Ang Hor Kheng,  Andrea Camerini, Kendrick Lim and Fay Dalton.  

The weapon you need, where you need it, when you need it – she’ll get it!

When a gun smuggled into a high-security prison leads to the escape of a brutal criminal, weapons smuggler Joanna Tan is enlisted by the U.S. government to find the man she set loose and bring him down!

If you’d like to see all the variant covers and more interior art, you can at ComicBook.com.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (the novel) by Quentin Tarantino Gets a Trailer! Then…

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First there was the screenplay for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino.  Then the trailer for the movie was released.  Then we got the movie. 

Then Tarantino decided to adapt his screenplay/movie into a novel. Today we get a trailer for the novel.  Then on July 29th Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the novel, by Quentin Tarantino will drop.  Until then, the trailer…

Hollywood 1969… You shoulda been there! Based on his Academy Award-winning film, Quentin Tarantino’s first novel is here! Buy and read #OnceUponATimeInHollywood today!

Quentin Tarantino’s long-awaited first work of fiction — at once hilarious, delicious, and brutal — is the always surprising, sometimes shocking new novel based on his Academy Award-winning film.

 

 

“Kiss Me, Judas” by William Christopher Baer & Jefferson Costa!

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I’m always on the look out for a great crime story whether it is a novel, movie, graphic novel or comic book. Originally written as a novel by William Christopher Baer, Kiss Me, Judas came to my attention thanks to a Kickstarter for the graphic novel adaptation by Baer and artist Jefferson Costa.

Check out the synopsis and a couple of pages of art from the book below.  Who knows, maybe you’ll want to jump on board the Kiss Me, Judas Kickstarter.  I did. 

RIP: David Anthony Kraft

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David Anthony Kraft, author and publisher, died yesterday from COVID pneumonia.  Mr, Kraft was 68 or 69 (depending on the source).  

David Kraft began his career as a rock and roll journalist.  In 1974, Kraft founded Fictioneer Books which would go on to publish works by Robert E. Howard, Otis Adelbert Kline. and Jack London among others.  In 1975, he began working for Marvel Comics as editor of FOOM and later a writer on many of Marvel’s most popular characters.  Mr. Kraft also worked as a writer for DC Comics in 1976 and again in 1983/84. 

In 1983, he began publishing David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview.  The magazine ran for 150 issues with each issue focused on in-depth interviews with comic creators.  The magazine was a favorite with fans and pros alike.  It was a great source of background information, previews of new stories and art in those days before the internet.

My first exposure to David Anthony Kraft was through his Fictioneer Books publishing.  Dragonflame was written by Don McGregor with several illustrations by Paul Gulacy.  My favorite David Anthony Kraft comics were his Captain America stories with Mike Zeck and John Beatty.  And like so many comic fans, I was a regular reader of his Comics Interview magazine.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to David Anthony Kraft’s family, friends and fans.

RIP: Charles Grodin

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Charles Grodin, the multitalented actor and author, died today at the age of 86 from bone cancer.  Mr. Grodin, whose acting career spanned over 60 years worked in feature films, television and on Broadway. 

His first role was an uncredited part in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  He then transitioned to television making guest appearances until his role in the feature film Rosemary’s Baby.  For the rest of his career Charles Grodin alternated between feature films, television movies and tv series.  Along the way, Mr. Grodin wrote plays, books, hosted his own talk show and was a political commentator for 60 Minutes.

Before researching Charles Grodin’s acting resume, I would have said that the first time I saw him was in Rosemary’s Baby.  I would have been wrong.  Prior to that film, Mr. Grodin had made appearances on television programs for well over a decade.  I must have seen him in The F.B.I., Captain Nice, or The Guns of Will Sonnet first. 

My favorite Charles Grodin movie role was in Midnight Run with Robert DeNiro.  I’m surprised there never was a sequel since Midnight Run was so well received by critics and fans.  Other memorable Charles Grodin movie appearances included roles in King Kong, Heaven Can Wait, Seems Like Old Times, and Beethoven. 

Charles Grodin was able to stay active over the length of his acting career (on stage and screen), had the talent to write plays, memoirs, screenplays, an award-winning television special as well as host his own show — all of this is evidence of his many talents. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Charles Grodin’s family, friends and fans.     

Eric Beetner Drops a Dime to Jason Bovberg

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I learned about Eric Beetner through his book reviews.  Beetner (and I) share a love of crime fiction, His reviews, for books that I’d read, were directly in line with my thoughts. So, I picked up some of Beetner’s recommendations.  I liked them.

Then I learned Eric Beetner was a writer of crime fiction and his books earned great reviews. I ordered one and never looked back.  Beetner quickly moved to my must-read author list.  His latest, Two in the Head, is my favorite Beetner tale yet.

Jason Bovberg is an Eric Beetner fan as well.  He recently interviewed Beetner and says, Eric Beetner Has Been Flying Under Your Crime-Fiction Radar … but Not Anymore.  I hope he’s right.

  

RIP: Jim Steinman

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Jim Steinman, lyricist of million-selling hit records, died yesterday at the age of 73.  No cause of death was released.

Steinman is best known for his collaborations with Meat Loaf on the albums Bat Out of Hell (1977) and Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993).  Bat Out of Hell produced two top ten hits: “Two of Three Ain’t Bad” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” and became one of the best-selling albums ever.  Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell released one single: “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” that spent five weeks at No. 1.  Steinman also penned the music and book for Bat Out of Hell: The Musical which ran from February through April in Manchester, England.

Steinman may have been known best for his two collaborations with Meat Loaf, but he composed and produced hits with many other artists including…

  • “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” performed by Air Supply
  • “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (which he also produced) performed by Bonnie Tyler
  • “Nowhere Fast” performed by Fire, Inc. for the Streets of Fire Soundtrack
  • “Left in the Dark” performed by Barbara Streisand
  • “Hulk Hogan’s Theme” for the WWE
  • “Holding Out for a Hero” (which he also produced and co-wrote with Dean Pitchford) performed by Bonnie Tyler
  • “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” performed by Celine Dion
  • and many more.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim Steinman’s family, friends and fans.

“Truman & Tennessee” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster and trailer for Truman & Tennessee can be found here.  Truman and Tennessee are, of course, Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams.  I don’t know much about either man other than they were considered great writers. They created excellent books (Capote) and plays (Williams) which in turn led to excellent movies.  I didn’t often see either of the men on talk shows because I was too young to be interested, but I have seen the movies made from their work.  I’d like to know more about these creatives and so I look forward to seeing Truman & Tennessee.

A story of two of the greatest writers of the past century examined in a dialogue that stretches from their early days of friendship to their final, unsparing critiques of each other.

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (A Reckless Book) by Brubaker and Phillips is Coming!

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In his newsletter that came out yesterday, Ed Brubaker shared the cover of the third book in his and Sean Phillips’ Reckless series.  Titled Destroy All Monsters, it features their character Ethan Reckless.  Brubaker also announced:

Our original plan was to do the first three books in the series, then take a break and do something else and then come back for more Reckless adventures, but then I had ideas for two more… so we’ll be doing five of these in a row unless something goes wrong.

If you’re not up to speed on the Reckless series check out Ed Brubaker gets Reckless with Sean Phillips at The Beat.

Eddie Muller’s Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir is Getting a Revised & Expanded Hardcover Edition!

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Fans of film noir will be excited to learn that Eddie Muller’s classic Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir is getting a revised and expanded hard cover edition!

This revised and expanded edition of Eddie Muller’s Dark City is a film noir lover’s bible, taking readers on a tour of the urban landscape of the grim and gritty genre in a definitive, highly illustrated volume.

Dark City expands with new chapters and a fresh collection of restored photos that illustrate the mythic landscape of the imagination. It’s a place where the men and women who created film noir often find themselves dangling from the same sinister heights as the silver-screen avatars to whom they gave life. Eddie Muller, host of Turner Classic Movies’ Noir Alley, takes readers on a spellbinding trip through treacherous terrain: Hollywood in the post-World War II years, where art, politics, scandal, style — and brilliant craftsmanship — produced a new approach to moviemaking, and a new type of cultural.

I’ve already pre-ordered mine.  You can too, if you’re so inclined.  Here is the Amazon link (at a discounted price).

Eddie Muller has teamed with Larry Edmund’s Bookshop in Hollywood California to provide autographed copies that will also contain an exclusive graphic stamp.  These copies can be ordered here.

“Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters” – The Teaser Trailer is Here!

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Even if you don’t recognize the name, Mike Mignola, you know his creation, Hellboy.  Perhaps the most popular comic character created in the last 40 years, Hellboy has been adapted into several movies, games, comic series and more.  A documentary about Hellboy’s creator, Mike Mignola, is in the works.  The first teaser trailer is here!