tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32769285265841549532024-03-05T17:58:46.651-08:00BITTER WATER BLOGWhat passes for the website of Patrick Shawn Bagley, writer of crime fiction, horror and good ol' weird shit.Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-20811584219284416002018-02-19T07:57:00.001-08:002018-02-19T07:57:41.911-08:00It's Almost Here!<i>Bitter Water Blues</i> returns to print in just one month. Monday, March 19 is BWB Day (according to me, anyway). To celebrate, <a href="https://downandoutbooks.com/bookstore/bagley-bitter-water-blues/" target="_blank">Down & Out Books is offering a couple of deals</a>:<br />
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Pre-order the e-book, and get it for just $3.99. The regular price is $7.99.<br />
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If you pre-order the paperback ($17.95), you get the e-book free.<br />
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This is the DEFINITIVE edition of <i>Bitter Water Blues</i>, with past errors corrected. Don't miss out on the change to get it at a special price.Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-50413853641348179762017-11-07T02:45:00.000-08:002017-11-07T02:45:35.732-08:00CoveredThough I like the new one best, all three editions of <i>Bitter Water Blues</i> have benefited from having cool covers.<div>
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This is the cover of the Snubnose Press e-book, the first time Joey Kotex made it into print. Cover by the mighty <a href="https://www.ericbeetner.com/">Eric Beetner.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CBsmWdEpmbaePOnjWSTvbqqPYQO8OVtZM-pgjCJaHhx7-dUvJDjsRZcrzAuYpJnn9_dhuw81jfq4hZn8n2e8Z6uDv04nUo2gcSO_NFhZkqe1gIJyCfS10fYeWX0MrkZHcN9ivNgvsNsr/s1600/BWB+Cover+200x320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CBsmWdEpmbaePOnjWSTvbqqPYQO8OVtZM-pgjCJaHhx7-dUvJDjsRZcrzAuYpJnn9_dhuw81jfq4hZn8n2e8Z6uDv04nUo2gcSO_NFhZkqe1gIJyCfS10fYeWX0MrkZHcN9ivNgvsNsr/s1600/BWB+Cover+200x320.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then there was the 280 Steps paperback and e-book.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15389568859740562299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-67831354233132962022017-11-05T04:54:00.001-08:002017-11-05T04:54:42.292-08:00Braaaiiinnnsss!I love Peter Muise's New England Folklore blog. Here's a link to his <a href="http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2017/11/weird-new-england-news-brains-witch.html">most recent post</a>. If you're into folklore, history, and weirdness, you should pay him a visit.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15389568859740562299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-8640684685289636622017-11-02T02:31:00.001-07:002017-11-02T02:31:42.642-07:00New Cover Reveal: BITTER WATER BLUES.Here it is: the new cover for the reissue of <i>Bitter Water Blues</i>. My thanks to Eric Campbell and Lance Wright at <a href="https://downabdoutbooks.com/">Down and Out Books</a> for designing such a cool and classic-feeling cover. You can almost smell the bourbon and blood.<br />
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<i>Bitter Water Blues</i> returns to print in paperback and e-book editions on March 19, 2018.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJkraolMJRZrfCd1KHp242Ex_AZcZ790GcOKMSrUY-zo9ZRKk-i1PaBr_CpGGjwb4__nvUUZx228Tvo9DlLdN_Hn0ZR8tdKjAy1yHmSY4QtZXY7zjPxu_Op3poKWYUHszNLcju9y9pijV/s1600/cover-bagley-bitter-water-blues-3d-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJkraolMJRZrfCd1KHp242Ex_AZcZ790GcOKMSrUY-zo9ZRKk-i1PaBr_CpGGjwb4__nvUUZx228Tvo9DlLdN_Hn0ZR8tdKjAy1yHmSY4QtZXY7zjPxu_Op3poKWYUHszNLcju9y9pijV/s320/cover-bagley-bitter-water-blues-3d-1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKLC1IGEKIU1kwrXYNFFzVbZ5U0pF_GVOpmWd09cZbNj5Anw8ZTipEgGx4NaTedCKEYxqK3Cr0SYVfoyAJ3nVyDec5w7jJrC6X2zQuW9VhEpEFrQrD_G7TSuWNUjU7huZIKl0556sZ7ld/s1600/cover-bagley-bitter-water-blues-3d-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKLC1IGEKIU1kwrXYNFFzVbZ5U0pF_GVOpmWd09cZbNj5Anw8ZTipEgGx4NaTedCKEYxqK3Cr0SYVfoyAJ3nVyDec5w7jJrC6X2zQuW9VhEpEFrQrD_G7TSuWNUjU7huZIKl0556sZ7ld/s320/cover-bagley-bitter-water-blues-3d-3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15389568859740562299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-70957737949180547882017-11-01T18:08:00.001-07:002017-11-01T18:10:24.842-07:00Hey. How've you been?Three years since I added anything new to this blog. A lot happened in that seemingly short amount of time.<br />
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In January 2015, at a time when I was absolutely out of my head,<i> Bitter Water Blues</i> was published as an e-book by Snubnose Press. It spent more than <b>22 consecutive weeks</b> on Amazon's "Top 100 Noir Books for Kindle" list, peaking at #13. Not bad. Snubnose was unable to release a paperback, so we parted ways amicably, and I hooked up with another publisher, who shall remain nameless (he's currently serving a lengthy prison sentence, and may he rot there).<br />
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My wife and I decided to split up after 25 years of marriage. We divorced last May, but remain close friends. She'll always been an important part of my life. I moved twice. I started putting my head back together. My kids got older. I now have one daughter in her sophomore year of college, and the other is in 8th grade. They both possess writing and artistic talent that makes me proud and envious at the same time. My youngest is also becoming a fine pianist and composer.<br />
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In October 2016, 280 Steps published a reprint of <i>Bitter Water Blues</i> in e-book and the first-ever paperback edition. And, in March 2017, 280 Steps went out of business and <i>Bitter Water Blues</i> went out of print, along with their entire catalog.<br />
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Now, thanks to the perspicacious bad-asses at <a href="http://downandoutbooks.com/">Down and Out Books</a>, <i>Bitter Water Blues</i> is coming back in a big way. The paperback and e-book reissue will be released on March 19, 2018. I'm beyond excited about this. Down and Out publishes some of the best crime fiction you'll find anywhere.<br />
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Check back here tomorrow (11/02/17) to see the new cover. It's fucking beautiful.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15389568859740562299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-33607205743502610322014-03-24T04:02:00.000-07:002014-03-24T04:02:13.309-07:00The AJ Hayes Memorial Writing Contest at Do Some Damage<a href="http://dosomedamage.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-aj-hayes-memorial-writing-contest.html?spref=fb&m=1" target="_blank">http://dosomedamage.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-aj-hayes-memorial-writing-contest.html?spref=fb&m=1</a>Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-44029040522049659382013-10-16T15:10:00.001-07:002013-10-16T15:11:46.189-07:00Mid-Coast Halloween Reading: Jen Blood, Katherine Silva and Patrick Shawn BagleyThis is going to be an excellent reading with two talented writers, plus...um, me! Two out of three ain't bad, and they're not even charging admission. So if you're in the mid-coast Maine area on October 24, I hope to see you there.<br />
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Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-36849820646618339302013-06-29T08:46:00.001-07:002013-06-29T08:46:55.404-07:00Breath & Shadow<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvED8AA75XqmjezoVWKgONDRApHqGys248yi4DjIp457N-OWsLICjbv1ccCtTKYbW2qGBIZIEODTwDESK7J1aJk295Tx-EbFFanG8Z1FJk5qLHU7ZEhAq8z4SBLmmfd49-EYh1IxD0Nz8/s157/logobs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvED8AA75XqmjezoVWKgONDRApHqGys248yi4DjIp457N-OWsLICjbv1ccCtTKYbW2qGBIZIEODTwDESK7J1aJk295Tx-EbFFanG8Z1FJk5qLHU7ZEhAq8z4SBLmmfd49-EYh1IxD0Nz8/s157/logobs.gif" /></a>Ability Maine is a nonprofit organization which advocates for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. They also produce a blogzine called <a href="http://www.abilitymaine.org/breath/" target="_blank">Breath & Shadow</a>, which spotlights writing by many of the people they support. Each issue brings some excellent poetry, nonfiction, flash fiction, short stories, essays and reviews. The Spring 2013 issue features hard-hitting piece of flash fiction by William Ward called <a href="http://www.abilitymaine.org/breath/" target="_blank">"The Jungle."</a> Check it out today. You won't be disappointed. You might even see things from a new perspective.Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-6289129678674892142013-06-29T08:15:00.002-07:002013-06-29T08:15:28.777-07:00It's Almost Reapin' TimeAs the release date for his third novel (The Big Reap) draws closer, Chris F. Holm <a href="http://www.chrisfholm.blogspot.com/2013/06/what-its-like.html" target="_blank">reflects on the writing life</a>. Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-25067999687772064242013-05-03T12:23:00.001-07:002013-05-03T12:23:06.761-07:00WWEAPD (What Would Edgar Allan Poe Do)?<b><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: center;">
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The Mystery Writers of America have announced the winners of the <a href="http://www.theedgars.com/" target="_blank">2013 Edgar Awards</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><b>Live by Night </b></span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;">by Dennis Lehane (HarperCollins Publishers – William Morrow)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><b>The Last Policeman: A Novel </b></span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;">by Ben H. Winters (Quirk Books)</span></span></div>
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Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><b>the Last Days of Old China </b></span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;">by Paul French (Penguin Group USA – Penguin Books)</span></span></div>
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The Scientific Sherlock Holmes: Cracking the Case with Science and Forensics</div>
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by James O’Brien (Oxford University Press)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;">"The Unremarkable Heart" – </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldItalicMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldItalicMT; font-size: small;">Mystery Writers of America Presents: Vengeance</span></span></i></div>
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by Karin Slaughter (Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company – Mulholland Books)</div>
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BEST JUVENILE</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><b>The Quick Fix </b></span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;">by Jack D. Ferraiolo (Abrams – Amulet Books)</span></span></div>
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BEST YOUNG ADULT</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><b>Code Name Verity </b></span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;">by Elizabeth Wein (Disney Publishing Worldwide - Hyperion)</span></span></div>
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BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY</div>
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ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;">"When They Are Done With Us" – </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldItalicMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldItalicMT; font-size: small;">Staten Island Noir</span></span></i></div>
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by Patricia Smith (Akashic Books)</div>
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Ken Follett</div>
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Margaret Maron</div>
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Oline Cogdill</div>
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Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, San Diego & Redondo Beach, CA</div>
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THE SIMON & SCHUSTER - MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD</div>
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(Presented at MWA’s Agents & Editors Party on Wednesday, May 1, 2013)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial-BoldMT; font-size: small;"><b>The Other Woman </b></span></span><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: small;">by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Forge Books)</span></span></div>
Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-17775382011916236872013-05-02T13:51:00.001-07:002013-05-02T13:51:25.842-07:00A Start (Maybe)<strong>Here's something I wrote last night, trying to set a mood. I don't where this piece might go, but it feels like an okay start.</strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Two years working on Elman
Luce’s farm and Doyle had never once set foot in the old man’s house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now here he was, sitting at the kitchen table
across from his boss while Mrs. Luce busied herself with fixing supper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doyle took in the cross-stitched Bible verses
hung between the windows, the linen calendar, the electric range sitting next
to the old wood-fired cook stove, the handmade oven mitts and the linoleum
floor—spotless except for small black burns where someone had been careless
when emptying the stove of coals and ashes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was house so unlike his own; even though he’d been asked in, he felt
like an intruder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Luce
stared at the table, rubbing with his thumb at a worn spot in the Formica top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The old man blew through his nose and pushed
himself up from the table, lumbered over to a cupboard from which he took a
bottle of whiskey that sat on a high shelf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bottle was mostly full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
his wife scowling at him, Luce poured some into two tumblers and handed one to
Doyle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A cold
feeling seeped through Doyle’s guts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Elman Luce’s stinginess with liquor was just as legendary as Mrs. Luce’s
hatred of the stuff. Whatever the old man had to tell Doyle, it wasn’t going to
be a joke.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-50537558947699822252013-05-02T13:18:00.002-07:002013-05-02T13:18:31.676-07:00Taking AttendanceTwenty-four people visited this blog today. <br />
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Weird.Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-18563430936129672202013-03-06T12:37:00.003-08:002013-03-06T12:37:53.619-08:00The Insubordinate Melissa FalconTake a look at this <a href="http://billanddavescocktailhour.com/pipedreams-time-and-the-insubordinate-writer/" target="_blank">blog post</a> by my friend Melissa Falcon.Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-7915739968136634192013-02-20T14:57:00.002-08:002013-02-20T14:57:39.307-08:00Been a Long Time Since I Rock and Rolled...A quick glance at the sidebar will show you I haven't published a story since 2009. That's not much of a hiatus by Charles Portis's standards, sure, but it's one hell of long time for a writer who was considered to be up-and-coming.<br />
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So what happened?<br />
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Stuff. Stuff happened. I fired my agent. Then I stopped writing for a while. <br />
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No, that's not quite true. I've been writing every day, often for hours at a stretch. But that's part of my day job. See, I supervise two homes for adults with cognitive disabilities. My work entails writing behavior plans, support plans, reports, protocols, etc. There are meetings, budgetary considerations, staff to train and manage. I teach <a href="http://www.mandtsystem.com/" target="_blank">Mandt</a>. I work as an agency investigator for Adult Protective Services, which also requires mucho writing. I love my job and plan to stick with it for a long, long time.<br />
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So what about fiction, all the short stories I wanted to write? What about novels? What about <em>Bitter Water Blues</em>? <br />
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I'm working on a couple of short stories set in Wesserunsett, though I'm not sure where they're going. I've started a new novel that is, well...pretty fucking weird. And I'm having a blast writing it (hat tip to <a href="http://www.chrisfholm.com/" target="_blank">Chris F. Holm</a>; he knows why). <br />
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As for <em>Bitter Water Blues</em>, that one has become my "trunk novel." Sort of. I'm currently rewriting sections of it as a novella called <em>The Ballad of Hag & Earl</em>. It is some of the nastiest, grittiest country noir you'll ever see. And you <strong>will</strong> see it. The rest of it is probably best left buried and forgotten.<br />
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I've learned a lot about making time for the writing I want to do, as opposed to using my day job as an excuse for avoiding it. Will I regain that up-and-comer status of just a few years back? I sure as hell hope so. I want to get back there and then hit the next level. And I hope you're all still interested enough to read my new stuff when it comes out.<br />
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Thanks for being cool and hanging around.Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-56742221231252416542012-01-01T05:41:00.000-08:002012-01-01T05:41:28.094-08:00My Favorite Reads of 2011Over at <a href="http://pulppusher.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pulp Pusher</a>, I named Frank Bill's <i>Crimes in Southern Indiana</i> as my favorite book of 2011. Now, I'd like to mention a few other books that I think were among last year's best.<br />
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<em>The Adjustment</em> by Scott Phillips. Post-war America as experienced by a jaded veteran with a penchant for hookers, booze and putting the hammer down on anyone who crosses his boss...until the boss fucks with him. <br />
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<em>Choke Hold</em> by Christa Faust. Angel Dare is back. 'Nuff said. Read it.<br />
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<em>The Devil All the Time</em> by Donald Ray Pollock. This one made me feel the same as when I first read William Gay. Violent. Sad. Gut-wrenching. I read it twice.<br />
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<em>Road Rules</em> by Jim Winter. I'm not much of an e-book guy, but <em>Road Rules</em> was worth a bit of eye-strain. Winter has served up a tasty slice of gonzo noir.<br />
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<em>El Gavilan</em> by Craig McDonald. This might be 2011's most relevant crime novel. The battle over immigration rages through a small Ohio city. I don't know of any other writer who had tackled the issue in such a clear-eyed, compelling manner. Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-59193299651890095642011-04-16T10:39:00.000-07:002011-04-16T11:19:29.267-07:00As Noir As It Gets<p>Poets are sick.<p> <br /><p>Sick.<p> <br /><p>Every fucking one of them, going all the way back to Homer—and still countless generations before that blind old fart set the standard for Western literature, some Cro-Mag with a rancid animal hide swaddling his junk stood up beside a campfire and wove stories about a great hunt or the cruelty of gods or the downright fun of slamming a handaxe into your enemy’s face.<p><br /><p>Get it now?<p> <br /><p>Poets are bat-shit crazy because more than anyone else, they feel the power of words.<p><br /><p> And poetry is the world’s oldest form of storytelling.<p><br /><p> Embrace these simple concepts and we'll get along just fine.<p><br /><p> Which brings me to volume four of <em><a href="http://poemsoncrime.blogspot.com/">The Lineup: Poems on Crime</a></em>.<p><br /><p>As someone who had a small hand in shaping the first two anthologies, I’m proud to say <em>The Lineup</em> gets better every year. This time around, we see a man haunted by war crimes (Reed Farrel Coleman’s “Slider, Part 7”), a woman getting revenge on her dead lover’s ex-wife (Germaine Welch’s “Houston Oil Man Missing”), the cold lives of prostitutes (“Street Girls: Selected Memories” by Stephen Jay Schwartz) and the beginning of a rape victim’s endless nightmare (J.D. Smith’s “From a Deposition”). Kieran Shea (“In Oaxaca, 2006”) and Keith Rawson (“A Story to Tell Our Daughter”) deliver the goods, too. From Ken Bruen, whose novels are epic <em>noir</em> poetry disguised as prose, we get “Funeral: Of the Wino”:<p><br /><p><em>For far too long </em><br /><em>I’d lived </em><br /><em>a lithium above despair.</em><p> <p>Which brings me back around to my point about poets being sick.<p><br /><p>These poems are as <em>noir</em> as it gets, buddy. Each one is a distillation of pain, greed, loss, false hope, betrayal, desperation and death. The poets themselves are hard men and dangerous women. The difference between them and the rest of the tribe? The poets don’t turn away from the darkness. Poets don’t flinch.<p><br /><p>Crime poetry seeks an understanding of what drives us to rob, cheat, torture and kill each other. Some of the stories in <em>The Lineup</em> are true. Others are made up. But every one of them is real. Editors Gerald So, Reed Farrel Coleman, Sarah Cortez and Richie Narvaez have put together a crew of poets who aren't fucking around. Charles Bukowski would have felt right at home in these pages. Not to mention Johnny Cash and Bon Scott.<p><br /><p>Poets are sick.<p><br /><p>And it's a good fucking thing for all of us.<p>Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-13161547876127725332011-01-01T01:41:00.000-08:002011-01-01T01:57:08.495-08:00The Obligatory Top Ten ListI actually got a request for this, which means at least one person is still following the blog. So, it's time to list my favorite down-and-dirty crime reads of 2010. Most of these were new releases, but a couple of the books came out in 2009. Hey, my list = my rules. Ya gotsa problem widdat?<br /><br />These are in no particlar order, but I will say that Benjamin Whitmer's <em>Pike</em> was my absolute favorite novel of the year. To paraphrase the great Nigel Tufnel: "It's like how much more noir could it be? And the answer is none. None...more noir." If you haven't read <em>Pike</em> yet, do yourself a favor and snag a copy right away. Rural noir at its hardscrabble finest.<br /><br />Okay, now for the rest of the list:<br /><em>The Ghosts of Belfast</em> (aka <em>The Twelve</em>) by Stuart Neville<br /><em>Kings of the Earth</em> by John Clinch<br /><em>Young Junius</em> by Seth Harwood<br /><em>Criminal Volume 5: The Sinners</em> by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips<br /><em>A Bad Day for Pretty</em> by Sophie Littlefield<br /><em>Thunder Beach</em> by Michael Lister<br /><em>The Deputy</em> by Victor Gischler<br /><em>The Devil</em> by Ken Bruen (even though the supernatural aspect felt out of place)<br /><em>Nobody's Angel</em> by Jack Clark<br /><br />Discuss...Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-59949792104968959732010-11-14T17:46:00.000-08:002010-11-14T18:19:07.061-08:00In Which the Errant Writer Returns, However BrieflyEight months without a blog post. And yet--somehow--the world keeps on doing its collective thing. So just for the record, I'm not dead and I didn't go off to walk the Earth like Cain in <em>Kung Fu</em>. <br /><br />Or is it Kane? I dunno.<br /><br />Even though it's been quiet here, I've had plenty to keep me busy: promotions at work, trips to camp, parting ways with my agent and getting turned down by another, revisions and even some new writing. <br /><br />New writing?<br /><br />Oh, yeah. I've been working on nasty little bit of country noir that's almost ready to rear its ugly head. Ever seen road-kill used as a boxing glove? Yep, I went there. <br /><br />And I'm reading.<br /><br />Lots of reading.<br /><br />Always reading.<br /><br />If there was one thing guaranteed to piss off my old man, it was the sight of me sitting down with a book. But he was a prick and I hardly spoke a word to him during the last ten years of his life. So there you go. To this day, I just can't bring myself to trust anyone who dislikes books.<br /><br />So read something.<br /><br />I'll be back later.Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-36882555232133781982010-03-12T11:24:00.000-08:002010-03-12T11:37:35.158-08:00Chris Holm Springs into ActionI'm not a regular reader of <em><a href="http://www.themysteryplace.com/ahmm/">Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine</a></em>, but I do pick it up whenever it featured work by writers whose work I admire. Like <a href="http://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/">Chris F. Holm</a>. He writes memorable short fiction and it's only a matter of time before some publisher snaps the two novels he's completed so far.<br /><br /><br />The May 2010 issue of <em>AHMM</em> kicks off with Chris' latest story, "Action." If you enjoy <a href="http://www.donaldwestlake.com/index1.html">Donald E. Westlake's</a> Dortmunder* series of novels and short stories, then "Action" is your bag, baby. It's a funny, fast-paced heist story. The May <em>AHMM</em> is on the newsstands now, so rush on out and buy a copy.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*Bonus points if you can spot Chris' little tip o' the hat to the late MWA Grand Master.</span>Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-5993667885985219092010-03-11T05:33:00.001-08:002010-03-11T05:39:08.357-08:00Deep Thoughts from Tough Guys: The Blacklin County Leads the Way Edition<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB86FwkSu3tj2ZO0qr9vvDccvlYsg7IUVNCoCNS8KQMmSWqzABq-5Pe3k_PdcpfSD47bd8nVP45A7LapfguTqnAEsXw2YbepJju61FZX6NDCfqkoVsn6wTgBcdEPG2PLHZtZ_aWwetfO8/s1600-h/ACC+Bill+Crider+1+March+2005.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 319px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447369287622098370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB86FwkSu3tj2ZO0qr9vvDccvlYsg7IUVNCoCNS8KQMmSWqzABq-5Pe3k_PdcpfSD47bd8nVP45A7LapfguTqnAEsXw2YbepJju61FZX6NDCfqkoVsn6wTgBcdEPG2PLHZtZ_aWwetfO8/s320/ACC+Bill+Crider+1+March+2005.jpg" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> The saddest words of all were "It seemed like a good idea at the time."</span></strong><br />--from <em>Of All Sad Words</em>, copyright 2008 by <a href="http://www.billcrider.com/">Bill Crider</a>Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-62810897692629151172010-03-06T05:16:00.000-08:002010-03-06T05:48:28.502-08:00Guest Blogger: Stephen D. Rogers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2ifffUIMwhV31SGq84-lv5qtcrR2p0D7GSGj5H9ZQ3tjBi0fssSPRsVhqEZJWxXWl4W79hu8PcfNG5uzcALxCiJPSh6VXk4F8C3nkkTaYBb2nQ7t_CX3y71ohpfMBw5Jf-ZoztNVfkU/s1600-h/ShotToDeath300dpi.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 198px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445516244673659218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2ifffUIMwhV31SGq84-lv5qtcrR2p0D7GSGj5H9ZQ3tjBi0fssSPRsVhqEZJWxXWl4W79hu8PcfNG5uzcALxCiJPSh6VXk4F8C3nkkTaYBb2nQ7t_CX3y71ohpfMBw5Jf-ZoztNVfkU/s320/ShotToDeath300dpi.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><strong>The <em>Shot to Death</em> Blog March</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div>"I am so going to fuck you up"</div><div>--from "Tenant at Will"</div><div></div><br /><div>So begins one of the 31 stories in <em>Shot to Death</em> (ISBN 978-0982589908). Within that beginning lurks the ending to the story and everything that happens between the beginning and the end. Or at least it seems that way to me.</div><div></div><br /><div>I love the emphasis created by the word "so." That first line shows me a real can-do attitude that I have to admire. Just as long as the person talking isn't talking to me. This time.</div><div></div><br /><div>An opening like that, with no clear directive, forces me to forge a framework. Immediately I can scrap all characters who could be expected to utter such words as well as all characters who might expect to hear them.</div><div></div><br /><div>"I am so going to fuck you up." So says a mother to her daughter.</div><div></div><br /><div>That daughter is a tenant at will, free to leave at any time, and yet she listens to such abuse. Maybe she kicks it back, but she's there to hear it in the first place.</div><div></div><br /><div>Can she not afford to leave or does she feel obligated to stay? What would change either of those two possibilities?</div><div></div><br /><div>Maybe both are true. Maybe she can't afford to leave and she feels obligated to stay, although perhaps her mother's attitude is chipping away at the latter.</div><div></div><br /><div>The former would change if the daughter was offered somewhere else to live. Perhaps love is on the horizon. Or at least a relationship that isn't so acidic.</div><div></div><br /><div>She has, however, been in a dysfunctional situation, and those have a tendency to cling. She might escape. She might even find love. Even so, I fear her mother is going to get in the last word.</div><div></div><br /><div>"I am so going to fuck you up."</div><div></div><br /><div>All that remains is the writing.</div><div></div><br /><div>For a chance to win a signed copy of <em>Shot to Death</em>, click on over to <a href="http://www.stephendrogers.com/Win.htm">stephendrogers.com</a> and submit your completed entry.</div><div></div><br /><div>Then visit <a href="http://www.stephendrogers.com/Howto.htm">the schedule</a> to see how you can march along.</div><div></div><br /><div>And then come back here to post your comments. Phew.</div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQQw-9XGqtVMfj8Z0yOUXtcUK7jvd5qkJ8paWYFGTAO9LMdNdMkoURsMMuc1qaMOTF3mwR10nZhtNDwlIP9Igw_HxyJR4KUetkllnuedJbgL4W6gg4O2wGH67pxDQMPBxSO97Mbh1j_8/s1600-h/SDR.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 271px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 334px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445516239492040882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQQw-9XGqtVMfj8Z0yOUXtcUK7jvd5qkJ8paWYFGTAO9LMdNdMkoURsMMuc1qaMOTF3mwR10nZhtNDwlIP9Igw_HxyJR4KUetkllnuedJbgL4W6gg4O2wGH67pxDQMPBxSO97Mbh1j_8/s320/SDR.JPG" /></a>Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-64972409112602129692010-03-05T06:18:00.000-08:002010-03-05T06:41:20.953-08:00Forgotten Books Friday: Shadow on the Sun by Richard Matheson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBQWPucqr1hMuctC_kioJ6Aj3YFQoknoVCjTazCeUEUZ-B7ra23fGBTL0zngCQUj9WkptAsll79f7DUp57YpQP4W2vGSNw6QA5KjM_sQt6p1b5hheW1U6lEHFl703np-laEu8dxfn5kc/s1600-h/9780765325839.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 199px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445159271629885714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHBQWPucqr1hMuctC_kioJ6Aj3YFQoknoVCjTazCeUEUZ-B7ra23fGBTL0zngCQUj9WkptAsll79f7DUp57YpQP4W2vGSNw6QA5KjM_sQt6p1b5hheW1U6lEHFl703np-laEu8dxfn5kc/s320/9780765325839.jpg" /></a><br /><div>If Elmore Leonard and Joe Lansdale were to collaborate on a western, the result might be something like Richard Matheson's <em>Shadow on the Sun</em>. Though best known for horror classics like <em>I Am Legend</em> and <em>Hell House</em>, Matheson is no slouch when it comes to western tales. </div><br /><div>In <em>Shadow on the Sun</em>, we meet Billjohn Finley, an Indian Agent who has negotiated a new treaty between the U.S. government and a band of Apaches led by Braided Feather. The situation is tense, with the white townsfolk of Picture City doubting the natives will keep their word and the soldiers of Fort Apache ready for any excuse to wipe out the band. When the bodies of two men are found horribly mutilated outside of town, their brother demands that Finley send for the cavalry to attack Braided Feather's people. But what about the dark, oddly scarred stranger who has come to Picture City asking for archaeologist Albert Dodge and the Apache known only as the Night Doctor? Finley refuses to the believe that the Apaches are behind the killings, but he's the only white man interested in uncovering the truth.</div><br /><div><em>Shadow on the Sun</em> was originally published by Berkely in 1994. Tor has recently brought it back into print as a $13.99 trade paperback. Go get it.</div>Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-6829970829752905582010-02-28T10:25:00.000-08:002010-03-01T05:39:20.134-08:00Jason Duke Rules the NightCheck out this trailer for Jason Duke's forthcoming novella, <em>Phoenix Nightlife</em>:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C3KLm-9XvHo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C3KLm-9XvHo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-14905600441247793932010-02-22T14:01:00.000-08:002010-02-22T14:21:10.298-08:00Rea and WritingI haven't done much writing since my mother-in-law got sick. That's not whining on my part; I wouldn't trade being able to spend time with <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mainetoday-morningsentinel/obituary.aspx?n=rea-a-denico&pid=139847822">Rea</a> during her final days for anything (except for having her back with us). Rea was one of my best supporters and she'd want me to get my ass back in the chair and start working again.<br /><br /><br />The new novel is waiting for me. <em>Bitter Water Blues</em> is still in need of a publisher. I owe an editor a short story for an anthology scheduled to be released in the fall. There are promised reviews and interviews. Time to get busy again.<br /><br /><br />So to keep you happy (or maybe just snickering) until I'm fully back up to speed, here's a shot of me reading <a href="http://theferalpages.com/issue1/?page_id=25">"The Cove"</a> at the Stone House in Freeport on January 14. Thanks to Penelope Schwartz Robinson for the photo...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-E8WIaFRkFDO4L3_KOVAQZG3TZExEHZn6TzD_KWp9CbX-HHEhnfjmHgpre8Kjf9-vrzniEUs683KVNYmLZD056vC7M586pfWlya-s6O-ydY3dJ6uW4J0Sh-6Upl_JzS3-HU4qYpZzoE/s1600-h/reading+at+Stonecoast+Jan+14+2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 305px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441195752756286050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-E8WIaFRkFDO4L3_KOVAQZG3TZExEHZn6TzD_KWp9CbX-HHEhnfjmHgpre8Kjf9-vrzniEUs683KVNYmLZD056vC7M586pfWlya-s6O-ydY3dJ6uW4J0Sh-6Upl_JzS3-HU4qYpZzoE/s320/reading+at+Stonecoast+Jan+14+2010.jpg" /></a>Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3276928526584154953.post-60519062316431188392010-01-19T13:41:00.000-08:002010-01-19T13:47:01.805-08:00On HoldI'm going to be away from Bitter Water Blog and Facebook for a while as my family deals with a medical crisis. It's not Tonia or the kids or me, but someone of tremendous importance to us and we need to devote all of our energy to helping her get through this. I'll be back when I can.<br /><br />P.Patrick Shawn Bagleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14832860010935241958noreply@blogger.com7