Crimedog One

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ON YELLOW MEDICINE

Publishers Weekly has reviewed Yellow Medicine as a web-exclusive, and here's what they had to say:

"Deputy Billy Lafitte’s ethically-flexible approach to law enforcement has led to his dismissal from the force in Gulfport, Miss., and the break-up of his marriage in this well-written if grim contemporary noir from Smith (The Drummer). Through the intercession of his brother-in-law, Lafitte has found a new job in remote Yellow Medicine County, Minn., but his continuing corrupt ways land him in all sorts of trouble, with a trail of bodies following in his wake. His involvement with some meth dealers leads him to cross paths with some Malaysian terrorists, who are plotting to strike at America’s heartland. The terrorists frame Lafitte for some gruesome murders, using the knife he’d gotten from his father to decapitate some of their victims. Smith deserves credit for taking a risk by creating a character like Lafitte, whose private code of honor—if any—is far more obscure than an antihero like Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer."

That's damned sweet.

MAY 10: MINNEAPOLIS, ONCE UPON A CRIME

Big thanks to Pat and Gary at my "home" bookstore Once Upon a Crime for once again opening their doors graciously so I could come and sign copies of Yellow Medicine on Saturday.  Brandy and I had a great time meeting everyone and hanging out.  The photos didn't turn out, so you'll just have to trust me on this.  Met up with our buddy Steve Stilwell for good drinking and meat at Market BBQ, one of my fave Twin Cities spots.  Later, Brandy and I took a trip back to The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant where the magic happened about a year and a half ago.

I'll be back around on Wednesday to drop in on some other stores in the Cities, but I think you should track down Once Upon a Crime if you haven't made it over yet.  What a great place to spend an afternoon.

SO, PSYCHOBILLY MONDAY: YEA OR NAY?

Aren't you curious about if Psychobilly Monday had any impact or not?  Me too.  The verdict: No idea.  The online listings don't tell me much, and I'm not sure about the brick and mortar stores.   But, hey, it was fun.

Tell you what: if the Great Psychobilly Blog Road Trip moved you to purchase Yellow Medicine, please leave a comment so we'll be able to add you to the infinitely long "people I owe a beer to" list.

"IT'S SOME SORT OF TEXAS PSYCHOBILLY (MONDAY) FREAKOUT!"

Quoting the good Rev. Heat today (even though the book has nothing to do with Texas whatsoever) to proclaim the opening bell for the day-long celebration of Yellow Medicine, Psychobilly Monday.  In other words, I want people to buy my books today if you're so inclined.  And to do it from some kind of Barnes & Noble store might (just *might*) make it a blip on their radar screen.  And if that happens, I think the sky will turn dark and hot hail will fall as Ming the Merciless attempts to destroy Earth. But then again, maybe we'll get some attention.  Do it for Billy Lafitte.  Do it for all the bloggers we hijacked.  Do it for my wife's cat, who really would like a new toy.  It's for a good cause--your reading enjoyment.

While you're at it, get out your Cramps, your Horton Heat, your HorrorPops, your Stray Cats, etc etc, and rock out to that psychobilly beat.  Make your coworkers uncomfortable.  Put some pomade in your hair and pierce something.  Have fun like you're rarely had fun on a Monday before.

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE ROAD TRIP'S OVER

Wasn't that fun, people?  Holy hell, that was some ride (and cheap-ass publicity stunt)!  But it all grinds to a halt today. 

The stats:
17 blogs.
Over 9000 words. 
An unprofessional amount of typos. 
And some very cool folks to allow me to hijack their blogs and personas for our trip around the Web.  I owe you all...something.  Maybe a Coke.

And our final stops before Psychobilly Monday (please buy Yellow Medicine tomorrow from B&N or their online store) are to the legendary Bill Crider (a gentleman and glass eater), and the publisher who helped make this ridiculous trip a reality, Bleak House Books.  A bow to them both.

Regular transmissions will resume shortly.  The word from the road--Minneapolis, Madison, and Milwaukee, starting tomorrow. 

69

Yellow Medicine has been 69ed.  Lot of paper cuts, etc.

Thanks to Marshall Zeringue for letting me play the game.

ANOTHER MILE, ANOTHER HEADACHE, ANOTHER SAD COUNTRY SONG

As we head off on a real road trip, hitting the Upper Midwest Corridor (see the dates off to the left), we're still virtually roving around the Interweb in the ultra-stretch Hummer-sine (which was due back to the rental place on Thursday...).  Today's trippers:

Rock Em Sock Em Quertermous!  Louder Faster Blackmoore!  And Willing & Able Boyle!

So have fun.  Only one more day of the Blog Road Trip tomorrow as we cruise towards Psychobilly Monday, May 12, the day on which we can make a dent in the B&N machine with egregious purchases of Yellow Medicine.  I'll be spending the day in the heart of the beast, Bleak House Headquarters in Madison, WI. 

MA-MA-MAMA, WE'RE ALL ROAD TRIPPIN' NOW

Dawn.  Friday.  It's been a long week.  Too bad most of us on the Hummer-sine are too delirious to remember any of it.  But, hey, there's more memories out there to make...and then immediately lose.

Today, we're adding Seth Harwood (P.I. writer to-the-max!), the Famous Jordans from Crimespree Magazine (editors, reviewers, writers, and fans over-the-limit!), and Patrick Shawn Bagley (Poet of the Bogs & Redneck Crime Writer in-your-face!).  And on we go, aiming towards Psychobilly Monday (May 12).  Yellow Medicine is waiting for you.

MYSTERY SCENE DIGS YELLOW MEDICINE

Pulling into a rest area quickly to tell you about Mystery Scene magazine's review of Yellow Medicine.  And I like it.  Talks about me delving into psyches and stuff.  That's friggin' cool.  Here you go:

"Billy Lafitte has a history of making bad decisions. Those he made as a policeman in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina cost him both his job and his wife. Now working as a deputy in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, his fondness for Drew, a local meth lab operator's girlfriend, has him once again bending the law to suit his own purposes. When Drew asks him for help after two Asian drug dealers threaten her boyfriend, Billy finds he's in way over his head. As the body count mounts and with the FBI hot on his trail, Billy tries to protect the girl he's come to care for, while making sense of a complicated drug deal gone wrong.

In Yellow Medicine, Anthony Neil Smith delves into the psyche of a man driven by an outside-the-law concept of right and wrong. Billy is more anti-hero than good guy, with only his devotion to Drew as a saving grace. The plot has a noir feel to it that's heightened by the bleak winter setting, tough characters, and unrelenting suspense. Compelling writing drives this story to a satisfying, if bloody, conclusion. " - Mary Welk

TRIPPIN' TO THE EXTREME

We're past all common sense now, people.  Little sleep, loud music, and we're way past maximum capacity in the Hummer-sine, but onward we go.  Today, the Great Psychobilly Blog Road Trip of 2008 visits J.D. Rhoades (that fine writer behind those Hell books, and quite possibly The Devil Himself), Patricia Abbott (fine short story artiste from Detroit.  Yes, Detroit.  Motor City Apocalypse, USA!), and Ray Banks (fine piece of work, and I mean that the way tough guys in noir films mean it.  And he writes, too.  He shouldn't be having that much fun).

And, for the hundredth time, we're all doing this to help put Yellow Medicine on the literary map, especially if we make a push to purchase it on Psychobilly Monday, May 12.  Why?  Because, damn it, I like hype!