What’s the hurry? IIRC, the release date is two months away.

It’s January 31. But why wait? If you order now, you lock in the best price and the earliest delivery. And, if you want Subterranean’s $45 signed-and-numbered limited edition, well, it’s already almost fully subscribed. Odds are it’ll be sold out before publication, and that might well be true of the $25 hardcover trade edition as well. It’s unusual for Subterranean to go back to press, so why risk getting shut out?

Oh, you think? It’s a real hot ticket, is it?

It seems to be, and the trade reviews are adding fuel to the fire.“Block’s unlicensed New York City investigator Matt Scudder debuted 40 years ago but has been absent for the last decade,”writes Wes Lukowsky in a starred review in Booklist. “Block has never been predictable, as this novella demonstrates. A superb book and a reminder to his longtime fans that this crime-fiction master hasn’t lost his touch.”

I guess he liked it.

As does Publishers Weekly: “The well-crafted novella from MWA Grand Master Block follows an entertaining path to the satisfactory conclusion. If brevity keeps all the usual supporting characters from returning, some nice nostalgic mentions will reassure fans that they haven’t been forgotten. It’s good to see Matt back in action.”

Okay, you sold me. What happens if I click on those links up above?

They’ll get you to Amazon’s pre-order pages for the ebook and hardcover. If you want the limited edition—assuming there are still copies left—you’ll need to go to the Subterranean Press site. Or, if you’d prefer to pre-order the ebook from someone other than Amazon, this link will direct you to half a dozen other popular platforms.

Will there be an audiobook? And have they lined up somebody half-decent to voice it?

Yes to the first question. Brilliance Audio will bring out their edition end of January. As to the voice artist, it’s not my place to assess his merits.

Because, um,  he’s me. I’ll be spending a couple of days next week in a sound studio, giving voice to Matthew Scudder. I’ve done this before a few times, with Eight Million Ways to Die and The Night and the Music, and of course I’ve narrated other books of mine, most recently Catch & Release and Keller’s Fedora. And I’ve read parts of the novella to audiences at NYC and Bouchercon readings, and nobody hooted me off the stage. So I’m looking forward to voicing A Time to Scatter Stones, and hope it works for those of y’all who enjoy reading with your ears.

Cool. I’m a big fan of deferred gratification. But I wish there was something new that I couild order right now…

Today’s your lucky day. Not long ago I passed the word about Hollywood vs. the Author, in which eighteen writers recount their experiences with the world of film and TV. My own essay concerns the casting of Whoopi Goldberg as Bernie Rhodenbarr in Burglar, and it’s in very good company. (I got my copies of the book just the other day, so all I’ve had time to read are the pieces by Diana Gould and Lee Goldberg, and Stephen Jay Schwartz’s interview with Jonathan Kellerman. But I look forward to the rest—Michael Connelly, Gregg Hurwitz, Andrew Kaplan, Tess Gerritsen, James Brown, Alexandra Sokoloff, Ron Roberge, T. Jefferson Parker, Alan Jacobson, Max Allan Collins, Peter James, Naomi Hirahara, and Joshua Corin. Gee, I hope I didn’t leave anybody out…)

You know, I’m a little skittish about using the C-word, but I do believe this book’s likely to become a Classic. Writers and readers alike seem more inclined to talk about film and TV treatment of their work than anything else, and Hollywood vs. the Author manages to combine hilarious anecdotage with no end of essential tradecraft and sneak peeks inside the studio walls. A couple of panel discussions are already taking shape, and I expect to participate in one next fall at Dallas Bouchercon. Ebook and paperback are available right now—but if you really want to pre-order something, the audiobook won’t be ready to ship until December 5. So go for it!

And it won’t be too long before you get to pre-order At Home in the Dark.

I’ve mentioned this anthology before—a cross-genre collection of stories from the dark side of the street. The date’s not set yet, but early spring seems most likely for Subterranean’s release of a 500-copy signed and numbered deluxe edition. And this limited printing will AHITD’s only hardcover edition.

Isn’t the cover outstanding? It’s the work of Ken Laager, who supplied the great cover art for Resume Speed, and also for the new Joe R. Lansdale collection, Driving to Geronimo’s Grave.I’ll be offering AHITD in trade paperback and ebook, and as soon as the book’s open for pre-orders, I’ll be sure to let you know.

And, just as I was about to hit the SEND button, I found something else for y’all to pre-order. Nor will you have long to wait, as the release date is November 26.) The book is Skin & Bones, and the book’s 21 stories are all about cannibalism.

Showing uncharacteristic restraint, I won’t say a word about each story whetting your appetite for more of the same, or putting you off your feed, or, well, never mind. Dana C. Kabel’s the editor, and he has a story of his own in the book, as do Patricia Abbott, Charles Ardai, Joe Clifford, Angel Luis Colón, Bill Crider, Glenn Gray, Tim Hall, Rob Hart, Tess Makovesky, Terrence McCauley, Marietta Miles, Richie Narvaez, Stuart Neville, Thomas Pluck, Ryan Sayles, S.A. Solomon, Jason Starr, Liam Sweeny, and Dave Zeltserman. A rather impressive lineup, I must say, which I could call a menu, but won’t. I’m in there, too, with “Sometimes They Bite.”

Are there recipes?

It wouldn’t surprise me. I haven’t seen the book yet, I just saw the Amazon listing ten minutes ago, and it’s all new enough so that the ebook and the paperback are listed on different product pages.

Bon appetit!