INDIE- & SELF-PUBLISHING PODCASTS: THE 9 ESSENTIAL SHOWS (2015 EDITION)

The version of this post that I published last year was so popular that it warrants an update. And honestly, what a difference a year makes. There are still some holdovers from last year with a few newbies popping up. I urge anyone who is interested in indie- or self-publishing to subscribe to as many of the shows as possible. 1) THE SELL MORE BOOKS SHOW (Via iTunes) Entrepreneur Jim Kukral and writer Bryan Cohen have been delivering the goods...

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NEW TV PODCAST: TV HANGOVER

So I figure I'd drop the goods on a podcast I'm producing at my day job. It's called TV HANGOVER. The concept is fun conversation about TV between a lofty critic and an obsessed superfan. From highbrow ('The Leftovers') to lowbrow ('Bachelor in Paradise'), the rants and gripes are fast and furious and comprehensive. Check it out and subscribe in the iTunes store or on Stitcher. SHOW RUNDOWN 00:40 — This week we’re watching: “The Grinder,”...

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TNT'S 'PUBLIC MORALS: IT'S 'MAD MEN' MEETS NYPD BLUE

Editorial note: I've been meaning to get around to writing a review for TNT's new period cop drama "Public Morals" but work has been keeping me more than preoccupied. Nonetheless, I initially didn't have high hopes. For starters, TNT recently gave us the noir-stinker "Mob City," a retro drama playing dress-up and I must admit, I've never been a fan of that Kermit-like voice of series creator and star Edward Burns. Boy, was I wrong... This drama...

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PAUL BISHOP INTERVIEW: THIS FORMER LAPD 'LIE CATCHER' PRIMED TO CONQUER KINDLE'S CRIME CHARTS

Paul, you've been kicking around the writing biz for quite some time. You've written a bunch of novels, short stories, screenplays and were the co-creator of a new pulp line (FIGHT CARD), what makes LIE CATCHERS different from your previous work? Lie Catchers is my most intimate book on two levels. First, it really delves into my personal experiences as an interrogator. This was something I’ve been wanting to do for several years now. Interrogation...

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ENTER TO WIN A FREE COPY OF MY TWO AUDIOBOOKS

Fans of this blog will know that from time to time I host the occasional raffle or giveaway featuring a novelist of note. For my third effort, I figured I would kill two birds with one stone by announcing the availability of my two audiobooks (just released on Audible) and by offering two free copies in a giveaway. If you've stumbled upon my page for the first time, here's a bit about each book: BOURBON & BLONDES: Minimalist in approach...

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'RAY DONOVAN' SEASON 3: FIRST LOOK AND IMPRESSIONS

Ray Donovan is back and Goddammit, it's darker than ever. While everyone continues to sing the praises of the overbloated and (sometimes) full-of-itself "True Detective," I've been telling people about that other California neo-noir on premium cable Sunday nights (WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE OF SEASON 3 HERE). Granted, the visions of the Golden State on 'Donovan' are more Cartier than K-Mart on the Showtime drama and, truth be told, it works....

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CAN BILL BACKER BE THE REAL DON DRAPER?

Who is the REAL Don Draper? Is it Bill Backer? Mad Men finale: Is Bill Backer the real Don Draper? Warning: This article contains a spoiler, of sorts Mad Men's finale ended not with a whimper but with a song. As a refreshed Don Draper saluted the sun, wide-eyed viewers were treated to a playback of one of the most popular commercials of all time: Coca-Cola's 1971 spot, ‘Hilltop' The implication being, after finding himself, Golde...

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THANKS FOR A HALF MILLION PAGE VIEWS!

Where does the time go? Seven years ago I jumped into this thing called the Blogosphere with a crude little blog which, admittedly, I knew nothing about running. I was flying blind and pretty much found my way in the dark when it came to HTML, search engine optimization and content curation.It was the Wild West. Everyone recorded their every thought and some lucky early adopters were fortunate enough to get noticed and parlay their blogging success...

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ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF MARK WISNIEWSKI'S NOIR NOVEL 'WATCH ME GO'

Win a copy of what noted scribe Salman Rushdie calls "Pure, muscular storytelling ... irresistible." Every now and again a scribe comes along that grabs the industry by the short and curlys. Mark Wisniewski is THAT kind of scribe. In fact, 'Watch Me Go,' was one of the most-anticipated books of the year, receiving advance praise not only from Rushdie but Daniel Woodrell, Ben Fountain, Rebecca Makkai, Dan Chaon, Christine Sneed, Tim Johnston, and...

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'BLOODLINE' REVIEW: THIS SOUTHERN NOIR FROM NETFLIX SMOLDERS

'We're not bad people, we just did a bad thing ...' I wasn't expecting to like 'Bloodline,' the new sweeping Netflix family drama that debuted March 20. After all, the last thing any of us needs is another show to clog our queue and I seriously wanted to hate it. Boy, was I wrong. Netflix clearly hits a homerun when it comes to this new drippy Southern noir. Granted it may not have the water-cooler chatter of an "Orange is the New Black" or...

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'AMERICAN CRIME' KEEPS THE FERGUSON FLAMES BURNING

'American Crime' follows four different subplots unified by a central crime: The murder of a veteran and the vicious attack and rape of his wife. EDITORIAL NOTE: The following review is from guest blogger Spencer Blohm, a freelance entertainment and culture writer from the Midwest. His taste for crime shows started as a young child watching Law & Order when he probably shouldn’t have been and has only grown from there. He lives and works in...

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DYLAN NOIR? THE BARD DOES FRANK SINATRA ON NEW DISC; CHANNELS TCM IN NEW VIDEO

Note: The following is a piece I wrote for my web site NJ.com. I'm embedding it here with two new pieces of information or assets - a film noir video above for the tune "The Night We Called It A Day" with Sinatra's recording below. Three days before Frank Sinatra's 99th birthday on Dec. 12, Columbia Records announced that Bob Dylan's 36th studio disc "Shadows in the Night" will be a selection of tunes culled from The Chairman's "Great American Songbook." Set to be released Feb. 3, the set will boast 10 tracks and were conceived with a different...

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ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF RICHARD PRICE'S NEW CRIME NOVEL 'THE WHITES'

Win a copy of what Stephen King calls 'The Crime Novel of the Year' right here! Crime writer Richard Price ("Clockers, "Lush Life") has long been the poet laureate of the gritty, rain-swept streets of urban America and neo-noir. And now he's giving us a new voice in crime fiction with the pen name Harry Brandt and the new novel "The Whites." VIA PUBLISHER HENRY HOLT: The electrifying debut of a new master of American crime fiction, Harry Brandt—the...

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7 QUICK & EASY WAYS TO FIX THE OSCARS

© 2009 The Oscars are in need of a major reboot and guess what? It's not that hard to figure out., Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio The Oscars came last night but they didn't conquer. In fact, it was the first ceremony ever to put me into a DVR-rewinding coma. The Oscars, like most of the film franchises in the movie biz, are in serious need of a reboot. And guess what? It's not that hard. Even implementing a few of the suggestions below would make...

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THE TURBULENT GENIUS OF DAVID FOSTER WALLACE

DAVID FOSTER WALLACE Note: I will wholeheartedly admit that, while I may not have been the biggest fan of David Foster Wallace, his indelible talent cannot be denied. This fabulous in-depth piece, reprinted with permission, explores the sad and tragic genius of the troubled scribe.  ~Enjoy. Read what follows with a stern caveat emptor in mind, for it has been written by an unabashed David Foster Wallace fanboy, one of those forlorn,...

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THE MUSE AND THE BOOZE: WRITERS & DRINKING

View image | gettyimages.com "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy." This quote from Dorothy Parker is typical of her sense of humor but also sums up the attitude of a lot of writers who, over the years have hit the bottle hard. Alcohol and writers; somehow in the public imagination they just se...

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BOOZERS REJOICE! WOODFORD RESERVE TO RELEASE A RYE

View image | gettyimages.com Latest Release and Third Product Extension Demonstrates Brand's Continued Commitment to Flavor LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodford Reserve today announces the release of its latest permanent product extension, Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, which will be available for purchase in select markets throughout the country beginning in February. The latest release showcas...

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IN A WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA NOISE, CAN WE HACK THE NOVEL?

Hacking the NovelThe house where the novel lives today had its foundation laid about 1,000 years ago by Lady Murasaki, with a little help from Homer and the ancient Babylonian scribes who punched The Epic of Gilgamesh into clay tablets. Henry Fielding helped with the walls, Cervantes added the windows, warped glass and all. The great 19th centu...

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