Random Boasting

I'm happy to say that Big Daddy Thug over at Thug Lit has chosen my short story "Kill Posse" for his upcoming ThugLit Presents: Hardcore Hard-boiled anthology which Kensington will publish next year. You the man, Todd. Thanks!

Happy Birthday, Duke

John Wayne would have been 100 years old today, and Turner Classic Movies has been showing a few of his films in tribute. I used to think it was not Wayne's job to "act" in a film. It was his job to be John Wayne. Certainly he's not what you might call a classically trained Shakespearean actor. Later, when I became more familiar with Wayne's work, I found I needed to give him a bit more respect as an actor.

That's not to say he should play Hamlet or be cast in the lead of Death of a Salesman. For the life of me I cannot remember which film featured a drunken Dean Martin as a co-star and which featured a drunken Robert Mitchum as co-star. Many of these cowboy flicks run together. But within a certain range, Wayne was actually quite talented and generally quite smart about the roles he accepted. If you watch In Harm's Way, The Searchers and The Quiet Man all in a row, you'll see he's asked to do something just a little different in each film, and he does it quite well. Like I said, he's not Olivier, but he does a little more than just stumble around calling people Pilgrim.

The three films mentioned above are probably my favorite Wayne pictures. You can throw in True Grit and She Wore A Yellow Ribbon as honorable mentions. I'd love to hear your favorites too.

In case any of you swinging hep-cats forgot how to be wicked cool

The First Annual Box of Wine Writers Summit Invitational comes to an end

The bag are packed. The wine is drunk. The writing has been written. All in all it was a successful event.

Things written:

chunks of a novel
small chunk of screenplay
short story

Things eaten:

burgers
chicken wings
gumbo
jambalaya
catfish
shrimp
pizza
fajitas

things imbibed:

box wine
light beer


See you next year.

First Annual Box of Wine Writers Summit Invitational ... festivities continue

The conference was priveleged to host a special presentation by wine maker Sean Mondavi.

Try an Amazon Experiment ... at the very least You'll end up owning a cool as hell book

I've already mentioned what a great book Vicki Hendricks's Cruel Poetry is. A stunning noir novel with rich characters, a compelling story and steamy poke poke. If you're planning to buy it (and you should) then try this: purchase it from Amazon.com on May 25th. Word on the street is that even a modest number of purchases on the same day will do nice things to the Amazon ranking. As you know authors often struggle with ways to get the word out and promote their books. I know I'm always trying to think of new ways. So let's give this a try. And you won't be sorry. It's a hell of a novel.

First Annual Box of Wine Writers Summit Invitational -- Opening Ceremonies

The highlight of the Opening Ceremonies was when Sean Doolitte had a putt for Eagle on the Par 5 12th. Although he barely missed the putt, he had a nice tap-in for birdie. Also, we're doing some writing.

Check it out

Go HERE.

The First Annual Box of Wine Writers Summit Invitational

Yes, events start Sunday, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be blogging from the event, so I'll try to keep you all updated on how things are going.

Boxed wine! Catch the fever!

A little help for would-be novelists ...

Hope that helped ...

Endorsements of the Apocalypse

Authors know that blurbs are a peculiar animal. We're never quite sure what difference they make (if any) but we all want them and think maybe we need them. I'm no different. I'd like to thank the outstanding folks below for taking the time to read G-Go and give me the following:


"First, who wouldn't want to read a novel titled GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE? Second, who could have guessed the book was even better than the title? Part Christopher Moore, part Quentin Tarantino, Victor Gischler is a raving, bad-ass genius."
-- James Rollins, New Tork Times bestselling author of Map of Bones and Black Order

"If it's all going to go to hell, you might as well have some Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse to go with it. Weird just doesn't say it for this one. Gischler gives weird a kick in the butt, sends it right over the edge of the abyss. Wild fun."
-- Joe R. Lansdale

"Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse is funny, mordant, crazed, riviting, sardonic -- and despite all that, it's got a plot. Bravo for Victor Gischler."
-- Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Mike Resnick

"Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse proves, if proof were needed, that Victor Gischler is among the most demented, nimble, and flat-out hilarious American satirists working today. Listen closely: that sound you here, somewhere out there, is Vonnegut's applause."
-- Sean Doolittle, author of The Cleanup

"If Pynchon ever decided to write an insane action novel, this would be it. All out sustained brilliance, nobody is writing the unique lunacy that Victor Gischler is."
-- Ken Bruen, author of The Guards and American Skin


Thanks, guys.

Details of the Apocalypse

In answer to various questions (and also just because I feel like talking about it) I'm going to hit some of the details about my forthcoming novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse. It's not going to hit shelves until until June 2008. Man ... I don't know about you, but that seems like a long-ass time to me. The plan is to put out the book in delicious trade paperback, a format which seems to work like gang busters for a number of authors ... the amazing colossal Charlie Huston for example. I'm high on the idea.


When I started writing the book, I had no idea there would be a renaissance of apocalypse novels. It was just something I felt like writing. No publisher had asked for it. I didn't even know if it would sell. I wanted to write it. That was good enough. I don't think I can adequately describe the cold, leaden feeling in my gut when -- two-thirds of the way through Go-Go, my buddy Anthony Neil Smith called and said, "Hey, Cormac McCarthy's next novel is post-apocalyptic too." Uh. I mean, come on! How could I compete with THAT!? Fortunately, Cormac's book was serious, whereas Go-Go is satirical as hell. Now, it seems there's a new post-apocalypse book out ever forty minutes or so. It was not my intention to leap aboard the bandwagon, but here I am.

When all is said and done, I can't worry about how Go-Go will fit in with this new wave of Armageddon literature. I simply have to hope I've written something that stands out in some way.

The next book? Something with werewolves and the ghost of a long dead Alchemist. Don't get any ideas, McCarthy.

Attention Star Trek fans

See why traveling to unknown worlds is a cool idea.

This is old news ... but it still cracks me up.

MY BIG (old) NEWS!

As has already been announced elsewhere, I'm proud and happy to report that my novel Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse will be published by the Touchstone imprint of Simon & Schuster as part of a two-book deal. I'm happy as hell and glad to be working with editor Zach Schisgal. What's the book like? Well, you'll be hearing more about it in the next few blog posts ... probably get sick of hearing about it as a matter of fact. But I'm just THAT excited. Now that the news is out, I'm eager to answer questions and blab my head off about the novel. For now, I'll describe the book this way: Think Kurt Vonnegut on crystal meth. Philip K. Dick back from the dead, full of whiskey, and bent on writing a Bruckheimer screenplay. Others will probably describe the work differently, but I hope readers have fun.

More to come.

Vicki Hendricks

It's May and Cruel Poetry is in the air. My favorite Vicki Hendrick's novel used to be Voluntary Madness, but I think her new one must now edge into the top spot. Vicki has a great talent for not trying too hard to write a crime novel. Rather, she focuses on the lives of the characters, and since they're often bad people making bad decisions crime and murder and obsession generally follow. Vicki's prose is beautiful without being prissy or purple. I envy this lady's talent and urge you to all to pick up a copy of Cruel Poetry.

Everyone pay attention to Sean Doolittle

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