At Long Last, The News

Who would have known that a throwaway, hurried, I'm-about-to-fly-to-Alabama post would lead to such hostility in the backblog? (Looking at you, Lombardi and Terrenoire.)

Maybe I did leave you hanging too long. But I had to do it, because I didn't have the official word on the good news until minutes before I stepped on the plane. And the news is so good that I was half-convinced the plane would burst into flames somewhere over the Deep South, because that's how it would happen in a Duane Swierczynski novel.

Which, speaking of...

There will be more of them.

Yep, the good news is that St. Martin's Press has offered me another two-book deal, and I'm more than happy to take 'em up on it. (The Wheelman and The Blonde were the two books in my original deal.) The first will be a crime thriller I'm calling Violent Type; the second will be another stand-alone. So if all goes well, you'll have Swierczynski novels to kick around clear through 2008.

Needless to say, this news makes me giddy as a toddler who has eaten a box of powdered sugar. Because the thing I want the most, more than power, fame, loose women named "Ivy" and/or a 24-hour RoboCop marathon on TBS... is the opportunity to write and publish more novels. That's what it's always been about.

(Though a RoboCop marathon would be neat.)

Okay... later we'll have Alabama reports, because Murder in the Magic City was an absolute blast, and yes, that Secret Dead Blog Contest. Terrenoire, don't get your knickers in a twist, okay?