tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26469531383141401212024-03-13T15:09:22.074-06:00Cold LessonsMontana NoirMachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-36200900399819664122007-10-07T15:24:00.000-06:002007-10-07T15:25:29.114-06:00Test Your Cold Lessons I.Q.I'm not sure why everybody thinks that all the place names in <em>Cold Lessons</em> have real-life analogs--maybe something to do with the fact that the name on the cover of the book has a real-life analog. At any rate, Sue Toth has put together a quiz on the subject for her book club. I believe this is the first time that my work has been the subject of a quiz, and I'm deeply honored. With permission, I reprint the quiz below. (I'm not sure I could score 100% myself, but I'll do my best to grade any submissions.)<br /><blockquote>FUN WITH "COLD LESSONS," AKA, THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT<br /><br />(Note that (?) indicates that I am not really sure of the answer myself – Sue Toth)<br /><p align="left">1. Porte L’Enfer High School (&) Canyon = ______________________</p><br /><p align="left">2. Garden City = _____________________________</p><br /><p align="left">3. East Garden City = _______________________</p><br /><p align="left">4. St Philburn = ____________________</p><br /><p align="left">5. The Flatfoot Indian Reservation = __________________</p><br /><p align="left">6. The Flatfoot Lake = ________________________</p><br /><p align="left">7. Stone Creek = _________________________</p><br /><p align="left">8. The Buck Stop Bar = ______________________ (a roadhouse on the way to Pishkun, past Stone Creek) – I am not sure about this one (?)</p><br /><p align="left">9. The town of Reveille (with the windmill!) = ____________________</p><br /><p align="left">10. The Cambridge Bar = _______________________</p><br /><p align="left">11. The strip joint attached to the Cambridge Bar = ____________________</p><br /><p align="left">12. Mr. D’s Bar = _______________________</p><br /><p align="left">13. The Eggplant Stem restaurant = _____________________</p><br /><p align="left">14. The Garden City International Airport = ________________________</p><br /><p align="left">15. Copperhead Canyon (&) Wilderness = __________________________</p><br /><p align="left">16. The Three Star Restaurant and Bar = __________________________</p><br /><p align="left">17. The stretch of river that ran from where our "hero" was thrown in to where he got out; the 2 points of reference are from ______________________ to _______________________</p><br /><p align="left">18. The Castle Café = _______________________</p><br /><p align="left">19. The Foursquare Gospel Church = _________________________</p><br /><p align="left">20. The "What a Party" Party Rental = __________________________(?)</p><br /><p align="left">21. Shield Avenue = _______________________</p><br /><p align="left">22. The Sweetstem Valley = ________________________</p><br /><p align="left">23. St Ursula in the Field hospital, and Rehab Center = __________________</p><br /><p align="left">24. Stoner Pass, east of Garden City, right after Pishkun = ________________</p><br /><p align="left">25. Pishkun = ________________________</p><br /><p align="left">26. Our Lady of the Mining Industry = _______________________</p><br /><p align="left">27. The Double W Café (Pishkun’s equivalent to the Cambridge) = ________</p><br /><p align="left">28. Porte L’Enfer’s yearbook, The Beatrice = ______________________</p><br /><p align="left">29. Porte L’Enfer’s cheerleaders, the Sparklerettes = __________________(?)</p><br /><p align="left">30. The Monk Mountains = ____________________________</p><br /><p align="left">31. The town of Arles = _____________________________</p><br /><p align="left">32. The town of St. Paul = _________________________</p><br /><p align="left">33. The Garden City Gazette = ______________________</p><br /><p align="left">34. The Lewis Tongue River = _______________________</p><br /><p align="left">35. The Logville Police Department is the _________________ Police Dept.</p><br /><p align="left">36. The Sapphire Movie Theatre = __________________________</p><br /><p align="left">37. Bumper’s Casino (out the back door of the Sapphire) = _______________</p><br /><p align="left">38. Trudy’s Truck Stop Café (in the book, north of St Paul = ___________(?)</p><br /><p align="left">39. Sky View Display Advertising = ____________________ (?)</p><br /><p align="left">40. "Prepare to Meet Thy God; The Wages of Sin is Death," is located where: in the book __________________________; in Missoula ___________________</p><br /><p align="left">41. The St. Paul’s Warriors = ___________________</p><br /><p align="left">42. Which town currently (in reality) has "The Warriors?" _______________</p><br /><p align="left">43. The plastic sign in Reveille, which said "Welcome Stockmen," actually said: ________________________(?)</p><br /><p align="left">44. True or False: The reservation police cars in the book are reported to have a white buffalo in front of a blue lake. This is the same symbol in "reality." (?)</p><br /></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-70417595654850390512007-09-13T12:37:00.001-06:002008-11-12T22:39:45.481-06:00Photos from MontanaWhen we launched <span style="font-style: italic;">Cold Lessons</span> in January, it was in Chicago--wrong zip code--but bitterly cold, at least. By the time I made it back to Montana--right zip code--it was the wrong temperature and the air was the wrong texture: it was hot and smoky. But I had a terrific time anyway. A few photos of the event at Fact & Fiction (Thursday, August 16), taken by family friend Glenn Junkert. Thanks, Glenn!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUzeh_q9aeOYtnwOxrVAz1UDIH5Ky30G1ECpvqZO02OfYm-gAonqYXjFjJOwM27Z8OsIfpvGZbh3xQHCw9BFLQbQML06sJYNOM7MDgw0hPVdKpkNMQLUeKpZfdiXUPknL0rwOSCo1ytk/s1600-h/IMG_9106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUzeh_q9aeOYtnwOxrVAz1UDIH5Ky30G1ECpvqZO02OfYm-gAonqYXjFjJOwM27Z8OsIfpvGZbh3xQHCw9BFLQbQML06sJYNOM7MDgw0hPVdKpkNMQLUeKpZfdiXUPknL0rwOSCo1ytk/s320/IMG_9106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109762411864413346" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NhMvpbYhO0el9080bleqNm8O5Pup7zUPsvh8mwi2ZT9EFrlFm0CEY-StuXhZvhi4r5tOhnJu08uw-ut1X0Jwt-EWZt6tU_l15Xw53jWWLoQ4uMj1kEXQXBC7eEJo6dK-yVJILAS8Uwc/s1600-h/IMG_9117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NhMvpbYhO0el9080bleqNm8O5Pup7zUPsvh8mwi2ZT9EFrlFm0CEY-StuXhZvhi4r5tOhnJu08uw-ut1X0Jwt-EWZt6tU_l15Xw53jWWLoQ4uMj1kEXQXBC7eEJo6dK-yVJILAS8Uwc/s320/IMG_9117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109762454814086322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8Swlvd6P83XIoDd8CFrgIMzWpnOgoL_Vj9uPro16CcTxJF7hCzMBQdvL9Ck7uGmBmuoCdaEdJrOTklC3VEdd4Uq87Nv9FB2F2gj0PNbHA3SWZeeiGxuTwYQXq1dS82O-aaZivomnrHI/s1600-h/IMG_9124.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8Swlvd6P83XIoDd8CFrgIMzWpnOgoL_Vj9uPro16CcTxJF7hCzMBQdvL9Ck7uGmBmuoCdaEdJrOTklC3VEdd4Uq87Nv9FB2F2gj0PNbHA3SWZeeiGxuTwYQXq1dS82O-aaZivomnrHI/s320/IMG_9124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109762514943628482" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-73981763353048623162007-04-26T12:54:00.000-06:002007-04-26T12:59:48.501-06:00On the Air (Is this thing on?)I'm going to be on Donna Seaman's Open Books radio program this Sunday night (8 p.m., Central Standard Time). If you're in the Chicago area, tune in at 88.7 FM. If you're farther afield, you can listen online at <a href="http://www.wluw.org">www.wluw.org</a>. And if you miss the show but want to hear it later, it will be archived at <a href="http://www.openbooksradio.com">www.openbooksradio.com</a>.<br /><br />Donna knows what she's doing, but I'm going to need practice at this whole interviewee thing.Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-40146527719419213982007-03-08T14:36:00.000-06:002007-03-08T14:53:45.665-06:00"A noirish feel...darkness pervading...touches of extreme violence"Steven Sill has reviewed <span style="font-style: italic;">Cold Lessons</span> in <a href="http://www.iloveamysterynewsletter.com/steven_sill.htm">I Love a Mystery</a>. Though he wishes my protagonist was less naive and more sober, he praises the "noirish feel" and the "cold weather." I wasn't exactly clear on where he came down on the "darkness" and "extreme violence," but he did call his concerns "quibbles," so I'm going to say he liked it. Thanks for reading, Steven -- and writing!Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-22293547592054375182007-02-18T17:20:00.000-06:002008-11-12T22:39:46.566-06:00Photos from the Signing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFR7PyiClRXMsH31r86yjGWn2P5Zn5tCTYAzIte7B4-NA4PUFGabyngZiMIon3PUWb22c6s7kDKlJ_GOGVq3IiuAByv16fMA6F3i_dB-_xLvTmMbDBodGwYmxjekMk6xd7WdmIK-6Gcc/s1600-h/DSC_0072.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033018860360322114" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFR7PyiClRXMsH31r86yjGWn2P5Zn5tCTYAzIte7B4-NA4PUFGabyngZiMIon3PUWb22c6s7kDKlJ_GOGVq3IiuAByv16fMA6F3i_dB-_xLvTmMbDBodGwYmxjekMk6xd7WdmIK-6Gcc/s320/DSC_0072.JPG" border="0" /></a><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A cold night for <span style="font-style: italic;">Cold Lessons</span> -- about 8 degrees.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-SA1DFQT6DZ2yJUrDjvfVm0KlMpZVRpHJdYYy4KmBtvKb6bD3vi1BrkGwD3kp8yS-8YravVXlswttPn0QYnup66ck7Zgc4av_AiaGuTd9x04s0qjcc8rlZEZQtWMHdvZMCrs9gem4-4/s1600-h/DSC_0087.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033018864655289426" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-SA1DFQT6DZ2yJUrDjvfVm0KlMpZVRpHJdYYy4KmBtvKb6bD3vi1BrkGwD3kp8yS-8YravVXlswttPn0QYnup66ck7Zgc4av_AiaGuTd9x04s0qjcc8rlZEZQtWMHdvZMCrs9gem4-4/s320/DSC_0087.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Standing-room only. (At least in this part of the store.)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKCb-vb8E5TqOyfnXFxKIEOVKhJD5s1dtH1PzmlK9pzt8jnQ0Celw6WBULWknCCTkh0qP2orRe0yFdiLPhIwy0eZIMqSxDd5lb6UvnijZf_Vqgto3DTJIgt7X64CRU_taFazKCL22Pkc/s1600-h/DSC_0081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKCb-vb8E5TqOyfnXFxKIEOVKhJD5s1dtH1PzmlK9pzt8jnQ0Celw6WBULWknCCTkh0qP2orRe0yFdiLPhIwy0eZIMqSxDd5lb6UvnijZf_Vqgto3DTJIgt7X64CRU_taFazKCL22Pkc/s320/DSC_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036042126494682274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Proof that, if you pay them, they will come.<br /><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7JazH2UclykoansMnnBwccuNczBuWJtEdLlf85U_Hjs4olYKM1b69ko9bZly83GWJUK0GEY6XHXPFdymyjCSem1NliDpzSWYahpLVneM6t6DDMNhdW3Vd3n7Nyk7lJCIEwkh0Cwia5M/s1600-h/DSC_0089.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033018868950256738" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7JazH2UclykoansMnnBwccuNczBuWJtEdLlf85U_Hjs4olYKM1b69ko9bZly83GWJUK0GEY6XHXPFdymyjCSem1NliDpzSWYahpLVneM6t6DDMNhdW3Vd3n7Nyk7lJCIEwkh0Cwia5M/s320/DSC_0089.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Freed from the tyranny of the podium.<br /><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8ihtvisarzluBjtWi9uUH1qwhKnvnyiDOPL1m5-aFPYcKEN9ozC-Ng6yPOSQpDd25R55gAP3gGFS90btovTerWRZQh-dJhIRbgjVCJcBDCw_QOdvad2U0zRun7E_a-PW00uxQ_xv6UI/s1600-h/DSC_0091.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033018877540191346" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8ihtvisarzluBjtWi9uUH1qwhKnvnyiDOPL1m5-aFPYcKEN9ozC-Ng6yPOSQpDd25R55gAP3gGFS90btovTerWRZQh-dJhIRbgjVCJcBDCw_QOdvad2U0zRun7E_a-PW00uxQ_xv6UI/s320/DSC_0091.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />They do appear to be genuinely interested -- in knowing when it's okay to hit the buffet again.<br /><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvx8tVVHbgClQGhCPNylsx0nJoW6m2r4EEXW8EdR8iYT7wyNYEap_B_WQAwvy-B6Vn78agu14jGnupDpx9w6dqbKnKYhnBlvyJaBUZ5Q3DpA51q25p9n-nOfMR0RSePKUo5f3oXvEmIk/s1600-h/DSC_0097.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033018881835158658" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvx8tVVHbgClQGhCPNylsx0nJoW6m2r4EEXW8EdR8iYT7wyNYEap_B_WQAwvy-B6Vn78agu14jGnupDpx9w6dqbKnKYhnBlvyJaBUZ5Q3DpA51q25p9n-nOfMR0RSePKUo5f3oXvEmIk/s320/DSC_0097.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bill Ott, a veteran of the mystery scene -- and the author's boss -- gets an inscribed copy.<br /><br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-D9LuwAQHGvV0mj0EFWe0DrVRHq9S2_0VeQ4NoncQYbeyQ9Wv1cUz5V6mH_kgn5UVvftLg6zflTYkrffIgQckkhjlHABL6_Lryb3eSOMe-L_aS6Izw4geNZ5GT27XPypJ0YnW11WN944/s1600-h/DSC_0105.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033019556145024146" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-D9LuwAQHGvV0mj0EFWe0DrVRHq9S2_0VeQ4NoncQYbeyQ9Wv1cUz5V6mH_kgn5UVvftLg6zflTYkrffIgQckkhjlHABL6_Lryb3eSOMe-L_aS6Izw4geNZ5GT27XPypJ0YnW11WN944/s320/DSC_0105.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The author's wife shows her support.<br /></div>Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-4594010539824862312007-02-18T16:56:00.000-06:002007-02-18T17:31:09.702-06:00Time Out Chicago Translates It into (Pig) LatinI was too busy the day of the signing to post this -- and too pooped immediately afterward, but <em>Time Out Chicago</em> ("<a href="http://www.timeout.com/chicago/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TOCWebArticles2/103/books/eirkay_affgray.xml#articleAfterMpu">Eirkay Affgray</a>," by Jonathan Messinger) ran a nice Q&A:<br /><blockquote>Keir Graff started writing his novel <em>Cold Lessons</em> (Five Star, $29.95) 14 years ago, and now that it’s finally being published, some guy named Michael McCulloch is taking all the credit.<br /><br />Graff, senior editor for <em>Booklist Online</em>, chose to publish his crime novel under a pseudonym, in part because of his job as a book critic, and partly because the publishing industry eats its young. He certainly isn’t the first to do it: Joyce Carol Oates has famously written under various names, and this spring John Banville—2005’s Booker Prize winner—will publish a novel under the name Benjamin Black.<br /><br /><strong>Why the pseudonym?</strong><br />I’ve had some other friends publish books, where they come in with their first book and it’s a work of genre fiction, and then they get pigeonholed as doing that. And this is a fairly modest first effort; it’s not a big publishing deal or anything like that. I hope to write a lot of books, and I hope to do a lot of different things: genre fiction, nonfiction, general fiction.<br /><br /><strong>How did you pick the name?</strong><br />Michael is my middle name, and McCulloch’s my mother’s maiden name. And I just like pseudonyms even more when there’s some sort of connection or clue, not that anybody’s going to be searching the archives too carefully for the clues.<br /><br /><strong>Was your mother psyched that you used her name?</strong><br />It’s funny. I think she’s pleased, but I think that had I written a work of historical fiction set in Montana or something, she’d be more pleased than with a very hard-boiled crime novel.<br /></blockquote>Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-46188056442896476132007-02-14T09:37:00.000-06:002007-02-14T09:44:36.584-06:00Newcity Offers the 411The new <em>Newcity</em> ("<a href="http://www.newcitychicago.com/chicago/6195.html">Lesson Learned</a>") blurbs the reading/signing tomorrow:<br /><blockquote>Explains McCulloch, "I think 'Cold Lessons' will appeal to people who like dark but darkly funny takes on the detective story and stories that don't necessarily guarantee triumph at the end."</blockquote>I forgot to add that it will also appeal to everyone who enjoys the act of reading.Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-22266761069981808952007-02-12T21:09:00.000-06:002008-11-12T22:39:46.719-06:00Just a Reminder<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSx1E7qzq0knUq4uY3gzuBI2lVci3pZ_Z90WzicojX3OBc04kXTsUlsWA2KDqs1X9NDiFlqyLvreOC49FmGD-T26TZnQ2ou_XNjWf93Bj5gPtjI68TIku7ulgjtrAACWzQn9wbbplKAc/s1600-h/Flyer+-+Web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5030851046637133730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSx1E7qzq0knUq4uY3gzuBI2lVci3pZ_Z90WzicojX3OBc04kXTsUlsWA2KDqs1X9NDiFlqyLvreOC49FmGD-T26TZnQ2ou_XNjWf93Bj5gPtjI68TIku7ulgjtrAACWzQn9wbbplKAc/s400/Flyer+-+Web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-52184198161782863412007-02-10T17:25:00.000-06:002007-02-08T21:04:14.889-06:00Has He No Shame?So there goes that Keir Graff guy again,<span></span> <a href="http://blog.booklistonline.com/2007/02/09/no-big-buts-thankfully/">taking credit for my good review</a>.Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-5421745941904907592007-02-08T20:34:00.000-06:002007-02-08T20:49:24.694-06:00First Review!The first professional review of <em>Cold Lessons</em> is in, and it's a doozy. In "<a href="http://www.missoulanews.com/AE/News.asp?no=6283">Lessons Learned</a>," Joe Campana of the <em>Missoula Independent</em>, my hometown weekly, has a lot of nice things to say. A few highlights:<br /><br /><blockquote>But being local and knowing the genre don’t mean you automatically join the ranks of the city’s crime novelists. For that, you need talent, which McCullough seems to have in abundance. </blockquote><blockquote>In a genre where imitation comes cheap and easy, McCulloch has written his very own book, which is no small accomplishment for a first novel, or any novel for that matter.</blockquote><blockquote>McCulloch also tempers the gloom with an uncanny sense of humor. The jokes are sparse, but they come off with an absurdity and intelligence reminiscent of “The Simpsons.”</blockquote>And the summation, which I quote at length:<br /><blockquote>Though he’s just a rookie, McCulloch is a surprisingly restrained and un-intrusive writer. He doesn’t hit the gas pedal too hard, the plot never lurches forward but gradually eases into gear and picks up speed in all the right places. What you get in addition to a first-rate thriller is a character sketch of a nearly hopeless man stuck in a lonely town during its dreariest season. Having Missoula reflected back to us this way may not be cause for good cheer. But this town has given rise to another talented writer. And that’s worth celebrating. </blockquote>Campana offers positive comparisons to James Crumley, James Welch, George Saunders, and <em>The Simpsons</em>. That would make for a pretty weird cocktail party, but it's awfully good company.Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-33436242380348861222007-01-30T13:51:00.000-06:002007-01-30T14:04:44.981-06:00Book Signing February 15If you're fortunate enough to live in Chicago, you're cordially invited to my book signing. Actually, you're invited even if you don't live in Chicago, but you'll have to get here on your own nickel.<br /><br />Thursday, February 15, 2007<br />5:30-7:30 p.m.<br />After-Words New and Used Books<br /><a href="http://www.google.com/maps?q=23+E+Illinois+St,+Chicago,+IL+60611&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title">23 E. Illinois<br /></a>312-464-1110<br /><br />I'll read a chapter -- a short one. And then let's have a drink!Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-21723681677473718602007-01-18T14:19:00.000-06:002007-01-18T14:38:52.809-06:00You'd Think I Would Remember Not Writing a BookSo, apparently, there's some guy named Keir Graff who says HE wrote <em>Cold Lessons</em>:<br /><blockquote>Michael McCulloch is not just another talented first novelist. Yes, his debut crime novel, <em>Cold Lessons</em> (Five Star), is a hard-hitting <em>roman noir</em>, but McCulloch is more than he seems. Lurking behind the pseudonym is our own Keir Graff, Booklist Online’s Senior Editor.</blockquote><br />You can read the whole story on <a href="http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=1850136">Booklist Online</a>. But who's to say that "Keir Graff" isn't a pseudonym for Michael McCulloch?Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-22267960714390402572006-12-22T12:40:00.000-06:002006-12-22T12:45:27.165-06:00Cold Lessons on AmazonOh, and by the way, there's a <span style="font-style: italic;">Cold Lessons</span> page on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Lessons-Five-Star-Mystery/dp/1594145245/sr=8-1/qid=1166812779/ref=sr_1_1/105-4967236-2875667?ie=UTF8&s=books">Amazon.com</a> now. No cover art yet, but you can sign up to be notified when the book becomes available for purchase if you're so inclined. Though it's not as if I won't make an announcement here.Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-27143975872164102122006-12-22T12:14:00.000-06:002006-12-22T12:38:26.417-06:00Ten out of Ten Stars!I discovered the other day that intrepid, indomitable citizen reviewer <a href="http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/HARRIET">Harriet Klausner</a> posted a review of <span style="font-style: italic;">Cold Lessons</span> on <a href="http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4639153">BookCrossing.com</a>, giving it ten out of ten stars. Then I discovered that she's posted the review a number of other places as well: <a href="http://harrietklausner.wwwi.com/review/cold_lessons_mcculloch">Harriet Klausner's Review Archive</a>, <a href="http://www.tnrdlib.bc.ca/rr-indexes/il-542.html">Reader's Robot</a>, the <a href="http://www.aimoo.com/forum/postview.cfm?id=491840&CategoryID=202104&threadid=2694284&highlight_key=y&keyword1=cold%20lessons">"Book Review" forum</a>, and some other place that I can't find now. Thanks, Harriet!Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-41424766424865006162006-11-23T09:08:00.000-06:002006-11-23T09:18:37.094-06:00You'll Need Special Glasses to Read It<span style="font-style: italic;">Cold Lessons</span> does not yet have a page on Amazon, but eager readers can apparently pre-order the book from <a href="http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/booksea.cgi?ISBN=1594145245">Japan</a>.Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-70018558128552618412006-11-12T14:03:00.001-06:002006-11-12T14:03:17.282-06:00ExcerptHe fell fast, grabbing frantically at anything, catching nothing. He hit bottom, sprawled onto the ice, and stopped with the black channel of rushing water scant inches from his head. The tumble of water was loud now, louder than the wind, than the idling car above, than the laughter that trickled down to him. On his belly, he thought he should turn over to better perceive the situation. He carefully extended one hand and began to raise himself and the ice cracked with the sound of a large tree limb coming loose from the trunk.<br /><br />Frigid water sucked him down and held him, wouldn’t tell him which way was up, banged him against rocks and ice and whirled him around. Then the current subsided and he knew he had gone deeper. He paddled his arms and kicked his legs but felt nothing and didn’t know if he’d moved. He closed his eyes against the cold and wished for air, even a single subzero gust, just a chance to fill his lungs. His lungs burned and his chest heaved as if by reflex; he had to clamp his mouth shut to keep from sucking in water. Then, as acrid bile was rising in his throat as if to force his jaws open to swallow the river, his foot struck a rock.<br /><br />He stalled in the current; the rock was ahead of him. Water pushed from behind and began to raise him. He knew which way was up. His head popped into the air and he began to inhale but couldn’t move his feet and the water pushed him back under again, face first. His feet came loose and he was moving with the water, near the surface. He could feel cold air on the back of his head. With a weak flop of one arm he rolled over in the water, coughed mouthfuls of puke onto his cheeks, and convulsively sucked in air with panting, shallow breaths.<br /><br />Rocks dragged across his back and stopped him from moving. The rushing water dizzied him. He raised himself to a sitting position and belched and puked until he was empty. Tears squeezed out of his eyes and turned slushy on his cheeks.<br /><br />Gil tried to stand, slipped on the smooth river rocks, and fell down with a splash. Dragging himself forward, he reached a shelf of ice and crawled onto it. He crawled until he reached a rocky bank and crawled up it until he reached the top. He looked around and recognized nothing, as if he had been dropped out of the sky into a foreign city. Then, slowly, he began to recognize landmarks he’d known his whole life: a bridge, a park, the tower of a defunct railroad depot. He had come a long way in the water.Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-75736729965246843142006-11-12T12:06:00.000-06:002006-11-12T12:08:49.118-06:00Book DescriptionIt’s winter, 1987, in Garden City, Montana, a sleepy college town with more bars than churches.<br /><br />Eighteen years ago, Gil Strickland was named Teacher of the Year. But those days are long gone for the once-idealistic instructor at Porte l’Enfer High—right now, it’s all he can do to get to class sober and turn his lesson plans in on time. His job in jeopardy, he’s dogged at every step by a vice principal who works his job with evangelical zeal.<br /><br />When a quiet, often-absent cheerleader crashes her car into a billboard after a party, Gil, like everyone else, thinks it’s a typical case of teen misjudgment. But when the dead girl’s friend sneezes blood all over her uniform, the incident awakens something he’d thought was long dead: interest in his students.<br /><br />Against his better judgment, and over the objections of his wife and best friend, Gil begins clumsily following clues. He uncovers evidence of a crime ring that preys on his students, but he’s in over his head. Up against gun-toting bad guys, the only weapon he’s ever wielded is a red pen. He has a chance to save his soul, but can he save his students—and himself?<br /><br />Set in the frozen heart of a Western Montana winter, Cold Lessons works in the tradition of James Crumley, Richard Hugo, and Jim Thompson—with a dry humor not unlike Charles Willeford. The somber mood and raw violence are tempered with humor that’s not black but gray as the hair on Gil’s temples.Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2646953138314140121.post-73879650126794438982006-11-12T09:57:00.000-06:002006-11-12T10:13:55.830-06:00Cold Lessons<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/6617/323114396766862/1600/ColdLessonsFront%20(200%20x%20309).jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/6617/323114396766862/320/ColdLessonsFront%20%28200%20x%20309%29.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p><strong>Cold Lessons</strong></p><p>By Michael McCulloch</p><p>256p. Five Star, $25.95 (1-59414-524-5)</p><p>Tentative Release Date: January 17, 2007</p><p>Tentative On-Sale Date: January 31, 2007</p><p> </p><p><em>Watch this blog for news about Cold Lessons!</em></p>Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03323423083661207746noreply@blogger.com0