tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164238972024-03-07T05:01:15.082-05:00CHRIS HOLMAward-winning author of CHILD ZERO, the Michael Hendricks thrillers, and the Collector trilogyChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-50197634090948127452023-08-23T18:27:00.015-05:002023-08-23T19:06:26.268-05:00The Stalker's Guide to Finding Chris (and Katrina) at B'con 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFyeTJ3cW_aCq7RTh48Ahoaey9B0ATWH_G7AJwOeyE-UmVWl_INXaaJ9FEPhEDhHbL4zQY6kqMnaX48vCeGMFoFiGm8m29n1BzRwClxDga18qjqvAz5o8TthCGUNavycNAtqkyhUxEMHzig90VxwBNqikbdVmtY3c-zC_07WObrux42zd53cUdHw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFyeTJ3cW_aCq7RTh48Ahoaey9B0ATWH_G7AJwOeyE-UmVWl_INXaaJ9FEPhEDhHbL4zQY6kqMnaX48vCeGMFoFiGm8m29n1BzRwClxDga18qjqvAz5o8TthCGUNavycNAtqkyhUxEMHzig90VxwBNqikbdVmtY3c-zC_07WObrux42zd53cUdHw=w250-h400" width="250" /></a></div>Yea verily, I am pleased, for <a href="https://bouchercon2023.com/" target="_blank">Bouchercon 2023</a> is nearly upon us! If you, too, are San Diego-bound, here's where you can find me—and, more importantly, <a href="http://mainesuspect.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my better third by weight</a>:<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Crime & Punishment: Prison, Death, and Other Ways to Deal with the Antagonists<br /></b><b>Thursday, August 31<br /></b><b>12:45 to 1:35 PM</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">w/R.G. Belsky, John C. Foster, James Hankins, Rob Hart, and Sarah Tomlinson (m)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">Readers Panel: Book Clubs, Blogs, Reviewing, and Reading<br /></b><b>Thursday, August 31<br /></b><b>12:45 to 1:35 PM<br /></b>Rich Ehisen, Larry Gandle, Katrina Niidas Holm, Kristopher Zgorski, and Lisa Benton (m)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that Katrina and I are scheduled opposite each other. That's right: it's in an honest-to-God, no-holds-barred Spaceholm* Thunderdome!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Truth is, I'm bummed I'll miss her panel, because I'm sure it'll be a kick, and I'm even more bummed she'll miss mine, because sneaking peeks at her is the only way I can ever tell if I'm blathering like an idiot. That said, if you'd like to hang out with the two of us at once, we'll be around all weekend, so please feel free** to say hello!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>*My last name is Holm. Katrina's last name is Niidas[Space]Holm***. Together, we are the Spaceholms.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>**Bathrooms and our hotel room**** excluded.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>***The space is silent, because space is silent.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>****Unless you bring pie*****.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>*****But it had better be really, really good pie.</i></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-69350286980302209582023-05-21T13:06:00.006-05:002023-05-21T13:14:12.840-05:00Appearance: Maine Crime Wave, 6/9 to 6/10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mYuA2KNyQNEEubzE0Ppp7br3KwO3O0lpnkCupvhl2ecRw7PrL7WjJfUPBPG6A_mTI67tcf4xm1fA4IeUk2atROQPPNpaAn9obvMELTYQG7c2N45yIgZC1Z6-tRst_zwPkZi8l0yptiZW8FwOF0ZLaoMyXEwNmnqxSPYWs6qoRe9OyA_Zc7Q/s898/Crime%20Wave%20Square%202023.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="898" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mYuA2KNyQNEEubzE0Ppp7br3KwO3O0lpnkCupvhl2ecRw7PrL7WjJfUPBPG6A_mTI67tcf4xm1fA4IeUk2atROQPPNpaAn9obvMELTYQG7c2N45yIgZC1Z6-tRst_zwPkZi8l0yptiZW8FwOF0ZLaoMyXEwNmnqxSPYWs6qoRe9OyA_Zc7Q/w400-h400/Crime%20Wave%20Square%202023.png" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://www.mainewriters.org/maine-crime-wave" target="_blank">Maine Crime Wave</a> is nearly upon us!<div><br /></div><div>The festivities begin Friday, June 9, with an event that's <a href="https://www.mainewriters.org/calendar/crime-wave-opening-night" target="_blank">free and open to the public</a>! After she receives the Maine CrimeMaster Award, Guest of Honor <a href="https://carlaneggers.com/" target="_blank">Carla Neggers</a> will be sitting down with fellow New York Times bestseller <a href="https://www.facebook.com/juliaspencerfleming/" target="_blank">Julia Spencer-Fleming</a> for what promises to be a fascinating conversation. In addition, several of this year's attendees—including yours truly—will be reading short samples of their work. There'll be complimentary appetizers, a cash bar, and books available for purchase/signing, so <a href="https://www.mainewriters.org/calendar/crime-wave-opening-night" target="_blank">don't miss out</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, on Saturday, June 10, <a href="https://www.mainewriters.org/crime-wave-registration" target="_blank">registered attendees</a> will be treated to <a href="https://www.mainewriters.org/events/crime-wave-schedule-2023" target="_blank">a full day of killer programming</a> in a friendly and intimate setting, with plenty of opportunities for informal chats with panelists in between. If you're interested in registering, <a href="https://www.mainewriters.org/crime-wave-registration" target="_blank">you can do so here</a>. I hope to see you there!</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-90691810417720924982022-09-04T17:11:00.014-05:002023-08-24T07:49:11.569-05:00The Stalker's Guide to Finding Chris (and Katrina) at B'con 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSsTOklykiA63HYjjPzK69wtQqY-LVRwgzx90L7UPEhbw-SvYDHz7cavrFAjgnmJ1D6D4yQsGbuTx19uC0AMu94FmyGK-OFi87qWiESrGWHKcPV9uWM1-7KCBe5x9HTXle5YYEnMD7K2bxIrHh2rvMgNwe6yuO9t9z8tO9Vi_IzFF71FbR4hza8w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="331" data-original-width="547" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSsTOklykiA63HYjjPzK69wtQqY-LVRwgzx90L7UPEhbw-SvYDHz7cavrFAjgnmJ1D6D4yQsGbuTx19uC0AMu94FmyGK-OFi87qWiESrGWHKcPV9uWM1-7KCBe5x9HTXle5YYEnMD7K2bxIrHh2rvMgNwe6yuO9t9z8tO9Vi_IzFF71FbR4hza8w=w640-h389" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Three dang years. That's how long it's been since we've been able to celebrate the biggest mystery event of the year in person. I'm not gonna lie: I'm nervous comma elated. If you, too, are <a href="https://www.bouchercon2022.com/" target="_blank">bound for Minneapolis</a>, here's where you'll find me—and, more importantly, <a href="http://mainesuspect.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my ferociously talented wife</a>:</p><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Things Fall Apart: Celebrating dystopian, sci-fi, and fantastical mysteries</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Saturday, September 10</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>9:00 to 9:45 AM</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Marquette Ballroom 6 and 7 (2nd Floor)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">w/Yasmin Angoe, Elizabeth Crowens, Matthew FitzSimmons, Glenn Parris, and Rob Hart (m)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b>Guest of Honor Interview: Lou Berney in conversation with Katrina Niidas Holm</b></div><div><b>Saturday, September 10</b></div><div><b>1:45 to 2:30 PM</b></div><div><b>Minneapolis Grand Ballroom EFG (3rd Floor)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div><b>Reviewers Recommend: Fresh New Reads</b></div><div><b>Saturday, September 10</b></div><div><b>4:15 to 5:00 PM</b></div><div><b>Duluth (3rd Floor)</b></div><div>Scott Adlerberg, Christie Bunting, Oline H. Cogdill, Katrina Niidas Holm, Danielle Trussoni, and Dwyer Murphy (m)</div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In addition, I'll be hanging around from Thursday to Sunday, so if you see me and feel like saying hi, please feel free. I can't promise I remember how to socialize, but I'll do my best not to act like a cornered animal, at least.</div></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-64158358876381659332022-07-18T10:35:00.001-05:002022-07-18T10:36:28.582-05:00Crazy CHILD ZERO Ebook Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Jw0zCDMHmyHLVrI2AmQpmqPSXO7FR--Hu8w5jwr9_cEtUq6YWuHSaysA7fuCkaz7ccqqGYB6Tl0vrXI8dWMJwgFzf5uMrATBtzJSOt9DaWlDSmxcREGBrqcoeienfKECvaxxZvQvxzAdOMVmPC6WC-1OV_yTaYtZZPeKVhvBIW0pS_EHuYc/s970/QuirkPraise.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Jw0zCDMHmyHLVrI2AmQpmqPSXO7FR--Hu8w5jwr9_cEtUq6YWuHSaysA7fuCkaz7ccqqGYB6Tl0vrXI8dWMJwgFzf5uMrATBtzJSOt9DaWlDSmxcREGBrqcoeienfKECvaxxZvQvxzAdOMVmPC6WC-1OV_yTaYtZZPeKVhvBIW0pS_EHuYc/w640-h198/QuirkPraise.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>From 7/18 to 7/24, <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>'s ebook is only $4.99, wherever ebooks are sold! That's 82% off the hardcover price, so if you've been holding off on buying it, now's the time! Act fast before <a href="https://www.mulhollandbooks.com/" target="_blank">my publisher</a> wises up!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://apple.co/3RKh2kE" target="_blank"> Apple</a> / <a href="http://amzn.to/3yLgMcM" target="_blank">Kindle</a> / <a href="http://bit.ly/3OgtWUw" target="_blank">Nook</a></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-75187242462493908492022-05-23T11:31:00.016-05:002022-05-26T15:50:06.269-05:00ZERO Updates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSjK5kFznwUmqrXeIU_XFxwtCCUz7RtMxU1QCTrgU1Se0rkl-OAbbc8a5nToOv4V8Hg46UZY2NYdMLIT1NtvyFDEfp8oYibUCD13AE0z5iJeSic-H6EHMl1QyfCTiEkoMuyjKYrKPil4TgdtxuDEz9kG75adtXMQUEz-Mlr5l2NWQrHxWAw8/s970/image001%5B39%5D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSjK5kFznwUmqrXeIU_XFxwtCCUz7RtMxU1QCTrgU1Se0rkl-OAbbc8a5nToOv4V8Hg46UZY2NYdMLIT1NtvyFDEfp8oYibUCD13AE0z5iJeSic-H6EHMl1QyfCTiEkoMuyjKYrKPil4TgdtxuDEz9kG75adtXMQUEz-Mlr5l2NWQrHxWAw8/w640-h198/image001%5B39%5D.png" width="640" /></a></div><div>It's been a dizzying two weeks, give or take, since <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> was released into the wild. Here's a brief update on where I've been, and where I'll be in the near future.</div><div><br /></div><div>Where I've Been:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Weddle" target="_blank">downright dazzling Steve Weddle</a> was kind enough to <a href="http://www.dosomedamage.com/2022/05/i-blundered-into-my-dream-job-chat-with.html" target="_blank">interview me for Do Some Damage</a></li><li>I swung by CrimeReads to offer up a list of <a href="https://crimereads.com/biological-horror-movies-chris-holm/" target="_blank">Eight Biological Horror Movies Guaranteed to Make Your Skin Crawl</a></li><li>Speaking of CrimeReads, ace editor Lisa Levy snuck <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> onto her list of <a href="https://crimereads.com/mays-best-psychological-thrillers-2022/" target="_blank">May's Best Psychological Thrillers</a></li><li>Do Some Damage also published <a href="http://www.dosomedamage.com/2022/05/the-post-antibiotic-era-is-here.html" target="_blank">a guest post by yours truly</a> about the impending threat of a post-antibiotic era</li><li>My <a href="https://www.murderbooks.com/Holm-Quirk" target="_blank">virtual Murder by the Book event</a> with good friend <a href="http://matthewquirk.com/" target="_blank">Matthew Quirk</a> is <a href="https://youtu.be/uPKpHi11O0E" target="_blank">up on YouTube for your viewing pleasure</a></li><li>As is my <a href="https://youtu.be/eR5EylTu7Us" target="_blank">Rogue Reads panel with Tracy Clark, Sara Paretsky, Amanda Quick, and James Rollins</a></li><li>John Valeri penned this very kind <a href="https://www.criminalelement.com/book-review-child-zero-by-chris-holm/" target="_blank">review of CHILD ZERO for Criminal Element</a></li><li>My pal <a href="https://nickpetrie.com/" target="_blank">Nick Petrie</a> and I stayed up late for our <a href="https://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/5172022Holm" target="_blank">virtual Mysterious Galaxy event</a>, but you can <a href="https://youtu.be/16vRo6iM-zE" target="_blank">watch it at your leisure on YouTube</a></li><li>If Instagram is more your jam, don't miss <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CduAzFEIhiO/" target="_blank">this conversation with my buddy Drew Broussard</a> of The Golden Notebook Bookstore</li><li>Kristopher Zgorski had some lovely things to say in his <a href="https://bolobooks.com/2022/05/child-zero-the-bolo-books-review/" target="_blank">BOLO Books review of CHILD ZERO</a></li><li>My <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/207" target="_blank">207</a> interview with Rob Caldwell, which aired last Thursday, is now <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/meet-the-maine-writer-who-first-wanted-to-be-a-disease-detective-novels-books/97-f20c4189-aedb-4a91-a44a-fd23c07bec50" target="_blank">available to stream</a></li><li>On Sunday, my friend <a href="https://www.robertswartwood.com/" target="_blank">Robert Swartwood</a> and I had a freewheeling chat on Facebook Live, which <a href="https://youtu.be/zCvFuf3iDjs" target="_blank">you can catch on YouTube</a></li><li>And, on that note, the internet informs me <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisfholm/status/1528558559272878081" target="_blank">I'm bad at Zoom</a></li></ul><div>Where I'll Be:</div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>On <a href="https://calendar.time.ly/9plshfqx/event/71169593/20220525170000" target="_blank">Wednesday, May 25, at 8PM Eastern/5PM Pacific, I've got a virtual event</a> with the estimable <a href="https://jamesrollins.com/" target="_blank">James Rollins</a> for <a href="https://poisonedpen.com/" target="_blank">The Poisoned Pen Bookstore</a></li><li>I'll also be recording an episode of <a href="https://authorsontheair.com/" target="_blank">Authors on the Air</a> with my pal <a href="http://www.brucerobertcoffin.com/" target="_blank">Bruce Coffin</a>, release date to be announced</li><li>On <a href="https://www.amightyblaze.com/events-listing/crime-time-with-chris-holm" target="_blank">Tuesday, May 31, at 4PM Eastern, I'll be chatting virtually</a> with the lovely and talented <a href="https://hankphillippiryan.com/" target="_blank">Hank Phillippi Ryan</a> for <a href="https://www.amightyblaze.com/" target="_blank">A Mighty Blaze</a></li><li>On Saturday, June 11, I'll be participating in this year's <a href="https://www.mainewriters.org/maine-crime-wave" target="_blank">Maine Crime Wave</a>, which will take place outdoors under a tent</li><li>On <a href="https://the-back-room.org/august-21/" target="_blank">Sunday, August 21, at 7PM Eastern, I'll be participating in a virtual panel</a>, hosted by <a href="https://the-back-room.org/" target="_blank">The Back Room</a>, alongside <a href="https://www.almakatsubooks.com/" target="_blank">Alma Katsu</a>, <a href="https://www.biancamarais.com/" target="_blank">Bianca Marais</a>, and <a href="http://pengshepherd.com/" target="_blank">Peng Shepherd</a></li><li>And, COVID willing, I'll be in Minneapolis September 8-12 for <a href="https://www.bouchercon2022.com/" target="_blank">Bouchercon 2022</a></li></ul><div>More as I have it. In the meantime, stay healthy...</div></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-38831823407217044622022-05-10T13:07:00.004-05:002022-05-10T13:08:39.429-05:00CHILD ZERO is Now Available!<p>I've waited six long years, from inception to publication date, to say this: <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> is now available wherever books are sold!</p><p>I'll be <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events.html" target="_blank">celebrating tonight at Hunt + Alpine</a>. You're welcome to join me, if you're so inclined.</p><p>In other news:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Marshal Zeringue was kind enough to <a href="https://writerinterviews.blogspot.com/2022/05/chris-holm.html" target="_blank">interview me for his blog</a></li><li>He also subjected <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> to the <a href="https://page69test.blogspot.com/2022/05/child-zero.html" target="_blank">Page 69 Test</a></li><li>Novel Suspects included <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> on this list of <a href="https://www.novelsuspects.com/book-list/crime-books-were-anticipating-this-may/" target="_blank">anticipated crime novels</a></li><li>Jenn's Bookshelves offered up <a href="http://www.jennsbookshelves.com/2022/05/04/review-child-zero-by-chris-holm/" target="_blank">this glowing review</a></li><li>Rogue Women Writers had me by for a <a href="https://roguewomenwriters.com/chris-holm-goes-rogue/" target="_blank">guest post</a></li><li>As did Jungle Red Writers, who let me <a href="https://www.jungleredwriters.com/2022/05/revenge-of-nerd-guest-post-by-chris-holm.html" target="_blank">blather on about JURASSIC PARK</a></li></ul><div>Many thanks to all, as well as anyone who's purchased a copy of <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>, or supported my work along the way!</div><p></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-35015854294224379862022-05-03T13:41:00.008-05:002022-05-10T13:09:51.206-05:00T-Minus One Week<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQf6T5i1a6JlW9_7TVC6oIdzdiBvepcv0t93STc4Bv1Yjt72PKvPudg4r6oX-sTTyO1lCu-vDH4fqyNNrcNm3ZjAB5TjEdLcU3lj_skj6tCStFjVD4zoMcgA-Ng4DLCA7uGMoLyLrN8nCutcqs5ax3hGF--NYCwfc7D6Ahh9h7nhIVDWawsY/s7199/CZ%20Launch%20Party.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7199" data-original-width="5400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQf6T5i1a6JlW9_7TVC6oIdzdiBvepcv0t93STc4Bv1Yjt72PKvPudg4r6oX-sTTyO1lCu-vDH4fqyNNrcNm3ZjAB5TjEdLcU3lj_skj6tCStFjVD4zoMcgA-Ng4DLCA7uGMoLyLrN8nCutcqs5ax3hGF--NYCwfc7D6Ahh9h7nhIVDWawsY/w300-h400/CZ%20Launch%20Party.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />It's hard to believe the publication date of <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> is only a week away—particularly since I've been working on this book since late 2016.<p></p><p>As you might imagine, my promotional cycle is in full swing, so I thought a quick roundup was in order. Hit the deck, 'cause here come the bullets:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Amazon's editors named <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> one of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b/17276801011" target="_blank">May's best science fiction novels</a></li><li>Canadian publication Everything Zoomer did 'em one better, calling it <a href="https://www.everythingzoomer.com/zed-book-club/2022/04/27/mays-best-fiction-10-books-to-put-spring-in-your-stack/" target="_blank">one of May's ten best works of fiction</a></li><li>If you want a sneak peek at <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> before you buy, <a href="https://www.novelsuspects.com/excerpts/child-zero/" target="_blank">Novel Suspects has you covered</a></li><li>They also posted my <a href="https://www.novelsuspects.com/author-essay/chris-holm/" target="_blank">proposed canon of biological thrillers</a>, a subgenre whose roots extend far deeper than you might imagine</li><li>If you're light on cash, pop over to Goodreads by 5/6 for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/344741-child-zero" target="_blank">a chance to win one of twenty-five CHILD ZERO hardcovers</a></li><li>The latest issue of <a href="https://www.thebigthrill.org/" target="_blank">The Big Thrill</a> features <a href="https://www.thebigthrill.org/?p=77110" target="_blank">an interview with yours truly</a></li><li>I've also got a ton of events lined up, both virtual and in-person, which you can <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events.html" target="_blank">read about here</a></li><li>And last, but certainly not least, I present to you <a href="https://twitter.com/steveweddle/status/1520718965089185793" target="_blank">the greatest T-shirt in the history of humankind</a></li></ul><div>So there you have it. All the news that's fit to print from the Land of Me... for now, anyway. Stay tuned, because I suspect there'll be a whole lot more to come.</div><p></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-86674914472631420342022-04-28T12:32:00.011-05:002022-05-23T14:14:18.142-05:00Upcoming Events<p>The release date for <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> is nearly upon us, and I've got a veritable boatload of events lined up to celebrate—including an HONEST-TO-GOD, NO-FOOLING, IN-PERSON RELEASE PARTY hosted by one of Maine's most venerated drinking establishments!</p><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>CHILD ZERO Release Party</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tuesday, May 10, 2022</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">7PM Eastern</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.huntandalpineclub.com/" target="_blank">Hunt + Alpine</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">75 Market Street</div><div style="text-align: center;">Portland, ME</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Mark your calendar and call your babysitter, because I've joined forces with the fine folks of </span><a href="https://www.printbookstore.com/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Print: A Bookstore</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> and </span><a href="https://www.huntandalpineclub.com/" target="_blank">Hunt + Alpine</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> (one of </span><a href="https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/best-cocktail-bars-in-the-country" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Thrillist's Best Cocktail Bars in America</a><span style="text-align: justify;">) to launch </span><a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> in style! This event—which is free and open to the public—will feature door prizes, custom cocktails, and piles of brand spankin' hardcovers just waiting to be personalized! As an added bonus, if you buy a copy of <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> at the event, you'll get a free drink courtesy of yours truly!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Virtual Event: Murder by the Book (Houston, TX)</b></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">in conversation w/<a href="http://matthewquirk.com/" target="_blank">Matthew Quirk</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Friday, May 13, 2022</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">8PM Eastern (7PM Central)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.murderbooks.com/Holm-Quirk" target="_blank">click through for details</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b>Virtual Event: Rogue Reads</b></div><div>w/<a href="https://saraparetsky.com/" target="_blank">Sara Paretsky</a>, <a href="https://jayneannkrentz.com/" target="_blank">Amanda Quick</a>, <a href="https://jamesrollins.com/" target="_blank">James Rollins</a>, and <a href="https://tracyclarkbooks.com/" target="_blank">Tracy Clark</a> (m)</div><div>Monday, May 16, 2022</div><div>7PM Eastern</div><div><a href="https://roguewomenwriters.com/rogue-reads/" target="_blank">click through for details</a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Virtual Event: Mysterious Galaxy (San Diego, CA)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">in conversation w/<a href="https://nickpetrie.com/" target="_blank">Nick Petrie</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tuesday, May 17, 2022</div><div style="text-align: center;">10PM Eastern (7PM Pacific)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/5172022Holm" target="_blank">click through for details</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Virtual Event: The Golden Notebook (Woodstock, NY)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wednesday, May 18, 2022</div><div style="text-align: center;">7PM Eastern</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://goldennotebook.indielite.org/event/chris-holm-child-zero-instagram-live" target="_blank">click through for details</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Virtual Event: The Poisoned Pen (Scottsdale, AZ)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">in conversation w/<a href="https://jamesrollins.com/" target="_blank">James Rollins</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wednesday, May 25, 2022</div><div style="text-align: center;">8PM Eastern (5PM Pacific)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://calendar.time.ly/9plshfqx/event/71169593/20220525170000" target="_blank">click through for details</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Maine Crime Wave</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Saturday, June 11, 2022</div><div style="text-align: center;">9AM to 6PM Eastern</div><div style="text-align: center;">Portland, ME</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mainewriters.org/maine-crime-wave" target="_blank">click through for details</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Bouchercon 2022</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Thursday, September 8, to Sunday, September 11, 2002</div><div style="text-align: center;">Minneapolis, MN</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bouchercon2022.com/" target="_blank">click through for details</a></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-22034569992966617762022-04-22T11:09:00.001-05:002022-04-22T11:15:48.563-05:00Riding with the King<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN01wio4HllkkvmOqvK23YjMVaSzdTX6iITVA7fhUS7itgEKQY8YG8Ie0domf6NLf-4kX822AFvz5SCbFRrLds5CHgjx7M_92aJuoSFVF8U0z6RRLLHZcjcYYDYV1yfR_erKrlb93Z9DFid97_GhjAbTGnpPRg0t_6Ny3lCq3s6H6MDeOdhAo/s594/KingTweet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="594" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN01wio4HllkkvmOqvK23YjMVaSzdTX6iITVA7fhUS7itgEKQY8YG8Ie0domf6NLf-4kX822AFvz5SCbFRrLds5CHgjx7M_92aJuoSFVF8U0z6RRLLHZcjcYYDYV1yfR_erKrlb93Z9DFid97_GhjAbTGnpPRg0t_6Ny3lCq3s6H6MDeOdhAo/w569-h370/KingTweet.jpg" width="569" /></a></div>On April 26, 1991, <a href="https://stephenking.com/" target="_blank">Stephen King</a> spoke at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York. Thirteen-year-old-me was in attendance. Mr. King was kind enough to sign my tattered mass-market copy of <a href="https://stephenking.com/works/novel/dark-half.html" target="_blank">THE DARK HALF</a>. It'd come out not long before, so I hadn't yet read it to pieces, as I had with all his other books.<p></p><p>Thirty-one years later, that copy of THE DARK HALF still has pride of place in my living room.</p><p>In addition to producing an unparalleled body of work, King's commitment to championing his fellow authors turned me on to writers such as <a href="https://www.elmoreleonard.com/" target="_blank">Elmore Leonard</a>, <a href="https://www.valancourtbooks.com/michael-mcdowell.html" target="_blank">Michael McDowell</a>, <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Anne-Rivers-Siddons/263236" target="_blank">Anne Rivers Siddons</a>, and <a href="https://www.donaldwestlake.com/" target="_blank">Donald Westlake</a>, to name but a few.</p><p>When I became an author, I thrilled to see King sing the praises of talented friends such as <a href="https://www.louberney.com/" target="_blank">Lou Berney</a>, <a href="http://meggardiner.com/" target="_blank">Meg Gardiner</a>, and <a href="http://scottvondoviak.com/" target="_blank">Scott Von Doviak</a>. And, as someone whose first three books were paperback originals, his work with <a href="http://www.hardcasecrime.com/" target="_blank">Hard Case Crime</a> meant the world to me, because it served to shine a light on writers like me who toiled in relative obscurity.</p><p>In my wildest dreams, I never imagined getting the chance to tell Stephen King a story of my own, much less that <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1517307551540514816" target="_blank">he'd consider it worthy of praise</a>. To say I'm honored would be the understatement of a lifetime.</p><p>Thankee-sai, Mr. King, for everything.</p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-5555640933840898412022-04-05T07:55:00.003-05:002022-04-05T08:13:18.360-05:00What You Should Read<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLF1YoZb45g-dfMt4qp2rZnHGfFY62C6Kw3TPDjCvdFXp84l7euUI_iAK6fWErDLAH5iyEUMJadUFI3sqsbW_0ITezmsnegPzbDnLm7mj1Ysn46j0onxw5GpXumXcF0H23Ypbt5FJqGJ-hw246XIzq44b_jn-eVtQn1H3_fRgZPXkvsA91pu8/s576/WYSR.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="576" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLF1YoZb45g-dfMt4qp2rZnHGfFY62C6Kw3TPDjCvdFXp84l7euUI_iAK6fWErDLAH5iyEUMJadUFI3sqsbW_0ITezmsnegPzbDnLm7mj1Ysn46j0onxw5GpXumXcF0H23Ypbt5FJqGJ-hw246XIzq44b_jn-eVtQn1H3_fRgZPXkvsA91pu8/w200-h200/WYSR.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Recently, I sat down over Zoom to talk <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> with Julia, Kelly, and Rachael of the <a href="https://www.whatyoushouldread.com/" target="_blank">What You Should Read</a> podcast—and my episode is now live!</div><p></p><p>If you wanna hear what a breakneck thriller would sound like as an <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/" target="_blank">AITA</a> post—and, c'mon, of course you do—then <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-should-read-child-zero-by-chris-holm/id1514166325?i=1000556280759" target="_blank">click through to give it a listen</a>.</p><p>Thanks to Julia, Kelly, and Rachael for having me! Du Jour means friendship. (Also, seatbelts.)</p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-72144427065103312522022-04-03T11:51:00.002-05:002022-04-03T11:58:27.641-05:00A Press Herald Feature!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu0hMXJcwBQ5QO8KsG8eGdO4siovasJtCegEyLJdJocysuT3zrvVxEnqKIpa-5fCqW18WqCiJRnJQWLvhCrV3azk-xACdUER3IrOPwGGTpcqRfMu6fxylRwzs5yk5j_DG2UGhyqnyjP5Em3zlSsAtgHzKsC7Gps0aATMu8Fhb890UnDxPstEo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgu0hMXJcwBQ5QO8KsG8eGdO4siovasJtCegEyLJdJocysuT3zrvVxEnqKIpa-5fCqW18WqCiJRnJQWLvhCrV3azk-xACdUER3IrOPwGGTpcqRfMu6fxylRwzs5yk5j_DG2UGhyqnyjP5Em3zlSsAtgHzKsC7Gps0aATMu8Fhb890UnDxPstEo=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>As a longtime subscriber to—and daily reader of—the <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/" target="_blank">Portland Press Herald</a>, I'm beyond thrilled they chose to run a feature on <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>. If you'd like to give it a gander, <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2022/04/03/portland-author-chris-holm-uses-science-background-to-forecast-scary-future-in-child-zero/" target="_blank">click here</a>!<p></p><p>Many thanks to features writer Ray Routhier and photographer Ben McCanna for their time and talent. Thanks as well to <a href="http://209.61.196.87/index.html" target="_blank">Julia Spencer-Fleming</a> and <a href="https://www.luckypigeonbrewing.com/" target="_blank">Kathleen Pigeon</a> for speaking to Ray on my behalf!</p><p>Oh, and let the record state that my feature is on E1 (with a teaser on A1, below the masthead), while the piece on <a href="https://danbrown.com/" target="_blank">Dan Brown's</a> collaboration with <a href="https://portlandsymphony.org/" target="_blank">The Portland Symphony Orchestra</a> is relegated to E3—which means that in this instance, and <i>only</i> this instance, I'm bigger than Dan Brown.</p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-63993766619839917052022-03-26T09:33:00.001-05:002022-04-05T08:16:02.321-05:00Publishers Weekly Interview<p>Recently, Lenny Picker of <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html" target="_blank">Publishers Weekly</a> and I got together over Zoom to talk about <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>. That interview is now live. <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/88860-even-a-paper-cut-can-be-fatal-pw-talks-with-chris-holm.html" target="_blank">Click through</a> to give it a read!</p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-34337920712071551712022-03-22T15:53:00.001-05:002022-03-22T15:56:46.528-05:00A Best Thriller Rave!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqOcTeNHpMhcZWQssiAEyE6-zLYiQXN2-jRBHJ46c6XxlHJVfk0WadlXsfBkrtjvphZYPgQBOTQHnASAVYy_aWmcyFnEGCA3mk8JpttDaHuxxDdJ7n1O71wrkqUqtcbRKJmuuuLL6qIwYi7a7VvkC5J2HEzmuXRe96fo4hvt27_swsHxYaATE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqOcTeNHpMhcZWQssiAEyE6-zLYiQXN2-jRBHJ46c6XxlHJVfk0WadlXsfBkrtjvphZYPgQBOTQHnASAVYy_aWmcyFnEGCA3mk8JpttDaHuxxDdJ7n1O71wrkqUqtcbRKJmuuuLL6qIwYi7a7VvkC5J2HEzmuXRe96fo4hvt27_swsHxYaATE=w400-h200" width="400" /></a></div>Kashif Hussain of <a href="https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/" target="_blank">Best Thriller Books</a> was kind enough to take an early peek at <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>, and his review has me grinning from ear to ear. <a href="https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain/child-zero-by-chris-holm" target="_blank">Click through to give it a read.</a><p></p><p>Many thanks, Kashif! There's nothing more satisfying to an author than a rave from someone who really gets what you were trying to accomplish.</p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-17024435869526896752022-03-09T10:08:00.002-05:002022-03-09T10:50:19.319-05:00A Starred Review!<p>I'm delighted to report that Publishers Weekly awarded <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> a starred review! Here's a taste (click through to read the rest):</p><p></p><blockquote><a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-29512-3" target="_blank">Could a future pandemic be exponentially worse than COVID-19? Holm answers yes in this alarmingly plausible thriller. Holm perfectly balances plot, characterizations, and science. Fans of Lawrence Wright’s THE END OF OCTOBER won’t want to miss this one.</a></blockquote><p>They also called the book Orwellian, which is doubly cool because it contains an Orwell reference so subtle, only the most eagle-eyed of readers will spot it.</p><p></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-88541860284440555662022-02-26T16:30:00.006-05:002022-03-06T09:45:20.381-05:00House of Mystery Radio Interview<p>Recently, I sat down to talk <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> with Alan Warren and John Copenhaver of the <a href="https://www.alanrwarren.com/house-of-mystery-radioshow" target="_blank">House of Mystery Radio Show</a>. Our chat will air Thursday, 3/3, at 9PM Pacific on California's <a href="https://www.kcaaradio.com/" target="_blank">KCAA Radio</a> and 5PM Mountain on Utah's<a href="http://kyah.net/" target="_blank"> KYAH Radio</a>. No worries if you're outside the listening area—you can <a href="https://www.alanrwarren.com/hom-how-to-listen" target="_blank">stream the episode</a> live, or find it on your favorite <a href="https://www.alanrwarren.com/hom-how-to-listen" target="_blank">podcasting app</a> not long after!</p><p>UPDATE: The episode is now available in its entirety on YouTube. Listen below!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yr0e4jjnQKU" width="320" youtube-src-id="Yr0e4jjnQKU"></iframe></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-69902632465754847612022-01-25T11:30:00.003-05:002022-01-25T12:16:23.398-05:00Every Read Thing Reviews CHILD ZERO!<p><a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>'s very first review, courtesy of Brandon Sears at <a href="https://everyreadthing.com/" target="_blank">Every Read Thing</a>, is an unqualified rave! Here's a taste (click through to read the rest):</p><p></p><blockquote><a href="https://everyreadthing.com/2022/01/25/child-zero/" target="_blank">When this book hits shelves in May, you need to race to your local bookstore and grab a copy... CHILD ZERO reads like the literary equivalent of a standalone big budget summer blockbuster... CHILD ZERO is not only a thrilling novel, but an urgent warning about our future and the dire consequences we all face if nothing is done to alter the course.</a></blockquote><p> Many thanks, Brandon! I'm elated (and not just a little relieved) that you enjoyed it.</p><p></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-46138983878765240642021-12-19T13:03:00.007-05:002021-12-19T13:11:50.619-05:00"Christmas, 1983" at Beat to a Pulp!<p>I'm thrilled to report that my thirty-first short story—a seasonally appropriate crime tale called "Christmas, 1983"—is now <a href="http://www.beattoapulp.com/wz20211219-ch-christmas1983.html" target="_blank">live for your reading pleasure at Beat to a Pulp</a>!</p><p>Editor David Cranmer and I go way back, so I'm delighted to once more grace the pages of his publication. Oddly, this is my third Christmas story, after 2011's "The Final Bough" (for my former publisher's website) and 2018's "Con Season" (for the gun-control charity anthology UNLOADED 2). Nine more, and I'll have enough for a TWELVE CRIMES OF CHRISTMAS themed collection!</p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-44669083495305429562021-12-06T14:05:00.002-05:002021-12-07T11:43:03.639-05:00Minor Arcana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhtJ1mtsmkTf858yhEaNcFzfH65hcNcqg8G90bfgroc_PIA6JGg0QfYSsCcCP-6dIBqi0RTQxQ7_ZiBwAMHwIrJcLhOW6QA4rJXvBEm8_TIuO4y02YmGPOk1T7Iallra7SHIywg/s2048/IMG_0036.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhtJ1mtsmkTf858yhEaNcFzfH65hcNcqg8G90bfgroc_PIA6JGg0QfYSsCcCP-6dIBqi0RTQxQ7_ZiBwAMHwIrJcLhOW6QA4rJXvBEm8_TIuO4y02YmGPOk1T7Iallra7SHIywg/w320-h320/IMG_0036.heic" width="320" /></a></div>Though <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>'s release date is still five months away, advance reading copies have begun making their way into the world. I'm elated comma terrified.<div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>Don't get me wrong; I think the book is good. I worked hard to make it so, and early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. But, after five years of obsessing over every plot point and punctuation mark, I'm finding it a challenge to cede control—particularly knowing that the version many peers, reviewers, and book bloggers are going to see is not final.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>For the uninitiated, ARCs are typically printed from uncorrected proofs, meaning the text has been copyedited, but not yet reread—and, having since reviewed my proof pages, I know <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>'s ARCs contain errors.</div><div><br /></div><div>Intellectually speaking, I'm aware <i>all</i> books contain errors, and <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a>'s are relatively minor. Hell, of the twenty items I flagged for correction, at least seven aren't technically <i>errors</i>, so much as clumsy writing—and another six were the result of an automated attempt, post-copyedit, to remove duplicated words (e.g. "nine one one" becoming "nine one").</div><div><br /></div><div>Emotionally, however, it feels like each of them reveals me as a fraud. So, what's a neurotic writer to do?</div><div><br /></div><div>Write, that's what. Explain myself, as best I can, and maybe exorcise my demons in the process. Making hay of my neuroses is my whole dang job, which is handy, because it means I've got no shortage of fuel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Publishing a novel is an act of letting go. What once existed only in one's mind is released into the wild, where—at best—it will be loved and hated, critiqued and defended, embraced and abandoned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html">CHILD ZERO</a> ready? Am I?</div><div><br /></div><div>Beats me. Guess we'll find out soon enough.</div></div></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-23380890837137057862021-09-22T07:58:00.001-05:002021-09-22T07:58:53.713-05:00CHILD ZERO Cover Reveal, Release Date, and More!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjMWWdh0HQJa3KurgKFxnUYHQNmILnwL1lF9P1FTiMKO13G0WhXoZ0U-owK8O0TlEcaIpfZ2Ev5v_EdSAoWNVjut9ZldzSg4U2S2VsrnPImQrr6NDSGFNh0gSSv33rHtPcmdifQ/s2048/CHILD+ZERO+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjMWWdh0HQJa3KurgKFxnUYHQNmILnwL1lF9P1FTiMKO13G0WhXoZ0U-owK8O0TlEcaIpfZ2Ev5v_EdSAoWNVjut9ZldzSg4U2S2VsrnPImQrr6NDSGFNh0gSSv33rHtPcmdifQ/w265-h400/CHILD+ZERO+cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></p><p>Greetings, Earthlings! I come bearing a veritable cornucopia of <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> news.</p><p>First, as you can plainly see, the book now has a cover—and a mighty fine one, at that. (Three cheers for <a href="https://www.mulhollandbooks.com/titles/chris-holm/child-zero/9780316295543/" target="_blank">Mulholland</a>'s art department!)</p><p>It's also got an official release date—May 10, 2022—so kindly mark your calendars.</p><p>Hmm... what else? Well, after five excruciating years of secrecy, I'm finally ready to give y'all <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">a taste of what CHILD ZERO is about</a>.</p><p>Lastly, I'm happy to report that <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/child-zero.html" target="_blank">CHILD ZERO</a> is now available for preorder! If you'd like to make my day by picking up a copy or twelve, you can do so via the links below.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Child-Zero-Novel-Chris-Holm/dp/0316295124/">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/child-zero/id1585606792">Apple Books</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/child-zero-chris-holm/1140157213">Barnes & Noble</a> / <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Chris_Holm_Child_Zero?id=7LZCEAAAQBAJ">Google Play</a> / <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316295123">Indiebound</a></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-75744877256314172932021-03-18T10:33:00.005-05:002021-03-18T10:45:13.718-05:00(Virtual) Appearance: Friends of Mystery, 3/25<p>Say, do you have plans on <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friends-of-mystery-presents-chris-holm-katrina-niidas-holm-tickets-143218854449" target="_blank">Thursday, March 25, at 9PM Eastern</a> (6PM Pacific)? No? Then why not join my wife and I (virtually, of course) for a little booklife chat?</p><p>For those of you who don't know, <a href="http://mainesuspect.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Katrina Niidas Holm</a> is a prolific writer, editor, and critic. Her work has appeared in such publications as <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/" target="_blank">Kirkus</a>, <a href="https://www.publishersweekly.com/" target="_blank">Publishers Weekly</a>, The Life Sentence, and the <a href="https://lareviewofbooks.org/" target="_blank">Los Angeles Review of Books</a>. As if that weren't enough, she's also the small and independent press columnist for <a href="https://mysteryscenemag.com/" target="_blank">Mystery Scene Magazine</a>—so, between the two of us, we know a thing or two about the world of publishing, and crime fiction specifically.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friends-of-mystery-presents-chris-holm-katrina-niidas-holm-tickets-143218854449" target="_blank">Zoom event</a>, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Portland, Oregon nonprofit <a href="https://www.friendsofmystery.org/" target="_blank">Friends of Mystery</a>. Care to attend? <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friends-of-mystery-presents-chris-holm-katrina-niidas-holm-tickets-143218854449" target="_blank">You can sign up here.</a> The event kicks off with a casual hangout at 8:30PM Eastern (5:30PM Pacific). Our song and dance routine* kicks off 9PM Eastern (6PM Pacific), and we'll leave time to answer questions, so be thinking. Hope to <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friends-of-mystery-presents-chris-holm-katrina-niidas-holm-tickets-143218854449" target="_blank">see you there</a>!</p><p><i>*There will, to my knowledge, be no actual singing or dancing.</i></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-68768635556479016462021-01-14T11:53:00.008-05:002021-08-10T14:03:20.985-05:00An Announcement<p>It's official: the countdown to CHILD ZERO has begun.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvF48c7RcxNqarFSf0jLsbT8V2hxYhoFlNRqVPYJQW-xowfa3ec9GJLNaYX9njjOTjayJ_C76-wBPoiBLfR6LJJAjoPem5Z-f9-yoYk2o6Ifiw_a9_Wn4w-6RiFpiUxg2NJGkAA/s1200/PMDealReport_316494.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="1200" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvF48c7RcxNqarFSf0jLsbT8V2hxYhoFlNRqVPYJQW-xowfa3ec9GJLNaYX9njjOTjayJ_C76-wBPoiBLfR6LJJAjoPem5Z-f9-yoYk2o6Ifiw_a9_Wn4w-6RiFpiUxg2NJGkAA/w400-h144/PMDealReport_316494.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-52313361852693670992020-09-08T17:23:00.013-05:002021-03-19T11:05:17.484-05:00Virtual Reality<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjJIjKdMHRMYJrFG2MQUnagyuyLKtJ-Q-HLxvIZDukvc44WlVzpixvK0Ib9R71__s1j982bNykmeb8UxPC3kjxqw7PeRFOn1T9GfFSHnePAnb6ylM_K-wMV8bwSaV3yDpLagk0w/s1920/DCNatB+Loyalty2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjJIjKdMHRMYJrFG2MQUnagyuyLKtJ-Q-HLxvIZDukvc44WlVzpixvK0Ib9R71__s1j982bNykmeb8UxPC3kjxqw7PeRFOn1T9GfFSHnePAnb6ylM_K-wMV8bwSaV3yDpLagk0w/w266-h400/DCNatB+Loyalty2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><p>Are you busy on Sunday, September 13th, at 8PM Eastern?</p><p></p><p>Trick question. Of course you 're not! It's 2020!</p><p>Now that we've established you're available, howsabout you join me and a kickass lineup of fellow readers for a Virtual Noir at the Bar? There'll be cocktails, music, stories, and almost certainly not pants!</p><p>Best of all, it's safe as houses—specifically, yours—and doesn't cost a dime. All you've gotta do is pour a drink and <a href="https://www.crowdcast.io/e/d-c--virtual-noir-at-the-8/register" target="_blank">click the link</a>. Hope to see ya then.</p><p><br /></p><p></p>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-89486330316875224712020-07-12T13:14:00.014-05:002021-01-05T13:37:26.399-05:00An Overdue UpdateHey, guys! It's been a while. Seven months since my last post, to be exact—but, to be fair, it's been a nutty seven months.<br /><br />You may notice I've updated my site since you last visited, with an eye toward greater compatibility and ease of navigation on a variety of devices.<br /><br />If you're wondering where the sidebar (which features news, contact information, and links to social media, among other things) went, give the icon at the top-left of <a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">the home page</a> a click.<br /><br />My archives date back fifteen years, and as such, were plagued with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_rot" target="_blank">link rot</a>. If you happen across an old post that seems like it's missing a link, I probably excised it because it was nonfunctional.<br /><br />"But Chris," you might be thinking, "that sounds like a preposterous waste of time! Shouldn't you be writing?"<br /><br />To which I reply, "Oh, did I fail to mention? THE INSANELY AMBITIOUS SCIENTIFIC THRILLER THAT HAS CONSUMED MY EVERY WAKING HOUR FOR NEARLY FOUR YEARS IS FINALLY, GLORIOUSLY DONE. In fact, my first reader finished it a couple hours ago, and my agent is likely reading it as we speak."<br /><br />Wanna know what it's called? What it's about? Too bad. I'm not telling yet.<br /><br />I will say this, though: I'm pretty sure it rocks.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-67872475373246755842019-12-27T10:09:00.011-05:002022-12-12T15:34:11.618-05:00BOLO's Best of Decade<div class="separator"><a href="https://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/p/the-killing-kind.html" target="_blank">THE KILLING KIND</a> has made <a href="http://bolobooks.com/2019/12/the-bolo-books-most-wanted-list-2010-2019/" target="_blank">BOLO Books' list of favorite books, by year, for the past decade</a>! BOLO Books is the <a href="http://bolobooks.com/about/" target="_blank">Raven Award winning blog of Kristopher Zgorski</a>, whose list includes so many novels I utterly adored—from the likes of Megan Abbott, Steph Cha, Laura Lippman, and Attica Locke, to name but a few—I feel compelled to pick up all the ones I haven't yet read. If you know what's good for you, you'll do the same. Many thanks, Kristopher!</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16423897.post-31646607237253951672019-11-05T12:21:00.001-05:002020-07-11T09:50:33.533-05:00On Civility and CowardiceBy now, many within the mystery community have heard about Max Allan Collins’ turn as a presenter at last weekend's Shamus Awards, during which he complained that this year’s nominees would be difficult to pronounce, on account of all the “foreigners” on the list.<br />
<br />
Maybe he was joking. Maybe not. I wasn’t there, and I don’t know the guy, so I couldn’t say. Truth is, it doesn’t matter. His words served to alienate, demean, and diminish the very writers breathing new life into a subgenre that—as recently as a few years ago—seemed destined for ossification, and he deserves to be called out for that.<br />
<br />
Collins’ transgressions, however, aren’t the ones at the fore of my mind; I’ve been too busy pondering my own.<br />
<br />
Although I didn’t attend the Shamus Awards, I was in Dallas this weekend too, for Bouchercon. It was, by and large, a blast. I ate my weight in tacos and brisket. Cheered my wife on as she moderated one of the most kickass panels I’ve ever seen. Stayed up way too late, and laughed way too hard, with friends both old and new.<br />
<br />
And twice, by happenstance, I found myself chatting with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Penzler" target="_blank">Otto Penzler</a>.<br />
<br />
Oddly, we’d never met before, although our paths have crossed a time or two. He and Harlan Coben selected my short story “The Hitter” (on which THE KILLING KIND was based) to appear in THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2011. A few years later, I reached out to him to snag my wife an ARC of an author published by his imprint in advance of a panel she was moderating. And, of course, his Mysterious Bookshop stocks signed copies of my work.<br />
<br />
Our conversations last weekend were cordial. Pleasant, even. One occurred when I was talking with a mutual acquaintance in the conference bar and he ambled over. Another, at an offsite gathering to which we were both invited. I mentioned our previous points of contact. He politely claimed to recall my name, if not my work. And we chatted some about our mutual affection for Lou Berney’s NOVEMBER ROAD, which quite rightly took home three awards by convention's end.<br />
<br />
What I didn’t say, but wish I had, was that the book I think most deserves to be in that position next year is Steph Cha’s YOUR HOUSE WILL PAY. What I didn’t say, but wish I had, was that Steph happens to be a friend of mine, but even if she weren’t, I’d still be disgusted by his characterization of her in <a href="https://32fc87n66z83fzh742e992fv-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Penzlers-Letter-To-MWA-Board.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0f9WT7Zi1EUsEO_T5ubSbHVnyZJRBvpw-4yg22lErerNRfE5txZwy7Q-o" target="_blank">the unhinged letter he sent to the MWA</a> in the wake of the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/books/la-et-jc-mwa-linda-fairstein-20181127-story.html" target="_blank">Linda Fairstein scandal</a>. What I didn’t say, but wish I had, was that I stood with Steph and Attica Locke when they called upon the MWA to reconsider naming Fairstein a Grand Master of the genre I hold dear.<br />
<br />
So… why didn’t I?<br />
<br />
One potential answer is the professional downside to picking a fight with an established tastemaker of the genre. Thing is, I’m pretty sure that’s not the case, because I'm too dumb to worry about that kind of stuff, and regularly speak out on issues that matter to me, my sales numbers be damned.<br />
<br />
No, I think the truth is simpler than that, and more insidious. I didn’t say anything because we were in polite company. Because I didn’t want to offend our mutual acquaintance in the first encounter, and our host in the second. Because, simply put, it was easier not to.<br />
<br />
Presented with an opportunity to speak my mind, I chickened out.<br />
<br />
Our interactions have haunted me ever since, for several reasons. One is the knowledge that neither Steph nor Attica would have been afforded the privilege of expediency if they found themselves in a similar situation. Another is the strong suspicion that they wouldn’t have availed themselves of such expediency either way. But most of all, I’m painfully aware of the optics of our interactions, and the chilling message they might send.<br />
<br />
I’ve been very fortunate in my career. My books have sold well, garnered acclaim, and won awards. I’m not exactly a household name, but I recall the way I looked at authors of my stature when I first made inroads into the community—and I’m forced to wonder what it would feel like to be a young writer of color watching from across the room while I made small talk with a gatekeeper who’s been clear that they're unwelcome in his realm.<br />
<br />
So, sure, I suppose I could pile on Collins for his xenophobic remarks—and, for the record, I think he should apologize—but it’d be performative unless I called myself out on my bullshit too. <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/03/14/700897826/when-civility-is-used-as-a-cudgel-against-people-of-color" target="_blank">Civility has long been a tool of the oppressor</a>, because it serves to police tone and maintain status quo. It’s a common gripe that people in positions of power glide through life without fear of repercussions; in the future, I’d prefer not to be the guy greasing the wheels.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286520897538327919noreply@blogger.com