CHRIS HOLM

It's official! Book three of my Collector series, THE BIG REAP, now has a cover! Once more art-designed by Marc Gascoigne, and rendered stunningly by Amazing15, this cover fits in beautifully alongside books one and two, while carving out a niche of its very own. I love it.

Want a killer collection of crime fiction that also supports a kickass con? Then check out MURDER AND MAYHEM IN MUSKEGO , featuring the likes of Hilary Davidson, Marcus Sakey, Dana Cameron, Brad Parks, Megan Abbott, Reed Farrel Coleman, and... me! Specifically, a brand new short called "The Great Plains." Get you some today!

Today, as I wake bleary-eyed and groggy at this ungodly hour to put myself on a plane bound for B'con, is the official UK release date for THE WRONG GOODBYE ! I hope y'all enjoy it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a plane to catch.

Man, oh, man. Just look at that list of contributors. Ron, Kent, Sabrina, and Chad really outdid themselves putting this collection together. These folks are so damned talented, any one of 'em would make BOTH BARRELS worth picking up. The fact it also happens to include my short story "Not Forgotten" is just the icing on the cake.

I confess, as I write this, I'm a little dazed. It's been a whirlwind of a day. Book two of my Collector cycle, THE WRONG GOODBYE, is now available in print, ebook, and audio format—in the US and Canada, at least. Look for it (nay, pound on the counter and demand it) wherever books are sold. For what it's worth, I think this one's really, really good. But since there's a teeny, tiny chance I'm biased, here's a peek at what the ever-wonderful Elizabeth A. White had to say about it: "Holm set the world on fire with DEAD HARVEST, and now he absolutely burns it to the ground with THE WRONG GOODBYE." Thanks, Elizabeth! Thanks also to those who took the time to hype my books today, or dropped a line to wish me well. You made this release one to remember. Now, I do believe it's time to pour a drink. Tonight, I celebrate. Tomorrow, I get back to work.

Back from an overnight sojourn to the spotty-internet-access wilds of western Maine, and what did I miss in my absence? As ass-kicking Fresh Meat post on THE WRONG GOODBYE over at Criminal Minds courtesy of Neliza Drew , that's what! Here's a taste of what the ever-lovely Ms. Drew had to say (click through to read the rest):   "THE WRONG GOODBYE , like its predecessor, works on two levels. It’s a fun adventure, a cross-country fantastical crime spree that fans of Neil Gaiman’s AMERICAN GODS and the TV show Supernatural will likely enjoy. It hits all the right notes as both a buddy comedy and a horror show. Between laughing at the oil tycoon and being skeeved out by the 'Bug Man,' it’s great fun, even if you just read along the surface. Look, three words: demon opium den. You need more? Cross-dressing psychic using a demon as a piñata. Underneath, it continues exploring matters of morality, free will, and what it means to be more or less human....

The Announcement It's official: my robot overlords have picked up book three in my Collector series! THE BIG REAP is set to see the light of day sometime in 2013, following this February's DEAD HARVEST and September 2012's THE WRONG GOODBYE. How psyched am I? Freakin' very . For one, THE BIG REAP takes a turn both epic and unexpected, and I'm pretty sure it's gonna rock. For two, you just know the cover will be mind-blowing. (Yeah, that's right: I mostly made this deal so's I could get me yet another kick-ass pulp cover. If I've got to keep cranking out crazy fantasy-noir adventure novels to get 'em, then so be it.) The Contest To celebrate today's announcement, I think I'll give away free stuff. What free stuff, you ask? How about three DEAD HARVEST prize packs, featuring a signed copy of DEAD HARVEST (The Collector Book One), as well as bookmarks, fridge magnets, custom DEAD HARVEST M&Ms, and whatever other crazy-ass DEAD ...

Locus Magazine, who've won like eleventy bagillion Hugo Awards. Locus Magazine, in whose pages a K.W. Jeter coined the term "steampunk," way back in April of '87. Locus Magazine, which no less a luminary than Arthur C. Clarke declared "the only periodical I read from cover to cover." Locus Magazine knows that I exist. What's more, they actually liked my book . There's no online edition, so I can't provide an evidentiary link, but here's a snippet of what they (or, rather, Carolyn Cushman) had to say: "The Collector series gets off to a strong start with this noir urban fantasy, a very promising first novel." You hear that? I'm "very promising." (Or, okay, my novel is. Shut up and let me have this.)

I'm pleased to announce that my short story "Pretty Little Things" will appear in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine! When? I've no idea. But they sent me a contract and everything, so if it's a prank, it's a darn thorough one. I couldn't be happier to be returning to the pages of Ellery Queen. It's a bit of a homecoming for me, since they gave me my first ever professional credit, way back in the Dark Ages of '07. Plus, any excuse to interact with EQMM's editor, Janet Hutchings, is a welcome one, indeed.

Today, DEAD HARVEST gets a little left-coast love, courtesy the Los Angeles Review of Books: "Chris F. Holm’s genre-transmogrifying debut, Dead Harvest, is among the most adventurous crime titles to appear this year. It’s sort of a supernatural hit-man story, with a wrong-guy, lovers-on-the-run, end-of-the-world, action sci-fi twist — an ambitious mash-up that twists, contorts, recasts, and revives umpteen different archetypes. The only thing crazier than Holm’s vision is the fact that he actually pulls it off." Thanks, Cullen, for the kind words!

Today, I'm over at Shotgun Honey, talking all things Sam Thornton and beyond with Ron Earl Phillips. I was wracked with fever-chills the whole interview long, so there's an even chance I said some crazy shit. Also, Library Journal just took a peek at DEAD HARVEST. Their verdict? "Blending urban fantasy with noir mystery, Holm's debut is a dark, moody tale of fallen heroes in the modern world. Fans of Jim Butcher's 'Dresden Files' books, Tanya Huff's 'Blood' novels, and Larry Correia's 'Monster Hunter' series should enjoy discovering a promising new author."

Okay, fine, all my Britishisms were lifted from Bertie Wooster (as my editor, Marc Gascoigne, can attest). But still, DEAD HARVEST has officially gone international! Look around. Are people speaking English? (If it takes a sec to figure that out, you may well be in Scotland.) Then you should be able to walk into your finest book emporium and buy my book! Why should you buy my book? Well, howsabout I let Jed Ayres of Barnes and Noble's Ransom Notes blog tackle that one: "Can you afford to get lost in a good book this week? No? Then I strongly suggest you avoid Chris F. Holm’s debut DEAD HARVEST. Seriously, back away from the book, 'cause it’ll grab you." Thanks, Jed!

I suspect my launch day is anything but typical. In fact, I expect I'll be quite scarce for much of it. No interviews or guest posts that I'm aware of. No scanning the internet for reviews. No biting my nails to the quick as I watch the stock-market rise-and-fall of my Amazon rank. In fact, I don't really have much in the way of plans; my official launch party is scheduled for a week from Thursday ( y'all are welcome to come, by the by ), and my wife and I aren't planning more than a pizza and a bottle of wine (the celebration dinner's gonna be next weekend). And the reason why's the Day Job. I don't talk much about the Day Job, except in passing. But this week, the Day Job's full-on nuts. See, when I'm not writing, or reading, or annoying the neighbors with my spirited-if-artless renditions of cheesy '90s indie songs on my guitar, I'm a researcher at a biotech company that specializes in diagnostic testing for animal and human health....

Dear Everybody Ever: On Thursday, March 8, at 7:00 PM, the awesometastical Longfellow Books in Portland, Maine will be hosting an official release party for DEAD HARVEST . All are welcome. There will be food and drink and, you know, me. I'll be reading and taking questions and generally dancing for y'all's amusement. So if you're in the area, or if you're not but you're damn determined, feel free to stop on by. I'll be the one looking elated and uneasy all at once...

The newest issue of the venerable SFX Magazine hit newsstands in the UK today, and they saw fit to weigh in on DEAD HARVEST... to the tune of four stars! Alas, I cannot link to the review, as it only exists in the for-serious actual world, but here's a taste (with a hat tip to the fine blokes at Angry Robot for passing it along): "The breakneck pace of the narrative, and the world Holm creates, make for a thrillingly brutal ride." Not too shabby, that.

Wow. They, um, loved it. No, really: "A war is brewing between angels and demons in this twisty, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy debut." Click through to read the rest. I probably will another couple dozen times.