Another Ardai Interview and other things of interest

There is a new interview with Charles Ardai over at Things I'd Rather be Doing. The most interesting thing I learned reading it is that they have ARCs of Slide, and they're going to be giving away a dozen copies to people on the Hard Case Crime mailing list. You can go to Hard Case's Web page to sign up if you want a chance to win. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page and put your email address in the box.

I will also take this opportunity to remind those of you in New York City that you will be able to see Jason Starr read from Slide at 7 p.m. April 22, at KGB (85 East 4th Street), as part of a Hard Case Crime reading event. Peter Pavia, Max Phillips, and Charles Ardai will also be on hand.

Speaking of Starr, I'm about halfway through The Follower, which comes out in August from St. Martin's Minotaur. No one does shallow and callow characters better than Starr. If you don't believe me read this, or this, and then get back to me. He reminds me of Bret Easton Ellis without the hype, and with more believable characters and plots. His characters are often unsympathetic, which I think has limited his appeal, but I think The Follower is going to change that. It's got a sympathetic character at its center and it's about beautiful young people in Manhattan. It's still got plenty of the self absorbed and completely oblivious characters that are Starr's trademark, but I think a lot people will find it more palatable than, say, Hard Feelings, which is my favorite Starr novel. I'll also be very surprised if The Follower doesn't get made into a movie.

Moving right along, Ray Banks has a redesigned Web site and is blogging again. I've got Donkey Punch on my to be reviewed pile, and I'm planning on starting it this week. It's getting released in the UK in May.