Rule Number One in The Blue Religion

CRinVA

I've been sitting on this news for over a week, but the official announcement just came out in the MWA newsletter, so I feel safe in saying something now.



My story, "Rule Number One," was accepted for an anthology called Burden of the Badge, to be published by Little Brown in 2007. The editor is one of my favorite authors: Michael Connelly. (The 2006 anthology is edited by Harlen Coben.)



The anthology was open only to MWA (Mystery Writers of America) members. Eight stories were selected from 230 blind submissions (no author information on the manuscripts). The rest of the stories will be from invited authors.



I'm tickled pink to be part of this high-profile publication!

CRinVA

Bev,



Looks like your writing future just keeps getting brighter and brighter!



Congrats are in order!

BevVincent

As I said elsewhere, Good On Ya BV!

Now that I am witnessing your rise in the world I have to keep a list of What and When is going to be published and try to keep up.



All the best,



BigPop/ StevensSon

BevVincent

Thanks -- the best resource for the list-minded is this page.

DTUK

Congratulations, Bev, and never fear that Star of yours continuing to rise and then over many years, start to fall...many lucky stars get to stay up in the sky - I have a feeling you'll be one of them.



Well done!

BevVincent

This anthology is now called "The Blue Religion." I had first contact with the editorial team today when they asked me for an electronic copy of the manuscript and my bio. Contracts to follow shortly!

It's no accident that police work, like military service, has such a powerful subcultural code of conduct that Michael Connelly calls it "the blue religion." It is the nature of the job. Legislators make the law, judges interpret it; policemen simply enforce it. Obedience, that most politically incorrect of virtues, is simply a must.

Lou_Sytsma

Woot! To infinity and beyond! Go get'em!

BevVincent

I received my contracts for this story today. Still haven't heard anything about any requested editorial changes. Maybe there aren't any!

BevVincent

Q: Will you have a story in the MWA anthology "The Blue Religion" that you are editing?



Michael Connelly: I think that was part of the deal. So I’ll have something in there.

BevVincent

I got to meet Michael Connelly last night. Read more!

BevVincent

I received the copy-edited manuscript for my short story yesterday. The editorial changes are minor, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to read through this story again, because it's probably been a year since I last read it. The opening sentence didn't even seem familiar to me when I first glanced at it. It's a good sentence!

BevVincent

The Blue Religion (April 14, 2008, Back Bay Books)



Mystery Writers of America presents new stories about cops, criminals, and the chase. Edited by Michael Connelly.



Nineteen original short stories—including a new contribution by Michael Connelly—about riveting showdowns between cops and criminals.



From Hawaii at the turn of the twentieth century to the post-Civil War frontier, from smoggy Los Angeles to the woods of Idaho, these gripping stories trace the perils and occasional triumphs of lawmen and women who put themselves in harm's way to face down the bad guys. Some of them even walk the edge of becoming bad guys themselves.



In T. Jefferson Parker's "Skinhead Central," an ex-cop and his wife find unexpected menace in the idyllic setting they have chosen for their retirement. In Alafair Burke's "Winning," a female officer who is attacked in the line of duty must protect her own husband from his worst impulses. In Edward D. Hoch's "Friday Night Luck," a wanna-be cop blows his chance at a spot on the force—and breaks his case. In Michael Connelly's "Father's Day," Harry Bosch faces one of his most emotionally trying cases, investigating a young boy's death.



BLUE RELIGION features stories from Jon L. Breen, Alafair Burke, Michael Connelly, Leslie Glass, John Harvey, Edward D. Hoch, Laurie R. King, T. Jefferson Parker, Peter Robinson, and 12 other outstanding writers.



In Michael Connelly's new story "Father's Day," Harry Bosch faces one of his most emotionally trying cases, investigating a young boy's death. This collection will be released in the USA and Canada in April 2008.

BevVincent

I received the galley pages for my story in this collection today. Read through it three or four times, found mostly punctuation gaffes (nested quotes was a biggie!), and sent my report back to the editors.

BevVincent

I received an ARC of The Blue Religion today. It's a beauty! I look forward to seeing this anthology in stores everywhere and hearing what everyone else thinks about it in mid-April.

BevVincent

From Publisher's Weekly:

The Blue Religion: New Stories About Cops, Criminals, and the Chase Edited by Michael Connelly. Little, Brown, $24.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-316-01251-5



Mystery Writers of America presents a high-quality anthology of 19 original stories that explore a wide range of police experiences, from newcomer Polly Nelson's superb tale set in 1864 Kansas, “Burying Mr. Henry,” to editor Connelly's powerful and grim Harry Bosch investigation into a young disabled boy's death, “Father's Day.” The sordid mean streets, depicted in Persia Walker's “Such a Lucky, Pretty Girl,” are nicely balanced with the lighter touches of Jon Breen's “Serial Killer,” a darkly comic tale in which two police detectives recount one of their cases to a community college writing class. TV writer Paul Guyot contributes one of the volume's strongest selections, “What a Wonderful World,” about a cop's obsessive search for the killer of a hot dog vendor. This is one of those rare themed anthologies that can be enjoyed at one sitting. (Apr.)

BevVincent

Mystery Writers of America Presents the Blue Religion: New Stories about Cops, Criminals, and the Chase



These entertaining nineteen tales focus on the police procedural theme. However, as Mr. Connolly explains in his introduction, for the most part the entries concentrate on the “world of the cop” as the stories “explore the burden of the badge” more so than investigative procedures. The contributions run the gamut with a strong historical by Polly Nelson to the return of Harry Bosch to a retired cop and his wife running into trouble (T. Jefferson Parker’s “Skinhead Central). There are no clinkers yet the range is vast from a dark tale of a selected amnesiac (“Such a Lucky, Pretty Girl: by Persia Walker) to amusingly light (Jon Breen’s "Serial Killer"). All are excellent, especially insightful is Paul Guyton’s tense "What a Wonderful World" that proves a short story can contain fully developed characters; an apropos title along with Alafair Burke’s “Winning” as this anthology is a wonderful look at individual members of the Blue Religion special congregation.



Harriet Klausner

BevVincent

Had a box waiting for me on the front porch when I got home tonight -- ten copies of The Blue Religion. Sweet!

BevVincent

I stumbled upon the UK (Quercus/Murdock Books) cover art for the anthology:







There's also going to be an audio version from Tantor. Read by Alan Sklar, Karen White, & John Lee. Running Time: 12 hrs - Unabridged (10 CDs or 1 audio MP3). I think it will be cool to hear someone else reading my story!

BevVincent

review at Jandy's Reading Room

The tales range across many different crimes and time periods. There are stories of revenge, planning, and accidents. There are triumphs and mistakes. Police are people just like the rest of us. These stories show their humaness and strike chords with the reader.



This is a wonderful collection. I recommend it to any mystery lover or anyone who wants to sample the genre.

BevVincent

Here's a neat promo for my signing on Saturday.

Lou_Sytsma

Very nice indeed. Good Luck with the signing.

BevVincent

Thanks! I scalded my right hand in Baltimore airport on my way back from the Three Kings, so some of my fingers are a little tight right now. I'm hoping that works out before Saturday!

BevVincent

Here's a nice 4-page press release about The Blue Religion.

BevVincent

Chicago Sun-Times capsule review:

Bestselling mystery author Michael Connelly tries on a different hat this month as editor of The Blue Religion, an anthology of short stories sponsored by the Mystery Writers of America. Anthologies are always hit-and-miss, but this one contains enough winners to recommend it.



The stories are all about police officers and their lives on and off the job. Not surprisingly, one of the strongest entries is from Connelly himself, a story about Harry Bosch investigating the death of a disabled young boy. Other stand-out efforts come from Paul Guyot, Alafair Burke, Jack Frederickson and Edward D. Hoch.



The world of short crime fiction is the strongest it’s been in years, and books like The Blue Religion are a large part of the reason why.

BevVincent

I had a book signing at Murder By The Book in Houston on Saturday afternoon for The Blue Religion, which is officially published today. It was a beautiful day, so many people found other things to do, but the turnout was pretty much what I expected for a non-name local author. I signed about 10 books for people who were at the store, another six or seven for people who had pre-ordered the book but weren't in attendance, and the rest of the store's stock at the end of my talk. I had seven or eight people who sat through my hour-long presentation, asking questions and generally appearing to be interested in what I had to say. They were inquisitive and interactive, which made the time pass quickly. It was a lot of fun, and I covered a wide range of subjects, from my research into the police departement procedures to how and when I write, to writing crime fiction versus horror.



The other book the store stocked for the signing was Corpse Blossoms. The store manager calls Creeping Hemlock Press his new favorite small press, and they plan to have Tom Piccirilli in later this year to sign The Fever Kill.

BevVincent

Crime Fiction Dossier

The Mystery Writers of America have put together a new anthology of short fiction, featuring stories about police officers and their lives on and off the job. I know what you're thinking -- Do we really need another anthology? -- but this one has enough good stories to recommend it. Stand-out efforts come from Michael Connelly, Paul Guyot, Alafair Burke, Jack Frederickson and Edward D. Hoch. (There are some other good ones as well, and only a couple of stinkers.) The world of short crime fiction is the strongest it’s been in years, and anthologies like The Blue Religion are a large part of the reason why.