This is not a formal announcement — more of an early warning, I guess.

Starting later this spring, perhaps around mid-May, I’m going to be distributing a previously-unpublished novel to members of our mailing list. The free e-serial will be sent out on a fairly regular schedule, probably a couple of times a week, to every subscriber. The novel is big and complex, so the journey promises to be a long and interesting one. At the same time, I’ll be using this space to blog a bit about the book and its creation, which I hope will add another level to the experience.

What can you do?

Well, for starters, keep watching this spot for the official announcement and updates.

Also, if you haven’t already signed up for our mailing list, why not do it right now? You’ll immediately get access to the “classic” stories Dave and I are giving away, get important news from time to time, and be assured of receiving every single installment of the novel.

Finally, if you know of anyone else who would be interested, send them a link and tell them to sign up, too. It’s always nice to have your friends along when embarking on a new adventure!

Since this is the genre Paul and I usually choose to work within, I thought you might be interested in the upcoming World Horror Convention. Here’s some recent news:

For the first time in its seventeen-year history, The World Horror Convention is being held outside the United States. With a theme exploring “The Diversity of Horror”, World Horror Convention 2007 will take place over March 29-April 1 at the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre, located in the heart of Toronto, Canada.

Guests of Honour at World Horror Convention 2007 include British writer Michael Marshall Smith, the multiple award-winning author of such novels as Spares, Only Forward, One of Us, and the best-selling The Straw Men trilogy; Montreal-based author Nancy Kilpatrick, whose books include novels Near Death, Child of The Night, Jason X: Planet of The Beast and The Goth Bible: A Compedium For The Darkly Inclined; Chesley Award and World Fantasy Award-winning American illustrator John Picacio; British writer/editor/publisher Peter Crowther and Toronto editor and pulp magazine authority Don Hutchison.

Learn more about the World Horror Convention 2007 here: http://www.whc2007.org

Paul reads his short story “Down the Valley Wild.” Available now in MP3 format in our Exclusive Material section.

Enjoy!

Couldn’t let this one pass …

LONDON (Reuters) - The living dead beat rhino horn to be named Oddest Book Title of the Year.

Bookseller magazine gave the award Friday to a self-help book on being haunted entitled People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It.

The Story

The Book at Amazon

I recently did something I’d never done before. I read an entire novel in e-book format. I know I’m late to the party. Way late. Welcome to the 1990s, and all of that. But quite honestly, despite thousands of attempts over the years, I’ve never developed the mental muscles needed to become a good “screen reader.” I’m one of those guys who has to print out everything I write before I can proofread and edit it. I download stories from the Web and immediately print them out, too. Sometimes, I even print long Web pages, so I can hold the information in my hot little hands. It’s not that I don’t try reading on screen. It’s just that I’m no good at it. No matter what I do, no matter how intently I focus, I tend to get restless and impatient after just a few minutes. I start to squirm. And pretty soon I’m scrolling faster and faster, skimming more than reading.

Then, about six weeks ago, I decided to buy a copy of Stephen King’s The Cell for my Palm. The book was already on its way from my preferred online retailer (I live in the wilderness, remember). I could have simply waited for it to arrive, but I wanted to get a head start. I figured I’d purchase the e-book, play around with it a bit, and read at least some of it before the hardcopy showed up in my mailbox.

As luck would have it, I picked the perfect time to do it. I had a lot of meetings that week and found myself spending way too much time just sitting around, waiting for board members to assemble, gavels to fall and proceedings to begin. In the past, I would have filled that time by staring aimlessly at the ceiling, chatting idly with other audience members or gazing with dismay at my growing to-do list. Suddenly I could pass the time a whole new way, by firing up the Palm and skipping right past the jam-packed date book, reading 20 or 30 pages of The Cell instead. I not only found it convenient, comfortable and useful, it was actually kind of fun, and much to my surprise, I finished the entire e-book two days before the novel turned up in the mail.

Will I do it again someday? Maybe. I don’t think I’ll ever get addicted to screen reading, and I certainly won’t opt for e-books over ink-and-paper or even audio, but I won’t automatically dismiss them, either.

So, go ahead. Tell me how out of date I am. Call me a Luddite. I can take it. But give me some credit for persistence, too, for trying again and again until I finally got it. And don’t be surprised if the next time you see me, I’m squinting at my Palm with a big grin on my face. Playing Tetris? Maybe … or maybe just catching up with the rest of the world at last.