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Let Me Go, this August

Let Me Go, the next book in the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series comes out August 13th. You can pre-order it now. Pre-ordering is AWESOME. It makes me very happy. This book takes place over Halloween. Gretchen Lowell is back. And she's WEARING A COSTUME. Do you need to know anything more? Okay. Lots of stabbing. Archie's BIRTHDAY. A masked ball. And tunnels. UNDERGROUND tunnels. Oh, and lots of sex. Very, very wrong sex.

How I got fake blood on my daughter's Ken doll, and other confessions of a thriller writer mom

I'm a frequent guest on LiveWire!, a variety show that is performed here in Portland and then broadcast nationally (Hello, Austin!).  This is a recordning of me performing an essay with Ralph Huntley backing me up musically.  Ralph has fantastic muttonchops, which you can't see here, but that doesn't mean you can't imagine them.

Let's see if this link works!  (This is so exciting.)  

https://soundcloud.com/live-wire-radio/chelsea-cain-how-i-got-fake

FX is developing Heartsick for TV

Start making room on your DVRs -- FX is developing Heartsick for television.  I am over the moon about this.  FX makes some awesome TV.  Justified.  American Horror Story.  Sons of Anarchy.  These people clearly buy fake blood in bulk and know how to use it.  The plan is for Heartsick to be season one, season two would be Sweetheart, etc.  They would be short seasons, like 13 episodes.  Mikko Alanne is adapting.  He's terrific.  Trust me, he knows the characters as well as I do, and he's a true fan of the books.  So I'm thrilled!  We'll see if it gets carried all the way to fruition.  They still have to make the pilot, and then pick up the pilot.  (Details!) But it's a great team and I think they're going to pull it off.  You know, there have been various movie deals for the property over the years, non of which have made it past script development.  But I've always thought it would make a better TV show because it allows more (and slower) development of characters and plot.  Plus, it would give me an excuse to watch more TV, so there's that.  Will I be able to write off my cable bill now?         

5 Books & Albums That Changed My Life

Hello.  I have a guest blog post up on the 5 books & albums that changed my life over at  http://crimespreemag.com/blog/2012/03/5-books-albums-that-changed-my-lif... Crimespree is run by two of my favorite people in the world, Jon and Ruth Jordan. Go give them some love.  And tell them I say, hi.  

Thriller Characters: A Handy Field Guide

Cliches.  Love them.  Hey, I write thrillers, and we thriller writers are nothing if not enthusiastic about revisiting plotlines.  In fact, sometimes I think every thriller character can fit into a template.  Here's what I've come up with so far:  

 

Detectives Who Are Haunted By Old Cases.  This is usually the detective’s first case, or a case involving a missing or murdered child (whose picture the detective still carries in his wallet).  The detective will still have all the old case files and is in regular touch with survivors/witnesses.  The case remains unsolved. 

 

Women Who Are Lawyers.  They are divorced.  They may or may not still be in love with their ex-husbands.  These women have cats, or alternative pets, like turtles or ferrets.  They eat sweets when they are anxious, but do not gain weight.  Men find these women very, very attractive.  Women Who Are Lawyers have girlfriends in useful professions (cop, reporter, medical examiner).  

 

Vicars.  If there’s a vicar, you can be sure that there’s a body in the bog.

 

People Who Are Hiding Something About Their Past.  Usually men.  Usually brooding.  Their past commonly involves a stint in special ops.  Now “the company” is looking for them.  These people know fifty ways to kill you with a letter opener, and they usually go by their last names. 

 

People Who Have to Come Out of Retirement to Take Care of Business.  These people used to be judges or cops and now they are finally out of the game and living on the beach in Baja when something comes up that forces them back to “the city” where they must clean up some mess that everyone else is incapable of addressing.  

 

People Who Live On Boats.  Why do so many characters in thrillers live on boats?  No one knows. 

 

Women Who Are Forensic Experts And Have Complicated Relationships With Their Fathers.  Oh, these women are tough and pretty.  They know their livor mortis.  They are famous in their field, and their fathers are retired cops.  They date, but their boyfriends usually turn out to be murderers.  

 

Women Who Have Been Raped And Are Mad About It.  Sometimes these women are cops.  Sometimes they are district attorneys.  It doesn’t matter.  Revenge will be sought. 

 

Hobbyists.  These people do not have jobs.  They are independently wealthy or have recently come into a financial windfall due to some sort of legal settlement.  This gives them a lot of free time to get involved in other people’s business. 

 

People With Massive Chemical Dependency Issues.  These characters used to be satisfied just hitting the bottle, but in recent years they have embraced pain pills, anxiety meds, antidepressants, marijuana, cocaine, and even heroin.  Somehow, they remain excellent at their jobs in law enforcement.   

 

Cops Whose Partners Have Been Murdered.  Hello, survivor’s guilt.  These characters now have new partners who must be scorned before finally emerging as trustworthy allies.  Sometimes the new partners are then murdered, which is a real drag. 

 

People Who Are Recovering From Injuries Sustained In The Previous Book.  Limps.  Scars.  Bandages.  Physical therapy.  These hobbled characters are slowed down just long enough to solve a hospital related mystery. 

 

Cops Whose Whole Families Have Been Murdered.  These cops are almost always men, and they are not happy at all about the fact that their families have been murdered.  They blame themselves.  They should have been home.  They should have avoided the ire of that psychopathic serial killer.  They do not like to talk about it.   

 

Innocent Bystanders.  These people have regular jobs and yet always seem to be stumbling across dead bodies.  They use their skills as chefs/accountants/librarians/horticulturists to help solve the crimes.

 

Women of a Certain Age.  These women are menopausal and unmarried or divorced.  They work in law enforcement and do not have children.  Excellent at catching killers, these women often struggle with the jerky men they work with.  These women have a surprising amount of casual sex.  They usually live in Canada.

 

Scandinavians.  They are smart and droll and their land is overcast.  Also, terrible things seem to happen to them.  

 

Bad Guys Who Are Good Guys.  These protagonists are on the gray side of the law: hackers, cat burglars, con artists, and killers who kill killers. 

 

People We Want To See Kiss Each Other.  These characters work in law enforcement and tend to be brought together with another law enforcement professional or consultant to solve cases.  Guess what?  They totally love that person.  And that person loves them back.  But neither one will admit it because they are both workaholics and emotionally retarded.  Just kiss already!

 

Journalists.  Once a popular thriller character, these days, journalists are more likely to be secondary characters whose grisly murders are secretly applauded by the reader.  

 

Parents Whose Children Have Been Threatened.  Luckily, the parents in question often have highly specialized training that allows them to hunt down and assassinate the people who have menaced their young.   

 

People Who Are Trying To Escape.  These characters have been kidnapped and spend the book trying to get away.   

 

People with PhDs.  Clinical psychologists.  Lesbian academics.  Criminology professors.  People with PhDs usually team up with law enforcement professionals and work as consultants on their cases.  (See People We Want To See Kiss Each Other.)   

 

Novelists.  Almost always true crime writers or thriller writers, these characters inevitably get caught up in a real life homicide investigation, which they solve, write-up, and publish to great acclaim.  They usually live alone and are almost always inexplicably irritating. 

 

 

 

Books I'm giving as holiday gifts this season

PNBA (the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association) asked me to share a list of books I'm giving as holiday gifts.  My first reaction was, but doesn't that ruin the surprise?  Then I thought, oh what the hell, I'll do it.  So if you are my cousin Cecily, my aunt Colleen, my aunt Patricia, my uncle Phil or my step mother Susan, do not read this post until after Christmas.  As for everyone else, I realize that you are probably excellent people, and have completed all of your holiday shopping, in which case this list is pretty much useless to you.  Though, hey, Ground Hog Day is coming up.  And books are the traditional Ground Hog Day gift, no?  At least that's how we do it in my family.  Click on the link below to see the books I'm planning on gifting.  

http://www.nwbooklovers.org/2011/12/21/28-authors-28-variations-on-a-lis...

The Night Season is in paperback

The Night Season is just out in paperback, and makes a lovely stocking stuffer.  Wrap it in gauze and slip a scalpal under the bow.  It makes a thoughtful holiday gift.  Best read in front of the fire with a glass of brandy.  Vicodin optional.   

News about book five!

I finally have a title for book five in my Archie/Gretchen series.  it's called KILL YOU TWICE.  Please don't tell me if you don't like it.  Just smile and give me a thumbs up.  Then give me a hug.  Possibly, after that, you could rub my shoulders.  (Titles are REALLY hard.)  The book, ahem, KILL YOU TWICE, will be out this August.  I will start shouting at you the moment you can pre-order.  I think you guys are going to like this one. 

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