Cons

Lots happening these days. Heading tomorrow to Austin to see my daughter perform at the Carousel Lounge at 7pm, then have Armadillocon this weekend. In Gettysburg, PA next weekend for Horrorfind con, then home a week and in Dallas for Fencon, then Tyler for an event. Wonder if I will ever have time to write again with all this travel. Been asked to Judge the Torino film fest in Torino, Italy around November, after returning home from my Italian book tour in October. Busy busy. Good though.

Joe

Kasey Lansdale in Austin, TX

Music Fans: Please come support my daughter, Kasey Lansdale.
She will be performing at The Carousel Lounge, August 26th, at 7pm in Austin, TX.
(512) 452-6790 · 1110 E 52nd St, Austin, TX 78723
Come support live music, and hope to see you there. Thanks,
Joe

So, back from the Florida Keys, and it must agree with me. Wrote half a novel there, a young adult novel titled ALL THE EARTH THROWN TO THE SKY, and I must admit, I like it a lot. Spend this week so far still on a role, and should finish shortly, then time to revise. Sold a few short stories, and have had a number come out. Oddly, most of them are reprints, and three or four of them are in zombie anthologies. THE NEW DEAD has a new piece of mine, and I seem to be the only one in the book out of step, but Chris Golden, the fine editor of the book, asked originally that the stories be about how people dealth with death, and need not be zombie stories. I thought, good, I don't want to write a zombie story. The result is SHOOTING POOL, which deals with the idea of emotinal zombiism, but not the living dead, least not in the strictest meaning of the words.

Anyway, I'm fond of it. Also a story about Hap Collins when he was a teen ager appeared in THE BLEEDING EDGE, edited by Jason Brock and William F. Nolan. It's loosely based on a true incidents that happened when I was in higschool, and the rest of it is speculati0n. Leonard does not appear, but it's the third short story featuring Hap Collins.

Seem to be moving in new directions as a writer, once again. Have gone back to doing horror stories, and some crime short stories, and there is a new Hap and Leonard novel forthcoming from KNOPF next year titled DEVIL RED. and the Young Adult novel will be out from Delacorte then if all goes well and they like it. I know I do. I've always loved the genre. Will be doing a screenplay later in the year based on one of my novels, and so many projects after that I can't keep count.

It's my ambition to be in better contact through the blog, and now I'm on FACE BOOK. I've been behind there too, but I hope to catch up shortly, and forgive me ny tardiness. Joe

Been a while

Been pretty busy over the holidays and spring season. Finishing up a young adult novel, and just returned from Key West. Son of Retro Pulp tales was finally released, but behind schedule. Will be back with updates from Florida.

Joe

Veil's Visit

Reading Veil's Visit, a short story that my brother Andrew Vachss and I wrote about my characters Hap and Leonard, and his character Veil. Veil also appears in CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS. I'm reading a bit of it at a time and will post it on my site a bit each day, or if you have an interest you can download it all. Should be finished soon, but I haven't had a chance to go at it regularly. My daughter is helping me film it. So, soon...
Kasey has a new site, www.kaseylansdale.com, and I recommend you look it over. It should be growing shortly. She has a songwriting contract in Nashville, and we're hoping for an artist contract in the near future.
DEVIL RED, the new Hap and Leonard novel is closing in on a third done, and I'm pretty happy with it. Changes for everyone in this one, and you might even call this one a private detective novel as Hap and Leonard go to work for Marvin Hanson who has opened an agency. They won't work for him in every book, but from time to time I thought it would be a fun way to go.
Off to Las Vegas wednesday for KILLERCON. Kare and I arrive Wednesday evening, and Kasey and her husband Adam are showing up Friday. Kasey is actually performing Friday somewhere in Vegas, the spot being on her site if you're out that way or know someone who is.
Anyway, should be fun. Kasey and Adam are both on panels. My son-in-law is one of my martial arts students and he'll be on a panel for martial arts. Kasey is on a marketing panel.
As for the cop in Nebraska, I thought of writing a letter about his unprofessional behaviour, but they would just think I was complaining. If they have a camera on his car they can see what an idiot he is, however. May he grow like an onion with his head in the ground.
So, enough for now, and I'm off.

It's been long enough, but my excuse is I've been on the road, doing book tour and then back briefly and on the road with my brother taking a vacation drive from East Texas to New Mexico to Colorado to the Buffalo Bill grave and museum on Lookout Mountain, then up to the top of Wyoming, and over into Montana to visit the Custer Battlefield. After that, over to Yellowstone, and then back through Wyoming to Deadwood, South Dakota to see Wild Bill Hickock's grave and death site, and then down through Nebraska and Kansas and Oklahoma and back to Texas. All of this is about seven days time. We weren't wasting any time as my brother had to be back. Actually, I was at home on the eighth day after staying with him the next day at his place. We were stopped by a cop in North Platte, Nebraska who seemed to have been given an award as Chief Moron. We pulled out of a filling station and forgot to turn on the car lights, and were pulled over. He decided for no reason we could determine, that we were drinking or on pills or had stolen the car. And though I showed him papers and license and insurance he still had me say the alphabet and then complained that the T sounded like a D, as if this proved me drunk. As I told him "I'm from EAst Texas. I have an accent." I had to follow the tip of a pin with my eyes without moving my head, and then when that was finished that he was determined to do it again, and I finally said, "Give me a breathalyzer, which he didn't do, and then asked me if I had restrictions. I said, "You got my license. Do you see any?" "thought you had trouble reading the insurance card." "I did. I use glasses for reading, from Wal-Mart, but I don't have restrictions. Check the license." Anyway, Barney Fife went at it for about thirty minutes or more before finally giving me a 55 dollar ticket and sending us on our way. My brother, worn out and having a bit of trouble with his diabetes, tried to get out of the car--not a good idea--and Barney dropped down like he was going to draw. I understood the mistake, but this guy really should get Jackass Of The Year. It was like a comedy skit.
Working on the new Hap and Leonard book, titled now, DEVIL READ, and hope to have it finished well before the end of the year, as I've worked on it off and on all year along with a variety of other projects, including screenplays and comics. So, excuse my tardiness. I'm going to try and pick up my blogging, but sometimes I think I may just not be the guy for this stuff. I prefer to work and do my day to day business and visit in person. I'm gregarious enough, and structured in so many ways that the stucture of a blog wears me out. But, hey, I'm trying.

Back from my tour

Finally back and trying to catch up. I'm so far the world's worst blogger. But the book tour was great and a lot of books were sold. I got to see a lot friends and visit and hang out in hotels with cheese plates. Hey, I'm from East TExas, it was a big time. In case you might not know, Delacort has accept an idea of mine for a young adult book, to be written the end of and the beginning of next year. It's called ALL THE EARTH THROWN TO THE SKY, and has to do with the Dust Bowl and The Great Depression, takes place in Oklahoma and Texas. I'm really excited about this one, and look forward to it. Also a couple of unannounced and forthcoming projects are in the works....Last night I was on FUNKY WEREPIG, which is an on line "radio" show, and it was a lot of fun, though I probably rambled more than I meant to. Still tired from all that traveling. Currently working on a short story, then I'll dive into the Hap and Leonard project that I'm currently calling DEVIL RED. Hope I do better blogging on a regular basis, but, alas, I'm easily distracted. Will be in Austin at Armadillo con August 14th through the 16th. Drop by the dealers table where either my daughter of myself will be selling books to pay for the massive amount of dog food my dog, Buffy The Biscuit Slayer consumes, and then watch for me at KillerCon in September, 16th-20th, in Las Vegas. Over and out.