I’ve been sitting here going on an hour now trying to write something thoughtful about the impending release of Assassins Anonymous.
But the past few weeks have been a lot—promoting this, writing the sequel, juggling other projects, and navigating some personal stuff.
So I did the thing I hate—reading my own work out loud—because at least it’s easy.
But also, it feels appropriate. I started writing this book near the end of 2022. I banged out this opening fairly quickly, then read it at a Noir at the Bar down at Eryk Pruitt’s gin joint Yonder, in North Carolina.
I wasn’t even sure where the story was headed by that point, but I was feeling good about the voice and the tone, and wanted to stress-test it in front of an audience.
The crowd went wild, much to my shock—always to my shock, because I just assume anything I’m in the middle of writing is hot garbage—and that gave me the encouragement to keep going.
I wish I had a video of that. That would have been even easier. But here’s what I’ve got. The opening chapter. The culmination of the past few years of my life. I hope you dig it.
The book officially lands tomorrow, June 11, but tonight on June 10, I’ll be at The Strand with my good friend and collaborator
, before I hit the road for a bit. I hope to see you out there, and if not, you can always get your copy here.Here’s where else you can find me:
June 11, Murder by the Book, Houston, TX. More info here.
June 12, Katy’s Budget Books, Houston, TX. More info here.
June 13, Poisoned Pen, Phoenix, AZ. More info here.
June 14, BookPeople, Austin, TX. Tickets here.
June 15, McIntyre’s, Pittsboro, NC. More info here.
June 17, Staten Island Barnes & Noble. More info here.
