- - -  Michael Z. Lewin  - - -

January 1, 1970

Michael Z. Lewin Newsletter 4
March 2004

Greetings from icy Bath. Global warming may be a baaad thing, but a little regional warming would do nicely just now.

Long-serving subscribers will know I’ve delayed this edition in order to be able to include some information about the publication of EYE OPENER. Happily, I can do this now – since contracts have been signed and mailed at last. Albert Samson’s rest-break will end in the U.S. around the time ’04 is turning into ’05. The book will also be published in Japan though I don’t know when it’s scheduled. Further publication details here – and on the site – when I have them.

The process has been drawn out for a variety of reasons, not least unsuccesful attempts by my agent to tie re-publication of the seven earlier Samsons to a deal with the new book. While all that’s been going on I’ve just been getting on with writing – which is the bit I enjoy most. So, since I completed Albert’s return – in company with his daughter, Sam (last seen in THE SILENT SALESMAN) and his mother, Posy (last seen in UNDERDOG if you don’t count short stories) – I’ve finished two other books. The more recent is a non-series mystery set in Indianapolis; the other is not a mystery and is a story told by way of many very short stories and set all over the universe – making it just a tad difficult to describe in a few words. More about them when they too have signed and sealed homes… Meanwhile I’ve also written a couple of new Lunghi stories, in preparation for beginning a third FAMILY novel.

Out and about

The ‘03 “Wanted for Murder” tour was – again – quite a trip, especially ending as it did in a performance at the Las Vegas Bouchercon. For a while a video of that show was posted on the web, but that’s gone now. And it’s unlikely the Wanted troika will hit the road again soon. So the only residue left now is the “Take Outs” CD, still available in limited numbers on my website. It’s not too early to think about that Christmas shopping, you know…

My colleagues – Peter Lovesey and Liza Cody – and I found a lot of things about the convention hotel difficult in Vegas. It even took a bit of magic just to find a place to sit down and drink a cup of coffee.

(there was a picture of Peter and Liza here - Peter with one of his magic thumbs, Liza with coffee, both in the only chairs available: in front of slot machines...)

Coming up for me closer to home is the Frome Festival. On Tuesday July 6th I’ll be one of a number of writers reading in Frome (Somerset) library in “Prose and Cons” at 7.30. A few days earlier – July 3rd – I’ll be at the Assembly Rooms in Frome – also as part of the Festival – where I’ll be signing and even selling some books between noon and four.

Then in October I’ll be in the US again. A final schedule isn’t ready, but on October 19th I’ll be in Columbus Ohio, and on the 27th in Indianapolis. In both cases I’ll be doing mystery evenings for the library that will have a competition format. Teams from the audiences will write their own ends to a story. For prizes! In between I’ll be fetching up again at Magna cum Murder in Muncie. And probably a few other places.

Otherwise…

With frosty mist obscuring the hills on the edge of Bath, it’s hard to find enthusiasm today for steering you to nice little places here you might not find for yourselves. Them hills ain’t even all that fer away. So, don’t visit Bath today. Come back when it’s warmer. Or… go back in time. You’ll find it without my pointing, but there are a hot springs here – the only ones in England – and they’ve drawn people here for, literally, thousands of years. The Romans made a big deal of them, and what remains their time is nicely presented in town center. Follow the signs for the Roman Baths.

But I’ve been going back in time myself the last few days, from the comfort of my office. While considering tour options for October, I stumbled across the Kokomo (Indiana) Library’s historical project that has pages posted from local high school yearbooks. And, my mother graduated from Kokomo High, in 1928. So a few clicks and a few minutes later I had a picture of her, a paragraph she wrote for the yearbook, and the information that as a senior she won an academic prize: a loan of two-hundred and fifty dollars.

Amazing, this internet stuff. Warm too.

Michael Z. Lewin
March 12, 2004