THANK YOU READERS!!!

Thanks to all you loyal readers, Shooting Gallery made the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association (IMBA) October BESTSELLER list. Check it out:

Paperbacks:
1) GREYWALKER by Kat Richardson
2) DOLLED UP FOR MURDER by Deb Baker
3) SHOOTING GALLERY by Hailey Lind
4) A DANGEROUS MAN by Charlie Huston
5) THE DEATH AND LIFE OF BOBBY Z by Don Winslow
tied with THE MOURNFUL TEDDY by John Lamb
7) DEADLY YARN by Maggie Sefton
8) CHINA BAYLE'S BOOK OF DAYS by Susan Wittig Albert
9) A FATAL APPRAISAL by J.B. Stanley
10) A PEACH OF A MURDER by Livia Washburn

The DEADLINE (12.8.06) for the PORTRAIT CONTEST is fast approaching! Don't miss out on this great opportunity. Just send me an email with your contact info!! Also, check in at http://www.haileylind.com/.

Radio Daze

I just got off the air with a fellow who goes by the moniker of “Crazy Dougie” – a radio personality, of course, who turned out –despite the silly name!-- to be a charming man, an avid reader, and a wonderful interviewer.

His station is WANB AM (Pennsylvania), and he taped the show for a later broadcast. Here's a picture of Crazy Dougie with a country music artist:

Crazy Dougie paid me a wonderful compliment: apparently his wife snatched his copy of Shooting Gallery off the nightstand when she wasn’t looking, and then wouldn’t give it back. Now she’s hinting broadly for him to buy her a copy of Feint of Art, and wondered if there were more to come in the series (of course there are! Brush with Death is in production and will be released this summer; Book 4 is currently being written).

Stories like that just warm my heart!

I think the interview went well, though I may have been a bit over-caffeinated because I awakened at 4 am for a live 5 am (8 am in New York) interview on the Frank Truatt Morning show on

As many of you may know, I try to get up at 4 most mornings to write, but last night I wound up staying up until midnight so the pre-dawn wake-up came right in the middle of a REM cycle. Frank Truatt had more than one person asking me questions…I had a sense that there were several people in the recording booth with him, but I couldn’t be sure. Might have been that I was half-asleep.

Last month I spoke with Baron Ron Herron from KZSB, Santa Barbara, and had a nice long half-hour chat with Megan Willingham on the satellite station, AdviceRadio.com Writers, Authors, n' More. I am working on linking the interview here so you can listen in.

And next Thursday, December 7, I’ll be taping The Two O'Clock Show with host Ken Johannessen on KPQ radio. I’m told KPQ is broadcast in parts of Washington state, including much of Seattle and Spokane.


It’s always tough to decide what to talk about on the air. Sometimes there are only a few minutes to get the ideas across. Mostly I try to give people a sense that art doesn’t have to be boring—I can’t tell you how many people’s eyes glaze over as if I were talking about history, for heaven’s sake—and give them a little tease about the books. Then I try to mention my website address a few times, , and invite them to enter the free drawing for a portrait, to be painted by Yours Truly….by the way, the deadline is coming up! December 8 is the last day! Enter today!!! It only takes a minute to send me your information.

Anyone out there have any advice for what to talk about on the radio or (gasp!) TV?

Ripped from the Headlines...

If you ever wondered where I get the inspiration for all the fascinating tidbits about forgery, stolen art and restoration, wonder no longer.

It seems like every day there is another incredible story dealing with art, art theft or forgery. Yesterday, I came across another fabulous tale of an art work, missing for 25 years, that not only was stolen and nearly destroyed, now it has been restored and is back on display. There are so many interesting plot turns, it could be a book in itself; but I usually just keep the techniques in my back pocket to use in my novels.

For instance, this news piece highlights the plight of art stolen from small unguarded churches.
This one is in Italy, but it could be anywhere in the world. This story certainly makes finding "lost" art plausible. More fodder for future books! But, perhaps the most exciting part for me is the importance of the restoration process for this piece. Here is what it looked like before it was restored.


Here is what it looked like after the restoration.
Even though it was cut in half, the restorers were able to put it back together. Once again underscoring the importance of copiers. 25 years after it was stolen, it's nearly good as new, maybe better. Georges would have been so proud.

Here is what it looks like installed at the temporary exhibition in London. Just wanted you to get a sense for the size of the work.

You can read all about it. I just may have to include a crazy art fan/mystery lover in one of my upcoming books! I think Arsene would make a wonderful addition to my cast of characters!!

Just another Thursday?

"I'm working in a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving morning and going to my sister's house in Concord for dinner. But I'll be home after that. Or, if you don't have plans for Thanksgiving, you'd be welcome to join us."
Shooting Gallery, said by Josh, otherwise known as hunky contractor.

May all your holiday weekend be full of thanks and giving, and hunky contractors, if appropriate.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Holiday Giveaway

Mystery Lovers Corner is sponsoring a holiday giveaway called In the Spirit of Christmas. Along with many other wonderful titles, you could win Shooting Gallery or Feint of Art.

All you have to do is send an email with your mailing address and how you want your book signed! See contest details for a list of all possible giveaways. Enter as soon as possible, though, because the last day to enter is December 3rd.

Speaking of deadlines, the Portrait Contest deadline is December 8th. If you haven't sent me an email, you still have a few days to get that in.

CANCELLED: Spellbinding Tales

CANCELLED: We will be rescheduling this book discussion for a later date!

Thursday, November 16, 7pm, Alameda: Book Discussion and signing at Spellbinding Tales, 1910A Encinal Avenue

Don't forget to enter the PORTRAIT CONTEST. It only takes a minute to send me an email!! Also, check in at http://www.haileylind.com/ for all the latest and greatest news. We are adding links and fun stuff regularly!

Feint of Art

Just in case Shooting Gallery was your first Annie Kincaid experience, I thought I would post some info on my first book, Feint of Art.



Summary:

Annie breaks the news to her curator ex-boyfriend Ernst: his museum's new $15 million Caravaggio is a fake. Then the janitor is killed, Ernst disappears, and a dealer makes off with several Old Master drawings. If she breaks the case using her old connections, Annie can finally pay the rent. But doing so could also draw her back into the underworld of forgers she swore she'd left behind.

Here is a round up of the reviews we posted on our www.haileylind.com.

Julie Lewis also reviewed Feint of Art on allreaders.com.

You can read Dawn Dowdle's Mystery Lovers Corner review from October 1, 2006.

Rachel Hyde also reviewed the first book on myshelf.com.

Don't forget to enter the PORTRAIT CONTEST. It only takes a minute to send me an email!! Also, check in at http://www.haileylind.com/ for all the latest and greatest news. We are adding links and fun stuff regularly!

Fall Fest of Books

Sunday, November 12, 2pm, Corte Madera: Reading/Signing (A Sisters in Crime Event) at Fall Fest of Books at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., (415) 927-0960. Directions here.


Don't forget to enter the PORTRAIT CONTEST. It only takes a minute to send me an email!! Also, check in at http://www.haileylind.com/ for all the latest and greatest news.

Hooray for HOLLYWOOD! (part 2)

Before arriving in LA, I drove to San Diego, where my sister (not the one I write with – the other one!) had baked up a storm in preparation for an evening reading/signing at Mysterious Galaxy.

The staff, Patrick and Sam, made me feel so welcome and explained that since the store was turning 13 they were having a sort of bar mitzvah, and were donating a portion of the evening’s proceeds to local charities in my name. What a wonderful thing to do! There was only a small group in attendance, but they bought lots of books and peppered me with questions…or at least they let me go on and on about art forgery, one of my favorite topics.

One man who came for the talk is dubbed “Signing Bob,” because he tries to attend each signing of every author he likes. He had a fabulous smile and an impressive collection of signatures. He said meeting authors was much more interesting than watching TV, and he always learned something. In the LA area, I attended a signing (along with Rhys Bowen and Gay Kinman) at Book ‘Em, a charming mystery bookstore in South Pasadena. I had met the owner, Jean Utley, at the LA Festival of Books last spring, so I was thrilled to renew our acquaintance in a more tranquil setting. There was a football game, so we didn’t get much foot traffic, but it was a great chance to speak with Jean and Mary and a lovely reader named Wilhelmina (what a great name!). The Sisters in Crime conference itself took place primarily at the Writers’ Guild (West), on Third Street, directly across from the Farmers’ Market and The Grove.

The Grove is a sleek conglomeration of pricey retail stores surrounding a fountain with dancing water jets, a la the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It is a lovely monument to consumerism…but being the kind of gal I am, I much preferred the old-fashioned Farmers’ Market. Chock-full of stalls offering everything from produce to pharmaceuticals to hot sauces, the Farmers’ Market was the happening place for an informal dinner to be enjoyed outdoors in LA’s famously temperate evening air. There were stands with Brazilian barbeque, sushi, crepes, falafel, dolmas, burritos, pizza, ice cream, and handmade chocolates. I also got the distinct impression that a lot of L.A.-style deals were sealed over a drink at the outdoor bar…but maybe that was my imagination run wild. Still, there were a few celebrity sightings in those crowded, food-filled alleys….

Hooray for HOLLYWOOD! (part 1)

Aaah, the lure of Hollywood…. I drove down to southern California last weekend, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I was on the brink of making it big. After all, The Art Lovers’ Mystery series seems like a natural for film: all those sumptuous visuals, quirky characters, and plenty of action. And if they paid me just, say, one-twentieth of what they paid the stars, I would be all set. In my mind I toyed with casting the roles…was Sandra Bullock too old for the part of Annie? Reese Witherspoon too blonde? Who in the world would play Michael? Someone suggested Jude Law, but was he too slick? And what about Frank…?

These Hollywood delusions did not develop out of thin air. The Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime was hosting “SinC Goes to the Movies,” a conference for published Sisters (and Brothers) in Crime to learn about the movie and television business. Starting with an in-depth tour of Sony Pictures Studios on Friday, we learned how to develop and deliver a “pitch” worthy of a second thought by studio execs. Later we were treated to panels on everything from screenwriters to TV writers to the realities of making deals in today’s competitive market. One favorite moment: listening to a panel of six TV writers (Lee Goldberg, Matt Witten, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jan Nash, Jeff Melvoin, and Paul Levine) talking over one another as they conveyed the live-wire, adrenaline-driven atmosphere of producing scripts –week after week-- for hit television shows.

Unfortunately, the screenwriters and agents panels painted a discouraging portrait of the likelihood of getting a project all the way through “development”. The consensus seemed to be that people in Hollywood don’t read, and if they do, they want the rights to the story and then for the writer to go away and stop bothering them. And apparently the best way to have one’s book bought by the studios is to have it ranked in the top 10 on the NY Times Bestseller list. Hmm. Not there yet.

If you manage to get noticed despite less-than-bestseller status, the first step is for your work to get “optioned”, which used to pay some real money. However, the recent trend is toward “free options” wherein authors are paid a symbolic amount, as low as $1. The real pay-off is when a novel is actually turned into a script by a screenwriter, adopted by a producer, and able to attach an actor or two…in which case the studios might be willing to take a look. A veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery long shot! So much for dreams of the Tuscan villa I was going to purchase (or at least rent!) with all those easy Hollywood dollars.

The weekend ended up with five minute pitch sessions with a number of producers and development folk. One nice thing about the previous discouraging news: it made the stakes pretty low when pitching to executives. I figured, what do I have to lose? I met with one independent producer who seemed intrigued with the premise of my series –at least enough to take the books—and a woman from Dreamworks who said she would read my novels. It’s worth a shot.

All in all, selling to Hollywood seems a lot like trying to get published: rather a quixotic effort, though a lucky few might make it. And, as in writing, if we’re not having fun in the process, it’s not worth it!

Georges de la Tour

For the art lovers, here is a little more information about the painter, Georges de la Tour, from whom I copied the detail for my profile picture. From time to time, I am going to profile an artist on this blog. I will offer you some basic details on the artist's life, share some of his/her paintings and give you links for more info.

Georges de la Tour was born in 1593 in Vic-sur-Seille, France. He painted at his studio in Luneville. He died there in 1692. Though he was given the title of "Painter to the King" in 1638 or 1639 (depending on who provides the information), his introduction to the world came after his death thanks to a German scholar in 1915.

The rest of what is known or said about him is mostly the best guesses that art historians can make given what they see in his paintings and know about the time in which he lived.

There are many sites with information about de la Tour, but there is little info about his life. Most of the sites give information about his style; they venture guesses about his influences; and they talk about the paintings that can be attributed to him.

De la Tour is in many museums around the world. Here are a few, but there are many more.

The Penitent Magdalen
1638-43
Oil on canvas
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Met, as it is affectionately called, is a must see if you are ever in New York.




The Dream of St Joseph
c. 1640
Oil on canvas
Musee des Beaux-Arts, Nantes (France)




The Card Sharp with the Ace of Clubs.
c. 1620-1640
Oil on canvas
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX, USA
There are several versions of this painting, another is at the Louvre.


The Musician's Brawl
about 1625 - 1630
Oil on canvas The Getty Trust (currently on view at The Getty Center Los Angeles)

Portrait Contest

If you haven't signed up for the Portrait Contest yet, you may be wondering why you should.

So, I thought I would share with you some of my portrait work.

Check out more examples of my portraits and other art work!

And don't forget to send me an email with your contact info to register for the portrait contest.

November Readings/Sightings

Thursday, November 2, 7pm, San Diego: Book Reading and Signing at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Suite #302, Tel: 858.268.4747.


Sunday, November 12, 2pm, Corte Madera: Reading/Signing (A Sisters in Crime Event) at Fall Fest of Books at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., (415) 927-0960. Directions here.



Thursday, November 16, 7pm, Alameda: Book Discussion and signing at Spellbinding Tales, 1910A Encinal Avenue

Don't forget to enter the PORTRAIT CONTEST. It only takes a minute to send me an email!! Also, check in at http://www.haileylind.com/ for all the latest and greatest news. We are adding links and fun stuff regularly!