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2009 Faulkner & Yoknapatawpha Conference to focus on “Faulkner and ‘Mystery’”  The 36th annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference will examine the topic ”Faulkner and Mystery” through five days of lectures and discussions by literary scholars and critics. In addition to formal lectures, there will be several shorter panel presentations, guided day-long tours of Northeast Mississippi and the Delta, and sessions on “Teaching Faulkner” by James B. Carothers, University of Kansas, Terrell L. Tebbetts, Lyon College, Charles Peek, University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Theresa Towner, University of Texas at Dallas. In keeping with the conference theme, there will be a special panel made up of three writers of crime fiction: Ace Atkins, author of nine novels and story collections, including Devil’s Garden and Wicked City, Jere Hoar, author of Body Parts and The Hit, and Daniel Woodrell, author of eight novels, including Give Us a Kiss: A Country Noir and Winter’s Bone. The conference will take place July 19-23, 2009, at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. For more information, or to register for the conference, visit the official conference web site: www.outreach.olemiss.edu/events/faulkner. -- Ace
Signed Editions Until June 21st, 2009  We’ve just wrapped up this year’s book tour and what an overwhelming success. Devil’s Garden has earned raves from coast to coast. Although the tour is over, I will be personalizing copies here in my hometown of Oxford, Mississippi until June 21st. You can call Square Books at (662) 236-2262 or order through www.squarebooks.com. Nothing says Happy Mother’s or Father’s Day like a sultry, rough-and-tumble noir about one of the biggest court cases in American history. Square Books sells all my novels, including the last few Wicked City first editions. -- Ace
Associated Press Raves Over Devil’s Garden  'Devil’s Garden' is a remarkable book by Bruce DeSilva, Associated Press Writer Bruce Desilva, Associated Press Writer – Mon Apr 20, 6:35 am ET "Devil's Garden" (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 354 pages, $25.95), by Ace Atkins: America, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle once said, "elevates a man more quickly than any nation in the world, and casts him down more quickly — quite often on surmise or mere hunch." It was an insight Arbuckle gained the hard way. He had once been one of Hollywood's biggest silent screen stars, a Chris Farley look-alike whose antics kept the nation in stitches. But that was before a chippy died during a Prohibition-era booze party he hosted at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in 1921, before the tabloids portrayed him as a drunken sex fiend who crushed the girl to death with his flab. Arbuckle was no angel, but there was no evidence that he hurt the girl. The authorities, egged on by the newspapers, charged him with murder anyway, building a case against him with manufactured evidence and perjured testimony. The Fatty Arbuckle case was both a stain on the American justice system and watershed event in our cultural history, marking the beginning of the country's obsession with celebrity. It took three trials before Arbuckle was finally acquitted, but William Randolph Hearst's national chain of newspapers — like Nancy Grace but with sharper talons and a bigger audience — had already convicted him in the court of public opinion. Now, 88 years later, one of our finest crime novelists has told the story for a new generation of readers. Ace Atkins researched the case meticulously, digging through old newspaper accounts, studying court records and even reviewing the autopsy results. Then he built his novelized version around three towering figures: the childlike Arbuckle; the egomaniacal Hearst; and Sam Hammett, a young Pinkerton detective hired by the defense. Later, the detective would quit the Pinkertons, drop his first name, and, as Dashiell Hammett, create some of the finest crime novels ever written. Atkins' book, "Devil's Garden," is a worthy successor, a remarkable book that succeeds on every level. As a riveting detective story, it is great entertainment. As a historical novel, it transports the reader to a different time and place, as in this passage about the San Francisco waterfront at night: "Men boiled crabs on the street. Big wheels of cheese and fresh fruit were displayed from market windows, long, dried sausages and peppers. There were dope pushers with dark-ringed eyes and prostitutes with sagging stockings. Sam smoked and caught all of them, starting up the night like the first strings of a symphony." That is not a solitary passage cherry-picked to impress. Atkins' prose, at once muscular and lyrical, is that good from the first sentence to the last. If it weren't a commercial kiss of death in an age in which entertainment is valued over art, a reviewer would praise it as literature. A few words about Atkins. He played football at Auburn University, a good enough lineman to make the cover of Sports Illustrated. He worked as a newspaper reporter in Florida, a good enough journalist to get nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. At the same time, he cranked out a handful of mysteries that were a pretty good in a "watch-me-try-to-write-like-Raymond-Chandler" sort of way. But then his life took a turn. Researching an unsolved 1950s mob murder for his newspaper, he decided to make the case the basis of his first historical crime novel. "White Shadow," although superbly written, didn't fit neatly into the mystery genre; his agent took one look at it and said it would never sell. So Atkins found a new agent. G.P. Putnam promptly published the book in 2006, and the writer's career took off. Atkins followed "White Shadow" with "Wicked City" (2008), another triumphant historical crime novel set in a mob-controlled 1950s Alabama town. Now, with "Devil's Garden," he has solidified his place alongside Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos as one of our most important literary crime novelists. -- Ace
One Last Stop for 2009 Tour The final stops on this year's book tour went by pretty fast: San Diego, Phoenix, Houston and back home to Memphis. A final stop is scheduled for Birmingham, Alabama on April 27 at Alabama Booksmith at 6 p.m. I can’t release a book without stopping by the store to see my great friend, owner Jake Reiss. I appreciated seeing all the familiar faces and meeting a ton of new readers. The book tour is always a highlight of the year for me. This is when you see all that hard work make its way to bookstores across the country. And I always love talking to readers about the true events behind the novels. It's fun to see readers get caught up in the history as I did. I'm back home now and back to work on the final few chapters of the novel for next year. The story of the manhunt of Memphis's own “Machine Gun” Kelly in 1933. Another exciting true tale. My eighth novel will be out from G.P. Putnam's Sons in 2010. For those I saw on the tour—see you same time next year! -- Ace
A Toast To Raymond Chandler  A wonderful weekend through Southern California, right through the devil's garden of Los Angeles. I had two book signings in the area and then had a great night at the old Roosevelt Hotel, a classic noir hotspot. On Sunday, I drove down to La Jolla and spent the day in Raymond Chandler's old town, wandering the downtown and looking for his grave. Last week marked the 50th anniversary of Chandler's death. He wrote only seven novels but his impact on literature will continues forever. A gorgeous stylist, a master of dialogue, and a writer with a genius understanding of popular culture, I consider him to be the model of what a great writers should be. I didn't find the New Hope cemetery yesterday. I have some time before my booksigning in San Diego today. I may just pick up a pint of Old Forester and track down my old friend. I sure owe him a lot. Do check out a terrific story on Chandler that ran last week: read it now. -- Ace
The City/The Book Tour Hello from San Francisco. Barely made it to the book signing in San Mateo last night. I had two canceled flights and had to be rerouted through Denver. I made it only ten minutes late and no one seemed to notice thanks to Don Herron author of The Dashiell Hammett Tour who entertained the crowd fine without me. Don and I have another event tonight at Borders Union Square and then it's onto Los Angeles tomorrow. I hope to spend some time around The City today checking out the sites from the novel. Lunch at the Tadich Grill and maybe a cocktail at the St. Francis where the infamous party was thrown. Also wouldn't mind checking out one of my favorite bars in The City... The Buddha Bar on the edge of Chinatown. More soon. -- Ace
Devil’s Garden On Sale at Midnight Tonight  Just in case you forgot, Devil's Garden is officially available at midnight. We have the launch party in Oxford, Mississippi at Square Books tonight and then it's off to San Francisco—setting of the novel—for signings at M is for Mystery in San Mateo at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Another release party at the infamous Ha-Ra on Geary Street at 9 p.m. to follow that night. Friday night is the Borders on Union Square at 7 p.m. Hammett Guru and author of The Dashiell Hammett Tour—Don Herron—wil be joining me at both events in The City. I hope to see you all on the road. More updates and photos soon from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and more... also check back soon as more behind-the-story extras are released in the coming days. -- Ace
Devil’s Garden Release and Book Tour  Well it’s finally here. After years of work and months of telling you about it, Devil’s Garden hits stores on Thursday. There will be an official book release party here in Oxford, Mississippi this Wednesday and then I fly immediately out to the West Coast for several events, two with noted Hammett historian, Don Herron. Herron’s 30th Anniversary Edition of the Dashiell Hammett Tour was just published last month. I’m thrilled to have two joint events with Don — in San Mateo and San Francisco. We also have an open meeting of The Cult of Hammett at the infamous Ha-Ra Bar on Thursday, April 2 at 9 p.m. Anyone with even a passing interest in Dashiell Hammett or the history of San Francisco should snatch up a copy and join us for a few beers. TOUR KICKS OFF APRIL 1, 2009 The latest updated tour schedule:
-- Ace
Two Weeks from Release/Latest Interview We're only two weeks away from the official release of Devil’s Garden. This is a great time for advance orders through amazon or your local bookstore. The book could be in your hands before you know it. I really enjoyed a recent interview with the Queen of Noir, Megan Abbott this week. She grilled me on the making of Devil’s Garden and plans for new projects. Go to the The Rap Sheet to read the entire piece. More dates continue to be added to the spring book tour, so stay tuned. -- Ace
Devil’s Garden Tour Dates Devil’s Garden will be available April 2, 2009 at bookstores everywhere and on Brilliance Audio. TOUR KICKS OFF APRIL 1, 2009
-- Ace
Starred Review for Devil’s Garden Great reviews continue to roll in—the latest from Publisher’s Weekly chiming in with a prestigious starred review. Devil’s Garden The 1921 rape/manslaughter trial of silent film star Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle provides the gritty backdrop for Atkins’s outstanding crime novel, in which Dashiell Hammett, then a Pinkerton operative living in San Francisco, plays a significant role. A wild party Arbuckle throws at San Francisco’s posh St. Francis Hotel results in tragedy after an actress, Virginia Rappe, is mysteriously injured and later dies. As the author explains in a “behind the story” introduction, the future creator of Sam Spade was actually assigned to help the defense on the Arbuckle case. With enviable ease, Atkins (Wicked City) brings to life Hammett, Arbuckle, William Randolph Hearst and other real figures of the period. Those familiar with the historical case will be impressed by how well the book meshes fact and fiction. Genre fans who enjoy the grim realism of James Ellroy’s post-WWII Los Angeles will find a lot to like in Atkins’s Prohibition-era San Francisco. (Apr.) -- Ace
Q&A on Devil’s Garden  We're only a little more than eight weeks away from the release of my seventh novel, Devil’s Garden. The following is a portion of a recent interview on the novel and the true story behind the tale. -- Ace Q. What first brought your attention to the Fatty Arbuckle case and made you want to write about it? I first heard of Arbuckle and the scandal while taking a history course in college. His career and place in film history had been so obscured that few remember him. I read bits and pieces about the trial but didn’t become hooked until I was in San Francisco and read that Dashiell Hammett worked the case as a Pinkerton. Bringing together Hammett on what he called “the funniest case he ever worked on” was key. Once I found out the original court records and medical files still existed, I knew I had to write this book. This was just the time when America was becoming obsessed with film star—Valentino’s The Sheik was released that fall—and the appetite for how actors lived off-screen has grown into the industry we have today. Q. With your background in journalism, were you surprised by the tactics used by William Randolph Hearst against Arbuckle? I don’t think anyone who knows a little about the Spanish-American War would be shocked by any tactics used by Hearst. The Hearst media empire was the earliest incarnation of FOX news and the like. I don’t think the truth ever got in the way of Hearst’s men telling a good story. But beyond that, Hearst was a hell of a showman. In a compliment to him—and his ability to sell papers—I think he’d find a way to save print journalism today. He was a terribly complicated man and journalist that could both be genius and ruthless. I loved writing for him and just when I thought I knew him—or understood him—I’d learn another facet. Q. Your books are praised for your ability to combine actual fact and history with gripping noir fiction. How difficult is this to do? Does working diligently to ensure accuracy help or hinder you as a storyteller? For my last three novels and my current project, I try and learn everything I can about the subject, every file, interview, and find those living and talk to them. Sometimes—such as the case of Wicked City— that can be overwhelming. You really have to pick and choose. For Devil’s Garden, I did put my hands on every shred of documentation including the newspapers of the period to form the book. That balance between being a storyteller and researcher is a bit like the Hearst conundrum. And like Hearst, when the history and a good yarn conflict, I go with what’s good for the novel. That much said, that happens very few times in Devil’s Garden. I used so much of what happened with Hammett, Hearst, and Arbuckle that I could have never made up. The unknown parts are small, but the large events—the ones some may not believed happened—are all true. The fall of Arbuckle is a great American tragedy. It’s opera. So in all, writing the truth—if you pick the best American tales to tell—is a huge asset as a storyteller. You also assure yourself that, as a writer, you’re never following formula. You follow each unique story. That’s key to keeping my excitement with each project. Q. What is the appeal of writing about true cases as opposed to working solely in the realm of fiction? Early in my career, when I was in my 20s, I wrote pretty standard, expected hero-driven thrillers. I balanced the fiction career with working as a journalist. But after my career as a novelist took over and became my sole profession, I became a bit bored. Also my stories, in all honesty, were a dime a dozen except for their setting in the American South. When I jumped to Putnam, my editor completely understood what I wanted to do. And he’s given me tremendous license to go out and hunt for great American stories. We discuss each project in great detail before I start because it’s immense work. It’s much easier to write a hero-driven tale. But researching the truth, getting to be intimate friends with these wonderful people who lived and breathed, is so much fun. I really can’t imagine going back to straight fiction. I also know readers love learning something new, and hopefully the world I draw as a novelist is more of a three-dimensional place than what you find in a history text. And hopefully more fun. Q. What was it like to work with one of your greatest influences, Sam Dashiell Hammett, and to make him a protagonist in this book? Does knowing him well make it easier or even harder to get his voice right? I had to really differentiate between Sam Hammett and Dashiell Hammett. I wanted to get Sam right, not the hardboiled image that we expect. He’s not Sam Spade. He’s just a cog in the wheel making three bucks a day for the Pinkertons. He believes he will soon die from his tuberculosis while having a new family to support. Writing is not even on the horizon yet, let alone becoming famous. But I do believe if you can get past the cultural icons that Hammett created, you can get to the man through his work. I find there is so much about young Hammett in the Continental Op short stories. His world view and the world of San Francisco. The most amazing discovery of the research was learning how accurately Hammett wrote of his time. We tend to think of Hammett’s world as being unique and stylized, but it’s actually just dead-on accurate. Q. You worked with two great experts on Dashiell Hammett, David Fechheimer and Don Herron, to ensure accuracy. How hard was it to research the lives of the other characters, such as Virginia Rappe and Maude Delmont? Well, Virginia is the toughest. She was elusive to newspapermen working back then and really just as elusive to me. I did find some very rare photos of her. I know more about her physically from autopsy results unpublished at the time. There are maybe two or three snippets of film that still exist when we was an extra in Hollywood. But she’s really still a mystery to me. She obviously doesn’t last long in the novel. But the hunt for Virginia Rappe in the book and not being able to find her is what I think the American public found so fascinating. I know she was a gorgeous girl gone to seed by hard living at the time of her death. Maude Delmont is another story. You have to read ahead in the newspapers to learn more about her criminal history. She was a joy to write, a huckster and con artist and a star chaser. There was a lot that existed to draw Maude exactly as she lived. Q. Your writing was inspired by Hammett. How did it feel to make him your protagonist? What did you do to make sure you correctly represented his voice? It’s a tricky thing writing about Hammett and including him in a novel. He’s the original and so damn unique that many writers have worked their whole lives to sound like him. But you can’t. I had to work in my own version of Hammett with touches of his writing—when we’re in his voice—but again, stay true to Sam. If you understand Hammett there are plenty of in-jokes and foreshadowing for you. If you just think Sam is just a young detective in over his head, than that’s fine, too. But it was very important to properly represent someone who is a hero to me and one of the finest writers of the 20th Century, no matter what genre. Q. In going back over this case and its aftermath, were you surprised by the scope the scandal took and how big its impact was? I knew it was one of the most famous cases of the 20th Century. But I have to say I was amazed by the national and international coverage. This was the original O.J. Simpson trial. This man went from being one of the most-loved clowns in the world and adored by millions to becoming seen as a sex-crazed beast. People burned his films and spit on him. The coverage was overwhelming. There were stories about the kind of clothes Arbuckle’s ex-wife wore to the trial and what Arbuckle ate for breakfast. I remember one story focusing on his shaving routine. Q.What do you think of Arbuckle’s legacy now? Sadly, his legacy is destroyed. He was absolutely brilliant. He played mentor to Buster Keaton and Chaplin. He would still be a household name if the scandal hadn’t happened. But few of his films survived but those that did survive show his talent. I know the late Chris Farley idolized Arbuckle and if you compare the comedic talents of both, you will see so much of the physical comedy and timing, Farley learned from Arbuckle. I just wish Chris Farley was alive today to play Arbuckle in the film. He was a ringer. Q. This story combines several perfect elements of noir: A yellow journalist like William Randolph Hearst, a party filled with bootlegged booze that ends in death, corruption in law enforcement, beautiful yet deceitful women… and then the involvement of Dashiell Hammett. Were you surprised that all these elements seemed to so perfectly align in this one case? I was in San Francisco visiting while working on the final chapters of Wicked City. I had some very loose ideas on the next book when I thought of the Arbuckle case. At first I wasn’t so sure it could work but the more I read the more obsessed I became with the story. The true tale is a perfect alignment of some of the fascinating characters of the 20th Century. And as I was writing the novel, it gave me more perspective on the obsession with Britney Spears, the latest on Madonna and the death of Heath Ledger. I knew it all started in ’21.
Advance Praise for Devil’s Garden Booklist has chimed in first on Devil’s Garden, saying, “Atkins once again proves himself a meticulous researcher, but here he does even a better job of melding the research into a lively, atmospheric narrative… Atkins makes Hammett the hero of the Arbuckle story and the strategy works superbly, allowing him to incorporate speculation on Arbuckle’s role in Rappe’s death into the ever-fascinating story of Hammett’s career as a real-life detective.” As you know, the novel will be out in April. New video footage has been added to the aceatkins youtube channel. There you’ll find a couple new interviews with the author as well as vintage newsreel footage of the actual players in Wicked City. Stop by and check out the latest. Happy holidays, - Ace
Crime Lit & Dive Bar Society We're still a few months away from the release of Devil’s Garden, but I wanted everyone to know about an important new group on Facebook — THE ACE ATKINS CRIME LIT & DIVE BAR SOCIETY. For those of you who haven’t entered the world of Facebook, let me warn you it can be addictive. But it's a very cool way of keeping in touch with old classmates, friends, and other readers. I’m hoping to connect with readers of my books and of classic crime fiction. And of course, anyone into classic crime fiction can’t pass up a good seedy bar in their hometown. No matter if it's Pete’s in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, or the Buddha Bar in San Francisco. Just go to Facebook.com, register in seconds, and then search for my name. You can both “friend’' me and join the group. When you join THE ACE ATKINS CRIME LIT & DIVE BAR SOCIETY, please post some of your favorite crime novels, great bar jukeboxes, and characters you've known at local dives. Look forward to hearing from you! - Ace
Devil’s Garden Jacket Revealed Devil’s Garden won’t be out till April 2009, but check out the cool new jacket design just released by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The designer did a wonderful job capturing the feel of 1920s San Francisco, while keeping the design in the family of the White Shadow and Wicked City hard covers. The cover shot on Devil’s Garden was rescued deep from the archives of the San Francisco Public Library—their archive contains thousands of vintage photos covering more than a hundred years of history. Click here to take a virtual tour. We wanted something specific to the time period and the jacket photo is dead on—a snapshot of Market Street at the time of the novel. Check back in early 2009 for the Devil’s Garden extras section, with secrets of 1920s Hollywood, Dashiell Hammett's San Francisco, and an insider’s look at the infamous Fatty Arbuckle-Virginia Rappe murder case. Some good news from Berkley Books—publishers of White Shadow and Wicked City in paperback—both novels will be available in a new, sleek line of trade paperbacks starting in April. Wicked City's official release wiill coincide with the release of Devil’s Garden in April, with the new version of White Shadow coming out in late 2009. Both paperbacks will feature special “Behind the Story” sections that will tell you more about the research that helped shape the novels. Also, have you visited an Ybor City bar that was featured in White Shadow or walked in the steps of the Southern syndicate from Wicked City? If so, send us a photograph of your visits to the historic locales featured in the novels. We'll post the best ones and you will be eligible to win an advance copy of Devil’s Garden, months before it will be available in stores. Others can win audio versions of Wicked City and White Shadow. - Ace
Dog Days  Some quick updates for you in the middle of a hot, dry Mississippi summer: The official Wicked City tour has wrapped with the Lay-By Fest in Greenwood. Thanks to the Kornegays at Turnrow Books for an outstanding joint event with author Martin Clark. Much thanks for the Wild Turkey and Budweiser on hand. Signed editions available at Turnrow Book Company. A few updates: A new edition of Dark End of the Street is available now in France from Rivages under the title, Blues Bar. Also in France, White Shadow is fresh out from Le Masque under the title of Tampa Confidential. I love hearing from my French readers and hope to be in Paris again for readings soon. Wicked City won't be out in paperback in the U.S. until next April. But the release will coincide with my new novel… announced here first… Devil’s Garden. Devil’s Garden is the true story of the rape/murder trial of silent film comedian, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle in 1921. More on this novel later including a sneak peak of the cover design. This Arbuckle case has haunted and fascinated me for some time. As always, you’ll find additional insight into the true story including recently discovered court records and historic photos. - Ace
Last Minute Tour Stop  - Ace
Notes from A Book Tour  I remember having a night off during my last book tour and going to see a movie. When the movie was over there was a solid ten seconds before I remembered what city I was in. I was in San Diego. The real fun part is seeing folks in the bookstores that you've known for years. This is my sixth novel and my tenth year as a working novelist. After that time, you gain a lot of close friends in bookstores and loyal readers you see with every new book. The way it's usually worked is about two years between novels. But I'll be back on the road in January with the next novel—more on that later… In the mean time, we all hope Wicked City is standard reading for summer travel and vacations. Also, a couple notes:
- Ace
Return to Wicked City
I'm headed out tomorrow for several events in Phenix City, Ala. and Columbus, Ga. and then onto the Alabama Writer's Symposium in Monroeville, Ala. Wednesday night, April 30, I'll be speaking at the Columbus Public Library before a special showing of the noir classic, The Phenix City Story. A book party to follow in Phenix City at the Broad Street Bar & Grill with a live blues band and plenty of cold beer. Thursday night, May 1, is the major event for that area with a reading and talk at the Phenix City ampitheater at 7 p.m. Those of you who've read the book will recognize the special treat of Sheriff Lamar Murphy's daughter, Nuria, and others who lived to the story joining me to answer questions. Early May 2— at 9 a.m.!— I'll be in Monroeville for the final official reading of the Wicked City tour at the Alabama Writer's Symposium although I will make up the New Orleans and Greenwood signings I had to cancel due to the flu. Check back for details. Hope to see you out on the road. I may look a little tired but always glad to see some familiar faces. - Ace
Signed First Editions Now Available  Just returned from the Florida leg of the Wicked City tour. I'll be reading at Turnrow Books in Greenwood, Mississippi this Thursday and at Garden District Bookshop in New Orleans on Friday. Check out my tour schedule for more. Wonderful time being back in Tampa. My thanks to Don Barco, owner of King Corona Cigars in Ybor City, for his hospitality hosting the Wicked City cocktail party. If you want to step into the world of White Shadow, definitely visit the bar/cigar store on Seventh Avenue. King Corona has a limited quantity of signed first editions of Wicked City. For more, visit their site at www.kingcoronacigars.com or call toll free (888) 248-3812 for availability. The end of the month wraps up the tour in Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama. I'll have my final event for a while at the Alabama Writer's Symposium in Harper Lee's hometown of Monroeville. See you on the road! - Ace
Me and Travis McGee  Greetings from Jacksonville Beach— I've jumped from Arizona to Texas and now down into Florida for several stops on the Wicked City tour. New reviews and features from several different papers have been posted in the Press section of the web site. I was especially interested in the piece that ran in Sunday’s Columbus Ledger. Check out the comments section from those in Phenix City who were none too happy to hear about a book about the wicked times. One of the joys of being out on the road is being able to reconnect with some of my favorite authors. On this trip, I’d packed a few copies of the immortal John D. MacDonald with me. Most readers will know of his recurring hero, Travis McGee—the beach bum/tattered knight who runs a salvage operations for friends in need. The books came to me by the way of my friend, Art Copeland, whose father was a John D. fanatic. The paperbacks—now long out of print—were a wonderful gift and a reminder of an author who influenced me a great deal. Tonight, I’ll be in John D.'s hometown of Sarasota. And I'll be sure to read a passage from my hero. Even better when read from one of the original Fawcett paperbacks with those gorgeous women on the cover. - Ace
Wicked City Release/National Tour  Crawfish and Billy Bass at the Flying Fish during my stop in Little Rock Wicked City is out and in bookstores now, and I'm out on the road promoting across the country. I’ll be in Birmingham, Ala., for the next two days, back in Oxford, Miss., on Thursday, and then I’ll head all the way out to Houston and Phoenix. The novel has already garnered some wonderful momentum in the national media. The Associated Press said, “for Atkins, who is both a fine stylist and a gifted researcher, this is the ideal niche and he knows it, promising more novels based on historical crimes.” The Washington Post called Wicked City, “a vile story well told… Atkins' best novel.” And the San Francisco Chronicle said: “a brawlin’, sprawlin’, caterwaulin’ tale, and Atkins steers it along like a big gas-guzzling ’54 Cadillac.” For more reviews and new feature articles, link onto my Press page. You will also find the most up-to-date information on the Wicked City tour and stops along the way. Thanks to all those who turned out this weekend in Little Rock. I’m really looking forward to being back in Alabama where the novel is set. I bet I’ll meet some people with some ties to “the wickedest city in America.” - Ace
Wicked City In One Week The final tour schedule for Wicked City is set in stone. For the whole roundup visit the Press page for more.
Kicking off the tour at his store wasn't an accident. Jake was the one who convinced me to finally write a novel about my home state. He said after five books, it was about time. Jake has done so much to highlight and support the literature coming from Alabama writers and I'm really honored to know him. From there, I'm in Oxford for Thacker Mountain Radio and then deep down in Florida for several stops including a "Sin City'' party at King Corona Cigars in Ybor City complete with smokes, booze and B-girls. If you don't know what a B-girl is, you'll have to read the book. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone out on the road. I've already heard from a bunch of readers who know Phenix City by reputation and have shared stories about the town. We're continuing to add video interviews in the Wicked City Extras and at aceatkinsbooks on youtube.com So continue heading back to the site for more. There is always something new. - Ace
Back to Back Starred Reviews for Wicked City
Both Kirkus and Library Journal have awarded the forthcoming Wicked City with a starred review, their highest honor. Kirkus says, "Atkins (White Shadow, 2006, etc.) is clearly in love with his colorful characters—on both sides of the moral divide—and makes them wonderfully believable. . . a riveting story about how the triumph of evil is forestalled when good men . . . do something.'' While Library Journal raved: "A classic Western tale of good vs. evil, 'played out not with horses and Winchesters but with Chevys and Fords and .38s and switchblades.' The result is a gripping, superb crime story, all the more remarkable because it really did happen. Highly recommended for all popular fiction collections.'' Double stars from the two prestigious trades is a great kickoff for the Wicked City tour. The novel will be released nationwide on April 10, 2008. For more on Wicked City click here or visit the Wicked City Extras and to see tour dates and stops click here. - Ace
February, 2008 Yep, the new website is up and running—gutted, revamped, retooled, and with a brand-new look. More features, more extras. This is a work in progress, and new historical content will be added in the coming months. So, why now?
Before the book is published, I hope you come here for a sneak peek of what’s to come. Check back often to learn more about the real town and the real players (some still with us) through a growing collection of multimedia from historic photos, recently released historic records, and YouTube video clips. This site is your companion to the fact-based novels I now write. My great thanks to those involved in this process and to all the readers who hung in there until the change was made. - Ace
WINTER '08 Hello again from a cold, gray Mississippi
I've already talked about this novel in the previous post. But it's a return to the gritty, violent deep South that people know from my Nick Travers' books. Only this is a real city and heavily based on real events in my home-state in 1954. Do visit aceatkins.com after the first of this year to see the newly gutted, retooled, and revamped site with tons of bonus material for both Wicked City and White Shadow for more. There you'll find historic photos of the towns and real-life players in both stories, maps, video interviews from those who lived it, crime scene photos and detectives' files. Keep checking back to the website as it continues to be reworked and loaded with extras throughout 2008. Some of you that have emailed and written in '07 have asked a lot about music. What do I listen to besides classic blues and jazz? Well, I'm partial to music coming out of the cradle of civilization here in the Memphis/MidSouth area. I'd turn anyone interested in good music to Reigning Sound's Time Bomb High School a great place to start with a legendary Memphis band. And although it's not completely Memphis, it has a Memphis feel, the comeback album for the Shanrgri-Las Mary Weiss, Dangerous Game. The album was produced by Reigning Sound frontman, Greg Cartwright. I also can't get enough of the Detroit's Cobras. Start off with Life, Love and Leaving with their killer version of a little known Otis Redding classic, "Shout Bama Lama.'' Those who love real rock 'n roll won't be disappointed. Best to all during the holiday break. Hope you enjoy the new website. - Ace
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