Thieves just want it on sale
Look, I thought this might be a good way to kick into the new year, because while we’re still paying off the excesses of Christmas, who amongst us hasn’t looked at one of those KitchenAid mixer thingies and wished it was half price?
Two guys in Colorado apparently wished the same when they were sentenced for stealing a KitchenAid mixer from a Kohl’s store last year. The argument their lawyers used? That the men should receive a lesser sentence because the item was on sale.
This seems like a shits-and-giggles case, but of course it’s not – the lawyers argued for consideration over the sale issue because theft of items over $2000 is a class 6 felony, rather than a misdemeanour charge. Needless to say, the DA was not amused: “Just because an item is ‘on sale’ doesn’t mean it’s free to steal, and these defendants now get to think about this lesson in prison.”
What a Grinch! Geez, man, lighten up, it’s just a cake mixer. Also, what is property, I pay top dollar (and the price is going up! Ouch) for my Kindle books but Amazon can snatch them back at any time – anyway I digress…
Hello and welcome back!
We somehow arrived in 2024, far out! Hi! It’s nice to be back, and I hope you had an excellent festive season, and had a chance to read some good books (Maybe some of the ones on the Bram Stoker preliminary ballot? That’s a heckuva list. And the nominees for the Edgars are worth checking out too).
I also hope you got plenty of rest, because you know how it goes – before we can blink it’ll be June and we’ll all be wondering where the time went. Don’t tell me it’s not true! I mean, I’ve already skipped January…👀
A friend of mine is trying to start a movement where we all declare that January is actually still part of the year before, so we don’t really start anything until February. I’ve gotta say, I’m a supporter.
But seriously, I hope 2024 is treating you kind so far, and you and your family are healthy and well. May the odds this year be always in our favour, as they say.
Speaking of sales…
I did my best to let folks know via social media that SOME SHALL BREAK hardcovers were 50% off at Barnes&Noble late 2023/Jan 2024, but I’m afraid if you didn’t get the news, you’ve missed that window. I’m sorry! There will probably be a next time, so when I find out about sale news, I’ll send out a quick email blast. And hey, on the upside, THE KILLING CODE is (finally!) due to release in paperback real soon - I’ll keep you updated.
Where to find me
I’ll be at Writers Victoria leading a long course called “Self Publishing In Depth” across three Saturdays from 17 Feb, which is real soon. If you haven’t already booked, I’m afraid that course is currently waitlist only – but the folks at WV are pretty great, and if you’re super keen and leave your name on the waitlist, they’ll get in touch if anyone drops out.
I’m going to be covering the process of self-publishing in as much detail as I can, and I’m really looking forward to getting started! If you’re booked to attend, please do say hi, and let me know you’re a subscriber so I know I’m amongst friends 😊
I’ll also be at Beyond the Book 2024 (what used to be called Voices on the Coast), which is exciting, as I’ve never been invited there before! If you’re in the audience up in Queensland, give me a wave, or better yet, come up and introduce yourself.
What I’m reading/watching/listening to
Can I please flail for a second about Blue Eye Samurai? Seriously, it is SO GOOD.
Most definitely adult in both tone, images, and themes, it’s doing things I just don’t see live-action adult drama doing much of these days. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished watching it, and the visuals are just SPECTACULAR. Honestly, I’m a bit worried that I may have already watched the best show of the year (especially now I’ve learned that Yellowjackets s3 has been delayed until 2025 – wah!!).
But if you’d rather go out to the movies than stay in, Godzilla Minus One is a solid choice. Smart, courageous, and full of genuine heart, it’s a fantastic flick – I took my teenage boys to see it, and they loved it too, and all of us came out of the cinema talking about how great it was to watch something that felt real in a way that so many current Marvel films don’t.
AS far as books go, I’ve read a couple that have disappointed me lately (inevitable, when you read as much as I do) but as soon as I read the first pages of The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, I knew my bad run was over. It’s a long ‘un (about 600 pages) but it’s an absolute page-turner, completely gripping, one of those books you can hardly bear to set aside long enough to do basic tasks like get yourself another cup of tea.
Set in Florida during the Jim Crow period of the 1950’s, it’s about a 12yo African-American boy who is unjustly sent to a notorious reform school, where his latent power – seeing ghosts, or ‘haints’ – comes into full bloom. Meanwhile, his 16yo sister works frantically on the outside to get him released. A sideways glimpse into a fictional version of the real-life Dozier School for Boys, this is a brutal book, a terrifying confrontation of the horrors of racism in the Jim Crow South, so please do mind trigger warnings. But it’s full of incredible characters, heart-pounding scenes, and bravura writing, once again making me worry that I’ve already read the best book of the year…
And I’m going to combine two things into one for a moment, as a way to make them both more enjoyable – True Detective: Night Country with Jodie Foster and Kali Reis has had me gripped from the start, with its spooky setting and corpsicle full of frozen scientists giving very The Thing vibes, and it’s more fun if you dive into some of the background inspiration, so check out this episode of You’re Wrong About: The Dyatlov Pass Incident, featuring Arctic explorer Blair Braverman, for an inside look at stuff like paradoxical undressing during hypothermia, slab avalanches, and more.
New Year, New Look!
I decided it was time to up my game on Instagram this year, so my new theme is GIALLO – lots of murdery, creepy, over-the-top, saturated-colour-goodness! I hope you enjoy it 😊
Random giveaway
Look, I’m trying to clear some of the stuff out of my writing office, and I found three Canadian hardcovers of Every Word just lying around, so help me out a little?
I would be delighted if someone wanted to take these off my hands, to make some space – if you’d like one, please drop a note in the comments and I’ll send a signed copy to three names I pull out of a hat. (If you’re chosen, I’ll get you to email with your postal addy – postage is covered by me)
And that’s it for our first edition for 2024! It’s lovely to be back, and I really hope I can make the year amusing for you when my emails drop in your inbox once a month. Go easy this early in the year – be kind to yourself, remember it’s a marathon not a sprint – and I’ll catch you again in March.
Happy reading and stay cool!
xxEllie
Happy New Year! Would love to be in the giveaway. Looking forward to your newsletters this year!
Happy new year. I’d love to be in the giveaway and I’m all for the year starting in Feb!