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I just finished reading four books, back to back, and each one was STELLAR. That never happens, so you better believe I’m excited to praise these reads, all of which have a common thread–each features a flawed, unconventional protagonist.

I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER by Dan Wells.

Six Second Summary: John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it. To keep his obsession with serial killer under wraps and under control, he lives by rigid rules he’s written for himself, practicing normal high school life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation. After a string of brutal murders terrorizes his town, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.

I loved it because: Wells’ voice is electric–he keeps the action moving at a fast clip, but all the while, we feel the misunderstood, melancholy wounds that John Wayne Cleaver tries to conceal. There are twists and unexpected turns of fate that make I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER nothing less than stone cold stellar–don’t miss it.

Shelve it between: DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER by Jeff Lindsay and your copy of SUPERNATURAL: Season One, two other chilling, thrilling diversions.

BLACK HEART by Holly Black

Six Second Summary: Cassel Sharpe comes from a long line of con artists and curse workers. Everyone wants him–the crime families and feds, but he’s just trying to stay out of trouble and protect the headstrong girl who’s always held his heart. Cassel will need every ounce of wit and will to make one last score, a final play to win his freedom, once and for all.

I loved it because: It’s no secret I adored WHITE CAT and RED GLOVE, but Holly Black outdid herself this time–BLACK HEART is a David Mamet meets Mario Puzo masterpiece, one of the very best trilogy conclusions I’ve ever finished. Get thee to a bookstore right now and pick it up.

Shelve it between: David Mamet’s sleeper con-artist flick, THE SPANISH PRISONER and Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER: PART II. Yeah, it’s that good. A top shelf trilogy.

DROWNING INSTINCT by Ilsa J. Bick

Six Second Summary: Jenna Lord hides a lot of scars–her psycho dad and drunk mother haven’t protected her in life, and when Jenna meets Mitch Anderson, her chemistry teacher and coach, she’s drawn to him. He’s the one person she can trust, the one honest adult who makes her feel safe. In

I am really, really, really excited for the release of BLACK HEART on April 3rd.  It's the final book of the Curse Workers series, full of twists and turns and reveals that I hope you'll be surprised by.  This series was a real departure for me and I've had a lot of fun writing them.  

I've just come back, two weeks ago, from my annual writing retreat to the mountains of Mexico and am settling back into my real life with some reluctance.  Cindy Pon did a great job of blogging the retreat over at her journal (much better than I have done, clearly).  The last time I was there, I wrote the last half of BLACK HEART and this time I wrote the middle of COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN.  Writing the middle of a book has many inherent frustrations, but I still got a lot done.



Here's the city at night, view from the room where I slept.


The city streets - and yes, it was as warm as it looks.  Warm enough to swim in a pool, for instance.



Like this one.


And lots of inspiring (and sometimes strange) happenings around town.  

Now that I am home, I have switched brains and am in the middle of editing DOLL BONES. And sometime this week, I will post my "how I wrote" for BLACK HEART, listing the day-by-day word counts that let me finish it.

Here's an excerpt from the very beginning of the very first chapter of BLACK HEART:

My brother Barron sits next to me, sucking the last dregs of black milk tea slush noisily through a wide yellow straw.  He’s got the seat of my Benz pushed all the way back and his feet up on the dash, the heels of his pointy black shoes scratching the plastic.  With his hair slicked back and his mirrored sunglasses covering his eyes, he looks like a study in villainy.