Sunshine Noir CoverDear Fans (both of you),
I’d like to reassure you that I have not been dormant for lo these many months but have actually been scribbling away and getting stories rejected and even accepted. It is just that sometimes the Giant Hand of Publishing moves so, so, so slow. But here’s some news! I’ve a story in the out-this-very-day Sunshine Noir anthology.

The PR line goes: “In these stories, seventeen writers from around the globe tell of dark doings in sunny places.” It’s basically a wink-wink at popular Nordic Noir books, saying “Hey, what’s with all the snow?” and it features a talented cast of writers: Leye Adenle, Annamaria Alfieri, Colin Cotterill, Susan Froetschel, Jason Goodwin, Paul Hardisty, Greg Herren, Tamar Myers. Barbara Nadel, moi, Kwei Quartey, Jeffrey Siger, Michael Stanley, Nick Sweet, Timothy Williams, Robert Wilson, and Ovidia Yu. The ever-lovely Alfieri and ever-stalwart Stanley edited.

My contribution is a story called “Pale Yellow Sun” about a McGuffin gone missing in Puerto Rico (hot enough for ya?), and haughty woman who decides to get it back all by her lonesome. I could’ve written about New York City (and, boy, has this City gotten hotter every year since I was born here) or even Florida (worst sunburn of my life, screw you very much, Florida). But Puerto Rico could always use the attention, and its current troubles kept it very much in my mind. The “Pale Yellow” was inspired by the epidemic of ketamine usage on the island (the drug sometimes comes as a yellow powder). Symbolism! With the setting plus the drug plus my notion of noir, I cobbled a story. I hope you read it. I hope you like it.

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