Big sale on Kindle

Hey, Kindle users! For a limited time, my whole backlist is on sale for only 99 cents each.

The sale features two dozen novels published before 2014 -- including the entire Bubba Mabry series, two Drew Gavin sportswriter mysteries, the comic cozy A BOX OF PANDORAS and a bunch of standalone crime titles such as BOOST, BULLETS and BANK JOB. You can load up your Kindle, just in time for the long holiday weekend.

My latest books, the brand-new crime thriller SIDE EYE and the two Jackie Nolan novels published last year, aren't part of the 99-cent sale, but they're still cheap at $2.99.

This week, I met with an old friend who is part of a film development company here in New Mexico. He and his partners are interested in pursuing some of my books for movie or TV projects. Stay tuned.

Despite many distractions, I'm about to start writing the first draft of a new novel. It's a comic crime caper set in Albuquerque and along the border with Mexico. I've got it pretty much outlined, and find myself energized and ready to get started. Always a nice feeling.

But first a long holiday weekend! Happy Fourth of July to you and yours.

SIDE EYE debuts

Today is publication day for my latest thriller, SIDE EYE. It is my 30th published book.

SIDE EYE is the story of an 18-year-old orphan named Josh Nieto, who is hired as the driver for an Albuquerque loan shark who's losing his eyesight. When the elderly loan shark's Dixie Mafia past catches up to him, Josh is caught in the middle of a blood feud.

SIDE EYE is available via Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. I'll also be signing copies at Treasure House Books in Albuquerque's Old Town on July 15.

The new novel is partly inspired by something that really happened to me, many years ago. When I was in high school, I worked at a clothing store called the Jean Joint. One day, the owner was going to collect on a bad debt and asked me to tag along. When we got to our destination, in a very rough neighborhood, my boss pulled a machete out from under the seat and handed it to me.

"Hold this," he said. "If things get violent, jump out and wave it around."

I sat trembling, holding the big knife, while he went to the door of the house. Luckily for all of us, the guy who owed the debt wasn't home.

A very similar scene occurs in SIDE EYE, and the machete plays a big role in the book.

If you want to know more, give SIDE EYE a try. It's a taut, fast-paced novel that you can read in one sitting. I think you'll love it!