PWA Shamus Awards

Private Eye Writers of America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2008 CONTACT: Ted Fitzgerald, tedfitz[at]msn.com


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PRIVATE EYE WRITERS OF AMERICA ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR 2008 SHAMUS AWARDS

For Works First Published in the U.S. in 2007



Following are the categories for the Private Eye Writers of America 2008 Shamus Awards for private eye novels and short stories first published in the United States in 2007. The awards will be presented in the fall of 2008.



DEADLINE for submissions is June 6, 2008. No extensions will be given.



Eligible works must feature as a main character a person PAID for investigative work but NOT employed for that work by a unit of government. These include traditionally licensed private investigators; lawyers and reporters who do their own investigations; and others who function as hired private agents. These do NOT include law enforcement officers, other government employees or amateur, uncompensated sleuths.



Please send one copy of each eligible work to ALL members of the appropriate committee, not just to its Chair. Please copy General Awards Chair Ted Fitzgerald, 63 Old Post Road, East Walpole, MA 02032 with submissions. Do NOT submit a book to more than one committee. For a list of committee members and addresses, (and for any other questions) e-mail tedfitz[at]msn.com.



NOT eligible for consideration are self-published works, e-books or works for which the author is not paid. All submissions must be in hard copy.




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BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL: A book-length work of fiction that is NOT the author’s first published novel.



BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL: A book-length work of fiction in paperback original form that is NOT the author’s first novel. Paperback reprints of novels previously published in hardcover are NOT eligible.



BEST FIRST NOVEL: A book-length work of fiction that is ALSO the author’s first published novel. The intent of this category is to reward a true “rookie of the year” rather than a writer who has previously published a novel in another genre or under a pseudonym. A true first novel – whether published in hardcover or paperback – must be submitted in this category rather than either of the two above.



BEST SHORT STORY: A work of fiction of 20,000 words or fewer. Stories first published in an earlier year and reprinted in a magazine, anthology or collection in 2007 are NOT eligible.




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The Private Eye Writers of America was founded in 1981 by Robert J. Randisi to recognize the private eye genre. The Shamus Awards, to honor excellence in private eye fiction, were first presented in 1982.

Stephen Marlowe, R.I.P

Larry Block sent this on to us. My thanks.

Stephen Marlowe, 79, Detective Novelist, Dies
By MARGALIT FOX
Published: February 26, 2008
Stephen Marlowe, a prolific writer of popular fiction best known for his crime novels featuring the globe-trotting private eye Chester Drum, died on Friday in Williamsburg, Va. He was 79 and lived in Williamsburg.

The cause was myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone-marrow disorder, his wife, Ann, said.

Mr. Marlowe wrote more than 50 novels in a range of genres, from crime to science fiction to historical fiction. The Chester Drum books combined elements of the hard-boiled detective story and the international espionage thriller.

Drum made his first appearance in 1955 in “The Second Longest Night.” Known familiarly as Chet, he was a tough unmarried ex-cop who kept a bottle in his office and a .357 Magnum at his side. Based in Washington, he took on cases involving international intrigue that in nearly two dozen novels took him to exotic locales around the globe.

Other titles in the series, all published by Fawcett, include “Mecca for Murder” (1956), “Murder Is My Dish” (1957), “Killers Are My Meat” (1957), “Drum Beat — Berlin” (1964) and “Drum Beat — Marianne” (1968).

With Richard S. Prather, Mr. Marlowe wrote “Double in Trouble” (Fawcett, 1959), in which Drum joins forces with Mr. Prather’s series sleuth, Shell Scott.

Mr. Marlowe was born Milton Lesser in Brooklyn on Aug. 7, 1928. He received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the College of William and Mary in 1949. Under his original name, he began his career in the early 1950s writing science fiction.

In the late ’50s, Mr. Lesser legally changed his name to Stephen Marlowe, one of several pen names he regularly used. (Among the others were Andrew Frazer, Darius John Granger, C. H. Thames, Stephen Wilder, Jason Ridgway and Adam Chase. In his 1961 novel “Dead Man’s Tale,” Mr. Lesser joined the cavalcade of ghostwriters who published under the name Ellery Queen.)

For much of his career, Mr. Marlowe lived abroad, primarily in France, Spain and Switzerland. In recent years, he turned to serious historical novels, most on European subjects. These included “The Memoirs of Christopher Columbus” (Scribner, 1987); “The Death and Life of Miguel de Cervantes” (Bloomsbury, 1991); and “The Lighthouse at the End of the World” (Dutton, 1995), about Edgar Allan Poe.

Mr. Marlowe’s first marriage, to Leigh Lang, ended in divorce. He is survived by his second wife, the former Ann Humbert, whom he married in 1964; a sister, Carolyn Frucht of Santa Fe, N.M.; two daughters from his first marriage, Deirdre Marlowe of Baltimore and Robin Marlowe of Boston; and two grandchildren.

Among his awards are the Prix Gutenberg du Livre, a French literary prize, in 1988; and a life achievement award from the Private Eye Writers of America in 1997.

From Bob MacKowiak, former publisher of P.I. Magazine

From 1988 through 2002 I produced a publication called P.I.
Magazine. Although I eventually grew it into the national trade journal for
professional private investigators and sold it several years ago, I was
privileged to meet (and publish) some talented mystery writers, and even
moderated a panel discussion at the 1992 Bouchercon in Toronto.

It is mystery writers to whom I am turning for donations for a fundraising
online auction for the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer s
Association.

We are gathering various items, but will have a very distinctive section of
signed first edition books. (I was the first person to publish anything by
S.J. Rozan, and she is helping me acquire some items for this auction,
including donations from Walter Mosley and Lee Child.) However, I could use
a lot more. So I thought I would be so bold as to see if the Private Eye Writers
of America could help put out the word that the Northwest Ohio Chapter of
the Alzheimer's Association is seeking autographed first editions of mystery
books for our spring fundraiser, an online auction. We need the items no
later than the end of April.

We don t have many celebrities in Toledo, Findlay, Lima and Mansfield, Ohio,
and our small little non-profit organization needs all the help we can get.

The Alzheimer s Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter serves 24 counties in
Northwest Ohio, where more than 32,000 people have Alzheimer s disease.
Most of our services - - such as educational programs, a 24-hour toll-free
helpline, newsletter, monthly support group meetings and a lending library -
- are provided at no cost, which is why fundraising activities are so
important.

Any Private Eye Writers of America member who can help can send a book
(autographed first edition, please) to the Chapter's Toledo office:
Alzheimer's Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter
2500 N. Reynolds Road
Toledo, Ohio 43615
More information about the auction can be found from the Chapter's website,
www.alz.org/nwohio.

Thank you so very much. Anyone can contact me at 419-537-1999, or
bob.mackowiak@alz.org.

Bob Mackowiak
Development Director
Alzheimer's Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter
2500 N. Reynolds Road
Toledo, Ohio 43615
419-537-1999

Death of a Library

Last week the home of married authors--and long time PWA members--James Reasoner and Livia Washburn burned to the ground. They lost everything. They were insured, they have family and friends who are helping them. They and their daughters are fine and they are confident that they will rebuild.

But it takes longer to rebuild a library than it does a house. They not only lost all their own books and work, but the books and pulps that they had collected over the course of many years. For this reason I'm putting out a call both here and in the next PWA newsletter for book donations.

WWA and their President Johnny Boggs recently published a letter calling for donations, and I am borrowing from that letter here:

Since James and Livia also lost their sizable library, donations are also being sought to help restock their bookcases whenever they have a new home. Kim Lionetti, Livia's agent at BookEnds, has generously agreed to accept any BOOK donations and keep them until the Reasoners have a place to put them. Books should be sent to:

Kim Lionetti
BookEnds Inc.
136 Long Hill Road
Gillette, NJ 07933

I'm sending some vintage paperbacks I have doubles of, and whatever copies of James' books are on my shelves. Send one, ten, or a carton. They will appreciate it all.

Robert J. Randisi
Executive Director, Founder
The Private Eye Writers of America

Ben Schutz, RIP

On the heels of the news of Ed Hoch's death comes this shocking news from Ben Schutz's agent, Lynn Myers.

From: Lynn Myers
To: RRandisi@aol.com
Sent: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 12:05 pm
Subject: Benjamin Schutz, two-time Shamus winner


Dear Bob:

It is with great sadness that I must report the death of Benjamin M. Schutz. He has a massive heart attack while playing racquetball on Thursday evening. He won two Shamus awards and one Shamus win also was selected for an Edgar.

Best,


Lynn Myers

More Ed Hoch

This from Bill Chambers, who knew Ed even longer than I did . . .

In the fall of 1968 I attended a short story writing course that was taught by former MWA President Herbert Brean. Shortly after joining this class I was invited to the monthly cocktail party which was then held in the Hell’s Kitchen West 48th Street headquarters. Ed Hoch was one of the first people to greet me as I walked through the door. Even back then he was a legend, having had several hundred short stories published. I was taken back a bit in meeting someone of his prominence but he made me feel at home. I joked that I never believed Ed Hoch the man even existed—how could one person write such quality stories yet be so prolific--and I said I thought his name was the pseudonym for a team of writers. Ed greeted that remark with a hearty laugh and introduced me to his wife Pat. We went on to become close friends and served together on MWA’s National Board during the 70’s. Ed was as conscientious as he was kind and even through the roughest winter months traveled from Rochester to downtown Manhattan to attend every board meeting. Over the years we socialized at MWA functions and he and Pat attended parties that Marie and I threw in our home in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Ed was always willing to bestow helpful advice on novices eager to break into the mystery field. He was a remarkable human being and will be sorely missed by his friends and fans. I feel privileged to have known him.



Bill Chambers

Ed Hoch, RIP

I'm sure the accolades will begin to flow as the word of Edward D. Hoch's passing gets around. I'm posting mine here:


I met Hoch in 1973, at my first Bouchercon in Boston. He was kind and generous then, taking the time to talk to a fledgling writer. When I joined MWA in 1975 I started to see Ed twice a month, at the MWA cocktail party and the MWA dinner. Both he and Pat made me feel welcome, as if I were not only part of the writing fraternity, but part of the family, as well. It's a shock to me to realize that I knew the man for nearly 35 years, and read many of his stories before that. Even when I left New York it was always a pleasure to run into Ed and Pat at Bouchercons. They were always a special couple.

I've used Ed in several my my anthologie, and he even agreed, at one point, to be President of PWA. Although a long time MWA stalwart he was always supportive of PWA, becoming one of our charter members.

In business, and in social settings, Ed was a gentleman. He will me missed on every level a man can possibly be missed.



Robert J. Randisi