It's May 14th!

Which means it's the day I thought Jeri Smith-Ready's new novel, Wicked Game, was released. Yes, I could have checked her website and learned that it was coming on the 13th, but instead, I relied on my gut. Which tells me all sorts of things that do me no good, so I don't know why I pay it any attention at all. (Of course novels are released on Tuesdays, it said. Just like CDs and DVDs...)


Anyway, here's the skinny: I've read it, but only (so far) in a prior draft. So what I can tell you is that it's very good, but I have know way of knowing how good it is for real until I read the finished product. Until then, it's Schroedinger's book: One set of pages is pretty darn good, and the other is outrageously awesome. I'm guessing that once it's opened it'll be a lot closer to the second than the first (although, despite how awesome it may be, I doubt you will actually be outraged).

One thing that I know hasn't changed is the concept, and it's a great one: There's a radio station whose DJs are all vampires. Each one plays the music popular at the time he or she "died" -- they're culturally frozen in those time periods, creating some authentic late-night radio.

Problem is, it's not paying the bills, and a predatory cookie-cutter media conglomerate is going to buy the place for peanuts... which will kick the vamps to the curb, depriving them of the one thing that gives their lives focus. Enter Ciara, a recovering conwoman who decides to help the station market itself by hiding the vamps in plain sight. She uses the vampirism as a marketing angle (because who'd believe it?) and turns the station into WVMP: The Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. (Seriously. I have a logo mug, and mugs don't lie.) And while the marketing starts to do its magic, some folks aren't happy about it...including a cadre of older, more ruthless vampires. And when vampires aren't happy about something, they don't send sternly worded letters to the local paper. They start ripping out throats.

Jeri's doing a ton of promotion for the book -- including lots of signings, blog interviews, and posting a cool-as-hell soundtrack to the book on her website. Go pick up a copy and give it a read. It's a good'n.

UPDATE: I meant to add this last night, but it was ridiculous o'clock and it slipped my mind: You can read Chapter 1 online, and can get up-to-date info and harrowing tales of travel on Jeri's blog.

UPDATE 2: I'm an idiot. And it only took me 17 hours to notice!

Rob