Chris Holm's Blog

Wanna score some killer book swag, from signed copies to namesake characters, while supporting a vital cause? Of course you do! Who wouldn't? That's why you owe it to yourself to check out this awesome online auction benefitting the Transgender Law Center!

Bidding opens 3/26, but you can browse right now—and if you feel like bidding on personalized, first-edition hardcovers of THE KILLING KIND, RED RIGHT HAND, and CHILD ZERO from my private stash of author’s copies, you'll find that listing here.

Maine Crime Wave 2024 is nigh!

If you're an aspiring crime writer who lives in New England, you owe it to yourself to check this conference out. It's intimate enough to afford attendees ample opportunities to chat with authors, yet respected enough to attract ferocious talent such as ITW cofounder Gayle Lynds, MWA Grand Master Katherine Hall Page, and 2024 Crime Master Michael Koryta, to name but a few.

I'll be there, as will the missus, and a veritable boatload of amazing authors. If you're interested in attending, you can learn more here. Hope to see you there!

Yea verily, I am pleased, for Bouchercon 2023 is nearly upon us! If you, too, are San Diego-bound, here's where you can find me—and, more importantly, my better third by weight:

Crime & Punishment: Prison, Death, and Other Ways to Deal with the Antagonists
Thursday, August 31
12:45 to 1:35 PMw/R.G. Belsky, John C. Foster, James Hankins, Rob Hart, and Sarah Tomlinson (m)
Readers Panel: Book Clubs, Blogs, Reviewing, and Reading
Thursday, August 31
12:45 to 1:35 PM
Rich Ehisen, Larry Gandle, Katrina Niidas Holm, Kristopher Zgorski, and Lisa Benton (m)
The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that Katrina and I are scheduled opposite each other. That's right: it's in an honest-to-God, no-holds-barred Spaceholm* Thunderdome!
Truth is, I'm bummed I'll miss her panel, because I'm sure it'll be a kick, and I'm even more bummed she'll miss mine, because sneaking peeks at her is the only way I can ever tell if I'm blathering like an idiot. That said, if you'd like to hang out with the two of us at once, we'll be around all weekend, so please feel free** to say hello!
*My last name is Holm. Katrina's last name is Niidas[Space]Holm***. Together, we are the Spaceholms.**Bathrooms and our hotel room**** excluded.***The space is silent, because space is silent.****Unless you bring pie*****.*****But it had better be really, really good pie.

Maine Crime Wave is nearly upon us!
The festivities begin Friday, June 9, with an event that's free and open to the public! After she receives the Maine CrimeMaster Award, Guest of Honor Carla Neggers will be sitting down with fellow New York Times bestseller Julia Spencer-Fleming for what promises to be a fascinating conversation. In addition, several of this year's attendees���including yours truly���will be reading short samples of their work. There'll be complimentary appetizers, a cash bar, and books available for purchase/signing, so don't miss out!
Then, on Saturday, June 10, registered attendees will be treated to a full day of killer programming in a friendly and intimate setting, with plenty of opportunities for informal chats with panelists in between. If you're interested in registering, you can do so here. I hope to see you there!

 

Three dang years. That's how long it's been since we've been able to celebrate the biggest mystery event of the year in person. I'm not gonna lie: I'm nervous comma elated. If you, too, are Minneapolis-bound, here's where you can find me—and, more importantly, my ferociously talented wife.
Things Fall Apart: Celebrating dystopian, sci-fi, and fantastical mysteriesSaturday, September 109:00 to 9:45 AMMarquette Ballroom 6 and 7 (2nd Floor)w/Yasmin Angoe, Elizabeth Crowens, Matthew FitzSimmons, Glenn Parris, and Rob Hart (m)
Guest of Honor Interview: Lou Berney in conversation with Katrina Niidas HolmSaturday, September 101:45 to 2:30 PMMinneapolis Grand Ballroom EFG (3rd Floor)
Reviewers Recommend: Fresh New ReadsSaturday, September 104:15 to 5:00 PMDuluth (3rd Floor)Scott Adlerberg, Christie Bunting, Oline H. Cogdill, Katrina Niidas Holm, Danielle Trussoni, and Dwyer Murphy (m)
In addition, I'll be hanging around from Thursday to Sunday, so if you see me and feel like saying hi, please feel free. I can't promise I remember how to socialize, but I'll do my best not to act like a cornered animal, at least.

From 7/18 to 7/24, CHILD ZERO's ebook is only $4.99, wherever ebooks are sold! That's 82% off the hardcover price, so if you've been holding off on buying it, now's the time! Act fast before my publisher wises up!

 Apple / Kindle / Nook

It's been a dizzying two weeks, give or take, since CHILD ZERO was released into the wild. Here's a brief update on where I've been, and where I'll be in the near future.
Where I've Been:The downright dazzling Steve Weddle was kind enough to interview me for Do Some DamageI swung by CrimeReads to offer up a list of Eight Biological Horror Movies Guaranteed to Make Your Skin CrawlSpeaking of CrimeReads, ace editor Lisa Levy snuck CHILD ZERO onto her list of May's Best Psychological ThrillersDo Some Damage also published a guest post by yours truly about the impending threat of a post-antibiotic eraMy virtual Murder by the Book event with good friend Matthew Quirk is up on YouTube for your viewing pleasureAs is my Rogue Reads panel with Tracy Clark, Sara Paretsky, Amanda Quick, and James RollinsJohn Valeri penned this very kind review of CHILD ZERO for Criminal ElementMy pal Nick Petrie and I stayed up late for our virtual Mysterious Galaxy event, but you can watch it at your leisure on YouTubeIf Instagram is more your jam, don't miss this conversation with my buddy Drew Broussard of The Golden Notebook BookstoreKristopher Zgorski had some lovely things to say in his BOLO Books review of CHILD ZEROMy 207 interview with Rob Caldwell, which aired last Thursday, is now available to streamOn Sunday, my friend Robert Swartwood and I had a freewheeling chat on Facebook Live, which you can catch on YouTubeAnd, on that note, the internet informs me I'm bad at ZoomWhere I'll Be:On Wednesday, May 25, at 8PM Eastern/5PM Pacific, I've got a virtual event with the estimable James Rollins for The Poisoned Pen BookstoreI'll also be recording an episode of Authors on the Air with my pal Bruce Coffin, release date to be announcedOn Saturday, June 11, I'll be participating in this year's Maine Crime Wave, which will take place outdoors under a tentOn Sunday, August 21, at 7PM Eastern, I'll be participating in a virtual panel, hosted by The Back Room, alongside Alma Katsu, Bianca Marais, and Peng ShepherdAnd, COVID willing, I'll be in Minneapolis September 8-12 for Bouchercon 2022More as I have it. In the meantime, stay healthy...

I've waited six long years, from inception to publication date, to say this: CHILD ZERO is now available wherever books are sold!

I'll be celebrating tonight at Hunt + Alpine. You're welcome to join me, if you're so inclined.

In other news:

Marshal Zeringue was kind enough to interview me for his blogHe also subjected CHILD ZERO to the Page 69 TestNovel Suspects included CHILD ZERO on this list of anticipated crime novelsJenn's Bookshelves offered up this glowing reviewRogue Women Writers had me by for a guest postAs did Jungle Red Writers, who let me blather on about JURASSIC PARKMany thanks to all, as well as anyone who's purchased a copy of CHILD ZERO, or supported my work along the way!

It's hard to believe the publication date of CHILD ZERO is only a week away—particularly since I've been working on this book since late 2016.

As you might imagine, my promotional cycle is in full swing, so I thought a quick roundup was in order. Hit the deck, 'cause here come the bullets:

Amazon's editors named CHILD ZERO one of May's best science fiction novels!Canadian publication Everything Zoomer did 'em one better, calling it one of May's ten best works of fiction!Want a sneak peek at CHILD ZERO before you buy? Novel Suspects has you covered.They also posted my proposed canon of biological thrillers, a subgenre whose roots extend far deeper than you might imagine.Light on cash? Pop over to Goodreads by 5/6 for a chance to win one of twenty-five CHILD ZERO hardcovers!The latest issue of The Big Thrill features an interview with yours truly.I've also got a ton of events lined up, both virtual and in-person, which you can read about here.And last, but certainly not least, I present to you the greatest T-shirt in the history of humankind!So there you have it. All the news that's fit to print from the Land of Me... for now, anyway. Stay tuned, because I suspect there'll be a whole lot more to come.

The release date for CHILD ZERO is nearly upon us, and I've got a veritable boatload of events lined up to celebrate—including an HONEST-TO-GOD, NO-FOOLING, IN-PERSON RELEASE PARTY at one of Portland, Maine's most venerated drinking establishments!

CHILD ZERO Release PartyTuesday, May 10, 20227PM EasternHunt + Alpine75 Market StreetPortland, Maine
Mark your calendar and call a babysitter, because I've joined forces with the fine folks of Print: A Bookstore and Hunt + Alpine (one of Thrillist's Best Cocktail Bars in America) to launch CHILD ZERO in style! This event—which is free and open to the public—will feature door prizes, custom cocktails, and piles of brand spankin' hardcovers just waiting to be personalized! As an added bonus, if you buy a copy of CHILD ZERO at the event, you'll get a free drink courtesy of yours truly!
Virtual Event: Murder by the Book (Houston, TX)in conversation w/Matthew QuirkFriday, May 13, 20228PM Eastern (7PM Central)click through for details
Virtual Event: Rogue Readsw/Sara Paretsky, Amanda Quick, James Rollins, and Tracy Clark (m)Monday, May 16, 20227PM Easterndetails to be announced
Virtual Event: Mysterious Galaxy (San Diego, CA)in conversation w/Nick PetrieTuesday, May 17, 202210PM Eastern (7PM Pacific)click through for details
Virtual Event: The Golden Notebook (Woodstock, NY)Wednesday, May 18, 20227PM Easternclick through for details
Virtual Event: The Poisoned Pen (Scottsdale, AZ)in conversation w/James RollinsWednesday, May 25, 20227PM Eastern (5PM Mountain)click through for details
Maine Crime Wave (Portland, Maine)Saturday, June 11, 20229AM to 6PM EasternPortland, Maineclick through for details
Bouchercon 2022 (Minneapolis, Minnesota)Thursday, September 8, to Sunday, September 11, 2002click through for details