Hey all,

With the contract signed and the first pass of edits done, I can take a deep breath and say: Hey! My next book is coming out! Slated for the fall of 2014, it's tentatively titled The Fall of the Family Hightower. Seriously, the title is subject to change. But not much else about it is. It's a story about a really messed-up family that also happens to be about organized crime, both old-school in the United States and new-school in Eastern Europe. The plot ranges from Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania to various points in Africa to Cleveland, a city I loved more the more I visited it in the course of writing this thing.

I'm also pleased to be trying on a new genre--the publisher, Seven Stories, is calling it a literary thriller, which is as good a label as any. From where I'm standing, I see lots of similarities in the form and structure of this book and science fiction generally. Though it is, first and foremost, about this crazy-ass family. I have never written about such deeply flawed people, and in some ways have never had more fun writing about the characters than here.

Finally, I'm really excited to be joining the roster of authors at Seven Stories, which already has a few fiction and nonfiction heroes of mine. So, hooray! For those of you who are interested, I hope you enjoy it. You know, when it comes out, a year from now.