Bits and pieces from the web and beyond:

• Stephen King has announced that he has an idea for a new Dark Tower book, the working title of which will be THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE.  He has not yet started this book and anticipates that it will be a minimum of eight months before he is able to begin writing it.

• Friend and fellow writer Margaret Yang wins the Ann Arbor Book Festival Short Story contest 2009.  Here is the story.
• Fan of Michael Connelly’s “Harry Bosch” series?  If so, you can read an excerpt from his newest release ‘Nine Dragons’ here.

• Author and playwright Jesse Kellerman (son of bestselling authors Jonathan and Faye Kellerman) has announced that he has recently submitted the completed manuscript for his next novel to his publisher.  If you haven’t enjoyed his unique storytelling style, I urge you to read Sunstroke and The Genius. You can find out more on his website.
• Just finished reading Dracula: The Un-Dead by Bram’s great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker (with Ian Holt).  It was definitely entertaining, mixing old-style melodrama with more modern action scenes.  Though I only rated it 4 stars (out of 5), I thought it was good!
• In the midst of reading Anne Rice’s newest novel, Angel Time, which (thankfully) veers away from the Jesus stories that I found to be entirely dreadful and boring.  As I’m only 100 pages into the newest, I’m finding it quite delicious so far!

My friend Catherine is an amazing writer. Surely you’ve read Pay It Forward, or at least seen the film. If so, you deserve to read her entire catalogue. Her stories are unfailingly poignant, timely, and beautifully written, like poetry in novel form.

Chasing Windmills is her latest release, and I’m on a personal crusade to increase not only sales of her work, but readership as well.

Here’s your homework: Tell 5-10 people about her novels, with the request that they also tell the same number of different people. If you haven’t read them, may I recommend that you start today? You won’t be sorry.