August 28, 2009:

Thanks for the great comments. GoMikey89 writes:
"Roland should take on a real world mystery."
GoMikey89, you will be pleased to know that in a
Roman a Clef way, Roland will do just that in
the seventh installment of the series, which is in the
works at present, and is tentatively entitled Friends with Death.

Another reader has asked why Roland and Broom never seem to team up.
My response to that is...honestly, I think some of you people have
been reading my notes! That's going to happen in a big way, so keep reading!
As always, thanks to everyone who has read one of my books!

If you do send a question or comment, be assured that I'll never publish your email,
or share it with anyone. I sincerely appreciate the feedback, and
comments and suggestions are always welcome! I've got a lot of projects
in the works, but I always have time for my readers! So keep 'em coming!
Thanks to everyone, Tim

Email Tim: timothyphillips@southerncrime.com

August 12, 2009:

I recently met a great friend of the Arts and artists, Carl Watts, a poet and
selfless promoter of other creative people. Carl also promotes consumer awareness,
and is involved in a lot of other worthy pursuits. It's really worth your time
to check out Carl on the web! Carl's also on Facebook Myspace, and Twitter.
(The links on his website site)

WWW.CARLWATTSARTIST.COM

To readers (and my publisher) Roland Longville #6 is still in the works,
with writing dragging on through the summer. I expect to have the book
finished and in the publsiher's hands by the end of the summer. It's
taken me longer than expected for a variety of reasons, but suffice to say
That many elements of the past five novels come to bear in The Burning Day.
...and I am already prepping for #7, tentatively entitled Friends with Death.

March 21, 2009:

Spring Returns! Happy to see the sun again.
I've been doing a lot of work lately, trying to finish up
the sixth installment of the Roland Longville series, as well
as a couple of stand-alone crime novels. Target date for finishing
up The Burning Day is the end of April; however I know me all to well,
and it may drag on into the early summer...all in all, the outlook
is good, though, I really like how the story has some together.


OTHER PROJECTS:

Work continues on two Anniston based novels. The first, which is nearing
completion, is actually a series of three novellas that follow the career
of a fictional sheriff of Calhoun County. The first novel finds him a
newly elected young sheriff, who is faced with a puzzling double murder
that is tied soemhow to the areas dark racial past. The second is a collection
of short stories about crimes of greed and passion that go undiscovered
and unpunished. In the third and final novella, a much older man, ready to retire,
the sheriff and his staff are faced with a gruesome string of murders
by a faceless killer who leaves no clues.

Also in the works is a novel about an Anniston native who goes to prison
after a robbery gone wrong, and gets out after ten years and tries to go
straight...but in the economically depressed landscape that he returns
to, populated by desperate people and a growing drug culture, nothing
could be harder, and he soon finds himself with a gun in his hand again.

Jan 28 2009:

The first month of the new year is all but gone. Now, the first five installments
of the Roland Longville series are out in Trade Paper. Thanks to everyone who has
purchased a copy and a very special thanks to all of those who have seen fit to
offer your critiques and suggestions. Number six is coming along nicely; look back
here in the near future for announcements and perhaps even a teaser.

Your comments are always appreciated!

send your comments to:timothyphillips@southerncrime.com...and thanks!

April 21st, 2008:

I'd like to take a few moments and spend a few lines responding to inquiries and
comments that readers have sent in via email over the past months. First of all,
thanks to each of you. I can't tell you how much it means to me.
Any reader response is extremely validating to a writer.

How long is the Roland Longville series going to be?

     Hmm. I'm currently working on the fifth installment of
the Roland Longville series. I had originally planned for twelve, but now it looks
like there might be as many as twenty, and very probably even more, if my publisher
can be persuaded.

Why did you stop naming the Roland Longville Novels after songs?

      I didn't, really. With Medusa, I return to the convention of naming
the books after songs or musical works that I admire (with the artist's kind per-
mission, of course.) I was unable to do this with Dead Birmingham, because
an artist whose work I have always admired, refused my request for the use of their song title
and likewise refused me the reprint rights of a few lyrics of that certain song.
Many other artists granted the same request pretty much automatically.

     For whatever reason, though, permission was refused, and so I thought up another title.

Strangely enough, the same artist later granted permission for me to reprint the
lyrics of another of their works in another novel, so I won't name them here.
No hard feelings.

     No matter; titles themselves cannot be copyrighted, you see, so I could have used
the song title, anyway; but in the end decided against it, what the hell.
I really like the title Dead Birmingham, and it has generated some interesting
remarks from readers, some of whom were pleased to see the name of their city in
a novel's (albiet gloomy-sounding) title. Maybe some artist will read the book, like it,
and name a song after it. Hope springs eternal.

     A word on fan mail in general. Yes, I actually wrote that.
What a feeling. In recent months,I have been pleased to start receiving fan email from
those of you who were kind enough to read my books, and cared enough to send in
your comments. I do read every one, and answer every one, although it may take me
a few days.

      In addition to the questions I list here, I've gotten other emails that really surprised me.
Among the more interesting comments I have gotten so far; one reader was displeased
with the death of a permanent character in Dead Birmingham. This reader went
so far as to take me to task for, and I quote:

'killing off a permanent character just to move the plot along.'

     But I didn't!

     The character in question had been around since Season of the Witch, and was a likable,
foil-type character. I appreciate and understand that killing the character off might
seem mercenary of me, but, rest assured! I did not commit the murder as a
merely convenient plot device. I have, long ago, planned out the general framework
of the entire Roland Longville saga, and certain changes have long been in the works.

     The character in question dies so that changes in later novels can happen. I promise.
I won't place a spoiler here for those who haven't read the books in question. Suffice to say,
there are hints of what is to come in Medusa, and since I am nearing completion
on the fifth installment, I don't feel like it's giving too much away to say...
you'll see!

     Lastly, the question that I have been asked more often that not:

Are Roland's cases always going to take him to other cities?

     Some of you want to see more Season of the Witch and Dead Birmingham
type stories that explore Birmingham in greater depth.

     Also, people want more of the gangsters we see in those two books.
The answer to all is a resounding...You bet! Roland will be sticking closer to home
in the next two books, though his travels are far from over.
Those of you who liked the Ganato/O'Malley feud will get the mob war you are lusting for
in Roland Longville #6, so hang in there.

     Having said all that, it is quite clear from reader response--and sales--that Magician
is far and away the most popular so far of the series, so don't think I'm out of touch if you
are a fan of that book, and Medusa, its sequel.

     As always, your kind (and even the not-so-kind) words are manna from heaven for
me, keep 'em coming! I thank you sincerely for reading my works, and I hope that
you'll continue to send comments my way!

     To submit, just click the email link below.
     Peace be with you, and be well!

Timothy C. Phillips

Send your comments here!

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