The Keith Snyder Newsletterette Helping You... Help Me! November, 2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This newsletter was originally nicely formatted, with graphics and links, when it lived at Themestream.com. Unfortunately, Themestream went out of business. I don't have time to make it pretty again, but here's the text. It's only been six weeks since my last newsletter, but I'm suffering my second multiple sclerosis exacerbation and I've got double vision and a moderate case of cabin fever, so here's another one. Music and Crime I'm good at announcing new things, but I'm awful at continuing to announce them. For instance, A CRIMINAL RECORD, the CD of mystery readings and original music featuring SJ Rozan, Michael Seidman, and Joe Wallace, sold well during September—and sold out in 24 hours at Bouchercon!—but sales died during October when I turned my attention elsewhere. I've just made SJ and Michael's contributions freely available on MP3.com in the hope that you'll really like them and buy the CD. Listen to SJ Rozan and Michael Seidman (and buy A CRIMINAL RECORD) at: www.mp3.com/keithsnyder Another recent CD release is MUSIC FOR WRITING NIGHT SCENES: electronic ambiences I created as background as I write the fourth Jason Keltner book. I can't write when music is too melodic or has lyrics, but I like to have something playing to get me started. I couldn't find enough of the right kind of music, so I made some. As with A CRIMINAL RECORD, there are a couple of freely available tracks at my MP3.com web page. Listen to a couple of ambiences for writers (and buy MUSIC FOR WRITING NIGHT SCENES) at: www.mp3.com/keithsnyder La Diva in Opera Top-40 After a year at MP3.com, Kathleen continues to maintain her presence in their Top-40 for Opera. Currently featured are her renditions of the Habanera and the Seguidilla from "Carmen." In all, there are a dozen arias and songs freely available at her MP3.com page, as well as HEART, a CD which also features "Must the Winter Come So Soon" by Samuel Barber. The reason the Barber is only available on HEART is that royalties haven't caught up with the online age yet; Kathleen would have to pay the Barber estate more per download than she takes in. Listen to arias (and buy HEART) at: www.mp3.com/haaversen Cosmic Debris Chosen by Sonic Circuits! For the last year or so, I've been making my way through hours of digital tape of live performances by The Cosmic Debris, the L.A.-based electronic music group I played keyboards with, and creating CDs out of the parts I liked best. There are currently three full-length CDs available, and recently we learned that the Debris was chosen by the American Composers Forum for this year's "Sonic Circuits" electronic music festival. It's an extremely cool group. Members include Richard Bugg (founding member) on electronically altered flute and synthesizers; Richard Zvonar (collaborator with Diamanda Galas and Richard Black) on electronic sound mangling; Chris Meyer (inventor of MIDI Machine Control) on rhythm loops and found sounds; and Lucky Westfall in bass. You'll also hear me on keyboards and the occasional vocal part, and my co-writer/director/producer on 1 IS FOR GUN and SELL IN HELL, Blake Arnold, telling stories and portraying characters. Listen to three hours of free music (and buy the CDs) at: www.mp3.com/cosmicdebris A Terrible Macchiato Speaking of Blake and SELL IN HELL, my new account of what can happen to a friendship during a no-budget film shoot is now online: A Terrible Macchiato My books And last of all, please buy my books. I always forget to plug them, so here are some links. Jason, Robert, and Martin, the continuing characters in these books, appear in Robert is a Genius here on Themestream. Trouble Comes Back A delight The third and latest Jason Keltner book. Coffin's Got the Dead Guy on the Inside The second Jason Keltner book. Here's a link to the paperback, which is cheaper. Show Control The first Jason Keltner book, now out of print. I sell collectible hardcover first editions through Amazon.com at the link above.   ©2000, Keith Snyder, all rights reserved.