Edgar nominees to be announced soon!

[Naomi Hirahara]

The Edgar nominees will be announced any day now, and I'm on pins and needles. I participated as a judge in one of the categories and the reading of so many books renewed my love for the genre.

Who will be nominated for best first novel? Best paperback original? Do you have any favorites?

I'll be attending this year's Edgar banquet as a fan and I'm really looking forward to it.

[Naomi Hirahara]

For sure.

[Grant McKenzie]

Yes, I am very lucky to have been picked up by Bantam TransWorld UK. The team there is very enthusiastic and welcoming. I guess my U.S. and Canadian debut will likely be later than my UK one as I haven't been picked up here yet. But living in Canada and writing American fiction, I'm sure it's only a mater of time.

[Naomi Hirahara]

So looking forward to your debut! Wasn't it just recently that you were shopping around for publishers?

There may be a glitch with the Edgars -- I think that eligibility rests on being published in the U.S. -- not sure if your publisher would fall in that category. Your publisher would know. If not, I'm sure that someone in the Random House family will pick it up on the other side of the pond.

[Grant McKenzie]

Wouldn't that be something - to actually be nominated for an Edgar? Wow! I can dream for best paperback original as my debut comes out in October ;-)