FEDORA RETURNS WITH SECOND ANTHOLOGY OF PRIVATE EYE AND TOUGH GUY FICTION

FEDORA II, a follow-up to the critically-successful crime fiction anthology FEDORA, scheduled for September, 2003, release.

FEDORA II: MORE PRIVATE EYES AND TOUGH GUYS, an anthology of hardboiled and noir crime fiction edited by Michael Bracken, will be released in September, 2003, by Betancourt and Company, an imprint of Wildside Press, LLC. FEDORA II is a follow-up to the critically-successful FEDORA: PRIVATE EYES AND TOUGH GUYS released by Wildside Press in 2001.

FEDORA II continues the tradition of presenting genre-stretching crime fiction begun with the first FEDORA. Stories from FEDORA: PRIVATE EYES AND TOUGH GUYS were short-listed for the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award and the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Derringer Award, were listed among the 50 best mysteries of 2001 in THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERIES, and earned honorable mentions in THE WORLD'S FINEST MYSTERY AND CRIME STORIES.

"Whether they crawl up from the gutters or stroll down from the mansions, the private eyes and tough guys in these stories make the mean streets meaner and the dark alleys darker," according to the book's jacket copy. "While some stories punch you full in the face, others sneak up from behind and place the cold steel barrel of a .38 against the back of your skull. Either way, you won't be able to defend yourself against the raw, gritty power between these covers. Noir never looked so dark as it does in these tales -- tales of twisted love, violence, and vengeance."

In addition to editing anthologies, Bracken is the author of four novels, four short story collections, two other books, and more than 700 short stories published in numerous anthologies and periodicals, including ESPIONAGE, FLESH & BLOOD: GUILTY AS SIN and MIKE SHAYNE MYSTERY MAGAZINE. Bracken's writing has been short-listed for the Derringer Award, and he has received numerous awards for advertising copywriting. He currently serves as vice president of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, vice president of Mystery Writers of America's Southwest chapter, and chair of the Private Eye Writers of America's Shamus Award committee for Best First Private Eye Novel.

Bracken resides with his family in Waco, Texas.

FEDORA II features original crime fiction by Ann Aptaker, Michael Bracken, Gary R. Bush, Brian Evankovich, Justin Gustainis, Robert D. Hughes, O'Neil De Noux, Percy Spurlark Parker, Anthony Neil Smith, Dan Sontup, Dan A. Sproul, James Stevens-Arce, Tom Sweeney and Simon Wood.

HARDBROILED, an anthology of private eye stories edited by Bracken and released earlier this year by Betancourt & Company, continues to receive positive reviews.

FEDORA II: MORE PRIVATE EYES AND TOUGH GUYS
edited by Michael Bracken
Betancourt & Company, an imprint of Wildside Press, LLC
264 pages
Trade Hardcover
ISBN: 1-59224-818-7 / $32.95

Booksellers & Reviewers may obtain ARCs of FEDORA II by contacting:
http://www.wildsidepress.com/arc.htm

Additional information about the editor may be found at:
http://www.CrimeFictionWriter.com

The editor may be contacted directly at:
Michael@CrimeFictionWriter.com