William Peter Blatty, best known for his 1971 book THE EXORCIST, is now 82, but that hasn’t slowed him down any.  He just published a new thriller book, DIMITER, set in the Holy Land in the 1970s, just in time for the Easter holiday.

Blatty, originally a comedy writer and screenplay author of such fun fare as A SHOT IN THE DARK, never figured to get famous from THE EXORCIST.  He thought it would be a one-shot wonder, a thriller to explore his own beliefs in good and evil, but after it was published, it seemed he was now known as the eminent horror writer of all time, and couldn’t get work anymore in comedy. Winning an Oscar for his screenplay of THE EXORCIST seemed to put a nail in that coffin. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself…)

So, for the next 40 years, he’s tried to recapture the amazing popularity of that book, but has never had another success of that magnitude. His books THE NINTH CONFIGURATION (a full-length novel of his earlier novella TWINKLE, TWINKLE, KILLER KANE) and LEGION were both made into movies, but the books were only warmly received.

DIMITER had been in the works since 1974, but bouts with prostate cancer, and the loss of his son in 2006, slowed the writing down.  He compiled notes and ideas, with the stack of paper growing and growing, but it was only 2 years ago that the plot finally crystallized in his mind, and he was able to finish the book.  There’s already talk of turning it into a movie, but don’t expect the gore and goo of THE EXORCIST if Blatty has anything to say about it. He’s on record as being against the current trend of chainsaws, blood and guts of today’s movies, saying in an interview in the LA Times that “The studios have so debased the tastes of kids that that’s all the kids want now.”  He prefers the story to be the motivation, not the special effects. (Of course, once you sell the rights to your book, unless Blatty retained the screenplay rights, too, all bets will be off on DIMITER’S adaption not being bloody…)

And who knows? Maybe for his next project, he could combine his two strengths, comedy and horror, and write the next SCARY MOVIE???  (Couldn’t be any worse than what the first 4 were like… BWAHAHAAH)

Jim Harrison, best known for his book of novellas LEGENDS OF THE FALL which had the title story made into a movie with Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins, has a new book of novellas out, called THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER.  (And no, it isn’t a dirty jokebook, although it does have some sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll in at least one of the stories.)

This new book includes three stories: THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER, a coming of age tale; BROWN DOG REDUX, a story of the continuing adventures of Brown Dog, a part Native American character from an earlier book; and THE GAMES OF NIGHT, a werewolf tale.

As Harrison’s writing has matured, it has moved more and more towards poetry, his preferred method of storytelling, and away from pure fiction, and this book is no different. In fact, if you’re not used to his style of writing, you may find this book a little hard to read.  It may be better to actually go back and find his earlier works, and read those first,  ”easing” yourself into his current style.

If you prefer your books in paperback format, check out what’s being released this January in softcover:

Looking for something new to read? Check out these books, coming out in January 2010:

Amazon.com Widgets

Oct 29 – Nov 3
You: Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty by Michael F. Roizen
The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan
Home to Holly Springs (Father Tim, Book 1) by Jan Karon
Steve and Me: Life with the Crocodile Hunter by Terri Irwin
Why Marines Fight by James Brady

Nov 4 – Nov 10
Be a Real Estate Millionaire: Secret Strategies for Lifetime Wealth Today by Dean Graziosi
Stone Cold by David Baldacci
Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig
Creation in Death by J.D. Robb
Stephen King’s Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born by Stephen King
Third Degree: A Novel by Greg Iles
The Chase by Clive Cussler
Heroes, Volume One by Various Authors – Illustrated by Tim Sale

Nov 11 – Nov 17
Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 3 (Sword Of Truth, Book 11) by Terry Goodkind
Double Cross by James Patterson
Five Wishes: How Answering One Simple Question Can Make Your Dreams Come True by Gay Hendricks

Nov 18 – Nov 24

Nov 25 – Dec 1
Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1) by Nora Roberts
The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz

Dec 2 – Dec 8
T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

Want to know the names and dates of new release books from best selling authors for the month of September and October? Here’s a list of what’s coming up – see if any of your favorite authors have a new book coming out:

Sep 9 – Sep 16
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Sep 17 – Sep 23
HARRY POTTER BOXSET Books 1 -7 by J. K. Rowling
DEXTER IN THE DARK: A Novel by Jeff Lindsay
DEAD HEAT by Dick Francis
LOUDER THAN WORDS: A MOTHER’S JOURNEY IN HEALING AUTISM by Jenny McCarthy
THE BONE GARDEN by Tess Gerritsen
DAVE BARRY’S HISTORY OF THE MILLENIUM (SO FAR) by Dave Barry
THE HEROIN DIARIES: A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A SHATTERED ROCK STAR by Nikki Sixx

Sep 24 – Sep 30
PLAYING FOR PIZZA by John Grisham
THE CHOICE by Nicholas Sparks
RUN by Ann Patchett
MAKING MONEY (DISCWORLD) by Terry Pratchett
SHOOT HIM IF HE RUNS by Stuart Woods

Oct 1 – Oct 7
EXIT GHOST by Philip Roth
BE THE PACK LEADER: USE CESAR’S WAY TO TRANSFORM YOUR DOG… AND YOUR LIFE by Cesar Milan
BEYOND THE WHITE HOUSE by Jimmy Carter
DARK OF THE MOON by John Sandford

Oct 8 – Oct 14
CLAPTON: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Eric Clapton
WORLD WITHOUT END by Ken Follett
FATAL REVENANT by Stephen R. Donaldson
BLONDE FAITH by Walter Mosley

Oct 15 – Oct 21
BLOOD FEVER(Fever Series, Book 2) by Karen Marie Moning
THE ALMOST MOON by Alice Sebold
PANDORA’S DAUGHTER by Iris Johansen

Oct 22 – Oct 28
BOOK OF THE DEAD (Kay Scarpetta Novel) by Patricia Cornwell
A LICK OF FROST by Laurell K. Hamilton
NOW AND THEN by Robert B. Parker
SHAKESPEARE: THE WORLD AS STAGE by Bill Bryson
OUT OF SYNC by Lance Bass and Marc Elliot