Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
It’s January, about as far from summer as it gets. It’s dark, cold, windy and gray, and all over the northern hemisphere people are feeling blue. But there’s a bright side. Chicago is full of blues clubs, and you’ll find me hanging out in them as often as I can. In fact, January is the … Read more
So the holidays are now in full swing. For some it’s your favorite time of year. For others, it’s a few weeks to be endured. In 2013 I ran a list of Binge-Watchable shows that are deliberately NOT about the holidays. I did that for those of you who want a respite from the holiday hustle … Read more
Meet Dark Justice So this new bundle in town walks into my office last week, and tells me she’s “as close to crime fiction perfection as possible.” Now, being the kind of guy I am, I don’t get excited when someone talks crime to me, and this dame was no exception. I took a good … Read more
Thriller films are incredibly popular right now. In fact for every thriller that is released, there are probably ten more in development or, at least, requested by Hollywood. (I’ve been offering mine to the film-making universe as we speak). It’s a genre that fascinates, keeps us riveted, and then makes us come back for more. … Read more
As some of you know, World War Two has always called to me, and the research I did for An Incidental Spy was a journey of discovery into the creative ways spies communicated with each other and their spymasters. Here in the US, well before we joined the war, Nazi spies were active on our … Read more
Last time I talked about late summer movies. This time it’s TV, which is where all the good stuff is, as you’ve probably noticed. I’ve been binge-watching my way through August and I’ve seen some great mini-series. As an author my stock-in-trade is storytelling, so I’m delighted to recommend these—some are mini-masterpieces. Rita … Read more
With a world of exciting, mysterious and historic locations to write about, I’m often asked where I’ll set my next story. Happily, there are plenty of places on my agenda, and if I write a caper novel, which I’m considering btw, I might have even more places to discover. For now, though, here are my … Read more
So I just got back from LA where I attended a film pitch conference. For those who don’t know, it’s kind of like speed-dating — you, the author or screenwriter – get five minutes with a production company rep to pitch your property, then you move on to the next. Most of the people who … Read more
I love that moment when, like now, I’ve finally finished the first draft of a book, a draft good enough to send to my editor. But what’s next? The act of finishing a book leaves an empty, windy gap where all that daily hard work used to be, and like all vacuums it has to … Read more
It’s my birthday next week, so… I got you a present! I’m giving away 4 of my short stories so you can celebrate with a blast of short summer reads… Download through Sunday June 21! Your Sweet Man “Calvin waited for the man who’d been convicted of killing his mother.” Flight “Kristin Forge spotted him … Read more