Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
I am SO excited to tell you about a new collection of crime novels (It debuts Wednesday, June 14, 2017) in which I’m a contributor. No… actually, I’ll let Kris Rusch tell you about it. She’s the “curator” (AKA Editor in Chief) who invited the authors into the bundle. The Dark … Read more
Just a reminder — EASY INNOCENCE is FREE when you visit my website. Take a look: With over 150 4 and 5 star reviews, Easy Innocence is also one of the top rated mysteries on Wattpad.It’s available in print and audio as well. Just click here. Would love to connect with you.
Some readers read mainly one genre. Romance, for example. Or historicals. Or Sci-fi. The genres include many variations on a theme, but, generally, each novel is similar to the next. Which can be comforting. You know what you’re going to get. I’d like to think the crime fiction genre is different. As a crime thriller … 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
I’ve been trying to figure out why I love doing research—much more than writing, btw—and I finally think I have an answer. Research is a free-form activity, especially on the internet. I Google a topic, scan a few articles, and if something catches my fancy, I click on the link or do another Google search … Read more
Every coin has two sides. Last week I talked about the things I hate most about writing fiction, so this week I’m flipping the coin to look at the aspects of authorship that give me a buzz. Research – Hunting for facts and context I love the constant learning, the thrill of the chase, the … Read more
Imagine a writer, okay – me — sitting with my feet up, happily tapping on my keyboard, writing 1500 words a day. Nice idea, right? But that’s all it is. An idea. The reality is I am usually sweating it out, getting up from the keyboard, cursing, and maybe—if it’s a good day— sitting back … Read more
A friend asked me why, after publishing 11 novels, I’m still in a writing group.”You’ve already published a lot of novels.” The answer was in his question. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I would not have published 11 novels without my writing group. I joined 18 years ago… way before I was … Read more
A couple of months ago, I was honored to be included in the “Mystery Marathon”, an entire weekend of mystery shows sponsored by WYCC, a Chicago public station. Over the weekend they interviewed me during some of the breaks between the shows. I’ve tried to edit out the pledge parts, so what remains is about 20 minutes of a … Read more
I’ve been sliding down a slippery slope over the past couple of years. I guess it’s no surprise—‘they’ do say the more crime you write the darker you get. In my case, I’m afraid they’re right. When I started writing Havana Lost, I knew from the start it was going to have a noir-ish ending. … Read more