Both Robin and Kevin make good and valid points regarding the problems confronting any new author who hasn’t done his or her homework. The vultures who hide among legitimate agents, publishers and others in the community are many and are adept at concealment. Authors with low levels of tolerance toward legitimate criticism are another factor which affects all of us. Some things can be helped, others cannot.
My concerns are these: instead of trying to control the problems we all perceive with, for example, lists of “approved” publishers or “approved” agents, why not bend greater efforts to alert and advise new authors as to how the game is played with aggressively marketed workshop sessions? While responding to questions at presentations that “New York publishers insist new work come via agents,” why isn’t more attention paid to discussing good and poor contract language? Why don’t we offer and promote sessions on exactly what an author who self-publishes faces regarding distribution?
Joint ventures in which two or more parties invest in the possible success of a book are a perfectly acceptable business model, so long as everyone understands the limitations and responsibilities of each party to the contract. Has a small bookseller ever explained to a room full of authors what the real and hidden costs are to accept books on consignment? Or to set up yet another account? What decisions must a bookseller make when one of their wholesalers demands an increase in minimum book orders from , say $50 to $400?
Yes, I am aware that professional organizations like EPIC post acceptable contract language on their web site. What I am suggesting, however, is that passive resistance to evil is not acceptable. I think organizations like MWA, RWA, Sisters in Crime and IBS and trade associations like ABA as well as many others ought to mount aggressive educational campaigns to reveal to new authors and others, just what the business is all about.
I’d like to see a business track designed for new authors at Malice, at Bouchercon, at Left Coast Crime, to name just a few. For far too long, it seems to me, the publishing business, in all its facets, has just been going along with practices developed over years of neglect rather than with proactive profit-centric attitudes. Better books, better agenting and editing, better distribution can only result in better literacy and more profits for everybody.
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Author C. Hyytinen does my Q & A
I recently asked Echelon Press author Cyn Hyytinen for the answers to some questions about her writing career and she agreed to give me some answers. Here they are.
When someone asks you what kind of book do you write? What’s your answer?
(The famous elevator speech)
I usually say trashy crime thrillers which gets a smile, but I know that pisses off my publisher. When I say "trashy" I'm referring to bad language, lots of sex, and nasty immoral behavior. Being my stories are heavily involved with the Mafia and their wicked ways, that is a "given," right? My main character is a top-notch homicide detective with the Minneapolis Police Department. She approaches life in a pragmatic, no nonsense fashion as she deals with criminal minds and the undesirables. She gets the job done despite her own personal struggles: single mom, male-dominated workforce...
When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
I consider myself more of a thriller writer...edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff. Yes, there is mystery intertwined, but my novels certainly aren't who-done-its. I knew as soon as I began the writing process and was halfway through a romance manuscript which I discarded to start Pattern of Violence.
Tell us a little bit about your family background.
I am the youngest of 3 and have one older brother and one sister. I come from your typical hard-working middle-class family and was born and raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A Cheese-head.
What is your educational background?
I have a degree in computer science. Go figure...
Talk a bit about your present family situation.
I've been married 30 years to the same man (that in itself is a mystery). Just kidding. He is great and comes with me to all my events. He doubles as my body-guard and book carrier as well as chauffeur, best buddy and of course the best husband in the entire world. I have two wonderful sons, Nick who is 23 years old and Troy who is 17 years old. Oops, almost forgot to add, a Rat Terrier (Lucy) and three cats. We live in rural MN on a small fishing lake.
What did you read as a child?
I started out with Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon because that is what my older sister read. I was reading by the age of four. Once I entered elementary school, I came across a book in the library about witches in Salem, Massachusetts. Reading about the Salem witch trials was fascinating and crazy. They believed anyone with red hair was a witch and would throw them into the nearest lake or river to see if they'd float. It was kind of a lose-lose situation because if they sank they were not a witch (whew...), however, they drowned (major bummer). And if they floated, they were indeed a witch, fished out of the pond and burned at the stake. Yikes! That had me hooked. From then on, I went for the thriller-type books.
What’s your daily routine when you aren’t touring? Unfortunately, I have to go to work every day with a 1-hr commute each way. I work in a high-stress environment as an Enterprise Technical Consultant in the Command Center of a major insurance company. Weekends are spent writing whenever possible when I'm not busy doing family things and/or book gigs.
How much touring do you do?
Not enough, due to the day job and other time constraints. But I try to at least do 1 to 2 events/signings on a monthly basis.
What surprised you most about the writing community once you became a part of it?
How nice everyone was. I was pleasantly surprised that even the big names did not have big egos and were more than willing to discuss their craft with those of us who are struggling to make a name for ourselves--the great unknowns...
Whats the hardest thing about being an author?
Finding the time to write and promote and network all while working full-time and being a wife and mother.
Lets talk about promotion and marketing.
Do you blog? How frequently? Is your blog a group or single effort?
Rarely, I have a MySpace blog, but find it easier to post bulletins instead of blogging. There again is the time constraint. I'm gone 10 hrs a day, five days a week. If/when that ever changes, I will blog blog blog.
How frequently do you participate in book tours?
As often as possible, although not as much as I'd like.
Do you belong to an authors co-op for touring and promotion purposes?
Yes, our group, Booked 4 Murder (myself, Michael Allan Mallory, Marilyn Victor, Lois Greiman) does scheduled appearances at various venues.
How is that working out?
Great! We're all diligently working on getting more gigs. Plus I love our little group and would want to hang out with them anyway.
What kinds of events or signings do you do?
Libraries, bookstores, mystery clubs. Anyone who will have us.
In a typical year, how many events do you do?
We try for one per month minimally. The more, the better.
How many fan conferences such as Bouchercon will you typically attend in a year?
One or two due to expenses.
Any cons or workshops you recommend?
I recently attended Mayhem in the Midlands in Omaha, Nebraska. It was small, but informative and so much fun. The mystery dinner was a riot and I definitely plan on attending again next year.
Do you have a web site and/or other Internet places you routinely participate in, such as Good Books or Face Book or Twitter? List them.
My website is chyytinen.com and then there are the usual suspects--Myspace, Facebook, Linked-In, Authors Den, ITW....
Do you like to travel?
Yes, I love to travel and wish I was independently wealthey so I could quit my day job and tour all over the country promoting and selling my wares.
What surprised you the most when you became a published author?
How everyone thinks you've "made it" and are automatically rich and famous just because you're published. Wow...so not true.
Do you think you'll change direction in your writing? Produce a different kind of crime novel? If so, what might that be?
Definitely. My writing has changed and matured with each manuscript I write. When I finish what I'm currently working on I do have some new ideas to try on.
Especially since 9/11, how do you respond to the accusation that you are trying to make money on a phenomenon in society we call murder? Or heinous crime?
I shrug it off. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I write for entertainment--for my readers, as well as myself. Period.
If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
A rock star.
What career would you least like to do, if writing stories was to become impossible?
Construction worker. I feel for those guys in the 90 degree heat on top of a roof laying shingles, plus I have an issue with high places.
Have you ever collaborated on a novel? Would you consider it?
Yes. I’m in an anthology - Heat of the Moment.
Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career.
Dean Koontz, Stephen King
Tell us one or two authors or books you absolutely universally recommend.
Dean Koontz, Alex Kava, Tami Hoag
Who is your favorite mystery author?
Dean Koontz.
Where do you want your career to go?
Up up and away.
To what organizations related to your writing career do you belong?
ITW, Authors Guild, SinC, Authors Den
Who is your publisher? What’s your current book?
Echelon Press. Pattern of Vengeance
Are you agented?
No.
What’s your take on the rise of electronic publishing?
I think it's great. I know it's very controversial right now, but I think it is definitely the wave the future and we should all get onboard before we miss the train.
What’s your favorite word?
Cataclysmic (but it changes daily)
What’s your least favorite word?
Yep.
If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?
More empathy for others.
Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
Never give up. If you love to write, keep writing. Good things come to those who persevere.
Tell us about your next or upcoming book or other project.
I am working on a novel which takes place in International Falls, MN/Voyageurs National Park. Mystery/suspense.
When someone asks you what kind of book do you write? What’s your answer?
(The famous elevator speech)
I usually say trashy crime thrillers which gets a smile, but I know that pisses off my publisher. When I say "trashy" I'm referring to bad language, lots of sex, and nasty immoral behavior. Being my stories are heavily involved with the Mafia and their wicked ways, that is a "given," right? My main character is a top-notch homicide detective with the Minneapolis Police Department. She approaches life in a pragmatic, no nonsense fashion as she deals with criminal minds and the undesirables. She gets the job done despite her own personal struggles: single mom, male-dominated workforce...
When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
I consider myself more of a thriller writer...edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff. Yes, there is mystery intertwined, but my novels certainly aren't who-done-its. I knew as soon as I began the writing process and was halfway through a romance manuscript which I discarded to start Pattern of Violence.
Tell us a little bit about your family background.
I am the youngest of 3 and have one older brother and one sister. I come from your typical hard-working middle-class family and was born and raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A Cheese-head.
What is your educational background?
I have a degree in computer science. Go figure...
Talk a bit about your present family situation.
I've been married 30 years to the same man (that in itself is a mystery). Just kidding. He is great and comes with me to all my events. He doubles as my body-guard and book carrier as well as chauffeur, best buddy and of course the best husband in the entire world. I have two wonderful sons, Nick who is 23 years old and Troy who is 17 years old. Oops, almost forgot to add, a Rat Terrier (Lucy) and three cats. We live in rural MN on a small fishing lake.
What did you read as a child?
I started out with Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon because that is what my older sister read. I was reading by the age of four. Once I entered elementary school, I came across a book in the library about witches in Salem, Massachusetts. Reading about the Salem witch trials was fascinating and crazy. They believed anyone with red hair was a witch and would throw them into the nearest lake or river to see if they'd float. It was kind of a lose-lose situation because if they sank they were not a witch (whew...), however, they drowned (major bummer). And if they floated, they were indeed a witch, fished out of the pond and burned at the stake. Yikes! That had me hooked. From then on, I went for the thriller-type books.
What’s your daily routine when you aren’t touring? Unfortunately, I have to go to work every day with a 1-hr commute each way. I work in a high-stress environment as an Enterprise Technical Consultant in the Command Center of a major insurance company. Weekends are spent writing whenever possible when I'm not busy doing family things and/or book gigs.
How much touring do you do?
Not enough, due to the day job and other time constraints. But I try to at least do 1 to 2 events/signings on a monthly basis.
What surprised you most about the writing community once you became a part of it?
How nice everyone was. I was pleasantly surprised that even the big names did not have big egos and were more than willing to discuss their craft with those of us who are struggling to make a name for ourselves--the great unknowns...
Whats the hardest thing about being an author?
Finding the time to write and promote and network all while working full-time and being a wife and mother.
Lets talk about promotion and marketing.
Do you blog? How frequently? Is your blog a group or single effort?
Rarely, I have a MySpace blog, but find it easier to post bulletins instead of blogging. There again is the time constraint. I'm gone 10 hrs a day, five days a week. If/when that ever changes, I will blog blog blog.
How frequently do you participate in book tours?
As often as possible, although not as much as I'd like.
Do you belong to an authors co-op for touring and promotion purposes?
Yes, our group, Booked 4 Murder (myself, Michael Allan Mallory, Marilyn Victor, Lois Greiman) does scheduled appearances at various venues.
How is that working out?
Great! We're all diligently working on getting more gigs. Plus I love our little group and would want to hang out with them anyway.
What kinds of events or signings do you do?
Libraries, bookstores, mystery clubs. Anyone who will have us.
In a typical year, how many events do you do?
We try for one per month minimally. The more, the better.
How many fan conferences such as Bouchercon will you typically attend in a year?
One or two due to expenses.
Any cons or workshops you recommend?
I recently attended Mayhem in the Midlands in Omaha, Nebraska. It was small, but informative and so much fun. The mystery dinner was a riot and I definitely plan on attending again next year.
Do you have a web site and/or other Internet places you routinely participate in, such as Good Books or Face Book or Twitter? List them.
My website is chyytinen.com and then there are the usual suspects--Myspace, Facebook, Linked-In, Authors Den, ITW....
Do you like to travel?
Yes, I love to travel and wish I was independently wealthey so I could quit my day job and tour all over the country promoting and selling my wares.
What surprised you the most when you became a published author?
How everyone thinks you've "made it" and are automatically rich and famous just because you're published. Wow...so not true.
Do you think you'll change direction in your writing? Produce a different kind of crime novel? If so, what might that be?
Definitely. My writing has changed and matured with each manuscript I write. When I finish what I'm currently working on I do have some new ideas to try on.
Especially since 9/11, how do you respond to the accusation that you are trying to make money on a phenomenon in society we call murder? Or heinous crime?
I shrug it off. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I write for entertainment--for my readers, as well as myself. Period.
If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
A rock star.
What career would you least like to do, if writing stories was to become impossible?
Construction worker. I feel for those guys in the 90 degree heat on top of a roof laying shingles, plus I have an issue with high places.
Have you ever collaborated on a novel? Would you consider it?
Yes. I’m in an anthology - Heat of the Moment.
Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career.
Dean Koontz, Stephen King
Tell us one or two authors or books you absolutely universally recommend.
Dean Koontz, Alex Kava, Tami Hoag
Who is your favorite mystery author?
Dean Koontz.
Where do you want your career to go?
Up up and away.
To what organizations related to your writing career do you belong?
ITW, Authors Guild, SinC, Authors Den
Who is your publisher? What’s your current book?
Echelon Press. Pattern of Vengeance
Are you agented?
No.
What’s your take on the rise of electronic publishing?
I think it's great. I know it's very controversial right now, but I think it is definitely the wave the future and we should all get onboard before we miss the train.
What’s your favorite word?
Cataclysmic (but it changes daily)
What’s your least favorite word?
Yep.
If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?
More empathy for others.
Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
Never give up. If you love to write, keep writing. Good things come to those who persevere.
Tell us about your next or upcoming book or other project.
I am working on a novel which takes place in International Falls, MN/Voyageurs National Park. Mystery/suspense.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
BURL BARER BARES ALL (MOST)
We recently sat down for a conversation with an author who is one of the quickest men with a quip that I know. I asked, he answered--mostly. Yes of course! We are actually a thousand miles apart. Never mind, here's what he had to say.
When someone asks you what kind of book do you write? What’s your answer?
(The famous elevator speech)
True crime, mysteries, thrillers -- pop culture -- movie tie-ins, the stuff you see on your supermarket shelves.
Have I ever read anything you've written?
Yes, and you loved it.
When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
When I was in Junior High School, now termed Middle School, I wrote my first mystery. By the time I was 16, I “knew” that someday I would write about Maverick and The Saint. I was right.
Tell us a little bit about your family background.
I was born and raised in Walla Walla, the youngest of three kids. My sister, Jan Curran, is an author and retired journalist; all four of her kids are authors (Lee & Tod Goldberg; Linda Woods & Karen Dinino). My brother Stan is a retired attorney and Regent at the University of Washington. His daughter has a PR firm, and his son, a relentless entrepreneur, just invested his efforts in a forthcoming child with his lovely wife.
My mom was a former newspaper woman, and my father ran a scrap metal business. Both parents are gone now.
What is your educational background?
I graduated from Walla Walla High School, then attended the University of Washington.
Talk a bit about your present family situation.
Presently I am single, have two adult offspring―a daughter, Anea, who is a data rock star in Austin for AMD, and a son, Jordan, who works for Fred Meyer. Happily, my previous spouse, Britt Barer, and I get along fine.
What did you read as a child?
As a child? Dick, Jane, Spot...then Hardy Boys, followed by The Saint books by Leslie Charteris, and one of the great all time social satire books, Harry Vernon at Prep by Franc D. Smith. Naturally I read all the hot parts of whatever naughty books were in circulation at the time.
What surprised you most about the writing community once you became a part of it?
What pleasantly surprised me the most was the incredible kindness and generosity of other authors. I recall when my first book came out -- the one for which I received the Edgar -- I was seated at Left Coast Crime next to Larry Block. Well, he had a line of fans from here to Modesto; I sat there playing with my pen. Heck, even if they wanted my book, it was bargain priced at about $55.00. Not exactly a price point inducement for purchase. He was kind and supportive of my situation. I had fun with Larry in a literary way by inventing books by him that don't actually exist. These books are featured in my fiction book, HEADLOCK. For example, he is credited with having the first mass market paperback to extra money via title product placement: “The Burglar who had Butterfingers.”
A few years later we were featured together on the Smart Ass Authors panel at B-Con, and that was great fun. There are so many wonderful writers who have been good to me—from GM Ford and Tony Fennelly to Meg Chittenden and Sparkle Hayter and so many more!
What’s the hardest thing about being an author?
Making money.
Let’s talk about promotion and marketing.
Sure, let's talk about that! I have been called the King of BSP -- Blatant Self Promotion, often to the aggravation of other, more shy authors. When at conventions, I hawk my books with all the subtlety of a Vegematic salesman at the State Fair. I make Mr. Sham-Wow seem taciturn.
Do you blog? How frequently? Is your blog a group or single effort?
Yes, I have more blogs and sites than I keep track of. Primarily I use http://burlbarer.net and http://outlawcrime.net These automatically hype the new posts on Facebook.
How frequently do you organize or participate in book tours?
I have never organized a book tour. I can't even organize my desk. I will gladly tour. I'm easy. I'll go around the world on my first date. I have not done an extensive tour since 2000. I have been bouncing back and forth between Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin, Texas...but I don't know if that would qualify as touring.
What’s your daily routine when you aren’t touring?
I am on tour 24/7―I tour from here to the 7/11 and back. Then I tour on the bus to see friends. On Saturdays I take my tour to Outlawradio.tv to do TRUE CRIMES with co-host Don Woldman.
Basically, I sit in front of the computer and avoid writing. I send email, surf the net..and when all else fails, I write. Oh, I do take breaks to watch movies.
What kind of events or signings do you do?
I'll do any event, and I'll sign anything. Sometimes I sign Sidney Sheldon's books. Sid is too busy to do them all himself. I have done some signings with my nephews, Lee and Tod Goldberg, but it has been a while.
In a typical year, how many times did you appear for your book?
Well, if you count Metro Transit, several times a week. actually, I appear every week on the TRUE CRIMES radio show, and on Matt Alan's Outlaw Radio. I will also be on SNAPPED on the Oxygen Network in October for the Season Finale discussing my book, MOM SAID KILL. I will also be on Investigation Discovery's DEADLY WOMEN in December discussing the strange case of Rhonda Glover and Jimmy Joste, the subjects of my forthcoming book.
How many fan conferences such as Bouchercon will you typically attend in a year?
I used to attend Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime every year, as I had a new book to promote every year. There was a gap between BROKEN DOLL and MOM SAID KILL, and a financial gap as well, so I have not attended recently. I loved particpating in the Palm Springs event a year or so ago. I was scheduled for two panels in Las Vegas. The second day, the taxi driver got lost. I had him stop at a pay phone so I could call and get him directions, and he drove off and left me standing in a service station parking lot! I'm sure that cost me several reputation points. I reported him to the taxi company, and I think his career suffered more than mine.
Now, however, with BROKEN DOLL and MOM SAID KILL selling briskly, the radio show gaining popularity, my monthly presence on In Cold Blog, and another book coming out next year, I will be attending events again.
Any specific recommendations?
Courtesy is always in style.
Do you have a web site and/or other Internet places you routinely participate in, such as Good Books or Face Book or Twitter? List them.
Facebook
MySpace
Twitter
CrimeSpace
PolicePulse
and several other Ning social networks related to crime and crime blogging.
Do you like to travel?
I LOVE to travel!
What surprised you the most when you became a published author?
I was surprised that authors don't have groupies such as the ones who pursue rock stars and famous actors, or even disc jockeys. Never be an author to pick up chicks.
Do you think you’ll change direction or spread out a bit? Write a different kind of crime novel? If so, what kind.?
It has been my literary dream to do new things in different genres. I believe I accomplished that with THE SAINT: A Complete History, MAVERICK, MAN OVERBOARD, and HEADLOCK (crime fiction). The true crime books I do for Pinnacle are research intensive, follow a rigid template, and do not offer much opportunity for literary experimentation.
I hope to have some fun with new SAINT novels and short stories once there is a market for them. If the forthcoming SAINT TV show goes well, the market will be there. Also, I intend sequels to HEADLOCK, my Jeff Reynolds, PI mystery series.
Especially since 9/11, how do you respond to the accusation that you are trying to make money on a phenomenon in society we call murder? Or heinous crime?
I don't think 9/11 made much difference in the never ending accusation that true crime writers are bottom feeders. This is, of course, nonsense. True crime is a much maligned genre written by underpaid authors. Every true crime book is an emotionally and socially dangerous enterprise. The families of victims either love you or hate you, as do the families of the killers. I get hate mail from both, and sometimes the same person who sends me hate mail will, years later, send me a thank you letter and an apology.
I wrote a fiction story, GIVING SHELTER, written from the perspective of a psychopath. I am not a psychopath, honest. I am not a serial killer. But I have had people regard me as such because I write about serial killers. The map is not the territory. The actor is not the character. As an author, I want to create characters that resonate as real to the reader. Jack Olsen said I wrote so realistically that the characters leap off the page. That sounds rather scary, considering some of the characters' social habits.
If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
When I was a youngster there were people on TV who, it seemed to me, were famous for being famous. That sounded fantastic to me. I would like to earn a living by being famous simply for being famous.
What career would you least like to do, if writing was to become impossible?
Work in a fabric store or a crafts store. For some reason, I almost panic in those places. I have sold fine jewelry, however, and enjoyed it tremendously.
Have you ever collaborated on a novel? Would you consider it?
Yes, I collaborated on a novel (unpublished) with someone who wasn't a writer. I would love to collaborate with someone who is a writer. I did contribute to one of Lee Goldberg's pulp fiction novels that he wrote under an assumed name. I helped him with one of the sex scenes. He was, at that time, not as experienced with that topic as he has since, no doubt, become. When his Nana complained that the book was nothing but sex and violence, Lee wisely shifted the blame to my brother and me. My brother deflected criticism by insisting that he only helped Lee with the legal/courtroom scenes. When Mom called me, she asked How could you pervert your little nephew that way?
I told her Mom, I only helped him write one sex scene, honest!
She replied, It was the one with the ice-cream wasn't it? She was right. It was.
Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career.
Leslie Charteris, Jack Olsen, and Franc Smth.
Tell us one or two authors or books you absolutely universally recommend.
Last Man Standing by Jack Olsen. (Incredible!)
Saint's Getaway by Leslie Charteris
anything by my family members and friends!
Who is your favorite mystery author?
Leslie Charteris
Where do you want your career to go?
To the bank.
To what organizations related to your writing career do you belong?
Mystery Writers of America
Authors Guild
Who is your publisher? What’s your current book?
Kensington Publishing's PINNACLE TRUE CRIME imprint.
Most recent book: MOM SAID KILL
I'm working now on another true crime book, but it doesn't have a title.
Are you agented?
I was. I am looking now for new representation to handle both literary and film/tv
If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?
Replace disunity with unity.
Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
FINISH IT.
Tell us about your next or upcoming book or other project.
I am currently working with Dr. Ata Egrari on a little book about life, science and the future entitled How Big is the Moon? (and other questions)
Recently finished working with Thomas Hodgins on The World According to Fraser, a memoir about how he responded when his best friend was suddenly afflicted with schizophrenia. It is, I must admit, a delightful book filled with humor, insight, and valuable information for anyone with a friend or family member afflicted with any form of mental illness.
I am also in the middle of a project of high international sensitivity. It is an historical document, of sorts, which I am not at liberty to discuss, but something about which I am very proud, and will be of significant value to future generations in understanding one of the most volatile social upheavals in modern history.
On a more commercial front, I am at the half-way mark of a new true crime book. I have also been asked to consult on the new SAINT TV project. My knowledge and understanding of the character, while not at the level of Templar's creator, is firmly established. Hence, my suggestions are every bit as influential in the development of this project as were his in the development of previous projects.
Private Eye Fred Wolfson and I have some projects in the works -- one in France, and one in USA -- but nothing is real until the check clears the bank.
New Saint novels, and new Jeff Reynolds mysteries are on the back burner until my current true crime book is completed in August.
Thanks, Burl, I hope to see you in line at the bank.
When someone asks you what kind of book do you write? What’s your answer?
(The famous elevator speech)
True crime, mysteries, thrillers -- pop culture -- movie tie-ins, the stuff you see on your supermarket shelves.
Have I ever read anything you've written?
Yes, and you loved it.
When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
When I was in Junior High School, now termed Middle School, I wrote my first mystery. By the time I was 16, I “knew” that someday I would write about Maverick and The Saint. I was right.
Tell us a little bit about your family background.
I was born and raised in Walla Walla, the youngest of three kids. My sister, Jan Curran, is an author and retired journalist; all four of her kids are authors (Lee & Tod Goldberg; Linda Woods & Karen Dinino). My brother Stan is a retired attorney and Regent at the University of Washington. His daughter has a PR firm, and his son, a relentless entrepreneur, just invested his efforts in a forthcoming child with his lovely wife.
My mom was a former newspaper woman, and my father ran a scrap metal business. Both parents are gone now.
What is your educational background?
I graduated from Walla Walla High School, then attended the University of Washington.
Talk a bit about your present family situation.
Presently I am single, have two adult offspring―a daughter, Anea, who is a data rock star in Austin for AMD, and a son, Jordan, who works for Fred Meyer. Happily, my previous spouse, Britt Barer, and I get along fine.
What did you read as a child?
As a child? Dick, Jane, Spot...then Hardy Boys, followed by The Saint books by Leslie Charteris, and one of the great all time social satire books, Harry Vernon at Prep by Franc D. Smith. Naturally I read all the hot parts of whatever naughty books were in circulation at the time.
What surprised you most about the writing community once you became a part of it?
What pleasantly surprised me the most was the incredible kindness and generosity of other authors. I recall when my first book came out -- the one for which I received the Edgar -- I was seated at Left Coast Crime next to Larry Block. Well, he had a line of fans from here to Modesto; I sat there playing with my pen. Heck, even if they wanted my book, it was bargain priced at about $55.00. Not exactly a price point inducement for purchase. He was kind and supportive of my situation. I had fun with Larry in a literary way by inventing books by him that don't actually exist. These books are featured in my fiction book, HEADLOCK. For example, he is credited with having the first mass market paperback to extra money via title product placement: “The Burglar who had Butterfingers.”
A few years later we were featured together on the Smart Ass Authors panel at B-Con, and that was great fun. There are so many wonderful writers who have been good to me—from GM Ford and Tony Fennelly to Meg Chittenden and Sparkle Hayter and so many more!
What’s the hardest thing about being an author?
Making money.
Let’s talk about promotion and marketing.
Sure, let's talk about that! I have been called the King of BSP -- Blatant Self Promotion, often to the aggravation of other, more shy authors. When at conventions, I hawk my books with all the subtlety of a Vegematic salesman at the State Fair. I make Mr. Sham-Wow seem taciturn.
Do you blog? How frequently? Is your blog a group or single effort?
Yes, I have more blogs and sites than I keep track of. Primarily I use http://burlbarer.net and http://outlawcrime.net These automatically hype the new posts on Facebook.
How frequently do you organize or participate in book tours?
I have never organized a book tour. I can't even organize my desk. I will gladly tour. I'm easy. I'll go around the world on my first date. I have not done an extensive tour since 2000. I have been bouncing back and forth between Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin, Texas...but I don't know if that would qualify as touring.
What’s your daily routine when you aren’t touring?
I am on tour 24/7―I tour from here to the 7/11 and back. Then I tour on the bus to see friends. On Saturdays I take my tour to Outlawradio.tv to do TRUE CRIMES with co-host Don Woldman.
Basically, I sit in front of the computer and avoid writing. I send email, surf the net..and when all else fails, I write. Oh, I do take breaks to watch movies.
What kind of events or signings do you do?
I'll do any event, and I'll sign anything. Sometimes I sign Sidney Sheldon's books. Sid is too busy to do them all himself. I have done some signings with my nephews, Lee and Tod Goldberg, but it has been a while.
In a typical year, how many times did you appear for your book?
Well, if you count Metro Transit, several times a week. actually, I appear every week on the TRUE CRIMES radio show, and on Matt Alan's Outlaw Radio. I will also be on SNAPPED on the Oxygen Network in October for the Season Finale discussing my book, MOM SAID KILL. I will also be on Investigation Discovery's DEADLY WOMEN in December discussing the strange case of Rhonda Glover and Jimmy Joste, the subjects of my forthcoming book.
How many fan conferences such as Bouchercon will you typically attend in a year?
I used to attend Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime every year, as I had a new book to promote every year. There was a gap between BROKEN DOLL and MOM SAID KILL, and a financial gap as well, so I have not attended recently. I loved particpating in the Palm Springs event a year or so ago. I was scheduled for two panels in Las Vegas. The second day, the taxi driver got lost. I had him stop at a pay phone so I could call and get him directions, and he drove off and left me standing in a service station parking lot! I'm sure that cost me several reputation points. I reported him to the taxi company, and I think his career suffered more than mine.
Now, however, with BROKEN DOLL and MOM SAID KILL selling briskly, the radio show gaining popularity, my monthly presence on In Cold Blog, and another book coming out next year, I will be attending events again.
Any specific recommendations?
Courtesy is always in style.
Do you have a web site and/or other Internet places you routinely participate in, such as Good Books or Face Book or Twitter? List them.
MySpace
CrimeSpace
PolicePulse
and several other Ning social networks related to crime and crime blogging.
Do you like to travel?
I LOVE to travel!
What surprised you the most when you became a published author?
I was surprised that authors don't have groupies such as the ones who pursue rock stars and famous actors, or even disc jockeys. Never be an author to pick up chicks.
Do you think you’ll change direction or spread out a bit? Write a different kind of crime novel? If so, what kind.?
It has been my literary dream to do new things in different genres. I believe I accomplished that with THE SAINT: A Complete History, MAVERICK, MAN OVERBOARD, and HEADLOCK (crime fiction). The true crime books I do for Pinnacle are research intensive, follow a rigid template, and do not offer much opportunity for literary experimentation.
I hope to have some fun with new SAINT novels and short stories once there is a market for them. If the forthcoming SAINT TV show goes well, the market will be there. Also, I intend sequels to HEADLOCK, my Jeff Reynolds, PI mystery series.
Especially since 9/11, how do you respond to the accusation that you are trying to make money on a phenomenon in society we call murder? Or heinous crime?
I don't think 9/11 made much difference in the never ending accusation that true crime writers are bottom feeders. This is, of course, nonsense. True crime is a much maligned genre written by underpaid authors. Every true crime book is an emotionally and socially dangerous enterprise. The families of victims either love you or hate you, as do the families of the killers. I get hate mail from both, and sometimes the same person who sends me hate mail will, years later, send me a thank you letter and an apology.
I wrote a fiction story, GIVING SHELTER, written from the perspective of a psychopath. I am not a psychopath, honest. I am not a serial killer. But I have had people regard me as such because I write about serial killers. The map is not the territory. The actor is not the character. As an author, I want to create characters that resonate as real to the reader. Jack Olsen said I wrote so realistically that the characters leap off the page. That sounds rather scary, considering some of the characters' social habits.
If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
When I was a youngster there were people on TV who, it seemed to me, were famous for being famous. That sounded fantastic to me. I would like to earn a living by being famous simply for being famous.
What career would you least like to do, if writing was to become impossible?
Work in a fabric store or a crafts store. For some reason, I almost panic in those places. I have sold fine jewelry, however, and enjoyed it tremendously.
Have you ever collaborated on a novel? Would you consider it?
Yes, I collaborated on a novel (unpublished) with someone who wasn't a writer. I would love to collaborate with someone who is a writer. I did contribute to one of Lee Goldberg's pulp fiction novels that he wrote under an assumed name. I helped him with one of the sex scenes. He was, at that time, not as experienced with that topic as he has since, no doubt, become. When his Nana complained that the book was nothing but sex and violence, Lee wisely shifted the blame to my brother and me. My brother deflected criticism by insisting that he only helped Lee with the legal/courtroom scenes. When Mom called me, she asked How could you pervert your little nephew that way?
I told her Mom, I only helped him write one sex scene, honest!
She replied, It was the one with the ice-cream wasn't it? She was right. It was.
Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career.
Leslie Charteris, Jack Olsen, and Franc Smth.
Tell us one or two authors or books you absolutely universally recommend.
Last Man Standing by Jack Olsen. (Incredible!)
Saint's Getaway by Leslie Charteris
anything by my family members and friends!
Who is your favorite mystery author?
Leslie Charteris
Where do you want your career to go?
To the bank.
To what organizations related to your writing career do you belong?
Mystery Writers of America
Authors Guild
Who is your publisher? What’s your current book?
Kensington Publishing's PINNACLE TRUE CRIME imprint.
Most recent book: MOM SAID KILL
I'm working now on another true crime book, but it doesn't have a title.
Are you agented?
I was. I am looking now for new representation to handle both literary and film/tv
If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?
Replace disunity with unity.
Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
FINISH IT.
Tell us about your next or upcoming book or other project.
I am currently working with Dr. Ata Egrari on a little book about life, science and the future entitled How Big is the Moon? (and other questions)
Recently finished working with Thomas Hodgins on The World According to Fraser, a memoir about how he responded when his best friend was suddenly afflicted with schizophrenia. It is, I must admit, a delightful book filled with humor, insight, and valuable information for anyone with a friend or family member afflicted with any form of mental illness.
I am also in the middle of a project of high international sensitivity. It is an historical document, of sorts, which I am not at liberty to discuss, but something about which I am very proud, and will be of significant value to future generations in understanding one of the most volatile social upheavals in modern history.
On a more commercial front, I am at the half-way mark of a new true crime book. I have also been asked to consult on the new SAINT TV project. My knowledge and understanding of the character, while not at the level of Templar's creator, is firmly established. Hence, my suggestions are every bit as influential in the development of this project as were his in the development of previous projects.
Private Eye Fred Wolfson and I have some projects in the works -- one in France, and one in USA -- but nothing is real until the check clears the bank.
New Saint novels, and new Jeff Reynolds mysteries are on the back burner until my current true crime book is completed in August.
Thanks, Burl, I hope to see you in line at the bank.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Gordon Aalborg: author
Canadian author Gordon Aalborg agreed to sit down and answer a few questions about his past and present life as a romance and crime fiction writer.
When someone asks you what kind of book do you write? What’s your answer?
(The famous elevator speech)
Mysteries, romance ... whatever will pay the bills and/or satisfy my need to be a storyteller - which is an honorable profession, historically.
When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
When I finished my second mystery, DINING WITH DEVILS, and realised that despite how hard it was, I could actually *do* this.
Tell us a little bit about your family background.
Oldest of two children, born in Canada, went to Australia in the '70s, came back in 2000. Reading was always important in our house, and Xmas wasn't Xmas without book gifts!
What is your educational background?
Finished high school. Got into journalism at age 22, still there 40+ years later.
Talk a bit about your present family situation.
Married to fellow mystery (and romance) author Denise Dietz, whose influence doubtless had something to do with me switching from writing romance to writing mysteries. We actually did one book together, sort of. It ( FINDING BESS) came out as a sort of romantic suspense, complicated by the fact that we wrote it via email with me in Tasmania and her in Colorado. Good book, but she kept wanting to kill people off and I kept wanting to get them in the sack together. I won. Or she did - we ended up moving to Canada and getting married, partly as a result of that book. :-)
What did you read as a child?
Anything and everything. Mostly animal stories, westerns, sci-fi. I had to get a letter from my mother to get me into the *adult* section of the library at the age of 9, just so I could read Max Brand and Zane Grey ... among others. And you'd be surprised just how salacious some of those early westerns really were.
What’s your daily routine when you aren’t touring?
Get up, have coffee, brekkie, off to computer ... except when the garden or carving studio beckons and the weather's good. I do hate staring at a computer screen when a good day calls with an excuse to avoid the work.
How much touring do you do?
As little as possible. I am like old wine - I no longer travel well. Deni, by comparison, is a mystery conference fanatic and tries to attend all we can manage. Maybe just trying to buy a bit of breathing space from me? :-)
What surprised you most about the writing community once you became a part of it?
I once (being a hopeless romantic) actually believed there were people in the industry who genuinely *cared* about writing and books and *story* and stuff like that. There are - they're called writers. Everything else is run by bean-counters who read nothing that doesn't involve balance sheets and bottom lines. When I met my first romance editor, back in the '80s, I was gob-smacked to hear her casually refer to "the page 18 dinner." Now, of course, I have become grudgingly accepting of the concept that publishing is a business, like any other business, and profit is all that *really* matters - except to the writers, of course.
What’s the hardest thing about being an author?
Somebody once said it is a profession that only gets harder the better you become. I agree. And, coming out of the *write it today, read it tomorrow* culture of conventional journalism, I found it difficult (and still do) to maintain enthusiasm for a book that I've half-forgotten (having written a new one in the interim) by the time I actually see it in print.
Let’s talk about promotion and marketing.
Do you blog? How frequently? Is your blog a group or single effort?
I contribute to "Hey, there's a dead guy in the living room" www.heydeadguy.typepad.com
- Jeff Cohen's blog, but only infrequently. To be perfectly candid, I am still unsure if there is any real value in blogging and/or if it will even persist over time. Books (he said, hopefully) are forever.
How frequently do you organize or participate in book tours?
Never, if given the choice. Unless somebody else is paying, which seldom happens.
What kind of events or signings do you do?
The occasional library event (I am a huge fan of libraries!).
In a typical year, how many times did you appear for your book?
Not many. Preferably none. I'm lucky enough to have Deni to be publicity maven for the family, because I am hopeless at it.
How many fan conferences such as Bouchercon will you typically attend in a year?
None, with luck. I am not a conference person and I sleep with the only fan I think I have.
Any specific recommendations?
They are all good if you like that sort of thing. I would think about ThrillerFest if I had the time and energy.
Do you have a web site and/ or other Internet places you routinely participate in, such as Good Books or Face Book or Twitter?
Not really.
Do you like to travel?
Not anymore. Not afraid of flying or anything, but the nonsense of wasting hours and hours in airports being frisked and treated like a geriatric terrorist or public nuisance isn't worth the effort. To me. Also, no matter where I visit, after three days all I really want is to get home to *my own* comfort zone. Maybe I'm getting old?
What surprised you the most when you became a published author?
At the height of my romance writing career, when it was still the stated principle that no man could write romances (and I was living on a hobby farm in Tasmania with neighbors who were *real* farmers) and I had no available peers and not much moral support -- this is before the internet provided such wonderful, instant networking for authors -- I recall getting a pretty damned-fine-splendid check and wondering, "Is this all there is to this business?" Because I'm a *real* romantic ... to me the *story* is everything. And of course I was writing under a female pseudonym! So what I had was money without recognition, without prestige, without ... significance. I went to an RWA conference once and was warned by my editor: "Keep your head down and your mouth shut and remember you don't exist."
Do you think you’ll change direction or spread out a bit? Write a different kind of crime novel? If so, what kind.?
If I live long enough, I may yet write the Great Canadian Novel. Do not hold thy splendid breath.
Especially since 9/11, how do you respond to the accusation that you are trying to make money on a phenomenon in society we call murder? Or heinous crime?
Can you spell NONSENSE?
If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
Some other form of storytelling. It's about all I'm good at, except maybe editing.
What career would you least like to do, if writing was to become impossible?
Telemarketing. I would sell my body in the streets, first.
Have you ever collaborated on a novel? Would you consider it?
I think I answered this earlier.
Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career.
Too many to count. John D. MacDonald might have been the earlier, mystery-wise. Edgar Rice Burroughs had a world-class imagination but wasn't perhaps the greatest writer of his generation. Still ... imagination is the keystone.
Tell us one or two authors or books you absolutely universally recommend.
Carol O'Connell, Jeffrey Deaver, John Sandford, James Lee Burke.
Who is your favorite mystery author?
Any and all of the above. Deaver is the master when it comes to unexpected twists. He leads the reader into thinking X will happen or A is the bad guy, then seamlessly (and perfectly) does a u-turn to reveal that what's really happening is Y and B is the bad guy.
Where do you want your career to go?
Forward, upward, onward, somewhere.
To what organizations related to your writing career do you belong?
International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers of Canada,
Who is your publisher? What’s your current book?
Five Star, a division of Cengage Learning. "DINING WITH DEVILS - A Tasmanian Thriller."
Are you agented?
Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt, got no satisfaction, either. There are, of course, excellent agents, but without getting into stereotypes or anything I would mention words like parasite, tapeworm, fleas, lice, leeches, et al.
What’s your take on the rise of electronic publishing?
Damned good thing.
What’s your favorite word?
"Bugger-bugger," as used in Australia to mean, "Oh my goodness gracious Aunt Matilda."
What’s your least favorite word?
Not for your tender, virgin, shell-like ears. Today, actually, it is *Customs* - as in the governmental, bureaucratic insanity that insists on a pound of flesh just so I can actually *see* the author copies of my own book!
If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?
The insanity caused by organised religion, which is responsible for more misery and war in the name of peace than I find possible to imagine.
Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
No sense to this. Writers *will* be writers if they are fated to be, and usually don't listen to any opposition and/or common sense on the subject.
Tell us about your upcoming book or other project.
I am tip-toeing gently into a third Tassie thriller, but I've been away nearly ten years, now and it is ... difficult. Fortunately, the alternatives are mostly even more difficult. "Real" work? Telemarketing? Ugh! Better to write ... write anything, tell stories, even lie a bit if necessary. LOL
Mr. Aalborg’s novels, including “Cat Tracks,” “The Specialist” and “Dining with the Devil,” (coming soon) are available in various bookstores in Canada and the US.
When someone asks you what kind of book do you write? What’s your answer?
(The famous elevator speech)
Mysteries, romance ... whatever will pay the bills and/or satisfy my need to be a storyteller - which is an honorable profession, historically.
When did you know you were going to be a mystery writer?
When I finished my second mystery, DINING WITH DEVILS, and realised that despite how hard it was, I could actually *do* this.
Tell us a little bit about your family background.
Oldest of two children, born in Canada, went to Australia in the '70s, came back in 2000. Reading was always important in our house, and Xmas wasn't Xmas without book gifts!
What is your educational background?
Finished high school. Got into journalism at age 22, still there 40+ years later.
Talk a bit about your present family situation.
Married to fellow mystery (and romance) author Denise Dietz, whose influence doubtless had something to do with me switching from writing romance to writing mysteries. We actually did one book together, sort of. It ( FINDING BESS) came out as a sort of romantic suspense, complicated by the fact that we wrote it via email with me in Tasmania and her in Colorado. Good book, but she kept wanting to kill people off and I kept wanting to get them in the sack together. I won. Or she did - we ended up moving to Canada and getting married, partly as a result of that book. :-)
What did you read as a child?
Anything and everything. Mostly animal stories, westerns, sci-fi. I had to get a letter from my mother to get me into the *adult* section of the library at the age of 9, just so I could read Max Brand and Zane Grey ... among others. And you'd be surprised just how salacious some of those early westerns really were.
What’s your daily routine when you aren’t touring?
Get up, have coffee, brekkie, off to computer ... except when the garden or carving studio beckons and the weather's good. I do hate staring at a computer screen when a good day calls with an excuse to avoid the work.
How much touring do you do?
As little as possible. I am like old wine - I no longer travel well. Deni, by comparison, is a mystery conference fanatic and tries to attend all we can manage. Maybe just trying to buy a bit of breathing space from me? :-)
What surprised you most about the writing community once you became a part of it?
I once (being a hopeless romantic) actually believed there were people in the industry who genuinely *cared* about writing and books and *story* and stuff like that. There are - they're called writers. Everything else is run by bean-counters who read nothing that doesn't involve balance sheets and bottom lines. When I met my first romance editor, back in the '80s, I was gob-smacked to hear her casually refer to "the page 18 dinner." Now, of course, I have become grudgingly accepting of the concept that publishing is a business, like any other business, and profit is all that *really* matters - except to the writers, of course.
What’s the hardest thing about being an author?
Somebody once said it is a profession that only gets harder the better you become. I agree. And, coming out of the *write it today, read it tomorrow* culture of conventional journalism, I found it difficult (and still do) to maintain enthusiasm for a book that I've half-forgotten (having written a new one in the interim) by the time I actually see it in print.
Let’s talk about promotion and marketing.
Do you blog? How frequently? Is your blog a group or single effort?
I contribute to "Hey, there's a dead guy in the living room" www.heydeadguy.typepad.com
- Jeff Cohen's blog, but only infrequently. To be perfectly candid, I am still unsure if there is any real value in blogging and/or if it will even persist over time. Books (he said, hopefully) are forever.
How frequently do you organize or participate in book tours?
Never, if given the choice. Unless somebody else is paying, which seldom happens.
What kind of events or signings do you do?
The occasional library event (I am a huge fan of libraries!).
In a typical year, how many times did you appear for your book?
Not many. Preferably none. I'm lucky enough to have Deni to be publicity maven for the family, because I am hopeless at it.
How many fan conferences such as Bouchercon will you typically attend in a year?
None, with luck. I am not a conference person and I sleep with the only fan I think I have.
Any specific recommendations?
They are all good if you like that sort of thing. I would think about ThrillerFest if I had the time and energy.
Do you have a web site and/ or other Internet places you routinely participate in, such as Good Books or Face Book or Twitter?
Not really.
Do you like to travel?
Not anymore. Not afraid of flying or anything, but the nonsense of wasting hours and hours in airports being frisked and treated like a geriatric terrorist or public nuisance isn't worth the effort. To me. Also, no matter where I visit, after three days all I really want is to get home to *my own* comfort zone. Maybe I'm getting old?
What surprised you the most when you became a published author?
At the height of my romance writing career, when it was still the stated principle that no man could write romances (and I was living on a hobby farm in Tasmania with neighbors who were *real* farmers) and I had no available peers and not much moral support -- this is before the internet provided such wonderful, instant networking for authors -- I recall getting a pretty damned-fine-splendid check and wondering, "Is this all there is to this business?" Because I'm a *real* romantic ... to me the *story* is everything. And of course I was writing under a female pseudonym! So what I had was money without recognition, without prestige, without ... significance. I went to an RWA conference once and was warned by my editor: "Keep your head down and your mouth shut and remember you don't exist."
Do you think you’ll change direction or spread out a bit? Write a different kind of crime novel? If so, what kind.?
If I live long enough, I may yet write the Great Canadian Novel. Do not hold thy splendid breath.
Especially since 9/11, how do you respond to the accusation that you are trying to make money on a phenomenon in society we call murder? Or heinous crime?
Can you spell NONSENSE?
If you could be anything else in the world, have any other career, what would it be?
Some other form of storytelling. It's about all I'm good at, except maybe editing.
What career would you least like to do, if writing was to become impossible?
Telemarketing. I would sell my body in the streets, first.
Have you ever collaborated on a novel? Would you consider it?
I think I answered this earlier.
Who are the authors who you feel have had the most influence on your writing career.
Too many to count. John D. MacDonald might have been the earlier, mystery-wise. Edgar Rice Burroughs had a world-class imagination but wasn't perhaps the greatest writer of his generation. Still ... imagination is the keystone.
Tell us one or two authors or books you absolutely universally recommend.
Carol O'Connell, Jeffrey Deaver, John Sandford, James Lee Burke.
Who is your favorite mystery author?
Any and all of the above. Deaver is the master when it comes to unexpected twists. He leads the reader into thinking X will happen or A is the bad guy, then seamlessly (and perfectly) does a u-turn to reveal that what's really happening is Y and B is the bad guy.
Where do you want your career to go?
Forward, upward, onward, somewhere.
To what organizations related to your writing career do you belong?
International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers of Canada,
Who is your publisher? What’s your current book?
Five Star, a division of Cengage Learning. "DINING WITH DEVILS - A Tasmanian Thriller."
Are you agented?
Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt, got no satisfaction, either. There are, of course, excellent agents, but without getting into stereotypes or anything I would mention words like parasite, tapeworm, fleas, lice, leeches, et al.
What’s your take on the rise of electronic publishing?
Damned good thing.
What’s your favorite word?
"Bugger-bugger," as used in Australia to mean, "Oh my goodness gracious Aunt Matilda."
What’s your least favorite word?
Not for your tender, virgin, shell-like ears. Today, actually, it is *Customs* - as in the governmental, bureaucratic insanity that insists on a pound of flesh just so I can actually *see* the author copies of my own book!
If you could change one thing about the world what would that be?
The insanity caused by organised religion, which is responsible for more misery and war in the name of peace than I find possible to imagine.
Do you have any pithy (or other) words of advice for aspiring authors?
No sense to this. Writers *will* be writers if they are fated to be, and usually don't listen to any opposition and/or common sense on the subject.
Tell us about your upcoming book or other project.
I am tip-toeing gently into a third Tassie thriller, but I've been away nearly ten years, now and it is ... difficult. Fortunately, the alternatives are mostly even more difficult. "Real" work? Telemarketing? Ugh! Better to write ... write anything, tell stories, even lie a bit if necessary. LOL
Mr. Aalborg’s novels, including “Cat Tracks,” “The Specialist” and “Dining with the Devil,” (coming soon) are available in various bookstores in Canada and the US.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
INDEPENDENCE DAY & MORE
And what a great day it was. family and close friends joined us for a backyard picnic/barbecue (classic cliche, right?) on an absolutely perfect afternoon. After years of hard work, Jean's efforts have really paid off and her garden is spectacular. I'll try to get some pictures to prove the point a little later.
David Housewright, a fine writer of mystery fiction and a past Edgar winner will be the Crime Wave's guest next week on our television series and I'm really looking forward to that. July 24 at 6 pm our tv program goes area wide on Channel 6 here in the Twin Cities. Anybody with even basic cable can watch the show. We hope you do and tell us what you think.
I'm pleased to note that one of my favorite characters, heiress and sailing wizard, adventuress Mary Whitney will be back in a new adventure. It's called Devils Island and it will be published next year by Echelon Press.
BARBADOS HEAT,
by Don Bruns
Tock Tock, Tick tock. Like the sound of steel wheels over the gandy dancer’s rail joints, this novel rocks along. A Congressman is dead. He wanted to attack the Hip Hop and Rap music industry. He wanted to join his brother-in-law, the Reverend Joseph Evans in an attempt to rein in bad lyrics, violent lyrics, sexual lyrics. Now the congressman’s son, Nick, is charged with Congressman Shappley’s brutal murder. It’s said he’s in it up to his elbows along with Rap star, Chilli D, who may have been the triggerman. Chilli D’s producer, T-Beau wants to protect his investment so he calls on a music industry star, friend Mick Sever. Mick is already in Washington on the case.
Tick Tock. Time is running on and readers may have the feeling they’re on a fast train going downhill. The whistle screams and the scenery goes by in a blur, leaving out whole pieces. There are complications. Sever, whom we last saw in the author’s debut novel, Jamaica Blue, calls in his divorced wife, Ginny to do research. Tension. Sever once had a childhood friendship with the accused Nick, the Congressman’s son. More tension. There are other family presences, not just in D.C. Tick Tock. Sever’s off to Florida to talk to Nick’s sister, Amber, and then to Barbados, where old wounds still fester.
Page by page Barbados Heat gathers speed. Tock tock. And just when you think you’ve got the characters and their relationships sorted out, even with the missing bits of action, the train roars around a sharp curve and carries you off in a new direction. Author Bruns is evolving a fresh and breathless style of pell mell writing that may be a little short on detail but long on action and thrills. Tick Tock. When’s the next one due?
David Housewright, a fine writer of mystery fiction and a past Edgar winner will be the Crime Wave's guest next week on our television series and I'm really looking forward to that. July 24 at 6 pm our tv program goes area wide on Channel 6 here in the Twin Cities. Anybody with even basic cable can watch the show. We hope you do and tell us what you think.
I'm pleased to note that one of my favorite characters, heiress and sailing wizard, adventuress Mary Whitney will be back in a new adventure. It's called Devils Island and it will be published next year by Echelon Press.
BARBADOS HEAT,
by Don Bruns
Tock Tock, Tick tock. Like the sound of steel wheels over the gandy dancer’s rail joints, this novel rocks along. A Congressman is dead. He wanted to attack the Hip Hop and Rap music industry. He wanted to join his brother-in-law, the Reverend Joseph Evans in an attempt to rein in bad lyrics, violent lyrics, sexual lyrics. Now the congressman’s son, Nick, is charged with Congressman Shappley’s brutal murder. It’s said he’s in it up to his elbows along with Rap star, Chilli D, who may have been the triggerman. Chilli D’s producer, T-Beau wants to protect his investment so he calls on a music industry star, friend Mick Sever. Mick is already in Washington on the case.
Tick Tock. Time is running on and readers may have the feeling they’re on a fast train going downhill. The whistle screams and the scenery goes by in a blur, leaving out whole pieces. There are complications. Sever, whom we last saw in the author’s debut novel, Jamaica Blue, calls in his divorced wife, Ginny to do research. Tension. Sever once had a childhood friendship with the accused Nick, the Congressman’s son. More tension. There are other family presences, not just in D.C. Tick Tock. Sever’s off to Florida to talk to Nick’s sister, Amber, and then to Barbados, where old wounds still fester.
Page by page Barbados Heat gathers speed. Tock tock. And just when you think you’ve got the characters and their relationships sorted out, even with the missing bits of action, the train roars around a sharp curve and carries you off in a new direction. Author Bruns is evolving a fresh and breathless style of pell mell writing that may be a little short on detail but long on action and thrills. Tick Tock. When’s the next one due?
Saturday, June 21, 2008
THIS AND THAT
Classical music never fails to amaze me. Recently my wife and I attended a Minnesota Orchestra concert which featured percussionist Colin Currie. That's right, a percussionist, as in drums, gongs, and so on. The piece, by Jennifer Higdon, a young American composer, is called Percussion Concerto. It is dedicated to Currie. During the 24 minute piece the orchestra used crotales, Chinese suspended cymbal, a thin suspended cymbal, bass and snare drums, low bongo, guiro,marimba, rute, large tam-tam, temple blocks.
Currie, with his instrumdents arrayed across the front of the stage, used bongos, bowl, castanet, clave, cowbell, crotales, the Chinese suspended gong, brake drum and snares, Peking Opera gong, marimba, temple blocks, timbales, tom-toms, vibraphone and woodblocks.
Far out! It was an amazing piece. Take it in if it comes to your neck of the woods.
Harper Collins has apparently gone silent for the time on its venture into reshaping the business model of publishing. You remember--no big advances, shared royalties, greater emphasis on Internet sales, few automatic returns from bookstores. Good for H/C. Instead of publically documenting every step and possible misstep, get it started and then announce the gains.
The Minnesota Crime Wave has started a cable television program. With three hosts, Ellen Hart, Kent Krueger, and Carl Brookins, the half-hour programs feature lively discussion of all sorts of topics around publishing and mystery fiction. Each program also incudes a guest, often an author, but not always. Gary Schulze, co-owner of Once Upon A Crime independent mystery bookstore in Minneapolis, author/comedian Lorna Landvik, and National Book Award winner Pete Hautman, have appeared. The program is cablecast weekly to residents in ten northern suburbs of the Tin Cities and segments are available at the MCW website.
Krueger will have a new book, latest entry in his Cork O'Connor series, RED KNIFE, out later this year, and Brookins' second PI novel, THE CASE OF THE DECEIVING DON, is scheduled for release in August.
More, deponeth sayeth not
Currie, with his instrumdents arrayed across the front of the stage, used bongos, bowl, castanet, clave, cowbell, crotales, the Chinese suspended gong, brake drum and snares, Peking Opera gong, marimba, temple blocks, timbales, tom-toms, vibraphone and woodblocks.
Far out! It was an amazing piece. Take it in if it comes to your neck of the woods.
Harper Collins has apparently gone silent for the time on its venture into reshaping the business model of publishing. You remember--no big advances, shared royalties, greater emphasis on Internet sales, few automatic returns from bookstores. Good for H/C. Instead of publically documenting every step and possible misstep, get it started and then announce the gains.
The Minnesota Crime Wave has started a cable television program. With three hosts, Ellen Hart, Kent Krueger, and Carl Brookins, the half-hour programs feature lively discussion of all sorts of topics around publishing and mystery fiction. Each program also incudes a guest, often an author, but not always. Gary Schulze, co-owner of Once Upon A Crime independent mystery bookstore in Minneapolis, author/comedian Lorna Landvik, and National Book Award winner Pete Hautman, have appeared. The program is cablecast weekly to residents in ten northern suburbs of the Tin Cities and segments are available at the MCW website.
Krueger will have a new book, latest entry in his Cork O'Connor series, RED KNIFE, out later this year, and Brookins' second PI novel, THE CASE OF THE DECEIVING DON, is scheduled for release in August.
More, deponeth sayeth not
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thoughts whilst waiting for the dough to rise
Drove home from Mayhem via Des Moines. Lots of warnings and some bad weather around but avoided my 35 Route north. Des Moines is a livable city.
They are also fortunate to have a couple of good independent bookstores, along with the usual roster of mega chains. One where I stopped to chat with a few people and sign some stock is Beaverdale Books, on Beaver Street (naturally). Nice store, nice people good selection of crime fiction. Drop in if you are traveling through.
Mayhem in the Midlands: I haven't been to all of them, just most. This annual affair in Omaha, Nebraska is small, tightly and well organized, and takes place annually in a good hotel in a premier location. This year was smaller than previous, due I suppose, primarily to the escalating price of gas and the general malaise of the economy. Nevertheless, I reacquainted with old friends (not referring to age here) met some new and had numerous excellent conversations.
J.A. Konrath and I had an intense conversation over drinks in some bar, the other evening. Konrath
is intense, loud and sometime manic. He is also bright and insightful. Besides that he is a damn good writer. His Chicago-based police fiction is excellent.
Carol Bly who died recently a frank, straight-forward personality and top-notch writer of poetry and prose died a few months ago. She was a teacher, an ethicist who published widely read collections of essays and poetry over a long productive career. Now HolyCow Press has released her very first novel! It's entitled "Shelter Half," and although the reviewer for the local newspaper doesn't call it a mystery, it certainly has mysterious elements and can properly be see as crime fiction. I can't wait to read it.
There's the buzzer. Back to the bread dough.
They are also fortunate to have a couple of good independent bookstores, along with the usual roster of mega chains. One where I stopped to chat with a few people and sign some stock is Beaverdale Books, on Beaver Street (naturally). Nice store, nice people good selection of crime fiction. Drop in if you are traveling through.
Mayhem in the Midlands: I haven't been to all of them, just most. This annual affair in Omaha, Nebraska is small, tightly and well organized, and takes place annually in a good hotel in a premier location. This year was smaller than previous, due I suppose, primarily to the escalating price of gas and the general malaise of the economy. Nevertheless, I reacquainted with old friends (not referring to age here) met some new and had numerous excellent conversations.
J.A. Konrath and I had an intense conversation over drinks in some bar, the other evening. Konrath
is intense, loud and sometime manic. He is also bright and insightful. Besides that he is a damn good writer. His Chicago-based police fiction is excellent.
Carol Bly who died recently a frank, straight-forward personality and top-notch writer of poetry and prose died a few months ago. She was a teacher, an ethicist who published widely read collections of essays and poetry over a long productive career. Now HolyCow Press has released her very first novel! It's entitled "Shelter Half," and although the reviewer for the local newspaper doesn't call it a mystery, it certainly has mysterious elements and can properly be see as crime fiction. I can't wait to read it.
There's the buzzer. Back to the bread dough.
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