COMING SOON: The Shamus Sampler

COMING SOON

An anthology full of exciting PI fiction written by popular names like Reed Farrel Coleman, Bill Crider, James Winter, Fred Zackel, J.L. Abramo, Keith Dixon and some newer names like Kit Rohrbacher, Peter DiChellis and others.
Of course there's a Noah Milano story in there as well.
It is edited by me and formatted by the talented Sean Dexter, who has a cool story in the anthology as well.
The Shamus Sampler will be available next week and will only cost you 99 cents.

The Next Big Thing

A cool thing is happening around blogging crime writers, called The Next Big Thing. Each author tags five other authors to answer ten questions. Talented Hardboiled Collective member Bill Crider tagged me. So here are the questions and answers...

1. What is the working title of your next book?
My next book is called GUILT but might end up being called GUILTY because Jonathan Kellerman has a new novel coming out with the same name.
Im also working on a Mike Dalmas collection and some other stuff that's too early to talk about.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
All my Milano stories are about redemption and guilt in some way. I wanted to explore those feelings deeper and so I came up with a plot in which Noah tries to make amends for his deeds more directly than usual.

3. What genre does your book fall under?
It's a crime novella, specifically a hardboiled detective one.

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Dane Cook would do a great job. He has the charm and attitude to pull it off.
When I first created Noah I envisioned him as Vince Young but I'm not sure he looks tough enough.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Security specialist and ex-mob fixer Noah Milano tries to save the stepfather of a young girl whose biological father he killed from death row.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It will be self-published and available for Kinlde via Amazon.com.

7. How long did it take you to write a first draft of the manuscript?
I'm still busy with it, but think it will take two months to finish. My last one, Scoundrel took me four months.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Any book by Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais and early Dennis Lehane fit the mark.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Take a look at question 2. As always I've also been inspired by the great PI-writers that came before me.

10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
Readers might enjoy the fact this one will be longer than the last few Milano stories. Also, we finally meet Noah's dad.
For people who haven't read about Noah Milano yet they will enjoy the fancy martial arts moves, the fast-moving plot and the fact Noah's just one of the coolest investigators around.

In one week these great people will blogging in this project as well, I tagged them...

James Winter
Les Roberts
Dana King
Charles Colyott
Keith Dixon

Hardboiled Collective: Truman Smith series by Bill Crider

Hardboiled Collective member Bill Crider has published his Truman Smith series in ebook-form.

Dead on the Island: Private-eye Truman Smith returns to his hometown of Galveston, Texas, to investigate the disappearance of his sister. He runs into people from his past, finds a cat, and gets into a lot of trouble. Publishers Weekly says that Smith is "another well-drawn protagonist, this time a moody, introspective PI in the finest tradition, who works in a seamy city smoldering with old and dangerous secrets. "

Gator Kill: Who'd investigate the killing of an alligator? Private-eye Truman Smith would. Publisher's weekly says: "Soon the brooding gumshoe is stumbling over the bodies of dead humans, is shot at and run down by a souped-up four-by-four as he's embroiled in a plot complete with crooked police, a possible land-grabbing scheme and bad guys who, but for their lack of redeeming good nature, could be Damon Runyon inventions."

When Old Men Die: Does anybody care when old men die? Private-eye Truman Smith does, and he's going to find out who's responsible, even if it kills him.

Since they're by a member of my handpicked Collective they all come highly recommended!

Mississippi Vivian (Ted Stephens) by Bill Crider & Clyde Wilson

Situating this novel in the seventies makes sure it's not possible for the PI-character to get out a cellphone and call for help. It also makes sure there's less forensics and computers to help him out. The result: a classic PI novel where the hero rides into town to set things right and leaves after having done his work.
Ted Stephens investigates an insurance scam in a small town. After a slower start, detailing his investigation people are out to either kill him or kick his butt. This is where things start to heat up and the reading becomes more interesting.
Ted is a nice character. He loves his wife and is totally faithful to her. He has a good sense of humour but knows it's not always appreciated. The story is easy to follow, the page count is low, making it an enjoyable and quick read.
The fact a real life PI (Clyde Wilson) was involved in writing the book gives it a nice authentic feel, especially at the start of the book.

Q & A with Bill Crider

With a new book, Mississippi Vivian coming out this seemed like a perfect time to talk to Bill Crider, author of the Dan Rhodes series, Ted Stephens series and Truman Smith books.
Q: What makes Ted Stephens different from other (unofficial) PIs?
A: Ted's a former cop, but he's an official p.i. Unlike many of them, he's not working for an individual in MISSISSIPPI VIVIAN but for a big insurance company. He's sent from Texas to Mississippi to check out what the company believes is a scam, and he winds up involved in a murder case.

Q: How did you come up with the character?
A: The character was my co-writer's invention. Clyde Wilson was for many years the most colorful and best-known p.i. in Texas. He worked many big cases, and when Ivana Trump needed someone to help with her divorce from Donald Trump, Clyde went to New York to do the job. He told me that Ted Stephens was a composite of himself and an ex-cop that he knew and that the cases Ted worked on were based on actual cases.

Q: What's next for you and Ted Stephens?
A: Clyde died just days after we got the acceptance for MISSISSIPPI VIVIAN. Because he did the outlines for the books and because Ted was his character, there most likely won't be any more books in the series.

Q: Any chance that other characters you've written about will return soon?
A: I wish I could answer that with a "yes," but it's not likely. Truman Smith, another p.i., was one of my favorite characters, and I enjoyed writing about him. But the sales didn't justify the continuance of the series. I must have been Truman's only fan.

Q: What's your idea about the psychotic sidekick in PI novels like Hawk and Mouse?
A: I've been thinking about those sidekicks lately. Dave Robicheaux isn't a p.i., but his buddy Clete Purcell is one of the most psychotic sidekicks around. The other day I thought about the flak Mickey Spillane got because of Mike Hammer's vigilante justice and the violence in those books. But Clete Purcell is as much a vigilante as Hammer ever was, and he's about twice as violent. I wonder if any of James Lee Burke's readers have ever disdained Spillane. I suppose not. If they're fans of Clete (or of any of the other psychotic sidekicks, for that matter), they should love Hammer.
In my own books, I once had Truman Smith wish he had a psychotic sidekick to handle some of the tough jobs.

Q: In the last century we've seen new waves of PI writers, first influenced by Hammett, then Chandler, Macdonald, Parker, later Lehane. Who do you think will influence the coming generation and in what way?A: Good question, but I don't have a good answer because I don't read as widely as I once did. Ken Bruen, for sure. Michael Koryta, maybe. Don Winslow, I hope.

Q: Gerry Boyle came up with the following question: Why write these books? Why not write "literary novels" or poetry or travelogues or memoirs? What is it that draws you to this genre?
A: I've written in a number of different genres, but p.i. had a great appeal to me when I started reading crime fiction long ago. They still do. I think they give writers a chance to write with an appealing voice and to comment on the world around them in a way that a lot of other kinds of books do not. And they're a heck of a lot of fun to write.

Q: What question should we ask every PI writer we interview and what is your answer?
A: The question: Hammett or Chandler? My answer? That would depend on the day of the week. Today it's Chandler, but on quite a few days it would be Hammett. I'm just glad we don't have to choose.