Fan Of Genre Since 1975

I was five years old in March of '75. Yes, I've been a fan since then, only I didn't come to that conclusion until recently. I'd always thought '77 was the year I became I fan. Do I need to spell out what franchise debuted in 1977? Didn't think so.

What made me think of writing this was an author interview I participated in over on the mylifemybooksmyescape blog. I brought up Kolchak: The Night Stalker as one of the influences for the novel Iron Angels, which I co-wrote with the wonderful Eric Flint.

The more obvious influence was The X-Files, but to anyone who reads Iron Angels that should be somewhat obvious. Kolchak, for the uninitiated, stars Darren McGavin (you know, the dad from A Christmas Story) as a reporter who finds himself embroiled in the fantastic and unbelievable. The show only aired for one season (there were also two TV movies that aired earlier that were highly rated) but this show was cited as an inspiration for The X-Files. I remember my great-grandmother babysitting me watching Kolchak while sipping a Pabst Blue Ribbon. The show scared me to death (there are plenty of horror elements), but it stuck with me.

Two more shows I remember from my childhood are Quincy and Columbo. Both of those are genre, too--you didn't think I only meant science fiction/fantasy/horror, did you?

The shows all have something in common, solving a mystery. Investigating. It doesn't matter if it's fantastic or based more on what we believe is reality, what obviously stuck with me was the mystery.

Let's take it even further! Another show I adored as a child was Scooby Doo. More mystery! More monsters! More investigation! Scooby Doo was my absolute favorite cartoon back then, and I still enjoy it--which is why I bought the full DVD collection housed in The Mystery Machine! And now I'm reading Meddling Kids, by Edgar Cantero.

What brought Scooby Doo back around to me was when I came across the most awesome cosplay at Dragon Con (annual multi-media convention held in Atlanta with around 80,000 attendees!). Not only did they have the Scooby Doo gang there, but the monsters was almost every episode! It was like I was in the cartoon!

When I got a little older, I used to watch all the classic mystery films and suspense films such as those from Hitchcock, which also influenced me and my choice of career. These are all genre, and I love to watch and read across the different genres.

Now that I'm looking back at my formative years, prodded by these recent rediscoveries I mentioned above, I think it's safe to say that genre, and in particular anything that involved mysteries and investigation led me to my career in law enforcement.

I could go on and on about television and film that influenced me, but for now, this is a good start! Thank you Granny for introducing me to genre (and horrible beer).

Publishers Weekly Top 10 SF, Fantasy & Horror for Fall of 2017

Iron Angels, the urban fantasy/police procedural I wrote with Eric Flint has been chosen by Publishers Weekly as one of its top 10 picks for fall 2017 in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror category! Iron Angels will be released as a hardcover on 9/5/2017 from Baen Books.

Here is a link to the web-based article:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/74069-fall-2017-announcements-sf-fantasy-horror.html

In the digital and print editions of Publishers Weekly they printed a little more information, and my wonderful publisher, Baen, also ran a full page color ad for its fall releases!

Its available for pre-order now at all the usual spots, to include: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powells, as well as Tattered Cover (since I live in Colorado!).  In addition, there is an eARC available on Baen's website: http://www.baen.com/iron-angels-earc.html. An eARC is an advanced reading copy of the novel, which Baen offers, warts and all, to the public to purchase if they want to get their hands on a book right away!

Iron Angels: A bizarre kidnapping case leads FBI Special Agent Jasper Wilde into the mysterious world of a strange religious cult and even stranger criminals.

Lone Wolves & Loose Cannons

I attended Bouchercon, the world mystery convention, earlier in October. This year it was held in Raleigh, NC, a city I'd never visited before.  A friend of mine, and a very generous one at that, Mark Van Name (be sure to check out his Jon & Lobo series, published by Baen Books), allowed me to stay at his home while I was in town.

The trip to North Carolina was really two trips in one: the convention/writing and friends/food/entertainment.

Bouchercon:  This was my first time attending Bouchercon, and I have to say, I really enjoyed myself. I met so many wonderful writers and fans of crime fiction. I was on an early morning panel (8:30am), but unlike other conventions I've attended, people were up and about and filled the room!  The panel was Lone Wolves & Loose Cannons in Crime Fiction. The other panelists were gracious and friendly and well-read.

While my name tag is blocked, at least my fellow panelists name tags can be seen: Bruce deSilva, Andrew Grant, Mick Herron, and Ben McPherson.

An aspect of Bouchercon that I think other conventions might try is the schedule and signing after each panel. My panel was at 8:30am and ran until around 9:20am. Just outside the room there was a table setup for the authors on the panel to sign books and chat with fans until the next panel began (which wasn't until 10:00am). This was a lot of fun. I signed a copy of an anthology I have a story in, an iPad cover, and a bunch of Bouchercon programs which had my photo and bio inside.  I enjoyed chatting with people after the panel, and even though we were signing and chatting, we had plenty of time to make it to the next panel at 10:00am.

There was a great bar at one of the convention hotels (which were next door to each other and easily accessible) and I spent a fair amount of time there (and even chatted and had a few beers with Tim Akers (a great guy and wonderful fantasy writer, and oh yes, pre-order his book that is coming out in January 2016 -- The Pagan Night) who was attending with his father who writes mysteries). The attendees were friendly, and more than one author and agent strolled up, introduced themselves, and joined us for drinks.

I'm looking forward to attending future Bourchercons, since this one was run so well and everyone I met was friendly.

Friends & Food

I already mentioned Tim Akers, but another friend, Mark Van Name graciously put me up at his house. I got to meet his family and circle of friends, and went out to a few nice dinners and a couple of great lunches.

If you're ever in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, I highly recommend the following restaurants:

[one] -- this restaurant was amazing. The executive chefs have worked in some of the best restaurants in the world--The French Laundry and Alinea to name just two. The tasting menu (which they created just for our group on short notice) was delicious and varied. The presentation was creative and the choreography of the wait staff delighted. If you go to just one restaurant in that area, make it [one].

Panciutto -- this restaurant featured locally harvested food and generous portions. The restaurant itself had a rustic vibe, which suited the menu. The crafted cocktails and food I ordered were delicious. The food, combined with the atmosphere, and the company (about 8 of us) made the evening a delight.

lucettegrace -- this was a wonderful surprise, and so close to the convention in Raleigh.  The lunch items were simple, but so delicious (try the Traditional French Ham Sandwich--a house made baguette, soft butter, naturally cured ham, and Parrano Cheese), and we ordered a bunch of pastries (all rich and delicious) and later, we shared a selection of macarons. If I had closed my eyes, I would have sworn I was in Paris, relaxing at a left bank patisserie.

One more thing...

Two weeks after I returned to Colorado I was browsing the mystery section of a bookstore and was approached by an older gentleman, who asked, "this may be a stupid question, but, are you the law enforcement guy who writes mysteries."  I had no idea how this man knew me or recognized me, and I must have had a puzzled look on my face, so he added, "I recognized you by the hat and the way you wear the hat, tilted like you're wearing it now."  He then told me he had attended the Lone Wolves panel at Bouchercon and had enjoyed the panel.  Looks as if I'm doomed to wearing hats and attiring myself a certain way. Oh, darn.

Murder Under The Oaks - Bouchercon 2015

I'll be leaving for Raleigh, North Carolina around midnight tonight to attend Bouchercon 2015, the world mystery convention. Even though this is my first Bouchercon, the organizers were kind enough to invite me to participate in the program!

I'll be a panelist on Lone Wolves & Loose Cannons in Thrillers with some wonderful writers. My fellow panelists will be: Andrew Grant, Ben McPherson, Bruce DeSilva, and Mick Herron.  It's an early panel--8:30am on October 9th.

I'm looking forward to Bouchercon for many reasons (like being able to hang out with friends such as Mark Van Name), but given my law enforcement background and some of the straight-up crime fiction I've been writing lately, I'm excited to attend a mystery con.

Fantastic Detectives: A Fiction River Anthology

I have a short story appearing in the September edition of the Fiction River anthology series--which is available now.  This edition's theme is Fantastic Detectives, edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. My story, Trouble Aboard The Flying Scotsman,  is an origin story for two of the characters in a novel I'm wrapping up.

I'm honored to be sharing the table of contents with so many wonderful writers (to include Kevin J. Anderson and Dean Wesley Smith). Of course, I've read and enjoyed the entire anthology, but one of my favorite stories is Case Cracked by Joe Cron, which is absolutely hilarious and has many laugh-out-loud moments. The stories in the anthology range from the whimsical and comedic to hardboiled and noir, but all have a fantastical element.

The anthology series (now in its second year) is available in trade paper as well as e-book. There is a subscription drive taking place on Kickstarter that offers some nifty rewards, but ends October 2nd 2014.

If you're interested, please check out the website for Fiction River, here.

A couple of sites have already reviewed Fantastic Detectives:

"Fiction River: Fantastic Detectives is a great choice for anyone who loves it when genres are swirled together. It's nominally more heavily influenced by mystery conventions and tropes, but the science fiction and fantasy elements in it are almost as strong." --Long and Short Reviews

And Keith West of Amazing Stories wrote: “Fiction River: Fantastic Detectives is a great read if you like to blend mystery with your fantasy. Check it out.”