Blog Archives
The Beauty About Being A Wordsmith
Do Nothing follows a detective who has to investigate the murder of someone he knows and determine if they have a serial killer on their hands. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Law Abiding Citizen, Death Wish, and Judge Dredd.
Griffin Knight is a homicide detective in New York. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I could see the characters in my head. I chose not to include a backstory for Griffin Knight in this novella because it would slow down the thrilling aspect of my book. My aim was to have the book lover focus on following Griffin in this fast-paced adventure, and discover who the killer is before someone else gets murdered.
When you meet someone for the first time in real life, you do not find out about their past right away. It takes time getting to know that person, before they start to open up about their past. A lot of authors choose to include a backstory right away, but in my opinion it is unrealistic (unless they’re using flashbacks). One thing you will notice about my book, is how practical, and unique it is. The beauty about being a wordsmith is that I can include bits and pieces later on about Griffin’s past in future books. Ultimately, it leaves the reader thirsting for more, as Griffin himself is somewhat of a mystery.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Revenge, hatred, indignation, and courage.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The sequel to ‘Do Nothing‘ will be available soon. I am just waiting for the book cover to be completed before I publish it.
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When I woke up this morning, I hadn’t counted on this. I mean, sure, the life of a homicide detective will never be unicorns and rainbows, but any time where I’m called to a scene where the crime techs know the victim, it’s going to rank up there with some of the seriously bad days.
Someone in New York has a vendetta and they have all the hallmarks of a long silent serial killer.
But where does this serial killer cross over with our victims? How are they related? How many more names are on his list?
If I can’t cut through the questions this guy is throwing my way, it’s only going to be a matter of time before someone else ends up murdered.
If Trees Could Testify
If Trees Could Testify is an exciting crime novel about a cold case involving the murders of two well-off, elderly siblings. After police received a tip of dubious origins, a father and two sons are arrested for the murders. The story follows Alex Reynolds and his legal team in rural North Carolina and the surrounding areas as they try to untangle the details of the decades-old case. We meet quite a colorful cast of characters ranging from a biker with hooks for arms to an overeager, over-green public defender to an old Sheriff who may not have been all that he seemed.
The author, William D. Auman, just so happens to be the defense attorney who worked on the actual case on which If Trees Could Testify is based. The tale is laid out extremely well, giving the reader a period of discovery through flashbacks and pithy legal banter. The author also adds a nice bit of history for the locations, such as Madison County, Asheville, and the French Broad River, really bringing them to life.
The dialog is snappy but sometimes falls into the trap of having too much legal-ese. Auman blunts these moments with the author’s notes, which some may find helpful, but it breaks up the flow for me. The dialog seems a little too idealized at times, where the good guys are overly good, and the bad guys are really bad. Sometimes I felt like the author may be too close to the material. However, he is very passionate about the law and adequately defending people who are innocent until proven guilty.
If Trees Could Testify is an intriguing legal drama that offers readers suspense and some surprising moments. Actual crime readers will enjoy this thrilling novel as they follow along with Alex and his team to get to the bottom of this mysterious murder.
Pages: 286 | ASIN : B099KT1PBR
Amid The Worst Crimes In History
Baker Street Irregular follows an intelligence agent that in the course of an investigation, becomes a murder suspect, now, he has to clear his name and find the killer. What was your inspiration for the mystery that must be unraveled?
I have always loved a good mystery story. So I had the idea of taking the best elements of the classic noir detective and applying them to my main character in the historical setting of a spy novel. A good mystery, of course, also needs a crime. So, with a backdrop of war and in the bloody shadow of the Nazis, I set this novel’s stage to play out amid the worst crimes in history. I have spent my life intrigued by that dark period, and as a keen historian, I wanted to try to do at least some justice to the sacrifices service personnel and civilians made. The story is very much centred around the events and predicaments Bill, the main character, finds himself in, but the related real-life history is always present.
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the stories theme?
I seemed to spend more time with my head in reference books than I did writing! I did my best to get the details correct, as I feel it’s necessary when writing historical fiction. I’m sure some minor errors slipped through, and I consciously made some changes in the interests of narrative interest, but on the whole, I aimed for accuracy. My idea for the Berlin scenes was to make the city come alive, almost as a character in its own right, with all its post-war destruction and underlying political and social decay becoming almost palpable.
What was the hardest part about writing a mystery story; where you constantly have to give just enough to keep the mystery alive until the big reveal?
I struggled to see the complete picture in the early stages of writing. I don’t think planning and structure work well for my creative flow, and I preferred to start getting scenes written and see where the narrative took me next. Ending the chapters with a revelation that kept the story pushing forward to the next stage was an organic way of leading the reader onward, keeping them connected with the investigation Bill was undertaking. Other than the main protagonists, the other characters appeared and evolved naturally, as required by the developing story. I really did fly by the seat of my pants, going as far as drafting a few different endings on paper, involving different characters each time. I figured if even I didn’t know who the culprit was, the reader would struggle to guess too!
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have already started writing the next adventure for Bill. By the time I have finished with the final draft, and it has been edited and proofread, I anticipate it will be published sometime in the latter half of next year. It will once again involve political intrigue and will jump ahead to later in Bill’s career with British Intelligence. He will again find himself involved with difficult situations and characters inspired by history, and do his utmost to annoy his superiors and adversaries with his usual sardonic wit.
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Suddenly a fellow agent ends up dead, surrounded by incriminating evidence that all points to Bill. A previous mission undercover in occupied Paris in 1944 appears to be somehow linked. Under threat from all sides, including his own, if he can solve the case and wrap up the investigation, he might also clear his name. He can trust no one.
All he has are his wits, questionable smoking habit and his trusty commando fighting knife.
Things are about to get even bloodier, but in Berlin, they’ve seen it all before.
Or have they?
Baker Street Irregular is an investigative spy thriller for fans of both espionage stories and classic hardboiled detective noir.
Adult Themes: Due to the historical setting and genre, the story includes, but is not limited to, misogyny, racism, graphic violence and death, as well as briefly addressing issues such as sex, torture, suicide, rape and the Holocaust.
WHO WERE THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS?
One of many nicknames given to the World War Two British spy networks of the Special Operations Executive due to their unconventional tactics and location of the headquarters on Baker Street in Central London.
Greed Trickles Down
Azabu Getaway follows a detective in Japan who investigates a murder and kidnapping. This case takes the detective into a dark world of greed, and he must find the girls before more violence occurs. What was the inspiration for the mystery in your story?
I was reading all these articles about how wealthy businesses and individuals were moving their money overseas to avoid taxes, and it really irritated me. Most people stumble around, complain, and pay their taxes, but some feel the need to avoid paying any tax at all. They really got away with it, so it all seemed so simple and so unfair. I wanted to look at how that system affects ordinary people, and what it means. I don’t believe in any economic trickle-down theories, but I’m sure that greed trickles down. I also wanted to look at how non-Japanese live in Tokyo, and how they integrate into life or fail to. That’s a topic close to home for me. So, all of that mixed together into this mystery about marriage and crime.
With five books (so far) for Detective Hiroshi, he has faced a number of unique and creative adversaries. Where do you get your inspiration for the villains in your novels?
I’d like to say the inspiration is outside of me, but I think all of us have some degree of villainy lurking inside of us. One of the problems of the media is they don’t go into the motivations of criminals, so that’s why novels are so important, to give us a more rounded and complex view of why crime happens. I don’t think it’s about taking a crime and putting that into a character. It goes both ways. Usually, I start by wondering what kind of person would do these terrible things and then think about why. In that sense, Detective Hiroshi is not fighting crime but fighting individuals. The adversaries are very good at what they do, even though they do horrible things. So, I imagine how that kind of person would think or act, and then I ratchet it up a level or two.
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I often rewrite while I’m commuting. I try to find a not-too-scrunched space on the train or at least with enough room to move my right hand, which isn’t easy on Tokyo trains. And then I pull out a pen and work over a few printed pages. Fairly old school, but the paper printout seems to give space to the words and makes them special. Writing on the train helps me see the flow of words differently. I have to finish the chapter before the last stop. When I get home, or to my office, I type the changes in and print them out for the next commute. It seems to help me focus.
Will you be continuing the Detective Hiroshi series, or do you have any new series planned?
I have several more in the series outlined, so I’ll finish those. There is a new detective, Ishii, and Hiroshi will have some changes in his home life. I do have another new series planned, one written in the first person, and also set in Tokyo, but it’s still in the planning stages. I’ll probably work on two historical standalone mysteries I’ve been researching before I start that new series, though. I’ll squeeze in another collection of non-fiction essays about Tokyo life, too. Lots more to write!
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After the murder of a high-flying executive in one of Tokyo’s wealth management firms, Detective Hiroshi finds himself investigating the financial schemes that secure the money of Tokyo’s elite investors. His forensic accounting gets sidetracked, though, by a second murder and the abduction of two girls from the home of a hotshot wealth manager.
The abducted girls are the daughters of an international couple who seemed to have it all—a large apartment in the high-end Azabu district, top schools for the children, and a life of happy affluence. Their life falls apart and they are swept up in threats and pursuits for reasons they cannot fathom.
Tracking the money and tracking the two daughters leads Hiroshi into Tokyo’s murky financial past and outside Japan’s borders as he discovers how overseas investments and tax shelters are really managed.
Hiroshi works with Sakaguchi and Takamatsu and others on the homicide team, including an assertive new detective, as they confront greed and violence in one of the wealthiest cities in the world.
Azabu Getaway is the fifth novel in the award-winning Detective Hiroshi series.
“A series that’s only getting better.” Kirkus Reviews
“If there’s a better crime series set in Japan, I’ve not yet read it.” Crime Thriller Hound.
“Hiroshi is one of the most distinctive and intrepid detectives in contemporary crime fiction.” Best Thrillers.
“Fans of quality police procedurals will welcome more of Hiroshi.” Publishers Weekly
What Makes a Hero
Hero Haters follows a man who has his dream job recognizing civilian heroes until he becomes the suspect in their disappearances. He must now risk himself to solve the mystery of what is happening. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I’m intrigued by what makes a hero. There are soldiers and first responders, of course, but I mean everyday heroes. Someone who, without a second thought, risks their lives to rescue a stranger. There are a surprising number of such people, folks who didn’t know how they would respond in such energies until they come upon a fire, a robbery, a drowning. They act putting their lives at risk, the very definition of selfless courage. But for the purposes of my novel, I asked: What if not everyone loves a hero? Worse, what if they hate heroes?
Jake battles his past demons in this novel and has to face his fears to save those he admires, creating dramatic internal conflict. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
By most definitions, Jake would have the right to define himself as a hero, having rescued a boy from a housefire, badly burning his hands. But he’s haunted by the boy’s mother who he failed to save. Still the idea of courage intrigues him when he’s recruited to be an investigator for the prestigious Sedgewick Sacrifice Medallion. Quite simply, he’d rather find heroes, than be one, until circumstances force him to act.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Love, courage selflessness. And this unanswerable question. Everyone is a hero in their imagination, but how would I react in the moment?
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Give me a break! I’ve just got Hero Haters out the door. Actually, I’m several chapters into my next Jake Ockham/Erik Demidov adventure. I prefer not to talk about a work in progress during this delicate embryonic stage. I haven’t even shared the idea with my wife, and she’s always my first reader. So, I offer my most Canadian of responses: sorry.
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Hidden Secrets and Spiritual Beliefs
When Secrets Come to Light follows a retired NYC detective as he renews friendships with old teammates and secrets from their past start to surface along with murder. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
It is strange how I was inspired to write this story. Covid-19 was a difficult time for me. A number of close friends died of the virus, and I didn’t have the desire to write. The idea for the book actually started after I read a cartoon in our local newspaper about the death of Wild Bill Hickock who was shot in the back of his head while playing poker. I recalled the card games we used to play as teenagers. Then, I remembered the beginning of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness where a group of men from various backgrounds are waiting on a boat for the tide to change, and Marlow tells the story of Kurtz. So, I decided to put a lawyer, a salesman. a bank president, an astrophysicist, a garage mechanic and a retired detective together and let the story develop. All the men shared a childhood together, but each had gone his own way in life. Each faced his own problems and dealt with them in their own way. The detective and the garage mechanic had been best friends as teenagers. I wanted to create tension among the men, and hidden secrets and spiritual beliefs gave me that opportunity.
Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing or did the characters personalities grow organically as you were writing?
I wanted to explore friendships, different beliefs, age, loss, and their effect on people.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
When Secrets Come to Light was the first book I have written from the first-person point of view. I am playing with the idea of continuing with first-person narrative in my next book which is gradually beginning to come together. Hopefully, it will be available by next spring. Tentatively, it will be about the retired detective trying to help his paperboy come to grips with the death of his brother. One of the themes will be that no good deal goes unpunished.
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Meeting the five remaining players of his eighth-grade basketball team (a prominent banker, a well-known lawyer, a pharmaceutical salesman, an astrophysicist, and a black garage mechanic) at the wake of another friend, Cavanaugh finds himself drawn into controversy and uncertainty, defending one of his former best friends who claims to have had spiritual visions that seem to give him the ability to know secrets and to heal. As the men rotate monthly card games, and the story moves through the boroughs of New York City, animosity builds, careers are threatened, and warnings expressed until the garage mechanic is brutally beaten and then killed. Cavanaugh fights his own demons and sets out to find the killer of his childhood friend.
Azabu Getaway
Ripped away from the typical cases he could solve from the safety of his computers, Detective Hiroshi Shimizu is forced into a case with layers of secrets and dark histories. Along with fellow detectives Takamatsu and Ishii, they hurry to track down Patrick Walsh, who broke into his soon-to-be ex-wife’s home and whisked away their two daughters. But the plot thickens when Joseph Leung, CEO of the Nine Dragons, is found murdered in his office. Our brave group of detectives must solve the mystery of his murder and the abduction and how they are connected. But can they solve this complicated mystery before it’s too late?
Azabu Getaway by Michael Pronko is a murder mystery that takes place from different perspectives of the characters. We mainly follow Hiroshi Shimizu and Patrick Walsh and their different journeys in this captivating plot. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters, Detective Hiroshi is an enjoyable reluctant hero, and Patrick is a caring father you can’t help rooting for. However, it is worth noting that the other detectives, Takamatsu and Ishii, won my heart completely. Takamatsu is a character I grew fond of because of his laid-back, sometimes snarky attitude and humor, which complemented rookie Detective Ishii’s easy-going attitude, and her tenacity and intelligence. Truly, all the characters were interesting and played a role in this adrenaline-inducing story.
This was an incredible story that kept me interested in every new development. The only critique I would give is that the ending seemed rushed, but that would be the only thing I would fix. Everything else was great, with excellent grammar, world-building, and intriguing characters you grow fond of. I think it’s a great story if you’re seeking a murder mystery to keep you interested.
Azabu Getaway (Detective Hiroshi Series Book 5) is a fast-paced, thrilling crime novel that gives readers an excellent mystery to follow and memorable characters they will want to get to know more about. Readers will enjoy the adventure they are taken on in Japan as the hunt for a killer takes the detective team into a world of wealth, greed, and violence.
Pages: 324 | ASIN : B0B4FMYGC4
From The Horror Films
Birdwatcher follows a family that is searching for answers when they’re daughter is murdered, but find that death is only half of the story. What were some sources that informed this novels development?
Rest assured this novel wasn’t inspired from an actual murder in the Poconos of Pennsylvania, or anywhere else, for that matter. Rather, inspiration for the entire story came from other sources, such as my own imagination. And maybe I shouldn’t be admitting this, but some of it was drawn from the horror films I grew up watching from my era, or those slasher films that my parents had watched in their youth. (Bonus points if you can guess which films)
I enjoyed the mystery at the heart of this story. Did you plan the mystery before writing or did it develop organically while writing?
The mystery, plot points and connections between setting and characters, I would say were both planned and unplanned, so much so that a significant portion of the Birdwatcher story evolved organically through the course of writing the novel.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
In Chapter 45 of Birdwatcher, Millie Dozier, the cabin cleaning lady, encounters the ghost of Abigail Wincoff. Writing Millie’s reactions to the supernatural was fun for me and meant to provide comic relief to this otherwise dark story.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
While I’m planning to write a sequel to Birdwatcher to come out in June 2024, the novel I’m currently working on, Cowgirls & Indians, is utterly different. This historical fiction novel centered on a Cherokee woman named Sequoia is set to release in May 2023 and will have a touch of spaghetti western humor. Additionally, this literary work may be by far the most challenging for me.
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