Lethal Fetish is now available (via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Pen-L) .  And real controversy may be hot on fiction’s heels!  The day after the book was released, my publisher asked whether it should be tagged as “containing adult content” (to warn/disco...

Last semester I taught an undergraduate course on crime noir, including films, radio programs, readings, and (of course) writing. 

Upon reflection, I think there were five things that the students realized—“lessons” about this genre and perhaps even life—along with wha...

          In my mystery writing, I hope for three things.  First, I want to draw the reader into a good story through a plot that builds organically and dialogue as real as an overhead conversation.  Next, I aspire to cr...

Maybe Kenny Rogers isn’t the best source for deep questions about life, but listen to “The Gambler” and ponder this central challenge: “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.” 

What makes for a good quit?  Some people abandon tough situations too soon—...

          Back in the 1960s, my family watched Art Linkletter’s television show, which included a segment in which he asked children questions or vice-versa.  This format gave rise to a series of books titled, “Kids Say the Darnedest Things.”  The notion was that the s...

          In Poisoned Justice, I used a murder mystery to walk the line between vengeance and justice—a most difficult philosophical problem.  One can read the book without worrying too much about w...

One of the challenges of being a writer is having too many interesting projects and not enough time.  This is hardly the grounds for pity.  Nobody feels sorry for the kid in a candy shop with a five dollar bill.  And while I have a non-fiction project in the works (Beh...