Stuart MacBride Interview

THE BLOODY SCOTS: PART 3

Suspect: Stuart MacBride
Known Aliases: Bearded Wonderboy, Stuart MacBeard, Crime Write-ist
Occupation: Write-ist, General Naughtiness
Last Known Location: Aberdeen, Scotland

Listen in as Stuart talks about his Logan McRae books, his new novella Sawbones, and his latest idea for Skeleton Bob. He also spills about what two writerly folk he'd pay to see thumb wrestle and, and answers the essential sporran question - furry, or smooth?

*Warning, those seeking an in-depth exploration of the finer points of Stuart's work will likely be appalled by the pervasive naughtiness and lack of seriousity in this interview. If the terms 'cock weasel' and 'nipples' offend you...well, you have been warned & should act accordingly.

To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Up Next: The Saturday Boy, Mr. Ray Banks.

Donna Moore Interview

THE BLOODY SCOTS, PART 2

Suspect: Donna Moore
Known Aliases: Kafka, Queen of Shoes!
Occupation: Writer, Reader, Some Scary Day Job Involving Financial Stuff
Last Known Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Join us this week as Donna talks about her Lefty Award winning P.I. spoof, Go to Helena Handbasket, her love of reading, and her Alaskan school adventures. She also reveals the real purpose of Scotland's super sweet soda (Irn Bru), her thoughts on the Loch Ness Monster, and why Johnny Depp could play all the male characters in the movie version of Go to Helena Handbasket.



To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Up next: Scottish write-ist and Bearded Wonderboy, Stuart MacBride.

Russel D. McLean Interview

THE BLOODY SCOTS: PART ONE

Suspect: Russel D. McLean
Known Aliases: Badgerboy, Russ-poo, Crimey Crimerson
Occupation(s): Writer, bookseller, reviewer, columnist
Last Known Location: Dundee, Scotland

Listen in as Russel spills about Crime Scene Scotland (the original and Crime Scene Scotland Review), his love of hand-selling books and his upcoming debut novel, THE GOOD SON (coming this Fall from Five Leaves). He also gives practical sporran advice for the novice kilt-wearer, shares the best book-as-weapon story I've ever heard, and explores the perils of gastronomical upset at a mystery convention.




To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Up Next: Scottish author and avid reader, Donna Moore.

Steven Torres Interview

Suspect:Steven Torres
Occupation: Writer, English professor
Known Aliases: None
Last Known Location: Ellington, CT

Listen in as Steven talks about his Precinct Puerto Rico series (see, Steven...I got it right!) and his latest effort, The Concrete Maze. He shares some personal experiences that inform his writing, discusses why war is a recurring theme in his work and gives a very practical reason for wanting to spend a day with Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade.




To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Up Next: Scottish author (and all 'round crime fic dude) Russel McLean

Steve Mosby Interview

Suspect: Steve Mosby
Known Aliases: The Notorious B.O.M. (Boring Old Me)
Occupation: Author
Last known location: Somewhere in Leeds (that's in the U.K. for you non-Brits)

Listen in as Steve talks about his take on serial killers in The 50/50 Killer, the influence of science fiction on his writing, and his thoughts about research. Steve also reveals what's on his desk, what he was like in high school & what fictional character he'd like to hang out with for a day.

Steve's latest book, Cry for Help, is available for pre-order (release date is May 29, 2008).


To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Up next: author Steven Torres.

David Morrell Interview

Suspect: David Morrell
Known Aliases: Rambo's Daddy
Occupation: Writer
Last Known Location: Santa Fe, NM

Listen in as David talks about his most famous creation, John Rambo, the secrets of his career longevity, and his role in the International Thriller Writers (ITW) organization. He also reveals what writer he'd most like to spend an afternoon with, what crime fiction cliche needs to be retired and talks a bit about his first holiday book, The Spy Who Came for Christmas.

Up Next: British crime writer Steve Mosby.

To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Forgotten Books Friday

When Patti Abbott asked me to participate in her Forgotten Books Friday, I jumped on it. The general idea is to talk about a book that's a 'near classic' that may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Pretty cool, huh? I think so, too. So...here goes!

Ever heard of Sally's in the Alley by Norbert Davis? Unless you're a massive fan of deep pulp/hard-boiled crime fiction, probably not. And that's too bad, 'cause ol' Norbert is one of the few writers who managed to pull off humor and hard-boiled. When I say humor, I'm not talking black humor (which I also dig). Nope, I'm talking breezy, laugh-out-loud, almost screwball humor.

The story centers around Doan, a P.I. ne'er-do-well, and Carstairs, a Great Dane the size of a Shetland pony. Carstairs is both the brains and the brawn of the duo. I suspect that Doan exists mainly to keep our canine hero in steaks and tea biscuits. Set in WWII, the adventure starts off in Hollywood and follows the detecting duo as they travel to the tiny town of Heliotrope in the Mojave Desert. Why, you ask? (Okay, you didn't, but pretend you did anyway). Because the gov'ment wants Doan to pretend to be a Japanese spy in search of a mineral mine. Huh? Yep, that's right. See, there's a guy who knows where the mine is, but he flippin' hates the government & so fake spyness ensues. The plot gets more twisty and complicated from there, & the bodies pile up at an alarming rate, but it is absolutely always fun. So, y'know, check it out! The fab folks over at Rue Morgue Press were awesome enough to reissue the book a few years back, so the current paperback version is both available and affordable.

To keep the Forgotten Books Friday ball rollin', I'm officially tagging Daniel Hatadi for next week's continuing adventures. And don't let him pull his 'I'm a rebel, I ain't gonna tag nobody' routine. This book thang is too good to let die!

Charles Ardai Interview

Suspect: Charles Ardai

Known aliases: Richard Aleas, Charles Gordon Lemuel Cork, and a bunch of other ones I don't know about...watch him - he's shifty!

Occupation: Author, Editor for Hard Case Crime

Last known location: New York City, NY

In this week's show, Charles talks about his two novels (Little Girl Lost and Songs of Innocence, why Las Vegas can be a cool place to write, and why "Schizophrenia Can Be Fun" may be the title of his autobiography. He also shares his pick(s) for who he'd like to write the score for Little Girl Lost - The Musical, and why he doesn't get sick of reading 'n writing.


Up next: Big Daddy of the modern Action novel, David Morrell.

Christa Faust Interview

Suspect: Christa Faust
Known aliases: Faust Fatale
Occupation: Author
Last known location: Los Angeles, CA

In this week's show, Christa Faust talks about her latest book, Money Shot, her thoughts on why both men and women will dig the novel, and the ultimate silliness of the cozy vs. hard-boiled/noir divide. She also explains why writing tie-in novelizations (Snakes on a Plane) is like working in a cheese doodle factory, talks about why she's a "now girl" and what is likely to appear as the epitaph on her tombstone.



To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Brett Battles Interview

Suspect: Brett Battles
Known aliases: The Brett-in-ator (okay, I made that up)
Occupation: Thriller writer, entertainment industry computer graphics something-or-other
Last known location: Los Angeles, CA

Listen in as Brett talks about the crazy ride to publishing his first novel, The Cleaner and his latest projects - the Killer Year anthology and the forthcoming second book in the Jonathan Quinn series, The Deceived. A self-avowed seat-of-the-pantser, Brett explains his writing process and reveals the one item no self-respecting international spy will leave home without.

To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Zoë Sharp Interview

Suspect: Zoë Sharp
Known Aliases: Ummm...can't think of any
Occupation: Thriller writer, Freelance photographer, world traveler, motorcycle maven
Last Known Location: Lake District, England

Listen in as Zoë talks about her Charlie Fox series, her foray into noir with her short story in the anthologyA Hell of a Woman. She also spills about where the best place to go for a motocycle ride in England is and explains why she has spent shells dug out of a piece of body armor on her desk.

If you want to hear more from Zoë, check out her bi-monthly blog posts over at Murderati.


To listen, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Ken Bruen Interview

Suspect: Ken Bruen
Known Aliases: Benign Thug, the Pope of Galway
Occupation: Reigning King of Irish noir/hard-boiled crime fiction (that's a writer to you...)
Last Known Location: Galway, Ireland

Listen in as Ken talks about his Jack Taylor series (and how Inspector Brant is threatening to take over), the swans in Galway, and some of his more, uh, colorful book events. He also reveals (and answers) the one question he hasn't been asked that he really wants to answer - namely, what he really thinks of the Irish police.

*Original photo by Mary Regan of NYC Photo (I confess that I cropped it...sorry, Mary and Lawrence Block!)

Next week's suspect: British author, Zoë Sharp.

To hear Ken's interview, click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Kris Neri Interview

Suspect: Kris Neri
Known Aliases: Hmm, can't think of a single one!
Occupation: Author, Writing Instructor, Independent Bookstore Owner
Last Known Location: Sedona, Arizona

Listen in as Kris talks about the juggling act of writing, teaching and running The Well Red Coyote. She also talks about some of her fave reads of the year, the mysteries of where to shelve books, and what fictional character she'd like to take on a hike in the red rocks of Sedona.

Click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Ruth & Jon Jordan Interview

Suspect(s): Ruth and Jon Jordan
Known Aliases: #1 Crime Fic Fans, Mr. & Mrs. "Killer" Crimespree (okay, I totally made those up...get over it)
Occupation: Bouchercon Fanatics, Crimespree Magazine owners, Massive Readers
Last known location: Milwaukee, WI

In this week's show, Ruth and Jon spill about their love affair with B'Con (including next year's con in Baltimore), Crimespree Magazine, and their fave reads of 2007. Listen in as they tell all about what will make them abandon a book, what makes Milwaukee a nifty town to live in and their weapons of choice for editing.

Click on the player in the side bar, subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Maddy Van Hertbruggen Interview

Suspect: Maddy Van Hertbruggen
Known Aliases: Her Royal Maddness, The Maddinator
Occupation: Mystery addict - avid reader, owner/co-founder of 4MA list serve, book reviewer (plus one of those day job things to feed the addiction)
Location: Somewhere Deep in the Heart of Texas

This week we talk with hard-core mystery addict, Maddy Van Hertbruggen. Listen in as we chat about the readers list serve (4MA or For Mystery Addicts) that she started, some of her fave reads of the year, and her thoughts on how to deal with those pesky Texas Jackalopes.

You can also check out some of her book reviews over at the fab Reviewing the Evidence.




Subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Seth Harwood Interview

Suspect: Seth Harwood
Age: Yeah, okay, I dunno
Occupation: Writer, Podcaster, Creative Writing college prof.
Last known location: Bezerkley, er, Berkley, CA

In this week's episode, Seth talks about how his Jack Palms series, how he got into podcasting his novels and his upcoming print release of Jack Wakes Up. We find out what's on Seth's TBR list, who he'd like to see star in a Jack Palms movie, and what he would do if he could spend a day with his protagonist.

Visit his website to find out more about how to make every Sunday a Jack Palms Sunday. You can also check out the start of his second book in the newest issue of Thrilling Detective.




Subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Mark Billingham Interview

Suspect: Mark Billingham
Age: Hmm?
Occupation: Author, stand-up comic, all 'round troublemaker
Last known location: Lurking in London

In this episode, Mark talks about his Tom Thorne police procedurals, his upcoming stand-alone novel, IN THE DARK, and the foreword he wrote for the fab anthology, Expletive Deleted. He also joins in the debate about genre vs. literary novels and how much sex/violence/cussin' is too much. Find out what's on Mark's iPod, the perks of mentioning favorite restaurants in your novels and what celebrities are reading his books.




Subscribe via RSS reader (button in sidebar), or subscribe through iTunes here (it will prompt you to open iTunes, then take you to the podcast subscription).

Megan Abbott Interview

Suspect: Megan Abbott
Age: Haven't a clue, didn't ask
Occupation: Author, editor, college prof.
Last known location: New York City

Listen in this week as Megan talks about the slippery definition of noir, the women of noir (both those who write/wrote it and the characters in it), and the new anthology A Hell of a Woman: An Anthology of Female Noir. We also discuss Queenpin's Broadway musical potential and the best way to get those pesky bloodstains out of your favorite cocktail dress.



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Duane Swierczynski Interview

Suspect: Duane Swierczynski
Age: Young 'un
Occupation: Writer, Editor-in-Chief of Philadelphia City Paper
Last know location: The mean streets of Philadelphia, PA

In this week's episode, we talk with Duane about Blondes, redheads, comics, historical mysteries, and journalism. Listen in as we explore Duane's shocking revelations about his flute playing nerd years and his recent first-hand (er, nose) experience with feminine hygiene products.

*Warning: you're gonna need running shoes for your ears! This dude talks at warp speed.




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Anne Frasier Interview

Suspect: Anne Frasier
Age: I should really just skip this one, shouldn't I?
Occupation: Author
Last known location: Minneapolis, MN


In this week's episode, we talk with Anne about PALE IMMORTAL and the further Tuonela, WI adventures in her upcoming book, GARDEN OF DARKNESS. Listen in to find out what she would do if faced with a (possible) real-life vampire, what her fav. classic horror movie is, and what decidedly unscary things are found on her desk.




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