So are the stories true? Is the life of
a semi-famous author filled
with non-stop parties, thousands of fans, and famous friends?
Yes. It's all true. The left pic is
yours truly with Robert W. Walker and David Ellis at an event we did
in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The right pic is my booklaunch party. We sold 110 copies of
Whiskey Sour,
which was almost my entire print run.
Hanging out with James O. Born at B'Con,
and Brian Pinkerton after a signing.
I find I sell more books by
pretending I'm Dan Brown.
(I love the Series of Unfortunate Events sign over my
head...that explained the turnout at this signing.)
That's me with bestselling author
Anne Perry on the left, and with Jay Bonansinga on the right.
Below, is an event I did with the Mystery Mavens: Alex Matthews,
Luisa Buehler, Mary V. Welk, and Sandra Tooley.
I'm the one without the hat.
I love this picture.
This took place at Love is Murder conference in
February, 2004. Seated at the table are bestselling authors Warren Murphy, F. Paul Wilson, David Morrell, and David Wiltse. (Rob Walker
is on the end, but blocked by a fan).
This was for a panel called "Stump the Stars" in
which I spent 2 hours asking these guys questions about their own
books. Winner won a bottle of Thunderbird wine. The losers won two
bottles. It was awesome interviewing my literary heroes like this,
and they had fun, too.
For as long as I've been a writer, F. Paul Wilson
has been one of my genre favorites. I had a chance to grill him for
an hour in front of a capacity crowd.
Life doesn't get much better than that.
Conversing with Walter Mosley and David
Morrell.
I was giving them
advice on how to jump-start their careers. I like to help the
less-fortunate.
A thinner version of me meeting Dave Barry, ten
years ago. I was a struggling writer, begging for advice. He told me
to stick with it.
I caught up with Dave again at Book Expo America,
this summer. He didn't remember me, until I reminded him about the
time we spent behind that dumpster on Lincoln Ave. We got to share a spotlight at the Booksense
Luncheon. Funny how things work out.
I do a lot of speaking engagements. Besides my teaching job, I'm
usually in front of a group once a week. This was a Sisters in Crime
yearly luncheon. I've also done many library events, conferences,
and shows.
But what I really want to do is direct...
My name on a box. How cool is that?
My new look: chubby Clark Kent, with a decent sport coat.
When I take off my
glasses, however, I don't turn into Superman.
I turn into Blind Fatman.
I often bring my rejection book to
events, to show new authors.
Over 500 bong letters, and counting.
It's thicker than the Chicago phone book.
This is proof that is
you keep trying, and never give up, you can collect 500 rejections.
Another all-star mystery panel. I
was playing ringmaster for (left to right) Warren Murphy, David
Wiltse, Paul Wilson, Rob Walker, William Kent Krueger, Libby Fischer
Hellmann, and Barry Eisler.
PJ Parrish was on the end,
sitting next to me, but we both got cut off.
I think this panel
was about the ozone layer. Or midgets.
Or ozone midgets.
I can't
remember this signing, though I recognize Dave Ellis.
Oh yeah, now I remember! It
was the prestigious RDERS event.
A new fan.
Some cool stuff from the JA Archives.
The left is the cover of the June 2004
BookPage magazine (look what the man is reading).
The right is the Nodding Goth Girl, the top award for winning the
infamous Gross-Out
Contest at World Horror Con 2004. I managed to make a room full of
people sick.
They give awards for that, apparently.
And no, I'll never repeat the story I
read to win the contest. I have a reputation to uphold.
Rob Walker and I at some convention. If
you think we look smug, you're mistaken...
...we're
actually loaded. Rob's a bad influence.
These were taken by Lynn Espedido, a
woman I met during an unannounced drive-by signing. Lynn swears she
had gone to the bookstore wanting to pick up a copy of Whiskey
Sour, and was surprised that I happened to be there. She used
her camera phone for these, sweet-talking me into talking off my
shirt.
The first picture took place at
Chicago's Printer's Row Bookfair. It was held the same three days as
Book Expo America, and I ran back and forth between the events
twelve times. I'm smiling because I only had 3 hours of sleep.
The second picture is from the Midwest Literary Festival, when I was
apparently having a prima donna moment. Tiaras are nice, but where
are my glass slippers?
The last pic is me in a tuxedo. Whenever I wear a tuxedo, I feel
like a portly James Bond. My wife won't let me own a gun, so I
pretend I have one, shooting things with my fingers.
There have been some dark moments in my
past, like this one.
During a brief period in the late
90's, I thought I was the Cowboy from the Village People.
Therapy helped. Now I think I'm
the Construction Worker.
And then of course, there's my secret
life.
Besides being a writer,
every night I put on some pink leotards and fight crime.
