Past News and Full Weblog Archive

May 2005

Happenings…

I gave a reading at the Manchester Community College Library in April. I read a story I call "The City, Under Siege" and a section from another story. It was great fun and I have to thank Paula Cook who made it all happen. I sold a stack of books, which is always great fun.

I also taped a half hour interview with the president of Manchester Community College, Jonathan Daube. As with the first television interview I did, this was quite nerve wracking, but the questions were good, and I was allowed to be expansive so that, overall, this too was good fun. The interview should air in central Connecticut in early June. More info later.

Short Stories…

I've written several short stories this past semester. Much of it centers on the history of Angustias and Luis Gonzalo. I'll be trying to make them available in different venues on the web and in print. This leads to several announcements…

AHMM, AHMM

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine has accepted one of my Precinct Puerto Rico short stories. It's a story called "UFO" for reasons that will become obvious when you read it. I don't have a date for publication yet. I will certainly post as I am made aware of it. In any event, this is a very neat development in the Precinct Puerto Rico line I think. Hot on the heels of that acceptance came word from…

Shred of Evidence

The good people at Shred of Evidence have taken a story in the Precinct Puerto Rico series. This one is called "The Inspector." It features an inspector. For this story I do have a date for this one - August. Of course, I will link to it when the time comes. In the mean time I am happy to tell you that…

CrimeSpree Magazine…

Has taken an article of mine concerning a panel I moderated at the most recent Left Coast Crime. It's on the Latino/a Sleuth. The trick is that the article in the magazine is one I wrote in Spanish (apologies to the Spanish language and all who have ever spoken, written, read, or heard it). The English version is online at www.crimespreemag.com. I guess I should also point out that…

CrimeSpree Magazine, part 2

Has taken a Precinct Puerto Rico short story entitled "The Driver." It concerns not one driver, not two drivers, not even three or four, but five drivers. Not sure of the publication date yet. I should thank Jennifer Jordan for championing my work. She's read a lot of stuff, and it's good to know she likes what I commit to paper. Speaking of paper…

Watch This Space…

There will be developments galore in the weeks to come. Is it possible that I'll start a blog? Will there be stories to be had? Anything can happen.

March 2005

Twofer…

What happens when I ask two writers for their views on their work and they both respond at the same time? You get a two for one deal. What I'm doing with these interviews is fairly simple: I read something that makes me think the person would be interesting to talk to, then I ask them if they wouldn't mind being interviewed. So far everyone has said yes. Things may change when I send Ian Rankin an email after the next Bouchercon. For now, the fresh victims are below.

If you haven't heard of Jim Doherty…

Then you haven't read Just the Facts put out by Poisoned Pen Press. You probably also haven't read Mystery Reader's Journal. On both counts, I pity you. Read about Jim here.

Ben Rehder is in da house…

Okay, maybe they don't talk that way in Austin, Texas. Maybe they do. Not sure. The only time I was there was at night. The Alamo was closed. The point is, Ben Rehder is another must read. Finished his Flat Crazy the latest in his Blanco County series for St. Martin's Press. Amazing? Well, all I'll say is death by toaster, death by screwdriver, canned hunting, dwarf Chinese porn stars, El Chupacabra, and a broken femur. In other words, hell yeah. Read on…

News Archive

Left Coast Crime

Just came back from El Paso Texas, where I enjoyed the 15th annual Left Coast Crime Convention. It was my first, but I'm sure it won't be my last. It was funner than a barrel of monkeys, and if you've never experienced a barrel of monkeys then I can tell you that's plenty of fun right there. SJ Rozan and Paco Ignacio Taibo were the guests of honor, making this edition of the convention more LEFT than usual and very thoughtful. Paco is a hoot and a holler as we say in the Bronx (Or was that Oklahoma?). His twin addictions to nicotine and Coca-Cola can be hilarious as more and more places lock him out on the smoking count.

Got to speak at some length with Andi Schecter, Gary Neibuhr, and Ted Fitzgerald, reviewers extraordinaire, SJ Rozan, Blake Crouch, Michele Martinez, Alicia Gaspar de Alba, and Ben Rehder, writers extraordinaire. Many extraordinary people. I read out a story which people liked. Sat on an early Sunday morning panel which was wholly enjoyable though at an hour when I normally try to be asleep.

Bought a stack of books -- by Manuel Ramos, Con Lehane, Jim Fusilli among many others. I'll have to report later. Lined up a couple of other people for the interview series here. Should mention that I also met up with David Ellis who is on this site currently with a link below.

All around, an excellent convention with excellent panels, presentations, and great fans around every corner.

If You're Not Reading David Ellis, Esq. …

...You're missing a real risk taker, a great guy and a great writer. David is my latest interview. Read on here.

Call Me the Big Fajita…

I'm headed to El Paso later this month to serve as moderator for a panel on Latino/a sleuths. Manuel Ramos (Ballad of Rocky Ruiz, et al.), Michele Martinez (Most Wanted, coming soon) and Alicia Gaspar deAlba (Desert Blood, also coming soon) will all be there to talk about their writing and what makes a Latino/a sleuth different from any other sleuth.

I'm planning a small giveaway for those purchasing a copy of my book. I'm also hoping to present a page or two of Book Four (so far untitled and with no official pub date yet, but I have faith. That, plus they paid me) to attendees. Want to know what Gonzalo's doing next? Trek down to El Paso. Or email me.

Stories in the Mail

I've sent out four Precinct Puerto Rico short stories recently. CrimeSpree Magazine has one, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine each have one, and I sent one to something called The Circle Magazine. EQMM and AHMM are longshots. Who knows about the others? Anything can happen. I like the stories. I'm writing two other PPR short stories. I'm planning many more. (Planning means I write a sentence about them on a scrap of paper which I hope not to lose.)

Introducing Sarah Weinman

I recently caught up with Sarah Weinman, whose blog is must-read material for those who want to stay informed about the goings on of the mystery world. Sarah fascinates me because she's working in so many different parts of the mystery field -- blogger, reviewer, writer, editor. We talked at length about life, love, and what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. Then we got to the good stuff on writing and mystery. Read on here. (See a previous interview with SJ Rozan here.)

Short Stories

For a time, I found it a lot easier to have St. Martin's Press give me money for novels than it was to get a short story placed somewhere. Last August, I placed three stories. Two of them are out now - The January issue of CrimeSpree Magazine is carrying my "Stoop, the Thief" story. They're also running a contest with my books as prize; see the details on page 13 to enter. I'm quite proud of the story, so rush out and buy a copy if you don't yet subscribe. Or subscribe.

Shots Magazine, the online purveyor of interviews and stories is also running a story of mine -- a Precinct Puerto Rico story entitled "Rolling Rivera." It's one of eight Precinct Puerto Rico short stories I've written.

The Rincon Bookreaders Club

Many very kind people came out to hear me talk and talk about my books one day while I was in Puerto Rico: The Rincon Bookreaders Club. The group had read Book One in the series and that particular book has, as part of its setting, the town of Rincon, a real place on the western coast of Puerto Rico. The house in which the meeting took place was lovely with wonderful views of the ocean and the mountains (Many thanks to Neil and Alayne). The questions were exactly the type a writer hopes for -- all about me, me, me. It made me want to write a book just about Rincon just so I can be invited back. Caren Alberty invited me, so I will thank her by name. Thanks, however, were deserved by many, as I'm sure a great job was done by many in planning and hosting the event.

A Bright Star on the Small Screen

Public Access television has finally discovered me. Page 1, the eastern Connecticut show dedicated to books and writers and hosted by the gracious Zita Christian, had me in for an interview. I haven't seen my performance yet, but I do recall having invented at least one word not found in dictionaries, and I live in dread that I slouched the entire forty five minutes. Still, Zita and the crew were very nice to me, and I thank them for their efforts in trying to make me look good. If you're in the viewing area, take a look. (Airdates and times here.)

Even Henry Cisneros Likes Me…

 No kidding. Here’s what the former Secretary for Housing and Urban Development wrote to my editor at St. Martin’s Press:

”I found the characterizations created by Mr. Torres to be accurate and well-crafted. Steven Torres has made it possible for people to learn about emerging populations and leading-edge trends even as they enjoy accounts of riveting events. Torres' work is in the tradition of popular literature that teaches us even as it intrigues and excites us.”

He’s also the former mayor of San Antonio, TX if I’m not mistaken as well as the former president of Univision. It is nice to know members of the Clinton administration are reading me though the quote does bring up the old question of whether a Puerto Rican can be inaccurate in describing Puerto Rican life. After all, isn’t Puerto Ricaness whatever Puerto Ricans make of it? Still, kind thoughts and much appreciated.

Also, heard from a detective at the NYPD recently. His message for me was inspiring and I thank him for his kind words. Keep up the good work.

They Really Like me Too …

  Futures Mysterious (www.fmam.biz) has accepted a short story of mine for publication in their April issue. They picked up “Caring for Jose,” a Precinct Puerto Rico story. Even better, they paid me $10. It’s the most I’ve ever made for a short story, so I figure I’m moving up. Seriously, the stories that are coming out in the next few months are so good that if I don’t win an Edgar, I’ll know for sure that they’re rigged.

They don’t like me so much…

In other news, I got my CT Driver’s License. The DMV surprised me by not accepting my NY State License. It seems that if you haven’t had a license for a year or more (I haven’t) then you have to take the road test all over again right then and there. It was touch and go for a while especially when the examiner asked me to do something I’d never even considered before – now is not the time to be gutter minded – he told me to BACK into a parking space. I asked him to repeat himself since the car was already facing the spot he wanted me to get into and no possible reason for backing into a spot had ever occurred to me. Got it on the fourth try, and he passed me with a sigh. He said, “Son, I THINK you know how to drive, but you’ve got a lot to learn.”

True.

Walked out of the DMV $350 lighter.

About the Edgar’s…

They’re not rigged. Just kidding. The judges do a great job and the stories selected are top-notch. Hopefully, I’ll be in the running this year (well, actually 2006 since the stories get printed in 2005).

February 2, 2005

Spent four weeks in Puerto Rico, La Isla del Encanto. It was warm. That seems to be the answer to the most common question asked of me since coming back to Connecticut.

While in Puerto Rico, I witnessed, yet again, the damage star power can do to a movie. By this, I mean Damaris and I went to Alexander. As the credits rolled at the end, I thought for a moment about how I would have fixed this movie. It took eight seconds for me to decide that the first thing I'd have done in the editing room was cut back the whole backstory about Alexander the Great's childhood, his mother, and his father. Take a few minutes to expand the scene where Val Kilmer gets knifed, and you don't need the first forty minutes of the film. The problem is that Oliver Stone could not have cut out Kilmer and Angelina Jolie even if he wanted to -- he paid them millions. The same thing happens in baseball -- the Mets can't pay Mo Vaughan ten million to ride the bench; no matter how bad his hitting gets, he's going to play.

The same thing also happened in Shall We Dance? But it wasn't as bad there as it was in Alexander. Many of the scenes with Jennifer Lopez should probably have been cut. Not that she did a bad job, but that her storyline competes with the Richard Gere/Susan Sarandon storyline. But you can't give J.Lo a bucket of cash, then cut her role to a few minutes. Whatever happened to casting character actors?

Imagine this same problem from a writer's point of view. You're the writer, and you're doing the editing on a completed book. You find that you've got a chapter that really only fills the reader in on the backstory of some minor character. The chapter may be a good one. Maybe it's the seed of a different book. But it detracts from the thrust of the rest of the novel. You cut it.

Then the minor character's agent calls your editor and says that if he's only getting four hundred and fifty two words in the novel, he can't be expected to go on the promotional tour doing the Tonight Show and the Today Show, etc. Your editor calls you, tells you of your financial responsibilities to the publisher and how they did not pour two hundred million dollars into your book just to have you piss off the stars during the editing process. The chapter is back in, and your novel is misshapen.

Don't think it can happen? Then you haven't read Jasper Fforde. I'm pretty sure Miss Next has her own agent by now.

The new semester has begun, and I'm already falling behind. I've been asked several times if I would write a New York City novel. So I'm doing that. I'm about 20k words into it. Maybe in a few weeks, I'll have something to show.

By the way, if a publisher wants to pour two hundred million into a book, I'd be willing to write a vehicle for just about any star in Hollywood. Hell, I'd write one for all the stars in Hollywood.

February 1, 2005

Loved Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin. A Rebus book with a political edge to it. Rebus was very Rebusy. Siobhan was very Shivy. I don't read for mystery usually, but for character. The mystery here revolved around the murder of an illegal immigrant. I think I solved it a bit earlier than Rankin had in mind, but that didn't sour me at all. When you can write flesh and blood human beings, you have a gift, and Rankin has that gift. Told me at the last Bouchercon that he was going to be a bit slow in coming out with the next Rebus. I'd love to know whether Siobhan gets her own series after that.

I've started reading three other books. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron, and Seeds of Doubt by Stephanie Kane. I'm about 50 to 100 pages in on each of them. Gilead is not a mystery. It is certainly very finely written, but as I've said before, I have the attention span of a gnat -- not one of those studious gnats either, more like the gadfly kind. I don't know if I can make it through Gilead though it is very brief and probably well deserved the praise it has gotten. I just keep waiting for something to explode or for someone to get hit with a tire iron.

Bootlegger's Daughter is a good read. It starts off with a bang, slows a bit from there, but I have a feeling it will pick up. It won an Edgar. Not sure what that means, but it is on the cover. Maron is a fine stylist and makes Deborah Knott's family come alive. One problem: Miss Knott has a lot of family. It's a little difficult trying to keep them all straight; kind of like reading a Russian novel. Still, they're worth knowing.

Seeds of Doubt is strange to me. I like the plot, and I really like the characters, but there is something in the writing style that I perceive as a flaw, and it annoys a bit. Every once in a while (and sometimes more often) the narrator slips into something like a stream of consciousness mode. This happens for a sentence or two, then it's back to the regular third person omniscient. The story is strong however, and it's not like this happens every page.

Don't know when I'll be done with any of these. Probably in about three weeks. I'll report as I finish them.

November 30, 2004

Finished Steinhauer's book. Brilliant from start to finish. Highly recommended. Not as much fun as Will Thomas's Some Danger Involved. More broody by far. Still, quite nice.

I've heard Steinhauer's book called Noir, but though Hard-boiled, I can't agree on the Noir title. May have to do with my definition of Noir. Much of what is supposed to be Noir, simply isn't in my book. Here's my definition of both Hard-boiled and Noir -- In Hard-boiled mysteries, life is tough but worth living. In Noir, life is tough and NOT worth living. We live because we're afraid of dying. In Hard-boiled the hero struggles, and those struggles may be great, and they may be painful, but in the end he achieves some satisfaction -- wrongs have been righted and possibly he gets the girl. In Noir, the hero goes through similar struggles but there is no satisfaction involved. The Noir hero may shrug at the difference between right and wrong, and the girl probably ends up in a vegetative state (and I do not mean Arkansas or anything like that). Does that make sense?

I cannot write Noir. I think life is worth living. I also can't write Horror. In horror, Evil wins. This is the difference between a scary movie like Jaws and a horror movie like The Ring. Or a slasher movie like Scream.

November 27, 2004

I've started reading Olen Steinhauer's (www.olensteinhauer.com) The Bridge of Sighs. It's labeled a "Literary Mystery." Usually I figure a label like that is a code word for "Monstruous Hash." In this case, it's not. Whatever "the goods" are, Olen's got'em and it shows on every page. A mystery that's a puzzler, characters that I feel I know, a setting that I can just about see (and, sadly, smell). I'm only halfway through, but I highly recommend it. Even if the book hits the skids and the plot falls to pieces, the first half, I think, has been worth the $13.95 (minus author's discount at Black Orchid (www.ageneralstore.com) in NYC).

Have also read a bunch of literary short stories. I'd like to be a literary short story writer one day. I think the Stoop story mentioned above is a step in that direction, but there are many other steps to be taken. Don't ask me for my definition of "Literary." Coming up with a definition is one of the steps. (Probably should have been the first one, but, too late.)

Here's the deal, I've read five or six stories by Tobias Wolff. I like his writing: "Bullet in the Brain" is a marvel to me. I read it over and over. That good. But then, a couple of his stories are great until I get to the end and find there is nothing there. No payoff. This annoys me because I work under the illusion (as a reader AND as a writer) that the characters that are developed are worthy of having their stories told, not partly told or mostly told. A great writer, but I wonder if he lops off the endings on purpose. Still, The Night in Question is the collection I'm reading; the title story is the one I'm most upset about.

Edith Pearlman - Brilliant. Got to get more of her stuff.

October 12, 2004

I’m back from Bouchercon, the world’s largest mystery convention. It was held in Toronto this year and Toronto is a great town. Met some really interesting people – Cornelius Lehane, author of Beware the Solitary Drinker; a great guy and, by all accounts, one of the best mystery writers going. Peter Guttridge, author of No Laughing Matter was hilarious in person and in his writing which I bought and had Peter add some corrections to. David Ellis, lawyer, author of Line of Vision – not quite brave enough for Kung Pau Pizza, though.

Jennifer Jordan had nice things to say about my third book in CrimeSpree Magazine. She actually made a sale of one of my books. For that, I’m grateful. It seems Crimespree is going to be a major player in the review of mystery novels and the presentation of new fiction and articles.

Damaris produced special bookmarks that went like hotcakes – there’ll be more of them shipped to some of the mystery bookstores in the Southwest. She also put together some mighty fine shoebags filled with handmade soaps (her hands) and handmade candles (her hands again). As I told a dozen people, she’s terribly crafty. Pics to follow. I think.

Jason Starr also took some of my money home with him as I picked up one of his books (ToughCity). I’m told I’ll enjoy it.

September 22, 2004

I’m settling in at Manchester Community College and even thought I might have time to read a novel for the heck of it. I picked up Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I started it today, but there is no chance I’ll finish it before it comes due at the library – it’s a thousand pages long.

Then I started reading a story I had clipped out from The New Yorker a few months back. No chance I’ll finish reading that either – just too boring.

September 10, 2004

Just finished my first Michael Connelly novel, The Last Coyote. Got the book from Murder Ink (www.murderink.com) a very nifty store. The book was great though it may have been a bit long for my tastes. Ph.D. or no Ph.D., I’ve got the attention span of a cocker spaniel.

Next I’m reading Gettysburg by Stephen Sears. I read his book on Chancellorsville. It was absolutely fabulous, and I like history, so I ought to know. Actually, now that I think about it, I should have studied History rather than English: more fun, less theory.

Next month is Bouchercon (www.bouchercon2004.com). I’ll be on a panel with Kenneth Wishnia concerning Latin Sleuths. They asked for a panel name and I suggested “Badges? We Don’t Need No Stinking Badges.” I thought it was a joke, but the programming committee liked it. It’s on Friday morning (October 8th) in case you’re in Toronto.

Damaris is going to getting a lot of giveaways for bookstore owners, periodical editors, etc just as soon as she unpacks her sewing machine.

August 18, 2004

Moving day is coming soon. I’m headed for the great state of Connecticut. Manchester Community College has offered me a position and I’ve accepted. The last couple of weeks have been a mad dash of interviews, then trying to find housing, packing, and figuring out how to get all our stuff from one state to another. Damaris has been the master and commander in all of this. My suggestion that we simply pack the Toyota to the gills and make twenty-seven round trips has been vetoed and we’re getting a truck. This means I’ll be driving on the highways – Damaris handling the truck, but me trying to merge into traffic on a highway (I got my license this May) is the stuff of nightmares.

August 12, 2004

Two good reads recently: Peter Lovesey’s Diamond Dust, was completely enjoyable. Kind of a sober, less over the top, Ian Rankin. I’ll be looking out for others in the series.

Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express was a lot of fun, but the interesting thing was finding out how much Christie did towards setting up a major type of mystery ending. I’ll have to read more into the history of the genre to find exactly how original her ending there was. I’ll say it surprised me. I haven’t seen the movie.

Enter your feedback for Steve.

July 26, 2004

Spent part of Saturday at the Harlem Book Fair. It was overcast and drizzly, but a good time was had by the many who came out to play. I gave out fifteen free copies of my books, five of each. That was tremendous fun. Also gave out some promotional materials Damaris (my wife) made up. These have got to be seen to be believed and luckily this website has a page dedicated to her promo ideas.

At the fair I also met up with Johnny Temple of Akashic Books. Let him have samples of new promo materials that Damaris is (literally) cooking up. (You’ll see what I mean if you go to Bouchercon 2004 in Toronto; Or just wait and a picture will show up on the website.) Picked up a copy of Brooklyn Noir from him. This is an anthology edited by Tim McLoughlin (whose hand I shook). I was told there are some great stories in there, and that Tim’s story is the greatest among them. Of course, it was Tim who told me this, but… I read the first three pages of Tim’s story on a subway ride. There’s a severed hand and a photo of a mysterious lady, so it looks to be headed in the right direction. I asked them to remember me if there’s ever a Bronx Noir.

Edits on Book Four of the Precinct Puerto Rico series are underway.

Finished the rough draft of Book Six.

July 5, 2004

The past month has been full of activity. Let me get to my reading first. Best novel of the past month (and possibly a lot longer than that): Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas. An excellent mystery – set in the Victorian era with a Sherlock Holmes type character who gets into fistfights. Well written throughout and with a plot to boot. Highly recommended. Also read Monkeewrench by the mother/daughter team PJ Tracy. Also quite good. A Cold, Faint Fear, by Karin Slaughter, excellent except for one character who I kind of wish had died in an earlier book. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, a real page turner, but the ending was a sort of let down. Don’t get me wrong; I think the plot was great, but I really wanted a different ending. Read a couple of other novels – not as much fun, but I won’t rip into them here. Just finished Ice Run by Steve Hamilton last night. Very well done. Liked it enough to pick up another title by him.

Then the writing. I may have mentioned finishing my Lucy Aponte (I’m quite proud of it), but did I mention writing a sixth Precinct Puerto Rico? I’ll be putting up the first two chapters (Ch 1 and Ch 2) . Let me know what you think. There’s a contract for books four and five in the series, but I’m only hoping I can get one for Book Six.

I’m also starting up rewrites on Book Four. I’m hoping it gets called The Innocents of Precinct Puerto Rico, but it’s not up to me. It’s a marketing thing.

On the 13th of June, I marched in the Puerto Rican Day parade in NYC. It’s a long walk. Interestingly, I was marching with the NY Public Library to promote literacy and their new website. I worked for the library for seven years, and I’m an author so it fit. That’s not so interesting. This guy breaks into the parade without being noticed. He marches with us a couple of blocks, then gets close to one of the ladies in front of me, reaching for her backpack. He’s tentative about it, so I’m not sure if he really wants to unzip the bag or if he’s just goofing. I make sure he knows I’m keeping an eye on him and a few blocks later he leaves the parade, no harm done. Now a person trying to pick someone’s bag is not so interesting, but it was happening in the middle of a heavily televised and very heavily policed parade, a parade with two million live spectators. Chutzpah? Or an idiot? Both maybe?

On the 30th, I did a live, online chat with the NY Public Library. I answered about thirty questions, all of them very good. It was the first time I had done such a thing and it was frighteningly easy. Supposedly I’m getting paid for an hour of fast typing, but I have no idea how much. Since I didn’t know I was getting paid at all until right before the chat, I figure whatever it is will be a good thing.

Enter your feedback for Steve.

June 9, 2004

I’ve been away for a while, but not for nothing. I finished Lucy Aponte, PI and retitled it Lucy Aponte and the Case of the Chupacabra Killer. Don’t worry, no one kills the Chupacabra. The sample chapter is available on this site. I’m going to try to sell this book in the next few weeks, and I’ll be happy to report when I get a nibble.

Read Ed Dee’s latest novel, The Con Man’s Daughter. I don’t think I’ve read tighter prose ever. The voice was pitch perfect throughout. Also read Jonothan King’s The Blue Edge of Midnight. Another highly recommended book. Julia Spencer-Fleming’s Out of the Deep I Cry was another great book, though maybe more for the finely nuanced love story than for the mystery though that was good too.

This weekend, I’ll be in NYC marching in the Puerto Rican Day Parade on behalf of the New York Public Library. Apparently, I’m one of the famous Puerto Rican authors they’re most proud of. Somebody will be carrying a giant poster of me. Hopefully, I’m not the person asked to carry it. The week after I’ll be in CT to take part in The Festival of Words. That’s at Norwalk Community College and should be great fun.

April 15, 2004

Got an email a couple of days ago asking if I’d like to participate in a “Local Authors” signing at the Colgate Bookstore in Hamilton, NY. Of course, I’m going. There’ll be about ten other authors. I’ll report on that when I get back.

Also got a little deeper into Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming. Great book so far. I guess she does deserve all her awards. I’ll report on this too when I’m finished.

Had to put down the Neal Stephenson book. It was gripping, but too long for me to work my way through this semester. I’ll get back to it, I’m sure, but not until the summer.

Got a fan letter at the end of March. It was brief and very sweet, but it got to me more than three months after it was mailed out. Apparently it sat in a mailroom somewhere. I suppose St. Martin’s Press was waiting to mail it out in a bulk shipment with thousands of other letters that never came. In any event, I’ve only received a handful of fan letters by snail mail; I do better via the internet. In fact, this website has an area to email me on the navigation bar above.

Tomorrow, copies of Burning Precinct Puerto Rico: Book Three will be shipped out to stores and distribution centers. In a week or two, it should be available just about everywhere. Ask for it by name.

Did I mention that I’ll be marching in the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City? More on that later too.

April 9, 2004

Participated in Norwalk Community College’s Academic Festival a couple of days ago in Connecticut. My panel was on minority mystery writers, and I shared the panel with Valerie Wilson-Wesley, author of the Tamara Hayle mysteries. We had a great time and answered lots of questions about the business side of writing. Then we were both interviewed by several sets of student journalists. Special thanks to Joe.

Enter your feedback for Steve.

March 28, 2004

Finished Bitter Sugar by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera. A satisfying read. I was guessing at the ending three quarters of the way through. I’d love to say that I got it right, but I had three different guesses; one of them was right, but that seems a little unfair on my part. Since I’m starting a series with female protagonist, Lupe Solano was interesting. She’s not quite what I’m writing, but she’s closer than Kinsey Milhone.

Started reading Neil Stephenson’s Quicksilver. I’m on page seventy. So far, it’s a great read, but I’m not yet 10% of the way through. So far, Stephenson has introduced Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, and Mother Goose. I’m beginning to wonder whether he can keep it up. By the end of the nine hundred pages, he’d have to have introduced about forty famous characters.

March 25, 2004

Met with the Utica Writer’s Club last night and had a great time. I started by talking of the business side of writing, including things like book covers and titles (decisions made by the marketing department) as well and publicity and promotion. I’m becoming a bit of an expert in this last area. I showed off the materials that Damaris and I have come up with including, a pouch and a canvas bag, all saying Burning Precinct Puerto Rico, May 2004.

There were many questions, and a couple were on the marketing and promotion provided by the publisher. There is the feeling that being with a big publisher like St. Martin’s Press, must make publicity easy. There is no such thing as easy publicity. St. Martin’s Press gets my books in the hands of reviewers and into their catalog, and this puts the books on the shelves of many bookstores. It doesn’t get the reviewers to actually write the reviews (or get them to like the book). It also can’t get the book off the bookshelves and into hands of buyers. It also doesn’t get potential readers to know who I am or that they should want to read my book. All that is my job.

March 9, 2004

Have started on Carolina Garcia-Aguilera's Bitter Sugar. So far, (twelve chapters) the story gets better and more involved. I'll be teaching a class next semester on Crime Fiction and this book might be used to illustrate a trend in crime writing — the exploration of crime that has an ethnic basis in American writing. The plot involves the Miami-Cuban community and concerns that are specific to them. It's a good read.

Also just got Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming. This writer has won so many awards that I cannot possibly be disappointed. Or can I? We'll see.

I've also added a chapter of a book I'm calling Lucy Aponte, PI. That's supposed to be a working title, though Lucy Aponte is actually an amateur sleuth. The chapter is uncorrected. Let me know if you find anything I should be aware of. My wife and I have a running argument over the spelling of Chupacabras (she insists there's no —s at the end).

March 1, 2004

Finished reading Val McDermid's A Place of Execution. I think I figured out the whodunit about sixty percent in, but it didn't keep me from enjoying the rest of the book. The characters were well-drawn, and that always keeps me going. What I try to remind myself as a writer is that if the reader likes the characters, they'll go along for the ride just to be in their company. There have been some characters I wouldn't mind reading about as they make up a grocery list. If the reader doesn't care for the character, it won't matter much what they're doing. McDermid has the right characters.

Not, by the way, a knock on the storyline. It's pretty tight. Too tight, maybe. The story takes place in a tiny town, so the circle of suspects is very small. If I assume McDermid won't cheat by bringing in some outsider at the last minute...

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February 28, 2004

I came back from Much Ado About Books in Jacksonville, Florida. It was fifty degrees warmer than the Syracuse, New York airport I landed in. The weather wasn't the only great thing. I met great people including writers and fans. One student at Wolfson High, Bryce, sent me a story proving his talent — I've read stories and essays from hundreds of student writers, but his control of the tone and voice of the story was pretty phenomenal.

Had a wonderful time, got to cruise around on a yacht, visited a millionaire's mansion, and heard great speakers. I spoke on a couple of panels and was happy to sign away copies of both books one and two. I also gave out previews of Burning Precinct Puerto Rico. All in all, a grand time. Rick Bragg, one of the speakers, was as funny as hell.

February 19, 2004

I'll be attending Much Ado About Books in Jacksonville, Florida this weekend. Going back to school, talking to students at Wolfson H.S. I'm taking along Val McDermid's A Place of Execution.

February 9, 2004

I started another Precinct Puerto Rico novel a few weeks back, and I'm through the first five chapters. As with book one, the start of the book came from a single image. As you can see from the sample that I put up, the image was of a car being driven into Angustias with a driver who is dying from a knife wound. For those interested, a single image is often the impetus for a whole novel. In book two, it was the image of a man with an ax chopping into a prisoner's shins. Why did he do that? What did the prisoner do to deserve that?

With the driver, the image is interesting, but it leads me to some obvious questions. Who stabbed him? Why? The answers are turning out to be interesting. So far, only people looking at this website know about this book I'm writing. If it gets picked up by a publisher, it will be Book 6 in the series. Before a publisher sees it, however, I've got to find an agent. I'll let you know when I'm ready to start looking.

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January 28, 2004

I've also been reading a crime novel by a writer I met in Utica. The manuscript is very good, and I will not be surprised when it hits the bookstore shelves. I tell you about his book when I have permission to do so. Not required, just a courtesy.

Also read a review of Desert Places by Blake Crouch . I haven't read his book yet, but the review was very positive. I met Blake in Las Vegas last Fall during Bouchercon and enjoyed dinner and conversation with him. I think he's looking at a long career of satisfying fans, and the reviewer agreed.

Speaking of reviewers, I've only written one review in my life, but I've now read several reviews of my own work. I thank God most have been very positive, but I'm always surprised when I find reviews that contain details that aren't actually in my book. I'm assuming that most reviewers are waded through a flood of books and details can kind of swirl around and get confused. I suppose I can take comfort in this scenario whenever bad reviews come in. I'll just tell myself they got my title mixed up with some other book that really deserved to get trashed.

The semester has started up again, so I'm back at work grading papers and teaching writing and literature. One of the classes is a senior level class called "Sex, Death, and Madness in Early American Fiction." We'll be covering all sorts of things including classic American crime stories by Charles Brockden Brown and Edgar Allan Poe. It should be fun.

January 8, 2004

Went to San Diego right after Christmas to spend a few days and attend the Modern Language Association annual convention. I'm always happy to be in a city I haven't visited before, and this was no exception. I missed the Zoo, saw the harbor and the San Diego Museum of Art, and, of course, visited with The Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore. I met with the co-owner Maryelizabeth Hart and signed a few copies of my books. I was a bit surprised at how bright and cheery the store is given its name, but then, it is in California .

While in I read Andrea Camilleri's The Shape of Water . The story is enough to satisfy anyone fond of puzzlers, but I had a little trouble with the language. Occasionally, it seemed like the translation from the Italian was a bit strained. The plot and the gusto with which Camilleri tells his story more than make up for any deficiencies, however, and I've already picked up a copy of The Terra - Cotta Dog.

Writing about sunny San Diego and Camilleri's Sicily do nothing to cheer me up after walking my dog this morning in Utica where it was fifteen degrees below zero with a windchill factor of minus thirty-one. I suppose I could be relieved that at least it wasn't overcast, but then, who am I fooling?

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December 10, 2003

Besides a steady river of student papers, the past month has seen me finish off another Ian Rankin novel, Resurrection Men . The writing style is riveting and there are interesting developments on the relationship fronts. I've also started reading Jasper Fforde's The Well of Lost Plots . So far, so good. The bookseller who handed me the copy said I should prepare for a wild and funny ride, and the warning was appropriate.

As for my own writing, I've started another Precinct Puerto Rico novel. Not sure what I would call it, but the first chapter is up on another part of this site. Take a look. [Sorry. It's no longer here.]

I've also worked out a Precinct Puerto Rico short story and a mystery short story outside of the series. One of those may make it onto the site towards the end of January, so keep looking.

I'll be traveling to San Diego at the end of the year for the MLA (Modern Language Association) conference, and I will be signing some stock at The Mysterious Galaxy bookstore.

November 9, 2003, Sunday

The past month or so has been a hectic one. Besides the usual work of reading student papers and attending faculty meetings, there have been several events connected to the PRECINCT PUERTO RICO series.

November 6, 2003 - New Hartford, New York

I read from a short story, an unfinished novel, and from books one and two in the PRECINCT PUERTO RICO series. The audience had a lot of questions, and I gave out bookmarks and pens with each purchase as well as free copies of a preview of BURNING PRECINCT PUERTO RICO: BOOK THREE.

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November 1, 2003 - Utica, New York

I attended the 19th annual meeting of the Northeast Forensic Anthropology Association and read a paper. My focus was on the forensic and scientific trend popular in mysteries today. Essentially, I say that a lot has changed since Jack Klugman starred as Quincy, but I wondered aloud whether the change was for the better for the scientific world since the scientist/sleuth has a different ethos from the strict scientist.

Some of the material discussed by the scientists at the gathering included talk of a very interesting voyage by an early American explorer and what happened to 35 of his 79 compatriots. This looks like it might very well make itself into a story with paranoia, starvation, faces that are turned to a pulpy mush through sickness, and autopsies done to determine the cause of death among so many men how had started the voyage in the prime of life and peak of good health.

October 18, 2003 - Las Vegas, Nevada

I was honored to be a panel member at Bouchercon 34, one of the biggest mystery conventions in the world. I, and several others including Dale Carter, Frankie Bailey, Johnny Temple and Win Blevins, discussed the creation and life of multi-cultural novels. Among other things, it was agreed that the multi-cultural novel succeeds or fails based on whether the characters and situations transcend cultural boundaries. This means, I think, that when you boil it down, good novels are about humans, not Blacks, Whites, Puerto Ricans, or Japanese people, just people.

Johnny Temple is the publisher at Akashic Books, which brought out the award winning ADIOS MUCHACHOS by Daniel Chevarria and OUTCAST by Jose LaTour.

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October 13, 2003 - San Antonio, Texas

I did another book signing at Remember the Alibi in San Antonio. Damaris and I stayed overnight with her very gracious aunt and uncle, Mickey and Rosie, as well as her cousin, Jomil. There were a lot of questions asked at the Remember the Alibi signing, and Damaris gave a handmade, cloth book cover to each book buyer for the occasion. These went like hotcakes. Sample photos of the kinds of things Damaris creates will be coming to this website soon.

At Remember the Alibi, I added Jonathan Lethem's THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, to my ever-growing pile of books to be read. His MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN was a very good book with a detective suffering from Tourette's Syndrome. If you want a well-plotted mystery with memorable characters (and you already have my books) check out Lethem

October 11, 2003 - Houston, Texas

My wife and I traveled to Texas to help promote DEATH IN PRECINCT PUERTO RICO. I did a book signing at Murder by the Book in Houston. This is a great store and a I signed books and answered questions alongside two fine mystery writers and southern gentlemen, Bill Crider, author of WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE MURDER, a novel starring Humphrey Bogart, and Ben Rehder, author of BUCK FEVER. Rehder's series features a game warden sleuth; it sounds like a lot of fun.

I picked up an early American mystery novel THE DEAD LETTER by Metta Fuller Victor there. It is reportedly the first detective novel in American literature (and maybe the world) having been written in 1867. It's one more book for my list of "must reads".

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