When people find out I’m an author, I get two reactions. One: “Wow, that’s great!” Followed by many questions of what and how I write. Two: “Oh.” Followed by a subtle eye roll and somewhat condescending questions about how easy it must be to use my writing to get rich without doing much work. Thankfully, the first reaction is much more common, so I thought I would write up the answers to the questions I’m most often asked. That way the … [Read more...]
BORDERLAND Author Peter Eichstaedt On Border Culture in Ads, Song, and Fiction
Few people realize how deeply ingrained Mexico and its border with the U.S. are in American culture. Consider the television advertising that Taco Bell has used for decades that capitalizes on the border, the Spanish language, and all things Mexican. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Taco Bell got mileage out of the slogan: “Make a Run forthe Border.” The slogan played on the well-worn theme of criminals running from the law and crossing the … [Read more...]
Author Peter Eichstaedt Discusses The Border Wars That Play A Large Part In BORDERLAND
To write Borderland, I drew heavily on the tortured relationship America has had and continues to have with Mexico. Having survived our recent exhausting and sometimes repugnant presidential election, we all know that the current occupant of the White House used border security as one of the pillars of his campaign. It’s a legitimate and very real concern, although the proposed solution is impractical. When I researched my nonfiction book … [Read more...]
From International Latino Book Award Winner Peter Eichstaedt Comes The Action-Packed Thriller BORDERLAND
When a prominent land developer is brutally murdered on the U.S.-Mexico border, it’s not just another cartel killing to journalist Kyle Dawson. The dead man is his father. Dawson, a veteran war correspondent, vows to uncover the truth. To do that, he must confront the ghosts of his past: including his cousin and confidant, DEA special agent Raoul Garcia; his former high school sweetheart, Anita Alvarez; his mystical Mexican-Indian mother; and … [Read more...]
Now Is Your Chance to Get Ron Franscell’s Mystery Novel THE DEADLINE For FREE!
For a limited time, get Ron Franscell's hit crime fiction novel, THE DEADLINE, for free! But hurry, this offer only last from September 13th through September 17th. THE DEADLINE is the story of newspaperman Jefferson Morgan's struggle with his own conscience to tell a story no matter the consequences, dig deep into the town’s past, and unveil a killer who’s managed to remain hidden in plain sight for almost 50 years. From the book: “Jefferson … [Read more...]
Order Richard Godwin’s Thriller Noir Novel THE PURE AND THE HATED For FREE!
A man takes a stranger into his house only to unleash a savage lesson from the past… For a limited time, get internationally acclaimed author Richard Godwin's thriller noir novel, THE PURE AND THE HATED, for free! But hurry, this offer only lasts from August 14th through August 18th. This chilling crime novel is sure to leave you guessing as Godwin explores family relationships and the mind of a dangerous psychopath. 5 Star Rating on … [Read more...]
Noir Author Richard Godwin Discusses The Connection Between Crime and Horror
I have said that The Pure And The Hated is a cross between crime fiction and horror fiction. That is because the events in it involve an intersection of styles. While it is more crime than horror, the reason there is an overlap is what I am exploring in these articles. I believe crime fiction, especially Noir fiction lends itself to hybrid genres. In these articles I have explored the themes of horror fiction and how it has evolved. I now … [Read more...]
Mystery Author Debbi Mack Meets Famous Writers At The ‘Books Alive’ Conference
One of the best things I've done for myself recently is attend the Books Alive conference in Bethesda, Maryland. It was not only a wonderful opportunity to attend various panels and learn new things, but I met some of the greatest writers. At lunch, two speakers were featured. The first was Kitty Kelley (known for her unvarnished and unauthorized biographies) who received an award. She was followed by Bob Woodward of The Washington Post and … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin on the Gothic Roots of Horror
There is much that is Gothic in The Pure And The Hated, my novel about the past, about revenge and lawlessness. In many ways revenge may be seen as lawless justice. As I examine what horror fiction means to us and how it relates to crime fiction, I want to trace its roots. I want to show that the two genres are not that distinct. In the latter part of the eighteenth century there was flowering of Gothic literature in England that ran … [Read more...]
Richard Godwin: The Bad Guy in Crime Fiction
Savage Highway is about bad guys and the breakdown of law and why justice fails. In a lawless world revenge is justice. I want to discuss other authors here before I focus on the novel itself. Savage Highway is about the frontier. Both of the authors I will be discussing today portray bad guys in a variety of ways. In Burke we have the pairing of two lawless cops, Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcell. And Purcell is an extreme example of the bad … [Read more...]