EVOLUTION
evolution
[ ev-uh–loo-shuhn or, especially British, ee-vuh– ]
noun
any process of formation or growth; development:
When I first ventured forth into writing novels, I was drawn to crime fiction. My efforts in screen-writing (based on my college education) revolved around story-telling. My prodigious work in poetry involved metrics and rhythms. Fiction, to me, seemed an appropriate venue for releasing pent-up emotions based in a large part on working in the customer service sector.
I started with derivative works in the contemporary genre. There was a bit of the hard-boiled school thrown in, always with an eye toward Hammett and Chandler, yet heavily influenced by Tarantino. Then, over the course of time, I listened to my wife’s late uncle, a long time resident of Arkansas City, Kansas (colloquially referred to as Ark City.) His anecdotes did not revolve around his time spent there or even the 60’s or 70’s. I heard tales of the Prohibition Era, a small Kansas town known as “Little Chicago” complete with underground tunnels that harkened back to the Old West. These stories were the spark that lit the fuse.
From 2016 to 2021, the four books of the Ark City Confidential Chronicles (Ark City Confidential; Secrets of the Righteous; Lost in the Plains; From Somewhere in a Dream) were published by The Wild Rose Press. But when Larry Hammer passed away, it was only fitting the series came to an end. I had learned so much about researching for historical crime fiction, had developed a passion for it, and appreciated how much I had learned with regard to character arcs over a multi-book series. It didn’t hurt that, for the last three books, I was guided by my incomparable editor, Judi Mobley, who shaped me like a sculptor shapes clay.
The time had come for me to step up to the plate once again. My first foray into historical crime fiction was inspired by another man’s experiences. I wanted, needed, a main character who was closer to my own sensibilities, experiences, perhaps even flaws. I wanted someone with whom I shared an ideal, despite being separated by decades.
I am pleased to announce I have signed a contract, again with The Wild Rose Press, for “The Day of Calamity”, the first book for what I hope will be another series. This time, my main character is Harold Bergman, a former Wichita, KS policeman who enlisted after Pearl Harbor. Injured in battle, he returned home with a limp. His father’s desire for him to become a rabbi is met with deaf ears. His former colleagues can’t get him to join them once again. Torn between the Laws of God and the laws of man, this private detective seeks an understanding of the world in which he lives.
Eschewing the traditional detective tropes (i.e. the cheap bottle of rye in the desk drawer, rooms full of cigarette smoke, excessive gunplay, etc.) my hope is to create a realistic and heartfelt environment while following one man’s personal and spiritual journey within the crime fiction genre.
I look forward to you joining me on this new adventure.
