NON-FICTION
Profiles & Interviews

I like doing profiles yet, researching the author's work, looking for themes and profile, and then grilling them about it..

• Kinsey and Her: Sue Grafton
  Winter 2013, Mystery Scene #128
  A look under the lid of one of the most popular P.I.s of the last thirty years -- and of her creator. This was probably my scariest interview, even if it was by phone. The subject matter was a little touchy, and Grafton herself, I'd been told, was known to be prickly. Maybe they meant another Grafton -- she was nothing but charming and gracious to me, and it may have been the best interview I've done yet. And another cover story!
  
  
• Playing Chase with Thomas Perry
  Spring 2012, Mystery Scene #124
  Cover story
  Profiling the man behind The Butcher Boy and the Jane Whitefield series was a hoot -- one day that man and I need to sit down and have a beer.
  
  
• Heavy Hitter
  Summer 2008, Mystery Scene #105
  Cover story
  Although he’s won most of the major awards in his long career—some several times—Lawrence Block shows no signs of slowing down.
  
  
• Keeping Faith: Walter Mosley Pushes Back
  Fall 2007, Mystery Scene #101
  Cover story
  Could this be the end of Easy?
  
  
• Declassified: The Barry Eisler Files
  Summer 2007, Mystery Scene #100
  100th Issue cover story!
  I lightly roast former CIA op urned thriller writer Eisler on his days with "the boys," his early influences and his series character, conflicted Japanese-American hitman John Rain.
  
  
• Bloodwork
  June 2007, January Magazine
  A wide-ranging interview with Declain Hughes, the author of a couple of The Wrong Kind of Blood and The Color of Blood about his influences -- both literary and musical -- including everything from his fan letter from Pete Townshend to how we’re all walking in Snoopy’s shadow.
  
  
• Where'd He Go? The Rob Kantner Interview
  Fall 2005, Thrilling Detective Web Site
  My interview with one of my favourite writers, Rob Kantner, about his private eye hero, growing up and his apparent disappearance from the crime fiction scene in the nineties.
  
  
• Kinky Friedman Throws His Hat in the Ring
  Spring 2005, Mystery Scene #89
  A profile of edverybody's favourite Texas Jewboy country singer/private eye novelist as he gears up for a run at the governorship of the Great State of Texas. As Kinky says, "Why the hell not?"
  
  
• Wingnut With a Keyboard
  March 2005, January Magazine
  A wide-ranging chat with novelist and writing professor James W. Hall, and how it's all Roscoe Tanner's fault.
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• This Man's Army
  Summer 2004, Mystery Scene #85
  An interview with Lee Child, upon the release of The Enemy, wherein he returns Jack Reacher to his military roots.
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• A Year on the Block
  May 2004, January Magazine
  The long-promised interview with crimemaster Lawrence Block.
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• She Shall Have Murder
  October 2003, Girl Detective.net
  A chat with mystery woman D.L. Browne, AKA Diana Killian.
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• I Love L.A.
  August 2003, January Magazine
  Interview with crime writer John Shannon, one of my all-time favourite authors. This one was based on e-mails and some actual face-to-face comments.
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• What Peter Sellers (Obviously an Alias) Is Really Up To
  December 2001, Reflections in a Private Eye
  Another profile for the Private Eye Writers of America Newsletter. My second phone interview went a lot more smoothly, and was a lot of fun.
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• The Explosive Talents of Robert Crais
  May 2000, January Magazine
  My first real author interview, via long distance from Montreal to California. I almost had a heart attack while doing this -- the phone didn't work, my tape recorder malfunctioned, and I chattered at about 500 miles per hour. Fortunately, Crais talked me through it.
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• Case File: Laura Lippman
  June 1999, Reflections in a Private Eye
  A profile in the Private Eye Writers of America Newsletter. My very first profile, based on a slew of e-mails that flew back and forth between Laura and me. And she's still talking to me, so I guess I did okay.