Russ Heitz

115, Male

Sarasota

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:
Sarasota, Florida, USA
About Me:
Originally from Pennsylvania, my wife and I moved to Sarasota, Florida, over 30 years ago. I have been writing most of my life and have, at one time or another, written in almost every genre, from romance to suspense, from Picture Book texts to technical reports, from short stories to novels to Young Adult biographies. I was also a publications specialist for local government for a number of years and in that capacity I wrote press releases, audio/visual scripts, magazine articles, newspaper columns, annual reports, newsletters, technical reports, procedure manuals, ceremonial documents, and letters to the president. ***** My rapidly-paced suspense novel, CROSSHAIRS, was released last summer and I am now involved in the promotion of the book. I have also been doing book reviews when I find the time and have also been working on a sequel to CROSSHAIRS. ***** My original idea that prompted CROSSHAIRS was to do a series of suspense novels set in the wilderness areas of north-central Pennsylvania where I lived for a number of years. The series would revolve around a newly elected sheriff who has no law enforcement experience at all, doesn't like guns, and is suddenly faced with a serial killer whose victims appear to have no connection with each other. Each novel in the series would have the same basic cast of characters, some in law enforcement, some not. My original idea was sorta-kinda like a police procedural except the setting is a combination of small town plus sparsely populated deer-hunting wilderness where EVERYBODY has a gun of some sort. ***** I am a member of the Mystery Writers of America, American Crime Writers League, and the Florida Association of Writers. I would be pleased to correspond with other mystery/suspense/thriller writers.
I Am A:
Writer
Website:
http://russheitz.com
Books And Authors I Like:
Ed McBain, Bill Pronzini, John Steinbeck, J.D. Salinger and the classical Japanese haiku writers. My all-time favorite book is JOHN BROWN'S BODY by Stephen Vincent Benet.
Movies And TV Shows I Like:
Don't watch much TV but when I do it's usually non-network channels (I make an exception for the NFL) like A & E, History, Discovery, Travel, National Geographic. I never missed ICE ROAD TRUCKERS, and THE DEADLIEST CATCH and FIRST 48.

Comment Wall:

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  • Russ Heitz

    Thanks, Darren, hope you enjoy the excerpt. And Best Wishes for '08 to you, too!
  • Patricia Harrington

    Russ, saw your posts about your favorite mystery authors. Good stuff, and I agree. I think Pronzini is listed with some kind of contact number in the MWA Member Directory (didn't look, but think so). Maybe the national office would forward a message, where it isn't spam. Your Crosshairs sound very good and the setting and protagonist definitely interesting!

    All best wishes,

    Pat Harrington
  • Preetham Grandhi

    Hi Russ, I want to introduce you to my debut novel "A Circle of souls" which is a murder, mystery, psychological thriller and a tale of justice and hope. Do visit www.acircleofsouls.com to read more about the book. Make sure you sign up to win an autographed copy of the book. You can also read more reviews by clicking on the More Reviews button at the website. Thanks for your time in advance.

    Best regards

    Preetham Grandhi

    Early Endorsements for “A Circle of Souls”

    Linda Fairstein, NYT Bestselling Author: "A fascinating debut - this novel takes the reader to the darkest places in the human soul, from a writer with the authenticity to lead us there. A stunning thriller and an important read."

    Judge Judy Sheindlin, star of the Judge Judy Show: "The seminal work of this fine author kept me glued to my chair until the adventure was over and the mystery solved. A great read!"

    Book Synopsis:

    The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.

    Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.

    The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
    In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.