Mike MacLean

Male

Tempe, AZ

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:: Tempe
About Me:: My fiction has bloodied the pages of The Best American Mystery Stories, Thuglit: Hardcore Hardboiled, The Deadly Bride, and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (not to mention the great e-zines Thuglit, Thrilling Detective, and Plots with Guns). Recently, I've begun a screenwriting career working for independent film legend Roger Corman.

A teacher of America's youth, I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, a city just a few degrees cooler than hell. I still live there today with the world's best wife, my beautiful baby daughter, and two lazy dogs. When not teaching or writing, I practice Ja-Shin-Do and watch way too many violent movies.
I Am A:: Writer
Website:: http://www.mikemaclean.net
Books And Authors I Like:: I dig more authors than I can name here. The short list includes: Elmore Leonard, James Lee Burke, Andrew Vachss, Joe R. Lansdale, Duane Swierczynski, Ken Bruen, George P. Pelecanos, James Ellroy, Richard Stark, Victor Gishcler, J.D. Rhodes, Anthony Neil Smith, Dave White, William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, Frank Miller, Garth Ennis, and Ed Brubaker.
Movies And TV Shows I Like:: The Usual Suspects, Pulp Fiction, True Romance, Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Professional, Way of the Gun, Big Trouble in Little China, The Godfather, Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs, Heat, Brave Heart, L.A. Confidential, The Matrix, Sin City, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, The Road Warrior, Rushmore, The Big Lebowski, Galaxy Quest, Die Hard, Robocop and the fine, fine films of Roger Corman.

Comment Wall:

Dave Zeltserman

Hey Mike, how you doin'? These days I spend much more time on Facebook than Crimespace--I'll try looking you up there.

----Dave

Aug 11, 2009
Dave Zeltserman

Well, there's still Thuglit, which is pretty damn good, although I'm beginning to think free web-zines do a writers as a whole a disservice, devalues what we do. I don't know. You were doing some screenwriting? How's that going? Right now I have Impact Pictures developing one of my books, and just hoping it goes into development...

Aug 11, 2009
Dave Zeltserman

Got my black belt a while ago and am close to testing for my second degree. We're moving towards internal than external, but still learning some cool external stuff like Budha Palms and bagwa.

I think this film is going to happen--it sounds like the script is about done, and they seem pretty committed to do this. All the movies they make seem to gross over $150 mil, so I'm certainly hoping it does!

Are any of your scripts closer to being made? Have you met Corman?

Aug 11, 2009
Dave Zeltserman

well, I'm not saying individual writers haven't benefited from web-zines, I'm thinking more as the writing community as a whole. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe web-zines helped generate more interest in crime stories which helped lead to more anthologies like the Akashic noir series. I don't know--that was one of the things that I kept debating about Hardluck--whether I was helping to drive down the value of what I considered high quality fiction I was publishing, and doing more harm than good with the web-zine. I still haven't figured it out.

I read your story that made it into the Best American Mysteries, and if it didn't get published in Thuglit, it would have gotten published in print somewhere and likewise would have made it into BAMS--it was too good a story for that not to have happened.

Aug 11, 2009
p. b. smith

Hey, Mike. Welcome to CrimeSpace!

Aug 11, 2009
Pat Mullan

Greetings from Connemara, Mike.
Slan go foill, Pat.

Aug 13, 2009
Vikki Petraitis

G'Day Mike, I'm a teacher too and I write true crime books. Hmmm. Might be something to think about there. Although I am in Melbourne - right at the bottom of Australia so we're not hotter than hell, but rather a nice mild place which is either a bit warm or a bit cool (mostly).

Aug 23, 2009
Vikki Petraitis

Watching the Australia film with Hugh Jackman is just like living in the outback about 60 years ago. For most Aussies, that image of Australia is about as remote as a cowboys and indians movie is for American kids today. Melbourne is just like every other big city - millions of people, tall buildings. Have a look at us at http://api.ning.com/files/fogS-2imuv37wQnJpqruav8MCrY4y*2CTP4CU3r2VUx7Hc2a*rDMzc1Z9LiBvurxw7TLS1vXtmfzaELPreYSsTnafOdogHgI/3_melbourne_airport.jpg__As for teaching providing material for crime - I'm trying fiction at the moment and teaching provides HEAPS of material. Every funny things the kids have ever said has been stored somewhere in my memory and is very conveniently coming to the surface in my novel.

Aug 24, 2009
Vikki Petraitis

You mean you don't have Indians and Road Runner cactuses? Now it's my turn to be disappointed.

Aug 25, 2009
Matthew Quinn Martin

...did you know that Kim Cattrall was older at the premiere of the Sex &
the City movie than Rue McClanahan was at the premiere of the first episode of The Golden Girls? ...and if that doesn't make me a trivia geek, what will? Anyway...yes, looking forward to reading some of your stuff too (maybe next week...crazy this one). Best -m

Aug 26, 2009
Preetham Grandhi

Hi Mike , 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.

Aug 27, 2009
JackBludis

We share many of the same favorite writers and movies. Nice web site. Good, broad selection of e-zine publications. Some of the best of the hard-boiled.

It must have been great learning experience to work for a legend like Roger Corman.

Aug 30, 2009
O'Neil De Noux

Mike,
Pretty sure I read your 'Little Secrets' in EQMM. My story 'When the Levees Break' was in EQMM's tribute to New Orleans issue. I have a story coming out in the Jan/Fed Issue of AHMM.

Aug 31, 2009
JackBludis

Mike,

Thanks for the props about my stories at ThrillingDetective.com

I consider myself a novelist first. As to why the best doesn't get published? Perhaps we are too blinded for our love of a piece to see it in perspective.

As to stories. I usually only write stories when I have have no novel project ... or when I just get the bug.

Although I have sold 400+ stories, they were generally trash and often for less than a penny a word. Yep, even today stuff goes for a penny a word. But I am proud of my work at: http://www.thrillingdetective.com/ and at http://www.backalleywebzine.com/

But I haven't cracked the biggies like AHMM and EQMM. But I have appeared in a couple of anthologies including Laura Lippman's "Baltimore Noir."

Again, thanks for your positive comments.

Please chat back ... could be fun.

Aug 31, 2009
Mark Bouton

Thanks, Mike. Good to be here. Looks like a good site. Mark

Aug 31, 2009
JackBludis

Instead of "trash," I might have said "hack work." about 300 of my 400 stories were written first draft and barely proofread and most were in the category of erotica ... no so sure it was hard core because I was complimented by editors again and again for the characterization, the structure, etc. Some of what I wrote I am still being paid for on a quarterly basis.

Three novellas that I wrote sold 3 different times each (These were pulp-like mysteries that seem to hit a note with more than one editor.) Currently, it is sitting in the computer awaiting a decision by me whether to just let them die of rust or try to market them again.

They are the kind of pulp that we used to read in the army and mark the "interesting" paragraphs.

Every novel or story the bears the "Jack Bludis" name is a novel or story I am proud to show.

Of the the other 100+ Some are pretty good, some not so good. And a few ... hell, even I don't get the point.

Thanks for asking.

Roger Corman's is Academy Award when related to most of my many pseudonyms.

Thanks for asking. If you don't mind, I'm going to put this note on my own page as well as yours.

Maybe we can get a discussion going on the forum related to what is and is not trash when it comes to mysteries.

Jack

Aug 31, 2009
Hilary Davidson

Mike,
I knew your name seemed familiar! I really liked your story "McHenry's Gift." Thanks for your note.
Hilary

Sep 1, 2009
Matt Hilton

Hi Mike, thanks for picking up my book and jumping it to the head of your tbr pile. I'm anxious now: hope you find it was worth the effort and really do enjoy it.

Sep 2, 2009
Christopher Grant

The Hard Case Crime Quarrys: The Last Quarry and The First Quarry. In November, Quarry In The Middle will be out.

I've been trying to track down the very first (actual first, not the one from HCC) Quarry for forever.

I also have and have read Primary Target, which is an underrated and really forgotten Quarry novel.

And, of course, there are some shorts out there with Quarry as protagonist, one of which is in Robert J. Randisi's collection Greatest Hits (you may still be able to track this down).

I found a real gem of MAC's the other day, even though it has nothing to do with Quarry, in Lawrence Block's anthology Opening Shots.

Titled Public Servant, Collins says that it was a Jim Thompson pastiche and, as I read it, I thought, "This reads like something from ATON". It was really strange and exciting and so was the story.

So those are my suggestions as far as Quarry goes. I really wish someone would reprint all of them.

Sep 3, 2009