When I set out to create Marcus Rydell and Kat Holley in DEAD ON (soon from Five Star), my intention was to "pleasure" my good friend Ed Gorman with a modern day NOIR novel. Now I ask you the question, do you think a guy with my skill set can pull it off? Create a modern day Bogie and BaCall story set in Atlanta of all places and branching out to the darkest woods you'll ever be creeped out in? I believe Noir is not a time period, nor does it need to be a black and white movie, nor a particular setting, but it does have to have a noir attitude and the kind of rapid-fire dialogue true to noir, the sort that verges on hardboiled, you might say. The dialogue is much of what constitutes great noir along with the deep-cut shadows and dark corners and mean streets and layers of gray. If you want to see if I succeeded at modern day noir, and by the way Ed loved it, then you can have an early look at DEAD On by going to my website and clicking on to a free download --
www.RobertWalkerBooks.com

Robo Writer Rob

For all yous guys who write mystery of any stripe, I find DorothyL.com a great place to palaver as well as here. Many a teacher, librarian, editor, cop, cop writer, writer cop, and you name it aboard, numbering over 3,225 I understand. Take a look-see and come aboard.

Rob Walker
Dead On, coming from 5-Star next spring!

You came in wid da right answer; I got friends ya know in Chicago, so's you know. Glad you're enjoying Inspector Ransom and the strange Dr. Tewes; did you like the scene with the taylor's tape around Dr. Tewes waistline? In my books, I like to screw with the reader's head as much as I can get away with. Did the same in my earlier series, too. And thanks for letting it be known that I did such a good job of editing for Peter R. as I try to make every client happy after they pay me to take a scalpel to their writing. Imagine if you willlllll, they pay me to tear them apart.

Rob
aka the Knife

Hola, Seen-Your Rob!

Yes..I mean, See! I am nearly finished with "City" and then we will definitely be throwing a net over you and dragging you into the spotlight of my podcast! I'm just saving the best for last is all, hehe.

Joe Konrath has done his very best to step into my shoes, to follow in my footsteps, and I first noticed it while living in Chicago and meeting him at The Red Lion Inn the night of his reading there. What with the snowbanks outside, yes, he literally allowed me to go ahead so that he, wearing sandals, could follow in my boot-steps. Some years later, he stood up as my best man at my wedding to Miranda, and I have had repercussions from famiy ever since who did an intervention on learning my best friend was Satan in disguise. Now I dare to turn over my time at ACME to the man with trepidation and a mixture of love.

Please heed this warning. Don't leave your internet alone with Joe, and don't leave Joe alone with your internet. Does it make sense? You bet.
Go to www.acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com to get the riff from Joe on marketing your crime novel.

Rob Walker

Free early sneak peek download for my upscoming new novel that Tess Gerittsen and Ken Bruen have kissed with fantastic blurbs - DEAD ON simply by going to www.robertwalkerbooks.com and with a single click of the switch, viola. All I ask is that you talk it up if you like it, and I have no doubt you will because i slaved away on this one big time. It's a modern day noir set in Atlanta and the darkest woods you will ever FEEL creeping up around you like cudzoo.

rob walker

Robert,

If you take a look at " My Page ", I think we might be able to do some business. Since no law enfocement agency will go near this, it would have to be presented as a " Fictional True Story ", unless your lawyer will file a civil rights lawsuit for me. Let me know.

Google: John Jenney for previous family history.

Sincerely,

J. Michael Jenne

Hey Robster, How's it going? I DID read the interview and messaged you over our encrypted, secret society email. But maybe it's so super secret now, you didn't get it. Anyhow, great article. I've been busy too, editing like crazy on the first NETDRAG podcast which debuts TOMORROW. Who would have thunk such a petite little gal like Kaye Barley would know THAT many swear words? Man, can that little mountain momma ever cuss! Just kidding...the worst word she used in the interview was "hush" and that was only because I wouldn't shut my big mouth and let her talk, hehe.

thanks!
best of luck with it!
Love noir, love to read and write it!

Robert Walker! Well, I swan! Imagine seeing YOU here...hehe.

Hi Rob,
Remember to add your RSS feed here.
Morgan

The short story comp announcement will be on March 31st. I'll put up a notice to that effect.

Hi Rob
I enjoy your posts on DL and thought I'd introduce myself. I admire you ability to write in so many genres.

Agreed about length and cinama -- Elmore Leonard's novels all translate to film so well due to great plots tightly written. Hombre for example is reallly novella length. He aso wrote :10 to Yuma and Get Shorty and many more --but then you likelly know that. Then there's Alastair McClean, same thing -- he did among others Rosemary's Baby and Boys from Brazil. McClean always wrote short, punchy novels with a single driving story.
As to the anthology ideas, sent two off to a publisher to see if there's any interest. I fear most publishers have been bitten in the ass doing anthologies as they are a hard sell but no one knows why, even an anthology with leading bestselling authors on the cover. Who knows??
Rob

Hi Rob, you should run the idea past them and see if they like it. If they do surely it is the publisher's responsibility to come up with a decent editor willing to take on the task. The short story medium is definately neglected by publishers and readers alaike and sadly I feel, to their cost.. In my opinion short stories make the idea format for transfer to the big screen. Concise, tightly driven, well plotted stories in three parts. In other words, made for cinema.

Good to hear from you, Jana. Miranda will be with me at LIM, and we can catch up. You still in Georgia?

Rob

Hi Rob! Nope, we're not on a panel together (though I did propose one) so the impromptu bar panel is a good idea. Haven't read City of the Absent yet, but I will as soon as the current ms. is off to the beta readers. It's my "carrot", as it were.

Not doing to many conferences this year but will be at Love is Murder, Chicago, and hopefully B-Con Baltimore this year. If you like Deaver, you'd ike any of my Instinct titles. Check 'em out on amazon for the artwork, descripts, and silly reviews.
Have a great day and enjoy!
Rob

Hi Robert, thanks for joining me. I saw that we share a love for the works of Tess Gerritsen and Jeff Deaver, both of whom I've been fortunate to have been in contact with over the last year. Much of my work is inspired by the style of Jeff Deaver. Glad you llike the covers by the way. I love Pongo! Dog are mypassion inlife. We have 3 recued dogs, all previous vicitms of abuse. the pic on my site is Tilly, who like Pongo, is joined to me at the hip. she never leaves my side, even when I'm busy writing, she'd right there, lying on my foot as I type! It's great to meet you and hope to hear more from you in the future.

Brian