Date Published: September 1, 2020
Publisher: Crazy 8 Press
Angela Hardwicke isn’t just any private eye. She’s a PI from Eternity, the cosmic realm responsible for the design, creation, and maintenance of the Universe.
When accountant Gil Haberseau hires her to find an intern with stolen corporate files, Hardwicke soon finds herself embroiled in a deadly case of lies, intrigue, and murder, clashing with vengeful gangsters, MinderNot rallies, and a madman who’s come a long way to get what he wants.
In Russ Colchamiro’s thrilling Sci-Fi mystery Crackle and Fire, Angela Hardwicke learns once and for all that when it comes to being an intergalactic private eye, there’s no telling what threats she may face on-realm and off… including the demons that lurk deep within her soul.
Bonus story included! The AI-themed Angela Hardwicke murder mystery, “The Case of Jarlo’s Buried Treasure”
Q: Is there
anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Russ: Writing
mysteries is a complex process necessitating a chain of events that ultimately
link together. If even one step or detail is broken or missing or contradicts
another, it’s like a house of cards—the entire mystery collapses on itself. It
requires that I think each step through, and re-think and re-re-think. I spend
quite a bit of time talking out the narrative and listening for gaps in logic
or character and worldbuilding inconsistencies—and then patching them up or making
changes accordingly. It’s fun in its own way and for me, absolutely critical,
but it can be a tedious process.
Q: How many books
have you written and which is your favorite?
Russ: Between novels,
novellas and anthologies my work has appeared in more than 20 books, with
another half dozen on the way. My new favorite is the scifi noir CRACKLE AND
FIRE, which just came out this month. I’m incredibly happy with it. The main character
is hardboiled private eye Angela Hardwicke. She like a cross between Doctor
Who, Blade Runner, and Veronica Mars. She might be the most complex character I’ve
ever written.
Q: If You had the
chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Russ: Hayley Atwell,
who played Agent Peggy Carter in the Marvel Universe, but only if she can keep
her British accent. She’s a great actress, looks the part, and has proven she’s
a natural in this type of role.
Q: When did you
begin writing?
Russ: I started as
a kid, and while I took long gaps across many years, never looked back.
Q: How long did it
take to complete your first book?
Russ: Start to
finish it took me almost six years to write and then publish Finders Keepers.
Now, on average, it takes me about a year all in to write, edit, and publish a
novel.
Q: Did you have an
author who inspired you to become a writer?
Russ: I can’t say any
one author inspired me to be a writer, but some of my favorite authors include
Christopher Moore, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Coben, Sara Gran, Stephen King, and Elmore
Leonard.
Q: What is your
favorite part of the writing process?
Russ: I happen to
love the editing process. Writing a first draft is exciting and filled with its
own magic, but the editing process allows me to refine the details and nuance,
and elevate my work. I typically aim for a C+ or B- quality first draft—word vomit,
to get my ideas on paper in a reasonable fashion. For me, the editing phase is
where the surgical changes come in, both in terms of overall narrative and then
down to the finest points. I’ve found that dozens or even hundreds of smaller,
but precision edits can improve my work in ways that one or two ‘bigger’
changes simply can’t accomplish.
Q: Describe your
latest book in 4 words
Russ: Intergalactic
PI Hunts Madman
Q: Can you share a
little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
Russ: Straight
from the back cover, here’s my new book CRACKLE AND FIRE, published by Crazy 8
Press:
“Angela
Hardwicke isn't just any private eye.
She's a PI from Eternity, the cosmic realm
responsible for the design, creation, and maintenance of the Universe.
When accountant Gil Haberseau hires her to find
an intern with stolen corporate files, Hardwicke soon finds herself embroiled
in a deadly case of lies, intrigue, and murder, clashing with vengeful
gangsters, MinderNot rallies, and a madman who's come a long way to get what he
wants.
In Russ Colchamiro's thrilling Sci-Fi mystery
Crackle and Fire, Angela Hardwicke learns once and for all that when it comes
to being an intergalactic private eye, there's no telling what threats she may
face on-realm and off... including the demons that lurk deep within her soul.”
I’m now working on
the second book in the series, which will be available Fall 2021 from Crazy 8
Press.
About the Author
Russ Colchamiro is also the author of the rollicking sci-fi adventure, Crossline, the zany sci-fi/fantasy backpacking series Finders Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, editor of the sci-fi-themed mystery anthology Love, Murder & Mayhem, and co-author and co-editor of Murder in Montague Falls, a noir-inspired collection of novellas.
Russ is also the creator and host of Russ’s Rockin’ Rollercoaster podcast, where he has interviewed several NY Times and USA Today best-selling sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery authors. Russ has also contributed short stories to more than a dozen sci-fi and fantasy anthologies.
He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children.
For more on Russ and Russ’s Rockin’ Rollercoaster, visit www.russcolchamiro.com, follow him on Twitter and Instagram @AuthorDudeRuss, ‘like’ his Facebook author page www.facebook.com/RussColchamiroAuthor, and watch his podcast on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUb7MDUNQxyVRBDOTVEqOaw
Contact Links
Twitter: @authorduderuss
Instagram: @authorduderuss
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