Austin S. Camacho's Blog
RSS
Oct.07.2009
Hannibal Jones, my fictional Washington DC-based, African American private eye, tells this frame tale story of rescue in his own words.
One thing I try hard not to do is letting the bad guys get the drop on me. So I’m a little embarrassed to explain how I ended up in that alley at night with...
Continue Reading »
Aug.03.2009
At book signings there are always people who, instead of asking about my books will ask, “are you self-published?” or, “Who’s your publisher?” It often feels like a put down, and some days I wish I could say “Random House. Why?” Instead I explain that I’m published by two small presses, Echelon...
Continue Reading »
1 comment
Aug.02.2009
What a Writer Should Read I've heard that when a fiction writer is creating he should not read anyone else’s fiction because it may color his own work. Since I’m always writing I don’t necessarily take that advice but even if I did, I would never completely stop reading. There is a real world we...
Continue Reading »
May.21.2009
I've been trying to get some buzz going for the imminent release of Russian Roulette and things are happening on line. You'll have to pardon my ego while I share my good fortune.
First, the Crime Critics website posted a very nice review of Russian Roulette, the very first advance review published...
Continue Reading »
May.15.2009
Here's a question that comes up: "What do you think about ghost writing? I'm in need of a writer to tell my story because I really do not have the time to write it and really don't know how to get started." This is really two different questions, depending on whether you are asking about...
Continue Reading »
1 comment
Apr.23.2009
I thought I'd update you on my promotional progress, and offer you free food - whether you're a mystery reader or mystery seller.
Did you know that there are 47 bookstores in this country that specialize in mystery fiction? That’s after you eliminate the ones that focus on collectible and antique...
Continue Reading »
Apr.21.2009
I like to point you to books that will be good additions to your personal library, or web sites that might help you find them. Today I want to tell you about Mark Athitakis' American Fiction Notes.
Mark Athitakis is a writer, an editor, a critic, and a blogger who’s spent more than a dozen...
Continue Reading »
Apr.07.2009
I have not been a strong proponent of e-books, mostly because they don’t appeal to me. But since I received a nice review from a Kindle reader a couple days ago I’ve been rethinking the issue.
My pal and fellow mystery writer Joe Konrath is a Kindle bestseller. He says that e-books are the future...
Continue Reading »
2 comments
Mar.11.2009
You know I’m a believer in writer’s organization. I pay my dues to Mystery Writers of America , Private Eye Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, American Independent Writers, the Virginia Writers Club and even the Maryland Writers Association in the next state over. But why would an...
Continue Reading »
Feb.16.2009
For the last four months there has been a lot of talk about how badly the publishing industry is doing. Mostly we hear about how publishers are losing money, how hard it is for agents to place manuscripts, and how authors are being abandoned by those who were their champions. What we don’t hear...
Continue Reading »
Feb.01.2009
For people in the business world, that is not a rhetorical question. It is one that I contemplate more and more as I approach the release of my next novel. For a goal-oriented person like me, the world sometimes revolves around tracking what I do and measuring the results. Tracking my activity is...
Continue Reading »
Jan.20.2009
Does anyone else think it is ironic to have this particular presidential inauguration the day after Martin Luther King Day? While Obama has been called a seeker of consensus, I think Dr. King might have had some valuable advice for the new president. It was Dr. King who said:
"A genuine...
Continue Reading »
Jan.18.2009
I received e-mails from a few friends recently asking me to back a political movement. I generally shy away from such things, but as it affects the publishing world I’ve given it much thought. The Obama transition team is seeking input from citizens on ways to bolster the economy. The e-mail, on...
Continue Reading »
Jan.13.2009
Stepping out of my genre
Not long ago my agent presented me with a challenge I wasn’t sure I could accept. Parties I cannot name here decided to assemble an anthology to commemorate the 50th anniversary of The Twilight Zone TV show. She said they wanted to get this thing into bookstores in a hurry...
Continue Reading »
2 comments
Jan.12.2009
I like to use this blog to direct you to interesting web sites, even if I choose my own. Today I’d like to introduce you to a fan named Ron Stutler.
I met Ron in a mall bookstore when I signed a copy of "Collateral Damage" for him. Recently he wrote to tell me that he read the book...
Continue Reading »
About Austin
Austin S. Camacho is the author of the Hannibal Jones detective series - Blood and Bone, Collateral Damage, The Troubleshooter, Damaged Goods and Russian Roulette, plus two action adventure novels, The Payback Assignment and The Orion Assignment. Active in...