CYBER CAFE: Meet Clark Boyd, Fellow Author in Moonlight and Misadventure

Clark Boyd

Greetings Readers!

Exciting news: it’s already June and in  a little more than two weeks time, the  publication of Moonlight and Misadventure on June 18th. 

I’m delighted to welcome fellow author, Clark Boyd to Cyber Cafe. Clark  lives and works in the Netherlands. His fiction and essays have appeared in High Shelf Press, Havok, Scare Street, Fatal Flaw Magazine, and various DBND Publishing horror anthologies. He is currently at work on a book about windmills. Or cheese. Maybe both!

Clark’s wickedly twisted sense of humor makes his story “Battle of the Jerrell Twins” such a great read.

Tell us about the Jerrell Twins. No spoilers!

When I was younger, I owned a 1967 Ford Mustang, fire-engine red just like the one in my story. The truth is that it once belonged to my grandmother, who only drove it back and forth to work. My abiding memory of that car is that it reeked of her cigarettes no matter what I did to get rid of the smell. Also, in an earlier draft of the story, I referenced a little horse-shaped hood ornament that I could have sworn sat on the hood of that car — in the center, right at the front. (Gleaming in the moonlight, of course!) But I had to take that detail out because, as my father insisted, 1967 Mustangs didn’t come with hood ornaments. Dads can be such buzzkills.

What gave you the idea for the crazy idiot Jerrells? 

In high school, I knew a kid whose dad was a dentist.  On a regular basis he kept a canister of nitrous oxide in his car, and bragged about how he lifted it from his father’s office. I remember watching in awe as he and his buddies took hits off that bottle before school. I’d never heard anyone laugh with such delicious fun and reckless abandon before. Or since, for that matter. At some point, I think the kid wrapped his car around a tree or drove it into a K-Mart or something. I always dreamed of finding some way to weave this madness into a story. “Misadventure” seemed to fit.

What do you especially enjoy about being part of Moonlight and Misadventure?

I love the conceit of it more than anything. I had been working on this story for a few months, and it had gone through a lot of tweaks as I sent it off to different places. But when I saw what Judy was looking for in Moonlight and Misadventure, the whole thing coalesced and gave me the frame I needed to tell the story right.

Tell us more about your writing. Do you prefer writing short fiction or novels or both?

I spent twenty years reporting, writing, and editing radio scripts for an international news program called The World, which still airs daily on the US public radio network. When I left that life behind and moved with my family to the Netherlands, I figured it was time to try something new. I’ve been dabbling in short fiction and essays ever since, with an eye toward eventually trying a novel. Maybe it’s no surprise, given the fact that I wrote so long for the ear and not the eye, that I enjoy crafting dialogue more than just about anything else.

What genres appeal to you? 

“The Ballad of the Jerrell Twins” is my first crime fiction story. Most of what I’ve written best fits into the horror category, although I tend away from gore and lean toward stories with a psychological twist. No matter what I write, I try to infuse it with humor and not take it too seriously.  Perhaps that’s why I don’t have much luck getting any “literary fiction” published.

How did you become a writer? Did you know from childhood or did you decide later in life?

I knew from a very young age that I wanted to write. One of my earliest elementary school memories is winning a prize for some (extremely) short story I wrote in second grade. Later in life, one of the main reasons I became a radio journalist was because I could get paid (poorly) to write on a daily basis. That said, I can’t say that trying to switch gears and write fiction at the age of 50 is the best career move I’ve ever made…

Well, we disagree! Learn more about Clark and his writing here

Website:  Slaughterhouse SketchesJourneys into the Dutch Heart and Soul (wpcomstaging.com)

Twitter: @clark_boyd

About Moonlight & Misadventure:

Whether it’s vintage Hollywood, the Florida everglades, the Atlantic City boardwalk, or a farmhouse in Western Canada, the twenty authors represented in this collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of “moonlight and misadventure” in their own inimitable style where only one thing is assured: Waxing, waning, gibbous, or full, the moon is always there, illuminating things better left in the dark.

 

Release date: June 18, 2021 in all e-book formats and trade paperback on Amazon and all the usual suspects.

 

 

 

NEWS: Moonlight and Misadventure Cover Reveal!

Greetings Readers!

Here’s the promised cover reveal for the upcoming anthology, Moonlight & Misadventure, edited by the tireless Judy Penz Sheluk. The cover designer is Hunter Martin who created the look for her first two anthologies, The Best Laid Plans and Heartbreaks and Half-truths.

I’m delighted that my story, “The Moon God of Broadmoor”, is one of 20 stories in this collection. The official publication date is June 18th, but you may pre-order it at Amazon here.

Also a privilege to be part of Joanna Van der Vlugt’s  podcast together with Judy, Karen Abrahamson, Susan Daly, Elizabeth Elwood and Susan Jane Wright.  Recorded in April, it’s scheduled to be broadcast in July.

For a behind the scene look at the making of a podcast, read Judy Penz Sheluk’s blog here.

 

 

EAT THIS BOOK: Forgotten Writers #8 – Robert Ray – Murdock PI Series

More shelf clearing, Readers!

Next up: Murdock for Hire, Book 2 in the hard-boiled PI series by Robert Ray,   featuring boat- building private eye,  Matt Murdock.

Author Robert Ray is a pretty cool guy.  Born in Texas in 1935, which makes him 86 years old, he describes himself as “author, teacher, dangerous thinker”.  In university he majored in languages, learning Russian, Chinese and Hindustani!  He bagged a PhD and has spent his professional life teaching writing at the college level.

Penguin published Ray’s first books in the Murdock series from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. I remember their witty titles: Bloody Murdock, Dial M for Murdock, Merry Christmas Murdock and Murdock Cracks Ice.  Then there’s a 20 year gap before the next two books in the series: Murdock Tackles Taos (2012) and Murdock Rocks Sedona (2015). Also a change of venue from California to New Mexico and a change in publishers to Camel Press Publishing  a mid-list publisher of genre fiction located in Washington State.

So what happened?  A familiar and unhappy scenario for many writers.  They publish a series of books then the publisher drops them because (a) their editor and in-house champion left the company or (b) the books didn’t sell quite enough. Quality doesn’t count, not even Hammett nominations, only biz revenues.  Authors’ careers increasingly resemble the business curves of  commodities.

So what happened to Ray in the intervening 20 years? Quite a lot as it turned out.

He returned to his teaching roots and with co-author, Bret Norris, created The Weekend Novelist, a step-by-step manual for wannabe authors busy with their day jobs.  It proved to be such a huge success that Ray went on to write two more follow-ups: The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery with his friend, Jack Remick as well as  The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel.  Ray believes that  the books have taught more than 10,000 people how to write!

Ray also wrote a standalone thriller, The Hitman Cometh as well as several business texts and a book on tennis.

Today, with the help of Jack Remick, he maintains a vibrant blog on his website. Every Tuesday and Friday they write together at Louisa’s Bakery and Cafe in Seattle, a city where he and his wife live with three cats…so far.

I like this guy!!

Re-reading the opening chapters of Murdock for Hire, I’m struck by Ray’s spare, journalistic prose,  which zips you through the pages. The subject matter is pure “Wolf of Wall Street” stuff. Hapless businessman Eddie Hennessey tries the kinky sex and drugs of an exclusive hookers’ club and ends up unpleasantly dead. Murdock, who more than a little resembles Travis McGee (he loves boats and hot women), is asked to investigate.  It’s an enjoyable pulp read, the same but different.

BOTTOM LINE:   My copy of Murdock for Hire  is paperback, not first edition.  Prices on Abe Books, Amazon and Biblio range from $2 to $6.  Thierry value: $11.30US*

DECISION: Donate to Little Library

*Thierry value = most outrageous price you can humanly get away with. Named in honor of Mr. Brainwash who sold old used T-shirts for $500+. (See Banksy’s documentary, Exit through the Gift Shop.)

 

 

 

NEWS: Moonlight and Misadventure Coming June 18th

Greetings Readers!

My latest story, “The Moon God of Broadmoor”, is one of 20+ crime fiction tales in the anthology, Moonlight and Misadventure, edited by the indefatigable Judy Penz Sheluk (Superior Shores Press).  Publication date is June 18th.

Moonlight and Misadventure

Stand by for the cover reveal, which will happen in the next few weeks!

Several of the authors, including myself, will be part of west coast author,  Joanna Van der Vlugt’s  podcast to be recorded on April 17th. Looking forward to that!

Here’s a sneak peak of the back cover:

“Whether it’s vintage Hollywood, the Florida everglades, the Atlantic City boardwalk, or a farmhouse in Western Canada, the twenty authors represented in this collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of “moonlight and misadventure” in their own inimitable style where only one thing is assured: Waxing, waning, gibbous, or full, the moon is always there, illuminating things better left in the dark.”

Featuring stories by K.L. Abrahamson, Sharon Hart Addy, C.W. Blackwell, Clark Boyd, M.H. Callway, Michael A. Clark, Susan Daly, Buzz Dixon, Jeanne DuBois, Elizabeth Elwood, Tracy Falenwolfe, Kate Fellowes, John M. Floyd, Billy Houston, Bethany Maines, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Joseph S. Walker, Robert Weibezahl, and Susan Jane Wright.

 

EAT THIS BOOK: Forgotten Writers #7 – Stephen Paul Cohen

Back to clearing my book shelves, Readers!

Next up: two books by Stephen Paul Cohen, featuring investigator Eddie Margolis: Heartless (1986)  and Island of Steel (1988). Both published by William Morrow.

Stephen Paul Cohen is/was a real estate lawyer living in Minneapolis. His two private eye thrillers earned rave reviews in leading US publications. The New York Times called his writing “smart, desperate, gritty”. The Wall Street Journal gave it the ultimate praise:  “literate”.   I remember the emotional intensity of Cohen’s writing, something all we writers strive for.

Flipping through Cohen’s books 30 years later,  I realize that he’s writing noir – and nice juicy pulp fiction, too. The gritty street life he creates feels very real.  Just the same, he relies on many PI thriller tropes, which readers expected and wanted: Eddie Margolis, the hero, is a a desperate alcoholic who decides to avenge his best friend’s murder. He deals with corrupt rich and powerful men and beds deceitful dames. He’s betrayed by a lover. You know how it goes.

But that doesn’t mean the books are bad. Far from it. Genre publishers look for “the same but different”. By that criterion, Cohen’s books certainly deliver.

So what happened to Stephen Paul Cohen? There’s very little about him on the internet.  His books are available on Amazon.ca, but only as used copies.

One source of information is Allen J. Hubin’s review of Island of Steel on the Mystery File website.  Comments suggest that publishers may have dropped hard-boiled fiction in the early 1990s, because cozies sold better.  A fair observation, but I also believe that Cohen’s writing was ahead of its time. He was writing noir, which wasn’t popular then, but has since had a big resurgence .

I further suspect that unfavorable reviews may have played a part. In 1989, the year after Island of Steel came out, Cohen co-authored a speculative fiction thriller, Night Launch, with then Senator Jake Garn. The book should have been a slam dunk for both authors, but  Publishers Weekly gave it a thumbs down.  Did William Morrow drop Cohen because of that?

Ten years later, Cohen apparently tried writing again. His drug trade thriller, Jungle White, was published in Thailand by White Lotus Press, but not elsewhere. (Did Cohen move to Asia, the way a few of my friends have done?) A reviewer on the Things Asian website hated Jungle White so much he wrote a lengthy and damning review, renaming the book, “A White in the Jungle”.  I haven’t read it so I can’t comment either way.

All writers get the rare bad review. Most of the time the reader simply didn’t “get” the book. But when they feel compelled to vent to the whole world about it, I suspect a more self-centred motive is at play.  I have to ask the question: Did the Things Asian review make Cohen quit writing for good?

BOTTOM LINE:   My copies of Heartless and Islands of Steel are used Avon paperbacks, not first editions.  Prices on Abe Books, Amazon and Biblio range from $4 to $12.  Thierry value: $18.97US*

DECISION: Keep as rare books. 

*Thierry value = most outrageous price you can humanly get away with. Named in honor of Mr. Brainwash who sold old used T-shirts for $500+. (See Banksy’s documentary, Exit through the Gift Shop.)

 

 

 

SURREAL TRAPDOOR: Abandoned Buildings in Your Neighbourhood- Part 2

In January I blogged about the ivy-drowned mansion near our cottage  which was later salvaged…sort of.

Small town “haunted” mansion

But do such houses exist in Toronto? Yes, they do! And I’ve learned to spot them.

The obvious clues are boarded up or broken windows, wildly overgrown gardens, leaking roofs and guttering.  Though occasionally these signs can apply to a fully inhabited, sadly neglected house!

More subtle signs appear for vacant homes: usually the overgrown garden is a giveaway. No obvious cars, a sheen of dust on the windows, a dispirited ambience…Though someone somewhere is keeping up the basic maintenance to avoid destruction.

Water, sun and nature move swiftly to claim back the planet.

What fascinates me are the reasons why the house stands deserted. There are stories there. Did the owner grow too elderly or infirm? Turn away from the world because of heartbreak? Was there a family dispute? A lingering estate problem?

And what of this strange sight, spotted on a winter walk?

 

Has the hoarding become so extreme that it’s spilled onto the veranda? Or did someone clear it out for the junk removal service?

Definitely a story here!

 

 

 

URBEX: Toronto – Tout Est Possible!

red and blue abstract painting
URBEX!

It’s March and my thoughts turn to training for The Ride. If Toronto’s wild weather allows, mid-March means riding the real roads!

The 2021 Ride to Conquer is virtual once again, but training is real – and an escape from COVID.

And a chance to Urbex Toronto.  (Urbex = urban exploration.)

 

Spring this year promises to be mild and soon. I jumped on the bike the earliest since the inaugural 2008 ride and pulled off 13 km.

First snow drops

 

The Beltline trail proved to be treacherous. Crossing over the Iron Horse Bridge, I hit ice. It’s like hydroplaning in a car: don’t steer, don’t brake, don’t waver. Maintain speed and balance and hope to *$%# you make it over the next 50 feet.

 

I reached my beloved icon, Tout Est Possible – and happily contended with mere mud before retreating to dodging traffic on regular roads.

It turns out that the Beltline Tout Est Possible is only one of at least 20 such icons scattered throughout Toronto. Many appear in non-obvious locations in places like Sherwood Park, Nordheimer Ravine and Taylor Creek Park.

The artist remains unknown like Banksy since their work started appearing in 2011. I’m happy to report that when my fav got erased, the artist restored it before too long.

For a description of fellow cyclists’ full tour of the icons, see the blogTO article here.

 

 

NEWS! Story in Moonlight and Misadventure

Greetings Readers!

Delighted that my story, “The Moon God of Broadmoor” , has been accepted for Judy Penz Sheluk’s upcoming anthology, Moonlight and Misadventure.  Publication is scheduled for June 18, 2021. Exciting! I can’t wait to read the other stories in the collection.

Through Superior Shores Press, Judy has edited and published two previous anthologies, The Best Laid Plans and Heartbreak & Half-Truths, both of which have received critical acclaim.

Stay tuned for the cover reveal and more updates.

EAT THIS BOOK: Forgotten Books #6 -The Neon Flamingo by W. R. Philbrick

Eat This Book

 

 

 

 

I read my first T.D. Stash novel  while vacationing with the family at a tourist lodge on Lake Temagami. Despite being exhausted after canoeing with a 3 year old, I sat up all night to finish The Neon Flamingo. Its Florida Keys setting was as removed from Northern Ontario as you can imagine.

Gripping and smoothly written, W.R. Philbrick’s book has stayed with me, mostly because its hero, T.D. Stash, was so unusual for the late 1980s. He was a screw-up – a  stoner and sometime fisherman desperate enough for cash to do favors for friends – legal or not so much. He often made dire situations worse.

I quickly read the next two books in the series, The Crystal Blue Persuasion and Tough Enough. Then waited in vain for more.

A few years later I met W. R. Philbrick at a crime writers’ conference. He happily signed my copy of The Neon Flamingo then passed on the bad news that his editor didn’t want any  more T.D. Stash novels. A damn shame!

I suspect that TD Stash series was too dark. In other words, too intense, truthful and violent for 1990s readers. Like Liza Cody’s Bucket Nut, the books were fine examples of noir – and thus decades ahead of their time.

So what happened to W. R. Philbrick? I’m happy to tell you that he’s written over 30  novels under three pseudonyms, including the Connie Kale and J. D. Hawkins crime series.  He’s had great success as a YA author, winning multiple awards.  His YA adventure story, Freak the Mighty,  was translated into several languages and is studied in classrooms throughout the world. Later it became a successful film.

BOTTOM LINE:

The T.D. Stash books are not  available on Amazon in print or digital form. Abe Books carry only a very few used paperbacks listed between $3 to $8US.

DECISION: Keep this rare book.

EAT THIS BOOK: Never Going Back by Sam Wiebe

Novellas are relatively rare in crime fiction where formats are far more rigid than in literary and speculative fiction.  Short story lengths greater than 5000 words are tolerated…barely. And novels must be no less than 65,000 and no more than 95,000 words.

No doubt the formats are dictated by business rather than artistic imperatives. The story or book length a publisher believes will hold readers’ attention spans.

So what is a novella exactly? A long story or a short novel? As an author whose work naturally tends to fall in this category,  I believe a novella is a story with a linear plot but with more texture, atmosphere and complexity of character than can be captured in 5000 words or less.

The Orca Rapid Reads Series  breathed life into the crime fiction novella. Mostly because of this series, the CWC Awards of Excellence have had enough entries to create and sustain a novella category. (CWC defines a novella as a story between 8000 and 20,000 words.)

The Rapid Reads series is aimed at adults who are ESL students, who have difficulty reading or those who simply want a fast satisfying read. Although the language is uncomplicated, the books are not simplistic. They are hard-hitting, with adult themes and they often focus on social issues.

It’s a challenge for an author to streamline their writing style without losing its essence. That’s why Orca contracted with leading Canadian crime fiction authors for the 68 books in the series, including my friend, Sam Wiebe.

Sam’s novella, Never Going Back  (Orca, 2020)  is one of the latest books in the Rapid Reads series.  Its protagonist, Alison Kidd, is a tough young woman, a master thief who’s just gotten out of jail. She hated prison and she’s determined to go straight, but the local crime boss blackmails her into pulling off a risky job. If she refuses, her brother will be killed. Can she outsmart her old boss and save her brother and herself?

Sam’s hard-hitting, critically acclaimed Dave Wakeland series and his debut novel,  The Last of the Independents, are both written very much from a man’s point of view. I was intrigued that Sam chose a woman hero for Never Going Back. Could he pull it off?

I’m delighted to say that, yes, Sam did! Alison Kidd is a terrific and likeable character.  (More books and stories with strong women, Sam!) The plot has the twists and turns of a switchback highway and the suspense that goes along with it. An excellent thriller!

EAT THIS BOOK:  5 STARS

 

 

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