A.B.PATTERSON - Blog

Cops Writing Crime - Anthology Project

16/2/2020

Into 2020 and it's going to be a big year in this author house!

So, an update on a project I mentioned a bit over a year ago, but which I now want to fire up.

"Anthology in Blue: Cops Writing Crime" (working title only, but it could stick?)

If you follow my blogs and tweets, you'll know about my project "Cops Writing Crime". Starting in 2017, I set out to collect all the crime fiction authors I could find who had served (or are still serving in some cases) as police officers or related law enforcement roles. I've also included a handful of PIs. My interest in this category of crime writer, apart from being one myself, is the sheer realism that I've found in any crime fiction I've read from ex-cops.
Check out The Squad - Also: Cops Writing Crime

As at today (16 February 2020), I've collected 208 members for The Squad, from all over the world (and I've still got a few dozen more names to research). I'm not aware of any similar project on this scale, let alone an anthology dedicated to this cohort of crime fiction writers. Well, I'm going to change that and have a lot of fun in the process.

I'll firm up all the parameters in due course, but I'm keen to hear from members of The Squad who would potentially be interested in contributing.
I won't be able to pay you (this'll be a love project!), but it's an opportunity to have some fresh short story work published in what I think will be a unique collection. I'm intending original print paperback, print-on-demand, and digital versions, and I will send all contributors a couple of original paperback copies.

I'm also keen to have another author (or two) who could be an official co-editor with me (I'm happy to shoulder the work, but a source for second opinions and reality checks would be invaluable).

Looking forward to hearing from you sisters and brothers!

Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - 6 new members join The Squad.

8/2/2020

Another 6 colleagues - 4 American cousins, 1 British cousin and 1 Australian cousin - join The Squad today, bringing its numbers to 208.

That's 208 cops and ex-cops (and some PIs) who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

We have joining us today:
1. Jim Malloy - served with the San Diego PD. Several crime novels to his name.
2. James R. Kelly - served with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. One crime novel to his name.
3. Gary C. Lovett - served with the Atlanta PD. One crime novel to his name.
4. Earl Kratzer (deceased 2017) - served with the Cleveland PD. One crime novel to his name.
5. Matt Hilton - served with the Cumbria Police in the UK. Numerous crime novels to his name.
6. Liam Saville - served with the NSW Police in Australia. Several military crime novels to his name.

Our Squad now consists of:

116 American
45 British
12 Canadian
12 Australian
5 New Zealander
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian
1 Spaniard
1 Pakistani
1 Irish
1 Chinese

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

Bouchercon 2020 - A.B.Patterson will be taking his Aussie hard-boiled noir to the main event!

26/1/2020

Ever since I published my first crime novel back in 2015, I have been looking at the online publicity each year for Bouchercon in the US, and wishing like hell I was going to it. Bouchercon is the leading get together for the crime mystery genre, and its website says thus:
The World Mystery Convention is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization which holds an annual convention in honor of Anthony Boucher, the distinguished mystery fiction critic, editor and author.
Well, yesterday I made the decision, took the plunge, and registered for Bouchercon 2020.
In July last year I enjoyed a tremendous author trip to California, I loved the US, and I loved the amazing collegiate feel the crime writing community has over there. You are a great bunch, guys, and thank you so much for welcoming me in.
So, come October, I'll be heading back. Firstly for Bouchercon in Sacramento, but also hoping to be able to join in some crime author evenings in LA again.
And, of course, I'll be making a whole host of new author friends at the conference.
Roll on October!
Cheers,
ABP

PI Harry Kenmare heads for the town of Kenmare in County Kerry!

24/1/2020

Copyright: Above photo from County of Kerry Library website.

PI Harry Kenmare - possibly one of the hardest living private eyes you'll come across in the realms of hard-boiled crime fiction. And he's my main man - a flawed hero who loves women, booze, and tobacco. He loves justice and hates political correctness. And he's no fan of the Establishment. I'm liking him already!

If you've been at any of my public talks as an author, then you may have heard the question asked as to how Harry's name came about - it's been asked a few times.
I chose "Harry" for a good strong first name, and I think it suits this type of detective character well.
As for his surname, "Kenmare", we have to look to Ireland and my own heritage. I have a number of Irish lines in my ancestry. Five generations ago, Mr Patterson came from Belfast to the then colony of New South Wales. But generationally my closest Irish link, and my Irish citizenship source, was a great-grandma who hailed from Kenmare in County Kerry (see the map).
So it occurred to me in a flash one day late last year that Kenmare probably had a town library and how fitting would it be for the Harry Kenmare novels to be right there in the town for the Kenmare residents to enjoy (depending on reading tastes, of course!)
I made contact with the County Kerry Library Service and indeed the good folk at Kenmare Library (pictured at left) were keen for Harry to join their collection.
So today a parcel left Sydney headed for Kenmare with my donated copies to entertain any crime fiction fans in Kenmare.
And since a trip around the Emerald Isle is high on my priority list, at some stage soon I'll hopefully be able to give an author talk to the town of Kenmare.
Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - 5 new members join The Squad!

19/1/2020

Another 5 colleagues - 3 American cousins, 1 British cousin and our very first Chinese cousin - join The Squad today, bringing its numbers to 202.

That's 202 cops and ex-cops (and some PIs) who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

We have joining us today:
1. Robert J Sadler - served with the Dallas PD. Several crime novels to his name.
2. John Schembra - served with the Pleasant Hill PD in California. Several crime novels to his name.
3. Larry Watts - served with the Houston PD. Several crime novels to his name.
4. Roger A Price - served with the Lancashire Constabulary. Several crime novels to his name.
5. A Yi (Ai Guozhu) - served with the police in China and is our very first Chinese Squad member. One crime novel translated into English.

Our Squad now consists of:

112 American
44 British
12 Canadian
11 Australian
5 New Zealander
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian
1 Spaniard
1 Pakistani
1 Irish
1 Chinese

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

2020 - The year ahead for this author.

19/1/2020

And we are off to a New Year - 2020. Happy New Year to you all.
As a kid, saying any year with 20 in front of it suggested science fiction reading. And I always loved that genre as a youngster. Still do, and definitely not young any more!

Alas, the back half of 2019 became inundated with my consulting work (which pays the bills, so can't be ignored!) and my author pursuits suffered somewhat. Anyway, the holiday period is now over and I've had a break to reset and refocus.

So here's the list of my main author projects for the coming year:
1. The manuscript for my collection of Harry short stories is done and in the final stages of editing. The cover work and internal artwork are also in progress. Expect the book, Harry Kenmare, P.I. - At Your Service, around late March.
2. Going to try and pull off the first ever "Noir at the Bar" event for Sydney - just trying to rustle up some local crime authors to join in. Unfortunately I haven't found much sense of a collegiate crime author community here, unlike the wonderful experience I enjoyed in LA last year. However, I'm nothing if not stubborn.
3. The third Harry novel, Harry's Grail, is now well underway. First goal is to have the manuscript finished before the end of the year. If I can also publish before then as well, all the better. But realistically, early 2021.
4. Push on with some more short stories, Harry and others, and hopefully get some published.
5. And push on with a novella project I started way back, The Scent of the Wattle. It's a crime story about paedophiles and corruption, but definitely not Harry. Heavily based on my detective experiences.

Now...time to pull the finger out!

If I can stick to plan, then it's going to be a big 2020 for this author. Hope you'll join me for the ride, or at least parts of it.
Cheers,
ABP

"Harry's Quest" named Finalist in the 8th Beverly Hills Book Awards!

24/11/2019

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that Harry's Quest has been named as a Finalist (and, in fact, the runner up) in the Crime category of the 8th Beverly Hills Book Awards out of the USA.

Back in 2016, Harry's World also made Finalist in the same award, so looks like Harry goes down well in Beverly Hills!

Cheers,
ABP

A.B.Patterson on the radio - Link to 2SER interview "Death of the Reader"

18/11/2019

Last month I had the pleasure of meeting Flex and Herds at radio 2SER here in Sydney, joining them for their weekly "Death of the Reader" show.

So, here's the link for that interview: CLICK here.
Or paste this into your browser: https://2ser.com/tales-from-two-pockets-by-karel-capek-part-two/

And they're running a competition on Twitter (see below) to win the Harry novels.

Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - Another 7 members join The Squad!

27/10/2019

Another 7 colleagues - 5 American cousins, 1 British cousin and 1 New Zealand cousin - join The Squad today, bringing its numbers to 197.

That's 197 cops and ex-cops (and some PIs) who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

We have joining us today:
1. Daniel B. Silver - served with the San Francisco PD. I found one crime novel.
2. Kim Wozencraft - served with the Tyler PD in Texas. Several crime novels.
3. Judith Smith-Levin (deceased) - served with the Worcester PD in Massachusetts. Several crime novels.
4. Jerri Williams - served 26 years as a Special Agent with the FBI. Two crime novels so far.
5. L. Scott Silverii - served with the Thibodaux PD in Louisiana. Several crime novels.
6. Nick Oldham - served with the Lancashire Police in the UK. A prolific writer of crime novels.
7. Ian Austin - served with the New Zealand Police, and in the UK before that with the Hampshire Police. Two crime novels so far.

Our Squad now consists of:

109 American
43 British
12 Canadian
11 Australian
5 New Zealander
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian
1 Spaniard
1 Pakistani
1 Irish

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - 5 more members for The Squad!

24/10/2019

Another 5 colleagues, all American cousins, join The Squad today, bringing its numbers to 190.

That's 190 cops and ex-cops (and some PIs) who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

We have joining us today:
1. John J. Lamb - served in the Oceanside PD in California. A few crime novels to his name.
2. Jerry Minton - served in the LAPD. One crime novel I could find.
3. Loren W. Christensen - served in the Portland PD in Oregon. A prolific author in crime fiction and other genres.
4. C.A. Griffith - served in the Cobb County Sheriff's Office in Georgia. Several crime novels so far.
5. Joseph D. McNamara - served in the San Jose PD in California. A few crime novels to his name.

Our Squad now consists of:

104 American
42 British
12 Canadian
11 Australian
4 New Zealander
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian
1 Spaniard
1 Pakistani
1 Irish

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

COPS WRITING CRIME - 6 more members join The Squad!

7/10/2019

Another 6 colleagues join The Squad today, bringing its numbers to 185. Today we welcome 5 more American cousins, and 1 Australian (another ex-cop from my old police force! Welcome.)

That's 185 cops and ex-cops (and some PIs) who have taken to writing crime fiction. You won't get more realistic crime tales than those from this Squad!

We have joining us today:
1. Joseph J. Bradley - served in the Houston PD. One crime novel so far, from what I could find, plus other genres.
2. Victor Cass - served in the Pasadena PD. One crime novel so far, plus other genres.
3. Hadyn Green - served in the Western Australia Police. His debut crime novel has just come out this year.
4. R.E. Yantorno, Jr. - served in the Narberth Borough PD in Pennsylvania. A couple of crime novels so far.
5. Mitchell Nevin - served in the Milwaukee PD. A few crime novels to his name.
6. Ronald M. Schunk - served in the Dearborn County Sheriff's Department in Indiana. One crime novel so far.

Our Squad now consists of:

99 American
42 British
12 Canadian
11 Australian
4 New Zealander
3 Finnish
2 Dutch
2 Swedish
1 French
1 Bahamian
1 Norwegian
1 Italian
1 Czech
1 Russian
1 Hungarian
1 Spaniard
1 Pakistani
1 Irish

I'll keep adding more as I come across them, and if you know of any others please feel free to drop me a line.

Check out The Squad:
Also: Cops Writing Crime

And please remember, my list is only for CRIME FICTION - not all the true crime and/or memoir writing by cops and ex-cops that's out there (as good as so much of that is).

Cheers,
ABP

A.B.Patterson on the radio this evening - "Death of the Reader", on 2SER 107.3FM

6/10/2019

During the week I had the pleasure of joining Flex and Herds for the recording of their show, "Death of the Reader".
We had a great chat about crime writing, including mine.
Here's the link for the show tonight

It's also available on podcast after the show.
Cheers,
ABP

Silver Medal for "Harry's Quest" in the Global Ebook Awards 2019.

20/8/2019

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that Harry's Quest picked up the silver medal in the Mystery category of the 2019 Global Ebook Awards out of the USA.

Back in 2016, Harry's World picked up the bronze medal in the same award, so looks like the sequel has stepped it up a notch.

Here's hoping the next novel, Harry's Grail, might take out the gold medal.

Cheers,
ABP

My new book for 2019 - that's the plan!

17/8/2019

This is my publishing project for 2019, given there's no way I'm going to have my third Harry novel, Harry's Grail, finished in time. Too much of that damned paid work eating into my time since we've got back from holidays. Still, that pays the rent, so I won't complain.

But I do already have a number of Harry short stories done and a couple more in progress, so I figured a volume of these stories, with Harry in the first person, would be a great side venture. And Harry is up to all his usual mischief!

The tentative line up:

"Little Rich Street Girl"
"White Powder, Black Leather, Grey Badges"
"Wankers"
"The Missing Lily"
"A Sex Kitten for a Cabinet Meeting"
"The Lonely Corpse"
"The Reluctant Bride"

So, if you're a Switchblade fan, you'll recognise the first three, as they've been published in that great magazine.
"Sex Kitten" was the work I read from at the Switchblade authors evening in LA a few weeks back. And the last two are works in progress.
Should be about 40,000 words all up, and I'm aiming to have it out before the end of the year.
And my amateur cover effort at left is NOT the real deal - just my mock up for blogging.

Cheers,
ABP

Bookmarks for pulp lovers - with salacious one-liners from "Harry's Quest"!

16/8/2019

BOOKMARKS from Harry's Quest

Following in the footsteps of Harry's World and its set of red bookmarks, here is the matching set of blue bookmarks to celebrate Harry's Quest.

A custom-made colourful collection of high-quality card bookmarks quoting some of those delicious hard-boiled one-liners from Harry's Quest. What better to accompany you in all your reading travels?!
Adults only, of course: they're naughty!
There are 12 quotes in the collection (see below image), with both the PI silhouette version and the sexy girls silhouette version (think of those twins!). A set of 12 will comprise all the quotes, with 6 PI versions and 6 sexy girl versions. Or if you really want to go hard, you could have the complete batch with 24!

In Australia: 1 x set of 12 goes for just $4.00 (incl. GST & postage).
For overseas: 1 x set of 12 goes for just A$6.00 (incl. airmail postage).
Just drop me a line!

See my new merchandise page: Also: MERCHANDISE

For my author buddies!!!
If you're one of my author buddies (you know who you are from the Twitter universe, the anthology worlds of Switchblade and the like, and my Cops Writing Crime project) then you can have a set for FREE - just DM me with an email address and I'll drop you a line to find where your letterbox is at! Especially as many of you are in North America, my free offer means anywhere at all (except perhaps the International Space Station!). You know how to find me, fellow authors!

Cheers,
ABP