Love, Murder & Mayhem: Cosmic Tales of the Heart Gone Deadly Wrong
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Crazy 8 Press
Pages: 290 (print)
Language: English
Format: Print, ebook
Publisher: Crazy 8 Press
Pages: 290 (print)
Language: English
Format: Print, ebook
Book Description:
Love science fiction stories that all include elements ofLove, Murder & Mayhem?
Then welcome to the latest anthology from Crazy 8 Press! This amazing collection from 15 all-star authors will delight you with superheros and supervillains. AIs, off-worlders, and space cruisers. We’ve also got private eyes, sleep surrogates, time travelers, aliens and monsters—and one DuckBob!
With tales ranging from wild and wacky to dark and gritty to heartbreaking and fun, take the deadly leap with authors Meriah Crawford, Paige Daniels, Peter David, Mary Fan, Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger, Glenn Hauman Paul Kupperberg, Karissa Laurel, Kelly Meding, Aaron Rosenberg, Hildy Silverman, Lois Spangler, Patrick Thomas, and editor Russ Colchamiro.
You’ll never look at Love, Murder & Mayhem the same way again—and that’s just the way we like it.
Then welcome to the latest anthology from Crazy 8 Press! This amazing collection from 15 all-star authors will delight you with superheros and supervillains. AIs, off-worlders, and space cruisers. We’ve also got private eyes, sleep surrogates, time travelers, aliens and monsters—and one DuckBob!
With tales ranging from wild and wacky to dark and gritty to heartbreaking and fun, take the deadly leap with authors Meriah Crawford, Paige Daniels, Peter David, Mary Fan, Michael Jan Friedman, Robert Greenberger, Glenn Hauman Paul Kupperberg, Karissa Laurel, Kelly Meding, Aaron Rosenberg, Hildy Silverman, Lois Spangler, Patrick Thomas, and editor Russ Colchamiro.
You’ll never look at Love, Murder & Mayhem the same way again—and that’s just the way we like it.
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Author Interview
1. Tell a little about yourself. What you do when you’re not writing? What are your aspirations for the future?
I work full time in NYC as a media consultant, and I have seven-year-old twins—my ninjas. Between that and my books, that’s pretty much my whole life! As for aspirations … to continue to write the best books I can every time out, getting to the point where I can do this full time for the rest of my days.
2. Have any particular novels or writers influenced your writing?
Too many to count, but among them: Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury), The Stand (Stephen King), Watchmen (Alan Moore), Harlan Coben, Sara Gran, Elmore Leonard, Christopher Moore
3. Give us some backstory behind Love, Murder & Mayhem. Where and when did you write it?
While writing GENIUS DE MILO, the second book in my FINDERS KEEPERS backpacking comedy series, I very briefly introduced the character of Angela Hardwicke. Though the series takes place in the fictional setting of Eternity, she’s a private eye in that classic Sam Spade tradition. But I knew even then she was someone I wanted to develop. So I bumped up her role considerably for the third and final book, ASTROPALOOZA, and knew for sure by then I wanted to give Hardwicke her own series. But before I jumped into a full book, I wanted to write a short story with Hardwicke in the lead, to get a better sense of who she was, her rhythms, and the kinds of stories I wanted to tell. That inspire me to create LOVE, MURDER & MAYHEM.
It’s a new anthology from Crazy 8 Press, with 15 stories from 15 authors. While I’m typically a novelist, I served as editor for this one, and contributed one of the stories. Each tale contains at least one act of love or romance, at least one murder, with lots of mayhem, all in various science fiction settings. Admittedly, I was expecting an entire anthology of private eye stories—and we have a few—but thankfully it inspired an entire range of tales. We have superhero and supervillain stories. Off-world and space cruiser stories. We’ve also got A.I., private eyes, sleep surrogates, time travel, an aliens/monsters mash-up and … one DuckBob!
4. What was your favourite part of writing Love, Murder & Mayhem?
Serving as editor allowed me to work closely with 14 different authors, many of whom are my friends. It was a lot of fun seeing what they came up with—different writing styles, different story telling approaches—and giving them feedback when necessary to help get their stories to the next level. When it came to writing my own story—‘The Case of My Old New Life and the One I Never Knew’—it was the first time I had specifically written a private eye mystery, something I’d always wanted to do. It was a blast.
5. What does your writing schedule look like?
After I get home from work I switch into Daddy mode, with my ninjas finally settling into bed by 9 pm. I then go into my new basement office and write from 9 – 1030 pm. After that, I walk the dog and clean the kitchen. Rinse. Repeat. I try to squeeze in additional writing time on the weekends, but how much I can get done varies on what family obligations I have.
6. Which fictional character would you like to take to dinner and why?
Captain Kirk. On The Enterprise. In space. Because … hell yeah! If not him, Batman. I’m thinking it wouldn’t be at a fancy sit-down restaurant—more like pizza in the Batcave—because Batman is, well … Batman! He’s been my favorite character since I was four years old. If neither were available, then Indiana Jones.
7. What is one of the most surprising things you've learned as a writer?
How important it is to be engaged with a supportive writer’s community. When I started out I was on my own—kind of a lone wolf. But over time, as I attended more conventions, published more books, and worked with other writers, I discovered this entire community that’s become a core component of my life. I’m extremely grateful to be a part of it.
8. Any advice for aspiring authors?
Write every day. Don’t worry about the quality. Just write. If you form those habits, where writing becomes essential to your daily life and other activities fall into “if I can get to it”—you’ll find yourself getting better, more efficient, and taking more creative chances. And your technical skills will vastly improve. Also … and this is equally important … seek out writers and editors whom you trust and are willing to review your work, and give you honest feedback. It’s important to hear from voices who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Cheerleaders are important—we all need some TLC—but critical feedback and suggestions are critical if you want to improve.
I work full time in NYC as a media consultant, and I have seven-year-old twins—my ninjas. Between that and my books, that’s pretty much my whole life! As for aspirations … to continue to write the best books I can every time out, getting to the point where I can do this full time for the rest of my days.
2. Have any particular novels or writers influenced your writing?
Too many to count, but among them: Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury), The Stand (Stephen King), Watchmen (Alan Moore), Harlan Coben, Sara Gran, Elmore Leonard, Christopher Moore
3. Give us some backstory behind Love, Murder & Mayhem. Where and when did you write it?
While writing GENIUS DE MILO, the second book in my FINDERS KEEPERS backpacking comedy series, I very briefly introduced the character of Angela Hardwicke. Though the series takes place in the fictional setting of Eternity, she’s a private eye in that classic Sam Spade tradition. But I knew even then she was someone I wanted to develop. So I bumped up her role considerably for the third and final book, ASTROPALOOZA, and knew for sure by then I wanted to give Hardwicke her own series. But before I jumped into a full book, I wanted to write a short story with Hardwicke in the lead, to get a better sense of who she was, her rhythms, and the kinds of stories I wanted to tell. That inspire me to create LOVE, MURDER & MAYHEM.
It’s a new anthology from Crazy 8 Press, with 15 stories from 15 authors. While I’m typically a novelist, I served as editor for this one, and contributed one of the stories. Each tale contains at least one act of love or romance, at least one murder, with lots of mayhem, all in various science fiction settings. Admittedly, I was expecting an entire anthology of private eye stories—and we have a few—but thankfully it inspired an entire range of tales. We have superhero and supervillain stories. Off-world and space cruiser stories. We’ve also got A.I., private eyes, sleep surrogates, time travel, an aliens/monsters mash-up and … one DuckBob!
4. What was your favourite part of writing Love, Murder & Mayhem?
Serving as editor allowed me to work closely with 14 different authors, many of whom are my friends. It was a lot of fun seeing what they came up with—different writing styles, different story telling approaches—and giving them feedback when necessary to help get their stories to the next level. When it came to writing my own story—‘The Case of My Old New Life and the One I Never Knew’—it was the first time I had specifically written a private eye mystery, something I’d always wanted to do. It was a blast.
5. What does your writing schedule look like?
After I get home from work I switch into Daddy mode, with my ninjas finally settling into bed by 9 pm. I then go into my new basement office and write from 9 – 1030 pm. After that, I walk the dog and clean the kitchen. Rinse. Repeat. I try to squeeze in additional writing time on the weekends, but how much I can get done varies on what family obligations I have.
6. Which fictional character would you like to take to dinner and why?
Captain Kirk. On The Enterprise. In space. Because … hell yeah! If not him, Batman. I’m thinking it wouldn’t be at a fancy sit-down restaurant—more like pizza in the Batcave—because Batman is, well … Batman! He’s been my favorite character since I was four years old. If neither were available, then Indiana Jones.
7. What is one of the most surprising things you've learned as a writer?
How important it is to be engaged with a supportive writer’s community. When I started out I was on my own—kind of a lone wolf. But over time, as I attended more conventions, published more books, and worked with other writers, I discovered this entire community that’s become a core component of my life. I’m extremely grateful to be a part of it.
8. Any advice for aspiring authors?
Write every day. Don’t worry about the quality. Just write. If you form those habits, where writing becomes essential to your daily life and other activities fall into “if I can get to it”—you’ll find yourself getting better, more efficient, and taking more creative chances. And your technical skills will vastly improve. Also … and this is equally important … seek out writers and editors whom you trust and are willing to review your work, and give you honest feedback. It’s important to hear from voices who tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Cheerleaders are important—we all need some TLC—but critical feedback and suggestions are critical if you want to improve.
Other Books by Russ Colcharimo
Finders Keepers
(Finders Keepers #1)
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Book Description:
Traversing Europe, New Zealand, and the backbone of Eternity, Finders Keepers is a raunchy, sci-fi backpacking comedy that not only tackles friendship, sex, commitment, and desire, but also God, reincarnation--and what really happened to the dinosaurs!
(Finders Keepers #1)
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Book Description:
Traversing Europe, New Zealand, and the backbone of Eternity, Finders Keepers is a raunchy, sci-fi backpacking comedy that not only tackles friendship, sex, commitment, and desire, but also God, reincarnation--and what really happened to the dinosaurs!
On a backpacking trip through Europe, Jason Medley and Theo Barnes stumble through hash bars and hangovers; religious zealots and stalkers; food poisoning and thunderstorms; cute girls; overnight trains; fever-pitch hallucinations--and the spectre of adult responsibility!
But when a jar containing the Universe's DNA falls from Eternity, these new friends find their loyalties put to the test . . . unaware that a motley crew from another realm is chasing them across the globe, with the fate of the Milky Way hanging in the balance.
For fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Christopher Moore, Tom Robins, Third Rock from the Sun, Groundhog Day, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Finders Keepers is the first book in author Russ Cochamiro's scifi comedy trilogy.
Genius de Milo
(Finders Keepers #2)
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Book Description:
Milo -- the Universe's Great Disruptor and ultimate gremlin -- is creating havoc in the galaxy, with the Earth fluxing in and out of Existence. Which, of course, means no rest for best pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes!
(Finders Keepers #2)
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Book Description:
Milo -- the Universe's Great Disruptor and ultimate gremlin -- is creating havoc in the galaxy, with the Earth fluxing in and out of Existence. Which, of course, means no rest for best pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes!
After a backpacking trip through Europe and New Zealand that -- thanks to a jar of Cosmic Building Material they found -- almost wiped out the galaxy once before, Theo now finds that his twin girls are teleporting, and Jason can't tell which version of his life is real.
Joined by the mysterious Jamie -- a down-and-out hotel clerk from Eternity -- Jason and Theo reunite on a frantic, cross-country chase across America, praying they can retrieve that radioactive jar, circumvent Milo, and save the Earth from irrevocable disaster.
In author Russ Colchamiro's uproarious sequel to Finders Keepers, he finally confirms what we've long suspected ... that there's just no de Milo quite like a Genius de Milo.
Astropalooza
(Finders Keepers 3)
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Book Description:
Astropalooza, the greatest celebration in the Universe, is just days away. And it'll be a party like no other -- namely, the last one ever!
(Finders Keepers 3)
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Book Description:
Astropalooza, the greatest celebration in the Universe, is just days away. And it'll be a party like no other -- namely, the last one ever!
Backpacking pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes have already saved the Earth -- twice! -- nearly obliterating themselves in the process, thanks to a missing jar of the Universe's DNA. But things are about to get a whole lot ... worse.
Because thanks to our bumbling heroes, the next Big Bang is imminent, with two massive energy waves barreling through space towards one another. When they collide, it'll be the end of Existence as we know it.
Can Jason and Theo finally return their radioactive jar before those waves crash, wiping away the Cosmos? Can they save the Universe ... again?
With Astropalooza, author Russ Colchamiro brings you the epic conclusion of his hilarious Finders Keepers trilogy. So join the party. You'll never have so much fun going out with a Bang!
Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space adventure, Crossline, the hilarious sci-fi backpacking comedy series, Finders Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, and is editor of the new anthology, Love, Murder & Mayhem, all with Crazy 8 Press.
Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself. Russ has also contributed to several other anthologies, including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea, and Altered States of the Union, and TV Gods 2. He is now at work on a top-secret project, and a Finders Keepers spin-off.
As a matter of full disclosure, readers should not be surprised if Russ spontaneously teleports in a blast of white light followed by screaming fluorescent color and the feeling of being sucked through a tornado. It’s just how he gets around — windier than the bus, for sure, but much quicker.
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***GIVEAWAY***
Sounds great!
ReplyDeleteLooks good, though it is not my regular genre it still sounds good to me. Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeletelove the look of the covers of your books, they draw you in.
ReplyDelete