Welcome to my website! 

Please click on the book cover to learn more about my blues mystery, Sweet Man Is Gone.  It’s been out from Five Star/Gale/Cengage since July 2008 and is now available on Kindle.  For the Kindle edition, just click on the “Order from Amazon” link, then follow the Kindle link on the Amazon page.   Watch this space for details on the sequel, Got No Friend Anyhow, due out in January 2011.

New!  Now there’s an audio version of Sweet Man Is Gone, available from Books in Motion.  The title’s different–Blue Murder–but it’s the same book, and I love the way the reader, Andrea Bates, interprets Maxx Maxwell’s words.

New!  The new year kicks off a new feature: the Showcase.  I’ll be introducing great musicians I’ve had the pleasure to know.  First up is my friend and teacher, guitar-player Steve Tarshis, who’s had a remarkable career as a performer, bandleader, and teacher.   Click here to meet Steve–and be sure to scroll down to read Steve’s words of advice.  They’ve helped him achieve his musical success but they’re the key to achieving dreams of all kinds.  Tune in for the next Showcase, coming in March: some guys who make a living playing in the NYC subways.

A year of pies!  While you’re here, please take a look at my “Come On in My Kitchen” feature, the Pies page–a music-themed pie for every month of the year.  Just click on the Pies tab.

The Last Stand Band, the band that inspired Sweet Man Is Gone, broke up long ago. But I still get together with friends to jam every week, and we play the occasional gig.  We call ourselves “Still Standing.”  Here’s a sample of our sound, “Woman Got Me Blues,” with original lyrics by yours truly. It features Steve Wortman on keys, harmonica, and vocals; Howie Bowe on bass; Yuki Furui on conga and high hat; and me on guitar.  The picture shows Steve (left), me (middle), and Howie (right).

I have a lot of speaking events lined up for this year.  Check the Events page and, if you’re in the New York/TriState area, I’d love to see you at one of my events.  If your group is looking for a speaker, just use the Contact page to get in touch.  I’m happy to talk about any aspect of reading or writing mysteries–or click here for some specific talks I’ve prepared.

Librarians like Five Star books too. If you’d like to read Sweet Man Is Gone, but don’t want to buy it, please ask your library to order it–and be sure to mention that it got a good review from Kirkus.

I’m still giving away those cool salmon-pink Sweet Man Is Gone guitar picks.  If you’d like one, use Contact to email me your name and address. Postage is on me.

“My Life As a Rock Star” is still up.  It describes how a mild-mannered English professor (me) bought an electric guitar – a red Stratocaster – in mid-life, signed up for guitar lessons, and formed the band that inspired Sweet Man Is Gone.