Cover image for the anthology “The Trench Coat Chronicles”

Last Fall, my short story “The Haunted Detective” was published in Ruth Littner’s and Ann Stolinsky’s mystery anthology The Trench Coat Chronicles.

Just a few days ago on Facebook, their interview of me was published. In a few more days, it will appear on the Gemini Wordsmiths webpage.

Until then, here’s a small sample:

Q: What is the name of the story?
A: “The Haunted Detective.”
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Q: What was your motivation in writing it?
A: I’ve always wanted to write a story about a hard-boiled private detective in San Francisco. Before I had even heard of this anthology, I wrote variations of Margie Potter’s story on my blog, some for online writing challenges, and some just for giggles. I developed “Haunted” as a short story for another submission call, but it didn’t sell. To meet your word count, I had to cut the original (much grittier) story in half. I’m still satisfied with the outcome.
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Q: Does it have special meaning?
A: In a sense. Margie is a woman who grew up in an orphanage in California’s Central Valley, abused in many ways. She ran with a tough crowd and learned pickpocketing, shoplifting, even safecracking at a fairly early age. She trusted no one until she moved to San Francisco and met Preta, who would become her best friend. It was Preta’s disappearance right before Pearl Harbor that led Margie to become a private investigator. Preta’s ghost would eventually lead Margie to solve her murder. Her friendship with Preta, even beyond the grave, along with that of Police Inspector Miles Cowen and his family, changed Margie from a hard, bitter person to one who embraced companionship, loyalty, and even love…

The book has only three reviews on Amazon so far, but all three are five-stars. Pretty impressive, actually. One of them says:

You would think that out of 28 short stories; there would be one bad one.
Not in Celestial Echo Presses “The Trench Coat Chronicles” you won’t. Believe me, I tried. Every story is a winner. Authors and editing geniuses Ruth Littner and Ann Stolinsky have put together another great read. After reading their first book, “The Twofer Compendium,” I had hoped that there would be another anthology from Ruth and Ann, and here it is. “The Trench Coat Chronicles” is every bit as good as “The Twofer Compendium,” and dare I say it, perhaps a little better. There is something for every mystery, thriller, or suspense lover in this book. Whether you are looking for a cozy mystery or a fast-passed whodunit, this book is for you.

That’s high praise, and I’m glad to accept my small share.

To find out more, buy The Trench Coat Chronicles and hang on for a ride through adventure, trench coats, and murder.