My new book and new look!

Where did that come from?

Well, … now that you ask, here’s the story.

My latest book is a collection of short stories inspired by the early pulp fiction detective novels of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and Robert B. Parker and by David Baldacci’s Archer Series. It’s been fun to write for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy The Kid from California – Short Stories – Volume 1. 

With the new series, I thought it would be timely to also update my author photo. The familiar image on the Dale Hunter Series and my two business books was getting stale.

And then came the hat.

I liked the look when I first tried it on and it’s been a part of my author image since last summer. It was easily worked it into the stories of gangsters in the 1960s – they always wore a fedora! So that became part of the theme that I worked into the book front cover and the new author photo on the back page.

The KID from CALIFORNIA

Short Stories – Volume 1

The Kid is Patrick Malloy, a young man from San Diego trying to get ahead in the 1960s while working as an enforcer for the Mob in Las Vegas and occasionally as a bodyguard for Frank Sinatra. The stories follow him into dark and dangerous territory where he’s continually challenged to avoid becoming a murderous gangster without becoming a victim himself.

Now, how did we arrive at the final cover?

First some samples incorporating the old pulp fiction look into a more modern style.

Then the designers at Miblart tried different tones and colours until we got to the finished covers when it all came together.