Author Talk/Book Signing. Friday, June 16, 2:30 PM, Musquodoboit Harbour Library, Musquodoboit Harbour, NS.
Welcome one and all. Drop by if you’re in the neighbourhood.
Author Talk/Book Signing Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia. Friday June 16, 2023
Tag: North Noir
A Little Entertainment (Just for the Heck of It)
A friend of mine used to call certain men “entertaining.” They might not be marriage material, but they could be fun for a dalliance. They were certainly a diversion; they made her laugh. As for serious objects of desire, they had to have at least some entertainment value. What good was a partner – be they rich, handsome, or blameless – without a sense of humour?
‘Okay, AMP,’ you say, ‘this isn’t a matching-making blog.’ Right. Onward, from amour to fiction, just for the heck of it. Critics and scholars often classify novels as being either commercial (i.e., entertaining) or literary. Nobel-prize nominee Graham Greene, widely-read and widely-respected, called some of his novels “entertainments.” Critics said it downgraded his oeuvre. I don’t see it that way. In my view, to be entertaining is a plus, not a liability. Books won’t save the world. However, they might take your mind off a few woes or tickle your brain – a little entertainment.
The Color Red: Bleeding Facts into Fiction
The history of the novel has been characterized by unending experimentation. However, one thing has remained constant. Novels are based on facts, real-world details that are twisted and turned to spin a story.
Every work of fiction sits on a fact-fiction continuum. On one end of the continuum there is pure fact; on the other, pure invention. Much of any novel sits somewhere in between.
What about The Color Red? What facts bleed into its fiction? The novel’s main murderee, Rollo Novak, loosely resembles Robert Herjavec; Novak’s business associate, Karlos Vega, loosely resembles Kevin O’Leary. Readers might recognize the names: Herjavec and O’Leary appeared on Dragon’s Den in Canada and now appear on Shark Tank in the US. However, the resemblance isn’t crucial to the story. Novak’s first wife, Melanya, was born in Slovenia. She might remind readers of a First Lady named Melania, who was also born in Slovenia. Of course, while Melanya Novak may mirror someone – anyone – she’s just a character in a novel. As copyright disclaimers say, “Any resemblance to actual persons is entirely coincidental.”
Then there’s Detective Lt. Ivy Bourque, the main character in the novel as well as the series. She’s not based on anyone “factual”; however, she is a prototypical New Englander: amiable, capable, and perceptive. On her father’s side, her French-Canadian heritage pays homage to Jack Kerouac, whose parents migrated from Quebec to Massachusetts in the early 1900s.
One final note for aficionados of fact-in-fiction and true crime stories. The main crime scene in The Color Red, an indoor pool, echoes the crime scene of a recent double murder in Toronto, Canada: the Barry and Honey Sherman murders. Echoes, I say. Okay, I’ve said enough. 😉 If I keep going, I’ll leak some spoilers.
Click here for sales information on THE COLOR RED.
To preview THE COLOR RED, download the free teaser below.
The Color Red: Release Day, March 20, 2023
The Color Red is now available. Click here for sales information.
“Impressive series launch. Fans of intelligent procedurals will hope for a long series run.” ~ Publishers Weekly
The Color Red brings the twisted Balkans to Boston and Cape Cod. A Slovenian-born billionaire and his second wife are found dead, hanging side-by-side at their pool. Some say the man was giving away his fortune; others say he was once an oligarch. Who’s the killer? Old Soviet operatives? His butler, his son? His first wife or Balkan relatives? Detective Ivy Bourque and her team encounter many suspects, but none of them have a motive. Why would someone kill a benevolent rich man without an apparent enemy in the world?
To preview THE COLOR RED, download the free teaser below.
The Color Red: Downloadable Preview
To preview The Color Red, download the free teaser below.
Kudos for The Color Red from Publishers Weekly:
“Impressive series launch …. Fans of intelligent procedurals will hope for a long series run.”
The Color Red brings the twisted Balkans to Boston and Cape Cod. A Slovenian-born billionaire and his second wife are found dead, hanging side-by-side at their pool. Some say the man was giving away his fortune; others say he was once an oligarch. Who’s the killer? Old Soviet operatives? His butler, his son? His first wife or Balkan relatives? Detective Ivy Bourque and her team encounter many suspects, but none of them have a motive. Why would someone kill a benevolent rich man without an apparent enemy in the world?
Purchase THE COLOR RED: Click here for information.
North Noir 