James Ellroy, Dan Brown, Ian Rankin, George Pelacanoes, Ken Bruen, Michael Connelly, Ridley Pearson . . . the roster of writers interviewed in these pages includes those who have won Edgar, Shamus, Anthony and Macavity awards. The interviews were conducted in person, or by phone, or both. Significantly, none of the interviews were placed before the authors for approval, massaging or tweaking of answers. The interviews were recorded on tape and are presented without rejuxtaposition or revision on the part of the novelists. This is how the writers spoke, what they said, casually, candidly and, more importantly, on the fly.
Edgar-nominee Craig McDonald is an award-winning novelist, editor and journalist. His debut novel, "Head Games," was a finalist for the Edgar, Anthony, Gumshoe and Crimespree Magazine Awards for best first novel.
McDonald's second novel, "Toros & Torsos," (2008) was picked for several "year's best" lists. The third and fourth novels in the Hector Lassiter series, "Print the Legend" and "One True Sentence," were published by Minotaur Books. A standalone thriller, "El Gavilan," will be available from Tyrus Books in autumn 2011. McDonald's novels have been translated and published to critical acclaim in numerous countries.
His nonfiction works include "Art in the Blood," a collection of interviews with 20 major crime authors that appeared in 2006, and "Rogue Males: Conversations & Confrontations About the Writing Life" (2009), a second collection of interviews with authors including Daniel Woodrell, James Sallis, James Crumley, Elmore Leonard and Pete Dexter. A third collection of author interviews is forthcoming.
McDonald was a contributor to the NYT's nonfiction bestseller "Secrets of the Code." His short stories have appeared in several anthologies.
