Albert Tucher
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A bit off topic but long overdue
July 11th, 2012 13:51 by Albert Tucher
Nearly seventy years later my neighbor John Vigliante has received the Bronze Star for his actions in the Battle of the Bulge. He served as an "Ammunition Chief," making sure the troops had what they needed to fight. What it seems to have boiled down to was driving a truck full of stuff designed to explode while the entire German army said, "Yeah, take those guys out first."
And yet he beat the impossible odds and has survived to age 97.
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Another Day At the Office
July 1st, 2012 20:34 by Albert Tucher
That's the new Diana story now online over at All Due Respect. Diana is having a bad day, but help is coming from an unexpected source. It's another tale suggested by the experiences of my technical consultant.
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40 and counting.
June 14th, 2012 11:38 by Albert Tucher
The Retro Look is my fortieth published Diana Andrews story, and I think it's appropriate that it's the longest story to see publication . It's also the first with an original cover, which is a rite of passage for every author.
In Atlantic City with a client, Diana has trouble passing the time while he is busy at the blackjack table. When a new man offers her $500 for an hour on the side, she can't resist temptation. That's a mistake that lands her in the middle of a casino rip-off, a cold murder case, and a fresh killing that puts her in harm's way.
(Also available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.)
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Drabble!
June 6th, 2012 21:10 by Albert Tucher
A drabble is a story of exactly 100 words. I didn't know that either, until Patti Abbott issued one of her challenges, which you can see here. I chose the parade photo, and my effort is now posted in my writing samples.
As I always say about flash fiction, you can do a lot if you don't try to do too much. Drabble takes the principle to its extreme, but it's fun to rise to the challenge.
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Thug Lit.
June 4th, 2012 23:21 by Albert Tucher
I have just heard the best news in many a month. Todd Robinson is reviving Thug Lit, one of the best crime fiction zines that ever threw an online punch. Todd published one of my first Diana stories, called Smoking Or Nonsmoking?, which is still archived. Once you're there, stick around and peruse the rest of the offerings.
Welcome back!
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Diana concurs! ...
April 20th, 2012 20:42 by Albert Tucher
... With the analysis in this blog post:
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The return of Errol Coutinho
April 1st, 2012 12:09 by Albert Tucher
Hawaii County Police Detective Errol Coutinho appears in a new story in my writing samples. The Price of Admission is my response to Patti Abbott's latest story challenge, which was to write a flash story set in a zoo. Patti's blog is a popular cyber-hangout for crime writers. She's worth a visit.
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Why do you write about this stuff?
March 8th, 2012 16:26 by Albert Tucher
In researching my Diana Andrews stories I have done a lot of reading. I no longer remember where I encountered the most valuable single comment I have ever encountered on the topic of prostitution. It came from a veteran vice cop who said, "There's no degree or licensing exam in prostitution." In context, he seemed to mean that no one is formally training prostitutes or enforcing standards and practices, which in turn means that within broad limits, there's no way to get it wrong. If it sounds plausible, it is plausible, and somebody in the business probably does it, whether it's a sexual practice, a business practice, or a way of relating to a client. Conversely, nothing is true across the board.
Each woman in the business has a unique story. If the reader needs evidence, an intriguing case has just hit the news. I refer to Anna Gristina, the housewife, pig rescuer and entrepreneur just arrested in New York for running an escort service.
I have a feeling those pigs are going to appear in a Diana story.
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The Tango Queen
February 24th, 2012 18:09 by Albert Tucher
Every year since 2006 I have attended the Crimebake conference in Dedham, Massachusetts. The Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America always join forces to produce an enjoyable conference that is of great value to writers.
I always try to enter the short story contest held in memory of the author Al Blanchard, but that requires some scrambling on my part. Writers who are not New England residents are required to use a New England setting in their story entries. The problem is, my knowledge of most of New England is at the "Well, I drove through it" level. One of the few places I know a bit better is the Harvard campus. Over the years I have visited a friend there several times. I decided that a story set in the past would camouflage the gaps in my expertise. Maybe a post-WWII time frame?
I googled "Harvard 1947" and found an article from the Harvard Crimson about Harvardevens. In 1946 the Army was eager to downsize, while Harvard urgently needed housing for the returning veterans who were enrolling in large numbers. The Army leased Fort Devens in nearby Shirley to the University. According to the article,the manager of the new facility refused to grant law enforcement authority to the local police, but he couldn't get the FBI interested in what was still Federal property. Much went intriguingly unstated about the manager's reasoning, but he did say that he hoped residents of Harvardevens would behave themselves.
And there was my story. Obviously, for my purposes, residents would not behave themselves.
In 1948, with the Cold War rapidly intensifying, the Army took Fort Devens back. As we know, the downsized military didn't last long.
BTW, the story won an honorable mention. It now appears in the excellent online magazine Mysterical-e.
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My first Hawaii story.
February 3rd, 2012 15:53 by Albert Tucher
It started on a beach outside Hilo.
On a weekday morning about ten years ago I had the beach almost to myself. Almost, because a group of five young men were sprawled on the sand about fifty feet away from me, smoking pakalolo (marijuana). They weren't doing anything overt, but I had filed them away in my "keep an eye" folder.
From the direction of Hilo came a young woman in a coordinated hiking outfit. That and her blond hair made me think German or Scandinavian. I think most women would have detoured around the young men, but she walked right through their territory.
It raised an interesting question. If they viewed her actions as provocative and decided to respond, who was there to intervene? No one but me.
Fortunately, I did not face the test. The young men let her pass, but what if they hadn't? The scenario had a story in it, and I decided to give the story to Detective Errol Coutinho of the Hawaii County Police. In two of my unpublished novels I send Diana Andrews to the Big Island, where she meets Coutinho. They don't get along, but I find him congenial company. This is the first story featuring him that I have managed to get published.
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