Albert Tucher
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The return of ThugLit!
September 2nd, 2012 22:42 by Albert Tucher
Todd Robinson has revived the terrific crime zine ThugLit in a new format. It's now available for Kindle only. The price, $.99, is hard to beat. I have already read Hilary Davidson's good and nasty "Magpie" and the excerpt from Todd's upcoming novel The Hard Bounce.
I was lucky enough to have four stories in the previous incarnation of ThugLit. I plan to get submitting.
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Nothing can kill the Olympics.
August 3rd, 2012 17:04 by Albert Tucher
Not politics, not the threat of terror attacks, not commercial exploitation, not even scientific training that reduces the opportunities for an inspired unknown to come out of nowhere and win.
I enjoy some sports more than others. In general I don't care for subjective sports in which judging decides everything, but that still leaves a lot: volleyball, swimming, boxing, and above all track and field. And of the track and field events I love the marathons and their drama. Is that our winner? No, just a brief leader. But the relentless winnowing of the field reveals the lead pack, and then the one runner who gets to be the first into the stadium.
The marathon still lies beyond the reach of scientific training. There is still room for inspiration, and I'll take it, even secondhand.
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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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