One big part of writing for a living is the relationship with other authors and learning from them. One of the most encouraging authors I’ve worked with is Robert Dugoni, a Seattle based author of dozens of fascinating books. His primary genre is crime based mystery, a genre that has earned him tens of thousands of followers; a genre where he could teach a master class in connecting character and motivation. Unlike most cop crime thrillers, Bob’s hero is a woman.
Years after reading my first Dugoni novel, I was privileged to read The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. It was totally different in that it told a fictional story of a young boy faced with the kind of life challenges that none of us should ever see. It was a great read.
Later, Robert wrote a spy series with an older male hero, Charles Jenkins. Much of the action in the series takes place in Russia where I’ve spent a lot of my life. Bob’s settings and characters could be lifted from my months of experience and locations from St Petersburg to the Russian Far East. I enjoyed doing a tiny bit of tweaking, helping with book accuracy, including aviation scenes for Bob, but mostly I learned from reading and watching his books evolve to final published versions.
An attorney, with a great eye for detail, Robert also has a non-fiction book out. The Cyanide Canary is co-written with an environmental investigator and it tells the story of an environmental disaster in Idaho and the extreme difficulty in making what was an obvious criminal case. I don’t usually recommend books that I haven’t finished, but this is a great read, and testament to how a great writer’s skills make a great book, no matter the genre.
One of the best books I’ve read in the last couple of years is One of Four, from Texas based author and friend, Travis Davis. I haven’t figured out whether Travis is an exceptional writer, or if his brilliant mind just kicked out a story with characters and a plot that was so unique that I think it’s a must read. One of Four is Travis' third book.
In studying his work, I wanted to see how he handled a plot that many might have written. So, I bought his first book, Flames of Deception, which he recently re-released. Again, I’ve just started reading it, but like in Bob Dugoni’s book, this too is a good read, and for me a chance to watch a new writer’s skills evolve to the point that he could create One of Four by his third novel. Both are worth your time and a few dollars.