For those of us not familiar with your work, tell us how you first got into writing, and what works have influenced you the most? I actually got into writing without really realizing it, by playing a play-by-email STAR TREK role-playing game in high school. Back then, I was focused on directing theatre and film, but, looking back, it was the first seeds of my writing career. As far as influences go, I’m a huge fan of epics, so getting to write one in the FABLES universe is pretty fantastic. As a Minnesotan myself, how crazy is it that both you and FABLES creator Bill Willingham both call southern Minnesota home? How has the local...

The Manuel Ramos Interview By Steven Torres This interview is in the latest issue of Crimespree (51) which is in the mail as this is typed. Manuel Ramos is an Edgar Award nominated author of novels and short stories mostly centered in the Denver area. If you haven’t read his books, you have missed out on great stories and some of the smoothest writing in the mystery field. Try Mooney’s Road to Hell if you want a taste of his noir mastery. Try Brown-on-Brown for some of the Luis Montez series. If you want the latest noir masterpiece, look at Desperado. Or, of course, you can find his short story in this issue. Steven Torres: I loved the Luis...

Called “… the hottest thing in crime fiction” by no less than Joe R. Lansdale, Duane Swierczynski has been a force in crime fiction since his debut novel SECRET DEAD MEN hit shelves in 2005. Since then nine other novels have followed, as well as comic book work for both Marvel, DC Comics and IDW. Following a trend of using strong female leads in his work, Swierczynski has just wrapped up a well-received run on DC’s BIRDS OF PREY. The BOP being a group of take-no-guff ladies who make their home in Batman’s Gotham City. It’s advised to not make them angry. With the release of POINT & SHOOT, the long-awaited conclusion of the Charlie...

Dana Cameron Interviewed by Kate Malmon Kate Malmon: Congratulations on the publication of your first full-length “Fangborn” novel! Tell us about your latest novel, SEVEN KINDS OF HELL. Dana Cameron: Thank you, Kate! Zoe Miller’s an archaeologist who’s been on the run from her father’s family. They’re reputed to be killers, and her own tendency to violence—and the occasional glimpse of fangs in the mirror—has her worried about her sanity. But when her cousin is kidnapped, Zoe is forced to come to grips with her powers: She’s a werewolf and Fangborn, part of a family of supernatural creatures dedicated to...

This interview is in issue 50 of Crimespree Magazine Scott Snyder. He is arguably the biggest name in comics right now. His books are flying off the shelves, delighting critics and igniting fire under the asses of fans. I was lucky enough to have an interview and learn about his books, his process, and what’s coming next.   Jo Schmidt: What drew you to Batman? What’s your big inspiration; what made you make “Batman” as amazing as it is?   Scott Snyder: I’ve been a fan of the character since I was born, pretty much, and he’s one of the few characters that grows up with you. I remember being a little kid and watching “Scooby Doo”...

Ten years ago, Frank Bill was a frustrated factory worker, when he started writing. Focusing his fascinations and knowledge on the place he grew up, Corydon, Indiana, Bill began writing stories about people who populate some of the darker parts of the heartland. His work began appearing on-line, where his vivid energetic prose and distinct raw voice grabbed readers’ attention with its surprising hard-boiled punch. Building a readership in the crime fiction community, Bill’s work has been gaining a wider reputation for it’s lean, mean, lyrical depiction of rural life. In September, Farrar Straus Giroux published Bill’s debut collection...