Noir at the Bar – A Great Night in Harrisburg

A stellar crew made the most recent Harrisburg Noir at the Bar one to remember. We took over the second floor at Sturges Speakeasy in Harrisburg, PA, on Sunday night, May 20, and had a blast.

Everyone read great stories. So many great stories! I want to thank all of the authors who came out for the event:

• Owen Laukkanen, who was on tour in support of his latest novel GALE FORCE, which has been praised by the likes of Clive Cussler and Lee Child.
• Robb Cadigan
• Beth Fantaskey
• Gabriella Gill
• Merry Jones
• Catherine Jordan
• Jon McGoran
• John L. Micek
• David Nemeth

And last but certainly not least, singer-songwriter John Austin and trumpeter Nathan Froehlich, who helped end the night with the surreal experience of me performing a (mostly spoken-word) song (the very romantic “We’re Still in Love”).

If you want to know more about the authors, check out their full bios here.

Noir at the Bar in Harrisburg – Tonight! (May 20)

Noir at the Bar returns to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, tonight!

Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Sturges Speakeasy, 400 Forster Street. Admission is free, the restaurant serves great food and great beer, and there will be book giveaways. So join us!

Join us for a great lineup (complete bios available here) that includes:

Owen Laukkanen, author of the brand new maritime adventure thriller Gale Force (which has been praised by the likes of Clive Cussler and Lee Child), along with six critically acclaimed Stevens and Windermere FBI thrillers.

Robb Cadigan, author of Phoenixville Rising and an upcoming second novel which is based on a true crime story and set in Pennsylvania.

Beth Fantaskey, author of five paranormal and mystery novels for young adults and middle-grade readers and (as Bethany Blake) the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mysteries.

Gabriella Gill, author of Saving Metropolis, Behind the Mask, and the upcoming The Gentlemen’s Flying Club.

Merry Jones, author of Child’s Play, the third novel featuring unreliable narrator Elle Harrison, as well as a series of thrillers featuring heroine Harper Jennings, an Iraq war veteran.

Catherine Jordan, author of the paranormal thrillers The Book Seller’s Secret and Seeking Samiel.

Jon McGoran, author of eight novels including Spliced, a near future science fiction thriller, and the ecological thrillers Drift, Deadout, Dust Up, and Down to Zero.

John L. Micek, author of the upcoming novel Saving Time and the opinion editor and political columnist for PennLive/The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa.

David Nemeth, writer of the crime fiction blog Unlawful Acts and a columnist at Do Some Damage.

And last but certainly not least, singer-songwriter John Austin, who has released 10 critically acclaimed albums, will be performing a new song with… me. But don’t worry, I won’t be singing.

I hope to see you tonight at Sturges Speakeasy!

Four Questions With… Owen Laukkanen

Owen Laukkanen is unrepentant.

He writes books that are impossible to stop reading. And he doesn’t care one iota about the lack of sleep that he’s causing.

Not even a little bit.

“Sleep loss is the best compliment I can get as a writer,” he says.

He’s been getting a lot of compliments.

Laukkanen’s debut, THE PROFESSIONALS, was described by author C.J. Box as “a high-octane adrenaline and gunpowder-fueled rocket ride.” It’s an entirely accurate description.

THE PROFESSIONALS introduced FBI agent Carla Windermere and Minnesota BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) Detective Kirk Stevens, a seemingly mis-matched pair who work together to solve a string of kidnappings being carried out by recent college graduates who are victims of the poor job market. The kidnappings start out as low-risk, high-reward affairs, but matters escalate quickly when they kidnap the wrong man.

Laukkanen is equally at home writing from the perspective of criminals and law enforcement, a skill that he puts to good use in THE PROFESSIONALS. It’s an exciting book filled with tense, action-packed, short chapters which keep you turning the pages.

I recently finished CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE, Laukkanen’s second novel, and all the superlatives given to THE PROFESSIONALS can easily be transferred to CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE. It’s another phenomenal thriller.

And I’m very much looking forward to KILL FEE, the third in Laukkanen’s Stevens & Windermere series, which will be officially available on March 20, 2014. I already know I won’t get much sleep that night.

Here are Four Questions With… Owen Laukkanen.