I’m not sure where or when I originally met Russ Colchamiro — but I do know that I heard about his amazing interview show the Russ’s Rockin’ Rollercoaster long before we ended up connecting in person. Russ is one of those energetic forces of nature you occasionally come across in this business, a guy who seems to have a whole lot going on at any given time — from books to appearances to conventions to just interesting other side projects. As of right now, he’s hosted over 130 Rollercoaster episodes (I’ve also been a guest, talking bout Apple TV’s For All Mankind), is the author of 35 publications (between novels, novellas and short story collections), and he’s been publishing for 25 years (his first work published was a prose poem called “The Jazz Baby,” something he still loves).

He’s the author of sci-fi thrillers including Crackle and Fire, Fractured Lives, Hot Ash, Blunt Force Rising, an ongoing series featuring hardboiled private eye Angela Hardwicke. He’s also the author of the time travel/space adventure, Crossline; the SF/F backpacking comedy series Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza; is the editor of the Sci-Fi mystery anthology Love, Murder & Mayhem, co-author and co-editor of the noir anthology Murder in Montague Falls and has contributed to various other anthologies.

So what’s Russ’ latest project? Oh, just the 12th story (including novels and shorts) featuring Hardwicke, a novel called Trigger Point. I posed some questions about Hardwicke, and writing, to Russ, who sent me back some intriguing answers. Whether you like crime fiction, the paranormal, the sci-fi fantastic or just stories about intrepid private eyes, Trigger Point has what you’re looking for. Here’s my chat with Russ!

Why a private eye? What’s interesting to you about them, and to us as readers?

Russ Colchamiro: I’ve always loved crime stories, especially private eyes. I’ve spoken to several practicing private investigators and the reality is that fictional private eyes and real-world private eyes don’t resemble each other all that closely. Real world private eyes, for the most part, don’t interact much with the targets of their investigations. But in a fictional setting, private eyes are more like private spies, and we often see them from a first-person narrative, so we see the narrative through their eyes and get their inner monologue as they take us through their dark and dangerous worlds. Plus, they tend to be in that ‘lone wolf’ category, willing to take dangerous risks, which I find seductive.

What makes Angela Hardwicke unique? What makes you want to return to writing about her?

Colchamiro: Hardwicke takes on the kinds of cases you think a private eye would take. Arson, kidnapping, extortion, missing persons, corporate espionage, and homicide. But she also takes on cases dealing with androids, time travel, shapeshifters, alternate realities, miles-long helix of the Universe’s DNA, tears in the fabric of spacetime, and dark and deadly creatures of all kinds.

Hardwicke also has a young son, Owen. So fundamentally, Hardwicke is caught between worlds, torn between being this hard-boiled private eye doing extremely dangerous work—which doesn’t exactly fit a 9 to 5 life—and being a good and dedicated mother to her son. That friction of her two selves is integral to how Hardwicke perceives the world around her, and herself, and how she interacts with both.

When Hardwicke first appeared in one of my previous series, I knew immediately she was a kindred spirit of mine, and to some degree, an alter ego. Hardwicke has become a fundamental part of my life. We have many more mysteries to uncover.

Where did the idea for Trigger Point come from? Did you always know it would be a Hardwicke book?

Colchamiro: To me, the Hardwicke series of sci-fi thrillers are part Blade Runner, part Doctor Who, part John Wick. In regard to Trigger Point, I knew for years I was going to write a narrative dealing with pimps and prostitutes, taking a hard look at some difficult choices sex workers grapple with. It also made this novel more personal for Hardwicke, for reasons I won’t explain here. And I wanted to tie this plot thread in with her protégé, Eric Whistler, who has gone missing, and fractures with the fabric of spacetime. The layers of this novel are consistent with the series, wherein street-level investigations lead to more sinister and complex dangers.

What’s Angela’s weak spot?

Colchamiro: For reasons that become apparent throughout the series, Hardwicke was always a lone wolf, so acting as a mentor to Eric Whistler, about 10 years her junior, tested her in ways she wasn’t prepared for. In some ways she was a tremendous teacher, in others … not so much. She struggles throughout the series to let Whistler learn at his own pace, but also needing to prepare him for the very real dangers they face. She carries a lot of guilt about her mistakes. While she’s proud of his growth, she simultaneously resents Whistler for stepping up in ways she wasn’t expecting and his demands to be taken more seriously. She struggles to look at him as an equal. It causes them a lot of grief. It does not always go well.

What’s your schedule for writing like?

Colchamiro: Typically I write for 2 hours in the morning before work. Then on my lunch hour, when I can, and heavily on the weekends. I used to write at night, but I have family obligations, and I’m just too tired by then to be effective.

What’s one “truism” about writing that you fully agree with – and one you think is BS?

Colchamiro: Put your butt in the chair and write. If you don’t write consistently, it’s difficult to hone your craft and make real progress. The more you write, the better you’ll get. But the idea that you “must” write every day is exaggerated. Writing 7 days a week isn’t realistic for most people. So the “every day” rule doesn’t ring true for me, but I do wholeheartedly agree that if you don’t write often and consistently, it’s unlikely you’ll get far in your career, regardless of your ambitions.

You have your own podcast show, the Rockin’ Rollercoaster. What have you learned from interviewing writers?

Colchamiro: That no matter what level of success you’ve attained, being a writer is hard work. Not that I didn’t already know that! But given that financial rewards, praise, and awards are difficult to come by for anyone, and that the publishing business is its own confounding labyrinth, you have to love writing. I mean … love it. Because you are going to be told no way, way, way more often than being told yes.

Whether or not you break through to the level of skill or success you desire depends on a multitude of factors, but the only thing you can personally control every time out is the quality of the words on the page and your attitude about your writing career. Write a great a story. Start there. The marketing and promotion—which can make all the difference if done well—is an entirely different beast, and one that is tough to manage. But start with a great story. Without it, you’ll have a really tough time advancing as a writer, no matter who you know or what else you might do.

What makes for a great guest on your show?

Colchamiro: They have to have something interesting to say and be willing to say it. But no matter the guest, it’s my job as the interviewer to be prepared, do my homework, and entice the guest to open up. If my questions pique their curiosity and are on point, and I demonstrate that I’m genuinely interested in who they are as a person, and in the success of their careers, they’re far more likely to let the walls down a bit. Once in a while I get a guest who simply isn’t comfortable being interviewed, is having a bad day, or has a tough time loosening up and doesn’t respond well to my sense of humor. When that happens, well … I wing it and do my best to make it work anyway!

Hypothetical: You have all the money, and no restrictions on your life except to write. What’s the story you still want to tell?

Colchamiro: I plan to write Hardwicke novels for a long time, so we’ll be spending a lot more time together. And while I have several other novels waiting in the wings I’m excited to get to, there’s one in particular that I’ve been sitting on for about 30 years. It’ll be my most personal novel, probably ever. I’m not quite ready to pull the trigger on it, but it’s coming. It’s the one book I absolutely must write, no matter what. And I will. Maybe soon.

What should anyone about to pick up one of your books – or this book specifically – know before they start?

Colchamiro: When it comes to comes to the Hardwicke sci-fi thrillers… they’re a combination of noir, suspense, action, mystery, and horror…. It’s also important to note that every Hardwicke thriller is a stand-alone mystery—you can read them in any order, the plots are all specific to each individual novel—but there is character growth throughout the series.

Like all the others in the series, Trigger Point stands entirely on its own. But it also pulls together various threads from the first four novels to date, with the finale tying those pieces together, concluding what I consider to be Series 1. I’ve got at least another five Hardwicke novels planned, with more to follow if the demand is there.

Visit Russ Colchamiro’s website
Check out the Rockin’ Rollercoaster
Pick up your own copy of Trigger Point

xo,

R

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