Hello, all! 🙂 The upcoming guest on the Crime Cafe podcast will be crime writer Andrew Allan.
As part of his guest post today, he’s giving away copies of his first Walter Asher novella, Sell Shock. {Yeah, I almost wrote Shell Shock. That’s what happens when you read a million books/articles/blog posts about the military.] 🙂
Anyhoo, to get your hands download your own copy today, just click here and follow the instructions!
And, with that said, let’s hear from our guest!
But Wait…There’s More.
By Andrew Allan
Stigmas can be profitable. Just ask anyone who runs a carnival, distributes ghastly horror movies, peddles smut, deals drugs, or practices law and politics. (I’ll let you decide which is “worst.”) While the world crinkles its nose, these purveyors of disrepute cash check after check. As a professional infomercial writer, I know this to be true.
Few speak fondly of infomercials. All those expandable hoses, super slick cook pans, Ginsu knives, weight loss miracles, and Snuggies—gimme a break. Those ads are the loudest of the loud, crassest of the crass. Screaming at you to buy, buy, buy for $19.95. I’ve written hundreds of them.
But here’s the thing…infomercials work. They generate millions of dollars. They get the job done because they’re persuasive. Persuasion is a hell of a weapon. That’s why my crime series protagonist, Walt Asher, relies on it.
He certainly needs it. After finding his best friend murdered and being gnawed on by alligators, Walt unwittingly falls into a deadly conspiracy run by ruthless, powerful people. He becomes an amateur sleuth on the run. And his ability to persuade is what saves his ass…most of the time.
At the time I started writing, I didn’t want to chronicle another cop, crusading lawyer, ex-soldier, journalist, or private investigator. Those beats had been covered by better writers than me. So, I went with what I know.
But wait…there’s more. That’s what they say at the end of most every infomercial. Isn’t that also the unspoken mantra of crime fiction? Every time you think a case closes, a new clue reveals more secrets, another body is found. Infomercials and crime fiction go together like corpses and rot.
So why not an infomercial writer protagonist? Why not someone who uses words and wit as deftly as a thug uses his fists? Three novels and three novellas later, Walt’s doing pretty good. He still writes infomercials and still finds himself on the hot end of a blazing pistol. Part of that could be because from hanging around DG, an outlaw biker with all ten fingers in all kinds of illegal cookie jars.
If there’s a lesson in here somewhere, maybe it’s this: Embrace the stigma. Dare to go where others sneer.
After all, crime fiction isn’t all that upstanding in the eyes of the literary tastemakers. And self-published crime fiction? Pure doormat. But the snoots miss the point. Great crime fiction has the stones to go beyond…all the way down into the black abyss of that dark, dangerous alley less travelled. There’s treasure in there with your name on it.
*****
Andrew Allan has written several #1 Rank Amazon books, including the popular Walt Asher and Sheriff Pete series. When he’s not writing books, he’s a top infomercial writer and director. He also makes wild cult movies, runs Dailygrindhouse.com, and lives with his wife and three children in Clearwater, Florida. He enjoys hearing from readers and can be contacted at AndrewAllanBooks.com. You’ll probably find a free book by Andrew while you’re there.
PS: Don’t forget to download your book! 🙂
