Category: Books

See you soon, Des Moines!

Mrs. Smith and I don’t often get back to our former stomping grounds in Iowa’s capital city, but we’ll be there Saturday, June 8. It’s a multi-purpose trip, including a “Meet the Author” event the nice folks at Beaverdale Books so generously arranged on rather short notice.

If you’ve read some previous posts (like this one), you already know that both my fictional detective, Edward “Red” Shaw, and I are from Des Moines. Some of the action in North of Grand even takes place in Beaverdale at a taproom/bike shop I made up out of thin air.

Really looking forward to this trip. Join us at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at Beaverdale Books if you’re in the area: 2629 Beaver Avenue.

Read on,

B.J.

Get the first Red Shaw crime novel free (read on for how)

My bad. I just noticed that I have some Kindle ebooks that I have neglected to give away, the first crime novel featuring Detective Edward “Red” Shaw.

Blood Solutions

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

From a few reviews on Amazon:

Each twist and turn in the story line kept me eagerly turning pages, fascinated by the thoroughly and expertly developed plot points.

This engaging whodunit is worthy of a PBS show like all those British detective series, especially Inspector Morse! 

I am recommending this book for my book club. It will appeal to both the men and women in the group.

Crossword puzzles will never be the same.

Hit me up on Twitter @bjsmith and mention #RedShaw – or leave a comment here. Offer good while supplies last!

A hot day at the ballpark

Excerpted from North of Grand: Detective Red Shaw Novel #2
Read the book on Kindle or Nook

Shaw tried to remember the last time he’d been on a date. Way back, right after he met Sally. He hoped this one wouldn’t be as awkward. They’d arranged to meet at the west end of a pedestrian bridge over the river, just a short walk from the police station. He could see her approach from a distance, sporting a close-fitting white top and shorts. She was dressed for the heat and hard to miss. Her light brown curls were tied back and topped with a Cubs visor. A Cubs-blue bag hung from her shoulder.

Baseball image with quote from page text: “Baseball,” she said, looking him in the eye, deadpan serious, “is a metaphor.”

“Hi, Red,” she said as she gave his hand a little squeeze. “Are you ready for some baseball?”

“You bet” was the best he could do. If her V-neck were any deeper, he wouldn’t have been able to speak at all. He took in her smile, her green eyes, and tried to relax. He tried to ignore the sweat trickling down his back and wished he hadn’t worn blue jeans. They followed the walkway south along the river.

“I played here once,” Shaw said as they approached the stadium.

“Really?”

“Well, not here, exactly, but in the old stadium. Same spot. This is nicer.”

They stopped to buy tickets. Not many seats were left for a hot summer night and they small-talked as the line crept along.

“So you were in Triple A?”

Continue reading “A hot day at the ballpark” →

Red Shaw is at Beaverdale Books!

My Detective Red Shaw novels are at Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines.* (There were hints.)

Tell Alice B.J. sent you.

* Since not everyone lives in Des Moines, of course, the books are on Amazon, too.

Detective Red Shaw is in the bookstore

The paperback crime novels featuring Des Moines’ very own Detective Edward “Red” Shaw have arrived in Des Moines. That just feels right to me.

Coincidentally, they’re in a bookstore that is not far from a taproom/bike shop that I made up for North of Grand: Detective Red Shaw Novel #2.

If I told you the name of the fictional bike shop for beer drinkers, I would be giving away the name of the real bookstore. Alas, you’ll have to wait until the books are actually on the shelf.

Read on.

B.J. Smith
Paperback Writer

Homegrown crime fiction coming to Des Moines

Hey, Des Moines! My Detective Red Shaw paperbacks are coming to a bookstore near you. Like, right there in my old hometown. Soon, too!

I’ll let you know when they arrive, and then I’ll tell you where.

Guesses are more than welcome in the meantime.

Maybe there’s a clue or two somewhere here, maybe some evidence.

B.J.

Puzzles, pencils and book excerpts

Crossword puzzles used to consume much of my time, especially on Sunday mornings when the tough ones show up in The Denver Post. I did them in pen, no erasing. They sometimes ended in inky messes, where my mistakes were easy to see, but no one ever looked. On occasion, they were perfect.

Crossword puzzle, pen and eyeglasses
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Pencils are for those who know their limits.

I beat my addiction to crosswords and got hooked on Sudoku. The easiest ones became boring, and the evil ones just too damn hard. I did those in ink, too.

Sunday mornings nowadays are given over to more worthwhile pursuits, like writing and bicycling. This morning I decided to publish excerpts from my two Detective Red Shaw novels and then write this little post. The excerpts are from Blood Solutions, which grew out of my experience as a crossword-puzzle proofreader (someone had to do it), and North of Grand, some of which I figured out while riding my bicycle.

Now, back to a short story that needs finishing.

Read on.

B.J.