Barry Eisler and Me at CrimeBake

Well it sure is an interesting time. I added up all the writing tasks and items from this last week, and there were about 30. So I've been a busy little bee.

Just to show you I how I hang out with the cool kids, here's a picture from last Crime Bake
(photo courtesy Crime Bake photographer Maureen "Mo" Walsh):

Wow! You say. That's Dale with none other than Barry Eisler, the best-selling writer who turned down a half-million dollar, two-book deal to take another path.

Yeah-- the guy that fired the shot at the Big Pub sweatshops, not across the bow, but right amidships.

He's my freaking hero.
Half a million bucks, they said-- and he said "Piss off, I can do better."
And he did.
Cojones, my friends.
Talk about the New World of Publishing!

His thriller series, featuring assassin John Rain, is superb. And I don't like a lot of best-seller series.

My series character, Zack Taylor, is a genuine tough guy who's good at martial arts, and would kick the crap out of most other series character heroes.
Except for Eisler's John Rain.
And in an elevator fight, I could take a good many mystery/thriller writers.
But not Barry, who's got more expertise.

So okay, if I was going to have a Man-crush, he'd be a contender.

Check out his blog, The Heart of the Matter. Lots of food for thought.

But who's the guy on the right, you say?
That's Mike Johnson, a music teacher and author from Dracut, MA, who has penned the mystery "Lawless in Brazil."