Gregory Bean Message Board
Bob posts on 9/8/2005 1:41:31 PM
I don't remember the car, But I'm old so I have an excuse. What car, which "Victory" book? bob
Greg Bean posts on 9/7/2005 2:41:12 PM
Thanks Bob and Conrad. The first chapters of my new novel are going out to my agent this month. It's a thriller/mystery that's quite a bit different than the "Victory" series, but I like the writing a lot. Conrad, people thought I made that car up, but I swore I didn't. Now it looks like I've got proof from an independent witness. Did you also stop at the Old Corral for a chicken fried steak? I have a lot of fond memories of that bar and hotel.
Bob posts on 9/7/2005 1:58:17 PM
Greg, looks like you have lots of fans and friends. You'll have to tell us when you publish your NJ mystery. bob
Conrad Wolz posts on 9/7/2005 7:18:56 AM
Greg, I stumbled on this site trying to find out if you had written any more Victory books. I am sorry to say not. Hope you have luck furture works. I enjoyed the Victory series so much I traveled there and have a picture of myself spread eagle across the hood of the blue 1963 Ford Fairlane. Hope to read some new stuff real soon. Conrad
Bob posts on 8/24/2005 8:50:42 AM
Hi Greg, hope things are going well. Let me know when you get your NJ mystery published. What kind of mystery genre? Procedual, private eye, legal, etc? By the way, would like to recommend an author I just discovered to you although not sure of "protocol" of this. I'd think it would be just fine. Would think writers would be interested in other writers' work. Anyway, the author's name is Rennie Airth. He's written two British proceduals that are really fine: "River of Darkness" and "A Blood Dimmed Tide." Both take place after WW 1 and before WW 2. The first in the early 20s and the 2nd about 10 years later. The protaganist is a man named Madden who fought in the trenches and is deeply scarred. Both are dark, not so-called "cozy" mysteries. Airth uses the horror and trauma of WW 1 as backdrop, a major motivating factor and psychological thread that runs through Madden, the "bad guy" and the country. I recommend the two books to you. Read "River of Darkness" first since it is the 1st in the series and leads to the 2nd book which happens 10 years later. Take care. bob
gregory bean posts on 8/1/2005 10:04:59 AM
My email gives me a message whenever someone puts up a new post, and I came in this morning to Bob's nice comments. I think a lot of the current problems boil down to shelf life. In the old days, smaller booksellers orderer smaller numbers of an author's new book, but would keep them on the shelves for a long time before sending them back to the publishers. In the interim, they might even talk up the writers to prospective readers and help build the writer's base. Nowdays, the big box retailers buy much larger quantities of books, but start sending them back, or remaindering them, if they don't sell almost immediately. Therefore, publishers are reluctant to print anything that isn't going to sell a vast quantity of books in a short time. Most regional authors don't do that. I know this is an oversimplification, but I think it's pretty accurate overall. In other words, if you want to support more eclectic writers, support your local independent bookstore. The two go hand in hand.
Bob Brackett posts on 8/1/2005 9:46:00 AM
Good to hear from you again. Good luck with your new book. Living in PA, I always kinda thought of jersey as somewhat regional, leastways the beach towns. Do you have a title yet? I agree w/your remark about Burke (he's on my list of favorite authors). He might have hard time selling his work nowadays if the publishers are going to be that tough, especially his Holland series. And what about Archor Mayor (VT), Gerry Boyle (ME), C. J. Box (WY also, right?), Michael McGarrity (NM) and the list goes on. They're all kind of regional. I don't get it, but what do I know? Take good care and, as I said, nothing but good luck and fortune to you.
gregory bean posts on 7/30/2005 11:35:51 AM
Lois, Bob and all. Thanks for all the nice comments about the Victory series. I'm especially pleased whenever I can make a fellow Wyoming native happy. I don't know if I ever mentioned this before, but I wrote three other books set in Wyoming, two with Frankie Bull as the main character and one with a new main character. All were rejected by publishers as too regional. I'm currently working on a thriller set in New Jersey, of all places, and writing in collaboration with a very talented artist who is responsible for the technical aspects. We should have enough chapters done by October to send out to publishers. We're keeping our fingers crossed. Again, thanks for reading my previous work. Unfortunately, I was only one of a huge number of very good authors who were caught up in the slaughter, and whose works we no longer see on the shelves. I certainly wish there were more options, because I'm tired of reading "best sellers." I really believe that if someone of even James Lee Burke's talent was trying to break into the market today, with his "regional" books, he'd have the same trouble. . . Greg
Bob B. posts on 7/28/2005 10:52:57 AM
I agree w/Lois's posting and past postings, including my own (I stand by my opinions huh...tiny joke) that discuss Greg Bean's books. I thought the Victory series was a very fine series. I read all 5 books (think there were five). When I see some of the dreck being published these days, it's hard to imagine Greg would have his series cancelled. I can think of a certain "tecno-thriller" author whose early books were really good. Now he just mails the stuff in, big fat "techn-sleepers" chock a block with all of his political leanings. And he's not the only one out there getting away w/it. I can think of a mystery writer, a bestseller guy, whose books are just bad! And yet every book seems to be a best seller(?). My wife is in the book business and tells me the major publishers are getting really tough, especially with authors they think of as "regional." I think Greg wrote a while back to this site that that's what happened to him. I exchanged emails with another fine author - Jerimiah Healy - who wrote the John Francis Cuddy series. I thought it was a fine series. I hadn't seen a new book for years and emailed inquiry to his home page. He replied he'd been dealing with a health issue but, also, had been cancelled by his publisher because they thought Cuddy series was too regional. Go figure.
Lois Pine posts on 7/28/2005 10:31:08 AM
Gregoroy,
I'm not sure if or when you will get this message, but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your books. I am a Wyoming native, I was born and reared in Cheyenne. For the last 35 years I have lived in Laramie. A friend of my from Dallas, Texas gave me your first 3 books. After reading them I searched and found your 4th book. They were all exciting to read. I could easily relate to the areas and terrains that you wrote about. I have continued to search periodically to see if you have written any more mysteries. I'm sorry to hear that you have publisher issues. Hopefully soon you will be able to get some more books published. You can be sure that I will purchase them. I look forward to hearing from you.
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