From the Booking Desk:
The Friday Composite Sketch feature continues this week with Bruce Robert Coffin. I had the opportunity to spend some time chatting with Bruce at the most recent Malice Domestic conference. He has a very interesting history and you would be hard-pressed to find a nicer guy. Chatting with him for the first time was like talking with a long-term friend. I am thrilled to have him here on BOLO Books today. Let’s see how he answers our standard set of questions.
Name: Bruce Robert Coffin
Location: Maine
This person from my personal life is such an inspiration:
This one is a no-brainer. Karen, my wife, has been a constant source of encouragement. She has put up with thirty-five years of my wild aspirations and creative passions. Her unwavering support has meant so much to me. She is my beta-reader, my love, and my best friend. Love you, Craze!
One of the people I admire most in the crime fiction community is:
Kate Flora. Kate has been in this business far longer than I and she is still writing great fiction. I credit her with mentoring me during my journey to publication. She kicked me in the pants when I needed it, marked up my early manuscripts unmercifully (red pen), and was my biggest cheerleader the day I broke through the publishing barrier. Thank you, Doc!
STALKER ALERT! If this fictional character were real, they would likely need to get a restraining order against me:
Most people probably pick a character that they are romantically attracted to, but I’m going outside the box on this one. Robert B. Parker’s Spenser has been a hero of mine for many years. The boyish charm, his way with the ladies, his relationship with Hawk, his time spent in Henry Cimoli’s gym, and his irreverence with his former employer the Boston police all add up to a character that is fun to spend time with.
People are always surprised that I am a fan of this individual (singer, actor, or artist):
Gordon Sumner aka Sting. If I could have only one musician to listen to it would be Sting.
My personal catch phase is (or should be):
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. What can I say? It’s the curse of a storyteller.
It is great to see Bruce here! Besides me a wonderful person, he’s also very generous with his expertise as a police officer.
Oh yes, I bet he would be a great resource for police work.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Bruce at Malice, and found that he never meets a stranger–he is warm and friendly with everyone.
It is interesting that we have all had the same experience with Bruce. He’s a genuinely nice guy!
Hey, I met Bruce at Malice, too! It was a pleasure meeting you and I wish you great success with your writing.
Malice and conferences like it as so much fun for meeting new people.
Bruce is truly a terrific guy. Level Best is thrilled to have his short stories in our anthologies.
Thanks so much to all of you for the kind words. And thank you for inviting me to be part of your blog, Kristopher!
I enjoyed getting to know more about you, Bruce. I was looking forward to talking to you in Toronto, but since I’m not going to be there now, I will catch you in St. Pete.