Confessions of a Mystery Author, a.k.a. The C.O.M.A. Blog

Welcome to the new Confessions of a Mystery Author, a.k.a. The C.O.M.A. Blog.  I'm C.G. Eberle. Thank you for visiting my site. I plan to post monthly about my projects, recommend writers, share my writing process, and discuss several topics related to writing. While I aim to maintain a bi-weekly schedule, I must also balance my day job and family responsibilities. I promise to do my best to keep regular updates on my blog.

Before we go any further, allow me to introduce myself: I was placed up for adoption in 1970 and I know from non-identifying documents, my biological mother is/was from a nearby Native American reservation but wasn’t able to care for me. I have lived in Buffalo, N.Y. for most of my life. Though winters are harsh, they build a resilient community. I currently live in South Buffalo, known for its Irish heritage, where my mother's family settled after escaping the Potato Famine. My father's family comes from the German neighborhood on the East Side.

I have been asked several times over the years, when did I know I wanted to be a writer.  I think the answer is ever since I was five or six years old. I just didn’t know it then. My mother recalls how I used to create my own comic books, inspired by DC Comics’ World’s Finest, featuring Superman and Batman with additional stories of other heroes.

The catalyst for my writing came in high school, when I watched Kolchak; the Night Stalker starring Darren McGavin (A Christmas Story, Raw Deal, Mike Hammer, Private Eye). The show aired in the mid-seventies and was featured on CBS late-night after the news. It follows a Chicago newspaper man who encounters monsters, demons, aliens, artificial lifeforms, and even a demi-goddess. Despite numerous deaths in each case, Carl Kolchak is the only one who believes the truth and tries to publish the story but is repeatedly thwarted.

The show inspired me to write, prompting me to draft a preliminary story about an original character, Carl’s nephew, who follows in his uncle’s footsteps as a journalist and faces similar creatures. My narratives included a gorgon from Greece seeking vengeance and a hospital medical computer system that becomes intertwined with a new security system's computer, leading it to believe humans are germs infecting its body, thereby initiating attempts to eliminate every human in the facility.

My writing didn't turn out as planned, but such is life. I moved on to other interests and aimed for a different career, which also didn't work out. Perhaps it was all for the best.

In 1994, my interest in writing began after learning about the birth of Miracle, a white buffalo calf whose fur changed colors. Motivated by the Lakota legend of the White Buffalo Calf Woman, I commenced my first book, The Rainbow Warrior: Genesis. At that time, E-Books were not available, the internet was still developing, and print-on-demand had different meanings. After ten years, a publisher released my book in 2004. Despite their reputation, they honored the contract, paid royalties, and printed my books without any cost to me.

In 2002, I was inspired by the widely covered disappearance of Chandra Levy to write my first murder mystery thriller. It took me about a year to complete the first draft. After five rewrites and searching for a publisher, the first of my John Seraph Mysteries, Family Ties, was published by Nancy Schumacher and her company Melange Books, LLC. Over the following decade, my next three novels were published. Due to a series of personal issues, I was delayed in working on a rewrite of my first book, The Rainbow Warrior: Genesis. Nancy has been incredibly understanding, providing me with the time needed, and we are now less than 48 hours from releasing the new version.

I am currently working on my next two books and have set a deadline of Thanksgiving to complete the first drafts. One book will be a continuation of the John Seraph series, while the other will introduce a new character who is a college professor. He operates his own comic bookstore and becomes involved in solving the murder of one of his clients.  

I've been an avid reader since childhood, thanks to my mom. At age five or six, I bought my first book, Peter Pan. As a pre-teen, I loved Judy Blume's books and frequently read Superfudge, Blubber, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Frecklejuice, and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. 

It is widely known that I have a deep passion for mysteries, and my inspiration for some time now has been the late Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series. My initial encounter with the Boston P.I. occurred in 1985, when ABC debuted the series Spenser: For Hire starring Robert Urich. I must admit, Spenser is someone I aspire to emulate. As I matured, I discovered the novels and approximately eight years ago, I embarked on a quest to collect all of them in first-print hardcover editions. I succeeded in this endeavor, except for one elusive volume, obtaining which was an arduous journey that I shall discuss later. Eventually, I also began collecting Parker’s other sleuths, Jesse Stone, the police chief of Paradise, MA, and female Boston P.I. Sunny Randall. Additionally, authors such as Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich have contributed to my inspiration. Among the specific works by these prominent authors, Parker’s Promised Land, Valediction, A Catskill Eagle, Crimson Joy, Small Vices, Potshot, and Backstory have provided the greatest encouragement for me.

In the coming weeks, I'll post more blogs about my creations and activities, aiming for one or two a week. Stay tuned, and feel free to comment or email me at Cavillier1970@Yahoo.com. If there are enough questions, I'll do a Q&A blog here.

 Best regards,

 C.G. Eberle