Black and White by Wes Albers

Black and White, the debut novel by Wes Albers officially released today by ZOVA Books, is such a gripping story that I wanted to put on a uniform and ride patrol with John Hatch.  In this story, veteran San Diego cop Hatch struggles with breaking in both a wonder-boy new supervisor and a freshly minted rookie partner while keeping a lid on crime in the rough Mid-City area of America's Finest City. Albers leavens his story setting with authentic details drawn from more than two decades in law enforcement.

In John Hatch, Albers presents a complex protagonist with whom the reader heartily identifies.  In a grim story world short on positive role models, Hatch is one of the good guys.  His motives are noble even when his methods are questioned.

When Hatch and partner Stevie are the first arriving officers at the scene of a homicide, Hatch can't shake the feeling there's more to the crime than meets the eye.  Unwilling to settle for the easy answer to the question of whodunit, his investigating on patrol takes his partner and the reader deeper into the case.  Albers uses the followup after the crime to weave in true-to-life elements about street-level policing and challenges facing the thinning blue line of San Diego's finest in a way that deepens story tension.

The reader who signs up to ride along with Hatch gets a fascinating companion on an intense journey of suspense and action.  This novel rewards the reader looking for a thinking person's adrenaline rush.  Albers, who also serves as Director of the Southern California Writers' Conference, is a gifted story teller.  Without giving away the ending to the book, I can honestly say that when I go to sleep in San Diego tonight, I hope there's a cop like John Hatch keeping watch over my neighborhood.

This must-read work of contemporary fiction is now available in print and eBook format.

Look who I saw at SCWC*SD26

I Am So Busted.  The number one rule in every book, every online article, every podcast I've saved to my smartphone playlist, and every Romance Writers of America National Conference workshop I've ever listened to on the topic of blogging is the same:  content is king.  Posts to a blog need to be timely and frequent.  Two or three posts a week is the minimum for new material - if the goal is to attract and keep readers.  

Which is exactly why I didn't need to take a hiatus of more than a week.  But I did.  But before you  stop reading, drop me from your email feed, or cancel your follow, allow me to plead guilty with an explanation.  


I still haven't recovered from the awesome Southern California Writers' Conference in San Diego this past weekend.  I urge you to check out the highlights and award winners, and make plans to join us next year (or this September in Newport Beach!) Thank you, MSG, Wes, Chrissie, Cricket, Jeremy, Janis, Linda, Jean, Laura, Drusilla, Mark, Matt, Andrew and all the workshop leaders for making this a very special time!


I plan to go into more detail about SCWC in the coming weeks and months, but for now I want to share one major highlight:  

This was Saturday evening just after introducing agent Paul Fedorko and best-selling author T. Jefferson Parker prior to the banquet.  I'd be hard-pressed to name two finer gentlemen in the world of contemporary publishing.  It was my pleasure to spend a few quality minutes with both of them during the weekend.  


I hope I didn't freak them out too much, gushing my appreciation of the works they've brought to me as a reader over the years.  But how else could I react?  This SCWC felt like the literary equivalent of the World Series and these two men are on the all-time All Star team!  Thank you guys for your kindness and understanding. 


I'll give you a hint of which book I bought at the conference that I've already started reading.