Lister celebrates years writing, new book release

Michael Lister

PANAMA CITY — Local author Michael Lister recently marked his 20th year as a working writer with the release of “Rivers to Blood,” the first of three book releases he has scheduled for this year.

I’ve known Michael nearly as long as he has been producing novels, and he’s one of the most prolific and thoughtful scribes I know.

“Rivers to Blood” is Michael’s sixth mystery to feature prison chaplain John Jordan, and the follow-up to 2012’s Florida Book Award-winning “Blood Sacrifice.” This novel marks the return of Michael’s primary protagonist, the one that launched his career as a novelist with the publication of “Power in the Blood” in 1997.

“Rivers to Blood” finds Jordan searching for an escaped prisoner, investigating a shocking murder and a sadist who forces his victims to violate themselves — all while trying to take care of his family, friends and the members of his errant flock. It is published through Michael’s imprint, Pulpwood Press, and is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats.

June will see the publication of “The Big Hello,” Michael’s third mystery to feature Jimmy “Soldier” Riley, a 1940s gumshoe operating out of wartime Panama City. Michael is also working on “an old-time radio show” production of “The Big Hello,” with a full cast and sound effects, which will be performed live before an audience later this year.

In October, Michael will debut his second Merrick McKnight novel, “A Certain Retribution,” which is a follow-up to 2010’s “Thunder Beach.” Michael said he wrote these three novels over many years, but he is happy to see them all released as part of his anniversary year celebration.

“It’s going to make for a busy year,” he said, “but I’m thrilled to see each one of my series characters make an appearance during this year that is so meaningful to me.”

A Wewahitchka native, Michael writes nearly all day, every day, and said he has experienced life in the “idiosyncratic way” of a writer. But it all started 20 years ago, in a borrowed upstairs office with a balcony view and a window air conditioner.

“Of course, I had been writing for a while, starting and stopping, trying and failing, sad and bad attempts, beginning some five years prior,” he said. “But it was the summer of 1994 that everything finally aligned, as I was completing my graduate degree in theology, and I traded time spent in academics for creative endeavors.”

Join me in congratulating a local author for his drive and dedication. Here’s to decades more.

Peace. 

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(This is my Undercurrents column for this week at PanamaCity.com and in The News Herald.)

Cocktail Hour shares blog

When Bill Roorbach was in town for BooksAlive recently, he read and enjoyed a column of mine about the mad creative process I enjoyed on a long ride home from Birmingham. I told him it was a version of a blog entry, greatly simplified for the paper, and he asked permission to reprint it on his blog. I sent him a silly photo and an amalgamated version of the blog and column.

He posted it today.

Thanks, Bill!

I am the Night

My friend, Jayson Kretzer, is an artist. He did the cover of DRAGON RISING. He has begun doing "warmup sketches" every couple of days based on the Twitter handles of his followers. The first one he did was inspired by writer Jen Foehner Wells' Lovecraftian nickname:

"Jenthulhu." Awesome, right?

Today, I was blessed to be the subject of his pen. Or at least, my Twitter name was: 

"MidnightOnMars." Get it?

I was about to ask Jayson which of these creatures represented me, when I realized that I am the night. I am a concept. A fact of Nature. A time and place. (At least, that is, my Twitter name is.)

Thanks, Jayson. You made my week.