Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have ten published novels, mostly in the mystery/crime field, beginning with PERFECTLY HEALTHY MAN DROPS DEAD in 2008. My most popular book (and I think my most original) is THE PHILOSOPHICAL DETECTIVE, published in 2014, which imagines the iconic Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1886) in the role of detective. Borges was a writer of great originality and influence who read detective stories and wrote several of them. He was also functionally blind, which might be an insurmountable challenge to a detective of lesser intellect and erudition. I had a lot of fun writing this book and many people have found it enjoyable. No knowledge of or interest in philosophy is required!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Earlier this year Swallow Tail Press published a sequel to THE PHILOSOPHICAL DETECTIVE entitled (surprisingly enough) THE PHILOSOPHICAL DETECTIVE RETURNS. It chronicles the further adventures of Borges and his Sancho Panza, Nick Martin, who also narrated the first book. The sequel takes place in New York in 1971 and features a curse, Nazi plunder, and the raven that inspired Edgar Allan Poe. Again, all in good fun, and hopefully readers unfamiliar with Borges will be inspired to read some of his amazing stories.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write almost every day whenever I get a chance. Writing always takes precedence over everything else I’m supposed to be doing, not always with happy results.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors are Homer, Borges, Mark Twain, William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block, H. Rider Haggard, Guy de Maupassant, Kafka, and Ken Bruen. Many others have given me pleasure and influenced me I’m sure.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a serious novel set on the Great Plains at the end of the Old West.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have tried all sorts of advertising tactics and have found that the expense usually exceeds the benefit. Thus I try to use free sites like Awesome Gang, for which I am very grateful, and Amazon itself.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Andre Gide said, “Write the book only you can write.” I can’t think of any advice for any writer better than that.
What are you reading now?
Currently reading historical works as research for my western novel.
What’s next for you as a writer?
After finishing the western and another projected book of that kind, I intend to write a third and final volume of the Borges series, entitled THE PHILOSOPHICAL DETECTIVE’S LAST CASE.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition.
Homer, The Odyssey
Borges, Collected Fictions
The Arabian Nights.
The Bible.
Author Websites and Profiles
Bruce Hartman Website
Bruce Hartman Amazon Profile
Bruce Hartman’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile