Interview With Author Crisman Strunk
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As my author bio says, I teach high school English and Social Studies, and education classes at a nearby university. I’ve always written in some form or another, from Star Trek technical manuals to several novels (completed and abandoned) of varied stinkiness (how many words did Hemingway say you had to write to get the trash out of your system?). I decided to get serious about my writing and managed to get a few short stories published. Then, I started trying to write a novel that was actually decent. Over the years, I gravitated toward crime fiction in both my reading and writing (movies, too). The genre is a natural fit for me.
As far as published novels written, I have two out and a third coming out at the beginning of next year (2026).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
All the Glory is Gone.
I’ve always been fascinated by the Vietnam War era (although, being born in 1971, I was only alive at the tail end and didn’t understand what was going on then). My protagonist, John Holmes, was a Ranger in Vietnam, so it seemed natural to write a book where his time there comes back to haunt his present.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I can think of. I try to write a certain number of pages every day. It’s a rule I’m pretty rigorous about following. There are too many excuses not to write, so you have to commit to it no matter what. You need to feel guilty, like you let yourself down, if you don’t write every day.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Really, too many to list. Hemingway for the sparseness of his writing, his theory of writing simply but having the real essence of the story riding underneath (his iceberg theory). John D. MacDonald for his tarnished knight, Travis McGee. Any crime writer has to pay homage to Hammett and Chandler, who showed that crime writing can be literature and a mirror to the human soul. Dennis Crumly and Ralph Dennis, who both turned writing about anti-heroes into an art form.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the next Holmes novel and editing the second novel in the Gaol County series.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that Goodreads giveaways and announcing through Facebook have worked the best for me. But I’m always trying new methods to get the word out.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing! Even if what you think is going on the page is total crap, keep at it. Dedicate yourself to the grind. Read a lot of the masters of your genre. Don’t copy them, but let them influence your voice.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve read a lot of books on writing (Hemingway, King, Bradbury, Garner, etc.), so it’s hard to pinpoint just one thing. Probably (to reiterate what I’ve already said), to keep writing. Set a schedule, set an output, dedicate yourself to it, and get the writing done.
What are you reading now?
The Force by Don Winslow
What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing and building my readership. I’m not in it to make money (although that would be a nice bonus). I want to build a loyal readership who like going on these adventures with these characters and look forward to the next book.
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?
That’s a tough one. The ones that first come to mind (and this list comes from a lifetime of reading):
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Long Goodbye
The Fellowship of the Ring
Watership Down
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