Friday, February 19, 2010

Robert Crais, Author biographies


Robert Crais is serious and passionate about his writing. He has been called easygoing and affable with much charm and cool. He says it took him 15 years and many rejection notices later, to become ‘an overnight success.’


Robert Crais was born on June 20,1953, in Baton rouge, Louisiana. He hales from a long line of blue collar workers and police officers. He was trained as a mechanical engineer with dreams of being a writer.


For Robert Crais, Los Angeles has lived up to its promise of being ‘the city of dreams.’ He moved there in 1976,

to pursue a career writing. He got a job collaborating on television shows and pilots. Robert says of all the shows he worked on, Cagney and Lacey was his favorite.


While writing for television, Robert wrote two novels, both he recognizes, were terrible and unpublishable. Even so, he says that his disposition is more suited for writing novels. He left television in the mid 80’s to pursue writing full time.


Robert says the writers that inspired him the most in his teen years were the mystery masters, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald, Robert B. Parker and Archie Goodwin. He says he especially likes Raymond Chandler’s Marlowe character.


In his books, Robert hits on many of societies issues. He says, “Victimization ticks me off...When people are not allowed or are in some way prevented from achieving a fullness in their lives. Assholes piss me off.”


While the wit of his earlier books is still there, he has delved into the darker side with a greater degree of cynicism. Robert calls himself a method writer. He has said, “Thematically, again and again, my books are about people who are trying to be better than they have been.”


Robert likes to write short stories, and in fact, published a volume of short stories. These days, he says while he doesn’t rule out writing more short stories, because he writes very slow, he really doesn’t feel that he has enough time.


In 2005, Roberts book, Hostage, was made into a television movie starring Bruce Willis. Robert sold the film rights to his novel, ‘Demolition Angel,’ and is writing the screenplay. While he has worked on screenplays in the past, this is the first time he has adapted his own work.

At this point, Robert says he has no desire to sell the rights to his book series characters, Elvis Cole or Joe Pike.


Robert still likes to stay physically active and is an aerobatic pilot, gourmet cook and backpacker. He and his wife, Pat, share their home, in California, with several fat cats, in the Santa Monica Mountains.


Books by Robert Crais:


Series:


Elvis Cole:

(1987)

Stalking the Rainbow (1988)

Lullaby Town (1992)

Free Fall (1993)

Voodoo River (1995)

Sunset Express (1996)

Indigo Slam: An Elvis Cole Novel (1997)

L.A. Requiem (1999)

The Last Detective (2003)

The Forgotten Man (2005)

Chasing Darkness: An Elvis Cole Novel (Elvis Cole Novels) (2008)


Omnibus:

Three Great Novels 1: The Early Years (2001)

Three Great Novels 2: (2002)

Robert Crais CD Collection 3: Voodoo River, Sunset Express, Indigo Slam (Elvis Cole) (2005)


Joe Pike:

The Watchman (2007)

(2010)


Novels:

Demolition Angel (2000)

Hostage (2001)

(2006)


Short Stories:

Weigh Station (1982)


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