The Words and Worlds of J.M. Hayes: News & Signings

Mike Hayes' Server Down, the latest in the Mad Dog and English series, has just been named one of the five best mysteries of 2009 by Library Journal. Yeah -- Mike could hardly believe it either. Here's the link, though.

Mike poses in a sweatshirt given to him by his sister with an ARC of Server Down. Hmmmm.... Promise, threat, or both?

Tucson Festival of Books
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Catalina Room, Student Union, University of Arizona
Tuscon, AZ
4-5:30 pm.
Mike will be sharing the podium
with Elizabeth Gunn and Susan Cummins Miller.
J.M. will also be appearing at the following panels:

"Southwest Crime Ink"
Saturday, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Koffler - Room 204
With Susan Cummins Miller and Elizabeth Gunn

"Death and Dismemberment in the Desert"
Sunday, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Student Union, Tucson Room
With Richard Lange and Christine Barber

Marana Mystery Book Club
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Gesa-Marana Library
13370 N. Lon Adams Rd.,
Marana, AZ
5:00-6:00 PM

June 2009 -- Ever wonder what keeps Mike running? Well, it turns out it's... running. Read "Running for My Life," his inspiring tale of global circumnavigation in The Writing Life portion of this site, and you'll never look at the mirror in quite the same way again.

April 2009 -- So what about that election, anyway? It looks like reality has surpassed fiction. Even as Server Down, which deals with a similar subject, begins to arrive in bookstores, Pima County's Regional Transportation Authority election of May 2006 remains a hot topic. For more on how real-life is poaching some of Mike's best stuff, head on over here.

April 2009-Mike and his pal Elizabeth Gunn are, of course, both members of Southwest Crime Ink, but they also have mysteries about Tucson due out in May involving local hot political issues. Elizabeth's New River Blues gets its title from Tucson's Rio Nuevo. Her main suspect is involved in the downtown Tucson renewal project that the state of Arizona is currently threatening to dismantle. Mike's Server Down, meanwhile, revolves around a fixed transportation bond election. In fact, the Arizona Attorney General's office recently counted Pima County's 2006 Regional Transportation Authority election ballots as part of a criminal investigation.

As Mike puts it, "Since we have new books set in the same city and dealing with related topics coming out at the same time, and we happen to be friends and members of a mutual admiration society to boot, we're linking our promotional activities."

Mike and Elizabeth will be in Scottsdale at The Poisoned Pen and then back in Tucson for appearances at Clues Unlimited and Mostly Books, plus they'll be popping up on "Arizona Illustrated," a popular show on Tucson's PBS station, KUAT - 6.

April 2009 -- The glowing reviews continue to roll in, from such distinguished sources as Booklist and the Library Journal. For more reviews, go here...

March 2009 -- The first reviews of Server Down, the latest in the Mad Dog and Englishman series are starting to trickle in, and it looks like Mike's got another notch to carve in his keyboard. Publishers Weekly praises its "headlong pace and wrenching plot twists" Reader Views tags it as "a fast-paced, thrilling book with many subplots." For more reviews, go here...

January 2009-Here, according to Mike, is the really-o truly-o final cover for Server Down, by Jeff Budd, who happens to be Mike's nephew. When the artist originally scheduled to do the cover had to drop out because of family health issues, Jeff offered to give it a try and the press agreed to take a look. Now, we can look forward to seeing more of Jeff's covers on future releases from Poisoned Pen Press.

And for those who just can't wait for Server Down to come out, here's a little lagniappe to ponder. What if the Mad Dog and Englishman series were filmed?

Who would YOU cast?

Intrigued? Well, it turns out Mike has some ideas about who should play his characters. You can read his thoughts on the matter at Marshal Zeringue's amazing My Book, The Movie website.

Fall 2008-Mike explains why he always keeps an axe handy while he writes in a fun new interview over at the suite101.com site. Mike reveals more than you may want to know about his writing habits. Or "rituals" as we artists call them.

Fall 2008-It's official! Server Down will be the fifth book in the Mad Dog & Englishman series (after 2007's Broken Heartland), and Mike is excited at how the series is evolving. Mad Dog's niece, part-time deputy Heather English, has a much more pivotal role in the new book. Also, much of the action will take place in Tucson and the Upper Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona. The book is expected to be released by Poisoned Pen Press in May 2009.

For a brief synopsis (and a sneak peek at the official cover by Jeff Budd, Mike's nephew, head on over to the Server Down page.

There's a great new interview with Mike on Betty Webb's blog, with some pretty intriguing background on the inspiration for the Mad Dog and Englishman books.
Speaking of interviews, Mike kicks off the new The Writing Life segment of this site and puts himself on the other side of the desk, as he interviews fellow mystery authors Elizabeth Gunn and Betty Webb.

Mike writes-"Authors are supposed to promote themselves. That's so we sell enough copies of our books to keep our publishers happy and, with luck, avoid living in dumpsters during our golden years.

"Southwest Crime Ink is a group of four Tucson mystery writers: Elizabeth Gunn, Susan Cummins Miller, J. Carson Black and myself. We've been friends for years. We critique for each other. If you put us together in front of a crowd, we're a ready-made event."

My partners in "Crime" produced three new novels recently. Elizabeth Gunn added to her Jake Hines, Minnesota series with McCafferty's Nine (March 2008). She has two series going now. Her latest Sarah Burke mystery, New River Blues (May 2009) reveals much about Tucson and Southern Arizona politics. Susan Cummins Miller's Hoodo (April 2008) continues the adventures of geologist Frankie MacFarlanein Southern Arizona's rugged Chiricahua Mountains. Jake (aka Margaret) has a dynamite thriller in the works.

PUT TO THE PAGE 69 TEST

In December, Mike submitted Broken Heartland to the Page 69 Test, Marshal Zeringue's amazing blog (part of the much larger Campaign for the American Reader blog).

The test dares authors to judge their own book, not by its cover, but by what's on page 69. No muss, no fuss, no context -- just one single page to weigh the relative merits of a sin, an "independent initiative to encourage more readers to read more books."

Mike handles the task with his typical blend of integrity and wit.

SIGH...

Mike has informed us that his 2004 novel, Prairie Gothic, made a "Best of" list, although he confesses it's one he'd "rather not be eligible for." A friend sent him a copy of the June 4, 2007 New York Magazine. On page 56, the article (also blurbed on the cover) is titled "The Best Novels You've Never Read: Sixty-One Critics Reveal Their Favorite Underrated Book of the Past Ten Years," by Katie Charles."

The kind and generous (and perceptive) John Orr of the San Jose Mercury News picked Prairie Gothic. "It's no easy trick to write about America with a clear eye for its faults and with warm humor. Mark Twain managed it, and so does J.M. Hayes, with admirable wit in the face of horror."