At the Café with us today is author Robert Goldsborough, who once took on the task of continuing the Nero Wolfe series and has gone on to write his own original mysteries. His latest novel, A DEATH IN PILSEN, was released by Echelon Press in November of 2007. So grab a cup of his favorite coffee, hazelnut, and join us.

Café:
Tell us about your latest book.

Robert:
This is the third in my Steve "Snap" Malek noir series of murder mysteries set in the Chicago of the 1930s and '40s. The first two, also from Echelon, are "Three Strikes You're Dead" (2005), set in 1938, and "Shadow of the Bomb" (2006), set in 1942. "A Death in Pilsen" takes place in 1946, the first post-World War II year, and is set in an ethnic (Bohemian) Chicago neighborhood. The murder is of a "war bride" recently arrived from Europe.

Café:
How long have you been writing?

Robert:
I have been writing all of my adult life — more than 50 years. I was a reporter and editor with the Chicago Tribune for more than 20 years and writer and editor with the marketing publication Advertising Age, also for more than 20 years. I retired from Advertising Age in 2004.

Café:
That’s quite the background. When was your first novel released?

Robert:
My first novel, "Murder in E-Minor," came out in 1985. It was a resurrection of the detective Nero Wolfe, who had been created by Rex Stout in the 1930s. After Mr. Stout's death, I approached both his estate and his publisher, Bantam Books, about continuing the long-running Wolfe series. I ultimately received permission from the estate and I ended up writing seven Nero Wolfe novels for Bantam, both in hard cover and mass market paperback.

Café:
I am a Nero Wolfe fan and enjoyed those books very much. Have you written any other genre of fiction?

Robert:
Mysteries, now 10 in all, are the only type of fiction I have done.

Café:
Why did you pick the setting and protagonist of your current books?

Robert:
I am a life-long resident of the Chicago area (born 1937) and have always been interested in the city's history and lore, which is why I set my Malek books where I do. Having been a journalist for so long, I decided on a newspaperman as my protagonist — and one from the Tribune, my old employer. Malek's nickname is "Snap" because of his penchant for snap-brim fedoras. Each of my three Malek books takes place in Chicago and some of its suburbs. I do extensive research into old newspaper microfilm files of the era so I can mix actual events — and actual people — with my fictional events and people. Among the real people who have appeared in my Malek books are: actress Helen Hayes; baseball player Dizzy Dean; mobster Al Capone; the youthful Richard J. Daley, later to become a Chicago mayor and father of the current mayor; physicist Enrico Fermi; and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. I also read biographies of these people to make them as accurate and believable as possible. (I also have a bibliography in the back of each novel, as well as paragraphs on each of the real people and what eventually happened to them.)

Café:
How fun. What would you say is your goal in writing?

Robert:
I write first for personal satisfaction, second to entertain, and third to tell stories about the Chicago area.

Café:
What do you hope readers take away from your books?

Robert:
I would hope readers would take away from my work a good story and also some knowledge of the Chicago of the relatively recent past. The bibliographies in the backs of my books are there for two reasons: To show that I take my research seriously and as sources for readers who want to know more about the era and people in the book.

Café:
Do you have a specific writing schedule?

Robert:
I don't have a hard-and-fast writing schedule. I write when I get the inspiration.

Café:
Do you use an outline when you write?

Robert:
I have a general outline in mind when I begin, but nothing on paper. However, I do put together a calendar on poster board with boxes for each day of the week (or month) in which the books is set, and I fill the boxes with the chapters and what takes place in them. I find this helps with the story's continuity.

Café:
I do the exact same thing. Seems to really help. What time of day do you prefer to write?

Robert:
I tend to write in the afternoons and evenings.

Café:
Finally someone who isn’t a morning person ? How did you end up writing the Nero Wolfe books?

Robert:
I wrote my first Nero Wolfe book essentially as a lark — specifically as a Christmas present for my mother, who had introduced me to the Wolfe stories as a teenager. I had no original intent to get it published, but later I was encouraged in that direction. After extended negotiations with Bantam Books and the Stout Estate, my first Wolfe book was published, almost 8 years after I had written it.

Café:
That’s interesting. Do you have any heroes?

Robert:
The late Prof. John McAleer of Boston College, who wrote Rex Stout's biography and read my first Wolfe manuscript, said he couldn't tell my writing style from Mr. Stout's. I always felt that comment was pivotal in my ms. ultimately being published.

Café:
What kind of promotion have you found most effective?

Robert:
I honestly don't know what kind of promotion is most effective. I send out a lot of postcards announcing signings, and I know these bring people in to the stores. Also, newspaper features done on me (as a result of press releases) have drawn comments that I believe have led to sales.

Café:
Any good book signing story?

Robert:
I was in a bookstore signing my Snap Malek book "Shadow of the Bomb," which is set at the University of Chicago during work (supposedly in secret) on the atomic bomb. A woman bought a copy and said her father or uncle — I forget which–had worked on that very project back in 1942.

Café:
Oh wow. That must have been interesting. What are your future writing goals?

Robert:
Future goals include: (1) continuing the Malek series with a 4th book, (2) writing a stand-alone mystery, and (3) doing some short stories in the mystery genre.

Café:
Any heroes?

Robert:
My writing heroes are: (1) novelist, Wallace Stegner, (2) historical mystery novelist, Max Allan Collins, (3) biographer, David McCullough.

Café:
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would you most want to meet?

Robert:
Winston Churchill.

Café:
What do you like to read?

Robert:
I read a lot of hard-boiled "golden age" noir mysteries, but never when I'm working on a book myself. I don't want to unconsciously ape someone else's style. These writers include Chandler, Hammett, Ross Macdonald, Carroll John Daly, Cornell Woolrich.

Café:
Do you have any hobbies?

Robert:
I like to do crossword puzzles and other word games, and I'm a collector of vintage postcards and coins.

Café:
Somehow word puzzles seem appropriate for a writer. Do you have any favorite TV shows?

Robert:
My favorite TV shows are the PBS "Mystery!" shows–no surprise there!

Café:
Any pet?

Robert:
We have two cats at home, and have had cats for years.

Café:
Family?

Robert:
I have been married for more than 40 years, have 4 children, 3 grandchildren.

Café:
That’s quite an accomplishment these days. Congratulations. What part of the country do you currently live in?

Robert:
We live in the Chicago suburbs and also have a condo in the city.

Café:
Any advice for aspiring writers?

Robert:
Although I've never done it myself, I'd advise aspiring writers to join writing groups. I know several novelists who say being part of such a group has helped them immeasurably in their work.

Café:
Good advice. Anything that you would like to add?

Robert:
I'd like to add that it has been a great experience writing for Echelon Press, an independent house run by Karen Syed, who has assembled a great group of authors, many of whom are in the Chicago area. We have a great spirit of collegiality and support for one another.

Café:
Website?

Robert:
www.robertgoldsborough.com

Café:
Where can people purchase your books?

Robert:
My books can be purchased through Echelon Press, amazon.com and Barnes & Noble online, in addition to numerous Chicago-area bookstores, including Centuries & Sleuths in Forest Park IL, one of the country's great independent book stores. It specializes in history and mystery.

Café:
Thank you so much Robert for joining us here at the Café. Best of luck as you continue writing.

©2008 Lorie Ham. All rights reserved.