Maine Crime Writers

A few months ago, I came across a short story collection by Cory Magee, a crime writer based in Brewer, Maine. I recently finished his debut collection, Chasing Butterflies and Other Stories.

The collection opens with a powerful story about a man who makes a series of self-destructive choices after the loss of a child. It’s a strong, difficult start. The collection ends with a propulsive and violent story of friendship and aging. In between, you’ll find a hitman wrestling with his conscience and a ruthless bounty hunter willing to do whatever it takes to collect his mark.

Magee is one of the authors participating in the Night of Noir in Bangor on October 17. He agreed to share a little about his writing journey with our readers today.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I live in Brewer, Maine, with my wife, Jaimie, and our two pitbulls. We lost our daughter, Shaelyn, in 2024. She is a part of every moment we have.

In your collection, you explore loss and grief in the first story, “Chasing Butterflies.” I’ve heard some writers say that they have a “core story” or the idea that certain themes come up over and over again in their work. Do you have central themes that surface in your writing?

I think I write what I read and what I feel. Most of the stories I published were written after we lost our daughter. My hope is to tell a good story, provide some unsettling clarity, and, in the end, maybe find some hope.

I’m wondering if you can share a little with us about some of the things that have influenced your writing?

This is something I could probably talk or write about for days, so I’ll do my best to quantify it fairly quickly. My writing is probably classified as hard-boiled/crime noir. Influences include our daughter Shaelyn, Stephen King, Raymond Carver, Lawrence Block, Charles Bukowski, Richard Stark, George Pelecanos, and many, many more. I’ve also been influenced by musicians like The Lawrence Arms and Queens of the Stone Age and movies, like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. And the best streaming show I’ve ever seen is The Haunting of Hill House.

Yes! You actually suggested Richard Stark to me when I was dipping my toes into heists. I’ve been working my way through his canon. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

When I was young, we used to get the paper, and I would read the sports page box scores and copy them down. It was a very simple thing, but it rings true for me today. The idea of taking an event that happened and putting it on paper resonated with me early on and eventually evolved into me wanting to tell my own stories.

Tell us a little about your short story collection.

I was frustrated with getting rejected by short story publications, especially since I thought some of my stories were good. After we had our daughter and she passed, I couldn’t write or do much of anything for a while. Then I wrote a bunch, read a bunch, and decided, these stories are actually good. Or, at least, good enough for somebody. My wife encouraged me to publish on my own, so I invested some money and picked ten of about twenty stories that I thought had both grit and heart. I organized them into the collection, read through them, and thought they were pretty good, so I went with it.

I love learning about how other people decide to get their stories into the world. One thing I’ve figured out is there is no one right way. What are you working on now?

My current goal is to write a book of novellas—maybe four or five in a collection. I had ten short stories in the first book, and I’d like to test my feet with a few stories that are longer in form. My hope is to have the writing done by late next spring and then publish them in some form.

How do you balance writing with the other responsibilities that come with being an adult?

I have a sales job that affords me a little more time to read and write. My goal, on my best days, is to be active, read, make a sale, and write.

What is your writing process? When do you write? Do your plots come first? Or characters?

I typically write when it’s dark. On my best days, I wake up around 5:15 a.m., read for a half hour, write for a half hour, do busy work for my job, then go for a run or lift weights. I also tend to write around 8:00 p.m.

I’d say I’m more character- and dialogue-driven than plot. If I find a character I enjoy or one that makes me feel uncomfortable, I know I’m in business and I press forward.

What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring writer?

Read a ton. Write as much as you can. And if you like doing it, make it a priority.

Thank you so much for your time, Cory. I can’t wait to hear what you read at the Night of Noir in Bangor on October 17, and I’m really looking forward to reading whatever comes next.

You can find Cory’s book HERE.

A Few Crime Writing Events

Crime Wave in Portland: A great many amazing crime writers will descend on the city. On Friday, September 26, join us for a tour of the Maine Historical Society’s “Notorious” exhibit, then for a Noir at the Bar at Novel. On Saturday, September 27, register for Crime Wave if you haven’t already! There will be great roundtables, workshops, and speakers. (More info HERE.)

A Night of Noir at BookSpace in Bangor: On October 17, join 11 amazing writers as we dive into dark and twisty tales with a motley crew of Maine’s mystery, thriller, and true crime storytellers. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and readings start at 7:00 p.m. (Email me if you’re interested in learning more using my author website HERE.)

Witches of Eastport Festival: On October 25, join six mystery, horror, and true crime writers at Boatload of Books for “Mystery Making and Ghost Stories.” Be part of an interactive experience as writers build stories with ideas from the audience. The event starts at 7:00 p.m. (Email me if you’re interested in learning more using my author website HERE.)

The New England Crime Bake: November 7-9, join 200+ crime writers for New England’s premier crime writing conference. Crime Bake is a crime-writing conference held outside Boston and co-sponsored by the New England chapters of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. With an emphasis on community, connection, and craft, our three-day conference welcomes cozy old and new friends. From querying and pitching books and learning the business of writing to basking in the love of cozy mystery, suspense, procedurals, and thrillers, Crime Bake is for writers at any stage of their journey—and anyone who loves mystery and crime writing.

This year there will be:

• Master classes taught by acclaimed authors and industry professionals
• Headshots with a professional photographer
• An agents and editors track where authors refine, practice, and pitch to acquiring agents and editors
• Sessions on the business of writing, from indie publishing to marketing
• Sunday sessions from real-life experts in crime
• Connections with writers and authors at all levels
• An interactive crime scene to explore (and solve!) by Dr. James Jabbour
• And much, much more!
• More about Crime Bake HERE.

Thanks for reading and I hope I catch you at one of the amazing scheduled events.

-Gabi

I know it’s not autumn yet but it feels that way. The temperatures here in Maine are quickly dropping, especially at night. It’s noticeable because this past summer has been one of the hottest on record. So this Sunday after mowing the lawn and hitting the gym, my wife and I headed to the country to get us some apples and blueberries. Having completed two manuscripts this summer, the rest of my day was clear and free. There would be no writing today. It would be all about the apples—and blueberries. Oh, and riding mountain bikes along the country trail.

It was a beautiful day. We climbed in the car and drove the forty-five minutes out to the country. The smells of grass and cow manure filled the air. We arrived at the farm and immediately took in the rolling mountains and greenery. Come October, the colors would be more spectacular than they were now. But it was still quite beautiful. For once it was nice not to have to think about murder and deceit.

We climbed out of the car and got shuttled by golf cart to the main entrance. In the distance I could see rows upon rows of apple and blueberry groves. The day was festive and many people had already showed up. A two-man band played a Van Morrison song inside a tent-covered patio. Little kids danced in front of the two band members, along with their parents. The aroma of fresh beer, apple cider donuts and brick oven pizzas filled the air.

There were sweet varieties of blueberries and tangy blueberries, although we all agreed that the sweet blueberries were the tastiest. Three quarts tasty. Then we proceeded to the apple groves where we filled a large bag with Courtlands, Macs and Golden Delicious.

A great day of family fun. If only our son was home from college it would have been better. But we sent him the pics. Better hurry before they run out.

Then we went rented bikes and pedaled the trails. It’s  fun until you crash. But the scenery is so beautiful. In another month it will be that much better.

Have a great fall, everyone!

Jule Selbo

This summer has gone by quickly and I feel like I wasn’t in the physical or mental shape to keep up with it, so I’m still panting and whining to reach the “ENJOY LIFE” and “DON’T STRESS THE STRESSFUL STUFF” signs at the end of the road. They point the way to hot tubs and massages and piles of wonderful books to read and enlightenment meditations that will activate the glow of peaceful acceptance.  Of everything.

Like

• Jule, you’ll never accomplish your page count goal everyday
• You’ll never have every word you want to be there when you want it to type it
• You’ll never stop worrying that your protagonist is solving the mystery too slowly
• You’ll never be able to heal all the people you know who are sick

• You’ll never go to bed at night not trying to figure out a story problem.
• You’ll never not get snappy when your siblings make wrong voter decisions (IYO, in your opinion)
• Jule, you’ll never stop getting lost in a deep dive of some research you should’ve already known if you’d paid attention in junior high
• You’ll never not have a friend point out a typo in your last book
• You’ll never stop thinking a brain surgeon career might have been a calmer path than being a writer
• Why can’t you write a book every three to six months like you’ve heard other people do?
• You’ll never stop wondering about people who put power before kindness and logic
• Health? Is it like some get dusted with those fairy wand sparkles and some don’t?
• Jule, you’ll never stop wondering why the jeans you wore in college don’t fit you anymore
• Why do the words “a” and “an” and “the” somehow fall off the page without you noticing and need to be re-inserted
• Will you stop kicking yourself when you write a scene with more than four people in it and feel it’s your duty to keep track of all these characters’ thoughts/actions/words and it’s so tiring, isn’t it? So stop writing scenes with so many characters in them!
• Why you can’t be in two places at once?
• Why do you allow publishers and editors to sit at the head of the table?
• How can you bring housing prices down? And medical prices? And food prices?

• Why is traveling to writing conferences a combo of fun/education/nice social networking but also overwhelming because crime writers are always thinking thinking thinking thinking and all those brains in one place working at top speed is tiring and most of us don’t like to talk that much especially when getting an omelet made at the omelet station at the free breakfast morning.

I wanted to share some of the research I’ve been doing on detectives/investigators from Sherlock to Kinsey Malone to Reacher to Igor Jarinowski and how their non-social/loner proclivities pull us in as readers – but – well I won’t stress about not getting that research (which takes me away from finishing 6 DAYS a DEE ROMMEL MYSTERy).  I’ll share it on my October post.