Max Allan Collins
is a New York Times bestselling author of original mysteries, a Shamus award winner and an experienced author of movie adaptions and tie-in novels. His graphic novel ROAD TO PERDITION was made into a major motion picture by Tom Hanks’s production company, Playtone.
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Laurence Shames
Location – Key West FL
Laurence Shames
Laurence Shames is the author of more than twenty books. Four of them have been New York Times bestsellers; seven have been optioned for feature film. His comic crime fiction has earned him Great Britain’s prestigious Last Laugh Dagger and has been called “as enjoyable as a day at the beach” by USA Today.
Shames was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1951, and graduated from NYU in 1972. Before turning to writing full-time in 1976, he briefly and unhappily held jobs as a taxi driver, lounge singer, furniture mover, lifeguard, dishwasher, gym teacher, and shoe salesman.
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Michael Oberman
Michael Oberman
Author and Photographer
Michael Oberman’s photographs are on permanent display in U.S. National Parks including Steigerwald and Modoc and in museums including the Utah Museum of Natural History and the Ontario Science Centre (Toronto).
Six photos are on a five year tour of U.S. and Canadian museums in an exhibit called “Imaginate”…under the auspices of the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto (where the same six photos are on permanent display).
Before photography, he spent his life in the “music business.” Michael started as a music columnist for the Washington Star and a six year period interviewed more than 300 major recording artists…including David Bowie, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, James Brown…the list is too long for this page. He later worked for a record company and managed artists. Now he is back to his true love: Photography.
In 2019, Oberman was signed to a publishing contract for a book about his life in the music business. He spent eight months writing “Fast Forward, Play, and Rewind.” It will be out on October 15, 2020 in the U.S. and December 1 in Great Britain. (adapted from web site)
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Brian Freeman
Brian Freeman is a prominent American author renowned for his gripping psychological thrillers and suspense novels, which have achieved international success. With a career spanning over two decades, Freeman has established himself as a master of suspense, characterized by complex, deeply emotional character development and fast-paced, twist-filled narratives. His work, which frequently explores the dark, hidden motives behind human behavior, has earned him a place as a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.
Born on March 28, 1963, in Chicago, Illinois, Freeman displayed a love for writing from a young age, influenced by an eighth-grade teacher who recognized his talent. He graduated with distinction from Carleton College in 1984. Before transitioning to a full-time writing career in 2005, Freeman worked as the director of marketing and public relations at the Minneapolis law firm Faegre & Benson. This background in corporate communication provided a foundation for his disciplined approach to writing and self-promotion.
The exciting thing about including Brian Freeman in Roaming the Arts is that the site’s founder began his reading passion with Robert Ludlum and his characters created in the 1970’s. The beginning of that came via Ludlum writing under the pen name Jonathan Ryder.
Freeman made his literary debut in 2005 with the thriller Immoral. The novel was an immediate success, garnering critical acclaim as an Edgar Award finalist for Best First Novel and winning the Macavity Award.
His writing style is often described as “psychological suspense” that delves into the “hidden intimate motives that draw people across some terrible lines”. He focuses on creating realistic characters, shunning the “all good or all bad” trope in favor of the moral “shades of gray”. His books are known for their “you are there” settings, often featuring the cold, atmospheric backdrop of Minnesota, particularly Duluth.Freeman’s work has been honored multiple times by the thriller community. Spilled Blood won the Best Hardcover Novel award from the International Thriller Writers. His debut, Immoral, was a nominee for the Dagger, Edgar, Anthony, and Barry awards. He is also a multiple-time winner of the Minnesota Book Award.
