Meet author Bruce Hammack

I met Bruce Hammack and his lovely wife, Joyce, at the Scrivenings Press writing conference – ScrivCon – last fall. He writes clean-read detective fiction, and it’s very good! Read on to get to know him better.

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Meet Bruce Hammack

Jen – Tell me about yourself, Bruce – Where did you grow up? What happened in your life that increased your faith in God?

Bruce – My father was an Air Force officer, so we moved frequently in my formative years. I’m a prodigal Texan who returned home. At last count I’ve lived in about eighteen different cities, in multiple states, and one foreign country. My wife and I are finally settled in Central Texas… at least, that’s today’s plan. England was one of the most interesting places I ever lived, and I felt the coldest. Even five years in the mountains of Colorado didn’t compare to the rainy, miserable English weather. Other stops of interest along the way were Branson, Missouri, and Franklin, Tennessee.

As for my spiritual journey, it’s a story of God’s faithful pursuit of a sinner. My parents were nominal believers during my childhood. Dad died when he was 47. I was 14. Mom died this past July at 102. I had the privilege of Baptizing her when she was in her 70s. As for my spiritual journey, I can sum it up as thirty-one years a heathen and thirty-nine years as a born-again believer.

Jen – I love that. And the chance to baptize your mom – wow! So, tell us about what you’ve written.

Bruce – My genre is Clean-Read Detective Fiction, with no on-screen violence, sex, or gory autopsies. My protagonists have strong morals, but they’re not preachy. They show their beliefs by actions and combat evil (murder) with God-given problem-solving skills. I strive to make the stories difficult, but not impossible, to discover who done it. We (my wife and I) will release novel #25 in March. I’ve already started on #26. I’m currently alternating writing novels between two series. The next book out is Murder on the Neches, from the Fen Maguire Mystery Series. The next book out after that will be The Monument Murders, from the Smiley and McBlythe mystery series (June is the plan).

All my books are distributed wide, which means they can be ordered from all the usual suspects: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, your local library, etc.

The first novel in the Smiley and McBlythe Mystery series: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…Rifle Shells? by Bruce Hammack

Blind private investigator Steve Smiley and his partner hear a rifle shot. Hordes of Christmas shoppers scatter as a famous big-game hunter drops to the sidewalk. They grab the beautiful teen who was arguing with the man and flee to safety. The girl, the victim’s adopted daughter, has one passionate request: find her birth parents.

Smiley’s search for the truth about the girl’s adoption intertwines repeatedly with the murder investigation—and uncovers a shocking secret. Like it or not, he must first identify the killer in order to discover the truth about the teen’s adoption.

A host of suspects line up like Santa’s reindeer. Can Smiley make this the best Christmas ever—or will death and heartache be the only presents under the tree?

Bruce’s writing habits

Jen – Tell me about your writing habits.

Bruce – My writing habits have varied over the years. My preference is to get up early, exercise, eat breakfast and write. I’ve settled on a system that allows me to write four to five books per year. Each book is between sixty and sixty-five thousand words. I don’t outline in the traditional sense of the word, but I do follow a rather strict set of guidelines as to when certain things happen in the story. The murder must occur, and the hero must start investigating the crime within the first sixth of the book. Every one of the book’s six major sections has a job to do. The magic happens when I start writing, not knowing the specifics of each chapter. It isn’t unusual for my characters to take the story in a direction I wasn’t expecting. You could say that I’m a pantser with guardrails.

What I like most about writing is the positive feedback we receive from our customers. Our tribe is so appreciative they’ve found stories that challenge them to solve the mystery without the shock of gratuitous profanity and graphic violence.

Jen – Pantser with guardrails – what a perfect description! And I know readers do appreciate mysteries that are clean. What inspired you to start writing?

Bruce – It all started about ten years ago. My wife and I help support a missionary family in Uruguay. I was looking for a way to supplement our retirement income and give me a purpose later in life. Joyce wasn’t crazy about her job either. My missionary friend was writing a children’s book. I said, “If he can write a book, so can I.” To make a long story a little shorter, I wrote eight and a half novels before I realized I didn’t know what I was doing. I got serious about learning how to write, and my wife retooled herself to run the business side of things. To quote a cliché, the rest is history, but I like to say it’s HIS story because God gave it to us.

Jen – Yes! I love that. Do you have to do research for your story? If so, what did you find most interesting?

Research for Bruce’s stories

Bruce – Some research is done for every story, but not as much as some authors do. Take the next book to be published, Murder on the Neches. Joyce and I traveled to East Texas and stayed at a resort on Lake Palestine, which is fed by the Neches River. This gave me a feel for the river, the lake, and the setting. My current work in progress, The Monument Murder, takes place at the Battle of San Jacinto Monument and the surrounding cities. Joyce and I just returned from a fact-finding visit and to get a feel for the area. The vibe will show up between the lines of the story. Three previous books were set in the Caribbean following a cruise we took.

Bruce Hammack shares his writing goals

Jen – Writing is the ultimate travel guide! Will you share your goals with us?

Bruce – My primary goal is to continue writing as long as I can. I hope to write between forty and fifty more books by the time I’m eighty.

Why do I write? Great question. It came as a huge shock when we discovered people want more books like the ones I write. The audience is there for well-crafted books that speak of justice without gore, relationships that don’t make you blush, and morality that is timeless.

Jen – I totally agree. What books do you like to read?

Bruce – Unlike most writers, I was not a serious reader (or student) growing up. I’m still not, but when I find a writer I like, I’ll read an entire series. While in college, I took a course in detective fiction. My major was criminal justice as was my first career choice. I have a deep appreciation for the reasoning power of Sherlock Holmes, but I love the snappy dialogue of hard-boiled detectives. If I want to read a challenging historical detective fiction novel, I’ll reach for something in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King. (Be sure to bring a dictionary.)

For craft books, I read everything that was available in our local library, as well as investing in a small library of my own. The most useful book on writing I’ve found is John Truby’s The Anatomy of Genre.

How to get in touch with Bruce

Jen -Are you involved in social media? Where can we find your blog and newsletter?

Bruce – I am on Facebook and Instagram, but my favorite way to engage with fans is by newsletter. We offer free stories, put on sales, keep up to date on what’s coming next, and have the occasional contest. Readers can go here for a free Smiley-McBlythe mystery.

Fun facts about Bruce Hammack

Jen – Share a fun fact your readers would love to know!

Bruce – Favorite season: Fall and spring. They each last about one week in Central Texas. I’m allergic to cold, damp weather. Really! It’s called urticaria, also known as hives. Antihistamines help.

Jen – I have chronic urticaria, so I feel your pain! If you could offer advice to new authors, what would it be?

Bruce – First: Decide if you want to be a traditionally published author or go Indi or hybrid. If you go Indi, marry someone who’s willing to run the sales, marketing, & business for you. Read books on writing, watch YouTube videos, and join a writer’s group. Treat your job as a business.

Bruce’s bio

Drawing from his extensive background in criminal justice, Bruce Hammack writes contemporary, clean-read detective and crime mysteries. He is the author of the Fen Maguire Mystery series, the Smiley and McBlythe Mystery series, and the Star of Justice series. Having lived in eighteen cities around the world, he now lives in the Texas hill country with his wife of thirty-plus years.

You can find out about his latest release at Bruce Hammack. Follow him on social media on Facebook and Instagram.

Bruce Hammack, a native Texan, began his professional writing career in the tenth grade when the local Rotary Club sponsored a writing contest for students in civics class. To the amazement of students and teachers alike, he won the prize of a twenty-five-dollar savings bond.

After retiring from a career in criminal justice, Bruce picked up the proverbial pen again. He now draws on his extensive background with law enforcement (and criminals) to write contemporary, clean-read detective and crime mysteries.

An avid Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes fan, Bruce firmly believes the world can’t have enough whodunits. When not writing, he enjoys travel, classic whodunit, and a quiver full of children and grandchildren. Having lived in eighteen cities around the US and the world, he now makes his home in the Texas Hill Country with his wife of thirty-plus years.

Jen – Thanks to Bruce for being on my blog. Check out his series, I know you’ll love them!

Read What is a Cozy Mystery, then follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with news about my book and any special offers! Be sure you grab your FREE 10-step checklist to plan your novel when you subscribe!

Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for 39 years, have 5 amazing kids, and have 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children and used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.

Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My first cozy mystery – Birds Alive! – released Feb. 27, 2024 and the 2nd in the series, Where’s the Quetzal? releases Feb. 25, 2025!

When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)