BOOKS
• Text Stories
Short short stories for very very busy people who don’t have time to read anything except their texts. Many genres are represented, from Romance to Mysteries – and they are written as texts to make them more readable for people... who have run out of time to read them.
• The Van Gogh Murders
A destitute man is found murdered with a priceless painting hanging over his head. Animal photographer James Hitchcock believes it’s a lost original by Van Gogh but no one believes him, so he digs out his expired detective’s license and begins to investigate. Though somewhat socially inept, James is also an observant social critic and he weaves his way through the secrets of Santa Barbara to figure out what really happened. Or maybe he doesn’t. That’s why this is a called a comedy/mystery – because he’s not really a detective. But he does solve a real crime. Sort of. Maybe.
MY JOHN HANCOCK COMEDY/MYSTERY SERIES
John Hitchcock is the older, more abrasive and less woke (as in politically incorrect, not that he’s sleepier) brother of James Hitchcock, the animal photographer turned detective in The Van Gogh Murders. John is a very wounded man who struggles through every case and every day of his life. He’s trying to solve the puzzle of himself as well as his cases. Thank goodness he’s a funny guy!
• Sense of Humor
• Lost Dogs
• Beach House Blues
The introduction of John Hitchcock in Sense of Humor plays off all the tropes of a classic murder noir in a story about a lost client, a lucky guess, and a leveling of scores. This is the shortest and darkest of the series, which then evolves into a lighter but more mysterious series with the story Lost Dogs, which proves that stolen dog tags can solve a mystery. Beach House Blues continues the sardonic side of Hitchcock as he connects the lives of two dead people who wash up on the same exclusive beach on different days.
• Runaway
• Michigan
Runaway and Michigan are mysteries which explore the realms of, respectively, missing children and dead witnesses. Rarely topics of comedy, Hitchcock’s cynical humor serves him well as he tracks down answers but, as usual, creates more questions in each case.
• West on Chandler
• Fire and Rain in Pomona
West on Chandler tells a front-page story of celebrities, murder, and pornography in Hollywood, but the real story is how does fame affect friendship, and friendship fame. Hitchcock uniquely handles it, as only he can: everything gets away from him. The setting for Fire and Rain in Pomona is a village created for people with special needs – and Hitchcock needs every skill he can summon to figure out what – and who – is real – or illusionary – in this story – which may be – or may not be – an actual story.
• The Black Box
A plane crashes. Its black box is recovered. Hitchcock is hired to investigate. As with everything else in his life, he hears the black box recording differently than anyone else. If he’s right, an unpublished manuscript by one of America’s greatest authors may have been discovered. If he’s wrong, he looks like an idiot.
• Who Killed Santa Claus
Santa Claus is found dead in a chimney. How did he get there? Who is he? Why is he even there? Just like everyone else, Hitchcock knows all the answers to these questions. But, in this case of holiday murder, none of them are correct.
• The Curse of the Gray Parrot
The Curse of the Gray Parrot. A parrot inherits a billionaire’s assets. Hitchcock mistakenly lets him fly out of a window. There are enough eccentrics in this story to create another Addams Family remake. But none of them seem to be able to answer the obvious question, “What in the world happened to the rich bird?”
• Mona Lisa Runs A Marathon
(The series’ eleventh and final book.) In the middle of the L.A. Marathon, in front of a million witnesses, Lyn Choi disappears, and no one sees a thing. Everyone thinks she’s dead, but as John Hitchcock retraces her cold path and looks through the details of Choi’s past, he begins to fall in love with a woman he never met, and becomes afraid to find out the truth. The most fully realized book of the series, it is a comedy/mystery unlike any other.
MY BOOKS ON ART
• Haiku and Abstract Art
The Zen Connections and the Spaces They Share
Illustrated by my paintings and poems, I compare and contrast Haiku and Abstract Art and discuss what these two art forms may creatively share.
• What Is It?
Questions About Abstract Art
A well-illustrated art book containing the most frequently asked questions about my abstract paintings and my attempts at answering them. I address various topics such as “What is it?”, “How long does it take to create a painting?”, and “What does the title mean?”
• Feed the Monster
A concept which I feel is at the heart of what I do, whether it’s painting or writing, is that the creative energy which I use to make anything is the same energy which can destroy me. It’s a monster. I have to feed it – be creative, make things – or it will turn on me, wear me down, and then desert me if I don’t produce. Something flows in me when I’m working, besides blood, and I think it is a creative spirit (whether it helps me create something worthwhile or not, good or bad, is beside my point). This spirit is the monster which demands attention, and performance, and food – food defined as original thoughts, impulses, and instincts. And I sincerely believe, that if I don’t feed it, it will kill me. That’s what this book is about.
• If You Paint By Someone Else’s Rules
...You Paint Someone Else’s Painting
My belief represented in this book is simple: others may guide you but your artistic journey is yours alone and you should take it and see where it goes. Never try to follow the path of anyone else.
For ordering details, please email me at:
rkdoehring@gmail.com