ERIC MANSKE

Shame
No Fury
A Fate Worse
A Simple Prejudice
Powers and Principalities

The Process
The Author
Personally Significant Links
Leave Feedback

Men's Groups
Biblical Manhood

     You’ve found it! I’ve put together this website to showcase the mysteries I have been writing. Feel free to check back from time to time and join me in the process as I go from writing the first draft, through editing and revising, to finding an agent and publisher, to finally getting a finished product out on the shelves of the bookstores. Learn with me as I take the plunge into the world of writing and publishing. .

     The links to the side in the top box will bring you to the short stories and novels. You will find sample chapters, links to people and places referenced in the novels, and additional links pertaining to the featured city. The links in the second box lead to informative and interactive pages. Check out The Process to learn more about the process I've learned about writing and publishing. If you would like to leave me a message, either use the e-mail address at the bottom of each page, or follow the Leave Feedback link.

Photo by David Chappell

     Sleuthfest 2009 was a great experience and very different from other conferences I've been to. An agent critiqued the first ten pages of my novel, A Simple Prejudice, and felt the writing was good but found the theme and concept controversial. I also pitched this to an editor who asked for the first 30 pages but decided it was not what they were looking for. I entered my short story, "No Fury," into a contest; it was not one of the final selections, but I am still proud of it. We were given the basics of a beginning and asked to write what would happen next in the story. I've posted a link for this short story to the left.

     I looked forward to returning to Killer Nashville, which is fast becoming my personal annual mystery writers' conference. Not only have I gotten to know a few of the conference organizers, but also J. A. Jance, with whose novels I am familiar and who spoke at Murder in the Grove last year, was the keynote speaker this year. I submitted the beginning of A Simple Prejudice into a contest, full well knowing that it did not quite meet the requirements but received some very helpful feedback from one of the judges. Again, I pitched the novel, to two agents this time, and both wanted to see more, even given the controversial topics. I had a chance to speak briefly this time with J. A. Jance, a wonderfully humorous person who enjoys breaking into song, and now have a signed copy of her most recent novel, "Fire and Ice." This conference gave me the kick I needed to get going again on my writing.

     Enjoy looking around and come back to see how far I’ve progressed down the road to publication!