Craig Schaefer

Craig Schaefer's books have taken readers to the seamy edge of a criminal underworld drenched in shadow (the Daniel Faust series), to a world torn by war, poison and witchcraft (the Revanche Cycle), and across a modern America mired in occult mysteries and a conspiracy of lies (the Harmony Black series).

Despite this, people say he's strangely normal. Suspiciously normal, in fact. He practices sleight of hand in his spare time, though he's not very good at it.

Schaefer's new novel is Cold Spectrum.

Recently I asked the author about what he was reading. His reply:

On the fiction front, I’ve been digging into Mo Hayder. She’s been writing for years but she’s a delightful new discovery for me, and as typically happens when I find a new author I love, I pretty much have to put everything on hold and devour their catalog from start to finish. Her suspense novels are bitterly dark, gruesome, and chilling to the bone, with zero punches pulled. Check out The Devil of Nanking or Birdman, and settle in for an unnerving good time. Just have something happy and light lined up for after you’re finished. You’re going to need it.

I’ve always got a nonfiction book in progress, both for my own continuing education and for professional research. Currently, that’s The Fear Factor: How One Emotion Connects Altruists, Psychopaths, and Everyone In-Between, by Abigail Marsh. Dr. Marsh relates stories from her work with child psychopaths and her studies into brain chemistry, and the material is gripping without being tabloid-sensational. She comes to some fascinating conclusions about the role of fear in terms of human nature and brain chemistry, and while I don’t have the scientific chops to confirm or argue against her findings, they make for thoughtful consideration.

Visit Craig Schaefer's website.

The Page 69 Test: Cold Spectrum.

--Marshal Zeringue