Authors need to develop a sense of humility about their work. Just when we believe we have created the ultimate version of a story, along comes an editor, critic or fellow scribe to suggest (gently, we hope) improvements to the magnum opus. Now, I’ve discovered yet another source of improvement – the audio narrator. Go to Amazon and look up my first novel in the Casebooks of Octavius Bear series – The Open and Shut Case. Click onto the Audible Audio edition (It’s Free) and treat yourself to a really fun experience listening to the wonderfully talented Dominic Lopez take up 24 different characters, 38 limericks and the ongoing narration of this fast moving, tongue in cheek, cockeyed detective story.  Looking forward to Dominic eventually interpreting all five of the Casebooks. Go listen!!

For as long as I can remember, I have been a bear enthusiast. My wife and I have a very large collection of stuffed Teddy Bears and other species such as Paddington and Winnie the Pooh. Actually it was Winnie the Pooh that started me writing about anthropomorphic bears. I entered into collaboration with another author to create a book that proposed Winnie the Pooh as the World’s Greatest CEO. Unfortunately, Disney copyrights and other Milne family complications put an end to that. But it did inspire me to develop an equally silly set of literary offerings:  The Casebooks of Octavius Bear.

Octavius is the product of my own imagination prompted by the mystery sleuths Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolfe. The idea of a world sans Homo Sapiens is a result of wandering about in the venues of alternative universes. These books describe the anthropomorphic characteristics of the animals that resulted from a major cosmic catastrophe that Homo Sapiens did not survive.

Descriptions elsewhere on this site will give you a look at what I have in mind. Part mystery, part fantasy, part sci-fi, part humor. But Job One is tongue in cheek Entertainment. That’s why all the the chapters begin with limericks. Puns (usually awful) and asides abound and the characters are as unique and off-the-wall as I can make them while keeping them tethered to both their animal and humanoid natures. I hope I’ve succeeded. BTW, although some teens I know enjoy the books, this is definitely not “Kiddie Lit.”