Meeting Author Archer Mayor

Meeting Archer Mayor

Really down-to-earth, approachable guy with a somewhat macabre sense of humor—not surprising considering he works as a detective, now on sex crimes against children, and writes murder mysteries. None of his stories, he says, come from real crimes that he’s investigated over the years. Being inundated in crime with his profession and as a writer, he prefers reading history to decompress. Very intelligent, knowledgeable man.

He’s what the industry calls a mid-level writer. His books are respected but not block busters. Mr. Mayor recounts that the average income for writers has recently gone down from $8,000 per year and the amount of books published—whether by publishing house or self-published—has risen dramatically, no doubt part of the downturn in income. That’s a bit depressing. Obviously, a writer has to be creative financially to make ends meet.

Joe Gunther, the protagonist in all Mr. Mayor’s books, is also a police investigator. The older books in the series are no longer offered by the current or previous publisher of the books. They can be bought through Mr. Mayor’s website: www.archermayor.com. The book coming out this fall makes twenty-five and counting. Tongue-in-cheek, he says it’s rude to ask him about his current book. He always has one that’s come out, one being edited for the next year, and another in the works for the year after that. No matter how many books, Joe Gunther, he says, will always be middle-aged.

I went with a friend who got her book autographed. Other than the uncomfortable metal chairs, we laughed a lot, learned a thing or two, and had a great time. If he ever comes to your neighborhood to speak, I definitely recommend attending.

Next time—more on The Point of the Gospel.