Come and enter the dark and gritty world of Noir as SoCalMWA concludes the 2025 Author Reading Series!

Featured Authors: Eric Beetner & Duane Swierczynski

Plus readings by: Fred Andersen, Dan Bronson, Craig Faustus Buck, & J.M. Petrick

Eric Beenter has been hailed as “the new maestro of noir” by Ken Bruen and “The 21st Century’s answer to Jim Thompson” by LitReactor. H has written more than 30 novels, and his 100+ short stories have been featured in over 35 anthologies. Along the way, he’s been nominated for two ITW awards, a Shamus, Derringer, and four Anthony awards. His novels include the multiple-award nominated The Last Few Miles Of Road, Rumrunners, The Devil Doesn’t Want Me, There and Back, and All The Way Down. For more visit ericbeetner.com.

Duane Swierczynski is the New York Times bestselling and two-time Edgar-nominated author of fifteen novels, including Expiration Date, Canary, and California Bear, as well as the graphic novels Breakneck and Redhead. Along with James Patterson, Duane co-created the Audible Original The Guilty, starring John Lithgow and Bryce Dallas Howard, and co-wrote the private eye thriller Lion & Lamb. He’s also written over 250 comic books, including Cable, Deadpool, The Immortal Iron Fist, Punisher, Birds of Prey, Bloodshot, Star Wars: Rogue One, and The Black Hood. His first short story collection, Lush & Other Tales of Boozy Mayhem, was published by Cimarron Street Books.

Fred Andersen has written five books. The Classic Hollywood murder mysteries Pamela Carr and Lily Torrence take place in a world where beauty, talent, and ambition can be tools—or weapons. The contemporary thriller Line in the Sand pits a Phoenix school teacher against a Mexican drug gang, traveling from tropical jungles to the Golden Gate Bridge. The “comics mystery” The Dead Cartoonist is a delight for lovers of every kind of graphic storytelling—from the darkest novels to the dumbest comic strips. While all those books explore the world of mystery and suspense, In the Company of Strangers tells varied tales of youthful discovery, working-class romance, and drifters and dreamers searching for a home—or a new adventure!

Dan Bronson has had many careers: Associate Professor of English at DePauw University, Senior Story Analyst at Universal, Associate Story Editor at Filmways, Executive Story Editor at Paramount, Writer-Producer of HBO’s "The Last Innocent Man" and NBC’s "Death of a Cheerleader," author of the memoir Confessions of a Hollywood Nobody and the Jack Shannon mysteries, Someone To Watch Over Me and its sequel, Shout at the Devil.

Craig Faustus Buck's crime fiction has won two Macavity Awards, the Silver Falchion Award, First Runner Up for the Claymore Award, and been nominated for numerous others. His novel, Go Down Hard, a noir romp (Brash Books), was called "a crime novel dream" by the American Library Association's Booklist. His short story "Home Game" was chosen by Otto Penzler and John Grisham for their Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2025 anthology. His agent is currently shopping the sequel, Go Down Screaming.   

J.M. Petrick is an artist and author based in Los Angeles. For more than a decade, he’s created street art under the name Morley, and his work can be found not only pasted across the urban landscape, but in galleries the world over, on television shows, in magazines, and on album covers. He’s lectured at LACMA and numerous universities, and was a focus in national commercial campaigns for both Toyota and Smirnoff Vodka. His published collections include If You’re Reading This, There’s Still Time and Let’s Burn This Moment Down To The Filter, which are both available from Abrams Books. Dead Flowers is his debut novel.


SoCal MWA Author Readings - Noir