| James Swain | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | USA |
| Genres | Crime novels Mystery novels |
| Spouse(s) | Laura |
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www.jimswain.com/old22/home.htm |
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James Swain is an author who has written at least thirteen fiction and non-fiction books. He has used two main character in most of his crime related and mystery books. These are Tony Valentine, a private eye and Jack Carpenter, an ex-cop turned child rescuer. Swain is lesser known for his "Magic" non-fiction books which are self-published.
Swain's recent books are "Mysteries of the Year" by Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. He has also received two nominations for the Barry Award. In 2006, he was awarded the Prix Calibre 38 for best American Crime Fiction for his Tony Valentine series. He has also received reward for his fiction from "Florida Book."[1][2]
The "Tony Valentine" rights were purchased in 2009 by Langley Films for theatrical purposes. An agreement allows Swain to write the first screenplay adaptation.[2][3]
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Jim Swain lives in Odessa, Florida with his wife, Laura. One of his main hobbies is gambling and gambling scams. Another is magic, which the author once worked as a magician.[3]
Swain has created two ex-police characters that has run in a series of mystery and crime related novels. The Tony Valentine character seem to face daily some type of cheater or scammer that involves gambling. The second character, Jack Carpenter is faces the dirtier side of life involving child abduction.[3]
Swain uses four basic acts in most of his novels. His older book series run from the low 300 to the low 400 pages while the newer series run at 400 pages. His beat format for the older series is consistent with older crime novels. His recent series seem to use a 15 beat format that is consistent with current standards.
The character Tony Valentine is a retired cop from New Jersey and more importantly from the beat of the casinos in Atlantic City. After settling in Florida he is lured to Las Vegas and makes an impact with his consultant skills against casino cheaters.
Jack Carpenter is an ex-cop from South Florida who was terminated because of using excessive force to a "slime-bag" who needed it. He turns to private eye work with a soft touch for children.