Fred Zackel is a writer of fiction and non-fiction. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he spent many years in California.Zackel was discovered by the award winning novelist Ross Macdonald at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference in 1975. Macdonald became a mentor and was influential in the direction of Zackel's fiction writing.Zackel published his first novel, COCAINE AND BLUE EYES in 1978 and it was followed by CINDERELLA AFTER MIDNIGHT. Both novels feature his San Francisco private detective, Michael Brennen. In 1983 the TV movie COCAINE AND BLUE EYES was aired on NBC.His novel MURDER IN WAIKIKI was written after a delayed honeymoon to Hawaii. The very air and the landscape sparked a fascination with all things Hawaiiana for years after. The people and culture of Hawaii and the city of Honolulu hold a special place in his heart.Created out of dreams and nightmares his collection of short stories include the thriller "The Bicycles Were Gravestones" and the violent robot science fiction "Creepier Than A Whorehouse Kiss".Zackel is currently working on a novel of two generations haunted and nearly destroyed by a tragic family murder. Set during the sometimes violent upheaval of Cleveland's social and cultural changes of the 1950's and today, it is a story of revenge and redemption, of sacrifice and the salvation of familial love.Frederick Zackel has published several non-fiction articles and reviews in academic and internet journals. Beginning with his PhD dissertation, Zackel has written extensively about the effect of geography, art and religion, and the stories we tell on civilizations. These "great ideas" are the subject of a trilogy he is writing.A fan of mysteries, he recently attended the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Indianapolis, IN, St. Louis, MO and Raleigh, NC. He is a member of Private Eye Writers of America and has been a judge in several categories for the Shamus award.