Eddie Collins: Actor/Private Eye

Hooray for Hollywood!
How many young men and women over the years have descended upon Hollywood hoping to grab the brass ring of fame and fortune? For many, that brass ring remains elusive and yet they persist. While keeping the wolf away from the door, they wait tables, tend bar, sell real estate, drive an Uber, or substitute teach, anything to pay the rent.

And then there’s Eddie Collins, the protagonist of my six novels set against the backdrop of Hollywood and the business of acting. Born in the Midwest, Eddie served in the U.S. Army from 1988 to 1990 as a Military Policeman in South Korea. After mustering out, he arrived in Hollywood determined to chase his dream of grabbing that brass ring.

Instead of relying on the usual “day jobs,” he became employed as an armed guard at a gated community in Los Angeles. Combined with his Army MP service, this fulfilled several of the requirements for obtaining a California private investigator’s license. He eventually set up shop in a building on Hollywood Boulevard with Mavis Werner, a pert and sassy blonde, as his secretary and Gal Friday. His neighbors on the 5th floor include the Elite Talent Agency run by Peggy Stafford; Lenny Daye, a gay publisher of Pecs ’n Abs, a men’s magazine; and Leonid Travnikov, a Russian doctor.

The novels give readers an inside, behind-the-scenes look into the workings of the movie and television industry. Over the years, Eddie hasn’t exactly become a household name, but he acts whenever opportunity strikes and has managed to qualify for a pension all while taking on clients with ties to Hollywood’s inner circles.

Three of the six novels Murder Unscripted, Red Desert, and Frog in a Bucket have been shortlisted for the Shamus Award, bestowed by the Private Eye Writers of America.

I invite you to get acquainted with Eddie Collins. I think you’ll take a liking to him.
All the books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.