Former private investigator and New York Times notable author David Corbett offers a unique and indispensable toolkit for creating characters that come vividly to life on the page and linger in memory. Corbett provides an inventive, inspiring, and vastly entertaining blueprint to all the elements of characterization-from initial inspiration to realization-with special insights into the power of secrets and contradictions, the embodiment of roles, managing the "tyranny of motive," and mastering crucial techniques required for memorable dialogue and unforgettable scenes. This is a how-to guide for both aspiring and accomplished writers that renders all other books of its kind obsolete.

The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV

Humor & Entertainment

Corbett, David

Movies

Penguin??Books

In this masterfully written fiction debut, David Corbett combines a gripping crime story with a poignant tale of enduring love. Freelance photographer and wildcat smuggler Dan Abatangelo blows into Vegas to hit the tables and taste the night life. In his path waits Shel Beaudry, a knockout redhead with a smile that says, Gentlemen, start your engines. The attraction is instant–and soon the two are living the gypsy life on the West coast, where Dan captains a distribution ring for premium Thai marijuana, His credo "no guns, no gangsters, it's only money." But the trade is changing. Eager to get out, Dan plans one last run, judges poorly, and is betrayed by an underling and caught by the DEA. To secure light time for Shel and his crew, Dan takes the fall and pleads to ten years. Now, having served the full term, he emerges from prison a man with a hardened will but an unchanged heart. Though probation guidelines forbid any contact with Shel, a convicted felon, he sets his focus on one thing: finding her. Shel’s life has taken a different turn since her release from prison. She met Frank Maas, a recovering addict whose son died a merciless death. Driven by pity, Shel dedicates herself to nursing Frank back from grief and saving him from madness. But his weaknesses push him into the grip of a homegrown crime syndicate in command of the local methamphetamine trade. Mexicans are stealing the syndicate's territory, setting in motion a brutal chain of events that engulf Frank, Shel, and Dan in a race-fueled drug war from which none will escape unscathed. A brilliant crime novel of betrayal and retribution, passion and redemption, The Devil’s Redhead heralds the arrival of a powerful new voice in fiction.

The Devil's Redhead

Literature & Fiction

United States

Ballantine Books

David Corbett’s first book, The Devil’s Redhead, was hailed by critics as a searing work of suspense. Now, one of the hottest new names in modern crime fiction is back with a riveting and soulful new noir. Back in the day, Raymond “Strong” Carlisle made his mark as an ace sideman blowing baritone sax alongside all the biggest names in R&amp;B. Now he lies in the grass outside his home, shot dead from behind and pelted by the heedless rain that mingles with his own blood. He is the first official casualty of a dirty war being lethally waged for control of Rio Mirada: a low-rent, “city in transition” of clashing subcultures at the northern tip of the San Francisco Bay, beset by drug dealers, arsonists, squatters . . . and now murder. Detective Dennis Murchison–white, weary, home-grown–has two possible perps: Arlie Thigpen, a teenage lieutenant in the crack-and-smack army of a local dealer; Toby Marchand, a straight-arrow, old-school, jazz horn player with some big shoes to fill: those of his father, Strong Carlisle. The smart money says the shooter is Arlie, a two-time loser who tangled with Carlisle the day he died, is the shooter. But too many things about Toby–his shaky alibi, suspicion that he’s not really who he claims to be, the fact that his girlfriend witnessed the killing but can’t remember it–have Murch doing a double take. They say there are three sides to the truth. But in Rio Mirada, honesty is in short supply. What’s plentiful are people with angles, hidden agendas, and all the reasons in the world to make sure the murder of Strong Carlisle remains a mystery. And the harder Murchison pushes for answers, the clearer it becomes that this single, brutal homicide is just the tip of an inverted iceberg, casting its massive shadow over a town where small-time crime and big-time corruption are about to collide . . . with explosive consequences. A harrowing, heartbreaking portrait of life on both sides of the law–and the grey place in between–Done for a Dime pays off powerfully on the promise of David Corbett as a writer to watch.

Done for a Dime

Dan Abatangelo hits Vegas to test his luck and finds love instead: Shel Beaudry, a tomboy redhead with a wild streak. Dan’s no innocent himself; he captains a distribution ring for premium Thai marijuana. His credo: “No guns, no gangsters, it’s only money.” But the trade is changing. Set to make one last run and then get out for good, Dan is taken down by the DEA. To secure light time for Shel and his crew, he takes the fall. After serving his full ten-year sentence, Dan emerges from prison with a hardened will, but an unchanged heart. He sets his focus on one thing: finding Shel. But she’s trapped, tied to Frank Maas, an underling in a backwater crime ring. Frank’s foolhardy plan to keep Shel for himself triggers a race-fueled turf war from which no one will escape unscathed.

Raymond “Strong” Carlisle made his mark as an ace sideman to the biggest names in R&amp;B. Now he lies in the mud outside his home, shot dead from behind. He’s the first official casualty in a dirty war for control of Rio Mirada: a low-rent “city in transition” at the northernmost point of the San Francisco Bay, beset by drug dealers, arsonists, squatters, and restless developers. And now a murderer. In Rio Mirada, the truth is in short supply. What’s plentiful are people with all the reasons in the world to make sure the murder of Strong Carlisle remains unsolved. And the harder Detective Dennis Murchison pushes for answers, the clearer it becomes that this single, brutal homicide is just the tip of an iceberg in a town where small-time crime and big-time corruption are about to collide with explosive consequences.

Done for a Dime: A Novel

Random House Publishing Group

In this masterfully written fiction debut, David Corbett combines a gripping crime story with a poignant tale of enduring love.Freelance photographer and wildcat smuggler Dan Abatangelo blows into Vegas to hit the tables and taste the night life. In his path waits Shel Beaudry, a knockout redhead with a smile that says, Gentlemen, start your engines. The attraction is instant–and soon the two are living the gypsy life on the West coast, where Dan captains a distribution ring for premium Thai marijuana, His credo "no guns, no gangsters, it's only money."But the trade is changing. Eager to get out, Dan plans one last run, judges poorly, and is betrayed by an underling and caught by the DEA. To secure light time for Shel and his crew, Dan takes the fall and pleads to ten years. Now, having served the full term, he emerges from prison a man with a hardened will but an unchanged heart. Though probation guidelines forbid any contact with Shel, a convicted felon, he sets his focus on one thing: finding her.Shel’s life has taken a different turn since her release from prison. She met Frank Maas, a recovering addict whose son died a merciless death. Driven by pity, Shel dedicates herself to nursing Frank back from grief and saving him from madness. But his weaknesses push him into the grip of a homegrown crime syndicate in command of the local methamphetamine trade. Mexicans are stealing the syndicate's territory, setting in motion a brutal chain of events that engulf Frank, Shel, and Dan in a race-fueled drug war from which none will escape unscathed.A brilliant crime novel of betrayal and retribution, passion and redemption, The Devil’s Redhead heralds the arrival of a powerful new voice in fiction. From the Hardcover edition.

Contemporary

Shield of Lantius is a fast-paced science fiction novel of war taking place in the space between Earth and her moon. Marine Corps major Dar Fantin must put together a fighting unit of Earth's finest fighter pilots to save their home from the attacking Womongly. The time frame is today or tomorrow, not years in the future. Though at first blush, one might believe the initial beginning of the novel to be "old hat," it most certainly is not. Dar and his companions are tossed into a situation that is not at all what they believe it to be. There are six primary clues given throughout the book which may lead the reader to the surprise ending. No mystery here, just a series of events in a convoluted plot. As Dar is told in chapter four, "All is not what it seems . . ."

Shield of Lantius

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Science Fiction

iUniverse

Colonel Jack Adams crashes an AV-8B, Harrier in the middle of a North Carolina bean field. The task of sorting out the cause of his friend's accident falls to Colonel Dan Breakheart, the Second Marine Air Wing's Safety Officer. Within days of the start of his investigation, Breakheart realizes that not only sabotage was indeed a factor regarding his friends death, but that it may be murder as well. Using information Adams' wife provides, Breakheart begins delving into the last few days of his friend's life. With the help of a young and lovely NADEP engineer and his best buddy, Major "Snake" Burns, he must solve the mystery quickly, but puts himself in harms way to smoke the malefactor into a confession.PRAISE FOR DAVID C. CORBETT'S A GOOD MARINE'S MURDER "Great story-grabber right from the prologue. You don't need me to tell you that your descriptions of Marine Corps life and flying were right on the money! I felt like I was there the whole way."-Major General Richard A. Gustafson, USMC (Ret)" I read this book in two days 11 chapters the fist day and then finished it off early in the morning of the second day. I had a hard time putting it down, as I was so hooked into the story and my familiarity with everything in the book from Cherry Point, Harriers, fighter pilots, O'Club, Memorials for fellow pilots, Hancock Yacht Club and its regatta, the Wing HQ, the Commanding General and Assistant Wing Commander, Chief of Staff and G-3, NIS, NADEP, and Marine officer wives. I was held captive, but it was exactly what I like reading about and kept me wanting more."-Major General Michael Sullivan, USMC (Ret.)

A Good Marine's Murder

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

The Devil's Redhead. In this masterfully written fiction debut, David Corbett combines a gripping crime story with a poignant tale of enduring love.

Devil's Redhead, The

FGC (editor)

Orion an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd

Discusses the pioneers in automotive history, the evolution of mass-production, and the world's most popular cars

Automobiles (History Series)

Children's Books

History

Barrons Juveniles

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Corbett, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Corbett, David

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Corbett, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV

The Devil's Redhead

Done for a Dime

The Devil's Redhead

Done for a Dime: A Novel

The Devil's Redhead

Shield of Lantius

A Good Marine's Murder

Devil's Redhead, The

Automobiles (History Series)