Murder Mystery Pub Crawls!

Today will the first of several Murder at the Malden Bank pub crawls planned this summer in my hometown of Malden, Massachusetts. I am very grateful to the City of Malden for giving this first time novelist such a tremendous platform!

My novel, Abel Bodied: Murder at the Malden Bank is based on the December 15, 1863 crime where Frank Converse was the first murder victim during a bank robbery in American history. This occurred over two years before the James-Younger Gang, which may have included brothers Jesse and Frank on that day, robbed the Clay County Savings Association killing an innocent bystander as they left the town of Liberty, Missouri.

Actors from Incantrix Productions will be portraying the real people depicted in my novel while interacting with participants trying to solve the crime. I will be signing and selling my novel in the first and last stop of these pub crawls, Idle Hands Craft Ales. Tickets for these numerous pub crawls are selling fast and can be purchased for $10 at this link:

This video from the first pub crawl staged last year was shot and edited by Urban Media Arts. I have added some images related to the crime to this version.

Cheers,

Michael Cloherty

Perseverance and the anniversary of revealing my novel to the world

For eight years, I toiled away on my book. An English literature major in college, my goal in life was to eventually become a novelist. It took a while but I never gave up my dream.

I kept the book-in-progress mostly to myself, afraid of the cliche of being middle-aged with a half-finished manuscript gaining dust in a desk drawer – like a treadmill in the corner of the laundry room used only to dry items of clothing.

Afraid of being asked the questions, “what is it about?” or “when is it going to be finished?” – I lived the life of a solitary writer with a story pleading to be finished.

One year ago today, June 8, 2021, after all the research, writing, re-writing and editing as well as all of the procrastination and self-doubt – my novel was ready to be revealed to the world.

The response at a Facebook announcement of “what I had written” and “what it was about” was wonderful. 158 likes, 124 comments of which half were surely my responses to thoughtful reactions. I thank all of you and everyone I have encountered who has said a nice word. Not every word has been kind, but that goes with putting out any creative endeavor. Thankfully, the good has drastically outweighed the bad by a very wide margin.

I am not one to dispense advice on finishing a personal project in a timely fashion. Things take the time they take. But I can say a few words about perseverance. Believe in yourself! We are all a combination of our greatest critic as well as our greatest ally.

If you have a passion for something, keep chipping away at it! I run a bit, eight half-marathons in the last several years – and perhaps a full one in the future. I can’t say I am a marathoner but I like to joke that I have run the equivalent of four marathons. Take your victories where you can find them.

I like the comparison of running and writing. Completing my novel was a journey, the finish line seeming quite distant, but with one more word – just like with one more step, I edged closer and closer to my goal!

You can too if something means so much to you that even if it is daunting at times – you simply can’t stop thinking about it.

Don Miguel Ruiz wrote a book called The Four Agreements. They are:

1) Be impeccable with your word

2) Don’t take things personally

3) Don’t make assumptions

4) Always try your best

I promised myself I would write a novel and I did. It wasn’t an easy task at times but the struggle added to the sense of accomplishment.

I don’t blame myself for taking so long to do so or get mad at the handful of others who have been unkind or simply don’t like my book. It helps quite a bit that so many have enjoyed the novel and the joy I feel of engaging with someone who loved the novel is tremendous, like no other feeling I could have ever imagined – sort of like a runner’s high – but even better!

I didn’t assume great success or that this self-published, self-funded novel would make me rich. Breaking even and building on that is all I wanted. The one thing I really desired was to finish what I sent out to do.

I hoped to have the follow-up novel out by now, but finances and circumstances have slowed the process. It is mostly done – but again things take the time they take. After publishing the first one, I have no doubt that the second one will be ready sometime in the near future. All I can do is try my best.

And that’s all anyone of us can do!

Cheers,

Michael Cloherty

Take a trip through 1906 San Francisco four days before an earthquake destroyed the city

My novel, Abel Bodied: Murder at the Malden Bank, based on the first murder during a bank robbery in American history, is set in my hometown of Malden, MA in 1863.

I had access to photographs, maps, newspapers and other historical resources from the era for my research. I often walked along the real locations to visualize how things were like in the 1860’s – but I really had to delve into my imagination to get a sense of the real people and the time in which they lived to convey the story I set out to tell.

However, I became immersed, transported directly back in time in an instant while watching this video of San Francisco in 1906 as this trolley with a film camera positioned at its front rambles along for over eleven minutes passing other trolley cars, horse and buggies, bicycles and pedestrians crossing the street. The original film has been painstakingly upgraded with current digital technology, colorized with ambient sound added to recreate somewhat accurately what was seen through this camera’s lens.

The scene is peaceful and chaotic at the same time as the speed of all vehicles seems to be about 10-15 mph – yet there are no defined rules of the road. Cars and buggies cut in front of one another or make indiscriminate u-turns in the middle of the street. Some pedestrians walk amidst the unpredictable action without a care in the world while others scurry out of the way. Boys chase and jump on the back of passing carts. The date that this film was taken was Saturday, April 14, 1906. The people in this film were living their lives with no idea as to the utter calamity that was about to befall them.

On Wednesday, April 18th at 5:12 A.M. a 7.9 magnitude earthquake would destroy an estimated 80% of the city and more than 3000 of its residents would die in the initial destruction and then days of fires.

Viewing these eleven plus minutes of video, I felt like I was along for the ride and imagined the myriad lives of those by chance crossing the camera’s path.

It is history come to life and it is an inspiration to any writer or aspiring writer’s base of knowledge if they wish to compose non-fiction and just a terrific resource for one’s creativity to write historical fiction as I prefer to do.

So, if you haven’t already watched the video first, your fare is paid for in advance with a front row seat guaranteed. Just click play and head back to 1906 San Francisco for a little while. I assure you, it is a journey worth taking!

Michael Cloherty

He’s All About Malden

If you’re walking on the avenue or down a city street

Whether it’s Highland, Pleasant or Main

There’s a man you’re sure to meet

Whose Facebook page’s brought him city-wide fame

Seems like everyone knows his name!

You can call him Pistol or simply call him Pete!

He’s All About Malden

As the city continues to change and grow

He’ll keep you up to date

Of everything you need to know 

When a new business opens

He’ll be by the mayor’s side 

Here’s a salute from all of us to you, Pete Caso!

We’re grateful that your heart is full of hometown pride!

An ode to my friend, Peter Caso

MC

On December 15th, one hundred and sixty years ago in Malden, Frank Converse was killed at the Malden Bank