Current Titles
Showcase Author
Russ Heitz
"How the books came to be" I started the Jesse Eichenlaub series with a goal of doing three books with the same set of primary characters. DYING IN DEER COUNTRY is the second in the series and picks up where CROSSHAIRS leaves off, about a week later. KRAZY KRITTERS OF FLORIDA was a "change of pace" project that was just fun to do and it also gave me the experience of doing everything, a truly "self published" project. I bought the ISBN, hired an illustrator, designed the cover, did the layout, arranged for the printing, etc. etc. I enjoy doing research and especially enjoy learning about and writing about wildlife, especially Florida wildlife, especially endangered wildlife. KRAZY KRITTERS was the result. I don't know whether I'll do the third Jesse Eichenlaub novel.
About the Author:
Russ Heitz was born in Pennsylvania, grew up in the Philadelphia area and lived for a number of years in the wilderness areas of north-central Pennsylvania, the setting for his two suspense novels. He has a degree from Temple University and has been writing most of his life. After moving to Florida with his wife, Lee, more than 30 years ago, he has published dozens of suspense stories and articles on a wide variety of topics. He has also published a nonfiction children's book about Florida wildlife and worked for more than ten years as a publications specialist for local government. In that position Russ wrote, edited, published and photographed a wide variety of documents including press releases, newsletters, magazine and newspaper articles, newspaper columns, annual reports, technical manuals, audio/visual scripts, speeches, procedure manuals, resolutions, proclamations, and correspondence to various government and industry officials. In addition to writing, Russ provides professional copy editing services for local writers. Russ's motto is Carpe Diem, Seize the Day. He is also partial to the Inuit words of wisdom: Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment. Russ is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Florida Writers Association, Florida Outdoor Writers Association, and American Crime Writers League.
Where to purchase a copy:
Crosshairs
Dying In Deer Country
Buy Krazy Kritters directly from Russ - go to the website
You can email Russ here: Send Message
Russ' website can be seen at: Click Here
"Crosshairs” Life in Klinkton County -- a large, mountainous and sparsely populated area of north-central Pennsylvania -- has always revolved around deer hunting, trout fishing, four-wheel-drive pickups, and the Grizzly Snowmobile factory. It is a place where scope-mounted hunting rifles are as plentiful as trees, and shooting accidents are as common as rattlesnakes. But this year, something new has been added -- Klinkton County’s first serial killer. Some of the victims include a kerosene route salesman from Allentown, a political organizer from Philadelphia, and a local arts and crafts worker. The person who must stop this killer is newly-elected Sheriff Jesse Eichenlaub. In addition to his own secret demons from the past, however, Jesse already has three strikes against him. He doesn’t like guns. He has no law enforcement experience at all. And the man he defeated in the election is now his boss. The central questions that Sheriff Jesse immediately faces are -- who is the shooter? What connects the victims? And how will he cope with the expanding chaos that suddenly surrounds him.
"Dying in Deer Coutry" The body of Philadelphia drug kingpin, Phil Ritzo, has been found at the Deer Hollow Motel in upstate Pennsylvania in a wilderness area called Klinkton County. His brains have been blown out, his girlfriend is missing, and 20,000 heavily armed and trigger happy hunters are pouring into the area for the annual bloodletting called “deer season.” Sorting through the chaos is recently elected Sheriff Jesse Eichenlaub who is still reeling from a serial killer case that put his only deputy, Clay Letterman, in the hospital and his girlfriend, Marlee Fleece, on life support. The list of suspects in this new case include a mentally unstable local named Chuck Cornellis who never backs down from any kind of fight; and Lennie Tristairo, a disgraced and demoted Philadelphia copy who blamed drug lord Ritzo for his own fall from power. Things get even more interesting when an irate father drags his son into the sheriff's office and demands that Jesse put the boy in jail. Sparks fly between Jesse's testy but efficient office partner, Franky Boone, and his new ex-Marine investigator Damon McClosky. To complicate matters further, the body of a naked woman turns up in a most unexpected place.
"Krazy Kritters" Answers to the many questions about Florida's Krazy Kritters are revealed in this fascinating collection of wildlife portraits.
