Fireside Books to host cop-turned-bestselling novelist Marc Cameron at upcoming book signing

It’s perhaps not every day that a New York Times bestselling author stops by a local bookstore to sign copies of their newest thriller. Or that such an author lives in the Last Frontier. But for retired US Deputy Marshall turned bestselling author Marc Cameron, living in Alaska and being able to do what he loves is part of a lifelong dream.

“I have been writing since I was young. I always wanted to be a novelist,” says Cameron, a retired Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal who spent nearly thirty years in law enforcement, with assignments that took him from Alaska to Manhattan, Canada to Mexico and dozens of points in between. Also adding to his badass cred is that he holds a second-degree black belt in Jujitsu and is a certified scuba diver and man-tracking instructor.

“I wrote all the time when I was traveling, during the down times. I was a cop and a novelist,” he laughs. He even recalled his wife gifting him with a ballistic vest and an electric typewriter.

Cameron started off writing short stories before switching his focus to Westerns, much in the same style as famed Western author Louis L’Amour, but faced a shrinking market. So he did a re-write and began working on his first thriller. After spending a year writing, Cameron says he couldn’t get it picked up but was encouraged by an agent to write another book.

So he wrote a second book, which was set in Alaska and featured Alaskan Natives, and set out to pitch it again, but was told by an editor that there was no market for books set in the Last Frontier and no one would be interested in a book that featured Alaskan Natives as the protagonists.

“This was before the reality shows boomed and interest took hold of Alaska,” he clarifies. “I was told to think bigger, like James Bond.” So with those editor notes in mind, Cameron went back and created Jericho Quinn, an over-the-top, USAF Academy graduate, OSI agent. Cameron went on to write ten books in the Jericho Quinn series.

He says that his real passion is in thrillers, though that did come with a bit of a plot twist.

“I got approval from the DOJ when I first started writing, but once I got more established with my writing, they were a little less happy about it.” He says the concerns expressed pushed him to make a few calls to his agent and plan an early retirement while he transitioned into his new career as a full-time writer.

The move paid off as Cameron was soon offered the opportunity to write several ‘Jack Ryan’ novels.

Now Cameron is releasing the next book in the popular Arliss Cutter series, which started with that book the editor said no one would be interested in, “Open Carry.”

The series centers on Deputy U.S. Marshal Arliss Cutter, a military veteran and born tracker who works to help find answers in crimes committed in Alaska, while also trying to solve the mystery of who murdered his brother.

“Alaska lends to its own character,” he says of this series. Cameron says the newest book, “Bad River,” will tie up some conflicts and loose ends threaded throughout the series, but will also leave readers with a sense of, “Oh, but wait…” clearly indicating that this is not his denouement.

Cameron says that he tries not to write what he doesn’t know, understanding that readers want authenticity when they read. It is why he uses real settings like Deadhorse, Utqiaġvik, and Pioneer Peak.

“My training laid the groundwork for the series, but I also inject pathos and humanity into my work and want to make people care about Alaska.

Fireside Books will be hosting a book signing, and the public is invited to come out and meet Cameron. The book signing will be held Friday, July 26 from 4:30-6:30 pm.