Archive for Zero Minus Ten

2023: That’s a Wrap!

The year 2023 has come to a close!

Two of Raymond’s books have dominated the news of the past year.

First, The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way, published in October 2022 from Beaufort Books, has been earning acclaim. It won the IPPY Gold (1st Place) Award in the Mystery Category from the Independent Publisher Book Awards, it was a Traditional Fiction finalist in Chicago Writers Association’s Book of the Year Awards, and it was a SHELF UNBOUND 2022 Best Indie Book Finalist and Notable Indie!

Second, Zero Minus Ten, Raymond’s first James Bond novel (originally published in 1997), was reprinted in the UK in October 2023 from Ian Fleming Publications, with a new Introduction by Raymond himself and a new cover.

Third, Raymond is a contributor to Brutal & Strange: Stories Inspired by the Songs of Elvis Costello, an anthology published by Down and Out Books in December 2023. The collection, edited by Jim Fusilli, features a track listing of many outstanding crime writers. Raymond’s tale, “The Beat,” is a meditation on Costello’s tune of the same name from his 1978 album, This Year’s Model.

Brutal and Strange Cover

Fourth, Raymond appears in the anthology, Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2022, an anthology of pulp, fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, horror, and plain ol’ awesome short stories by 28 fantastic authors (plus illustrations!). It contains Raymond’s tale, “Sea People.” Edited by Robert Greenberger, the book was published in January 2023 by Crazy 8 Publishing.

Thrilling Adventure Yarns cover

Order “Zero Minus Ten” from the James Bond Books page!

Order “The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way,” “Brutal & Strange,” and “Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2022” from the Fiction/Non-Fiction page (scroll to the bottom of the page for the short story collections)!

Subscribe to Raymond’s YouTube Channel to see and hear his eclectic repertoire of 100+ classic rock, movie music, and original compositions on piano!

Raymond Benson Plays Piano

Raymond Benson plays piano at home.

OF COURSE, many of Raymond’s previous books go on sale as e-books at various times. It’s always best to follow Raymond’s Facebook and Twitter posts to take advantage of these sales. In the meantime, his recent novels like BLUES IN THE DARK, IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT, THE SECRETS ON CHICORY LANE, HOTEL DESTINY: A GHOST NOIR, and the five-book serial, THE BLACK STILETTO, are all still available. Find them on the Books pages (James Bond; The Black Stiletto; Fiction & Non-Fiction; Tie-Ins)!

RAYMOND SENDS HUGS TO EVERYONE AND SAYS, “HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024!”

James Bond Is Back In Action!

Raymond’s first James Bond novel, ZERO MINUS TEN, returns in print in the UK!

On August 12, 2023, Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. announced the publication of new editions of three classic James Bond continuation novels, including Raymond’s 1997 debut 007 adventure, ZERO MINUS TEN (the others being Kingsley Amis’ COLONEL SUN and John Pearson’s JAMES BOND: THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY).

The new edition, to be published October 5, will feature a new cover and a new Introduction by Raymond.

Copies may be pre-ordered from Ian Fleming Publications. Go to the James Bond Books Page for links to order a SIGNED edition or the Standard edition.

Raymond Benson Plays Piano

Raymond Benson plays piano at home.

Subscribe to Raymond’s YouTube Channel to see and hear his eclectic repertoire of 100+ classic rock, movie music, and original compositions on piano!

OF COURSE, many of Raymond’s previous books go on sale as e-books at various times. It’s always best to follow Raymond’s Facebook and Twitter posts to take advantage of these sales. In the meantime, his recent novels like THE MAD, MAD MURDERS OF MARIGOLD WAY (winner of the IPPY Gold Medal in Mystery from the Independent Publisher Book Awards!), BLUES IN THE DARK, IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT, THE SECRETS ON CHICORY LANE, HOTEL DESTINY: A GHOST NOIR, and the five-book serial, THE BLACK STILETTO, are all still available. Find them on the Books pages (James Bond; The Black Stiletto; Fiction & Non-Fiction; Tie-Ins)!

RAYMOND SENDS HUGS TO EVERYONE AND SAYS, “BE SAFE AND BE HEALTHY!”

20 Year Anniversary of “Zero Minus Ten”!

It was twenty years ago this month (April 1997) that Raymond’s first James Bond novel was published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton. ZERO MINUS TEN marked the first time an American author assumed the mantle of penning original adult 007 books. It was published in the US in May ’97 by Putnam, and was serialized in Playboy magazine (April and May ’97). The locations include Hong Kong/Kowloon, Macau, China, Australia, England, and Jamaica.

From the jacket flap: “In ten days, Hong Kong will pass into the hands of the Chinese–and 007 is on his way there to undertake his most dangerous and thrilling mission yet. In the Australian desert, a nuclear bomb explodes. There are no survivors, and no clues about who has made it or detonated it. In England, two police officers are shot dead when they apprehend a cargo vessel in Portsmouth dock. Vast quantities of heroin are later found on board. And in Hong Kong, an explosion rips through one of the colony’s famous floating restaurants, killing the entire Board of Directors of EurAsia Enterprises Ltd, a multi-billion dollar shipping corporation. The People’s Republic of China is about to resume control after a century and a half of British rule–and the colony is a powder keg waiting to explode. The tension reaches breaking point when a solicitor from one of Britain’s most prestigious law firms is killed in a car bomb at Government House. These apparently random events are connected–and Bond must find out how and why. From the seedy strip clubs of Kowloon, 007’s investigations bring him into conflict with ruthless Triad gangs, a power-hungry Chinese general–and a beautiful night club hostess called Sunni Pei. All enquiries seem to lead to EurAsia Enterprises Ltd–and its assassinated owner. James Bond is about to come up against one of the most formidable adversaries of his career. A new era of high adventure, intrigue and danger begins for James Bond with Raymond Benson’s eagerly awaited 007 thriller–a story of sensuality and nonstop excitement.”

The novel is currently in print in the trade paperback anthology, CHOICE OF WEAPONS, as an e-book on Amazon Kindle, and as an audiobook. Original print copies of the UK or US hardcover or paperback are often available on Amazon Marketplace and eBay. You can find Amazon links here.