Conroy is a stage hypnotist, who got his start working the spaceport lounges beyond the edge of Human Space. He can usually be found in the company of a buffalo dog named Reggie, an alien creature that resembles an American Bison, though with much more personality, and conveniently scaled down to about the size of a breadbox. Few things are as dependable as the bond between a man and his dog, even when the man in question is an occasional rogue and the (buffalo) dog can eat anything and farts great quantities of oxygen.
For some odd reason (aka, it suits this author) Conroy tends to encounter a wide range of aliens with different mental talents that might loosely be grouped under the term "telepathy." Cosmic hijinks and wild hilarity typically ensue.
Maybe it's because of my background in cognitive psychology, but I like Conroy. I like Reggie. I like their supporting cast, which includes Left-John Mocker (a double Coltrane rated professional gambler), Elizabeth Penrose (and her multiple personalities), and Great Aunt Fiona (who's been dead for more than a decade, but why quibble?). I like to write about them, and moreover, readers seem to like to read about them. Several Conroy stories and novelettes have been published. Others have been completed and are seeking markets, while still others are in progress.
Here's a list of what's been written, and what's coming soon:
"Buffalo Dogs" The story that started the series. The Amazing Conroy meets Reggie! Originally published in Absolute Magnitude, 16, and reprinted in the chapbook Buffalogic, Inc. Also available as an audio cassette from Nova-Audio and S.I. Images and from Fictionwise.
"Telepathic Intent" Conroy plays croquet, falls in love with a telepathic baroness, and is framed for murder. Yes, it's a science fiction romance murder mystery. Sadly, Reggie does not wear (or even eat) a cowboy hat, and there are no vampires to hypnotize. Available from SRM Publisher Ltd in Buffalogic, Inc. and from Fictionwise.
"Requiem" A prequel of sorts, as Conroy tells a friend the events that changed his life and set him on the road to becoming a professional hypnotist and space-wandering xenophile. Look for it in the pages of Absolute Magnitude #21, available from DNA Publications, as well as at Fictionwise.
"The Matter At Hand" Meet Conroy's old friend Left-John Mocker, a professional gambler who mentors him in an all-or-nothing game of poker where the only rule is there are no rules. Did I mention that Conroy's opponent can read his mind? What's a hypnotist to do? This story was originally published as part of my electronic collection Aliens and AIs from the now defunct Jintsu E-texts and Eggplant Literary Productions. Nowadays you can pick up a copy online at Fictionwise.
"Buffalogenesis" Because readers asked for it, this story picks up where "Buffalo Dogs" ends. Can Conroy make the transition from stage hypnotist to industrial tycoon? And just how do the alien buffalo dogs give birth? This novelette is coming out from SRM Publisher Ltd as a stand alone chapbook late in August 2006 (but I believe they're accepting advance orders).
"Texas Fold'em" While there are no buffalo dogs in this story, nor even a mention of the Amazing Conroy, this story should be of interest to fans of both. It's a story about Conroy's good friend, the professional gambler named Left-John Mocker (as seen in "The Matter At Hand" and the Conroy novel). John travels to the lost state of Texas on a superstitious errand to recharge his luck. This story has been completed and is now out in the world looking for a home. I'll let you know as soon as some editor snaps it up.
THE CONROY NOVEL is finished! The working title is Buffalito Destiny (though I have no doubt that will change). The book weighs in at approximately 100,000 words. Conroy decides to use his buffalo dogs to clean up pollution on Earth (what a guy!). Unfortunately, an eco-terrorist group, Green Aggression, doesn't approve of using alien beasties, no matter how noble the goal, and they don't play nice. Meanwhile, a group of aliens are convinced Conroy has some important, hidden destiny which they want to "help" him realize, and another alien keeps showing up in Conroy's dreams giving him prophetic warnings of doom and gloom, and don't even get me started on his long dead great-aunt popping into his consciousness and offering advice. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the volcano! This is one fun book. It's currently in the hands of my agent, and she's doing her best to interest some lucky editor in publishing it.
"Jaguar Calendar" Conroy can't seem to catch a break (or the girl!), and just when he should be enjoying himself at a rare culinary event, he's caught up in a plot to hypnotically regress a man to question one of his ancestors, two thousand years earlier! This story is still in progress, and I'll let you know when it is finished.
THE SECOND CONROY NOVEL is underway. Picking up somewhere after the first novel (sorry, no spoilers!), the Amazing Conroy and Reggie find themselves far beyond the traditional edges of Human Space where they encounter an alien nearly half the size of the solar system, and Conroy finds himself in the difficult position of having to hypnotize a ghost!
last update: July 3, 2006