We at Zumaya mourn deeply the loss of Roger Margason, better known as Dorien Grey, and Joan Blacher, two well-respected and talented mystery writers. Both were a joy to work with, I will miss being able to spend time with them, even if only virtually, more than I can say.

Award-winning author Dr. Joan Blacher, a licensed psychotherapist in private practice for the past twenty years, was a former university professor and director of a counseling and guidance graduate program. She was the author of the mystery novels Murder Canyon, Lethal Lake, and Death on the Run, and co-author of Difficult Teens: A Parents Guide for Coping.

Her works were published in counseling and educational journals, mystery publications, magazines, newspapers, and she was a former member of a counseling journal’s editorial board. In 2003, the California Association of Marriage Family Therapists awarded her its Carl Vincent Award for her literary contribution to mental health with the publication of Difficult Teens.

She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Norman, who has requested her mystery series featuring forensic psychologist Ardis Jensen remain available to readers.

When long-time book and magazine editor Roger Margason chose the pseudonym “Dorien Grey” for his first novel, it set off a chain of circumstances that led to a comfortable division of labor and responsibility. Roger had charge of day-to-day existence, freeing Dorien (with the help of Roger’s fingers) to write. Both Roger and Dorien died in November after a minor surgical procedure resulted in fatal complications.

Two years into college, Roger left to join the Naval Aviation Cadet program. Washing out after a year, he spent the rest of his brief military career on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean at the height of the Cold War. Returning to Northern Illinois University after service, he graduated with a BA in English and embarked on a series of jobs that worked him into the editing field.

While working for a Los Angeles publishing house, he was instrumental in establishing a division exclusively for the publication of gay paperbacks and magazines, of which he became editor. He moved on to edit a leading LA-based international gay men’s magazine. Then, tiring of earthquakes, brush fires, mud slides, and riots, he returned to the Midwest, where Dorien emerged, full-blown, like Venus from the sea. They were inseparable (and interchangeable) from that point on.

Roger—and Dorien, of course—moved back to Chicago in 2006, where they devoted time to writing and travel. Both Dorien’s excellent mystery series—Elliott Smith and John and Dick Hardest—will remain available to readers, as he requested. His popular blog will also remain available with the able assistance of his good friend Gary Brown.

Rajendra Kher’s non-fiction book Empire of the Gods has been released.

One of our artists, April Martinez, has just published a lovely coloring book called Patterns.

 

Gloria Oliver has received a contract for a historical/alternate-history novelette entitled Charity and Sacrifice which should see release in October 2016.