Armstrong, Derek (Derek Lee Armstrong)

PERSONAL:

Hobbies and other interests: Reading, writing, blogging, sports, dogs, horses.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Office—Kunati Books, 2600 Skymark Ave., Bldg. 12, Ste. 103, Missisauga, Ontario L4W 5B2, Canada. E-mail—publisher@kunati.com.

CAREER:

Writer, publisher. Kunati Inc., Missisauga, Ontario, Canada, publisher. Previously worked for Persona Corp.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Numerous copywriting awards.

WRITINGS:

(With Kam Wai Yu) Persona Principle: How to Succeed in Business with Image-Marketing, illustrations by Raffi Anderian, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1996.

The Game (novel), Kunati (Largo, FL), 2007.

The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur (novel), Kunati (Largo, FL), 2007.

Author of a blog; columnist for the Suite 101 "Literary Culture" page.

SIDELIGHTS:

Derek Armstrong maintains a number of Web sites, pages, and blogs, including one linked to his first book, Persona Principle: How to Succeed in Business with Image-Marketing. He is also a fiction writer, and his debut novel, The Game, features Alban Bane, a Scotsman who is a sarcastic, pill-popping police detective who solves crimes in Vermont.

In this story, Bane has received an invitation that reads "Welcome to the Game," the game being Haunted Survivor, a reality show being produced in the castle-like home of a serial murderer. "Survivor meets Fear Factor" uses a variety of devices to scare the participants enough that they leave the show, and the last one is to receive a million dollars. When players literally begin to lose their heads, Bane is faced with multiple suspects, including a militia group, but the manner in which the decapitations are committed is very similar to that of Tyler Hayden, whose execution Bane witnessed at San Quentin.

A contributor to Films and Books online reviewed The Game, describing it as being "a hugely cinematic thriller with hilarious dark comic moments."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 2006, David Pitt, review of The Game, p. 33.

Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2006, review of The Game, p. 1046.

Publishers Weekly, October 30, 2006, review of The Game, p. 40.

ONLINE

Derek Armstrong Home Page,http://www.derekarmstrong.com (May 5, 2007).

Films and Books,http://www.filmsandbooks.com/ (October 19, 2006), review of The Game.

Kunati Books Web site,http://www.kunati.com (May 5, 2007), "Meet Derek Armstrong."

Persona Principle Web site,http://www.personaprinciple.com (May 5, 2007).