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Rich Leder

Goodreads Author

Born

in New York City, The United States

July 25

Website

https://www.richleder.com/

Twitter

LaughRiotPress

Genre

Fiction, Thriller, Crime

Member Since

June 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/richleder

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Rich Leder has been a working writer for more than three decades. His screen credits include 19 produced television films for CBS, Lifetime, and Hallmark, feature films for Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Tri-Star Pictures, Longridge Productions, and Left Bank Films. He has published eight novels through Laugh Riot Press.

He has been the lead singer in a Detroit rock band, a restaurateur, a Little League coach, an indie film director, a literacy tutor, a magazine editor, a screenwriting coach, a wedding guru, a PTA board member, a commercial real estate agent, and a visiting artist for the University of North Carolina Wilmington Film Studies Department, among other things, all of which, it turns out, was grist for the mill.

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Popular Answered Questions

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Rich Leder A popular adage is "write what you know." I'm sorry but no, don't write what you know; write what you love.

You can know anything. If I give you three …moreA popular adage is "write what you know." I'm sorry but no, don't write what you know; write what you love.

You can know anything. If I give you three day on Google, you can be an expert in any topic at all.

Write what you love.

If you love mysteries, write one. If you love romance, write that. Thrillers, westerns, cookbooks, kids…it doesn't matter. If you love it and put your passion on the page, then someone else will feel that love and give it back to you.

I love to laugh and to make other people laugh, so I write funny books. And I love mysteries too. So I write a funny mystery series.

Write what you love, that's my advice.(less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Rich Leder At its core, writer's block is a function of not knowing what to write. And not knowing what to write is a function of not preparing a detailed outlin…moreAt its core, writer's block is a function of not knowing what to write. And not knowing what to write is a function of not preparing a detailed outline first. I call it a beat sheet. You can call it anything you want--but do it before you write the book and you'll know what to write at every given moment.

I started doing beat sheets in Hollywood, when I was a screenwriter. I did 56 of them. And now I've done one for each of my four novels.

A road map, is all it is, so I know where I'm going and why. Like all journeys, the map can and does change once I'm underway. But having a detailed beat sheet gives me the confidence that I will finish what I started, that, if I do nothing but following my outline beat by beat, I can start at the beginning, aware of what to write next and why, and keep going until I reach the end.

Doing it this allows me to focus on how I'm going to write that scene, that chapter, that moment without worrying about what it is I'm supposed to write. I know what I'm supposed to write, now what's the coolest-funniest-most romantic-scariest-whatever way for me to write it.

In my decades as a professional writer, this had been my cure for writer's block. Yes, cure. (less)

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Combine Editions
Rich Leder’s books

Average rating: 4.29 · 243 ratings · 151 reviews · 13 distinct works • Similar authors

	Workman’s Complication (McCall & Company, #1) 4.14 avg rating — 88 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cooking For Cannibals 4.45 avg rating — 38 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Extraterrestrial Noir 4.64 avg rating — 33 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Let There Be Linda 3.93 avg rating — 29 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Swollen Identity (McCall & Company, #2) 4.58 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Emboozlement (McCall & Company, #3) 4.27 avg rating — 15 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Juggler, Porn Star, Monkey Wrench 4.15 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2014 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kate McCall in Killer Punchline: A comic crime caper starring a bodyguarding actress-turned-PI (Kate McCall Off-Script Mysteries Book 4) 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Swollen Identity (McCall & Company Book 2) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	McCall & Company: Emboozlement 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Rich Leder's Blog: Laugh Riot Press Blog

The Laugh Riot Report

If you're a self-pubbing writer, you're wearing more than one hat. You're also the publisher and the director of marketing and public relations. And the office manager. And the bookkeeper. It's a big job, and it takes a lot time and insight to do it right. There's so much to know, so much to learn. And that means staying connected to the pro bloggers, listening to what they're saying about the lif

Series by Rich Leder

McCall & Company (3 books)
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Rich Leder (Goodreads Author)

4.24 avg rating — 127 ratings

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Rich’s Recent Updates

Rich Leder made a comment on Michael Godwin’s review of Extraterrestrial Noir " Thanks for reading me, Michael. And thanks for the stellar review! Thrilled to know you had a ball with the book. "
Sep 07, 2026 11:18AM · see review
Rich Leder liked Michael Godwin's review of Extraterrestrial Noir: "Extraterrestrial Noir by Rich Leder is a wildly imaginative genre-bending novel that combines science fiction, film noir, dark comedy, family dysfunction, and apocalyptic stakes. The premise alone is wonderfully unconventional: an extraterrestrial ar" Read more of this review »
Sep 07, 2026 11:17AM · see review
Rich Leder made a comment in the group BestThrillers.com Book Awards — Results are in for the 2025 Best Books of the Year! topic " Thank you, Bella and BestThrillers.com! Awesome to know Extraterrestrial Noir is this year's Best Sci-fi winner! Congratulations to all the winners an ...more "
Nov 30, 2025 07:17AM
Rich Leder joined the group BestThrillers.com Book Awards
Nov 30, 2025 07:08AM · like
Rich Leder liked Chloe Reed's review of Extraterrestrial Noir: "Extraterrestrial Noir is a wildly inventive and darkly humorous sci-fi adventure, blending film-noir flair, cosmic stakes, and unforgettable characters into a page-turning delight."
Nov 14, 2025 08:02AM · see review
Rich Leder liked Kibet's review of Extraterrestrial Noir: "Stylish, surreal, and unforgettable This is a wild, stylish mash up of science fiction, suburban satire, and film noir homage. The premise alone, an alien who takes the form of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake while unraveling a fragile suburban family, is" Read more of this review »
Sep 01, 2025 07:40AM · see review
Rich Leder made a comment on Iron John’s review of Extraterrestrial Noir " Thank you, Iron John! So great to know you made the decision to kick back and go with it. That you had fun too? That makes my day. Many thanks again! "
Aug 24, 2025 10:54AM · see review
Rich Leder liked Iron John's review of Extraterrestrial Noir: "This book was just straight-up fun. It’s got that perfect mix of weird sci-fi and classic detective story, but without taking itself too seriously. The writing is sharp, the humour is on point, and the characters?...Total chaos in the best way. It’s l" Read more of this review »
Aug 24, 2025 10:52AM · see review
Rich Leder made a comment on Octavia’s review of Extraterrestrial Noir " Thank you for reading me, Octavia. I'm truly delighted you enjoyed the ride. ...more "
Aug 24, 2025 10:52AM · see review
Rich Leder made a comment on Valery’s review of Extraterrestrial Noir " Thank you, Valery. I'm not the best judge of these things, but, yeah, I think saving the world IS just another way of saving the people you love. Or m ...more "
Aug 24, 2025 10:50AM · see review

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