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Napoleon Crews is Lawrence's own "dime novelist."

His novels, based on historical figures or events in the 19th century, are "short, historical stories" or "sensational fiction" meant for an inexpensive, quick read. They're published monthly by his Fireside Novels Press.

Crews fleshes out his stories with experiences drawn from his life as a private detective, martial artist, lawyer, casino operator and cowboy. His first series of novels features the character Sam Jeans in "The Man Who Tamed Lawrence," "Last Lynching on Mount Oread" and "Eldridge House Disappearances."

In late August, Crews will introduce the character of Hunter Ivey, head of a fictional Kansas Gaming Commission, in "Flight of the Golden Eagle."

Q: Sam Jeans is drawn from Lawrence history. Can you tell us about him?

A: I didn't know that I was going to write about Sam Jeans. I didn't really know who he was, but I was doing some research and I came across a photograph of a policeman in Lawrence in 1890, and there was a Negro officer there. I looked down at his name, and it was Sam Jeans, and it said he was assistant police chief and that he later had gone on to be police chief. And I got to thinking about that; 1890 Lawrence was really prejudiced. The Negroes had a hard life here during that particular point in time, and I just couldn't imagine how Sam Jeans could work his way up to assistant chief and then on to chief, and so in thinking about that and in trying to research a little bit more on him, there wasn't very much out there on Sam Jeans, so that's when the story started to build in my head.

Q: Sam Jeans is a great detective. What does it take to be a great detective?

A: A great detective is one that doesn't make any deductions about the facts until he or she has enough facts. A good detective is one who is not afraid to go out there and dig for information. And a good detective is one who is not able to see that information clearly. A lot of times you'll have a detective who will have a piece of information and they think that it means one thing. But ability, uncanniness or whatever you want to call it sometimes gives a person a different view about evidence, and those are the people who really can solve crimes, really break through on something that hasn't been able to be solved before.

Q: Did you learn that in your private detective work?

Napoleon Crews has written three "dime novels" based on Lawrence history. Crews recently visited Borders Books Music & Cafe, 700 N.H.

A: Exactly. I did. I found that I tried conventional methods for gathering information, and you have to use those. You have to know who's involved in a particular event and you have to ferret out those facts. But when it comes down to finding out who did something or where someone is located or things of that nature, it really requires thinking out of the box.

Q: What can historical fiction such as "The Man Who Tamed Lawrence" teach us about our world today?

A: Times and circumstances may change, but the human qualities required to overcome adversity and to persevere remain constant.

Q: What does Sam Jeans teach us?

A: That no matter how tough, intelligent or resourceful you are, you cannot succeed without the help and compassion of others.

6News video: Lawrence author creates dime-novel revival First Person video: Napoleon Crews, part 1 First Person video: Napoleon Crews, part 2 First Person video: Napoleon Crews, part 3 First Person video: Napoleon Crews, part 4 First Person video: Napoleon Crews, part 5 Fireside Novels Press

Q: Who as a writer has inspired you?

A: Langston (Hughes) provides the framework for my writing. He wrote to Negro writers to say -- and he used the term Negro from back in his day -- write the truth. If something is bad, then you call it bad. If something is good, you call it good.

He also said that you portray Negroes doing something other than what the stereotype is for them, you know. They can perform like Sam Jeans. I've done it myself. I mean it's not something out of the ordinary.

And he said write books that bring people together. And that's what I hope to accomplish with Fireside Novels. My stories talk about conflict, they talk about struggle. But in the end, the people that had conflict are pulling together in my Fireside Novels, and that's all I can say about that.