About the Author

With over 30 years of experience as a songwriter and musician, Coleman has published almost a hundred songs that have left his own unique mark on the music scene. As the frontman of bands such as Blue Manner Haze and Mad Tongues, Coleman infused each group with his distinctive style. Today, he channels that same fervor into leading Sloe Gin. Beyond his musical career, he also dedicates himself to education, teaching, and writing for a language institute and a German university.

Coleman draws from a rich well of creative sources: his multifaceted song lyrics, the countless hours spent with his bands—from intense rehearsals and extensive tours to the challenges of recording and the inevitable conflicts—as well as his deep-seated enthusiasm for noir novels. This blend serves as the foundation for the creation of his fictitious world. In Ponopolis, a city as mysterious as it is vibrant, musicians and underworld figures merge into a narrative marked by its unexpected twists, raw emotionality, and sharp wit.

A big hug for Sheila Knowles for her editing, proofing and her unique perspective on the Ponopolis series.

Thanks to Nico Engerer for his German translation on, 'In Die Schlacht', & 'Der Vegas Job'.

Thanks to Carina Meier for the editing on, 'In Die Schlacht', 'Der Vegas Job' & 'Road Devil.

I’d like to give a big high-five to Matt Sheppard of Australia, for his diligent line-editing on 'Into the Slaughter'.

Thanks to Olli Holzner for his graphics on the cover on 'Into the Slaughter'.

And a thank you for anybody who took the time to read it – reviews appreciated.

If you'd like to contact me regarding my books, please write to:

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Deadwood

Several months after playing one of the biggest gigs in American history, Ray and his thieving country-rock band, Road Dust, are flush with cash and wrestling with their next move. But Ray can’t shake the ghost of a memory: Deadwood.

It’s the late '90s. A younger Ray and his older brother roll into Deadwood, South Dakota, with a plan to relieve a group of West Coast tech millionaires of some cash. But when an old legend from Deadwood’s forgotten past—a woman known as China Doll—steps into their scheme, along with Dom Russo, a mob boss out of Chicago, everything starts to unravel.

The Needle Drops

After five years, two albums, and countless tours, Road Dust is barely scraping by. When they're tipped off about the job of a lifetime, the risks can't hold them back. Facing their greatest foe yet—Leon Vexler, the ruthless CEO of Heartland Music—Road Dust and some of their favorite acts must survive long enough to play The Needle Drops Festival, one of the biggest musical events in American history. With everything on the line, including their lives, the ride will be epic.

Road Devil

The band hits the highway, throttling towards the heartland of American music: Nashville's iconic Music Row. Yet, the echoes of a wild Vegas escapade linger, demanding a final reckoning. Join Road Dust on an electrifying journey through the soul of music, stitched with chaos, and shadowed by a fierce, unlikely ally. Amidst the whirlwind, B walks a razor's edge—torn between the thumping heartbeats of bass aficionado Lolly and the daunting task of laying down 'Road Devil,' the groundbreaking album destined to cement their legacy or scatter their dreams to the winds.

The Vegas Job

Two months after the infamous shooting at Moby Dick’s, B and his band are on the road to Sin City for the greatest heist of their musical careers. But like any heist, things don’t always go as planned.

Into the Slaughter

Ten years later.
Seven stories, all of which culminate—explosively—on the night of August 22nd, 2009.

The band Road Dust, in the era of illegal music, finds their own less-than-legal way to scrape by in the new era. Kate, after leaping from the frying pan into the fire, finds a new direction in life. Joey, now a senior in high school, winds up in a bet he can’t lose. Jerry looks for absolution in a bottle; Lenny the bouncer, war vet, and roadie; Dan the cowboy... What do they all have in common? They’ll all converge at Moby Dick’s, the notorious downtown Ponopolis bar, for a gig they’ll never forget.

Book One

Welcome to Ponopolis. It's August 22nd, 1999.

Seven-year-old Joey gets a harsh taste of reality. Neville has just discovered himself. B's playing the gig of his life. Ross is on the run, but no one knows why. Steven vanished after swiping a Greek appetizer. Is the ghost of a long-dead Dakota Indian Chief haunting the streets? Or is it just another day in Ponopolis?

Road Devil

Die Band ist unterwegs in die Musik-Hauptstadt Amerikas, Music Row, Nashville Tennessee. Doch zuerst müssen noch ein paar lose Enden vom Vegas-Job geknüpft werden.

Begleite Road Dust quer durchs Land auf einer Reise voller Musik, Chaos und einem wilden Mischling. B findet sich auf einem Drahtseilakt zwischen der bassverliebten Lolly und der Aufnahme des Albums (Road Devil) wieder, das über den Erfolg oder Misserfolg der Band entscheiden wird.

Der Vegas Job

Zwei Monate nach der berüchtigten Schießerei im Moby Dick's sind B und die Band auf dem Weg nach Sin City, um den größten Raub ihrer musikalischen Laufbahn zu begehen. Aber wie bei jedem Überfall verläuft nicht immer alles nach Plan.

In der Schlacht

Zehn Jahre späterSieben Erzählungen, die alle ihren krönend—explosiven—Abschluss finden—in der Nacht des 22. August 2009.

Die Band Road Dust findet in der Ära der Musikpiraterie ihren eigenen, weniger legalen Weg, sich durchzuschlagen. Kate, vom Regen in die Traufe kommend, findet eine neue Richtung in ihrem Leben. Joe, jetzt in der Oberstufe, verwickelt sich in eine Wette, die er nicht verlieren kann. Jerry sucht seine Absolution in der Flasche; Lenny der Türsteher, Kriegsveteran und Roadie; Dan der Cowboy… Was sie alle gemeinsam haben? Sie treffen alle im Moby Dick’s aufeinander, die berüchtigte Bar in der Innenstadt von Ponopolis, für ein Konzert, dass sie nie mehr vergessen werden.