JackBludis

Male

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:: Baltimore
About Me:: I am the author of more than 70 published novels and novellas, and almost 900 published stories in various genres and sub-genres. My best works are private-eye mysteries under my own name mysteries set in various historical periods. New issues and reprints will be out shortly from Pageturneditions.com

As all writers, I am also a reader.

This updated on 9-8-2011
I Am A:: Reader, Writer
Website:: http://Jackbludis.com But crimespace tells you what you need.
Books And Authors I Like:: Chandler, Hammett, Ed McBain, Hemingway, Faulkner, Joyce, James Lee Burke, Cormac McCarthy; the Moe Prager series and the latest two Robert B. Parker's by Reed Farrel Coleman, and Richard Helms (the novelist not the spy), Laura Lippman, Vicki Hendricks, Megan Abbot--and indispensable for a writer, "Strunk and White's, The Elements of Style." And how did I forget Will Shakespeare the first time around? Him too. And may I also add Steig Larsson of "The Girl who ..." Series, may he rest in peace.
Movies And TV Shows I Like:: The Big Bang Theory, Casablanca, Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, Murder My Sweet, the Godfather I, Chinatown, LA Confidential. I never tire of seeing and dissecting Casablanca.

Saturday Night Live--although I don't get all the humor anymore, it's an age thing. This show for 40 years has kept up with what 20-somethings are laughing at. It has also turned out some damn good actors as well as comedians. The constant reruns are a drag because topical material out of date is stale.

Favorite Networks AMC, TCM, TNT, and USA.

Letterman, yes. Leno, no. The Daily Show, and some things on the History Channels (The first time I see them.)

Comment Wall:

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Patrick Lee

Thanks for the invite! Those are some great writers on your list, too And The Elements of Style should be within arm's reach of every writer's desk.

Aug 6, 2007
Louisa Christy

Hi Jack.
Thanks for the welcome.

Aug 6, 2007
Louisa Christy

Do you have Congo or a Timneh?

Aug 6, 2007
JackBludis

I just looked it up ... Didn't know the subspecies of my African Gray, but he or she had a red tail. So it must have been a Congo. (I never spent the money to learn the gender of the bird.) Until today never knew there was a subspecies. It talked as a perfect mimic--in people's voices, whoever it learned from.

Aug 6, 2007
Felicia Donovan

Thanks for the comment, Jack. Looking forward to an interesting Fall...

Aug 7, 2007
Louisa Christy

Congos have bright red tail feathers. Timnehs have more of a wine red coloring. There is another subspcies, the Ghana. All in all, I find them great companions and funny.

Aug 7, 2007
Silvia Foti

So true, but you'd be surprised who The Diva's Fool is in this mystery :-)

Silvia

Aug 12, 2007
Steven Torres

The hardboiled cozy (in my practice) is a story with violence but which takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone else. What I sometimes tell people is that the stories are like Mayberry but with more blood and the criminals don't lock themselves up at night.

Aug 12, 2007
Gemma Halliday

Hi Jack,
I love the old Hollywood era! I'll have to pick up one of your books. Which one should I start with?

~Gemma

Aug 12, 2007
Karen J. Laubenstein

Hi Jack - Yeah, my family's in Maine, so have done the trip many times now from East Coast to Alaska - glad you liked the slide show. Will upload some from today's trip to Denali. A photographer from Myrtle Beach said he was glad to be here and not home with that East Coast summer heat wave. You'll have Bcon in your neighborhood next year! I worked in Baltimore once and hope to get there for next year's B'con. I'll read your stuff before I go on one of those longgg flights from Alaska.

Aug 12, 2007
Eric Stone

Lucky genes is all. First ballgame I ever went to was in 1958. I was five. For reasons that I've never quite understood, my favorite American League team (although, since the designated hitter came into being I can never be a true American League fan) has always been the Orioles.
Couldn't find "Blondes Blondes Blondes" - but that's not so unusual for me. I'll have to hunt harder when I've got more time later.

Aug 12, 2007
Eric Stone

I dunno about the designated hitter. I'm a big fan of small ball and I hate to see aging sluggers who strike out a lot and can't bunt or place hit to save their souls have their careers lengthened. I vastly prefer watching Ichiro to Bonds - although I used to love watching Bonds play in the pre-pumped up phase of his career, and he is one of the few big sluggers who doesn't strike out much. The Giant record that most impresses me this year is Omar Vizguel's breaking of the career record for sacrifice bunts.
Now it's off to read about those blondes.

Aug 13, 2007
gracebrophy

I just read your comment about visiting New York and wonder if, perhaps, I'm a bit crazy. My husband Miguel just left for downeast Maine, way way up there by Canada, to close on a house. And when he does, we plan to move there (127 Republicans, 132 Democrats, and a few Greens). Right now we live in the middle of Manhattan. And it was my decision, not Miguel's, to do this. He wanted to return to Italy. So Jack, am I crazy?

Aug 13, 2007
gracebrophy

Mid-30's between Madison and Fifth, which is very middle. Just found out we can open an account at the local hardware store in Machias, Maine, and get a monthly bill (considering the work that needs to be done, not a bad idea). Definitely can't do that in Manhattan!

Aug 14, 2007
gracebrophy

why Down East to Italy?

Aug 14, 2007
JackBludis

Ooops -- Downeast *or* Italy

Aug 15, 2007
Cyndi Martin

Thank you for adding me! When are you coming back to St. Louis?

Aug 16, 2007
Marcia Moore

Jack,

Thanks so much for the invite. I am honored to be in such good company as the folks on this site. If you are ever heading to Dallas, let me know.

Marcia

Aug 22, 2007
Maryann Mercer

Thanks for the invitation!

Aug 22, 2007
Maryann Mercer

I started with Christie and Conan Doyle, but discovered the others along the way. It speaks well of their writing that so many people enjoy, appreciate, and even learn from their works. I like a good puzzle as well as the next person :o)

Aug 22, 2007
Smokindevilette

Thanks for the compliment and being a friend. I'll forgive your comment on my choice of news media

Aug 22, 2007
Howard Sherman

Yeah, logging on is one of the drawbacks but Ning is no different than other social networking sites. It's a quality control thing.

Imagine what would happen if anybody could say anything with no accountability or responsibility...

Cheers,

Howard Sherman

Aug 28, 2007
JackBludis

Huh?

Aug 28, 2007
Cheryl Norman

Hello, Jack, and thanks for "friending" me. I'm learning my way around CrimeSpace. Yours is interesting! You may lie about your age, but I suspect we're close to the same, especially if you remember the original SNL. I watched the very first televised SNL "live from New York" and loved it. Like you, I suffer the age thing and struggle to get the humor (assuming I can stay up that late *LOL*)

Cheryl

Aug 29, 2007
Clea Simon

Cats, "McNutty" and 'kima...

yup, Jack, I write about cats and I adore "The Wire." I also love Denise Mina and Robert Wilson's very dark humored West Africa series, too. Wanna make something of it? (In all fairness, I adore cats, but my fictional cats act like real cats - they don't talk and they don't solve crimes. Plus, I use my mysteries to showcase some real animal issues,such as hoarding.)

Aug 29, 2007
Loreth Anne White

Those mountains ... yes, they just take the words right out of one's mouth :)

Aug 29, 2007
Jamie Livingston

Hey Jack,
I guess I'm actually a Stone Barrington fan, too. I've only read a few of Stuart Woods' older books. I like your taste in authors. I grew up in the town were John Steinbeck lived in California, so I don't think I'd even heard of any other classics until I got to college. lol
Once exposed, I fell in love with Hemingway.
Nominated for a Shamus, and an Anthony, I'm impressed. I'm headed to thrillingdetective.com now.
Jamie

Aug 29, 2007
Jena Snyder

Friend - and only in an online, social networking site kind of way - not fan. I can only wish.

As for bad, oh yeah. I try to be.:)

Aug 29, 2007
Dana King

Jack,
It's good to see hard-boiled and noir fans on a crime page. Crime is rarely cozy; it seems to me everyone is done a disservice when crime is made to seem less than it is. That doesn't mean it's never funny, but it's still supposed to hurt on some level.

Thanks for stopping by my page.

Aug 29, 2007
terry bowman

Thanks for the heads up, Jack. I agree about The Road. I read it in about 2 days and have been recommending it to people ever since. - pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Aug 29, 2007
terry bowman

Just lucked out and found a copy of Memento at a friend's used record store. It's a classic. You need to update your web page ;-)

Aug 29, 2007
Roger Newbury

Hi Jack, nice to meet you. I wrote to Clive Cussler back in 1993, and I was both pleasantly surprised and overwhelemed when he kindly sent me a signed B&W photo with the words, "to Roger, never give up, your pal, Clive Cussler". He also sent me a single page from his first draft of 'Raise The Titanic' and a short handwritten letter!
I have several of his books, although mostly they're the fiction rather than factual accounts of his NUMA activities, although I shall be buying those as well.
I treasure the photo and his generosity in replying.
I also wrote to Robin Cook, and he sent me a letter as well.

Aug 29, 2007
Gordon Tucker

Hi Jack,

It's interesting to hear from someone who knew me beardless. That must have been a long time ago.

Tuck

Aug 30, 2007
Cheryl Norman

Jack, thanks for visiting my blog. You ask about the 3-Act method of plotting / pacing, but I'm betting you know more about it than I. It's probably instinct for you. I'm still learning about crafting a tight plot and avoiding sagging middles (except on my body, in which case I've given up!). So I think in terms of the story arc, where the story builds to the midpoint (In Vogler's THE WRITER'S JOURNEY, this would be called "crossing the threshold"--I think. I'm still learning this stuff!

Cheryl

Aug 30, 2007
Cheryl Norman

You are right about Writer's Journey, Jack. I was mixing it and the 3-act structure.

I have a terrific clock in my office that's a Writer's Journey clock. The 1 is the ordinary world, 2 is the call to adventure, 3 is refusal of the call, etc. So cute, and useful, too.

Cheryl

Aug 30, 2007
chelbel

Hey Jack, thanks for popping in to visit my page. I have the original "Hairspray" on video, hidden somewhere in my attic. It has to be one of my all time favourites. I must go see the new one!

Aug 30, 2007
ITW Debut Authors - First Kill

HA!!! You are so sweet, Jack. This is Jordan and I designed our page. I have a scary guy eye, but I liked the B&W icon best. So glad you are one of our friends, buddy.

Sep 10, 2007
Jordan Dane

Someone has got to keep an eye on you, Jack.

Sep 10, 2007
Jordan Dane

Someone has got to do it. Hope all is well with you, my friend. I'm madly working on the first book of my next series while trying to juggle business stuff, but life's good. How's your latest project coming?

Sep 11, 2007
JackBludis

In answer to Jordan's question of yesterday. The project is coming along. Working on the final make-it-all-make-sense draft.

Sep 12, 2007
Alafair Burke

I'm a big fan of the obvious Burke, as well as Jan Burke and, from the UK, Richard Burke.

Sep 22, 2007
Kim Howell

Oh yes, there are many people that enjoy the same things in books, movies, and television stories. I guess my taste aren't too far from the norm, but then too... I don't list everything either. We've got to keep some uniqueness, or we wouldn't be such mysterious creatures:-)

Sep 23, 2007
Juri Nummelin

Yeah, I know what you mean, but the downward spiral really drags me in with the guy. It's pure noir. And it's political, too, which is one of the main points for me.

Sep 24, 2007
Charlotte Williamson

92. Wow! I should be so lucky. And you're still writing. Amazing. At that age, you surely have a lot of life experiences to recall and write about. Keep up the good work.

Sep 25, 2007
Terri

Thanks for stopping by Jack. ;-) And, great blog! I totally understand the *hack* feeling.

best

Sep 26, 2007
Vince Keenan

I quote the Bludis Heresy, giving full credit where it is due, in a post about noir here. Hope you don't mind.

Sep 26, 2007
JackBludis

I think Ken Burns' *War* is well done. I hate to admit it, but it gave me details about WWII that I must haves sleep walked through in school. The details of Anzio and Monte Casino were far more gruesome than I remember reading about, as were those of the taking of the Solomon Islands. It did an excellent job juxtaposing the war itself with what was happening on the home front.

There is no excuse for me not to have known that since my B.A. minor was History.

I thought it humorous that each segment opened with announcement, "War is sponsored by ..." You can't see the italics when they say it.

Jack

Sep 26, 2007
Tina

Yes I like the darker side, but it has to have humor too. I loved Pulp Fiction, ...Two Smoking Barrels and I have to admit to liking a completely goofy movie I just saw called Hot Fuzz. It's campy, British and totally ridiculous but funny if you're a little bent.

Sep 28, 2007
Timothy C. Phillips

Thanks, glad to have found you all.

Sep 28, 2007
Timothy C. Phillips

You are quite right. I love Cormac McCarthy's writings, and I am quite negligent not to have included him among my favorite writers. I have a copy of "The Orchard Keeper" that I have read about a billion times. Who is this fool disparaging Shakespeare? He's on the Top Forty until the End of Time. Tomorrow, after I sober up, er, during the brief periojd I AM sober, I have questions for you. I know it, you know, and the American people know it.

Sep 29, 2007