That's me in my New Orleans noir detective hat. Figured I better look the part if I was going to write gritty noir detective novels. Moved to N.O. from Boston in 2001. Great town, great food, beverages (!), art, music and people. Not crazy about the hurricanes. Moved back to Boston area in 2010.
Fiction: Lisa Gardner, John Sandford, Patricia Cornwell, Thomas Perry, Elmore Leonard, Tess Gerritson, Lee Child, John LeCarre, Robert Olen Butler.
Nonfiction: Books I've recently read: Dark Tide: The Great Molasses Flood; When the Chickenheads Come Home to Roost; God is not great; The Restless Virgins
Movies And TV Shows I Like:
Movies: No Country for Old Men; Before the Devil Knows You're Dead; In Bruges.
TV: Without a Trace; Dexter. Book TV on C-Span. NBA basketball so I don't have to watch the political pundits!
Cool Photo, Good author selections. Perfect shot for gritty noir detective novels ... the smile is a little suspect though ... too much "I know something that you don't," but that may be a good thing.
I'm a Dodgers fan, can't help it, the first ballgame I ever went to was the first one they ever played in L.A. I was five, I vaguely recall it.
I've been listening to a lot of Mingus lately. If you love jazz and play trumpet, what do you play if not jazz?
I haven't been to N.O. for quite some time. One of these days I have to get back to Mosca's.
I love jazz, but I don't improvise .. tho I've played a few big band gigs in my day (and also the Ringling Bros circus!). I was classically trained, but you get to play a bit of everything when you're a freelancer. (You can hear samples of my CD on my website).
I'm a big fan of John Hicks, so sad he died so young. Current trumpet favs are Claudio Rodidi (a longtime friend), Ingrid Jensen, and Terrance Blanchard.
Haven't been to Mosca's, but I've heard of it. Come on down! The Fr. Q. and other tourist areas are pretty much back in business, but there's still a lot of devastation and empty blighted homes in a lot of areas. I'm going to a Hornets game tomorrow night with some friends, am psyched for it.
Okay, I confess that I'm a huge NBA basketball fan, and I fear that may be very torn as the Finals progress. I'm a Boston transplant to New Orleans, so I'm rooting for the Hornets right now ... but also for the Celtics. If it should come to pass that they meet up on the final round, well ... I don't know what I'll do. Any suggestions?
I haven't read his latest, and I didn't finish reading Dead Watch, which I think is a standalone. I do like Sanford's Kidd series though. I'll get back to you on Hitchens' book.
I love the noir trenchcoat and hat as well as New Orleans. We share some of the same favorite authors and I was fortunate to interview Elmore "Dutch" Leonard for my book, Maverick Writers.
Thanks, Jean. Just got back to New Orleans from Boston, trying to catch up on various. From your comment, may I assume you've been to New Orleans? I moved here from Boston in 2001. Love the food, ambiance, F.Q., music and writing scene. Not wild about the hurricanes.
At 11:56am on June 5th, 2008, Jean Henry Mead said…
I'm happy to have you as a friend as well, Susan. By the way, I enjoy anything Elmore Leonard writes. If you'd like to read my interview with him, it's on my webpage at http://jeanhenrymead.com/elmore_leonard_interview.htm.
Best of luck with your mini MA tour in August. I remember the East Coast humidity when I lived in Delaware for a couple of years. They still had the whipping post in the town square at that time. :-) Delete Comment
Hi Susan, I want to introduce you to my debut novel "A Circle of souls" which is a murder, mystery, psychological thriller and a tale of justice and hope. Do visit www.acircleofsouls.com to read more about the book. Make sure you sign up to win an autographed copy of the book. You can also read more reviews by clicking on the More Reviews button at the website. Thanks for your time in advance.
Best regards
Preetham Grandhi
Early Endorsements for “A Circle of Souls”
Linda Fairstein, NYT Bestselling Author: "A fascinating debut - this novel takes the reader to the darkest places in the human soul, from a writer with the authenticity to lead us there. A stunning thriller and an important read."
Judge Judy Sheindlin, star of the Judge Judy Show: "The seminal work of this fine author kept me glued to my chair until the adventure was over and the mystery solved. A great read!"
Book Synopsis:
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.
The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.
Hi Susan -- Thanks for accepting the invite (and for the Coben recommendation). My wife has family from New Iberia (Robicheaux country), and New Orleans is one of my favorite places. Reece
Regarding Kubrick – last month I went to see 2001 at the Royal Festival Hall with the LSO and choir doing the music. Absolutely amazing. And I will certainly check out Renzi. Regards, Robin
Hi, Susan. My protagonists are amateur sleuths. Not "cozy," definitely, but not noir, either. Some humor and a great deal of wondering about the curve balls life throws at you.
Great to hear from another scribe who once called The big Easy home. Also I envy your ability to rope your musical skills into marketing for your writing. So far my only success at marrying the two has been in strumming my guitar as background on my audio podcasts.
David L. Hoof
Apr 4, 2008
JackBludis
Apr 5, 2008
Susan
Apr 7, 2008
Eric Stone
I've been listening to a lot of Mingus lately. If you love jazz and play trumpet, what do you play if not jazz?
I haven't been to N.O. for quite some time. One of these days I have to get back to Mosca's.
Apr 8, 2008
Susan
I'm a big fan of John Hicks, so sad he died so young. Current trumpet favs are Claudio Rodidi (a longtime friend), Ingrid Jensen, and Terrance Blanchard.
Haven't been to Mosca's, but I've heard of it. Come on down! The Fr. Q. and other tourist areas are pretty much back in business, but there's still a lot of devastation and empty blighted homes in a lot of areas. I'm going to a Hornets game tomorrow night with some friends, am psyched for it.
Apr 8, 2008
Susan
Apr 22, 2008
L.J. Sellers
I'm a John Sanford and Dexter fan too. What did you think of God Is Not Great? Is it worth reading?
Apr 29, 2008
L.J. Sellers
Apr 29, 2008
Jean Henry Mead
Jun 5, 2008
Susan
Jun 5, 2008
Susan
Jun 5, 2008
Jean Henry Mead
I'm happy to have you as a friend as well, Susan. By the way, I enjoy anything Elmore Leonard writes. If you'd like to read my interview with him, it's on my webpage at http://jeanhenrymead.com/elmore_leonard_interview.htm.
Best of luck with your mini MA tour in August. I remember the East Coast humidity when I lived in Delaware for a couple of years. They still had the whipping post in the town square at that time. :-) Delete Comment
Jun 6, 2008
David L. Hoof
Jun 28, 2008
Preetham Grandhi
Best regards
Preetham Grandhi
Early Endorsements for “A Circle of Souls”
Linda Fairstein, NYT Bestselling Author: "A fascinating debut - this novel takes the reader to the darkest places in the human soul, from a writer with the authenticity to lead us there. A stunning thriller and an important read."
Judge Judy Sheindlin, star of the Judge Judy Show: "The seminal work of this fine author kept me glued to my chair until the adventure was over and the mystery solved. A great read!"
Book Synopsis:
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.
The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.
Jul 19, 2009
Preetham Grandhi
Jul 19, 2009
Reece Hirsch
Aug 5, 2009
Robin Jarossi
Nov 14, 2010
Robin Jarossi
Nov 25, 2010
Robert Christopher
Dec 31, 2010
Margy Rydzynski
Jan 28, 2011
Copper Smith
Mar 18, 2011