I’ve been waiting two years for this, and I sure don’t want to use this forum for self-promotion, but if Gregg doesn’t mind, I wanted to let the regulars know that my second novel, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere is out in the US this week, and my first, Dirty Sweet, is also just out in paperback. They’re both from Harcourt.
I remember what it was like waiting for the new Springsteen album in the 70’s and how I’d have to settle for Southside Johnny instead. This might be kind of like that. Most of the advance reviews have mentioned how I’ve been clearly influenced by Elmore Leonard, most of them positively. Publishers Weekly said I have all my characters talk like Chili Palmer, but I don’t think they realize what a huge compliment that is.
Elmore Leonard is certinaly my biggest influence, along with Hemingway and Raymond Carver and Richard Ford and lots more.
There are hundreds of Elmore Leonard imitators out there and all I can say is that when you try and get the characters and the situations right that means you’ll sound like Elmore Leonard - het gets everything right.