years , and also what was happening in the country . So , it ’ s a combination and certainly there ’ s an element of sacrifice , but I don ’ t want to come across as some sort of martyr .
That ’ s fair . And , of course , you and your works aren ’ t disappearing . A lot of your novels are still in production in terms of movies and series and things like that , right ?
That ’ s very true . This trilogy is at Sony , moving ahead as film , well , three films actually with Austin Butler as Danny , which I ’ m very excited about . An older book of mine , “ The Winter of Frankie Machine ,” is being done by Chris Storer , who created “ The Bear ,” that wonderful television series . There are my surfing books which are currently in development . So , there ’ s a lot of stuff going on .
There certainly is . How involved are you in those productions ?
To a certain extent , you know … they ’ ll send me scripts that I ’ ll read and give them notes . I usually have conversations with the director and sometimes with the major actors . I ’ ve talked with Austin , for instance . Sometimes they ’ ll ask me to go take them out on locations , which I ’ m always quite keen to do . You know , in the case of Danny , you know , to the beaches in Rhode Island where the thing starts and so , to that extent , I ’ m involved . Beyond that , I ’ m not going to be like hanging around on the set and that kind of stuff .
You mentioned the surfer novels and others , and as you know Blackstone Publishing has done a great job recently republishing your earlier books .
I think so , too .
Some writers , such as another of my favorites , the Alabama writer Robert R . McCammon , haven ’ t always been so willing to let that early stuff get a new life . What are your thoughts on that ?
You always have a certain fondness for your first book , as I do with a book called , “ A Cool Breeze on the Underground .” I did five books with ( the private eye character ) Neal Carey , and then I moved on to something different . Hopefully you evolve as a writer , you know , but I ’ m happy to bring back out those books . Absolutely .
Speaking of evolving as a writer , the acknowledgments of “ City in Ruins ” where you thank your mentors , colleagues and friends is a virtual cornucopia of who ’ s who of crime and thriller fiction writers . If you had to , what one author out of that mix would you suggest someone new to the genre begin with ?
That ’ s a tough question . And I ’ m always leery of that because I don ’ t want to leave people out . I think if you ’ re initially coming into the genre , I would say , certainly , Raymond Chandler . I would also say certainly Elmore Leonard , the irreplaceable Elmore Leonard . Lawrence Block , right ? The two MacDonalds , John D . and Ross ( Macdonald ). …
Courtesy of William Morrow
Well , not to belabor the issue … but somebody not retiring is Lawrence Block . He ’ s in his mid-80s and still writing novels . Not too long ago he published a book that millions of us have been waiting for , “ The Autobiography of Matthew Scudder ” ( 2023 ), based on his private investigator character he first wrote about in the late 1970s . …
Block ’ s a great writer and was a huge influence on me . When I when I first started to think I might go into this genre , Lawrence Block was one of the people that I was reading , particularly the Matt Scudder series because , at the time , I was a PI on Times Square in Hell ’ s Kitchen .
Just like Scudder . … And just like Block , you ’ ve had a successful career and about to embark on your final book tour . Is that something you ’ re going to miss ?
I leave on Saturday and it ’ s New York and Boston and New Hampshire and Rhode Island , which you know , makes sense because a lot of ( what are in ) the books are set there . Where else ? … St . Louis , Phoenix , Los Angeles , San Diego , Orange County , couple of places in Florida , Charleston , South Carolina , Traverse City , Mich ., so a lot of places and then over to Europe .
I will miss the readers and I ’ ll miss the bookstore people . I mean over the years , and it ’ s been quite a few years now , you develop friendships and relationships with those owners , with readers and it ’ s — it ’ s great to go out and thank the readers , you know , and make some kind of personal contact . I ’ ll miss that . I will not miss the airports . M
Reach Tom Mayer at tmayer @ cullmantimes . com . www . meridianstar . com
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