Florida Man

Guest Post by S.W. Lauden

Holly's note: As soon as I read this piece I couldn't wait to read CROSSWISE, S.W. Lauden's new novella, especially since I read his debut, BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, and loved it. Really, the mention of any kind of pie is enough for me.

But I'll let Steve tell you why he's so drawn to Florida... 

“We accept the reality of the world with which we're presented.

 It's as simple as that.” —The Truman Show

I was a guest on Tom Pitts’ excellent “Skid Row Chatter” podcast recently when he asked me why I followed up my Los Angeles-based debut mystery novel, BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, with a standalone novella set in Florida.

It was a fair question, but one I was dreading—mostly because I hadn’t worked out an acceptable answer yet. I skirted the question that night, but I’ll try to address it right here.

The simple answer is that I have fallen for the Florida Panhandle, specifically the stunning stretch of coast along the Gulf of Mexico known alternately as “The Emerald Coast,” “Lower Alabama” and “The Redneck Riviera.” There are lots of colorful nicknames for the place, some more flattering than others, but none quite do justice to the white sand beaches and blue-green water.

I discovered the area when a friend invited my brood to stay at his family’s beach house in the planned community/resort town of Seaside. We’ve been back every year since, as much for the chicken biscuits and key lime pie as the beautiful sunsets and laid back vibe.

It didn’t take me long to figure out that it’s the perfect place to set a murder. So I sat down to write a short story while we were there. That piece, CROSSWISE, eventually evolved into the novella that will be published by Down & Out Books on Feb. 29.

The idea for CROSSWISE was based as much on the tranquil setting as it was on all of the clichés about Florida—new and old, stunning and boring—that you encounter in the media these days. It felt like I had been promised a lot of Sunshine State weirdness, but was a little disappointed when all I experienced were friendly people, brightly colored beach houses, and perfect weather.

So I did what crime writers do, I created the darkness myself. Or, to be more specific, I amplified the oppressive charm of the place and populated it with a cast of shady characters including a disgraced NYPD cop, his drug-addict girlfriend, bumbling local law enforcement, and several surly retired New Yorkers. It was a bit like taking a beautiful postcard and defacing it with a Sharpie before mailing it to your best friend. Wish you were here!

There is just something about Florida that makes it the perfect setting for Noir. As if the constant sunshine should leave the cockroaches no alternative but to do their dirty work in the light of day.

Many others have realized this before me, of course, including literary luminaries like John D. MacDonald, Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard—to name just a few. And Hollywood has gotten in on the action for decades with films like Key Largo, Cool Hand Luke, Body Heat and Scarface.

Seaside itself was the location for the 1998 Jim Carey sci-fi comedy film, The Truman Show. I remember being overcome with an eerie feeling of familiarity as I roamed those winding streets for the first time. That spooky sensation lasted for a couple of days before my friend informed me that I was basically walking around a movie set.

That’s a unique surprise for somebody who grew up in LA where we’re used to seeing our hometown on TV and in the movies. But that strange feeling was only enhanced when I realized that the idyllic beachfront community where we were staying truly was an anomaly on the Panhandle.

You only have to get a few miles out of town (and your manicured vacation bubble) to see the stark contrast the region presents, one that is—at least to a crime writer’s eye—closer to the exaggerated Florida of film and literature. On the outskirts of town where the ferocious flora and fauna conceals all the scary possibilities that makes writing fiction so much fun.

So why did I set CROSSWISE in Florida? It has to do with all of the delicious juxtapositions and contradictions that the place presents. The movie set vs. the reality. The media clichés vs. the actual culture. The locals vs. the tourists. And did I mention the key lime pie?

It’s Florida, man. And I can’t wait to go back for some readings and signings in late March. I hope you’ll come along.

***

S.W. Lauden’s debut novel, BAD CITIZEN CORPORATION, is available now from Rare Bird Books. The second Greg Salem novel, GRIZZLY SEASON, will be published in September 2016. His standalone novella, CROSSWISE, is available now for pre-order from Down & Out Books.

Sales! Events! NaNoWriMo! Kobo ereaders!

by

Scott D. Parker

Funny. Despite that headline, sometimes, doing the normal things like writing a new yarn means there’s not a lot of interesting stuff to write about.

My NaNoWriMo

I am well into my way with my own personal Na-Novella-WriMo project. My goal is to write a novella of between 20,000 and 30,000 words in a month. That is entirely doable. My productivity on my iPod during day job breaks continues apace. Wednesday saw me top 800 words while Thursday was just over 700. It’s a thrill to be able to take those five-minute breaks and transport myself into my new story.

Awesome Books for the Indie Author

Yesterday was the March to a Bestseller 2 event over at http://sellmorebooksshow.com/bestseller/. There are some tremendous deals. The one that really got me was The Indie Author Power Pack: How to Write, Publish, & Market Your Book. This is a boxed set of the following titles:

Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran

Write. Publish. Repeat by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant

How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn

Now, I had just finished Let’s Get Digital a week ago having paid full price. But I bought this boxed set anyway. For one, there's exclusive content. Two of the books are updated and revised. All are foundational books for the indie author. As soon as you finish them, starts listening to Joanna’s podcast (The Creative Penn) and the Self-Publishing Podcast, with Johnny, Sean, and David Wright that I wrote about a few weeks ago. Indispensable wisdom.

Kobo Glo

Last Monday, my Kobo Glo ereader arrived in the mail. While I love my iPod Touch for writing and reading on the go, I am very partial to e-ink readers. Yes, they are easier on the eyes and they last a long time between charges. With the Glo, I now have the big three, having purchased a Kindle Paperwhite earlier this year and my Nook SimpleTouch back in 2012. What I really, really want is an e-ink iPad-type machine that is for reading lots of stuff over different platforms. There are good reasons to have all three devices, the least of which is to ensure my books render correctly on all three platforms. A great feature for the Glo is that it syncs my Pocket articles. Now, I read them on an e-ink screen.

Here’s the link to Kobo’s platform and the readers they have. Give’em a look. I got the pretty white one with the blue back. Refurbished no less. Kobo has great deals every weekend. In fact, I bought Kristi’s debut novel, Blessed are the Dead, yesterday for only a buck. Seriously. Ditto for Amazon and Nook.