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Robert J. Randisi



Thursday, June 29, 2006

Participants

lunchboxhero007:
Bryon Quertermous
Odo6140: Gerald So
RRandisi: Robert J. Randisi
TheRealJWinter: Jim Winter

Odo6140: Hi, all.

Odo6140: Bryon, want to start us off with a question?

lunchboxhero007: sure

Odo6140: go ahead.

lunchboxhero007: I noticed this year the deadline for the PWA/SMP contest was moved from August to July 1, was there a specific reason for this?

RRandisi: Actually, I thought the deadldine was changewd the year BCon was the first weekend of Sept. BCon moves around so much we deciedd July would work whether the con was in Sept. or Oct.

TheRealJWinter entered the room.

RRandisi: SMP needs time to judge and then notofy the winner and get them to BCon.

Odo6140: Hi, Jim.

lunchboxhero007: ah, does anyone know if the number of entries has been increasing over the years?

lunchboxhero007: Howdy Jim

TheRealJWinter: 'Allo, all.

RRandisi: I believe the number has decreased, but I don't know exact numbers.

TheRealJWinter: I know when I subbed, information was scarce. I barely made the deadline.

lunchboxhero007: hmmm, thats too bad, wish I would have been able to meet the deadline

RRandisi: There's always next year.

Odo6140: If you have a question for Bob, type ? as usual.

lunchboxhero007: ?

Odo6140: Go ahead, Bryon.

lunchboxhero007: Do you still have faith in the PI genre and what do you think needs to happen for it to stay alive and thrive?

RRandisi: I do have faith in the genre. I think it keeps itself alive. Interest wanes, but never disappears. There are always new writers coming into the genre. I just think that writers have to move with the times and make sure their PI is up to date. Unless they want to write period pieces.

lunchboxhero007: are there any things you'd like to see happen to the genre?

RRandisi: Just this week I heard from three people who want to join PWA.

RRandisi: Well, naturally I'd like to see a boom.

TheRealJWinter: Authors need not fear the technology, I think. Unless it's their own cell phone.

RRandisi: perhaps like the 80's, which I still think was our golden era.

Odo6140: ?

RRandisi: Many of the authors who started in the 80's are still producing.

lunchboxhero007: cool

RRandisi: Gerald?

Odo6140: This is a group question. Which would you say is the more enduring character, P.I. or hitman?

RRandisi: PI, hands down. I can't think of a hitman who has lasted as long as Nameless or Dan Fortune.

lunchboxhero007: well maybe James Bond

RRandisi: In fact, other than Keller or Quarry, I can't think of any hitmen.

RRandisi: I guess you could qualify Bond as a hit man. But after him?

lunchboxhero007: nope

RRandisi: It's an interesting question, though. Who endures more, the PI or the Amateur?

Odo6140: The hitman, I think, has similar appeal, loner for hire, but isn't as likeable as the P.I.

RRandisi: True.

lunchboxhero007: ?

TheRealJWinter: I think the PI. Unless it's by Christie. But then Poirot was a cozy version of the PI.

Odo6140: Go ahead, Bryon.

lunchboxhero007: well I guess this is part of that, but I have a theory that the bounty hunter will come to replace the PI as the dominant lone hero guy after a while, they have the same kind of aura and it seems to be a popular profession right now.

lunchboxhero007: is this just a fad?

RRandisi: Fad, I think.

Odo6140: Me, too.

RRandisi: There have been some bounty hunters in the past, but they fade away. Bounty hunters and bodyguards are sort of pseudo-P.I.s. They go away, but the PI stays. The only character I think who endures like the PI is the cop. There's a cop in almost every book.

Odo6140: Good point.

Odo6140: ?

TheRealJWinter: And how many cops go on to write PI or procedurals?

RRandisi: A lot. My love in co-author, Christine Matthews, wants to writ emysteries with no cops. She says cops are boring.

lunchboxhero007: hmmm

RRandisi: But she comes out of the horror genre.

RRandisi: She doesn't like series.

Odo6140: without cops, it would be different for sure.

Odo6140: How did the idea for Greatest Hits come about? How did you choose who to invite?

lunchboxhero007: ?

TheRealJWinter: Jason Starr said he always found the criminals more interesting.

RRandisi: Hmm, I think I was just searching for themes. When I came to hit men I thought of the title. Then I thought of Keller and Quarry. After that I started inviting people I thought would do a good job. I tried to use people--like Deaver, Child, Hall--that I hadn't ever used before. I usually have to come up with the top four names to sell the book. In this case that would have been Block, Deaver, Child and Hall.

Odo6140: I read Deaver's story just now. Great twist on puzzle-solving.

RRandisi: Yes. This book was filled with excellent stories.

Odo6140: Go ahead, Bryon.

RRandisi: I thought some of the lesser known authors--Guyot, Matthews--acquitted themselves very well.

lunchboxhero007: what else do you have in the anthology pipeline?

RRandisi: I've got one coming out called Hollywood & Crime. Stories set during the history of Hollywood with at least oine scene set at the corner of Holllywood and Vine.

Odo6140: Is the Housewives antho out yet?

RRandisi: I've got two Im trying to sell--Crime Square, stories of crime during the history of Times Square...and Club Noir, stories wert during the history of the night club.

RRandisi: The Housewives antho came out for Mother's Day, edited by Christine Matthews. The publisher put her on tour...unheard of with an anthology. It was called Deadly Housewives.

RRandisi: Other questions?

Odo6140: What four names were used to sell Deadly Housewives?

lunchboxhero007: what about your own novels?

RRandisi: I'll take those in order.

Odo6140: that's fair game, Bryon. Go ahead if you have a question about Bob's books.

RRandisi: The Housewives was sold with Paretsky, Muller, Barr and Denise Mina on the cover.

RRandisi: To my mind the top four were Paretsky, Muller, Barr and Nancy Pickard.

RRandisi: I have a novel coming out in Oct. called EVERYBODY KILLS SOMEBODY SOMETIME. It's a Rat Pack Mystery, se tin vegas during 1960 when the Rat Pacxk was shooting Ocean's 11 in Vegas. Dean Martin is threatened, hence the title.

Odo6140: That sounds great.

RRandisi: The book after that will featrue Sinatra and be called LUCK BE A LADY, DON'T DIE.

RRandisi: I also have a poker book coking out in Fev 07 written with World Poker Tour commentator Vince Van Patten.

RRandisi: It's called THE PICASSO FLOP.

lunchboxhero007: very nice

RRandisi: First in a series.

Odo6140: so a possible Rat Pack series?

RRandisi: Yes. I'm signed for a secodn, the Sintra. The third would be a Sammy Davis book.

RRandisi: They Dean, Frank and Sammy appear in all the books. Along with other real people.

RRandisi: The main character is a fictional pit boss named Eddie G

lunchboxhero007: what pub are those with

RRandisi: The Rat Pack books are with St. Martins. Picasso is with Warner/Mysterious.

Odo6140: Oh, I see. I was going to ask about the main character.

Odo6140: What's the significance of the title Picasso Flop. I've heard the term "flop" before with poker.

RRandisi: A Picasso Flop is when three picture cards come out in the flop in Texas Hold 'em.

RRandisi: Any three.

Odo6140: ah, paint cards.

RRandisi: Yes.

lunchboxhero007: niiiiice

RRandisi: I wanted poker terms for titles, but not very well known terms.

lunchboxhero007: ?

RRandisi: Not BIG BLIND or DEADMAN'S HAND. Like that...

Odo6140: good way to go.

Odo6140: Go ahead, Bryon.

Odo6140: I have to step out for a minute. Be right back.

RRandisi: OK, Gerald.

RRandisi: Quick, lock the doors.

lunchboxhero007: so what are some other writing arenas youd like to tackle

RRandisi: I'm still doing westerns.

RRandisi: A book a month in the Gunsmith series...a new series about Gamblers in the west...a stand alone called THE MONEY GUN. But Vince and I are looking for the poker books to take us to TV.

Odo6140: :) I'm back.

lunchboxhero007: TV would be cool. Is screenwriting something you'd like to do?

RRandisi: Poker is so hot that Vince immediately saw this--when I approached him-- as more than just books. I don't want to do screenwriting, but the money would be nice.

Odo6140: I hope you have better luck than Block did with Tilt.

RRandisi: I have written for money for so long, it's usually my deciding factor.

RRandisi: Yes, Tilt went wrong. Vince wanted to go lighter than Tilt.

RRandisi: Block told me Madsen was a problem on Tilt.

Odo6140: that's a shame.

lunchboxhero007: Okay I must bid farewell and get to work on my revisions gentlemen

Odo6140: Ok, good luck, Bryon.

RRandisi: bye, Bryon. Thanks for coming.

TheRealJWinter: Later, Bryon.

Odo6140: ?

lunchboxhero007: Thanks for answering my nosy questions

RRandisi: Not a problem. Hope I was helpful.

lunchboxhero007: yeah, I love the SMP contest and hope it continues to be viable.

RRandisi: SMP is committed and so are we.

RRandisi: They're very happy with Hamilton and Koryta.

Odo6140: That's good to hear.

RRandisi: And Les Roberts had a long run. Karen Kijewski did well, then got married and quit.

lunchboxhero007: I always wondered what happened to her.

TheRealJWinter: I was happy to lose to Koryta, especially after SORROW'S ANTHEM.

Odo6140: Who was the first author to win the contest?

RRandisi: Les was first in 1986.

Odo6140: I see.

TheRealJWinter: Now he's the elder statesman of Cleveland.

RRandisi: then Gar Haywood, then Karen.

RRandisi: Happy to lose, Jim? You're a saint.

lunchboxhero007 left the room.

RRandisi: Les is in love and very happy.

Odo6140: I should read some Kijewski. I find many of the PIs today too angsty.

RRandisi: Somebody's teaching a course inm angst. I spoke to aclass once and they were asghast that I had none. They thought you had to suffer to write.

Odo6140: Hmm.

RRandisi: I suffer when I'm NOT writing.

TheRealJWinter: Anyway, if you read the draft of NCS I subbed, it was probably a good thing I did lose. Now, if my original agent had called two weeks earlier...

RRandisi: Sounds ominous

Odo6140: I know what you mean about suffering when not writing. I started a novel and am trying to write every day. I feel sluggish if I don't.

TheRealJWinter: I usually get hypergraphic when I start fretting about not writing.

RRandisi: Yes, I like to write every day.

RRandisi: I have two books to write by Sept.

RRandisi: So I'll be busy the next two months.

Odo6140: Are the upcoming anthologies you mentioned going to be as big as Greatest Hits?

RRandisi: Pretty much. I'm trying to stick to 15 authors.

Odo6140: seems like a good number.

RRandisi: Yep. If I do a story, maybe 16, but I'm not in all my anthologies.

Odo6140: I haven't read your Bocce story in Hardboiled Brooklyn yet, but it looks promising. Great first line.

RRandisi: Yes, I think that and my Greatest Hits stories are two of my best.

RRandisi: I enjoyed Bocce. I don't get invited into a lot of anthos.

Odo6140: Is that the norm for antho editors, would you say?

RRandisi: Not being invited? Or not being in my own anthos?

Odo6140: Not being invited.

RRandisi: I don't think so. I wonder sometimes if people just think I'm too busy. I'm not.

Odo6140: I see.

Odo6140: I read Lee Child's story this morning. I've just read DIE TRYING by him, so I was used to the style. Quick read.

RRandisi: Yes. I suggested to John Harvey he do a novel with the characters from his story...He's gonna do it.

Odo6140: Oh, good. There's a lot to be said for the experimentation stories allow. Good to see it lead to a novel.

RRandisi: Yes. I was glad he valued my advice.

RRandisi: I've made many short stories into novels. Chandler did it. And Pronzini.

Odo6140: Any questions, Jim? I'm thinking.

Odo6140: Anything you want to bring up, Bob? If not, we'll call it a night.

RRandisi: Nope. I've had a good time. Thanks.

Odo6140: Great having you again.

Odo6140: Thanks for attending, Jim.

TheRealJWinter: My pleasure. Good night all.

RRandisi: My pleasure.

Comments

JJ Stickney said…
Sorry I missed this one. As always thank you Gerald for your hard work on our behalf.