To many people, Joe Lansdale needs no introduction. Joe was accorded the accolade "Immense talent" by the Booklist. Just a run through his awards will support that. A prolific writer, Joe would make the average scribbler look almost pedestrian, and looking through his website at http://www.joerlansdale.com you can see why.Joe Lansdale's latest publication is VANILLA RIDE, a character creation of Lansdale's that needs no introduction to his readers, and features those two troublemakers Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, also well known to Lansdale's fans.
In this Texas-sized thriller, Hap Collins and Leonard Pine--best friends, freelance troublemakers, and tough guys with good intentions--find themselves in the crosshairs of the Dixie Mafia.
Hap is an East Texas smart mouth with a weakness for southern women. Leonard is a gay, black veteran pining for a lost love. They're not the makings of your typical dynamic duo, but never underestimate the power of a shared affinity for stirring up trouble and causing mayhem. When an old friend asks Leonard to rescue his daughter from an abusive, no-good drug dealer, he gladly agrees and, of course, invites Hap along for the fun. Even though the dealer may be lowly, he is on the bottom rung of the Dixie Mafia, and when Hap and Leonard come calling, the Mafia feels a little payback is in order. Cars crash, shotguns blast, and people die, but Hap and Leonard come out on top. Unfortunately for them, now they're facing not only jail time but also the legendary--and lethal--Vanilla Ride, who is still out to claim the price on their heads. Full of twists and turns, gunfire and gaffes, this hilarious, rip-roaring novel will have readers turning the pages faster than a Texas tornado.
Joe has lived with the two characters Hap Collins and Leonard Pine for years. But as with many authors the latter character just 'showed up' as Joe put it. These two guys have not been Joe's raison d'etre, and indeed he tried to put them aside for a while. The result of that was a novel that included Hap and Leonard and created a series.
Joe did take a break from them and wrote other novels, but eventually they came back. The decision was then made to write VANILLA RIDE. I asked Joe if this character was based on anyone he knew or knew of. He told me that Vanilla Ride just appeared and that he had no idea where the character came from.
Joe's characters may have a political edge, but Joe claims that it helps to 'drive the books'. He admits that there is a lot of him in the characters, but he has borrowed some details from friends and acquaintances.
I asked Joe if there were any priorities in his life, apart from his family, that determined the direction in which he is going. His reply was probably a reflection if the man himself. He called himself artistic and pragmatic. His family come first. Money is fine but is not the prime mover in his life although like the majority of us, he likes it. He believes he has had just about the best career anybody could wish for and wouldn't trade places with anyone. And despite his success, Joe has not finished with the goals he would like to achieve.
Joe's working day is writing and fighting, although I should qualify that because Joe's fighting takes place in his own, Martial Arts gym. He spends about three hours a day at his computer. This would be over about five days. He believes he writes best that way. Sometimes travelling and promotion get in the way of that special time for writing and Joe has to compensate by writing wherever he hangs his hat, although he tries not to do too much that way.
Joe likes to relax like anybody and enjoys reading as one of his main activities. He reads lots of fiction and non fiction. Some of the books Joe has enjoyed recently are A TERRIBLE GLORY by James Donovan, and Robert Parker's young adult novel, CHASING THE BEAR. He has also worked his way through a collection of Earnest Hemingway short stories, and an old collection of vampire tales from the Victorian era.
Joe's other love is Martial Arts. He was about eleven years old when he first took up the sport and has been going strong for forty seven years. He teaches at his gym and conducts camps and seminars. I asked Joe if he drew anything from the people he meets in the gym that he could put into his characters. He said it was inevitable, but most of the influences he feels creep into his characterisations come from his early years.
So what does a busy man like Joe do to relax? Well, he watches movies, some television and likes to see boxing now and again. He also does weights and a little light exercise, but not nearly as much as he used to. He says he believes he has earned a little more personal time. I don't blame him!
And now for the question all writers are asked: what advice would Joe give to budding writers today? He says you have to read. Not just one particular genre, but anything: science fiction, classics, horror, non-fiction. You must write regularly. Even half an hour a day will help you to make progress. Reading and writing are the only keys.
When Joe writes a story, it is for himself and nobody else. There are no 'onlookers' when Joe is writing. And when he has finished the story he just hopes it appeals to everyone. In that respect I don't think Joe has any problems. His books are read all over the world including Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Britain, Poland, Spain, Russia and so on. Even to the countries in the old Soviet Eastern bloc where copyright doesn't seem to exist.
Joe loves Italy for his vacations, but he doesn't stick to the one country. He likes to holiday in Austin and chill out with his wife. He loves old book shops, particularly one of his favourites in Dallas; Half Price.
Joe has a good rapport with his editors of which he has had several. His opinion of literary agents is that they are ok if you have a good one. A bad one can be a waste of time. And he says not to expect an agent to sell your story just because he's an agent.
Joe sees the future of writing as reasonably secure. He does understand that the price of books can be prohibitive and for that reason expects trade paperbacks to grow in the market. And all the time writers have a voice; there will be a publisher around to print them.
Joe's strength is his immense talent. The following is an extract from his website:
With more than twenty books to his credit, Lansdale is the champion Mojo storyteller. He's been called "an immense talent" by Booklist; "a born storyteller" by Robert Bloch; and The New York Times Book Review declares he has "a folklorist's eye for telling detail and a front-porch raconteur's sense of pace." He's won umpty-ump awards, including five Bram Stoker horror awards, a British Fantasy Award, the American Mystery Award, the Horror Critics Award, the "Shot in the Dark" International Crime Writer's award, the Booklist Editor's Award, the Critic's Choice Award, and a New York Times Notable Book award. He's got the most decorated mantle in all of Nacogdoches!
I think we should all stand up and applaud Joe Lansdale and wish him even more success with VANILLA RIDE.
Michael Parker was born in
Cuckield, UK 1941. He is the author of six novels and has been writing
all his adult life. Parker has been married for 49 years and has 4 sons
and ten grandchildren. He is a maintenance technician by trade and
served in Royal Air Force. Parker lives in Spain with his wife, Pat.
His next novel, A COVERT WAR, is due for publication in 2010.
Joe's characters may have a political edge, but Joe claims that it helps to 'drive the books'. He admits that there is a lot of him in the characters, but he has borrowed some details from friends and acquaintances.I asked Joe if there were any priorities in his life, apart from his family, that determined the direction in which he is going. His reply was probably a reflection if the man himself. He called himself artistic and pragmatic. His family come first. Money is fine but is not the prime mover in his life although like the majority of us, he likes it. He believes he has had just about the best career anybody could wish for and wouldn't trade places with anyone. And despite his success, Joe has not finished with the goals he would like to achieve.
Joe's working day is writing and fighting, although I should qualify that because Joe's fighting takes place in his own, Martial Arts gym. He spends about three hours a day at his computer. This would be over about five days. He believes he writes best that way. Sometimes travelling and promotion get in the way of that special time for writing and Joe has to compensate by writing wherever he hangs his hat, although he tries not to do too much that way.
Joe likes to relax like anybody and enjoys reading as one of his main activities. He reads lots of fiction and non fiction. Some of the books Joe has enjoyed recently are A TERRIBLE GLORY by James Donovan, and Robert Parker's young adult novel, CHASING THE BEAR. He has also worked his way through a collection of Earnest Hemingway short stories, and an old collection of vampire tales from the Victorian era.
Joe's other love is Martial Arts. He was about eleven years old when he first took up the sport and has been going strong for forty seven years. He teaches at his gym and conducts camps and seminars. I asked Joe if he drew anything from the people he meets in the gym that he could put into his characters. He said it was inevitable, but most of the influences he feels creep into his characterisations come from his early years.
So what does a busy man like Joe do to relax? Well, he watches movies, some television and likes to see boxing now and again. He also does weights and a little light exercise, but not nearly as much as he used to. He says he believes he has earned a little more personal time. I don't blame him!
And now for the question all writers are asked: what advice would Joe give to budding writers today? He says you have to read. Not just one particular genre, but anything: science fiction, classics, horror, non-fiction. You must write regularly. Even half an hour a day will help you to make progress. Reading and writing are the only keys.
When Joe writes a story, it is for himself and nobody else. There are no 'onlookers' when Joe is writing. And when he has finished the story he just hopes it appeals to everyone. In that respect I don't think Joe has any problems. His books are read all over the world including Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Britain, Poland, Spain, Russia and so on. Even to the countries in the old Soviet Eastern bloc where copyright doesn't seem to exist.
Joe loves Italy for his vacations, but he doesn't stick to the one country. He likes to holiday in Austin and chill out with his wife. He loves old book shops, particularly one of his favourites in Dallas; Half Price.
Joe has a good rapport with his editors of which he has had several. His opinion of literary agents is that they are ok if you have a good one. A bad one can be a waste of time. And he says not to expect an agent to sell your story just because he's an agent.
Joe sees the future of writing as reasonably secure. He does understand that the price of books can be prohibitive and for that reason expects trade paperbacks to grow in the market. And all the time writers have a voice; there will be a publisher around to print them.
Joe's strength is his immense talent. The following is an extract from his website:
With more than twenty books to his credit, Lansdale is the champion Mojo storyteller. He's been called "an immense talent" by Booklist; "a born storyteller" by Robert Bloch; and The New York Times Book Review declares he has "a folklorist's eye for telling detail and a front-porch raconteur's sense of pace." He's won umpty-ump awards, including five Bram Stoker horror awards, a British Fantasy Award, the American Mystery Award, the Horror Critics Award, the "Shot in the Dark" International Crime Writer's award, the Booklist Editor's Award, the Critic's Choice Award, and a New York Times Notable Book award. He's got the most decorated mantle in all of Nacogdoches!
I think we should all stand up and applaud Joe Lansdale and wish him even more success with VANILLA RIDE.
Michael Parker was born in
Cuckield, UK 1941. He is the author of six novels and has been writing
all his adult life. Parker has been married for 49 years and has 4 sons
and ten grandchildren. He is a maintenance technician by trade and
served in Royal Air Force. Parker lives in Spain with his wife, Pat.
His next novel, A COVERT WAR, is due for publication in 2010.
