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Tuesday, May 31, 2011Let's Talk Ranger Q&A with Ace Atkins on THE RANGER 1. You’ve spent the last seven years creating crime novels based on true events, with White Shadow, The idea of kicking off a new series actually started with my long-time editor, Neil Nyren. Neil edits John Sandford, Patricia Cornwell, Robert Crais, Tom Clancy and Randy Wayne White to name a few. So when he requests that you start a series, you take the idea very seriously. The first four books of my career were series fiction, and I’m a huge fan of the form. I felt like my standalone novels had allowed me to grow, however, and develop new skills. It was just a good time to go back to the well, especially since I had been playing with a Mississippi-based character like Quinn in my head for a few years now. 2. So where did Quinn Colson come from, and what makes him someone you wanted to follow? For the first time in decades, we’re seeing a mass of young men and women returning home from the frontlines of war. These soldiers have experienced things that make a transition back to normal life nearly impossible. I am fortunate enough to know a lot of them, from barely 20-year-old enlisted guys to officers who are my age, and I have the utmost respect for the sacrifices they’ve all made. So many people of my generation and younger are completely wrapped up in trivial things. Our big problems aren’t really problems when you consider the state of the world. But there’s a subset of us who are different, who are truly heroes: the American soldier. Who better to serve as our fictional hero? And when I thought about the best soldiers, I knew that my hero had to have been a Ranger. They have a deep, rich history that goes back before the Revolution. 3. Did you have much help in getting Quinn’s Army background correct? As luck would have it, as I began thinking about the series, I heard from an Army colonel serving in Afghanistan who’d just finished reading Devil’s Garden at Camp Phoenix. Through our emails, we became fast friends, with a mutual respect of classic crime, noir and good cigars. He put me in touch with a colleague, a former Ranger who’d taken part in several missions in That Ranger ended up being my advisor for this novel and helped me to ensure that Quinn’s background, skills and experiences were true. These guys pride themselves on being great woodsmen. And that’s perfect for a place as remote as Tibbehah County. 4. Tell us a little about Tibbehah County could be several different counties in northeast Mississippi. I’ve borrowed from several and made my own county to explore. I wanted a county that would essentially be a throwback to old times, something as lawless and corrupt as a town from the Old West. I mean, if you really want to break down this series, it’s a contemporary Western. And yes, places like Tibbehah County really exist in Mississippi. Highway strip clubs, thieving politicians, meth dealers, corruption, plenty of people willing to look the other way, and some really great catfish joints, too. I read the local newspapers for story ideas and listen to gossip. Tibbehah County is based on four counties that surround where I live and I’ve take all the best – or worst – of each. 5. So far, The Ranger is built on the experiences of real people, set in a real place. What about its fictional influences? What kind of popular culture is at work in The Ranger? I am a huge fan of the gritty realism of early 1970s filmmaking. Some of my favorite films of that period were set in the South, everything from Deliverance to Walking Tall. There was also a movement of films now known as Hixploitation films that I love. That includes cult films such as Billy Jack, Mr. Majestyk and White Lightning. Many of these films center on a soldier back from the front facing hard times as home. The premise was that simple and very attractive to me to take into current times. 6. From Quinn and his troubled sister Caddy to pregnant Lena walking a “fur piece” to find “Jody,” The Ranger is peppered with William Faulkner references. What influence does Faulkner and First off, Faulkner was not only one of the greatest novelists of the 20th Century, he was also one of the greatest crime novelists. Intruder in the Dust and Sanctuary are the obvious examples, but Absalom, Absalom and Light in August also have terrific elements now found in the modern crime novel. He also wrote several gripping short mysteries featuring attorney Gavin Stevens. Living in But sure, starting a book with a wandering pregnant girl named 7. What makes this novel different from the thousands of crime novels published every year? I think the authentic Southern setting makes a big difference. It’s definitely different than the moonlight and magnolias South seen in most 8. Boom is one of the most intriguing characters in The Ranger. He’s a wounded veteran who’s definitely having a tough time making a go of it on the home front. How did he come about? I think a lot of what Boom is going through came from the excellent Washington Post series about the troubles at Walter Reed hospital, and everything we’ve heard and read about battlefield injuries since then. I read about the hundreds of amputees returning home with physical and psychological scars. Thanks to advances in battlefield medicine, they had survived explosions and wounds that would’ve definitely killed them just 20 years earlier. Obviously, that’s wonderful, but what happens next after literally cheating death? Some of them fight back and go on to be recertified to fire weapons and serve, according to a story I read. But many others face a constant struggle to find their place in society after returning home changed forever. I did not want to water down Boom’s experience or his handicap. I wanted someone to accurately represent them in a true and heroic way. 9. Meth seems to be a consistent plague in rural areas of Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life in the Deep South. A major methamphetamine operation was broken up by the local sheriff’s office only a couple miles from my house. It’s a cheap high that anyone can make with ingredients from their kitchen sink and some Sudafed. The laws are just getting some teeth in them to help with the problem but not before it’s ruined countless lives. From a storyteller’s point of view, these guys are about the same as the old moonshine runners. There’s a lot of money in a cheap high. And with the money comes the violence and crime. 10. What draws you to crime fiction? Why not a family drama or a coming-of-age tale? Well, I think The Ranger actually is a family drama and a coming-of-age tale, and, I hope, a black comedy. I think the possibilities of crime fiction are limitless. Hero-driven books are the most pure form of storytelling, from the ancient epics to today. In taking readers on the journey of the hero, you get to give a hell of a lot of social commentary. I think the best writers working today are crime writers. We are able to do the job of a novelist with less pretension and navel-gazing. There are wrongs to be righted and much to be learned on the journey. 11. When will we see a return of Quinn, Boom, and Lillie? I am halfway into the second book in the series, set for release in summer 2012. One of the most important parts of writing a series is making sure you’ve found a world and characters that have not only a lot of story possibilities but who you also love and respect. I think The Ranger is just the jumping off point for these guys. They’re young and tough, and there is a ton of corruption and hidden secrets to uncover down in Sunday, May 29, 2011A MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE  This video was recorded from the dashboard of a Mississippi state trooper a few weeks ago. He was riding in the funeral procession for Staff Sergeant Jason Rogers. The Marine's body was returned home to Brandon, Mississippi from Helmand Province, Afghanistan where he was killed during combat operations. The incredible outpouring of support came in tribute but also to counter a protest set by a nutball "church" from Kansas. Music is by Jason Isbell of the Drive-By Truckers. Watch the entire video. I don't think any words would do justice to the respect shown here. Cigar Retraction  I would like to thank those who pointed out Dash Hammett could not have possibly been smoking a Cohiba cigar in that rare still I shared yesterday. The brand only came into existence in the late 1960s. Since I've been to Cuba, you'd think I would've known this. The story goes that Cohiba came about when Fidel Castro's bodyguard shared some of his private stash. Castro liked the cigars so much that he set up production for himself and a other top Communist leaders in Cuba. This was about 1968. And, of course, this is not the same Cohiba you can buy in the U.S. According to Castro: "I used to see the man smoking a very aromatic, very nice cigar, and I asked him what brand he was smoking. He told me that it was a special blend, but that it came from a friend who makes cigars and he gave them to him. I said, let's find this man. I tried the cigar, and I found it so good that we got in touch with him and asked him how he made it. Then we set up the house [the El Laguito factory], and he explained the blend of tobacco he used. He told which leaves he used from which tobacco plantations. He also told us about the wrappers he used and other things. We found a group of cigar makers. We gave them the material and that is how the factory was founded. Now Cohiba is known all over the world." So I'll retract my guess and say it was probably a Romeo y Julieta. This is a pretty safe guess since that brand was founded in the late 1890s. I also think Dash and I have similar tastes. This was the brand I smuggled out of Havana a few years ago while researching White Shadow. An absolutely amazing cigar. Worth the risk of returning back to Havana. By way of an apology, please enjoy the attached clip of Desi Arnez singing "Cuban Pete." Saturday, May 28, 2011Hammett Loved a Good Cigar My pal Don Herron -- one of the foremost experts on Dashiell Hammett -- recently uncovered this rare photo of THE MAN himself. He culled it from a clip of a documentary about composer Harold Arlen. What a great find on the occasion on Dash's 117th birthday. I'm a fan of cigars. Often cigars are regulated for bad guys in movies, douche bag CEOs, and a-holes on the golf course. But a cigar is a wonderful thing and can be enjoyed by cool people, too. Case in point, Dash Hammett! Quinn Colson -- hero of THE RANGER -- is known to enjoy a La Gloria Cubana. I just wish we could see the cigar's band. I'm betting an original Cohiba. Looks like a six ring. Read Don's complete piece on the discovery at his excellent site. And if you are ever in San Francisco, be sure to take Don's Hammett tour of The City. And incredible journey down those mean streets. Friday, May 27, 2011Mad Men Will Return -- Just Not This Summer For the last four years, one of the highlights of summer was pouring a tall beverage and watching Mad Men every week. Since it's one of my all-time favorite shows, I was pretty bummed to learn Season 5 would not be on in 2011. But some good news on this front, I hear -- after a lot of contract negotiations with AMC -- Mad Men will return. As a side note, two years ago I was able to get into the lobby of Sterling-Cooper while visiting a buddy on a nearby set in Los Angeles. You notice I mention the Sterling-Cooper lobby. We tried to break into the office set but it was closed for the summer. Good things come to those who wait. Check out the article below from TV Line about Jon Hamm directing the first episode of Season 5: Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm just got the kind of promotion that I dare say would impress even Don Draper: The actor will step behind the camera to direct the Emmy winning drama’s fifth season premiere. “The wheels have officially been set in motion to make that happen,” Hamm tells TVLine. “It’s a very exciting challenge that I’m looking forward to with a mixture of utter fear and excitement.” MORE Tuesday, May 24, 2011Burt Could've Been The Ranger But sometimes you get a reader who sees your world exactly as you drew it. Below is one of the first reviews out on The Ranger. Scott Montgomery runs the crime/thriller section for one of the largest bookstores in the country -- BookPeople in Austin, Texas. I don't know when I've enjoyed a review more. Scott definitely got what The Ranger was all about.
THE RANGER by Ace Atkins Scott Montgomery As someone who has dealt with writer Ace Atkins, I could tell this book is a mix of his many loves and influences. Blues and country & western music, Drive-in action movies for the southern set, classic crime novels, southern literature, and westerns all leave a footprint or several on the pages. Ace’s original voice and enthusiasm pull it all together into something fresh and original Army Ranger Quinn Colson home from a tour in Afghanistan to bury his uncle, the sheriff of Tibbehah County that’s overrun with meth and crime. Lillie Virgil, the cute deputy he grew up with, says it was murder. When Johnny Stagg, the town boss, tries to take his uncle’s land from him, Quinn grabs his badass one-armed buddy and set out to run the bad guys out of town. Like Dashiell Hammett, Atkins melds pulp with politics and current events seamlessly without ham-fisted preaching. He uses the genre to look at a small town America that has been gutted by poverty and drugs, populated by men used and jaded from rich men’s wars. His fictional small town corruption mirrors the bigger real life social corruption, all while delivering more fun dialogue, fights, and speeding cars. The Ranger fires on all cylinders like a Trans-Am in a Burt Reynolds movie. I can't wait to do more laps around the track with Quinn Colson behind the wheel. Monday, May 23, 2011Author Searches for Suitcase For my long-time readers -- this is my ninth novel -- you know how I love to post tour updates as I go. I'll be posting pics and stories from the road. Mostly, I'll be blogging on the local food and dive bars I encounter on the way. One of the best things about book tour is catching up with old friends. I've been doing this since 1998 when Crossroad Blues came out and it's always a highlight of the year. If anyone checking the schedule has recommendations in cities I'm visiting, please let me know. Time if short from town to town, but I always welcome a chance to find a new bars and restaurants. And I always look forward to meeting new and old readers at the bookstores. Check back to the blog often -- updates will be fast and furious for the next several weeks. Hope to see you out there. Saturday, May 14, 2011WICKED CITY -- THE BOOK TOO MEAN TO DIE Last month, my sixth novel was tapped for a nice honor -- WICKED CITY was chosen for a Community Wide Read by the Huntsville, Alabama public library system. This meant that every single book club in the city was discussing Lamar and Reuben, Hoyt Shepherd and Fannie Belle. This really terrific honor was supposed to culminate with a talk at the end of the month. They screened "The Phenix City Story" and even had a local burlesque troupe perform a bawdy tribute to America's Wickedest City. This was the same week a batch of horrific storms devastated large parts of the state. While the burlesque troupe made the gig, I'm rescheduled for the night of Wednesday, May 25th, at the main branch of the library. I have also heard from several teachers picking up WICKED CITY for both lit and Southern Studies courses. I recently spoke to my pal Jack Pendarvis's crime fiction class here at the University of Mississippi on WICKED CITY. And, this just in, WICKED CITY is now in development for a major motion picture. I'll be discussing more details as they develop. And everyone knows, it's a long road from page until premiere. But I'm thrilled with the creative, native Alabama talent taking on the project. One of the biggest compliments is to have a novel that continues to capture the imagination of readers. -- Ace (photo: PC kingpin Hoyt Shepherd)
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