A Ragtime Pow-wow

Here I am this past Sunday at Book'Em, in South Pasadena, enjoying
a post-event conversation with ragtime composer and historian Fred
Hoeptner. Fred has put together some interesting material on the
origins of both ragtime music and the word itself. In exchange, I gave
him a copy of my seminar from last year's West Coast Ragtime Festival,
where I presented new information on Brun Campbell, the real-life
Ragtime Kid.
One of the customers told me she didn't care for Scott Joplin's
music, but did like antique music boxes, and was interested in
medical-ethical concerns. So she left with copies of The Music Box
Murders and First Do No Harm.
Then Myra and I went down the street to Buster's, and enjoyed
four-star ice-cream cones. Book'Em and Buster's, a tough combination to
beat.

Timing is Everything

I spent yesterday morning in Venice...California, where my sister,
Kate, took me to look over the haunts of Brun Campbell, the old Ragtime
Kid, who'll return to the trilogy in the third book, The Ragtime Fool.
His house still stands, as does his barber shop. How he ever fit a
piano in there is beyond me. He was quite a character.
Then, we went on to The Mystery Bookshop in Westwood, where I found
I had been lucky enough to have booked into their afternoon-long
celebration for their new owner, Kirk, complete with authors and food
galore. I had the 3 to 4pm hour, between Robert Crais & Gregg Hurwitz,
and Katherine Neville. Always great to see Bobby and Linda there, and
here I am with Richard, who helped me with the signings.
Afterward, we went to Santa Monica for dinner at Ocean Seafood,
then walked out on the Santa Monica Pier, a real time-travel moment, 50
years back in an eyeblink.

Mind the Ax and Helmet

Last night at San Diego's Mysterious Galaxy, Ragtime met Medieval
Noir, as Jeri Westerson and I interviewed each other about the
characters and setting of The Ragtime Kid and Veil of Lies. We also got
into a good deal of exchange over the nuts and bolts of writing, showing
again that no two writers seem to go about it in anything like the same
way. It's always a pleasure to see Gretchen and Bob, friends and
readers, at MG

Today, we take a breather (if you can call navigating the LA freeways a
breather), visiting music box-collector friends Mike and Marilyn Ames,
and Robin Biggins. Tomorrow, I go to Venice.

Do I Really Look Like Jimmy Carter?

Here's Lesa Holstine, interviewing me yesterday at the Velma Teague
Library in Glendale, AZ. Afterward, one of the audience asked me
whether anyone had ever told me I look like Jimmy Carter. She insisted
I was nearly his double, and asked me to sign for her as Jimmy Carter.
So I did, with a tag line, "aka Larry Karp." The customer's always
right.
In the evening, at The Poisoned Pen, Barbara Peters led a spirited
and engaging discussion among fellow Poisoned Pen author Mike Bowen, the
audience, and me on The King of Ragtime and Mike's book, Shoot the
Lawyer Twice. Afterward, we all enjoyed Barbara's fabulous pumpkin
bread with rum-soaked raisins. (I got away with a loaf for the road).
While in Scottsdale, Myra and I had good, if brief visits with my
HS classmate Sue Todd and with Gene And Gloria Friedman, who introduced
Myra and me 51 years ago.
We're now on Route 8 (Myra's driving), on the way to Mysterious
Galaxy, San Diego, tonight.

On the Road Again

I see it's National Novel Writing Month - http://www.nanowrimo.org/ - but for me, it's Novel Promoting Month. For the next couple of weeks, I'll be going to independent bookshops from Scottsdale's The Poisoned Pen, through California, then winding up at the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento. Follow me via the link at the right to my schedule.
I'll keep you posted from time to time via my trusty Sidekick.

This is where I write my books

 This is where I write my books, the white outbuilding, down the hill from our house, separated from the neighbor's house by a wall.  No phone, no other people in the room, nothing else going on there, no distractions outside.  No excuses not to write.

A Blast at Seattle Mystery Bookshop

     It's always a pleasure to start off events for a new book at Seattle Mystery Bookshop.  This is a quintessential independent mystery bookstore with the motto, "For mystery lovers who know what they want, and for those who haven't a clue."  They ain't whistlin' Dixie.
     For the debut signing of The King of Ragtime, I had a good time catching up with the old friends who showed up, and talking about mysteries to a bunch of new readers.
     Signed, dated copies of The King of Ragtime remain available (SMB, 117 Cherry St, Seattle; 206-587-5737, or staff@seattlemystery.com)