J. Carson Black's Friends

J. Carson Black's Page

About Me:: I live an incredibly exciting life in the sun-baked desert with my husband and three cats. Turn-ons: writing on my laptop on a chaise outside, horseracing, cabins in the woods or cottages on the beach. Turn-offs: cat barf, high amazon numbers, and broccoli. I have two books in the Laura Cardinal mystery series, DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN and DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. Laura is based loosely on a real DPS detective here in Arizona, except she wears a bra and he doesn't (At least I don't think he wears a bra; you'd think his wife would have told me under the laws of full disclosure). You can call me Jake, even though I'm a girl.

Books And Authors I Like:: Better not. I'll miss somebody and then I'll be the only friendless person on Crimespace.

Movies And TV Shows I Like:: Sicko, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, My Name is Earl, The Office. Movies: This is Spinal Tap, LA Confidential, Mulholland Drive, Seabiscuit, Phar Lap, Lonesome Dove, National Velvet, Casey's Shadow, Frequency, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), Double Indemnity, Psycho, Chinatown, Fargo, Slingblade, Gone With The Wind, Captain Blood (Dang, that Errol Flynn was cute), anything with Clark Gable in it. Anything with George Clooney in it. Anything with Denzel Washington in it. Anything with Harrison Ford in it. And horseracing on ESPN--anything with Kenny Mayne in it. Kingpin, Best in Show, Sunset Boulevard, Stranger than Fiction, Talladega Nights (What can I say? I'm a sucker for Baby Jesus talk at the dinner table.)

At 6:38pm on July 4, 2007, Babe King said…: You don't think he wears a bra- bwhahahaha. Probably thinks it's a holster. Which it is. Kinda. :-)

At 4:02am on May 1, 2007, Jane Hill said…: Oh, I shall definitely have to check out your books. Message me with details, if you like! I love reading books set in places where I've been. I thought Bisbee was lovely.

At 3:47am on May 1, 2007, J. Carson Black said…: Jane - I used to live in Bisbee, and have set one horror novel there (fitting) and also the beginning of one of my thrillers there. And my husband used to work for the Desert Museum! Small world.

My relatives live in Wigan, where my mother was born. A far cry, I'm guessing, from Portsmouth.

At 3:32am on May 1, 2007, Jane Hill said…: Yes, we spent a few days in Tucson, and ventured down to Tombstone (my mum is a huge Western fan) and also Bisbee. We particularly loved the desert museum.

I live in Portsmouth on the south coast of England.

At 3:00am on May 1, 2007, J. Carson Black said…: Jane - Brad Pitt, or the open pit mine - although we've got plenty. I hope you got down here to Southern Arizona, which is truly beautiful (she said as she sat outside on the terrace typing on her laptop.) I checked out the Kay-El Bar Ranch in Wickenburg - and wish I could go!

All my relatives live in England, New Zealand and Australia. Whereabouts do you live?

At 2:24am on May 1, 2007, Jane Hill said…: Hi Jake... I was attracted by your photo, and then read on and loved your list of films as well. I took my aged mother on a road trip around Arizona last October - we had such a good time. A bit like Thelma and Louise but without the rape and murder. Or Brad Pitt.

At 12:56am on April 30, 2007, Lesa Holstine said…: Jake -

No she doesn't know about the contest, as far as I know. I've been really pleased with the entrants so far. One school librarian hopes to win, thinking her high school students will like it. It's a blind draw though. (My husband picks the winners.) And, I had some entrants who have never entered before because I mentioned it on FictionL. That's not the place to mention contests, normally, but the subject fit into a current topic of underappreciated mysteries.

Unfortunately, I don't have any friends in Tucson. Everyone I know in AZ is in the Glendale/Phoenix area. But, good luck on the 20th!

At 8:23am on April 29, 2007, J. Carson Black said…: Thanks, Lesa - I apprecite so much your telling me that. Sometimes it seems as if our books go out into a vacuum, and we don't get a lot of feedback. And good feedback is especially appreciated!

Liz is fantatic, isn't she? I dedicated DARK SIDE to her, and for a very good reason. She was instrumental in getting me to the place where I could write that series. Does she know about your contest? She and I and the other two Southwest Crime Insters will be speaking at SSA's Sunday event on May 20th, so maybe you could spread the word to your Tucson friends.

At 1:01pm on April 28, 2007, Lesa Holstine said…: Jake - You were mentioned on FictionL (a list for public librarians) today as an underappreciated mystery writer. Great list to be on.

And, you mentioned Liz Gunn. She's another underappreciated one. So underappeciated that I'm offering five copies of her Six-pound Walleye on a contest on my book blog this week.

At 11:14am on April 13, 2007, J. Carson Black said…: The Well Red Coyote is a great place! I'm sure my mystery writer friends and I will make a trek up there at some point again. (Southwest Crime Ink - Liz Gunn, Mike Hayes, and Susan Cummins Miller.)