I’ve been extremely grateful for all the attention that’s been given to On the Road With Del & Louise since the launch week—and all the opportunities I’ve been given to read from and talk about the book, including events at the Baltimore Book Festival, at Fall for the Book, and again tonight (Saturday, October 3) at the latest DC edition of Noir at the Bar.
Reviews of the book have been very flattering; here’s a sample:
- Washington Post: “In his new novel, “On the Road With Del and Louise,” short-story writer Art Taylor sets his narrative cruise control at “breezy” and keeps it there over miles of blacktop and dirt roads from New Mexico to North Dakota, California to North Carolina, with many pit stops in between. Taylor’s jokey title — with its nod to Jack Kerouac’s 1957 classic and its wink at the movie “Thelma & Louise” — promises as much. Nothing too heavy ahead, it seems to say. No really bad guys, no real violence. Just lovable rogues, inept crooks and harmless eccentrics.”
- Washington Independent Review of Books: “Sweet, endearing, charming, quirky, a delightful romp: all these words come to mind while reading this novel. At moments toeing the edge of the saccharine divide, Taylor infuses enough humor into the stories to keep them from going over.”
- BOLO Books: “Traveling from Albuquerque to North Carolina with many stops in-between, Del and Louise change and grow as life challenges their preconceived notions. Each of the stories has a element of crime to it, but the whole plays out more as a deep character study rather than traditional crime fiction. The heart and soul of the book is about family and our desire to find our own place in this world, surrounded by those we love and who love us in return.”
- Crime Fiction Lover: “Taylor has created an enjoyable tale and some nerve-wracking adventures without the need for a gruesome body count or far-fetched end of the world scenarios. Because the story is so grounded in imperfect humanity and told so convincingly, we share Del and Louise’s bumpy ride, rooting for them every mile of the way. While their lives will never be trouble-free, they will always be good.”
I’ve also been fortunate to have been interviewed in a few places—including a very generous feature in my now-hometown newspaper, The Fairfax County Times. Here are links to a few interviews:
And finally, thanks to all the folks who welcomed me for guest posts on blog, including:
- SleuthSayers—with fellow Anthony Award finalists Barb Goffman, Craig Faustus Buck, John Shepphird, and Paul D. Marks, talking about expanding characters from short stories into novels
- Wicked Cozy Authors—talking about the central importance of place in fiction
Looking forward to events in Raleigh next!