82 Desire (30 page)

Acknowledgments

Writing a book affords a unique opportunity to see how successful people work. My research makes clear that the secret of success must surely be this: treat even a request for free advice as if it were a million-dollar job. Each time, I’m astonished anew at the time and effort big-deal experts are willing to put in just to help me write a book.

Skip Langdon simply couldn’t function without Captain Linda Buczek of the New Orleans Police Department, and I couldn’t without Greg Peterson, who never, ever laughs at my pitiful efforts to master these newfangled writing machines.

It took a trio of experts to teach me even the most rudimentary facts about oil, and though one must rmain a confidential informer, I owe him a huge debt and thank him all the same. The others are Joe Pecot and Ken Bramlett, a geologist whom even I can understand.

Jim Welsh and Walt Philbin brought me up to date on reporting at the end of the millennium, and others gave advice and answered niggling questions: Betsy and Jim Petersen, Chris Wiltz, Debbie Faust, and Ken White.

My heroic assistant, Kathy Perry, once again got through a book without slapping me silly, and my husband, Lee Pryor, helped in so many ways I can’t count them.

A thousand thanks to everyone who helped. Anything wrong is my fault, not theirs.

Next in the Skip Langdon series is MEAN WOMAN BLUES. Find out more at
www.booksbnimble.com
or
www.juliesmithbooks.com
.

The Skip Langdon Series

(in order of publication)

NEW ORLEANS MOURNING

THE AXEMAN’S JAZZ

JAZZ FUNERAL

DEATH BEFORE FACEBOOK (formerly NEW ORLEANS BEAT)

HOUSE OF BLUES

THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

CRESCENT CITY CONNECTION (formerly CRESCENT CITY KILL)

82 DESIRE

MEAN WOMAN BLUES

Also by Julie Smith:

The Rebecca Schwartz Series

DEATH TURNS A TRICK

THE SOURDOUGH WARS

TOURIST TRAP

DEAD IN THE WATER

OTHER PEOPLE’S SKELETONS

The Paul Macdonald Series

TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURE

HUCKLEBERRY FIEND

The Talba Wallis Series

LOUISIANA HOTSHOT

LOUISIANA BIGSHOT

LOUISIANA LAMENT

P.I. ON A HOT TIN ROOF

As Well As:

WRITING YOUR WAY: THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL TRACK

NEW ORLEANS NOIR (ed.)

And don’t miss ALWAYS OTHELLO, a Skip Langdon story, as well as the brand new short story, PRIVATE CHICK, which asks the question, is this country ready for a drag queen detective? More info at
www.booksBnimble.com

If you enjoyed this book, let us keep you up-to-date on all our forthcoming mysteries. Sign up for our mailing list at
www.booksbnimble.com

About the Author

Julie Smith is a New Orleans writer and former reporter for the San Francisco
Chronicle
and the
Times-Picayune
.
New Orleans Mourning
, her first novel featuring New Orleans cop Skip Langdon, won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, and she has since published eight more highly-acclaimed books in the series, plus spun off a second New Orleans series featuring PI and poet Talba Wallis.

She is also the author of the Rebecca Schwartz series and the Paul Mcdonald series, plus the YA novels CURSEBUSTERS! and EXPOSED. In addition to her novels, she’s written numerous essays and short stories and is the editor of NEW ORLEANS NOIR.