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Orange County Noir: the path to publication

Posted April 2 2010 by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

The path to publication of my story, “Crazy for You,” included in Orange County Noir began almost two years ago at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Susan Straight, T. Jefferson Parker and I were standing by the buffet table (I was ogling the berries), when Susan mentioned this anthology that crime writer Gary Phillips was editing. She suggested I get in touch with Gary.

I had no idea what sort of anthology it was. I was in essay mode at the time, and so imagined the book was focused on essays.

I emailed Gary and he told me it was an Akashic Books anthology and would be called Orange County Noir. I loved the Akashic series of Noir books focused on cities. (Los Angeles Noir is one of my favorites, with an Edgar awarding winning short story by Susan Straight.)

Though I love film noir, I never attempted to write in the genre. But there was no time like the present, and I took it as a challenge. I get bored easily, and this was exactly what I needed. The anthology is broken up into cities of Orange County; my assigned city was Costa Mesa. After much dwelling, brainstorming, and beginning this and that, the plot of “Crazy for You” came to me. (Hint: The movie, Days of Heaven, one of my favorites, helped with plot.)

Now, almost two years later, the anthology is out. Here’s how my story begins:

When I moved into Levi’s apartment in the converted motel on Placentia Avenue, the blue neon “i” of the Placent_a Arms was burned out. I worried it was an omen, a feng shui gaffe. It made me think too damn much of placenta, birthing, that whole entire mess–not a good thing when the sign of blood makes you faint. I’ve grown used to most things, and I figured I’d grow used to the sign, if I didn’t leave Levi or go crazy first. But I hadn’t grown used to it, and I was still here. It was going on three months and my feeling of foreboding had only increased.

….

There are many book events coming up in the next couple of months. Hopefully you can make it to one.

Saturday, April 10: Gary Phillips will moderate a panel at the Literary Orange festival that includes Martin J. Smith, Susan Straight and me at the University of California, Irvine Student Center, corner of W. Peltason and Pereira drives, Irvine. 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. More info: click here.

Sunday, April 18: Patricia McFall and I, from OC Noir, as well as Denise Hamilton, who edited the new “Los Angeles Noir 2,” and Naomi Hirahara, who contributed to the L.A. book, will be at the Sisters In Crime monthly meeting at the Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Road, Irvine. 3 p.m. More info: click here.

Saturday, May 15: Martin J. Smith, Mary Castillo, Gary Phillips, and I will talk about the book and writing dark fiction at my Pen on Fire Speakers Series at the Scape Gallery, 2859 East Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. CJ Bahnsen will moderate. If you’d like to be on the mailing list for this event, email penonfire@earthlink.net and in the subject line say “put me on the mailing list for OC Noir at Scape.”

Monday, May 17: Nathan Walpow, Gary McAlpine, Rob Roberge, Dan Duling, Mary Castillo, Patricia McFall and I will be at the Laguna Playhouse Moulton Theatre, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. A $25 fee covers admission, dessert and coffee, tea or champagne. 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Orange County Noir is out today!

Posted April 1 2010 by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

I’m so happy to be included with this roster of writers. Truly stellar. And it’s out today!

In Publishers Weekly (2/22/2010) here’s the review our anthology received–and it was starred. I love how the reviewer says it’s “one of the stronger of the all-original anthologies.” I love the series, so that’s saying a lot.

Orange County Noir Edited by Gary Phillips. Akashic, $15.95 paper (300p) ISBN 978-1-936070-03-9

“There’s a dark side to most places,” even California’s sunny Orange County, Edgar-winner T. Jefferson Parker observes in his foreword to this outstanding entry in Akashic’s noir series, one of the stronger of the all-original anthologies. The crisp, often seductive prose of the 14 contributors, most of them relatively unknown, is a tribute to the critical judgment of the editor, whose own assured story, “The Performer,” involves a heist at a dog food factory that ends with more than one surprise. Robert Ward, a writer-producer for such TV shows as Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice, offers some wicked twists in “Black Star Canyon,” in which a fictional alter ego gets bounced from the program he created. Gordon McAlpine uses his narrator’s job as a security officer at Disneyland in “The Happiest Place” as an effective catalyst for a classic noir plot of betrayal. Other notable tales include Susan Straight’s “Bee Canyon” and Dick Lochte’s “The Movie Game.” (Apr.)

Consider attending a book party/panel on writing short fiction and noir fiction on May 15 at the Pen on Fire Speakers Series at Scape Gallery, Corona del Mar. On hand will be Gary Phillips, Marty Smith, Mary Castillo, and moi! If you’d like to be on the elist, email me at penonfire@earthlink.net.

And here’s more…in case you can make it to one. Click here.

An Evening with Ron Carlson

Posted March 29 2010 by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett


Tuesday, April 20 at 7 pm

An Evening with Ron Carlson

Join us on April 20 when Ron Carlson will be our featured guest. Ron Carlson is the director of UC-Irvine’s M.F.A. program in fiction and professor of English, is the award-winning author of several short story collections and five novels. His collection, The Hotel Eden, was a New York Times Notable Book and Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. His novel The Speed of Light, was his first for young readers. He also wrote Ron Carlson Writes a Story (Graywolf), an excellent book on the writing of short fiction. On this evening, he will talk with Barbara about writing fiction, long and short form, and will take your questions. Orange County’s independent bookseller, Laguna Beach Books, will be on hand selling Ron’s books.

Our salon will take place at:
Scape Gallery
2859 East Coast Highway
Corona del Mar, CA, 92625

$20.00 includes nibbles, sips and sometimes cake. Advance tickets are required. Walk-ins are discouraged as seating is limited.

Please register soon as we expect this to be another sold out event (and we hate turning people away).

Go to www.penonfire.com; click on Speakers Series for more info.

Upcoming on Sat., May 15, is the celebration of the new anthology, Orange County Noir (Akashic Books).

On June 8, plan to join us for an evening with Aimee Bender.