Local author, Brad Smith, was reviewed by Publishers Weekly: "RIVALS ELMORE LEONARD AT HIS BEST."  Simon & Shuster, publisher of Smith's most recent series has labelled his writing as, ". . .fast, funny country-noir action at its best."

Elmore Leonard in an interview with Lawrence Grobel:  "My ideas come from out of my head, from real life, from the way I see what's going on with people who are walking the line, who want to get away with something, who get into a hustle.  These are the people who intrigue me ~ some guy who has been in prison and has come out, what is he going to do now when he looks around?

LG:  You're not considered a mainstream writer, but rather a genre writer. . .
"I'm not going to presume to label myself.  I write what I want to write.  I don't really worry about the reader.  I'm the one I have to please, that's the beauty of this.  But I don't want to be called a mystery writer.  I'm in that section of the bookstore, but I certainly don't write mysteries.  I don't read mysteries."  I don't even read that much crime.  I seem to be a little bit different. . ."

Eager Fans Line-up For Smith's Latest Release

Fans lined up at Flyers Bakery and Cafe for Smith's Crow's Landing, the second book in the Virgil Cain series.  Dunnville, Ontario.

~Endangered Species, Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives, Lawrence Grobel, Da Capo Press, 2001.