FAST TIMES, BIG CITY
by Shelly Frome
April 15 – May 10, 2024 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
Like most people, Bud Palmer felt this was just another day.
Though the era was drawing to a close, he assumed his life as a sports columnist in the subtropics, in keeping with the benign fifties itself, would go on as predictable as ever.
But that particular autumn morning he was thrust into a caper that was totally beyond him, forced him to leave Miami and take the train to Manhattan, and suddenly found everything in this restless “Big Apple” was up for grabs at a dicey turning point.
Inside the Author of Fast Times, Big City:
I’m so excited to share that Shelly Frome, author of Fast Times, Big City visited with me recently. Here are some highlights from our conversation.
What inspired you to write your first book?
The springboard was a play. Watching it on stage it soon became apparent how limited the experience was without the sweep of the territory (the Black Hills of South Dakota and its environs), the backstory which took place on the campus of the University of Connecticut, and the juxtaposition of the characters’ inner dialogue against what they actually said. Not to mention all the exposition that became unnecessary and only dragged things down as a listening exercise in contrast with so much more sans the constraints of time and place when putting on a play.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Judging from the 5-star reviews and various responses from readers who let me know in one way or another they totally “got” the up-tempo thrust, rhythms and compulsions of this escapade, it appears Fast Times, Big City is as good as it gets. If this changes, I’ll have to take it all with the proverbial grain of salt but still just let it be.
Who has impacted your life the most and in what way?
In a sense, it all started in my freshman year when the concert master of the Miami Symphony told me that I played the violin rather well. However, he looked forward to our sessions because afterward I played for him, he loved to hear me tell him stories.
What event in your life do you remember first when asked for a humorous story?
Once during a pouring rainstorm I pulled into a convenience store with my brand new BMW coupe and parked next to a gas pump. I had no sooner turned off the engine when a young man in overalls came bursting out of the store and insisted I roll down the window so he could talk to me. The first words out of his mouth were, “Say, mister, how did you come by this car?” My immediate answer was, “I worked for it.” Perplexed, he scratched his head, walked away and came right back with, “Well, goddamn, so that’s how it’s done!”
LOL! That’s hilarious, Shelly! And what a fun car to drive. Thanks for visiting, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next!
Book Details:
Genre: Crime Fiction
Published by: BQB Publishing
Publication Date: February 27, 2024
Number of Pages: 250
ISBN: 9798886330267
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Getting as overtired as can be, he opted for the radio once again and the show tunes station. Within minutes another song from West Side Story came filtering into his room. This time the star-crossed lovers put the images on the poster to words, yearning for “a special place,” claiming if they held on tight they could take each other there. Somehow, some day, somewhere.
Even after he switched the radio off, the sweet melody and yearning lyrics stayed with him. But soon faded and dovetailed into the dread of what might await him under these pressing circumstances. He finally let go of it all and sank into a fitful sleep.
***
Excerpt from Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome. Copyright 2024 by Shelly Frome. Reproduced with permission from Shelly Frome. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at UConn, a former professional actor, and a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He also is a features writer for Gannett Publications. His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games, The Secluded Village Murders, Miranda and the D-Day Caper and Shadow of the Gypsy. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio: A History, a guide to playwriting and one on screenwriting. Fast Times, Big City is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Fun interview! I love how the concert master of the Miami Symphony inspired him as an author!