Archy mcnally movie series#

Kerr and Vin Packer) in 1982 with one mission: 'We exist to get people published,' Meaker stated. The group was founded by Meaker (who has had more than 60 books published under her pen names, M.E. He has been an active member of Marijane Meaker's Ashawagh Hall writers workshop in Springs since 1992. With his own success firmly established as a best-selling author, Lardo derives much pleasure working with aspiring authors. His first three novels, published in the mid-1980s, have just been rereleased as e-books and in paperback by MLR Press. I think the time is right for a bi hero.' My protagonist in 'Jockstrap' is a bisexual investigative reporter, Mike Gavin. 'Many years ago, Gypsy Rose Lee had a book called 'The G-String Murders' set in the world of strip tease clubs. Now 82, Lardo hopes to get his latest novel, 'The Jockstrap Murders,' published this fall. All six of his Archy McNally books made The New York Times bestseller list. Lardo's name appeared on the cover of the paperback version of 'McNally's Dilemma' and the five McNally sequels that followed. The transition was so smooth that even a reviewer in Publishers Weekly, missed the switch, commenting that 'The murder mystery as comedy of manners may seem an old-fashioned genre in today's graphically violent mystery world, but Sanders makes it fresh as tomorrow.' One had to search the copyright page to find any mention that it had not been written by Sanders. This may have been because Lardo's name did not appear on the book's cover.

'McNally's Dilemma' was a huge hit in 1999, and Lardo's droll style was accepted by Sanders' legion of fans with nary a ripple of protest. Not only did he get the job done, both books were published to rave reviews. Every day I would do five hours on McNally, break for a quick lunch while I made the mental transition from Palm Beach to East Hampton, then start on 'Connection.' ' 'I was trying to finish 'The Hampton Connection,' with a fast-approaching deadline while starting my first McNally book. Lardo accepted the offer to pick up where Sanders left off and began work. They both lived a stone's throw from the same ocean, separated by a mere 1,200 miles,' Lardo said. Both moved among the rich and famous, enjoyed wine, women and song. Both lived in upscale resort towns, McNally in Palm Beach Reo, East Hampton. Archy McNally was my kind of guy and had much in common with my 'Hampton' character Michael Anthony Reo. 'I figured the first one, 'McNally's Secret' would set the blueprint for the series.

Archy mcnally movie series#

Two days later, the entire McNally series written by Sanders - seven books total - arrived at Lardo's door.

'I told my agent, 'Having never read one, I don't know if I can write one.' ' I had read all of his 'Deadly Sins' books, but I was not familiar with the McNally series,' Lardo explained. 'I obviously knew who the late Lawrence Sanders was. Would Lardo like to take over the Archy McNally series that author Lawrence Sanders, who died in 1998, had made popular? Lardo hesitated. That same year, while working on a sequel, 'The Hampton Connection,' his agent called with a once-in-a-lifetime offer. The weekly newspaper East Hampton Star published one chapter of his book, 'Two Holes of Water.' An agent saw it, contacted Lardo, and 'Two Holes' became 'The Hampton Affair,' published by Putnam Press in 1999. Once again, Lardo tried the mainstream literary market and began work on a mystery set in the Hamptons. He and his partner, Bob Evans, a department store buyer, who died in 1999, moved from Manhattan to Amagansett where they had a second home. After they were published, Lardo retired from Burson-Marsteller, the public relations arm of the well-known advertising agency Young & Rubicam. The three novels provided a foundation for the accolades that followed. ' China House' was published in 1986 followed by 'The Prince and the Pretender' and 'The Mask of Narcissus.' 'īy clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Voilà, I had an offer from Alyson Publications. 'I went back to the word processor, killed the protagonist's wife and gave him a gay son. 'As a gay man, I wondered what would happen if I changed the story to appeal to that market,' he said. Instead of giving up, he retooled his characters and came up with a winning formula.

'I sent my first book, a 'mainstream' mystery to a number of publishers who rejected it.' 'In the '80s, when word processors came out, I used to close my office door for lunch and write,' he recalled. Lardo's road to success had some detours he began writing novels on his lunch hour while working for an advertising firm. Lardo is a very low-key guy, despite his six New York Times bestsellers. Not familiar with that last name? Not surprising. Scott Fitzgerald, Jack Kerouac, Nelson DeMille and Vincent Lardo. Long Island is known for its ties to literary heavyweights.