I was born, raised, educated, praised, scorned, loved, and shunned in Chicago — and then I took my act on the road. Having endured more frigid winters than I care to think about, I made sure the road led somewhere warm. I’ve lived in Los Angeles, and Honolulu, and Los Angeles again. I loved the warm weather, the blue ocean, and the palm trees. But I didn’t like the isolation of living in the remote reaches of the Hawaiian Pacific. Nor did I like the congestion, smog, and cost of living in L.A.
So when my daughter was born, my wife and I thought we could do worse than to raise her in the Midwest, despite the weather. Our decision proved to be correct. Our daughter has grown up to be a happy and brilliant young woman. The Midwest has been a productive place for me to write. And global warming has produced much more moderate winters than the ones I suffered through as a boy.
— Joe
I’m binge reading your absolutely addicting Jim McGill series and am currently reading The Daddy’s Girl Decoy. Suddenly the whole gang was in Olmsted County which is where my husband and I had a hobby farm until 2018. We were just a couple of miles West of Chatfield’s Main Street. Have you been there? I’m taking a quick break to write you but am anxious to see what happens to Catie’s double so will sign off. If you need another unique setting in which to set a story, we now live in the beautiful river town of Red Wing. I’ll buy you a coffee when you come to check it out!
Sorry for being so tardy with a reply, but I’m much better at writing novels than corresponding. I’ve yet to visit Minnesota, one of 13 states I’ve missed seeing. Having grown up in Chicago, I was reluctant to go anywhere that gets colder. Also, there are rivalries involved here: Bears vs. Vikings and White Sox vs. Twins. Hope you enjoy all the McGill books, including the just published #13, The Boy From Illinois.