By Karen Cotton, editor of Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy
Fans of New York Times Bestselling Author, Craig Johnson, have a lot to look forward to this spring and early Summer.
Johnson, who calls Wyoming home, will have a brand new TV series, “Longmire,” on the A&E TV network this June. The show is based on his mystery novels.
His eighth book in his Walt Longmire series, “As The Crow Flies,” will be released by Penguin Publishing on May 15th.
“As the Crow Flies,” Johnson said, will answer some of the lingering questions in his Walt Longmire book series.
Johnson added, “But it’ll probably just raise more (questions). I feel that’s the life-blood of a series, the complexity of the characters and I don’t see the lives of my characters getting easier.”
Even though Johnson’s novels are in a series, he said they can also be read stand-alones.
“Some are better than others. “The Cold Dish” is of course best, but there’s also “Another Man’s Moccasins,” “The Dark Horse,” “Junkyard Dogs,” or the new one “As the Crow Flies,” Johnson said.
There is something that Johnson loves about writing his Walt Longmire book series, “The freedom to do what I want to do, and how I want to do it, entertaining people and having a platform for my stories, opinions and beliefs.”
If you haven’t read Johnson’s seven books, and you aren’t familiar with Walt Longmire, he’ll bring you up to speed.
“I was looking for an individual that would be emblematic of the American west, but still complex enough to be compelling to readers,” Johnson said. “Walt is, what I refer to as, a detective for the disenfranchised; he cares about the cases that no one else does. He’s an elected official that’s responsible to his community and I like that better than the ‘lone-wolf’ style characters that kills forty people before the book is over. Walt is a little ‘over’—over age, over weight, overly depressed, and facing a lot of the things that the readers face every day and I think that keeps him real.”
The first TV episode of “Longmire,” produced by Warner Horizon Television, airs June third at 10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on A&E.
“I was there the entire filming of the pilot, and it was great, a little weird, but great,” Johnson said. “Something like having a houseplant on your kitchen table for ten years and then coming down one morning and having it talk to you—strange, but wonderful.”
Robert Taylor, who is best known for his role in “The Matrix,” will star as Walt Longmire, the sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming and leading man of Johnson’s book series.
Lou Diamond Phillips portrays Longmire’s friend and confidant, Henry Standing Bear. Phillips was in the TV show “Numb3rs,” and you may recognize him in another western role. He starred as
the outlaw, Jose Chavez y Chavez in “Young Guns” and its sequel.
Katee Sackhoff of “Battlestar Gallactica is Vic, the new deputy serving with Longmire, Longmire’s daughter, Cady, is portrayed by Cassidy Freeman of “Smallville” and “The Vampire Diaries” fame. Bailey Chase of “Damages” is Branch, a young deputy who runs against Longmire for re-election. The “Longmire” show also introduces new actor, Adam Bartley as The Ferg.
Johnson said the cast and actors of “Longmire” are great.
“Maybe a little different from what I’ve had in my head for the last ten years, but really marvelous,” he said. “There are a few differences with Walt and Henry being a little younger and Vic being a blonde, but I think the thing they (and I) really wanted was talented people who could embody the roles and I think they’ve done that.”
When asked if he wrote his own screenplay for the TV show Johnson said, “I’m what they call an Executive Creative Consultant, which means I know where the Porta-Potties are on set… Actually, They sent me DVD’s of the actors and actresses they were considering; which Hollywood NEVER does. They talk to me about episodes and then send me the scripts and have me go through them and make changes. They’ve asked me about costuming, vehicles, set dressing, you name it.
A lot of Hollywood Heavy Hitters have worked on bringing Johnson’s bestselling mystery series to your TV screen.
The writers and executive producers of “Longmire” are Hunt Baldwin and John Coveny who both wrote the screenplay for “The Closer” and “Trust Me”. Greer Shephard and Michael M. Robin (“The Closer,” “Nip/Tuck”), also are executive producers of “Longmire”. The director and executive producer of “Longmire” is Christopher Chulack who is known for the projects “Southland,” and “ER”.
“They know what they’re doing; it’s nice,” Johnson said.
Johnson had this to say when he was asked about how he felt about the whole “Longmire” project, “It’s actually been pretty wonderful. Everybody told me that they’d write me a check and say see-ya, but they’ve pretty much kept me in-the-loop. A TV show is different from a novel, so I’ve kind of taken the attitude that it’s a different universe but pretty much the same characters and place.”
Check out these websites and Twitter pages:
Craig Johnson’s official Website: http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/
A&E TV’s official website: http://www.aetv.com/
Official website of “Longmire,” the drama TV series based on Johnson’s bestselling mystery series:
Pre-order “As the Crow Flies” at Barnes and Noble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/as-the-crow-flies-walt-longmire-series-8?keyword=as+the+crow+flies+walt+longmire+series+8&store=allproducts
Pre-order “As the Crow Flies” on Amazon.com:
Find out about the other actors on Longmire, including Robert Taylor in the starring role:
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips’ official website:
http://www.loudiamondphillips.co.uk/
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips’ official Twitter page:
http://twitter.com/#!/loudphillips
Katee Sackhoff on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/kateesackhoff
Actress Katee Sackhoff’s official blog:
http://kateesackhoff.com/wordpress/
Bailey Chase on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/Bailey_Chase
Cassidy Freeman on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/cassidyfreeman
Find out more about Adam Bartley:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4369276/resume
