From the Booking Desk:

I have not had the pleasure of meeting Joe Ide in person yet – that will happen in just a few weeks at Bouchercon in Toronto – but I am a huge fan of his writing and couldn’t be happier to have him as a guest here for the Composite Sketch feature. His debut, IQ, was one of the most original and inspiring books of last year and this year’s follow-up seems poised to bring new fans to the fold. We are seeing a boom in diversity within the crime fiction community – both in terms of authors and their characters – and I am happy to champion that along every chance I get. Over to you, Joe:

Name: Joe Ide
Location: Los Angeles, CA

This person from my personal life is such an inspiration:

My wife, Diane. The kindest, gentleness, bravest person I know.

One of the people I admire most in the crime fiction community is:

Walter Mosley. The original cool breeze. The only man I know who can get away with wearing a Fedora and T-shirt to a black tie event.

STALKER ALERT! If this fictional character were real, they would likely need to get a restraining order against me:

A fictional character? Donald Trump.

People are always surprised that I am a fan of this individual (singer, actor, or artist):

James Taylor (only me and Tavis Smiley think he’s soulful)

My personal catch phase is (or should be):

Shut up, turn off the phone, stop eating and write.