Dispatch 5

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Nate Moran Q&A

Hypocrite's Row

Why does Nate wear a fedora?
The classic hat has become a cliché. But in The Roaring 20s, fedoras were incredibly popular. They were a staple of men's fashion, a symbol of style and sophistication worn by movie stars, and everyday gentlemen, and gangsters. And detectives.

Why does Nate chew candy cigarettes?
By 1920, more than half of young men smoked.  But more than one thug looked up during interrogation and realized Nate’s cigarette wasn’t a real one. Nate had smoked half a pack a day, or more, sometimes lighting up at breakfast, until his new bride allowed as how the dirty habit made her, well, not attracted to him. Nate quit on the spot.

Could you really get Cuban coffee in Miami in the 1920s?
Historical novels are notoriously targeted by the world’s amateur fact-checkers. So I meticulously cross-checked even the most minor factoids. I found Cuban restaurant ads, specifically touting Café Cubano, including the one below from 1913.

Did the titles of the four “Adventures of Nate Moran” books have some theme?
Not intentionally. But it turned out to be providential:
Hypocrite: Prohibition
Treasure: The South Florida real estate boom
Wreck: The South Florida crash
Midnight: The menace and intrigue of World War II in Florida.

Is Nate related to the Morans in your first novel, Peace River?
Bingo! We didn’t make a big deal of this. But yes. Nate is the grandson of Merritt Moran, one of Peace River’s protagonists, and Mariel, the “Cuban beauty” who becomes a heroine. Nate is named for Mariel’s mother, Natalia. (Family and friends will note the nod to my mother Natalie.) Wait. What’s that? You haven’t bought Peace River yet? Here you go: https://a.co/d/cmTyljs

Talks

March 1, 4 pm: Hypocrite’s Row Launch! Books and Books, Coral Gables
March 11, 5:30 pm: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Fla at Historical Society of Palm Beach County
March 13, 2 pm: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Fla at Historical Society of Martin County, Elliott Museum
March 17, 6 pm: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at Boca Raton Historical Society
March 18, 2pm: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at Palm Beach County Library, Hagen Road Branch
March 18, 6:30 p.m.: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at Mandel Public Library, West Palm Beach
March 26, 6 pm: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at Boca Raton Library
April 4, 1 pm: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at HistoryMiami.
April 11, 2 p.m.: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at Miami Pioneers and Natives of Dade.
April 15, 2 pm: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at Deerfield Beach Historical Society
May 12, 6 p.m: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at Delray Beach Historical Society
Sept. 27, 1 p.m: Talking Hypocrite’s Row and Prohibition in Florida at Hollywood Historical Society
Nov. 22: Look for me at the Miami Book Fair street fair!

Click for video:
Miami Police Department
Dade County Courthouse

Learn the stories behind Hypocrite’s Row: https://t.co/aiSbJNnSYA
Watch more Hypocrite’s Row Videos: https://tinyurl.com/bddd69cp

See you on the beat!