I resently read Eddie Littles first book 'Another Day in Paradise' and presently doing research on the book and the author. I have been shocked to see that no one I've met has heard of it, even though i live in a small town in scotland. I feel Eddie Littles writing is honest, intresting and gutsy and I am sad he died with only a limited amount of books on the shelf. If anyone could give me further information on his debut book or websites where info could be found please contact me.

`Lucy,
I was a very close personal friend of Eddie's and ran with him and Chuck and Kenny. We were in recovery together and approximently 18 months ago I relapsed and rather than disrespect Eddie and Chuck who were still clean and sober as far as I knew, I chose to stay away from them until such time as I was clean again and wouldn't be a threat to thier recovery. Tonight as I sat here in front of my computer adding a few more pages to the book that Eddie had encouraged me to write, I thought of him and wondered if he had ever completed " Steel Toes", which he was writing the last time I saw him, and I decided to look him up on the Web to see what was up. Needless to say, Tears came to my eyes when I read that "Eddie Was 48 years old when they found him dead in a hotel room. Was He still with Brandy at the time of his demise? I wish to close by saying that not only have I lost a close personal friend, but the world has been deprived of a great writer and good person by his being taken at such a young age. I loved Eddie as a person in life, as a mentor in recovery, a crime partner in our addiction, and feel he had many of good books in him that we will never get to read. I only hope that when I finish my book, it wii be half as good as Eddie told me it would be if I sat down and put it on paper. If and when I ever finish it and get it published I will dedicate it to my friend, "EDDIE LITTLE"! God Bless His friend in life and death-- Dennis Corley-SFV

It's been two days since I sat in front of my computer to attempt a few more pages on my novel, and all I get is a brain lock after reading about Eddie"s demise. What a loss his passing will create. Eddie was always able to make me laugh when I was down and he was always able to make me see the good in what I could only see bad. Once again , I wish to express my synpathies to those of us that feel Eddie'a loss as I do. I don't know if Eddie was with Brandy anymore at the time of his passing, but if anybody can tell me how to get in contact with her, Norma and I would like to hear from her. I would also like to know where Eddie was laid to rest so that I can pay my last respects and to hear from anyone who might be able to tell me exactly how Eddie died. Please contact me through my email. Thebratsfv1@aol.com Thank You, Dennis L. Corley

I knew Eddie through recovery and I am stunned to hear he passed away. I just watched his movie last night for the first time. I havent talked to Eddie in almost 2 to 3 years but hoped he was doing well, we were close when we were in Recovery in Pomona together. I would appreciate a e-mail if someone could take the time and knows what happened to him. Thank you

Just finished reading Another day in Paradise. In the notes it said he was working for an care organisation in L.A. Came online to search out some kind of contact address, website or message board so I could reach out and tell him I loved his book, loved his writing, his style and that it inspired me. My life is as far away from Eddie Littles as you can get, but pain speaks the same language and demands to be numbed out just the same.I wanted to read his next book.
So very sorry to hear of his passing and for the sadness of those who knew him.
His books aren't just read in Scotland, but in Wales too.

Just logged onto this site for the first time after hearing about it from a friend. I was Eddies friend from the prison system in 1982 and when I worked at Cri-Help in 1985-86. I was also Eddies sponsor at the time of his last relapse. He relapsed when his last book "steel Toes" was released as it seemed Eddie wasnt able to accept sucess. He was doing the quack doctor thing with vicodan, oxycontin, and fentanyl. He wasnt able to get clean again and after leaving "warm springs" rehab he immediately relapsed and died of heart failure in a motel on sepulveda blvd. He was survived by a daughter who lives with her mother in burbank, cal. and a girlfriend who is having trouble staying clean after eddie died. I had a memorial service for him at the woodland hills Mariott and the is the farewell letter that i wrote for the memorial,My Farewell Letter To Eddie L

For quite some time myself and the many others who loved you feared this day would come. For many of us your coming into our lives made us laugh and it seemed in the end when you would choose the path of active addiction you made us cry. Today we are filled with grief and sorrow over the loss of our good friend. Today we have come together to honor you and to remember all the wonderful times we all shared with you. We will treasure the times you made us laugh and forgive you the times you made us cry.
I am filled with many fond memories of Christmas and Christmas parties, watching your daughter wrap presents, and open presents, there were dinners and book signings, shopping trips to the malls, many times filled with laughter. There were our many Fourth of July celebrations, movies and off course trips for ice cream, these are the memories I will cherish and remember.
In the last week I have reflected many times as to why this tragedy had to happen or what we all could have done to prevent it and I am left bewildered with no answers. You had potential beyond the abilities of many of us, yet the true success that was just at your fingertips seemed to elude you due to the disease of addiction. The Eddie I will always remember was an Irishman and proud of it. I know if he could, he would want us to rejoice his life and use this time to forgive and forget, and to console each other in our loss.
When Eddie was clean he always reached out to others who still suffered and it was those parts of him to which we were so endeared to.
I know if you could speak to us now you want all of us to leave here today with memories of good times and to go forward with our lives and to try to achieve greatness in whatever our endeavors, free of the burdens of fear of success, and believing we all deserve whatever gifts God sees fit to put into our lives.
I also believe you would want all of us to learn from this. We all watched you struggle for so many years, to break free of the grip of active addiction. In the end the pain of life was too great, the burden of the demons you carried became too much to bear. You never were again able to see the light of a clean and sober lifestyle, and for this you payed the ultimate price. We hope and pray others might learn from this, the price of active addiction. We have no doubt though that God has chosen to bring you to a better place where you will find the peace and happiness that eluded you for so long on earth.
Goodbye my brother, we will all cherish the memories we shared forever.

The Family and friends who loved you

Eddie Little's books, Another Day in Paradise and Steel Toes, are two of the best books I have ever read. I lived in Baltimore, MD for years and suffered from heroin addiction. As a recovering addict, reading Eddie's book touched me unlike any friend or NA meeting ever has. I recommended the books to almost all of my friends in recovery and they loved them. I never met Eddie Little but he touched many lives here on the central east coast through his incredible story-telling and magic. Eddie Little's friends and families are in our thoughts and prayers. Thanks for letting me share. ;o) Keep your heads up.

I was one of the last persons to see Eddie alive. The Saturday before he died he called me up, said he was out of rehab, staying at some motel on Sepulveda called "The Voyager." Surprised, I asked Eddie why he was on the streets. He'd been in Warm Springs for several months, a rehab place out in Castaic, getting clean. I knew because I was sending him care packages, books and smokes, and he'd call me once a week to chat. Of course Eddie didn't give me a straight answer when I aksed why he was out. Instead he offered some half-ass story about a staff member at Warm Springs who kicked him out for gambling. "I'm staying clean though," he assured me. But his voice was too relaxed, and he almost slurred at times. I could just imagine Eddie on the other end of the line, running an open palm down his forehead and cheek, rubbing his eyes, fucked up on something heavy-duty, but trying to play it straight for my sake.

Like I did everytime he called, I asked Eddie if he was getting any writing done. I'd read a few chapters of his latest prose, a Bonnie & Clyde novel, and I knew he'd been "finishing" the damn thing for close to a year. His comeback was, "shit, dog. St. Martin's is on my ass, but I don't have a computer." I told him I had a freind who just bought a new one, so he had an old one to give away. I told Eddie I'd swing by the motel and give him the computer, plus I'd check into possible living arrangements at this building down the street from me that was advertising cheap studio apartments.

On Sunday I swung by and got the computer from my freind, then grabbed a rental application from the building manager and drove to the valley. I parked a block from "The Voyager" on Sepulveda and as soon as I stepped out of my truck I noticed a crumpled shape of a man on the sidewalk. The closer I got the more I recognized the tattoos and spiky, gray hair. It was Eddie. My heat sank. I bent down and propped Eddie up against a chainlink fence. When I asked him what was going on his eyes rolled back in his head like a shark. After a few minutes of me trying to engage him in some sort of conversation Eddie simply pawed at me and tried whispering something as he grinned and drooled.

I sat there with Eddie on the sidewalk for about twenty minutes, knowing it was a bad scene. Two ex-cons loitering on the sidewalk in broad daylight, one fucked up beyond oblivion on drugs. My old man had been a junkie, when I was growing up he spent his sporadic paychecks on booze, grass and coke, never on groceries. I have absolutely no tolerance for drugs or addicts, I've never even smoked pot. I told this to Eddie once and he just stared at me for a second, assuming I was lying. When I told him it was the God's honest truth he said, "damn, every dude who's been to prison has been a hardcore addict, or at least a regular user. You're an educated thug." I stood from the sidewalk and walked towards my truck, thinking screw it, I'll leave Eddie to get robbed or picked up by the cops. It would serve him right. But I couldn't help to sympathize with him. I'd been down in a hole more than once in my life, times when I wished someone had been there to help pull me out. I knew under all the flim-flam Eddie had a heart of gold. And if given the chance to clean up he could write ten more terrific novels.

My frustration and anger subsided and I knew I had to get Eddie off the street. I called his ex-girl Brandi and stood watching over him until she arrived. Brandi stepped out of her car with a mixed look of both caring and disappointment and we both managed to pick Eddie up and shove his thick frame into her backseat as if we were kidnapping him. In Eddie's pockets we found 4 bucks and a pocket knife, but no room key. At the manager's office we found out Eddie hadn't paid for that night and had been kicked out of the motel. We scraped together the $43 for the room and the maid let us in the back entrance so not to cause a scene as we dragged Eddie to his room. The Voyager motel had a nautical theme and had "cabin" numbers on the door. Eddie's was cabin 238. The fact that such a fleabag place had a theme was fucking ridiculous. When I first met Eddie he had the world by the balls. His first novel "Another Day in Paradise" was still being praised, his second novel "Steel Toes" was soon to be released, he was writing a screenplay for Paramount based on his "Outlaw L.A." column, he drove a bad-ass El Camino and he had money in the bank. And most importantly, he was clean.
Within a year and a half I watched Eddie go from having it all, to having 4 bucks in his pocket and unable to pay a night's rent in a cheap motel. He had also totaled his car, his body and his relationships with those who loved him.

We left Eddie on the bed and left a few bucks on the nightstand. I even got him a glass of water and set it next to his bed so he'd have it when he came to. I patted him on the shoulder and said, "just get some rest, pal. I'll see you later." Eddie's eyes were still rolling around in their sockets, but he managed to sit up on the edge of the bed and focus on me for a second. He grinned and blew me a kiss and said, "you're a true gentleman."
He was a funny bastard.

Brandi and I closed the door and that was the last time I ever saw him. I recieved a call from Brandi a day and a half later, on Tuesday, telling me Eddie was found dead of an apparent heart attack in another cheap motel room on Sepulveda. The phone call left me numb. My first thought was, "could I have done more? What could I have done to change his fate?" I wanted someone to blame, but I guess there isn't anyone. Eddie Little had much talent, and it's a shame he'll never finish that Bonnie & Clyde novel, or any other novel for that matter.

On my wall I got a Polaroid of me and Eddie hanging out on the patio at "The Standard," a trendy hotel in downtown L.A. I look at that pitcure everyday and wonder what could have been. There's a void in Los Angeles that will never be filled.

Hello,

I am just about finished Eddie's book another day in paradise. I must say I can relate all too much to his pain and life. I was researching on the web to find what other readings he had to offer but to my surprise he has passed. If anyone could tell me what books he has written I would greatly appreciated it. I notice in the posted messages Eddie seemed to have insprired many of you to write your own books. Please email me sometime just to chat about your experiences in life. I am a 26 year old who has seen many, many rough times in my short lived time. I am all up for some good direction and advise.

email: whyme1228@yahoo.com

Thanks,

Stephanie

WOW! I just came across this website much to my surprise. I spent all day yesterday reading Steel Toes after finding it in a second hand bookstore. I was so excited because I really loved Another Day in Paradise and thought, score, a new Little book. This morning while writing in my journal about what a fantastic book and writer Little is I decided to do a google serach and this is what I found. I have to say both of his books have been very inspiring to me. Seems we both came from the same school of hard fucking knocks. I'm so amazed to read about him passing away. In a way it's frightening to read that he had gotten back on drugs, as that is a daily challenge to me as well. He joins a long list of excellent witers that will be sorely missed. Rest in peace dawg!

I met Eddie in 1976 at a place called the survivors club.We were both on crutches
.Him with a broken leg,me with a broken hip.There was an immediate dislike of one another.We observed each other over the years,but finally became ''road dogs''
in 1987.I was attempting to
give him the game on remaining drug free.We ran together on and off over the years untill his recent death.I loved Eddie and we had quite a number of adventures together along with Chuck A,Kenny D,Tommy ''pit bull'' and Bobby L.When he was clean he
was the kind of friend who
always had your back.Isaw him
shoryly before he died ,I could see he was having a hard time again .I felt powerless and knew it was between him and his god.I was
greatly saddened when I got
the call he had passed.His
clean spirit will be sorely
missed .

I have read Another Day in Paradise and Steel Toes many times now, and today i reread Steel Toes. To my dismay, i found this site on the web. I immediatly began to cry as one of my brothers is gone. Chris, a guy in my class, sits next to me as i type this, chuckling. I feel that he also feels Eddie was a brother. Those who read his writing feel as if they have known him their entire life. a long lost friend. I am envious of those who did have the chance to know him. I would love to just once talk to him and tell him how much i loved his writing. We all love Eddie. No matter what.

I got hip to Eddie Little's writing just over a year ago. While reading Steel Toes, I did a search on the web and found small blurb about him that kept referring to him in the third person. With no solid information available I figured it was a mistake and just asumed he was still alive
and writing his next book.
A few days ago I did another search too see if he had any new projects in the works. This is what I found.
Eddie was such a force as a writer and the fact of his untimely death has been a bitter pill to swallow.
I've got an older brother who has been in and out of prison a few different times on felony charges. His last bounce was for heroin. Because he has always been a self-serving douche-bag I don't give a rusty fuck what happens to my asshole brother.
My point is that Eddie Little is the first drug casualty to happen in my life time that has had any sort of pronounced effect on me. I've always felt that addiction was a terrible thing but now it resonates a lot more than it did before.
Rest in peace Eddie, we miss you.

thanks

I've just finished reading another day in paradise, and wanted to know more about Eddie little. It's sad to hear he passed, but the comments above me tells me alot about him. I think he was a very special person.
I read on the internet there also a movie about the book, I hope I will find it here in Holland. Steel toes is also not available in my town. Even my life is totally different from the main character, but also from Eddie little, i could relate to some feelings. It's an eye opener, life isn't just the way they show me at school.