Some reading suggestions

My New Year's resolution was to update the blog weekly. And so, on February 28, I present my first post of the year. So much for that...

Some recommended reads from 2011...


1) THE ART OF FIELDING, by Chad Harbach. Incredible debut.

2) LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN, by Colum McCann. One of the best novels I've read in years. Just extraordinary on every level.

3) THE OUTLAW ALBUM, by Daniel Woodrell. A true master at work.

4) EMILY, ALONE, by Stewart O'Nan. Again -- a true master at work. Stewart plays at a whole different level. And proves it again with THE ODDS, which was released in the past month, two books published in just 10 months, displaying not only an astonishing level of talent but an ability to produce consistently while still expanding his range. The Springsteen of literature!

5) MR. THUNDERMUG, by Cornelius Medvei. A baboon who learns to talk struggles with British society. A laugh-out-loud read.

6) 11/22/63, by Stephen King. One of his best novels in years, a terrific story, thought-provoking and moving.

7) THE IMPOSSIBLE, by Cole Louison. A non-fiction account of skateboarding culture. I've never watched the X Games, never ridden a skateboard, and found it fascinating and incredibly readable.

8) THE DROP, by Michael Connelly. I think it's the best Bosch book in a long time, and that's saying something, because Connelly doesn't miss.

9) THOSE ACROSS THE RIVER, by Christopher Buelhman. If you like your horror to ease from a slow-burn menace to a flat-out, twisted meanness, this one is for you.

10) BRINGING ADAM HOME, by Les Standiford. A thorough and gracefully written account of the horrific and haunting murder of Adam Walsh.

Books to look for in 2012 that will not disapoint:

1) THE COVE, by Ron Rash. April release.
2) LIVE BY NIGHT, by Dennis Lehane. October release.

The real cats behind THE RIDGE

Discussed in Parade Magazine and on NPR. More to come about the Exotic Feline Rescue Center around release of the paperback edition of THE RIDGE. Couldn't think of a more worthy cause for those considering a unique Christmas gift -- sponsor a big cat! www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org




http://www.parade.com/news/2011/10/behind-the-scenes-big-cat-rescue.html

http://www.parade.com/news/2011/10/animal-rescue-michael-koryta.html

http://www.npr.org/2011/10/21/141578806/zanesville-animal-tragedy-echoes-ridge-plot

Two New York Times Notable Books in one year

Honored to report that the New York Times included both THE CYPRESS HOUSE and THE RIDGE in their "best of 2011" roundup. Marilyn Stasio writes:

FAVORITE SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY

"Michael Koryta easily takes top honors for two eerie novels, THE CYPRESS HOUSE (Little, Brown, $24.99), a 1930s gangster story with spooky undertones, and THE RIDGE (Little, Brown, $24.99) , a ghost story set in an old mining region of Kentucky."

THE CYPRESS HOUSE was also voted one of the 15 best horror novels of the years by the members of the GoodReads community, and both books were generously mentioned in the Miami Herald by the accomplished novelist/historian Les Standiford, whose latest release, BRINGING ADAM HOME, was a fine and heartbreaking history of the murder of Adam Walsh. Les says:

“I have just finished two books by Michael Koryta, who has turned a certain corner from straight-up mystery into historically based thrillers with a supernatural tinge. The new one is The Ridge, featuring a lighthouse built improbably near a large feline rescue center atop a mountain in Kentucky, and in paper is The Cypress House, a ’30s noir set in a creepy inn on Florida’s west coast. These are stylish and intelligent escapes, rich with the author’s appreciation for the power of place and a world that sometimes eludes reason.”

Meanwhile we continue to hope for good things on THE CYPRESS HOUSE film development front from the always-busy Chris Columbus and 1492 Pictures, who had another great year with the tremendous success of THE HELP, which posted the longest run at the top spot in the box office of any movie since THE SIXTH SENSE in 1999. Not bad!

We should have some updates on film news for SO COLD THE RIVER shortly...

Back in blogging action...

The lack of posts is good news: I've been working hard on the new book. Unless, of course, you don't enjoy the books, in which case this is not good news. But if you don't enjoy the books, why in the world are you visiting my blog? Oh, you're family, you say? Well, thanks for the support guys. Carrying on...

1) Check out the Texas Book Festival this weekend if you are in the Austin area. I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to appear on a panel with the great Joe Lansdale, and I'm hoping I'm not asked any questions so I can just listen to him. I'm certain the audience will agree. Harry Hunsicker will moderate.

2) A very nice review for THE RIDGE appeared in London's The Times on Saturday, and they wisely opted to run a photograph of a cougar instead of my author picture. I'm grateful, and considering the same substitution on my next dust jacket. No link, but I'll take this highlight quote anytime: "Michael Koryta has been compared to Stephen King, and with good reason: he has the same ability to see the sinister and supernatural in small-town America and make it feel like it belongs there."

3) Stay tuned for some news updates shortly...

UK Interview with Chris High

It was a pleasure to conduct this Q and A for the UK release of THE RIDGE.

High also reviews the novel, calling it "close to the perfect ghost story."

Talking ghost stories with Joe Hill and Peter Straub

Publishers Weekly has an excellent look at the contemporary ghost story in its current issue. Interesting comments from Hill, Straub, and others.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/48630-ghosts-the-other-undead.html?page=2

Gold Dagger

Learned the wonderful news from Hodder that THE CYPRESS HOUSE was nominated for the prestigious Gold Dagger award by the Crime Writer's Association, which bases their festivities out of the UK. It's a true honor, and a great list of names -- Steve Hamilton and Tom Franklin wrote two of my favorite books of 2010, for example. Very special to be included on such a list.

Judges' comments on THE CYPRESS HOUSE: A compelling suspense story haunted by the paranormal and steeped in the fears and anxieties of Depression-era Florida. Strong characterisation and an isolated, storm-ridden setting drive the novel towards an unexpected ending.

Very generous! Details on the award from the CWA:

The eight authors in contention for this year’s coveted prize are, in alphabetical order:
Tom Franklin Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter (Macmillan)
Lucretia Grindle The Villa Triste (Mantle)
Steve Hamilton The Lock Artist (Orion)
Mo Hayder Hanging Hill (Bantam Press)
Michael Koryta The Cypress House (Hodder & Stoughton)
M. J. McGrath White Heat (Mantle)
A.D. Miller Snowdrops(Atlantic Books)
Denise Mina The End of the Wasp Season (Orion)

The eight will be narrowed down to four when the shortlists are announced on 22nd August. These will be featured in an ITV3 season starting 1st September and running for 6 weeks. The winner will be announced at at an awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane on 7th October, and broadcast in the following week (probably 11th October) on ITV3.

Interview on NPR's Weekend Edition

I had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by the great Linda Wertheimer (that's the truly great Linda Wertheimer -- first woman to anchor coverage of an election night, first person to broadcast from Senate chambers, a founding voice of NPR, etc.) on Weekend Edition. It was a privilege, and I hope you'll have the chance to check it out.

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/10/137682354/sanctuary-of-suspense-a-lighthouse-on-the-ridge

LA Times and St. Petersburg Times approve of THE RIDGE

Nice reviews from two major papers last week!

LA TIMES: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/books/la-et-book-20110627,0,6946940.story

"Koryta has created a vivid world that's hard to shake for days after the book is finished. In 'The Ridge,' he has delivered a nuanced supernatural thriller worthy of the praise he's received and that is surely yet to come."

ST. PETERSBURG TIMES: http://www.tampabay.com/features/books/article1177878.ece

"Koryta doesn't just craft an absorbingly creepy plot; he also makes effective use of setting and local history (as he did in So Cold the River and The Cypress House). His prose is observant and streamlined, and his characters are believable and complex — which helps make them unpredictable, in some cases shockingly so. Reading The Ridge is a fine way to chill down a hot summer night. But you'll want to leave the lights on."

Happy Fourth Of July...enjoy some links

As you ease back into the swing of things after the holiday, you probably want to kill some time by reading about THE RIDGE. Here are some nice people who have said nice things. If you want to see bad things, go find them yourself. We don't encourage that sort of behavior here.

Also, an interview with Michael and Linda Wertheimer of NPR's Weekend Edition will air soon. More details when we have them!

Huffington Post: "Michael Koryta is a name that is growing in stature with each new novel he releases. THE RIDGE indicates he will keep getting better and better. This is a chilling story that will have you burning the midnight oil and wishing you had a lighthouse to ward off any dark presence around you."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jackie-k-cooper/the-ridge-shows-a-stephen_b_885721.html

The New Yorker: "...if you know Koryta’s splendid style, you know he’s in the right place. “The Ridge” is a classically good mystery that’s also regionally fascinating: its other powerpoint location is a woodland lighthouse in eastern Kentucky, where a local weirdo is found dead one day by an almost equally weird reporter, who then teams with a troubled detective to uncover much greater, darker strangeness."
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2011/06/bright-lights-big-cats.html

Brand X Picks The Ridge for Summer Reading List:http://thisisbrandx.com/2011/06/summer-reading-34-new-page-turners/

Jen's Book Thoughts Review: "THE RIDGE is the work of an exceptionally talented story teller coming into his own. The richness of the characters, the depth of the symbolism, the strength of the atmosphere all combine to suck the reader into Koryta's world. You fall down his rabbit hole and land in a world you logically know doesn't exist, but the reality of what you experience convinces you otherwise."
http://www.jensbookthoughts.com/2011/06/ridge-michael-koryta.html

Barnes & Noble allows me to recommend books

Narrowing the list down to three took only slightly more time than it would take me to write three books. I decided to apply the "multiple-copy" test and ask myself what three books I've purchased often in the past few months to literally put into a reader's hands. I came up with the following three, and assure you they will not disappoint.

Winter's Bone

By Daniel Woodrell
"Yes, the film was excellent, and deserving of every award it won, but Woodrell's prose has a beauty that no camera could ever capture. 'His voice held raised hammers and long shadows,' he writes of one menacing character in this taut, stunning novel, and rest assured: Woodrell's voice will cast long shadows itself, in the way that only great novelists achieve."

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

By David Sedaris
"I don't think there's a more difficult form of writing than humor. There are wipe-the-tears-from-your-eyes laughs in this collection, but there are also complex emotional threads, and when the laughs subside you'll realize the stories linger not just because of the wit, but also because they make you consider how we treat those around us, and why, and at what cost. Many writers addressing such themes in a dramatic narrative fall flat. Now try doing it while making people laugh."

Emily, Alone

By Stewart O'Nan


"Talk about taking on a literary challenge--O'Nan's quiet tale of an elderly widow defies every dramatic expectation readers bring to the page and leaves them better off for it. There are many ways in which O'Nan is flat-out better than most writers working today, but none more impressive or effective than his uniquely genuine empathy."

GQ votes for you to read The Ridge

Your Weekend Beach Read
Set in the foothills of east Kentucky, Michael Koryta’s latest tale begins with a death atop a woodland lighthouse, which sparks a plot that soon unites a scarred detective, newly unemployed reporter, beautiful widow operating a sanctuary for big cats—as in lions and panthers. And from there, things start to get weird. If you know Kortya’s work—he’s the 28-year-old suspense wunderkind whose editor, Michael Pietsch, also edited David Foster Wallace—you know this is SOP. See for instance the bar piano that plays like a violin at the West Baden Springs Hotel, setting for last summer’s So Cold The River. Or the way-too-conveniently located tavern in the Gulf Coast badlands that welcomes two late-night travelers in The Cypress House (now being made into a movie). Will you like the book? Put it this way: Suspense Godhead Dean Koontz says Kortya “is on my must-read list” and the author recently inked a six-book deal with Little, Brown, who is publishing three of his novels within an the unheard time span of one year. So, yes. GQ’s Cole Louison interviewed the private investigator turned novelist last year; click here to read it. Buy The Ridge here.

If you are in a listening mood...

Check out Gena Asher's excellent "profiles" interview at WFIU, Bloomington, Indiana's NPR affiliate. By "excellent" I am referring to Gena, not to her source material. She did the best she could with it!

http://indianapublicmedia.org/profiles/crime-novelist-michael-koryta/

Nice interview at CNN.com talking THE RIDGE, possible adaptations with Chris Columbus and Scott Silver, and good music!

If nothing else, check out the music picks. I assure you they won't disappoint.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/06/05/author.michael.koryta/index.html?iref=allsearch

Chris Columbus and 1492 Pictures to adapt THE CYPRESS HOUSE

Thrilled to report what has already been widely reported: Chris Columbus, the acclaimed director of the first two Harry Potter films, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Mrs. Doubtfire, Home Alone, and countless other fan favorites, has acquired film rights for THE CYPRESS HOUSE. Columbus will write the script himself and produce via his 1492 Pictures company with production partners Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe.

The New York Times reviews THE RIDGE

And we even got a great little sketch of a cat face on the moon! Nice work by Christoph Niemann.

Says Marilyn Stasio of the NYTBR:

It’s almost summer, so let’s get serious about those vacation reading lists. On second thought, let’s save the 600-page historical sagas and thickly plotted espionage thrillers for another day and kick back with something weird and wonderful — like a supernatural mystery.

Michael Koryta, who previously staked out that territory with “So Cold the River” and “The Cypress House,” takes it to loftier elevations with THE RIDGE (Little, Brown, $24.99), a freshly imagined and elegantly constructed variation on the dead-of-night ghost story. Set in an abandoned mining region in the foothills of rural Kentucky and drawing deeply on Koryta’s affinity for spooky places, this eerie tale hinges on a chapter of local history forgotten by all but Wyatt French, an eccentric old coot who lives alone in a lighthouse he built in the woods to keep the dark away. “So if you got a light, hold it high for me / I need it bad tonight, hold it high for me,” goes a sad poem hanging over his bed.

French becomes unhinged and commits suicide when a wildlife sanctuary for lions, tigers and other “massive, uneasy cats” moves into this remote area, intruding on his solitude and awakening nightmarish notions that something wicked is living up on Blade Ridge.

But before he kills himself, the old man passes on his forebodings to two of Sawyer County’s presumably more stable citizens, Chief Deputy Kevin Kimble, who is hopelessly in love with a woman currently doing time for killing her brutal husband (and taking a shot at Kevin), and Roy Darmus, who lost his job as the county’s official storyteller when the regional newspaper shut down. Although their sleuthing efforts establish a realistic baseline for the novel’s supernatural events, readers are swept along by Koryta’s narrative voice, which is surprisingly soft and low and poetically insinuating, considering the horrors he’s relating.

The presence of the great cats threatens the spirits of the woods, which are “heavy with the feel of magic.” And when a preternaturally powerful black cougar named Ira jumps the fence to take up the watch on these haunted hills, the scene is set for a battle that will either restore the balance of nature or plunge the whole region into darkness. Not to tip the ending of this extraordinarily imaginative story, but I’d put my money on Ira.

Stephen King recommends The Cypress House

Pick up a copy of Entertainment Weekly tomorrow for some summer reading tips. Stephen King includes THE CYPRESS HOUSE in his suggestions, saying, "Gangsters, a silent but heroic drifter, and one whopper of a hurricane. How can you go wrong?"

In the same issue, Michael Connelly points readers toward THE RIDGE, saying, "Since he's moved from mystery to horror things have gotten spooky -- and better with each book."

RIDGE CAPTION CONTEST

We judged this week based on heart and passion. And, yes, a vague sense of fear. Either way, we want to make this guy happy. So the winning caption is:

"If I don't get a signed copy of THE RIDGE for at least one of
my caption contributions I'm gonna F#$&&$# eat somebody."

Alan P. from...from a place we hope has really good police.

With Alan satisfied and my chance to sleep at night restored, let's move on to the new week's photo. I took this one while watching the rescue of three tigers who will now live out the rest of their days at the EFRC. This big guy is named Cash. At this point in the day he'd already traveled a couple hundred miles and wasn't particularly interested in going the 100 yards left to get him to his much-nicer new home.

Send your entries to cypresshousevp@gmail.com

Signing schedule for THE RIDGE

SIGNING SCHEDULE

Due to the fact that this is a two-book year, and I've been on the road pretty steadily on domestic and international fronts, the tour for THE RIDGE will be limited. Otherwise, the next novel might not be out until 2025. So, with the exception of local signings (Bloomington, Indianapolis, and yet another try at Cleveland, thinking they can't snow me out in June) I'll be making two stops where readers from around the world can have a book signed and inscribed if they so desire. Both Murder by the Book in Houston (www.murderbooks.com) and The Poisoned Pen http://www.poisonedpen.com/products/hfiction/9780316053662/?searchterm=ridge%20signed in Scottsdale, AZ, do a wonderful job with pristine mail-order copies and have for years. Just order via their sites or give them a call, and I'm happy to inscribe as you desire, and you'll never even have to leave the comfort of your couch. Although it would sure be nice to see you if I'm passing through your area! Full backlist is also available at both stores.

Monday, June 6, 2011
Barnes & Noble – Bloomington
7:00pm
2813 East 3rd St
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812)-331-0669

Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Big Hat Books
6:00pm
6510 Cornell Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 202-0203

Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Barnes & Noble-Crocker Park
7:00pm
198 Crocker Park Blvd,
Westlake, OH 44145
(440)-250-9233

Friday, June 10, 2011
Murder by the Book
6:30pm
2342 Bissonet
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 524-8597

Saturday, June 11, 2011
Poisoned Pen Bookstore with Steve Hamilton
5:00pm
4014 North Goldwater Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 947-2974

Event with Brad Meltzer and David Baldacci

As part of the Book Expo festivities, and in recognition of audio books, the following event will be held in two weeks at the Apple store in SoHo. If you're in town for BEA or live in the NYC area, come by to check it out. Two sensational #1 bestselling authors! As well as, for inexplicable reasons, Michael Koryta.

Meet the Authors: Michael Koryta, David Baldacci and Brad Meltzer
Books & Authors: The Ridge (Koryta), The 6th Man (Baldacci), The Inner Circle (Meltzer)
Time: 6:30pm
Venue: Apple Store, SoHo
Location:
103 Prince Street
New York City, NY 10012

http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/Concurrent-Events/New-York-Book-Week/

I'll also be signing at BEA that morning:

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Autographing Session: The Ridge
Time: 11:00AM - 11:30AM
Location:
Autographing Area
Table 2

Information According to BEA website
http://searchitfindit.bookexpoamerica.com/?action=viewauthor&authorid=2373

The Ridge signing dates and options

SIGNING SCHEDULE

Due to the fact that this is a two-book year, and I've been on the road pretty steadily on domestic and international fronts, the tour for THE RIDGE will be limited. Otherwise, the next novel might not be out until 2025. So, with the exception of local signings (Bloomington, Indianapolis, and yet another try at Cleveland, thinking they can't snow me out in June) I'll be making two stops where readers from around the world can have a book signed and inscribed if they so desire. Both Murder by the Book in Houston (www.murderbooks.com) and The Poisoned Pen http://www.poisonedpen.com/products/hfiction/9780316053662/?searchterm=ridge%20signed in Scottsdale, AZ, do a wonderful job with pristine mail-order copies and have for years. Just order via their sites or give them a call, and I'm happy to inscribe as you desire, and you'll never even have to leave the comfort of your couch. Although it would sure be nice to see you if I'm passing through your area! Full backlist is also available at both stores.

Monday, June 6
Barnes & Noble – Bloomington
7:00pm
2813 East 3rd St
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812)-331-0669

Tuesday, June 7
Big Hat Books
6:00pm
6510 Cornell Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 202-0203

Wednesday, June 8
Barnes & Noble-Crocker Park
7:00pm
198 Crocker Park Blvd,
Westlake, OH 44145
(440)-250-9233

Friday, June 10
Murder by the Book
6:30pm
2342 Bissonet
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 524-8597

Saturday, June 11
Poisoned Pen Bookstore with Steve Hamilton
5:00pm
4014 North Goldwater Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 947-2974

And stars continue to hang above THE RIDGE

Another starred review, this time from Library Journal:

Koryta, Michael. The Ridge.Little, Brown. Jun. 2011. c.412p. ISBN 9780316053662. $24.99. F
Koryta (The Cypress House; So Cold the River) delivers another supernatural thriller with punch. The lives of a small-town chief deputy, an out-of-work reporter, and the owner of a big cat rescue center collide when a well-known eccentric dies in his landlocked lighthouse, set on a ridge in the eastern Kentucky hills. Strange occurrences at the cat shelter coincide with a disturbing discovery in the lighthouse, which hits too close to home for the deputy and veteran reporter, and being on the ridge after dark becomes dangerous. Part ghost story, part murder mystery, all thriller, this fast-paced and engaging read will have readers leaving the night-light on long after they have finished the book.
VerdictMystery readers, supernatural thriller lovers, and horror buffs who can live without gore all will appreciate Koryta's latest effort. [See Prepub Alert, 12/13/10.]—Colleen S. Harris, Univ. of Tennessee at Chattanooga Lib.

And in the UK good reviews continue to come in for THE CYPRESS HOUSE, with this appearing in the Mail on Sunday, one of the country's largest newspapers, which offer THE CYPRESS HOUSE its highest possible rating, five stars.

"Michael Koryta is one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction. He stands out from the crowd by virtue of an easy elegance in his prose style, a consuming interest in America's turbulent history and a knack for successfully incorporating elements of the supernatural into his stories. This novel may be his best book yet... [a] wonderfully gripping slice of prime Americana."

Ridge Photo Contest Continues...

Last week's winner is Diane from Florida with:

"Why did I watch 'Jaws' right before I went swimming?"

One signed first edition of THE RIDGE is headed her way. This week features another photograph by Stephen McCloud, whose book may be purchased at www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org with proceeds going to support the rescue center.


Let the captions commence. Please send to us at cypresshousevp@gmail.com

Stars on THE RIDGE

Courtesy of Publishers Weekly!

STARRED REVIEW
The Ridge
Michael Koryta. Little, Brown, $24.99 (412p) ISBN 978-0-316-05366-2
A rural Kentucky community becomes the unlikely focal point for a series of enigmatic and terrifying events in Koryta's subtle supernatural thriller. When local drunk Wyatt French, who inexplicably built a wooden lighthouse far from any large body of water, calls Kevin Kimble, the county's chief deputy, and asks whether he'd investigate a suicide, Kimble, who's driving in his car to visit a prison inmate, refers French to a suicide hotline. Soon after, reporter Roy Darmus, whose newspaper has just folded, receives an unsettling call from French that prompts Darmus to go to the lighthouse, where he finds the man has apparently shot himself in the mouth. French's death may be connected with an eerie blue light seen in the vicinity of Blade Ridge, a phenomenon that riles the big cats residing in a wildlife refuge that's just set up shop on property adjoining French's. Koryta (The Cypress House) matches an original and complex plot line with prose full of understated menace.

THE RIDGE widget

The tech-savvy team at Little, Brown and Co. has created a promotional "widget" for THE RIDGE. Please check it out below -- video, essays, links to the EFRC, lions and tigers, no bears -- and, to prove to the good people at LB that their efforts were not in vain, please share said widget. That is, as I understand it, the idea. And who wouldn't want to share such a fun little guy?

THE RIDGE caption contest -- winner and new week's photo

Laura Schneider claims the win for last week with the caption of: "Mom, just because no one's around, doesn't mean you can embarrass me even more..." She will receive her signed first edition of THE RIDGE in June.

And this week we will shift from Michael's personal photographs of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center to one from a professional -- Stephen McCloud has published two gorgeous photo books about the center. You can purchase the books, calendars, and other items (proceeds go to the rescue center) at http://www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org/store.html.

Stephen McCloud has graciously permitted use of this photo for an e-card promotion that Little, Brown will soon release for THE RIDGE. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime, let's gather some great captions for him! Send submissions to cypresshousevp@gmail.com

THE RIDGE caption contest, week 3

Let's start seeing those submissions: cypresshousevp@gmail.com

THE RIDGE caption contest winner, week 2

Our judges determined that this one was an impossible-to-call tie, then realized the top two submissions came from the same person. That made it easier to select the winner, though Dani, our champion for week two, still receives only one book!

"Here, Human, Human."

"Psst. Word on the street is you're the guy who helped the Bronx Zoo Cobra escape. What are your rates?"

An enormous loss -- Bill Cook

Bill Cook, who with his wife Gayle financed and oversaw the incredible restoration of the West Baden Springs Hotel and French Lick Springs Hotel, brought Pete Dye in to create a one-of-a-kind golf course, and generally restored the beauty and life to an area that sat for decades as a crumbling relic, passed away yesterday in his home at the age of 80.

Cook's impact on the world of health care, the biotech industries, and medical devices is felt around the globe, and his impact in Bloomington and Indiana has been simply massive. I was deeply and truly honored by his support of SO COLD THE RIVER when it was released, and the resort has continued to support the book, which means a great deal to me. Paramount among those honors, though, was the chance to have lunch with Cook and his son Carl last year, when they offered me a gift of thanks for writing about a spot that meant so much to the family: it's an original, unopened bottle of Pluto water, the source of so much trouble in the novel.

It sits on a shelf above my writing desk today, where it has been positioned since that lunch, and always will. This is a true loss to the community, and I'm deeply grateful I had the chance to meet Mr. Cook.

The most meaningful thing that came up in our conversation was when Mr. Cook told me that he and Gayle had walked down to the Wesley Chapel Gulf, featured in the book's final scenes, because they were curious about it after reading the novel. Now, at this time he was not in great health, and the walk to the gulf, while not treacherous, is hardly easy, either. I was, and remain, deeply touched that he was interested enough in the story and the places to make that trip.

Below is an article from the Indianapolis Star detailing Cook's accomplishments.


INDIANAPOLIS STAR
Bill Cook, founder of a Bloomington-based medical equipment company and one of the richest men in America, has died.

David McCarty, director of global communications for the Cook Group, said Cook died about 4:30 p.m. Friday at his Bloomington home from congestive heart failure. He was 80.

Cook, known throughout Indiana for his philanthropy and dedication to historic preservation, had been in failing health for some time. He had been scheduled to attend an event today to celebrate Indiana Landmarks' grand opening of its new home at the Old Centrum in Indianapolis.

Those who knew Cook said he will leave a lasting legacy in the medical health field and in historic preservation.

"He was relentlessly curious and a believer in human health," said David Johnson, president of Indianapolis-based BioCrossroads. "He was a deeply ethical and honest man. He believed that he would be able to carry out business the way he wanted to carry out business by keeping the company private rather than having it subject to the whims of Wall Street."

Cook, a native of Illinois and a graduate of Northwestern University, built his wealth from humble beginnings. He developed a prototype for a catheterization process in 1963 in the spare bedroom of his Bloomington apartment with a $1,500 investment.

Cook built Cook Group Inc. into a worldwide conglomerate, with 42 companies under its umbrella. The Cook Group employs about 10,000 worldwide with sales estimated at more than $1.5 billion.

Cook's company is one of the largest employers in Central Indiana, with about 3,000 workers in the Bloomington area.

The company makes a wide variety of medical devices for surgery, urology, cardiovascular, women's health and other specialties. In recent years, Cook has developed several new products, including a mesh tube stent designed to open and treat arterial blockages.

"Bill's many contributions to the medical industry are unprecedented, and his many contributions to the community and to charitable organizations are extraordinary," Steve Ferguson, chairman of Cook Group, said in a statement. "It was through his unique vision, persistence and dedication that Cook grew into a compassionate and caring company for patients, customers and employees. He truly epitomized the meaning of success."

Johnson, of BioCrossroads, said Cook was a pioneer in the medical field who believed that with the right equipment, doctors could perform surgeries through veins and arteries without having to make large incisions on a patient.

Cook developed those lifesaving devices and used them to build a model company, Johnson said. The Cook Group was one of the founding companies of BioCrossroads, which helps foster new life-sciences and biotechnology companies in Indiana.

"He's left a strong company, a very good and profitable company and a strong management team," Johnson said. "We're very lucky to have that company here. They're a tremendous asset to the state."

Last fall, Forbes 400's annual listing of the wealthiest people in the U.S. ranked Cook 101st with a worth of $3.1 billion. That wealth also made Cook the richest person in Indiana.

Despite his success and wealth, Johnson said, Cook was always very approachable and humble.

"If you had lunch in the dining room at Cook, if Bill was in town, he'd bring up a tray and sit and talk," Johnson said. "He was there every single day. It was really his company."

Through his business activities and philanthropy, Cook received many honors and awards. Buildings at Indiana University, Northwestern and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology bear his name.

Cook was a powerful advocate for historic preservation and donated millions to charitable organizations across Indiana. Cook, his wife, Gayle, and their son, Carl, provided $10 million to finance restoration of the Old Centrum at 12th Street and Central Avenue on the Near Northside.

The red brick, 80,000-square-foot building, constructed in 1892, will become the new state headquarters for Indiana Landmarks. The building's 400-seat Grand Hall and theater will be used for cultural performances, lectures, weddings and corporate events.

Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks, said Cook had a passion for turning rundown buildings into something beautiful and useful.

"Where Bill was special was that he could see the repurposing of a building into something that was not just saving a wonderful landmark but putting it to use in a positive and entrepreneurial fashion," Davis said.

Cook also helped renovate the historic West Baden Springs Hotel in Southern Indiana. The building features nearly 700 guest rooms, a conference and event center, retail shops, golf courses and the French Lick Casino.

Davis said the restoration of the hotel was Cook's "crowning achievement."

John Ketzenberger, president of the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute and a former columnist for The Indianapolis Star, said Cook's passion for restoring historic landmarks has left a lasting footprint. He recalled meeting Cook during the restoration of the West Baden hotel.

"We were going through the hotel, and then here comes Bill Cook shambling along," he said.

Cook invited Ketzenberger and other reporters to go on the "real tour" and took them to the roof of the building, where he showed off its magnificent view.

"He did it because he liked it. He thought it was cool, and he wanted to show it off," Ketzenberger said.

Cook recently explained his philosophy in an interview with The Star.

"Our hope would be that people get a better understanding that preservation isn't just to restore something but to preserve it with a function," he said. "It's far better to demonstrate you can generate capital and make money on older buildings. You don't need to tear them down."

Cook also was a major contributor to IU and a strong supporter of IU athletics. He had been a member of the IU Board of Trustees.

"We at Indiana University have lost a wonderful friend and partner in Bill Cook, who over the years has done so much to make IU the special place it is," IU President Michael McRobbie said in a statement. "So many of us at IU have been touched at one time or another by Bill's vision and generosity that I know I speak from the heart for all of us in conveying our profound and deepest sympathy to Gayle and Carl."

IU basketball coach Tom Crean said he was stunned and saddened to learn of Cook's death.

"It's hard to do justice to what he meant to not only this university, community and state but even the world," Crean said. "He was literally a life-changing giant of a man and leader. Not many people can say they made the world a better place because of work they did, but Mr. Cook sure can. The contributions he made will continue to impact lives forever."

Besides wife Gayle and son Carl, survivors include a daughter-in-law, Marcy, and a granddaughter.

THE RIDGE caption contest, Week 2

We expect good things from this one! Send those submissions to cypresshousevp@gmail.com

THE RIDGE caption contest, Week 1 winner

We were very pleased by the amount of participation in the first week and hope it continues. Lots of good entries, a challenge for our distinguished panel of judges, but the winner, code name Gretchen, offered the following:

"Room service? Just leave it by the door, thanks."

Gretchen will receive her signed copy of THE RIDGE upon release, and we will now move on to the Week 2 photo. If you did not succeed with your first attempt, please feel free to try again!

Book-buying Friday

It's a beautiful spring weekend in most places, time to drag out the patio furniture, prop your feet up, and do a little reading. Might I recommend:

1) EMILY, ALONE, by Stewart O'Nan. Novel of the year already delivered in March? Quite possibly. O'Nan, always one of the best writers we have, is taking it to new levels at this point, mining drama and story from the ordinary in a way few writers could ever hope to achieve. If you're hungry for powerhouse plotting this weekend, this one might not be for you, but if you want to see character created with depth, empathy, and realism that few writers can match, then grab this book immediately. Brilliant prose, an extraordinary ability to create characters who feel like real people, and a bold desire to stay away from the expected conventions at all times allow O'Nan to achieve unique things as a writer.

2) THE FIFTH WITNESS, by Michael Connelly. You want plot this weekend, you say? Well, if there's anyone out there who consistently creates engaging crime dramas better than Connelly, I've yet to encounter them. THE FIFTH WITNESS continues the Mickey Haller saga and brings the economy and housing foreclosure crisis into the story in an organic, realistic fashion. Great stuff, as always, from Mr. Connelly.

3) THE MATCH, by Mark Frost. If you're a golf fan, you're watching the Master's this weekend. If you're a golf fan, you also might have discovered that you can watch five hours straight and see 13 seconds of excitement. So just keep the volume on low while you read this fantastic account of an unsanctioned but classic duel between two of the game's all-time greats -- Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson -- and two talented young amateurs -- Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward -- in a book that beautifully captures time, place, and personalities while paying unique and beautiful homage to two legends then in the twilight days of their playing careers.

Win a free signed copy of THE RIDGE

We have contests planned for THE RIDGE and hope to get some great participation. Each Monday from now until release a short video or photograph featuring the cats at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center will be posted on Facebook and on Michael's blog, and we will ask for possible captions. The following Monday, the moderators and Michael will vote on the winner, who will receive a signed first-edition hardcover of THE RIDGE as soon as it comes out. Please send your video and photo captions to cypresshousevp@gmail.com and do not post them directly to the Facebook page.

Winners will be asked for their address and a pristine signed copy of the book will be shipped to them courtesy of the Poisoned Pen. www.poisonedpen.com
Let's open the first caption contest up with this photo.

Here comes THE RIDGE

It seems kind of impossible, but publication of THE RIDGE is less than three months away. This novel marks the last of what I've considered a very loosely connected trilogy of supernatural stories: SO COLD THE RIVER, THE CYPRESS HOUSE, and THE RIDGE all feature different characters, settings, and even time periods, but they're bound together not just by the supernatural elements but also thematic tissue. The next book -- so far down the road I won't even hazard a guess at a release date -- is a return to the traditional crime novel, but I hope you will have a chance to check out THE RIDGE this June. These three books have been a lot of fun for me, a chance to do something a little different, to fuse mystery and the uncanny and up the ante of the creepiness factor. I can only hope they've been half as fun to read as they were to write. Here's the publisher's synopsis of the new book:

In an isolated stretch of eastern Kentucky, on a hilltop known as Blade Ridge, stands a lighthouse that illuminates nothing but the surrounding woods. For years the lighthouse has been considered no more than an eccentric local landmark-until its builder is found dead at the top of the light, and his belongings reveal a troubling local history.

For deputy sheriff Kevin Kimble, the lighthouse-keeper's death is disturbing and personal. Years ago, Kimble was shot while on duty. Somehow the death suggests a connection between the lighthouse and the most terrifying moment of his life.

Audrey Clark is in the midst of moving her large-cat sanctuary onto land adjacent to the lighthouse. Sixty-seven tigers, lions, leopards, and one legendary black panther are about to have a new home there. Her husband, the sanctuary's founder, died scouting the new property, and Audrey is determined to see his vision through.

As strange occurrences multiply at the Ridge, the animals grow ever more restless, and Kimble and Audrey try to understand what evil forces are moving through this ancient landscape, just past the divide between dark and light.

The Ridge is the new thriller from international bestseller Michael Koryta, further evidence of why Dean Koontz has said "Michael Koryta's work resonates into deeper strata than does most of what I read" and why Michael Connelly has named him "one of the best of the best."

Hope that has you intrigued. If not, perhaps James Patterson's perspective will interest you: “A man in love with the woman who shot him. Who could possibly resist that story? Not me. Read on, and discover one of the scariest and most touching horror tales in years.”

One of the central elements of THE RIDGE is a big-cat rescue preserve, modeled after the fascinating Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana, where more than 200 cats -- tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, ocelots -- have been saved from abusive conditions to live out the rest of their lives in a healthy, safe, and happy environment. I encourage you to visit www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org to learn more about Joe Taft, his staff, the cats, and the incredible work being done by the rescue center.

Due to the fact that this is a two-book year, and I've been on the road pretty steadily since last winter on domestic and international fronts, the tour for THE RIDGE will be limited. Otherwise, that next novel might not be out until 2025. So, with the exception of local signings (Bloomington, Indianapolis, and yet another try at Cleveland, thinking they can't snow me out in June) I'll be making two stops where readers from around the world can have a book signed and inscribed if they so desire. Both Murder by the Book in Houston (www.murderbooks.com) and The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ, (http://www.poisonedpen.com) do a wonderful job with mail-order and have for years. Just order via their sites or give them a call, and I'm happy to inscribe as you desire, and you'll never even have to leave the comfort of your couch. Although it would sure be nice to see you if I'm passing through your area! Full backlist is also available at both stores.

Signings in Bloomington (Barnes and Noble, June 6) and Indianapolis (Big Hat Books, June 7) will also be fundraisers for the EFRC. More details on those events to come.

Recommended reads for March

I was traveling a great deal this month, which meant I was reading a great deal. Having just returned from a wonderful literary festival in Lyon, France, I knocked off eight books in the last few days alone. Being an insomniac on an overnight flight isn't ideal for sleeping, but it's a grand chance to catch up on reading. Here are some of the recent titles read and enjoyed:

1) Helter Skelter, by Vincent Bugliosi. One of those "everyone has read it but me" books that I finally picked up. Wow. The story of the Manson Family, the murders, and the trials are of course compelling, but I was in awe of the sheer enormity of information compacted into a gripping narrative by Bugliosi. The bestselling true crime story of all time also provided me with a laugh. The moment during voir dire in which one of the defense attorneys questions jurors by asking if they or any member of their families has ever been a victim of homicide, only to be interrupted by a subordinate who points out that a "homicide victim" wouldn't be of much use as a juror...you just have to laugh. If you ever want to receive a truly odd look from someone beside you on a plane, burst into loud laughter, then respond to the question of "what are you reading?" by saying "Helter Skelter." I'm pretty certain I made a new insomniac out of that poor passenger.

2) Bringing Adam Home, by Les Standiford. Sticking with the true crime thread, this account of the Adam Walsh case, cowritten by Standiford and detective Joe Matthews, is a compelling work, tragic but also inspirational, a reminder of the power of determination.

3) Why We Make Mistakes, by Joseph T. Hallinan. There isn't a lot in here that will prevent you from making future mistakes, but the studies of human error and the underlying causes are fascinating and troubling and sometimes amusing. You'll finish the book far better informed about the foundations behind mistakes, and in some cases -- pilot error, medical error -- you'll learn how careful scrutiny of patterns helped reduce fatal errors by an enormous percentage. This book was recommended to me by my father, who lost his copy midway through and had to buy a second one. Talk about the "ideal reader" for Mr. Hallinan.

Winnipeg Free Press reports...

That you should read The Cypress House!

"With last year's So Cold The River, 20-something Michael Koryta veered from the familiar P.I. genre (his Lincoln Perry series) and started knocking on the door of the creepy-crime school run by Stephen King, Dean Koontz and John Connolly. In The Cypress House (Little, Brown, 432 pages, $28), he's graduated cum laude.
A ramshackle roadhouse in the stormy, Depression-era Florida Keys lends a suitably eerie backdrop to this gothic-noir tale of revenge, romance and reconciliation as itinerant First World War vet Arlen Wagner stumbles across a nest of corruption, dope-running and murder. That Wagner also senses when folks are not long for this world just spooks things up a tad without crimping the western-inspired shoot-'em-up finale.
Koryta manages to bust a host of genres while uniting them all through clever plotting, deft character portrayals and cut-with-a-knife atmosphere. He's way too young to do that."

A few international links

Montreal's Jacques Filippi offers a very generous review of The Cypress House:

He is a specialist like Scorsese and Hitchcock are in their field. Michael Koryta has already been compared to writers like Stephen King, Peter Straub and Dennis Lehane; soon, if they are very good, other writers will be compared to Michael Koryta.

And France offers you a teaser trailer for So Cold the River (or, in France, The Lost River). I'll be there in a few short weeks. Looking forward to it, and I'm comforted that Perdue in my title there is not spelled Purdue. That would have been too much for an Indiana grad to bear.

http:/www.dailymotion.com/video/xhd66g_trailer-koryta-2_creation

A pledge...

To be a little more active on the blog. As you might have noticed, posts have been few and far between and way too focused on two things: canceling events for snow, and canceling events for more snow.

It's March 1, though, and spring is on the way like it or not. I've also submitted what will be (better be!) the final draft of the book I've been working on for well over a year now, (actually, it's chased me out of 2009, all the way through 2010, and into 2011): The Ridge. More on that to come. Hopefully, much more.

In my attempt to be more active on this site, I'm going to promise to highlight a favorite book each month. That doesn't seem so hard, does it? We will see how long I am able to adhere to such a strict policy. In the meantime, stay tuned as I will post my favorite February read shortly.

A tremendous honor in the UK

The Observer has named The Cypress House its "thriller of the month" for March. I'm thrilled to share the review below -- deepest thanks to Alison Flood for giving the book her consideration -- and as a former journalist and journalism teacher, I have to point out that the Observer (the Sunday partner of the Guardian) is the oldest Sunday newspaper in the world. Now you're ready if that one comes up in trivia.

An intricate supernatural thriller set in 1930s Florida evokes evil with a human heart

Outta the way Oscars, it's time for the Audies

So Cold the River has been nominated for an "audie" award, granted each year by the Audio Publishers Association. The brilliant reading of Robert Petkoff (he also read The Cypress House, which was recently featured by Starbucks) has garnered marvelous reviews and I'm deeply honored to have his tremendous skills put to use on my work.

Not to slight those piddling Academy Awards, though. SCTR fans had a dog in the fight there, too: Scott Silver, nominated for best original screenplay for his work on The Fighter, is working with yours truly on an adaptation of So Cold the River.

Indianapolis signing on February 23

The signing at Big Hat Books in Indianapolis will be held on February 23 at 6 p.m.
Big Hat Books & Arts
6510 Cornell Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 202-0203

Cleveland -- Barnes & Noble at Crocker Park -- remains on February 25.

Friday, February 25
7:00 PM ET
BARNES & NOBLE CROCKER PARK
198 Crocker Park Blvd
Westlake, OH 44145
(440) 250-9233

Down goes The Cypress House! More event chaos...

The rescheduled Indianapolis event at Big Hat Books has been cancelled, I just learned. New date pending.

Cleveland, I'll see you on February 25.

And Houston...please say you'll see me Monday? I think it's time to retreat to another corner of the country. I'll study the tactics of the Midwest in February, look for a weakness, and come roaring back.

Cleveland Rescheduled

The winter storm continues to make its impact. The signing at Crocker Park in Cleveland has been cancelled for tomorrow night. It has been rescheduled to Friday, Feb. 25. Please make note of the change, and I hope to see you Clevelanders out in late February! Many thanks.

Events rescheduled due to weather!

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES DUE TO WEATHER

Due to a forecast that sounds like a kinder, gentler version of the Apocalypse in the Midwest this week, both stores and publisher have agreed that it would be best to reschedule some events, as we want to not only see people in attendance, but to see them travel safely! Please note the following changes:

Bloomington, Indiana, Tuesday, Feb. 1, Barnes & Noble. This event has been moved to Saturday, February 5, at 1 p.m. Hope to see you on a sunny Saturday instead. If you brave the elements on Tuesday (please don't) then leave your name and desired inscription with the great staff at this store and I'll sign the book on Saturday.

Indianapolis, Indiana, Wednesday, Feb. 2, Big Hat Books. This event has been moved to Saturday, February 5, at 6 p.m.
Also, a reminder that the Saturday signing in Ann Arbor has been cancelled. We are in the process of finding a replacement date, and I apologize.

As of now, Cleveland's signing at Barnes & Noble Crocker Park remains scheduled, pending weather developments.

Thanks to you all for your patience, and travel safe. And remember -- if the roads are a pain, most of your favorite bookstores will ship right to your door! Nothing better on a snowy night than reading an eerie thriller by candlelight. Keep it in mind. This one is event set in Florida -- will warm your ice-covered home with tropical breezes, I promise.

Some nice mentions of the book over the last week:

Entertainment Weekly keeps me at a perfect 3.0 grade average in my history with them: "The Cypress House picks up steam, building to a seriously tense and twisted final act. With its evocative Gulf Coast setting, the book makes for a warm beach read in midwinter." B

The New York Times Book Review's Marilyn Stasio includes THE CYPRESS HOUSE in her crime fiction roundup, and remarks on “Koryta’s knack for putting a supernatural spin on the angst depicted in classic noir fiction.”

The Columbus Dispatch: “(Koryta) paces the novel masterfully, allowing it to steam for a while, simmer as threads from the past are added to the mix, then come to a rolling boil for the last 100 pages. When violence enters the picture, and it often does, Koryta lets the horror speak for itself rather than exploiting it. His knowledge of the Gulf Coast landscape helps with the novel's credibility but never intrudes on the action…..Koryta is quickly taking his place among the top American writers of supernatural suspense.”

And we're off...

Only a few days into release for THE CYPRESS HOUSE and we've had some very nice mentions:

1) Colette Bancroft's review/interview in the St. Petersburg Times labels the book a "gripping noir thriller-ghost story."

2) ABC and the Associated Press call the novel a "spooky thriller...(of) dark and dangerous times...graced with masterly descriptions."

3) The Seacoast newspaper of beautiful Maine says, "The noir atmosphere drips with steamy Gulf Coast humidity, and crackles with human chemistry. The supernatural element heightens the eerie feel while the story's foundations go deep into the real hopelessness of the Depression."

4) The Houston Chronicle's take: "Deftly blending all genres, Koryta balances the scary violence of Judge Solomon Ward and his tame sheriff -- a nightmare of despotic small-town lawmen peculiar to a later South -- with the sexual currents stirred up among the three people effectively trapped in the house: Arlen, the romantic, love-besotted Paul, and Rebecca, with her layers upon layers of secrets."

Hope to see you out along the tour!

Release week

Well, it's that time again. The Cypress House is officially in stores, or, if it's your preference, available in audio and e-book form. I hope you have a chance to give it a look. Many thanks are due to all the people at Little, Brown and Co. who work so hard to get the book out there. I had the pleasure of visiting the Hachette distribution center in Lebanon, Indiana, and it's always great to see the wonderful people there, who actually make it possible for the books to show up on the shelves. A minor detail, that!

I'll try to post some updates from on tour, and I hope to see you out there. I know, I know, it's winter and the weather is bad and the last thing you possibly want to do is venture out into the cold to go to a book signing. But let me remind you that...well, that the cover is pretty? So, yeah, come by and check out that cover. Ploy Siripant does one hell of a job on those.

Some nice words from sources who might do more to intrigue you:

"In fiction, I read an advance proof of Michael Koryta's THE CYPRESS HOUSE, which greatly impressed me, so much so that I went back and read his previous book, SO COLD THE RIVER, which is terrific." Dean Koontz, in an interview with Bookreporter discussing his new novel WHAT THE NIGHT KNOWS

"An enthralling novel that easily melds mystery fiction, the supernatural and just a touch of the old-fashioned western and historical novels without losing the conventions of each genre. Yet "The Cypress House" is so grounded in reality that no plot turn or character rings false. "The Cypress House" works as a novel about post-war stress, small-town corruption and the dusty Great Depression. Koryta dredges up the dread that festers below the surface of the characters who reside at "The Cypress House."
As he did in last year's supernatural-tinged "So Cold the River," Koryta again shows his affinity for incorporating varied genres into a cohesive story and, along the way, stretching the boundaries of each...Koryta, who won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in 2009 for 'Envy the Night' and has been nominated for myriad awards, continues to display masterful storytelling in each novel."
Oline H. Cogdill, South Florida Sun Sentinel

Some tour changes

Signing schedule for THE RIDGE

Due to the fact that this is a two-book year, and I've been on the road pretty steadily on domestic and international fronts, the tour for THE RIDGE will be limited. Otherwise, the next novel might not be out until 2025. So, with the exception of local signings (Bloomington, Indianapolis, and yet another try at Cleveland, thinking they can't snow me out in June) I'll be making two stops where readers from around the world can have a book signed and inscribed if they so desire. Both Murder by the Book in Houston (www.murderbooks.com) and The Poisoned Pen http://www.poisonedpen.com/products/hfiction/9780316053662/?searchterm=ridge%20signed in Scottsdale, AZ, do a wonderful job with pristine mail-order copies and have for years. Just order via their sites or give them a call, and I'm happy to inscribe as you desire, and you'll never even have to leave the comfort of your couch. Although it would sure be nice to see you if I'm passing through your area! Full backlist is also available at both stores.

Monday, June 6, 2011
Barnes & Noble – Bloomington
7:00pm
2813 East 3rd St
Bloomington, IN 47408
(812)-331-0669

Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Big Hat Books
6:00pm
6510 Cornell Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(317) 202-0203

Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Barnes & Noble-Crocker Park
7:00pm
198 Crocker Park Blvd,
Westlake, OH 44145
(440)-250-9233

Friday, June 10, 2011
Murder by the Book
6:30pm
2342 Bissonet
Houston, TX 77005
(713) 524-8597

Saturday, June 11, 2011
Poisoned Pen Bookstore with Steve Hamilton
5:00pm
4014 North Goldwater Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 947-2974