Michael Koryta

The real cats behind THE RIDGE

2011-12-11T08:13:00.004-07:00

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

2011-12-11T07:57:00.005-07:00

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...

2011-10-18T07:37:00.002-06:00

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

2011-09-12T15:13:00.002-06:00

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

2011-09-12T15:07:00.002-06:00

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

2011-08-09T08:51:00.003-06:00

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

2011-07-10T10:34:00.002-06:00

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

2011-07-05T08:16:00.003-06:00

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

2011-07-05T07:59:00.002-06:00

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

2011-06-13T09:32:00.004-06:00

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

2011-06-10T13:08:00.002-06:00

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...

2011-06-06T12:54:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-06-05T12:25:00.002-06:00

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

2011-06-03T13:02:00.003-06:00

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

2011-06-03T12:57:00.002-06:00

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

2011-06-02T12:55:00.003-06:00

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

2011-05-16T18:35:00.006-06:00

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

2011-05-13T14:05:00.003-06:00

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

2011-05-12T10:51:00.000-06:00

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

2011-05-12T10:48:00.000-06:00

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

2011-05-09T08:35:00.002-06:00

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...

2011-05-09T08:15:00.004-06:00

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

2011-04-27T09:03:00.003-06:00

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

2011-04-27T08:49:00.003-06:00

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 by Michael Korytagreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

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

2011-04-25T08:07:00.003-06:00

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

2011-04-18T13:07:00.005-06:00

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

THE RIDGE caption contest winner, week 2

2011-04-18T13:03:00.003-06:00

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

2011-04-16T09:01:00.005-06:00

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

2011-04-11T11:57:00.003-06:00

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

THE RIDGE caption contest, Week 1 winner

2011-04-11T11:48:00.003-06:00

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

2011-04-08T11:19:00.006-06:00

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

2011-04-04T08:12:00.006-06:00

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

2011-04-03T13:17:00.005-06:00

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.

Winnipeg Free Press reports...

2011-03-14T12:17:00.001-06:00

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

2011-03-05T15:00:00.002-07:00

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...

2011-02-28T13:23:00.002-07:00

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

2011-02-28T13:16:00.003-07:00

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

2011-02-28T13:09:00.002-07:00

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

2011-02-15T15:58:00.002-07:00

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...

2011-02-03T10:51:00.002-07:00

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

2011-02-02T17:26:00.002-07:00

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!

2011-01-31T09:01:00.002-07:00

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...

2011-01-25T14:57:00.002-07:00

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

2011-01-22T08:21:00.002-07:00

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

2011-01-21T16:18:00.009-07:00

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

A great songwriter featured in a great magazine

2010-12-08T11:19:00.002-07:00

And lucky me, I had the pleasure of doing the interview. This one was a real treat, and I encourage you all to check out Joe Pug's work and browse around the Paste site a bit. There's wonderful stuff there.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/12/catching-up-with-joe-pug.html

Some nice mentions

2010-12-08T11:13:00.002-07:00

So Cold the River was named one of the year's notable crime novels by Marilyn Stasio of The New York Times. An honor, to say the least.

Meanwhile, Robert Petkoff continues to impress with his rendering of the audio version of SCTR, winning an Earphone Award from AudioFile Magazine, which has the following to say of his performance: “This production is a huge success. Robert Petkoff hits all the right notes of bewilderment, menace, and tension as the plot thickens. He delivers an especially effective voice transformation as one character is inhabited by his demon ancestor. But most effective are the marvelous sound effects—of rising winds, a hallucinatory railroad train, sloshing waters, and a ghost violin from the dark past.”

Can't wait to hear what Mr. Petkoff does with The Cypress House!

So Cold the River receives some generous recognition

2010-12-03T09:22:00.003-07:00

Amazon has selected So Cold the River as #5 of its 10 Best Thrillers of the year, and as #51 of the 100 best books of the year.

Library Journal has named So Cold the River one of the year's best audio books. This was wonderful news, of course, but really a minimal surprise because I've heard nothing all year but praise for Robert Petkoff's reading. It's a real tribute to his abilities, because I thought SCTR would be a challenge for listeners -- long and sprawling and with lots of point-of-view characters to keep track of. Instead, I heard repeatedly how wonderful the audio edition was, and for that, all credit is due the narrator, not the writer. I'm happy to report that Mr. Petkoff will be narrating The Cypress House on audio as well.

Thanks, Publishers Weekly

2010-11-30T12:33:00.002-07:00

STARRED REVIEW
The Cypress House

Set in Florida in 1935, Koryta's masterful follow-up to So Cold the River effectively combines supernatural terror with the suffocating fatalism of classic American noir. Since serving as a Marine in WWI, Arlen Wagner has been able to identify people marked for death by something only he can see--smoke swirling in their eyes. While riding a train with 33 other Civilian Conservation Corps workers, Arlen spots smoke in the eyes of his fellow passengers. Certain the train is headed for disaster, he can persuade only one of them, 19-year-old Paul Brickhill, to get off at the next stop. Arlen and Paul wind up at a boarding house, where they become involved with its operator, the mysterious and beautiful Rebecca Cady, who's somehow beholden to some vicious and corrupt local law enforcement officials. Koryta excels at describing both scenery and his characters' inner landscapes. It's hard to think of another book with equal appeal to Stephen King and Cornell Woolrich fans.

The Cypress House -- UK Cover

2010-11-23T12:20:00.003-07:00

Nice and spooky! Love to see what different designers in different parts of the world do with the same material. Pretty humbling to have so many talented people investing their time.

Fun and games from the good folks at Hodder & Stoughton

2010-11-23T12:11:00.006-07:00

I've never had a book trailer before, so I was intrigued when my publisher in the UK sent this along. I have to say I really enjoyed it, but there's a slim chance of bias to my opinion. Just a chance. What do you think? Ready to read now?

The Cypress House tour announced

2010-10-14T09:48:00.003-06:00

Preliminary dates and locations are below. Hope to see you out there!

10/23: St. Petersburg, FL
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES FESTIVAL OF READING

11/20: Miami, FL
MIAMI BOOK FAIR INTERNATIONAL

1/20: St. Petersburg, FL
ECKERD COLLEGE WRITERS' CONFERENCE

1/24: Tampa, FL
6:00 PM, INKWOOD BOOKS

1/25: Sarasota, FL
2:00 PM, CIRCLE BOOKS FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY EVENT

1/26: West Palm, FL
6:30 PM, CLASSIC BOOKSHOP WITH WELLINGTON LIBRARY

1/27: Miami, FL
8:00 PM, BOOKS & BOOKS

2/1: Bloomington, IN
7:00 PM, BORDERS

2/2: Indianapolis, IN
6:00 PM, BIG HAT BOOKS

2/3: Cleveland, OH
7:00 PM BARNES & NOBLE – Crocker Park

2/7: Houston, TX
6:30 PM MURDER BY THE BOOK

2/8: Phoenix, AZ
7:00 PM, POISONED PEN BOOKSTORE

2/9: San Diego, CA
7:00 PM, MYSTERIOUS GALAXY

2/10: Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM, MYSTERY BOOKSTORE

2/11: San Francisco, CA
7:00 PM, BOOK PASSAGE

2/12: San Francisco, CA
2:00 PM, M IS FOR MYSTERY

2/13: San Francisco, CA
5:00 PM, BOOKS INC BERKELEY

On to the next one...

2010-10-14T09:30:00.005-06:00

Already? Yes, the new book is sneaking up on me pretty quickly, and I'll have plenty to say about The Cypress House -- which was perhaps my favorite writing experience thus far -- in the future. For now I'll show you the gorgeous cover, and I am deeply honored to share the following quotes about the book, which releases on Jan. 24.

"The Cypress House is a unique and entertaining blend of noir and paranormal suspense, with a tightly controlled supernatural thread as believable as the gunplay. Mr. Koryta is at the start of what will surely be a great career. He's now on my must-read list."
Dean Koontz

“The Cypress House is a dazzling blend of suspense, the supernatural, and superb storytelling. What a gifted writer. Michael Koryta is the real deal.” –Ron Rash, author of Serena

“Michael Koryta is one of our new dynamos in the world of books, and in The Cypress House he spreads his range, wedding suspense with the supernatural in the eeriness of 1930s Florida. He uses the psychology of place to penetrate the human heart and delivers his tale of hurricanes and love and hauntings with great narrative force. Koryta's becoming a wonder we'll appreciate for a long time.” Daniel Woodrell, author of Winter’s Bone

“Michael Koryta has fashioned a great character in his reluctant prophet, Arlen Wagner, a good man who ends up with an awful lot of blood on his hands before the denouement of this deliciously dark tale. Koryta is a fantastic storyteller, and the many admirers of his previous novel, So Cold the River, will find similar chilly pleasures awaiting them here.” –Scott Smith, author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins

"Michael Koryta's command of story, character, and language put him in an elite group of writers at work today: Elmore Leonard, Michael Connelly and Lee Child to name a few. He is one of the very best writers out there. Don't try to label him, or stick him in a genre; that would be a disservice. Just read him, and soon you'll be saying Michael Koryta is among the best there is. And even that praise falls miserably short."
Ridley Pearson author of In Harm's Way

"Koryta is superb with mood and setting…the simmering tension erupts into a rolling boil by the bloody, spooky, and satisfying ending."
Booklist

Tragic news in the mystery community

2010-09-20T09:32:00.002-06:00

http://www.murderbooks.com/

If you can make the memorial service, do so. If you can't, buy a book from David Thompson's store -- we just lost the most passionate bookseller in the business, and one of the finest people I've ever known.

It's impossible to overstate the sense of loss that David Thompson's far-too-early passing brings to the many who knew him. I remember our meeting -- at Alafair Burke's apartment following the Edgars, when my first book was out and I was a stranger to all and David, as was his way, made it a point to try and make me feel as if among old friends. Amazing how swiftly he could do that. By the next time I saw him, he truly felt like an old and dear friend, and he always will. I'm thinking now of each visit to the store, of each meal shared and each book recommended and each deeply appreciated encouragement, and I'm overwhelmed by just how wonderful those memories are and thus how profound the sadness. David was about passion: for McKenna, for books, writers, friends, customers, dogs and all others who came his way. No one was more generous, more encouraging, and more sincere. My stops in Houston were, and will be, treasured moments because of the time spent with David and McKenna, all of the meals and drinks and laughs. His legacies are many and they are powerful and they are scripted in sincerity and generosity and compassion, truly rare levels of all the best qualities in a man.

Best fiction of 2010 (so far!)

2010-07-09T11:24:00.002-06:00

And So Cold the River makes the list! What a nice honor.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_353475742_2?ie=UTF8&docId=1000522211&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_r=04G1S60K0RQ0A09SYEMQ&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=1269003822&pf_rd_i=1000524441

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T09:36:00.003-06:00

Summer isn't just upon us any longer, it has engulfed us. Always seems to sneak up, but this year, with a book release in early June, it seems to be vanishing with a speed I don't recall since I was in school. Enjoy your holiday, and then figure out a way to slow this thing down.

TIME Magazine collected summer reading recommendations from many writers, and I'm honored to be in the mix. My pick was William Gay's wonderful Gothic Provinces of Night, which I can promise won't let you down if you read it this summer, fall, or winter. But it just tastes a little sweet in the summer. If there's an online link to the piece I haven't found it, but it is in the current edition and features many great picks by many great writers. Worth a look!

Quick links roundup: The NY Times takes their second pass at So Cold the River, this time with Janet Maslin evaluating, and again I'm pleased to say it emerged with a favorable review. Also the first time I've had a book earn a daily NYT review, so it felt like a milestone achievement. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/books/01book.html

USA Today's Carol Memmott: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2010-07-01-roundup01_ST_N.htm
The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/18/AR2010061802805.html
The Toronto Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/new-in-crime-fiction/article1625575/

A pair of video interviews:

Borders sent a wonderful team all the way down to West Baden Springs from Ann Arbor, and they clearly put a lot of effort and ability into this video piece, blending the historical setting with the current in a beautiful way.

http://www.bordersmedia.com/features/video/koryta.asp?cmpid=SA_20100702

The BSC Review, interview by Keith Rawson: http://www.bscreview.com/2010/07/michael-koryta-video-interview/

On genre

2010-06-28T10:55:00.004-06:00

Thought I'd tackle this one after receiving an e-mail interview from the excellent writer Tom Piccirilli who said he'd begin by asking the obvious question, the one I'm probably tired of answering: why switch genre?

I realized that beyond being a good question -- and yes, one I'm hearing a lot these days -- it's one I've never attempted to answer here. There are certainly readers who are wondering about the issue, too. I've heard from some of them, with emotions ranging from pleasure and excitement to disgust and anger. It fascinates me to see such passion placed on genre, because I don't feel it as a reader. I just don't. I like good writing, and I like good writers. If I find a writer whose work I enjoy, I'll follow them anywhere. My perceptions of the work will vary -- everyone has his own ranking of "the best books by (insert author name here)" -- but my willingness to try it will not. Stewart O'Nan for example, could write about anything, and I would read it. That guy's range is extraordinary. He hasn't let me down yet.

So Cold the River doesn't seem like that much of a jump compared to the range displayed by many other writers. At its core, it is concerned with crimes (past and present varieties) and the execution is heavily concerned with building suspense, planting questions in the reader's mind, and developing emotional responses to the characters. All the same things I'd worried about for five crime novels. And, yet, it apparently is a "major departure." All right. Fair enough. So the question is WHY did I depart? The answer:

I write because I love it. Publication is great, but I wrote for free before and I would again if I had to (nobody forward this one to Little, Brown). I love stories. Why decide to tell a ghost story, though? Allow me to run through a quick-hits response:

1) The place. West Baden Springs and French Lick, Indiana are truly bizarre little towns. The landscape is gorgeous, the history is unbelievable, and the feeling in the region is, to me at least, a little eerie. Every now and then time and place collide in a way that seems to call for a supernatural tale. Think of a full moon on a chill October night in New England. For me, Springs Valley on the edge of a powerful summer thunderstorm was issuing the same call.

2) Desire to stretch. You improve as a writer, I believe, by trying new things, finding new challenges, and taking away the safety net. You can always improve -- if I wrote nothing but Lincoln Perry novels for the rest of my life, I'd still believe this -- but there's something really satisfying in trying a novel that is in some way unlike anything else you've done.

3) Influence and inspiration. I've been a Stephen King fan since his book On Writing came out, but I was a little late getting to his fiction. Once I did, though...wow. What a world of story opened up there, what a world of talent. From King I found Matheson, and Straub, and Gaiman, and McDowell and Bloch and McCammon and Simmons and...whew. Lots of good stuff. Here's a fun anecdote about the way influence convinced me to try my hand at a ghost story. I read Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill's debut novel, and loved it. I also thought, "Look at this guy, he's going very fearlessly into Stephen King territory and pulling it off. You could try that, too." Turns out, of course, that the writer I viewed as the heroic challenger to the throne was of course the heir to the throne: Joe Hill is Stephen King's son. The fact that he hid that reality for nearly a decade of submissions out of determination to break through on his own merit and not on his father's name, is, I think, one of the truly great stories of publishing. At some point, though, all of my writing comes back to reading -- I'm responding to what I love. This is true of crime fiction, and true of supernatural fiction, and will, if I'm blessed enough to continue publishing, probably extend toward several other categories.

4) Timelessness. Here is an element of the ghost story that intrigues me. We all have heard the argument that there are only X number of plots, so I suppose any story has its long traditions, but the longevity of the ghostly tale is impressive. It extends through the early days of the novel, back beyond the printing press and out to the campfires of centuries past in the same way of the heroic quest stories. There's a reason: the audience enjoys it, and so do the storytellers. I got my first taste of that latter experience with So Cold the River, and let me assure you, these things really are a LOT of fun.

I don't know how much meaning any of this will have to readers. After a book tour in which I heard the question posed often, though, I did feel it was time to address it. I understand that some people have specific reading tastes, but I'd urge you to push beyond them. Not necessarily with my work, but in general. There's a lot of great fiction out there. And non-fiction. And poetry. And...just keep reading, folks! We need you.

One final note: if I hear another person tell me they don't like Stephen King, and then admit that they've never read Stephen King, I'm grabbing a rifle and heading for a tower.

Parade All-American

2010-06-27T18:46:00.002-06:00

Okay, maybe not. The basketball dream eluded me due to...what was it, a bad knee? Hamstring? Oh, no, it was a total lack of talent. Right. So while that Parade list is out of reach, it was still pretty exciting to be a Parade Magazine pick for summer reading. None other than Willie Nelson on the cover, and 50 Cent inside! I've always considered myself closely aligned with those two.
"A fast, eerie chiller of a book that will make you shiver in the sun," claims Parade.
http://www.parade.com/parade-picks/2010/06/27-summer-reads-fiction.html

The St. Petersburg Times agrees, promising something to "chill you on a steamy summer afternoon," in this very generous review complete with a great photo of the West Baden Springs Hotel:
http://www.tampabay.com/features/books/a-horror-hotel-to-die-for/1104160

Amazon's Daphne Durham conducted a wonderful interview for their podcast series: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mOU3R35CJ4QY4

Entertainment Weekly (Stieg Larsson on the cover, an oddly literary-focused edition!) brings back plenty of high school memories for me. First of all, they offered a B grade, which always pleased me then and still does today, and then they call me "more creepy than truly terrifying" which is how I was generally described by girls.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20394477,00.html

We got the cover story in the always-wonderful Mystery Scene:
http://mysteryscenemag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1410:summer-2010-issue-115-contents&catid=20:articles

The Sydney Morning Herald offers a nice piece upon release of the book in Australia, a place I'm already eager to visit again:
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/in-for-serious-thrills-20100621-yq51.html

I want to thank everyone who has come out to the various tour stops -- only one left, Tampa on Tuesday, and then a short trip to Canada. It's been a wonderful time, and I'm deeply grateful for the support the book has received.

Once the tour winds down, it's back to writing -- books, first and foremost, but also hopefully a blog or two of more substance and fewer links. We'll see if I deliver on that...

The New Yorker visits southern Indiana

2010-06-21T09:57:00.003-06:00

A nice piece by Cole Louison.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2010/06/at-the-west-baden-springs-hotel.html

NPR interview with Michele Norris on "All Things Considered"

2010-06-20T15:43:00.002-06:00

This one was a real treat! Hope you have a chance to give it a listen.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127561248

A buy it, buy it now pick...

2010-06-14T12:59:00.003-06:00

Just finished this one, so it wasn't on my top ten list for the summer, but it certainly would have been if I'd made that list a week later. Hampton Sides is one of my favorite narrative non-fiction writers (Ghost Soldiers is a tremendous book) but his latest, Hellhound on His Trail is his best yet, an extraordinary account of James Earl Ray's stalking and assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. I'm in awe of the way Sides can take so much information in and then weave a tight, compelling narrative that both informs and entrances. This one is a writing clinic, and a truly important read.

Thanks for the support, and tune into NPR tomorrow...

2010-06-14T12:38:00.004-06:00

Tour for So Cold the River is officially underway, and I want to thank everyone who has come out to support the book. It means a tremendous amount. Everyone's busy, there are lots of great books out this summer, and the idea that people travel out of their way (in some cases, WELL out of their way, I've had a few people make multiple-hour drives and cross state lines to get to signings already, which blows me away, how generous)to buy a book is extraordinarily humbling. The response to this novel has been a pleasure, because I had such fun writing it, and I love the area and its true and fascinating history so much.

There have been some very nice mentions of the book, and I know I'm going to fail to link to them all here (some are behind subscriber walls, as well) but I want to thank every reporter and reviewer who has been willing to give the novel a look. On that front, I'm extremely excited to report that tomorrow's "All Things Considered" on NPR will feature an interview about the novel conducted by the wonderful Michele Norris. That one was a real treat, to say the least.

1) IndieBound has selected the book as one of its best of the month: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316053631/michael-koryta/so-cold-river

2) The Huffington Post's Jason Pinter offers a review and interview: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pinter/born-storyteller-an-inter_b_603054.html

3) The LA Times jacket copy blog asks about some summer reads that stand out in the memory: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2010/06/summer-reading-michael-koryta-on-raymond-chandler-stephen-king.html

4) The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review does the same (and makes a really interesting call in comparing the book to "Breaking Away," which had never crossed my mind before, but we are in Indiana limestone country for this one...
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/books/s_685383.html

5) The Boston Herald's Jim Sullivan discusses the book and the always-important influence of Dennis Lehane, whose teaching has benefited a LOT of students over the years. http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/books/view/20100613mystic_river_lehane_pal_koryta_goes_supernatural/srvc=home&position=also

6) The incomparable Miriam Parker of Little, Brown offered a nice audio interview: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/littlebrown/2010/06/09/interview-w-michael-koryta-author-of-so-cold-the-r

I know I'm leaving some things out, and I hate to do that because I can't stress just how appreciated these things have been. In a summer filled with great books, it's very humbling to receive so much support for this novel. Thanks to all the writers, reviewers and bloggers who have championed the book, and thanks to everyone who has turned out at the signings. Still have quite a few to do, and I'm looking forward to them!

Release day, and some music picks...

2010-06-09T12:38:00.002-06:00

Well, after a fairly long wait (I finished a draft of this book in summer of 2008!) So Cold the River is finally available today. If you're into reading, please give it a look. If you have doors that need stopping, please consider it. Very good heft to this one.

I'm thrilled to report that The New York Times not only saw fit to give So Cold the River a very generous review this week ("a superior specimen," says the NYT, "beautiful." Aw, go on...) but the wonderful Paper Cuts blog allowed me to provide a playlist of tracks that have inspired my writing. I hope you'll have a chance to check out these wonderful and deserving artists.

http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/living-with-music-a-playlist-by-michael-koryta/

Picks from the first half of 2010

2010-05-30T09:27:00.004-06:00

I try to read at least 100 books each year, but right now I'm a bit behind pace for 2010. Hoping to address that this summer, but I've already found plenty of noteworthy titles. Here are some standouts from what I've read thus far, books that merit your consideration as you pick your summer reading material.

1) Mr. Shivers, by Robert Jackson Bennett. Easily my favorite debut of the year. I'm a sucker for style, and the prose is so gorgeous that the book reads like a dark parable. A chilling and mythic tale set against the backdrop of the Depression, the novel closes out with a stunningly good epilogue. I simply cannot wait to see what this writer does next.

2) Burning Bright, by Ron Rash. I'm not finished with this short story collection yet, but I'm already confident it will be among my year's favorite reads. Rash is one of our truly great American writers at this point.

3) The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement, by Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell. This is a fascinating and disturbing study of our culture, one that should be read and carefully considered.

4) 212, by Alafair Burke. Another excellent thriller from a talented writer who is constantly improving.

5) Blockade Billy, by Stephen King. Stephen King writing a chilling novella about baseball? Seems like the definitive summer read to me.

6) Burnt Offerings, by Robert Marasco. Sadly out of print, I finally tracked this book down after hearing about it for years. A wonderful supernatural thriller about the perfect summer retreat that's, well, maybe not so perfect.

7) Peace, by Richard Bausch. A gorgeous, tightly written WWII drama that unfolds in essentially one act, with stellar prose and character.

8) The Big Burn, by Timothy Egan. Egan wrote the stunningly good Dust Bowl account "The Worst Hard Time" and returns to form with this story of a forest fire that changed the nation.

9) Dogtown, by Elyssa East. This non-fiction account of a forgotten New England town, a brutal crime, and the region's emotional hold over the writer was one of my most pleasant finds of the year so far, and captured a lot of the feelings that drove me to write So Cold the River.

10) The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread, by Don Robertson. Sure, I'm biased because it is set in Cleveland and I've heard my grandfather's recollections of the terrible industrial fire that provide the backdrop for this coming-of-age story, but the narration style, locked into the voice of a young child and always providing moments of profound grace and power, was mesmerizing. The first book in a recently reissued trilogy.

Come on, aren't you intrigued yet?

2010-05-30T08:54:00.003-06:00

Some nice words from both in the states and abroad. I love Australia.

1) So Cold the River has been named a "great read" by Australia's Men's Fitness magazine. They passed on the opportunity to interview me for the "six-pack secrets" feature, which is disappointing, because I have some great tips on how to handle those tough six-pack moments in which your bottle opener is missing, but I'll forgive them because of the following quote: "He's 27 years old and has already been mentioned in the same breath as Stephen King. Koryta's earned it -- this paranormal thriller is a cracker of a read." I'm hoping that last bit is praise and not a dig at my southern Indiana roots.

2) Australia's Booktopia Blog provides a nice interview. http://blog.booktopia.com.au/2010/05/12/michael-koryta-author-of-the-up-coming-so-cold-the-river-speaks-to%C2%A0booktopia/

3) The Chicago Sun-Times identifies So Cold the River as one of its five summer thrillers that just might be worth your time...
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/books/2329914,summer-reading-thrillers.article

4) The St. Petersburg Times and Cape Cod Times also select So Cold as a "must-read" of the summer.
http://www.tampabay.com/features/books/summer-reading-vampires-with-stephenie-meyer-charlaine-harris-and-meg/1096022
and:
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100530/LIFE01/100529798/-1/NEWSMAP

Three more to come!

2010-05-29T10:40:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone is out on a deck or a boat or a beach with their beverage of choice in hand by now. I'm headed for at least two of those destinations myself. Before I melt into Memorial Day, though, I'll share some much-appreciated mentions of So Cold the River. A few of the pieces also break some news that I am VERY excited to report: Michael Pietsch and Little, Brown have signed up three more novels, which means that I'm locked in with that incredible publisher for at least six books. I am beyond delighted with that, extremely grateful to the good folks at LB for their faith, and looking forward to those future projects.

1) Sarah Weinman's always excellent "Dark Passages" column for the Los Angeles Times features the So Cold: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-dark-passages-20100530,0,5640763.story

2) USA Today includes So Cold in its list of "hot summer reads"
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2010-05-26-summer-books-main_N.htm

3) The Wall Street Journal's Laura Mechling profiles the book:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704026204575266433493270788.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

4) The Wall Street Journal also posts an excerpt, the entire first chapter, for any interested readers:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269204575270650608931516.html?mod=WSJ_Books_LS_Books_7

Genuine Hoosier Product

2010-05-19T09:19:00.004-06:00

Last week I saw the first hardcover editions of "So Cold the River." Always a good feeling; even better when the book has such a gorgeous cover. Beyond that beautiful face this one may seem a little on the pudgy side, sure, but I insist that it is quicker on its feet than you'd think.

I signed copies at the Hachette Book Group's massive distribution center in Lebanon, Indiana. The people there are outstanding. My thanks to Doug, Alicia, Kim, Tim, and Mike (aka Eugene) for being gracious and good-natured hosts. They put up with me for several hours, always an arduous task, and patiently answered a lot of dumb questions about the warehouse. It's an impressive facility, though I was concerned when informed that they "recycle every single one of our books." I'd hoped that at least a few were sold.

While signing, I asked where the books were printed before being shipped to Lebanon, where they are then distributed all over the country. Turns out they're printed in Crawfordsville, Indiana. This discovery no doubt provokes deep excitement for everyone. It actually did for me, though -- turns out So Cold the River was written in Indiana, set in Indiana, printed in Indiana, and shipped from Indiana. Considering all my contact with the publishing world has always been centered in New York, that struck me as a pleasant surprise.

It was fascinating to see the place, and also humbling -- there were a lot of people working very hard in there, reminders that long after the writer has typed the last word of a book, many people must invest a lot of diligence and energy into seeing it become a product. I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Ploy Siripant for her incredible work on the cover design. She tried several different ideas and looks before coming out with the beautiful final version, and I very much appreciate the effort.

Castles

2010-05-17T19:01:00.004-06:00

Michael Connelly is appearing in the ABC show "Castle" tonight. You can find the episode here: http://abc.go.com/shows/castle and feel free to contact Michael to urge him not to take the big-dollar acting offers and give up on writing. I know I will.

On other castle fronts: Mystery Scene magazine recently asked me to participate in their "Writers on Reading" feature with a short essay about a book of influence. I sat down to work on it thinking I'd dust off another version of my consistent love song to Dennis Lehane's "Gone, Baby, Gone" or Chandler's "The Long Goodbye" or Michael Connelly's "The Poet" or...

Then I read the essay Carolyn Hart had provided, in which she reflected back on the early mysteries of her reading life. The first mystery I ever read was a young adult novel from the 1950s called "The Crow and the Castle." In the book, a crow (named Hector) steals a chess piece (technically a rook but the often-substituted term castle makes for a better title) and thus the caper ensues. The "Carson Street Detective Agency," comprised of two friends, Neil Lambert and Swede Larson, steps in to handle the mess. It's a great children's novel -- the characters are realistic, the suspense is high, it's educational in a sneaky, this-fits-right-into-the-plot way, it's funny, and it's able to laugh at itself in a way that allows kids to be in on the joke, and not winked at over the top of the material in the patronizing manner of some movies or books that are praised for being "fun for the parents, too!"

The novel hooked me on reading, writing, and detecting. No, really. I started to make my own attempts at writing -- mimicking Robertson's every move -- after discovering the book; I began to read voraciously; I decided I would become a private detective in addition to being a writer. Most children develop as human beings after these eight-year-old epiphanies. I apparently did not, but I ain't complaining. Throughout school and right on into my career, I stayed locked into two paths: writing and detective work. I've been fortunate enough to do both professionally. When I look back on the impact of that novel, it's eerie to consider.

The novel was long out of print by the time I read it. My father remembered it as a favorite from his own childhood, and the Monroe County Public Library had two copies. I read every book Keith Robertson wrote -- he was best known for the very funny Henry Reed series -- but the mysteries were my favorites, and it's interesting to me to note that they often embodied shared themes: the young protagonists had a realistic but deep love affair with the land around them and the history of that land, and weather often played a central role. Anyone who doubts the influence of children's books on a writer should peruse "So Cold the River" and consider those three elements. But, then, it's already been admitted that I progressed very little from the time I was eight.

I wrote Keith Robertson a letter after discovering his books, and with the help of a patient research librarian, found the address for his farm in New Jersey. The letter arrived a few weeks after he passed away. (Robertson died on September 23. I was born on September 20. My first novel was published on September 19. One of the other great literary influences in my life, Stephen King -- I've written before about the impact his memoir/guide "On Writing" had on me -- was apparently born on September 21. There's something about that week for me...)

Keith Robertson never read my letter. His son, Jeff, did, and he wrote me a response. I immediately wrote back, and Jeff, for a reason I'll never understand, held up his end of the chain. For years. He encouraged my writing, told me stories about his father, about his own experiences (he'd sailed around the world; often I'd get letters after he'd made port again), and offered reading suggestions. We fell out of touch for a few years when I was in my late teens, but when I found out my first novel, Tonight I Said Goodbye, was going to be published, it became important to me to track him down. This was where the detective work came in handy -- it took a bit of effort. We had a nice exchange and have continued to on occasion since. I've tracked down most of his father's books by now. I found one signed copy. That one gave me a thrill.

I enjoy considering the ripples and threads, moments chained upon moments that make up a narrative, the plot points of real life. I can follow a lot of threads back to "The Crow and the Castle," and to Keith Robertson, and to letters exchanged with his son. I've never met Jeff, but I hope to someday -- talk about a generous soul!

Last year I stopped by a small Wisconsin town to visit the "August Derleth Room" in a pint-sized library. Derleth was a prolific writer, and the founder of Arkham House, a horror publisher whose books were of tremendous influence to the genre in which I'm working of late. His impact on me -- direct impact -- came through a series about the "Mill Creek Irregulars," young would-be detectives with a love of the land, its history, and the weather. Long-out-of-print books, but remembered by my father as favorites.

They had to unlock the Derleth room for me in the library basement; it doesn't see many visitors. It's nice that he has a tribute there, but it meant more to me to walk the Wisconsin River in the place where he'd set so many stories. Someday, I want to make it out to Hopewell, New Jersey, and find Booknoll Farm, where Keith Robertson lived and wrote. I'm guessing it won't be much of a tourist destination, either. That's fine. That's great. There's something special in the idea -- and something very reassuring to me as a writer -- that the tales should long outlast the tellers.

Writing Fuel

2010-05-10T13:20:00.003-06:00

After writing up the short post below about Larry McMurtry's great memoir, I got to thinking about my favorite quotes on writing -- there are plenty -- and it occurred to me that a fairly common question in interviews is whether I have any quotes above my desk. The answer is yes, though it varies often, and varies between Indiana and Florida. The only quote that is constantly in both places -- framed, and read aloud (I'm not joking) before each writing session -- is from Josh Ritter, an incredible songwriter who just happens to have a wonderful new album out.

"I sang in exultation, pulled the stops, you always looked a little bored. But I'm singing for the love of it, have mercy on the man who sings to be adored."

That's from a song called "Snow is Gone," and if there's ever been a better stated sentiment about the sort of mindset you should bring to your art, I haven't found it.

Additional quotes that are on the desk currently:

1) "Write with your head down." Michael Connelly. If you were to do a survey of interviews with Michael, you'd hear him repeat this phrase dozens of times. He's talking about keeping your focus on the book, not on the business, about writing the story you want to write as well as you can write it, and not focusing on the market, the reviews, and all of the other business-related things that can infect the work.

2)"The truth is that when I'm writing, I write every day, workaholic dweeb or not. That includes Christmas, the Fourth, and my birthday...only under dire circumstances do I allow myself to shut down before I get my 2,000 words." Stephen King. I don't think I need to expound on the meaning of that one.

3) "He was the first player at every practice and the last to leave, the hardest-working NBA practice player any of them had ever seen. The only problem was the degree to which he dominated everyone else. Early on, Rod Thorn called over to the Bulls' practice facility, Angel Guardian, to talk to Loughery, only to find that everyone had already gone home. Why was practice over so early?, he asked the next day. "I had to let them off early," Loughery said. "Michael was wearing them all out."
David Halberstam, writing about Michael Jordan in "Playing for Keeps."

4) "This is why the new novels die so quickly, and why the old fairy tales endure forever. The old fairy tale makes the hero a normal human boy; it is his adventures that are startling; they startle him because he is normal." GK Chesterton

Quotes come and go often from my desk (the Ritter line excepted) and when I add a new one, I'll try to remember to post it here. The quotes themselves may change, simply out of a need for refreshment, but the ideas behind them are the same: they offer me reinforced perspective on what my mindset should be as I approach the page, and on how hard I should work once I arrive at the page.

There's prolific, and then there's...

2010-05-10T11:24:00.003-06:00

Larry McMurtry. Who, according to his latest memoir, "Literary Life," wrote the excellent novel "The Last Picture Show" in three weeks, "All My Friends Are Going To Be Strangers" in five weeks, and "A Desert Rose" in 22 days. Now, Mr. McMurtry has written over 40 books, 50 screenplays, and plenty of essays and short stories, winning a Pulitzer along the way for "Lonesome Dove," which ranks among my all-time favorite novels. I love the opportunity to hear good writers talk about writing, and "Literary Life" is the memoir of a great writer, so it's an obvious treat. McMurtry is writing a trilogy of memoirs; the first, "Books" discussing his life in the rare book business, the second "Literary Life" discussing his writing, and a forthcoming "Hollywood" installment discussing, you guessed it, his work in the film industry. There's plenty in "Literary Life" that's worth highlighting (such as, you know, the fact that he penned an absolutely brilliant novel in three weeks) but the following quote was my personal favorite, because it resonated the most:

"I learned then and have relearned many times since, that the best part of a writer's life is actually doing it, making up characters, filling the blank page, creating scenes that readers in distant places might connect to. The thrill lies in the rush of sentences, the gradual arrivals of characters who at once seem to have their own life."

Indeed. And, with that noted, I'm off to enjoy that best part of a writer's life, with the hope that somewhere down the line, some of you in distant places might connect with those characters.

So Cold The River by Michael Koryta

2010-05-06T12:20:00.000-06:00

Getting closer...

2010-05-06T12:13:00.003-06:00

I've been meaning to add a few blogs of substance, and still intend to, but the good news is I've been distracted by writing a book! In the meantime, release for So Cold the River is only a month away. The events schedule will be up any day now, so check back if you're interested in catching a signing. Two new and much-appreciated reviews are in, and both Booklist and Library Journal have kind words for the novel.

In addition, there's a fun little promo video for the book. Hope you have a chance to check it out!

Library Journal: "A mysterious antique water bottle, a town reluctant to let go of old connections to fame and infamy, hallucinations and a resurgent evil combine to bring readers a gripping chiller that will keep them guessing – and looking under the covers – until the last page…Fans of horror and supernatural suspense will enjoy [Koryta's] latest, and darkest, work yet."

Booklist: "After successes with noirish mysteries (The Silent Hour, 2009), Koryta has ventured into genre-bending, successfully melding thriller elements to a horror story that recalls Stephen King. His tight, clear prose makes West Baden as creepy as Transylvania, and Eric is a compellingly flawed protagonist. Legions of King and Peter Straub devotees will be delighted by this change of direction; Koryta’s hard-boiled fans may feel a bit nonplussed at first, but they, too, will fall under the spell of this very strange Indiana town."

Thanks to EW!

2010-04-20T07:28:00.005-06:00

It was very nice to see "So Cold the River" selected as one of the "most anticipated books of the summer" by Entertainment Weekly.

Release is -- finally -- drawing nigh, and I'll be blogging a little more about the book in the coming weeks, hopefully answering some reader questions that are sure to exist, such as, 1) How much of the history is true? (most of it) and 2)Why a ghost story? (Because they're fun!)

Anyone who followed my picks for favorite books read in 2009 will remember my high esteem for Dave Cullen's "Columbine." Today is the anniversary of that tragedy, and as I've read news articles about it I find my mind turning again to that fine piece of work. If you haven't read the book, you should. It's now out in an updated, paperback version. www.davecullen.com

Other, more recent, reading pleasures have included Alafair Burke's "212," and the Paris Review series of writer interviews, which is like candy to me. There's a four-volume set of them out now, featuring interviews about the craft with everyone from Dorothy Parker to William Faulkner to Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King. Wonderful stuff. And speaking of King, act fast to receive a limited edition new novella from the master: http://www.cemeterydance.com/

I also thoroughly enjoyed Larry McMurtry's memoir "A Literary Life" but I'm saving that one for a full blog entry at some point. Still trying to honor my promise to be more active on the blog this year!

So Cold The River promo widget Version 2.0

2010-04-09T12:33:00.004-06:00

Many thanks to Miriam Parker and the others at Little, Brown and Co. who created this fun little guy.

So Cold the Rivergreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Early reviews, good news from abroad, and go Butler!

2010-04-05T08:20:00.004-06:00

Some nice things to report on this NCAA Championship Monday, less than 12 hours from tip-off of the unlikely Butler/Duke matchup. I don't want to jinx the Bulldogs, so I'll just say that even if they lose it's been an amazing run and people from Indiana can't complain about seeing two teams (Butler and the Colts) play for the championship in a two-month span. Ah, the Colts...(Hands team, Hank Baskett. Hands team! That's the only reason you kept a roster spot and then they give you ONE onside kick all season and you, a WIDE RECEIVER, cannot hold onto the...)

Ahem, sorry. As I said, we can't complain. Too much composure for that.

The first good news comes from the Netherlands. I just returned from a wonderful trip to Amsterdam, and can't thank the people at Boekerij enough. It's a great publishing house in a great country, and, as of last week, also the first publishing house to land a Koryta title on the national bestseller list, with the mass market edition of "A Welcome Grave" (or "Begraven") debuting at #16.
http://www.cpnb.nl/bs/nieuwsbrieven/2010/week-13.html

Back stateside, there's a starred review of "So Cold the River" in the current Publisher's Weekly that will hopefully whet appetites for the new book:

"In this explosive thriller from Koryta (Envy the Night), failed filmmaker Eric Shaw is eking out a living making family home videos when a client offers him big bucks to travel to the resort town of West Baden, Ind., the childhood home of her father-in-law, Campbell Bradford, to shoot a video history of Bradford's life. Almost immediately, things go weird. Eric uncovers evidence of another Campbell Bradford, a petty tyrant who lived a generation before the other and terrorized the locals. The older Campbell begins appearing in horrific visions to Eric after he sips the peculiar mineral water that made West Baden famous. Koryta spins a spellbinding tale of an unholy lust for power that reaches from beyond the grave and suspends disbelief through the believable interactions of fully developed characters. A cataclysmic finale will put readers in mind of some of the best recent works of supernatural horror, among which this book ranks.

International hospitality

2010-03-08T10:02:00.004-07:00

Considering I still find it surreal to see a copy of one of my stories actually bound and jacketed and available to purchase – just like a real book! – it should come as no surprise that one of the strangest and most humbling experiences I have is the opportunity to see foreign editions come in. I’ve had the wild good fortune to be published in a number of languages and in a number of countries, and the idea that anyone believes the books will appeal to people a world apart from the place where I write them is endlessly fascinating to me. It suggests a lot about the power of story, I think, and the way we can connect to universal themes and struggles. To be a part of that on any level is special.

I spent the end of February and the early part of this month in Australia, with stops in Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney, and will close out the month in Amsterdam, having a great chance to meet people who publish and read the books in other places. Australia was a wonderful trip, and I owe deep thanks to the many fine people at Allen & Unwin for their gracious hosting. I also had the chance to meet local booksellers, and their excitement for So Cold The River’s release was beyond encouraging. At least a half-dozen people told me they’d had nightmares while reading the galley. Strangely, this news always pleases me.

The Perth arts festival was excellent, and I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful writers, including a pair of personal favorites, David Finkel, author of The Good Soldiers, which was one of my favorite reads of 2009, and Elizabeth Kostova, the wildly gifted author of The Historian and The Swan Thieves. Elizabeth and I share a publisher in the US now, but she’s always eluded me here, so I had no choice but to chase her to an island in the Indian Ocean. She then agreed to sign a book and take a photo, but you can tell from the uneasy smile that restraining orders are being considered.

A few things I took away from my time in Australia:

1) It is very, very difficult for me to avoid attempting an Australian accent when I am in the presence of one. To make matters worse, I did two events and drank many more beers with the talented Adrian McKinty, who is from Ireland, has lived in Harlem, and now resides in Melbourne, all of which led me to want to attempt a hybrid Aussie/Irish approach that, when privately rehearsed, left me sounding like Paul Rudd’s attempted Jamaican accent in I Love You, Man.

2) One of the best elements of being around publishers and booksellers from other countries is getting a sense of writers who have slipped under the radar (or at least my radar) here. I did an event with Colin McLaren in Perth, who has had a truly fascinating police career, and can’t wait to read his work. Rebecca James is getting worldwide attention for her debut, A Beautiful Malice, and everyone I spoke with said it is most deserved. Again, on my reading list.

3) American football has its detractors down under. If I had spent nearly the same energy trying to sell books as I did defending the merits of the NFL versus rugby, it probably would have delighted my publisher.

4) Kangaroos are edible.

Farewell to two of the greats

2010-01-26T08:49:00.005-07:00

Talk about a bad day in the mystery world: last week e-mails came through to me almost simultaneously informing of the death of Robert B. Parker and the pending closing of The Mystery Company, Indiana's only independent mystery bookstore and a place that has felt like home since I began to publish.

I'd offer a Parker tribute here, but I've read so many from writers far more eloquent than yours truly that I don't know what's left to say except that Robert B. Parker was for me, as for anyone who has touched the PI novel form in the last thirty years, a tremendous influence. Those first ten Spenser novels may well have saved the genre. It's scary to consider how many of the current detective novelists we love may never have A) tried the form; or B) found a publisher who believed money could be made from the PI novel without Parker.

Anyone well versed in mystery fiction pointed back to Parker at some point in their discussions, and nobody was -- is -- better versed than Jim Huang, owner of The Mystery Company in Carmel, Indiana. The store hosted my first signing, and the first signing of each subsequent book, and, were the world in the palm of my hand, it would continue to do so for as long as anyone publishes my work. It's closing, though, driven out of business by many factors that Jim articulates very well on his blog http://mysterycompany.typepad.com/jimhuang/2010/01/one-door-closes-.html and that won't surprise anyone familiar with the struggles of independent business or bookselling. I wish Jim and his family the best as they move on, but Indiana is the poorer for watching them go.

Lest this be an unrelentingly bleak entry, I'll add this: I spent last week teaching at the Eckerd College Writer's Conference. (Still Writers in Paradise, www.writersinparadise.com to me, but I gather they're in the midst of a name change). The conference was absolutely huge to me in my days there as a student, and it's a wonderful treat to be able to return as a faculty member. There were a lot of talented students, writing hard, and that bodes well for the future. Kudos to Dennis Lehane and Sterling Watson for creating, and maintaining, something so great.

Last-minute shopping!

2009-12-18T13:55:00.005-07:00

Okay, you guys are surely far better people than yours truly and therefore completed all Christmas shopping in April, but in case there are any deadline-pushing junkies like me (it's a newspaper thing, I tell my friends and family, don't blame me, blame the business) I'd offer a few recommendations from my year's reading list. I'm at 98 books so far this year, my annual goal of 100 likely to be conquered again, and then it's on to 2010 and back to zero, which hopefully means a lot of great reading ahead. I've already listed my favorites from the front half of the year, now here are some from the back half.

1) Columbine, by Dave Cullen. Not exactly high on the cheer list for Christmas, but it is a magnificent piece of journalism, painstakingly researched and beautifully written. A story that everyone should understand better.
2) Ravens, by George Dawes Green. Cool concept, great cast, wonderful read.
3) Under the Dome, by Stephen King. If you like his door-stopper epics (and we always do) you're in for a treat.
4) What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell. Collection of ingenious pieces from one of our most fascinating writers.
5) The Glister, by John Burnside. Dark, creepy, captivating.
6) The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters. See above, and amplify. This one does Henry James and Shirley Jackson proud.
7) The Signal, by Ron Carlson. Hike-in-the-woods-goes-bad storyline isn't anything special, but the prose and the characters and the beautifully handled emotions are.
8) More Than a Game, by Brian Billick. Not really a coaching memoir, but an extremely insightful insider's account of the NFL, and why we should worry for its future.
9) The Good Soldiers, by David Finkel. Up there with Dexter Filkins and "The Forever War." Powerful on-the-ground war reporting.
10) Sag Harbor, by Colson Whitehead. This coming-of-age account of black teens in a Long Island summer community was one of the funniest, sharpest novels I read this year.

So Cold the River widget

2009-12-18T13:51:00.002-07:00

It took me a while to figure out how to post this little guy, but it was worth the effort because the online marketing folks at Little, Brown and Co. did a wonderful job on this. I'm web-challenged (as anyone who has followed this blog can already tell) so I wasn't familiar with the idea of a "widget" and had no idea what to expect when I was told LB would be creating one. Have to say I'm awfully impressed by the result! You can share this through blogs, e-mails, Facebook, and whatever other social networking services you use. Please give it a look, and many thanks to the talented Miriam Parker for producing it. Hopefully, it sparks your interest in the book and gives you a little more sense of the story and the place behind it.

Kind words from kind people

2009-10-07T11:42:00.002-06:00

Early galleys of So Cold The River are floating around out there, and I'm thrilled to report that several excellent writers have already offered up very generous words in support of the book.

We also have an official pub date now: June 9, 2010.

"An icy, terrifying winner. SO COLD THE RIVER puts an October chill in your blood by the end of the first chapter. It's not much longer before you've turned on all the lights and rechecked all the window locks. Few novelists warrant mention alongside Stephen King or Peter Straub. Michael Koryta, however, earns comparison to both."
--Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of The Given Day, Mystic River, and Shutter Island

"Michael Koryta is a gifted storyteller. His writing is eerie, suspenseful, and pleasantly wicked. If you're looking for a dose of Midwestern Gothic at its best, So Cold The River will be just the thing for you."
-- Scott Smith, Oscar-nominated and New York Times bestselling author of A Simple Plan and The Ruins.

"This book builds like a summer storm. Beautiful to watch until it shakes the house and knocks out the lights, leaving you alone in the dark. Another masterful work from Michael Koryta, So Cold The River is guaranteed to put the cold finger down your spine."
-- Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Scarecrow, 9 Dragons, and The Brass Verdict

"With So Cold The River, Michael Koryta's West Baden Springs Hotel has joined Stephen King's Overlook Hotel in the listings of 5-star places to stay in Frommer's, Fodor's, and The Lonely Planet's Guidebook to Hell. Like King's 'Overlook' (based on the real Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado), Koryta's West Baden Springs is a real hotel with real history. But if you stay there . . . for God's sake, don't drink the water! Koryta's So Cold The River is an example of the good-writing equals good-reading equation that makes fright-inducing fiction worthy of our time, attention, and real enjoyment.
-- Dan Simmons, NY Times bestselling author of Drood and The Terror

Looking ahead...

2009-09-07T10:10:00.003-06:00

The Silent Hour was released just one month ago, but it's never too early to start looking for the next book, right? Here is a rough draft of the cover for my upcoming Little, Brown release, "So Cold the River." I really love the look of this. There will be much more about this book in the future, but for now I'll just say that I'm extremely excited about it, and it's going to release in June 2010.

Book tour and a big thank-you

2009-09-07T09:34:00.006-06:00

Most of my travel for release of The Silent Hour -- with the wonderful Murder By The Book in Houston, Sep. 29, excluded -- has been completed now, and I'd like to thank everyone who came out. I had a great time, and it is always a pleasure to hear from readers, and particularly a lot of fun to see some of the same faces with each new book release. I wrapped up travel by retreating north to Willow Flowage in Wisconsin, a place that should be familiar to those of you who have read Envy the Night. To the right is a picture. Look real hard and you can see Ezra Ballard in the shadows.

One of the things I love about getting up to the Willow -- other than the time with my father and the people and the fishing -- is a chance to do some long stretches of uninterrupted reading. This year I ended up re-reading more than turning to fresh material, and savored my second passes through House of Sand and Fog, by the brilliant Andre Dubus III, and A River Runs Through It (I know, such a cliche reading choice for a fishing trip). That book dazzles me, though, and Maclean never gets enough credit for the laugh-out-loud humor. "You have never really seen an ass until you have seen two sunburned asses on a sandbar in the middle of a river," is one of many lines that come to mind, along with: "Painted on one side of our Sunday school wall were the words, God Is Love. We always assumed that these three words were spoken directly to the four of us in our family and had no reference to the world outside, which my brother and I soon discovered was full of bastards, the number increasing rapidly the farther one gets from Missoula, Montana. "

There's so much genius in this short novella, and since I've posted about favorite openings, I'll include an all-time favorite ending, from this work:

"Now nearly all those I loved and did not understand when I was young are dead, but I still reach out to them.

Of course, I am too old to be much of a fisherman, and now of course I usually fish the big waters alone, although some friends think I shouldn't. Like many fly fisherman in western Montana where the summer days are almost Arctic in length, I often do not start fishing until the cool of the evening. Then in the Arctic half-light of the canyon, all existence fades into a being with my soul and memories and the sounds of the Big Blackfoot River and a four-count rhythm and the hope that a fish will rise.

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

I am haunted by waters."

Tough to top that without going directly to Gatsby.

I also discovered a driving tip: if you have a long car trip ahead, and you want it to feel like a short one, you would do well to listen to the Stephen King classic "The Shining" on audio as you travel.

Again, my deepest thanks to everyone who made it out to support the book, and I look forward to seeing you all again next time.

Book release week

2009-08-02T08:24:00.003-06:00

This is the first time I've ever had two editions released in the same week. On Tuesday, the mass market paperback of Envy the Night will hit shelves, along with the hardcover release of The Silent Hour, the newest book and a return to Lincoln Perry. There's also an audio edition of The Silent Hour available -- you can hear a sample, the opening of the novel, at
http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/enSearch/searchResults.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&D=Koryta&Dx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=S_Keywords&Ntt=Koryta

A few words about The Silent Hour: the idea had its genesis, as many of mine do, in a merging of two memories. One was a criminal justice class I took years ago discussing the issues of reentry for violent offenders, the challenges we face in transitioning back to society people who have been isolated from it for decades. (I never made it through a day of this class without thinking of the character of Brooks from The Shawshank Redemption. That's a sign of good storytelling, I believe. Well done, Mr. King.) I was particularly interested in the people who made this issue a personal crusade, and wondered what drove them. I found myself fascinated by the idea of a woman who'd grown up in a crime family, had seen the price of their decisions and then the difficulties they had trying to return from prison and find a life that wasn't destined to send them right back. You'll meet such a woman in The Silent Hour. Her name is Alexandra Sanabria.

The other memory, more personal, less abstract, came when I was a newspaper reporter and tagged along with another writer on a story she was writing about an incredible, expensive house that had been abandoned by its owners and would soon be coming up for sheriff's auction. I just wanted to see the house, but once we got there, I was gripped by the haunting quality of such a beautiful, costly home left empty while the grounds grew up and engulfed it. There were clear answers to the "where and why" questions of the abandonment in that case, but as I walked around the property, my storytelling brain immediately began to wonder "what if those answers weren't so clear? What if they were entirely unknown?" Within the first three chapters of The Silent Hour, you'll see how that eventually gave me the start of this novel.

I'd taken a book off from the Lincoln series -- Envy the Night is a standalone -- and from the style of writing I use in the series -- Envy is third-person, multiple point of view, and the Lincoln books are first-person, with one point of view. Contract called for me to return to the series, but I wanted to be careful about how I did it. I didn't want to just shove him into another case. Lincoln had been through a grinder in the last two books, and I thought that in any attempt at honest fiction I had to deal with the burden those cases would have left on him. In real life, people don't just bounce off trauma and go grinning on into the world, whistling and cheerful until the next crisis arises. We are shaped by the experiences of the past, and I've always thought the difference between a really good series and a mediocre one involves how well the writer honored that from book to book. (Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, for example) Once I began to explore this idea in The Silent Hour I found a character who was having a crisis of conscience, not just for what he had done, but for what he did every day, for his profession and the impact it had on the people he loved. From that came the notion that I could use this story to explore detectives as a sort of joint character, to study how the work impacts each one differently. For that reason, there are a lot of detectives in this book. We've got Lincoln and Joe, sure, but I also imported a handful of others, some police, some private, some FBI...I consider this book a character study, absolutely, but not just of my protagonist, more a character study of "The Detective," writ large.

I hope you get a chance to check this one out, and I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think, and, as always, thanks for reading.

One gorgeous opening...

2009-07-19T18:16:00.003-06:00

As any of my journalism or creative writing students would assure you, I'm quite obsessed with strong leads. I've got a collection of favorite openings from novels, newspaper pieces, and non-fiction, and use them frequently when I teach. But it has been a long time since I encountered an opening I love as much as the first paragraph of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's "The Angel's Game."

Granted, I'm partial to this because I'm a writer. If he were talking about the moment one decides to become an accountant or math teacher it might not have hit home in the same way, but I think that regardless of profession it's tough to argue how incredibly strong this first paragraph is:

"A writer never forgets the first time he accepted a few coins or a word of praise in exchange for a story. He will never forget the sweet poison of vanity in his blood and the belief that, if he succeeds in not letting anyone discover his lack of talent, the dream of literature will provide him with a roof over his head, a hot meal at the end of the day, and what he covets the most: his name printed on a miserable piece of paper that surely will outlive him. A writer is condemned to remember that moment, because from then on he is doomed and his soul has a price."

Ah, genius. I can't wait to finish the book, loved "The Shadow of the Wind" and am looking forward to diving into this one.

An attempt at genuine updates!

2009-07-06T12:20:00.004-06:00

Those of you who've followed the site over the past few years are probably used to the one or two changes I make per year. Not too exciting, I realize. In fact, I discovered the last update on my news page was two years and two books old. Oops. This new page will be an attempt to address that, though I make no promises. In theory, I'll deliver actual publishing news about the books here and occasionally make reading recommendations or address a topic of personal interest or concern. Again, that's the theory. If you check back in six months and discover this is the only post, well, what can I say but: sorry. But I do intend to improve, and thank my wonderful web maven, Madeira James, for setting this up for me.

First of, a bit of NEWS: I'm thrilled and humbled to say that Envy the Night won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for best Mystery/Thriller, and has since been nominated for a Barry Award for best novel. To everyone involved with these prizes, I say a most sincere thanks.

The next book, The Silent Hour, will be released in less than a month. I'll have some more to say about that as Aug. 4 rolls around.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a few reading picks from my 2009 list. I've enjoyed these titles immensely, and hope that you will, too.

1) Under the Skin, by James Carlos Blake. One of the best-kept secrets out there, Blake is a masterful writer and you can't go wrong with anything he's written. This is my most recent brush with his work, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. It's a classic gangster novel, but one written with grace and humor and insight.

2) Road Dogs, by Elmore Leonard. Jack Foley is back. `Nuff said.

3) Drood, by Dan Simmons. A long, dense novel about Charles Dickens' final years and the mystery that surrounded them, narrated by Wilkie Collins. Simmons is a great writer, and this book is fascinating, creepy, and packed with great historical detail, just as The Terror was.

4) Serena, by Ron Rash. Technically this was from my 2008 reading, but it was my favorite novel of the year, so I had to include it. Rash's prose is gorgeous, and this Macbeth-inspired tale of an Appalachian timber camp is far and away his best work.

5) The Lost City of Z, by David Grann. Fascinating non-fiction tale about an ill-fated exploration of the Amazon.

6) The Forever War, by Dexter Filkins. The best piece of field reporting I've read. Filkins takes you to the ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and spends his time showing you the reality, not making a political or strategic argument. If that's what you want, go elsewhere; there are plenty of fine books that qualify. If you want tremendous writing and an unvarnished view of the situation on the ground, this is the book for you.

7) The Scarecrow, by Michael Connelly. The master returns to the protagonist of my sentimental favorite Connelly novel, The Poet.

8) Black Water Rising, by Attica Locke. A truly wonderful debut novel that reminded me of George Pelecanos, with the crime serving as a backdrop for social exploration. I'm excited about this writer.

9) The Way Home, by George Pelecanos. Speaking of George...yeah, he's good.

10) Follow the Roar, by Bob Smiley. I'm no golfer, but I am a Tiger Woods fan. Smiley, an unemployed TV writer back in 2008, and himself not a Tiger fan (at least at the time) decided to follow the man for every hole of an entire season, from Dubai to Augusta to Torrey Pines. It's funny and fascinating and Smiley seems to have a Midas touch, because there haven't been many more dramatic sporting events than Tiger's last match of the 2008 season, when he won the US Open in an 18-hole playoff, playing with torn knee ligaments and a fractured leg.