Prime Crime

LOU BOLDT, Walt FLEMING Aug 3

2010-07-05T13:36:00.001-05:00

In Harm's Way, featuring Sun Valley's Walt Fleming and Seattle's Lou Boldt will hit stores August 3rd. Hoping for your support!
Ridley

Scott Turow's INNOCENT

2010-05-04T08:28:00.002-05:00

Scott Turow's INNOCENT publishes today, May 4th. It is one of the best written, most tightly plotted novels I've read in years. GO OUT AND BUY IT so publishers learn that this is the kind of book we readers wait for. IT'S THAT GOOD!!!!

new book Aug 3

2010-04-15T11:17:00.001-05:00

Sun Valley's sheriff (Killer series) Walt Fleming teams up with Lou Boldt, putting them both In Harm's Way, August 3, 2010. (Putnam and Sons)

This blog has moved

2010-03-31T17:31:00.001-05:00

This blog is now located at http://ridleypearson.blogspot.com/.
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For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
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100 dollars!

2009-12-11T07:27:00.000-06:00

Make sure to read this month's newsletter and win a chance at a 100 dollar gift certificate or a free book!
Happy Holidays!

Sword Tour

2009-10-19T09:31:00.002-05:00

Dave Barry and I began our Peter and the Sword of Mercy tour in Coral Gables, FL on Friday to a crazy crowd! The tour kicks off officially in NYC this Sunday, October 25. Hope to see you while out on tour. Bring any book and I/we will sign.
Ridley

Dave Barry and I hit the road

2009-10-14T07:08:00.002-05:00

Dave Barry and I hit the road for
Peter and the Sword of Mercy.
Hope to see you out there!
Ridley

Dates

2009-08-10T14:47:00.001-05:00

New dates for Dave Barry's and my Sword Of Mercy tour:

- October 12 – Barnes & Noble, NY
- October 16 – Books & Books, Coral Gables
- October 25 – Symphony Space, NY
- October 26 – Books, Bytes & Beyond, NJ
- October 29 – Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
- October 30 – University Bookstore, Seattle
- October 30 – Barnes & Noble, Seattle
- November 4 – Poisoned Pen, Phoenix
- November 12 – St. Louis County Library
- November 13-14 – Walt Disney World events

Ridley

No Rain? No Pain.

2009-07-24T07:31:00.001-05:00

If only it wouldn't rain in Idaho this summer.

Click here...

Favorite Caper stories

2009-06-30T13:34:00.001-05:00

What are your favorite caper stories?
Mine include: Thomas Crown Affair, The Italian Job, even Charade (a bit of a stretch to call it a heist or caper film).
Yours??

Killer Summer

2009-06-23T13:34:00.002-05:00

Killer Summer publishes Tuesday, June 30th.

I'll be appearing in St Louis, Scottsdale, Houston, and Sun Valley, Idaho. Check out the schedule, for more info.

Thanks for the support!
Ridley

Talk about hand to eye...

2009-05-24T08:36:00.002-05:00

Twitter

2009-05-18T07:14:00.001-05:00

I have given in to the high tech world I attempt to embrace and am now on Twitter:
Ridley Pearson AKA RidleyTheWriter
I'm traving in the US for the next two weeks and will post from Twitter.
please follow if you HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TWITTER IS ABOUT....
Ridley

Bird can Rock

2009-05-07T02:15:00.000-05:00

This bird can rock!

It's Illegal

2009-03-27T18:06:00.002-05:00

For those of you who read the blog, you know that I seldom, if ever, use it to hawk another author's books, but I have to give pause and encourage you to try Paul Levine if you haven't read him yet. He's smart and funny and a terrific writer. His newest is Illegal. If you have an empty bedside table, go GET A COPY!
Ridley

The Power of We

2009-03-19T18:41:00.000-05:00

The Power of We

Ridley

One of the aspects of Chinese life abundantly obvious is the commune in communism. Our lane is a string of dwellings--some "grand" like ours, a small and simple house, some not so grand--our neighbor, her husband and 12 year old son live in a structure roughly 12x14 feet, their only sink out in the lane in front of their front door and roughly ten feet to the left of our front door. We often pay witness to the boy being given a bath/shower/wash as he stands naked in a plastic tub and warm-ish water is poured over him. All the cooking and washing and clothes washing is done at that tub. It can't be easy, but our neighbor always smiles at us as we come and go from our warm house, brightly lit, with its two baths and full kitchen. There is never a hint of animosity. Acceptance is the rule here.

There is a lane community center very near us where forty year old women do line dances to old fifties American hits, most of which I play with the Rockbottom Remainders. There is choir practice every Wednesday and a Chinese variation on an aerobics class some mornings. We all know each other to say hello to -- and of course the Chinese know each other by name. There's the bald man down the street who carries his large number of potted plants out when the weather is nice (he came and doctored a plant for us not long ago, all smiles to see inside our house.) There's the neighbor with the perfectly restored 1943 motorcycle and sidecar, shined to a spit polish. And of course there's the laundry. Everyone -- yes, including us -- hangs their clean laundry to dry (there are no real clothes dryers here, reducing their carbon footprints when most don't know what a carbon footprint even is), so you're able to see underwear styles and sizes, and the next time you see the woman three houses down you can't help but picture the large sized red underwear somewhere buried beneath the other plain clothing. Long underwear. Bra sizes. We know a lot about each other here in Lane 339.

But it strikes me that the power of we is at work, and no more so than when our wonderful Xue (our housekeeper) had her electric bike break down. She arrived to our house having pedaled the heavy bike (smaller wheels than a regular bike). And she explained in Chinese, and some sign language, that her electric bike had broken. Then she pointed to our back garden, where we keep our bikes, and it was obvious she had quickly jumped to the conclusion that we had four bikes and hers was broken, so we would offer her one of our bikes. Which we did. She didn't thank us. She nodded and smiled, and I gave her the key to the lock, and helped her to get the bike out the big steel door that serves our garden patio. And she rode off. I realized it was expected. This is a communal society. If you have a bike not being ridden and your neighbor needs a bike -- bingo, it's worked out. A few days later Xue returned the bike, smiled, and showed us that hers had been repaired. We were part of the we. We were part of a community.

There are exceptions. When daughter Storey broke her ankle last week and we needed a wheelchair to get her down the impossibly long lane, we turned (through our cook) to our community center. Might they, by any chance, be in possession of a wheelchair? (Since there are many elderly about.) Indeed, as we'd guessed they had one. And they were willing to loan it to us: for a fee. Shanghai is where capitalism meets communism and so we had a taste of where the we meets a fee. We borrowed the wheelchair for three days and three nights. Fee: 2 US dollars.
Today, our cook showed up with a wheelchair -- to loan us indefinitely. Someone's mother had used it, died, and it was lying around. How she managed to get it here (she lives WAY across town) I have no idea. But a man showed up, lifted it into our front door and trundled off. No fee.

And so we are learning that people help people here -- sometimes charging, most of the time not -- out of a societal consciousness that instills at an early age that the individual cannot survive without the group. Historically, we are told, this goes back millennium to the spring floods of major rivers and how, without a full effort on everyone's part, the river could wash away farm ground, taking its top soil and rendering it infertile for generations. Or... they could band together, divert the river and protect their food source. Out of the efforts of many came food for the few. Now, thousands of years later, the same attitude prevails. I cannot make it without you.

As much as an American I have instilled in me the notion of independence and every-man-for-himself, I find myself reflecting that both 911 and the current financial crisis has left me feeling this pulsing group agenda--that we need to thinking as a people not as a person. That we need the power of we. That I'm currently living in an example of how this works at the community level so well. I'm not condoning Communism as a political force. There's too much here that can be criticized (just as there is at home!). But at the base level of neighbor to neighbor, door to door, wheelchair to wheelchair, and bike to bike, there is much to be learned and cherished.

Live and Give

2009-03-09T21:53:00.000-05:00

Recessionitis

As employers large and small seek methods of plugging the ever-widening holes in the hulls of their sinking vessels, and tossing things overboard to lighten the load, something troubling is happening--it is being used as an excuse. It's not just that company benefits are being eliminated or trimmed, though that is happening at alarming rate, it's that obligations are being overlooked. We mustn't let the recession give us recessionitis.

I spoke to a corporate executive last week who explained a particularly vexing employee, who had badgered the department and had found protection from being fired in their Human Services rules was bundled into a bigger layoff and let go. What would have taken six weeks to several months to accomplish was taken care of in a single stroke. This happens to be one of those understandable usages of layoffs, and I could hear the relief over the employee finally being gone, but it suggests a crack in the veneer of truth. It wasn't entirely above board.

Another owner of a small company said he'd taken the opportunity to clean house of some workers who were never going to cut it, that the recession provided perfect cover to speed along what otherwise would have been costly and dragged out dismissals. There is efficiency in such layoffs--firings--and efficiency is what's needed to keep small and large businesses afloat. But if such practices become easier for having done them once, then there's a danger of falling into the excuses trap.

More troubling to me, as a board member of a worthy non-profit, is that businesses and individuals have stopped giving. As of the start of the new year money simply dried up. This makes for desperate times for our inner city youth literacy and athletics program--it may go under. And I have to wonder what's going on. Yes, money is tight for all of us, but this is no time to allow safety nets for the needy to go under. To the contrary, there are and will be even more needy--kids and adults alike--in the coming months and if ever there was a time to reach deep and give to charity, those who can afford to must.

If the recession becomes an excuse instead of a challenge then there is a double barreled effect: it hits our purses and our humanity; it degrades our bank accounts and our ethics. Times of hardship can unite and lift a society to new accomplishments, or turn it on itself--every man for himself; dog eat dog.

We must go forward, yes. Difficult decisions must be made, no doubt. People will lose jobs. Non-profits will fail. But hopefully we can retain our common humanity in the process.

Getting Naked (2)

2009-02-16T16:02:00.003-06:00

I'm now posting every Wednesday on www.nakedauthors.com

I hope you'll pay it a visit.

The Starcatchers stage play in La Jolla was INCREDIBLE. What a great experience. If you get anywhere near La Jolla before March 3rd -- it's a play for adults (although children seem to get it too). You'll be enchanted.
Ridley

Act 2 of the play

2009-02-11T14:11:00.000-06:00

I was able to see the second act of Peter and the Starcatchers -- the stage play -- last night, and while Disney has asked I not review or give anything away about the performance (this is a workshop after all) what I can say is WOW! Rick Elice's script has brought the book alive in a funny, thoughtful and heartfelt way. More details to come. Tonight I get to see the whole play -- both acts. And then a dress rehearsal tomorrow night! Public performances begin on Friday night.
Ridley

Starcathers--The Play!!!

2009-02-10T03:09:00.000-06:00

I will be traveling to La Jolla, CA for the soft opening of Peter and the Starcatchers, the stage play, produced by Disney Theatrical. I will try to post several times and keep you up on events.
Ridley

Hello, Mommy

2009-01-22T17:50:00.003-06:00

Japan's fascination with Hello Kitty just gets weirder and weirder. Here, in Shanghai, it's nearly as bad, but not this crazy.

Getting Naked

2009-01-21T19:13:00.002-06:00

I will be joining the Naked Authors blog starting in Feb. 2009.

www.nakedauthors.com

I will be posting every other Wednesday. About two weeks after each NA post I will re-post the same piece here, but I hope you'll visit Naked Authors and keep up with my writing colleagues like Patricia Smiley and Paul Levine.

Happy Chinese New Year from Shangahi (www.shanghai-family.blogspot.com)

Ridley

For the program guide

2009-01-16T21:53:00.002-06:00

I was asked about childhood fantasies, for the program guide to the stage play of Peter and the Starcatchers (La Jolla Playhouse, beginning Feb 13th):

As a child I was surrounded by sorcery and magic. The kids in our Connecticut neighborhood were very close and over the years we formed a kind of secret club without ever calling it that. As the youngest of that club I was the guinea pig, the object of childhood "torture" like being tied up and left in the attic while the others dressed up as goblins and then raided the attic, scaring me half to death; once I was made to drink a green potion that I was told would kill me (it turned out to be 7-UP with green food coloring). This went on for many years. Ricky Hart, who lived down the street, wore capes and rode his bike around in the gloom of night making hooting noises. We were a strange bunch.
My fantasy back then, and perhaps it carried forward, was to be a spy. I would work on walking through the woods without making a sound; I would sneak around my house trying not to be noticed; at one point I had run wires throughout most of the house so it was "bugged" and connected to a tape recorder in my room. I'm not sure my parents ever found out about that. I wonder where those tapes are now?
But an ability I fantasized about, was, like my favorite early book, Harold and his Purple Crayon: to imagine and create a world. Harold could draw things that then came to life, and he stepped into that world. My mother was the artist. My father was a writer. I began using words in place of Harold's crayon--creating worlds where I could be the caped magician, the spy. And I, the writer, was of course, invisible. It's a fantasy world I still enter each day as I sit down in my office chair.
Ridley Pearson

Kidle freeze, Kindle crash, Kindle alive!

2009-01-15T19:15:00.004-06:00

I know there are those out there who dislike the notion, if not the actual device itself. I'm talking about the Kindle. Living in China for the past six months it has been a life saver. Not only can I carry 10 to 20 books with me wherever I go -- and I've been traveling a lot -- but I use it with my students' papers (30 a week!) to create a paperless office. I read and grade on the Kindle.

And then it failed. If it entered "sleep" it wouldn't wake. I had to reset it with a paperclip. I searched the Internet for solutions -- and tried a half dozen fixes. Nothing. Still not working. Then Amazon wrote me to send it back and get a new one -- and I hated to do that, but finally, today called Tech Support to get a return number. And that's when they decided to tell me how to fix it. I was lacking a single step in all the dozens of variations of resets I had done. One button. Nowhere on their site. Nowhere on any of the blogs. But I went ahead and followed his instructions, and now it seems to be working again. Which means I can read, and I can teach (and not waste reams of paper). It galls me that they don't post this solution. So here it is:

ALT-SHIFT-R and then when the screen blanks... release those and hold down HOME KEY until the firmware reset menu appears. (so simple!) press 2 for firmware reset, and the EPROM is wiped clean and you can start all over -- load your books (the Amazon site holds them!) and get going again.

I love real, tangible books. I will continue to buy REAL BOOKS in independent stores, whenever, wherever possible. But the Kindle, both for long distance travel, and paperless reading of Word documents is a terrific addition to a writer's toolbox. I'm glad to have it back working.

MIAMI BOOK FAIR - this weekend, Nov 14, 15 - Walt Disney World 18, 19

2008-11-10T04:15:00.006-06:00

MIAMI BOOK FAIR

Dave Barry and I will be speaking about Science Fair on Saturday morning.

I'll be with Scott Turow taking questions mid-day

The Rockbottom Remainders (full band, all but Stephen King) will celebrate the Fair's 25 Anniversary with a special show in a new location (and food!)

Hope to see you somewhere along the way..

WALT DISNEY WORLD:

TUESDAY NOV 18th: Dave Barry and I will do a signing -- check the web site for details
WEDNESDAY NOV 19th: I will be signing KINGDOM KEEPERS 3 (twice) in the Animal Kingdom -- check the web site for details

Ridley

Dave (Barry) and I get serious on book tour

2008-10-22T10:00:00.001-05:00

Our Mentos experiment goes live at Books Inc. Alameda, CA

Getting serious about Sciene Fair

2008-10-14T06:40:00.003-05:00

Dave Barry and I will be on Good Morning America, Friday, Oct 17.
A preview of our serious attire as modeled by Dave.

SCIENCE FAIR

2008-10-10T16:28:00.001-05:00

Dave Barry and I head out on book tour Tuesday, Oct 14 for what promises to be a experiment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3Cl7OeE3Zs

Boldt's Broken Angel

2008-08-31T18:31:00.002-05:00

I've just completed Boldt's Broken Angel, a (long) short story for the International Thriller Writers anthology that will be published in the spring of 09. It's a "novella" of sorts -- a full Boldt novel condensed to short length -- for all those who've been asking for a new Boldt story. I'm also in discussions with my publisher to continue the Boldt series while not letting up on Walt Femling and the Sun Valley books. More to come on the ITW anthology as I'm informed.

If you want to read someting funny, go to www.MiamiHerald.com and under "columnists" read what Dave Barry has to say about the political conventions.

Dave and I will be touring for Science Fair next month (October) across the country.
Ridley

Next Time You're Lost

2008-08-26T01:24:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I'm on a backroad and I completely loose track of north/south. I strain to find the sun out the window.
Now, along comes another option.

Killer View napkin....

2008-07-18T14:17:00.003-05:00

My friends at Ingram found a new use for my novel: a napkin....
thanks a LOT, Alethea!!!

we had a fun lunch.

Book Tour

2008-07-17T08:11:00.001-05:00

Out on book tour for Killer View -- off to Houston in a minute, always a favorite stop.

I'll be blogging regularly on shanghai-family.blogspot.com for those interested in what moving to China with your family is like!

Hope to see you out on tour.
Ridley

Killer View

2008-07-12T10:05:00.003-05:00

I leave on book tour Monday morning for Killer View. First stop, St. Louis. Here's an early review.
Preparations continue for China... as the clock ticks down.
I hope to see you while out on tour.
If you want personalized or autographed books, contact The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale which is near the end of my tour.
This Monday, July 14th, I will be hosting a week long chat on Barnes and Noble. I hope you'll join me.
Enjoy the KILLER VIEW.
Ridley

Bo-Ridley

2008-06-05T07:35:00.003-05:00

Bo Diddley died two days ago, and I thought I'd share a story.

When I was nineteen...

... and a fledgling folk rock musician (I'm driving our band's 66 passenger converted bus here), my duo partner, Otis Read, and I were flying to perform and were laid over in Chicago's O'Hare airport awaiting flight. This is 1971 or 2. It was a long layover, and "Oat" and I passed the time by pulling out our acoustic guitars and playing a number of songs. After a half hour or so a guy came over and said he liked what we were doing, and asked to play harmonica with us. Now, in the music world, when someone asks to play harmonica with you, it makes you cringe because usually the player is not terribly good -- don't ask me why, but it's just the way it is.

But this guy was good, and he set into an infectious rhythm that carried into what we were playing, and pretty soon we were jamming and connecting, and the other passengers, instead of looking like "when will these guys shut up" were actually interested and started moving closer.

The guy was Bo Diddley.
He got a kick out of the fact that my name was Ridley. (Stephen King, in the Rockbottom Remainders, calls me Bo-Ridley.) We played for about a half hour together, and to use an over-used word, it was "magical." The man's heart must have beat to that rhythm that came to own every song he wrote -- it just flowed out of him.

When we packed up and boarded our flight, and shook hands all around, I was in awe, as was Otis, and I knew it was day I would never forget. And I never have.

So, here's to Bo-Diddley: Keep jamming.

Bo-Ridley

BLOG IS OPEN

2008-05-27T10:09:00.001-05:00

We've removed the requirement to register in order to post on Prime Crime.

You may be asked to match a "word box" in order for us to limit spam.

Please comment as often as you like.
Ridley

Shanghaied

2008-05-27T09:06:00.002-05:00

For those interested, I'm starting a blog about my attempts to move to China for a year.

http://shanghai-family.blogspot.com

I will be on tour for Killer View in July (15-23). Then it's off to write and lecture in the Red Dragon.

Ridley

Begat, Began, Begun - the genesis of Steel Trapp

2008-04-11T17:36:00.001-05:00

JB wants me to explain the genesis of my new YA thriller, Steel Trapp, so here goes:

I originally wrote a sequel to Cut and Run, my thriller featuring a Justice Department agent, Roland Larson. The sequel was a pursuit thriller involving a young boy with a photographic memory, who discovers a briefcase on an overnight train -- a discovery that led him in a mountain of trouble. After finishing a 700 page manuscript, I moved from Hyperion to Putnam and my new publisher, whom I was thrilled to be with, did not want to continue "older" series characters, but start a new series. That resulted in Killer Weekend (2007) and the upcoming Killer View (July 2008) but left "the train book" on a shelf.

My assistant at the time, Louise Marsh, read the train book and promptly told me it would make a good YA thriller, because she loved the character of the young boy with the photographic memory. I didn't want to hear this, of course, because I'd already written that book as an adult book. But the thought had been spoken and it wouldn't go away. About six months later I approached my agent, Amy Berkhower, and later my editor at Disney, Wendy Lefkon, with the notion of recrafting the train novel as a YA novel. The next three edits brought the young boy to the front and cut 300 pages out of the original, and Steel Trapp was the result.
I see it as a PG version of my typically R thriller novels. But it is certainly not dumbed-down; no punches were held. It is a very fast, tightly plotted thriller that I hope adults will enjoy as much as younger readers.

But that's the story... and now you know.

Ridley

Steel Trapp Tour

2008-03-06T06:24:00.001-06:00

The book tour for my new Young Adult crime thriller, Steel Trapp is now on-line.
Some of the dates may change. Hope to see you at one of these stores.
Ridley

Host by Stephenie Meyer (Hardcover: May publication)

2008-02-28T09:56:00.001-06:00

Stephenie Meyer
HOST

The author of the best selling Twilight series, Meyer, turns her pen to science fiction in what turns out to be a work that will haunt the reader well beyond the final page. I say “turns out to be” because the first fifty pages had my head spinning. The reader is expected to know much more about the story than is possible, and is left filling in blanks that take many pages to finally be explained.

The premise is that there are creatures--souls--being attached to humans, and taking them over. Lock, stock, and barrel: emotions, actions, life. The human body is nothing but a host, hence the title.

It turns out to be more complicated than that. Surprise. Most hosts readily give in to the implant surgery (a slice in the back of the neck), but not everyone. The earth is now populated by the transplanted souls, yet a few brave rebel humans remain (hiding in caves in Arizona).

There are some silly missteps: the names of other planets, the flowery dialogue between existing souls. The conceit of the book can be difficult to understand, especially early on.

But Host is rich, vivid, intricate, and yet simple. On many levels it’s a master work. It is Stephenie Meyer, after all. But you may wish your arm chair or mattress came with a seatbelt. It’s a jarring, dark world we are led into -- quite literally. One where it’s often difficult to know whom to root for, and ultimately whom to love or hate. But love and hate are the focus of the story--it is ultimately about emotions and what makes up the human experience. That’s life--and after all, life is what Meyer evokes so well.

Another Stupid Crime

2008-02-28T09:52:00.000-06:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/28/biker.meeting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

How stupid can you get?

It Take a Village... or SOMETHING...

2008-02-26T15:55:00.000-06:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2257905520080222

Keep an eye on your schoolyard.

No Country For This Guy

2008-02-23T17:00:00.001-06:00

No Country For Old Men

In a stone-faced, yet somehow nuanced performance, Javier Bardem, delivers the goods both to the viewer and anyone unlucky enough to get in his way. No Country For Old Men follows Anton Chigurh (Bardem) as he attempts to reconnect himself with two million dollars in cash, gone missing when a drug deal goes south. South, as in West Texas, which may explain how Tommy Lee Jones was called upon to play the sheriff. This might be Jones’ best performance--it certainly beats Men In Black. The film is unsettling and often hard to watch because of the extreme violence perpetrated in nearly every scene. The body count is high, and only worthwhile tolerating if you have a morbid fascination with a murderous psychopath on an endless blood spree. Some have called this brilliant film making--and if you ignore the repetitive plot and questionable character motivations, judging it solely on its razor-sharp dialogue and brilliant performances, then perhaps it is. But a date movie, it ain’t. No Country For Old Men is better left for film school.

Everyone needs one

2008-02-12T15:23:00.001-06:00

We've decided to do battle with St. Louis water.
UPS just delivered it, and it's about six feet tall.

Old?

2008-02-12T15:13:00.000-06:00

My 93 year old aunt broke her hip yesterday, which will briefly keep her from her weekly horseback riding... This, while a friend prepared for a colonoscopy, and I headed to the lawyer's office to update my will.
When did I become this old?

Writers Strike

2008-02-11T07:12:00.000-06:00

With the writers' strike ending, hopefully we'll see more film action on some of my adult titles. There are several books that have been awaiting submission. What are your favorite movies lately?
Ridley

PBS, BBC and Jane Austen

2008-01-29T16:28:00.001-06:00

Masterpiece: (PBS) The Complete Jane Austen

It was hard for me to imagine a production company tackling the Jane Austen opus again. Hasn’t every one of her stories been shot several times over the past few decades? And aren’t they all rather magnificent? Kira Knightley sealed it by turning in a winning performance in the quite recent Pride and Prejudice. So what was BBC thinking trying to redo the redux?

The answer may be high-def. All the new films are shot in high definition, meaning they will find a home on television for years and years to come. Older TV films do not, and will not look good in high def. But that’s hardly a reason to take on such a project. After all, millions of dollars were at stake, and most if not all of these these stories has been screen multiple times.

The answer seems to be continuity of excellence. Starting with brilliant writers who have adapted Poirot and Sherlock Holmes and dozens of other master works, these new productions stand on the shoulders of the old and reach new heights. The direction and performances, the production values and cinematography are dazzling. The scripts are concise (90 minutes) and the abbreviation has not hindered but helped the story telling. In Persuasion I found myself holding my breath and reeling from the tension--only to realize every ounce of that tension was wrung from a love story. Not one frame of action ever reached the screen.

Me, a thriller guy, riveted. And all by careful characterization.

Now that’s good writing.

Switch over to PBS next Sunday. You won’t be disappointed.

The Bucket List

2008-01-27T19:54:00.000-06:00

I slept through many of the scenes in The Bucket List, a new film starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, which I hope owed more to a bad case of jet lag than editorial comment. The problem with the film is three-fold: sadly, the three dramatic acts. Act 1 is the set-up, and in this case it’s mostly medical. We see who these men were, and who they are now that they’re diagnosed with cancer. There are a couple good lines, but the producers chose to put them in the trailer, so you’ve heard them approximately six hundred times prior to their delivery in the film, and so they fall flat. And that pretty much sums up the film: it falls flat. The second act is a travelogue. The third act is the predictable physical decline of one of the characters and how lives change when we die. No tears from me. Though my wife managed a few. (But she cries at Kodak ads.)

What saves the film, or did for me, are the two performances. Because I will go to any Morgan Freeman or Jack Nicholson film, and I’m not alone: the box office on this film is good. Jack is Jack, and his facial expressions never get old. He’s a master. He makes some pretty standard lines shine. And Morgan Freeman is the answer to that line: Of those still living, with whom would you most like to have dinner? For me, it’s not some Victoria Secret model, or Tom Brady. Maybe I’m getting old. But instead, it might be Steve Jobs or yes, Morgan Freeman. Okay... Nicole Kidman and Scarlet Johansson would make the list. There. Some honesty.

The Bucket List is not great film making, nor is it even fairly good writing. But it’s Jack and Morgan, and so, easily worth the ninety minutes, as long as you leave time for a few naps.

FILM - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

2008-01-27T16:16:00.001-06:00

I tried to picture the Hollywood “pitch” for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (not that there was one, this being a foreign film). “I want to make a movie about a book that’s a memoir of a guy who had a stroke and could only move his left eyelid. Think ‘My Left Foot,’ but it’s ‘My Left Eye.’”

How this film (yes: film, not movie) got funded is anybody’s guess, but we’re all the better for it. In some of the most haunting, surreal, and life-changing camera work and direction ever to hit the big screen, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly takes the viewer inside the thought of a stroke victim. It is tragically amusing. The viewer is almost ashamed to watch, the voyeurism is so profoundly upsetting. The performances are quiet and subdued; it’s really the writer and director who are performing, but the result is a powerful, sometimes magical, often whimsical, tragedy that has Oscar(R) winner written all over it.

27 Jan 2008

HARD TO BELIEVE

2008-01-09T11:19:00.001-06:00

Cops: Pair wheels corpse to store to cash check
Pair wheels dead man to store to cash his Social Security check, police say
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Two men wheeled a dead man through the streets in an office chair to a check-cashing store Tuesday and tried to cash his Social Security check before being arrested on fraud charges, police said.

David J. Dalaia and James O'Hare pushed Virgilio Cintron's body from the Manhattan apartment that O'Hare and Cintron shared to Pay-O-Matic, about a block away, spokesman Paul Browne said witnesses told police.

"The witnesses saw the two pushing the chair with Cintron flopping from side to side and the two individuals propping him up and keeping him from flopping from side to side," Browne said.

The men left Cintron's body outside the store, went inside and tried to cash his $355 check, Browne said. The store's clerk, who knew Cintron, asked the men where he was, and O'Hare told the clerk they would go and get him, Browne said.

A police detective who was having lunch at a restaurant next to the check-cashing store noticed a crowd forming around Cintron's body, and "it's immediately apparent to him that Cintron is dead," Browne said.

The detective called uniformed New York Police Department officers at a nearby precinct. Emergency medical technicians arrived as O'Hare and Dalaia were preparing to wheel Cintron's body into the check-cashing store, Browne said. Police arrested Dalaia and O'Hare there, he said.

Cintron's body was taken to a hospital morgue. The medical examiner's office told police it appeared Cintron, 66, had died of natural causes within the previous 24 hours, Browne said.

"He was deceased in the apartment when he was removed by these two," Browne said.

Dalaia and O'Hare, both 65, were being held by police and faced check fraud charges, Browne said.

A call to a telephone number listed for Cintron at the apartment he shared with O'Hare went unanswered Tuesday evening. Police said they didn't have an address for Dalaia or attorney information for him or O'Hare.

St Louis Post Dispatch

2007-11-28T14:15:00.000-06:00

Sunday, Dec 2, the St Louis Post Dispatch will run a piece in its A&E section that I wrote about reading as I was growing up. Keep an eye out for it. I'll post a link when it's available.

Here's the LINK.

Ridley

Tour Houston / Miami / Monte Montgomery

2007-11-13T08:23:00.001-06:00

Houston was a blast. We did an event at the Regis school.
(see picture left!)

The Miami Book Fair International was incredible. Special thanks to phenom, Monte Montgomery, for playing with the band. Monte may be the best guitarist in the world -- and it was a special two nights to be on stage with him.

Miami

2007-11-10T08:42:00.000-06:00

MIAMI... FRIDAY NIGHT

The portion of the Remainders played at Tobacco Road and had a great time. We've probably ruined Monte Montgomery's career forever, but his play certainly lit up the crowd. It was the 95th anniversary of the bar's existence, and we nearly put it out of business. HUGE crowds and lots of fun.

Saturday Dave and I speak at the Book Fair and then the band plays late afternoon:
Dave Barry, me, Greg Iles, Monte Montgomery, Kathi Goldmark, Scott Turow, Roy Blount Jr., Sam Barry. Bring your earplugs.

More signs of signings...

2007-11-06T16:28:00.001-06:00

More signs, more bookstores. This time, from last week in Naperville, IL at Anderson's Bookstore. We're in Los Angeles today, using a Starbucks as our office(s) while we await a radio interview. Ah... the glamour of it all!

Fun in Phily....

2007-11-05T12:28:00.001-06:00

A tired author in front of the display outside of Philadelphia. We had 175 people attend, magic, Radio Disney and a TON of fun.

Next stop was Corte Madera, near San Francisco, and another great event. Dave was in rare form telling our snake story (see below).
Ridley

Cleveland

2007-11-03T07:37:00.000-05:00

Who would have thunk? But Cleveland turned out to be one of the best stops so far on the tour. We had a pretty wild time on WMJI Radio's the Lanigan & Malone Morning Show. Then we saw Cousin Brucie at our TV event. The Joseph-Beth signing was made more memorable by my cousin Les and Jerry (her husband) showing up. Thanks to all who attended. On to Philadelphia today. Here's something to ponder: we speak 2PM-4PM in Philadelphia, and 4-6PM outside of San Francisco a day later.
Thanks to the Boldt and Killer Weekend readers who braved the event at Joseph-Beth to say hello.

More Fun (in Chicago)

2007-11-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

We had a great time on Halloween as readers came ready for the night.

Halloween on Tour

2007-11-01T15:36:00.000-05:00

Dave and I encounter the Big Bad Wolf, a Night Before Christmas character in the airport, and a relevant street sign, while in Chicago on Halloween.

Rundoon Tour-Day 2

2007-10-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

Dave and I spoke to patients and some kids from nearby schools while at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, in New York City.
We had a terrific time and met some great kids. They enjoyed the telling of the snake story most of all.
We wish everyone well. Nothing like visiting a hospital to get your priorities straight...
This afternoon we have radio here in NY and the reading for the 92nd St Y tonight.... Ridley

The Starcathers Tour - Day 1

2007-10-28T15:59:00.001-05:00

Dave (Barry) and I kicked off our Peter and the Secret of Rundoon tour with an amazing party at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida. We had a terrific turnout (thank you!) but also the book store went "all out" with pirate costumes, flags, decorations, events for the kids, Radio Disney, and ...
an 11', 95 lb, python that we had to hold while read from the book. Not only was it absurdly heavy, and constantly moving, and slimy, but after this shot, it curled around me and laid its head on my shoulder and steadily hissed into my ear, to where I was convinced I was going to be its dinner, while 300 people looked on.

(notice the Mickey Mouse ears I get from the eyes of the pirate flag—this confirms it was a Disney event!)

Anyway it was a wild start to what I'm sure will be an equally wild book tour. We look forward to meeting many of you on the road—just one thing: don't bring any snakes.

Ridley
10/28 – on way to NY to begin the 2 week tour

The Starcathers Tour - Day 1

2007-10-28T15:59:00.000-05:00

THE KINGDOM - film review

2007-09-20T06:29:00.000-05:00

The Kingdom - film review

BEWARE of statements like "You've never seen anything like it." Because of course you have. With the preponderance of a twenty-four hour news cycle and the internet, there's not much any of us miss. But that said: The Kingdom, a film about three determined FBI agents working to identify and prosecute a terrorist cell inside Saudi Arabia, is going to shake you to your core. I'm going to oversell this film, so please take that into consideration—it may not be for you at all. But I loved it. It took me to places I haven't been in film in a long time: to the core of my soul, trembling like a child.

I've written for film, and television, so I tend to both watch and study what I see. I break it apart into acts. I actually visualize the dialogue as written text as it's being spoken. It's a curse and a blessing. A blessing because I hope it makes me a better writer. A curse because I seldom get so carried away by a film that I'm not in this study phase.

Until The Kingdom. My comment to my wife on the way out of the theater: "I think I held my breath for the last twenty minutes. I don't remember breathing." At the twenty minute mark, nearing the end of the all important first act (of three) my wife leaned over and whispered, "I don't know if I can take this. It's so real." What she meant is it's so "right now." At first you're not sure if you're watching a film or CNN.

The movie opens with a snapshot history of Saudi Arabia's role in the Middle East that is so well laid out I would recommend the film for this alone. Your jaw drops as the narrator walks you through what you already know, or have heard a dozen times. But seeing it all strung together into a collage of missteps, a concise history of the West's bungling, is painful to your chest. Your eyes well. I think this may be where you stop breathing—with only two hours to go.

Jamie Foxx's participation concerned me when I saw the trailer, months ago. Didn't he just do Jarhead? Haven't we seen enough of Jamie in the desert? Nope. Nowhere near enough, as it turns out. The story isn't what I thought it might be given the trailer. It turns out it's an emotionally-charged, adrenaline laden, electrical shock treatment disguised as motion picture. Foxx's performance will put him on the same list as Brad Pitt come February. And Jennifer Garner! Who knew? I was such an Alias fan (on DVD, first season especially), and I reeled with Catch And Release and feared she was succumbing to big dollars for small films, the way many TV actors seem to go. But not Jen! She stands up in this movie, rid of all cliché, despite dialogue and situations that could reek of it, and lathers the screen with a deep remorse for things past, and a devil-may-care bare-it-all attitude toward the future.

But it is also the filmmaking that wows you. This film is as contemporary as Jesse James is antiquated. That they both work, and can go head to head in the same season speaks of Hollywood's diversity and artistic prowess. We are getting treated to directors who know their crafts and studios willing to let them do their best work. It's a great time to be a movie go-er, and if The Kingdom isn't at the top of your list this fall, then you're the poorer for it: You've never seen anything like it.

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES - Film Review

2007-09-06T13:19:00.000-05:00

THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
(Known here as "Jesse James")

In this moody, somber, biographical indulgence of the life and decline of Jesse James it may be the narrator, Hugh Ross, who gets the Oscar nod.

This is old-time film making, and once I had adjusted the WayBack Machine, I hunkered down and fell in love with it. We grow so accustomed to a dozen images a minute, of seeing a single scene from five different angles, that when a director takes a deep breath and asks us to do so as well, it's mildly disturbing at first. In Jesse James, we get a long shot of a Missouri wheat field in snow, and we hold on that long shot for as long as it takes the rider—Brad Pitt—to arrive. And boy, does Brad Pitt arrive. This is the most mature and well developed performance of his career. The ladies won't swoon; the guys won't grip the arm rests white-knuckled. But he delivers. I predict an Oscar nomination, but that's going out on a limb because I'm not sure the Academy can bring itself to support such a quiet, understated acting job. Pitt is a bi-polar, menacing terror, whose internal machinery is grinding with such friction that we can hear it echo around the theater. He plays it with superb reserve, making the one or two scenes of forced laughter gut-wrenching and nerve-wracking.

But it is, surprisingly, Casey Affleck's film. Who would have thunk? The rich resonance he brings to the Judas character of Robert Ford has you holding your breath. You feel sorry for him. You are surprised by him. You fear him. He is the kid with the pack of matches at the gas pumps, the wild dog busted out of his cage, the simpering girl in pigtails sitting on a dagger. He is gorgeous and horrific all at once. His naive insecurity slowly devolves into an unearned confidence, and that's when you start to look away from the screen.

This is a two hour and forty minute film that gives you jet lag. It feels more like three or four. But that is its hallmark—the poetry of the landscape, the patience of a director and cinematographer who know how to put you into a time long forgotten. The audience experiences that era, we aren't just shown it. This is not a window into another time, this is one's transferal into that time, and its a quite the artistic accomplishment.

We know the end of the story going in—there are no tricks or slight of hand. The narrator jumps right in and tells us (as if we needed to hear it). So the more important element is the why, not the how. There's no math in the telling of the story. No complications to figure out. It's all character—rich, compelling characters—and landscape and texture and truth. Ten years ago it would have been heralded as a masterpiece. Now, sadly, impatient audiences may have no room for it in the Cineplex. And what a shame that is. It's about as boring as a John Singer Sargent. And if you have to Google that, then you won't love this film, as I did.

THE BRAVE ONE - Film Review

2007-09-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

THE BRAVE ONE

Prepare for the unexpected. If, like me, you've never met a revenge picture you like, The Brave One may prove itself the exception. This is because, despite itself, it's not really a revenge picture. It is more an artful character study of a woman's search for meaning in a violent world.

I abhor reviews that walk you through the plot while telling you they won't spoil the picture for you. So I will give you the thumbnail: bad things happen to a normal woman, and in preparing to defend herself she finds a unquiet peace in fighting back.

I'm a big Jodie Foster fan. My one regret is she doesn't make more pictures. I assume that's because she waits for the right property to come along. That's why when I viewed the trailer to The Brave One I panicked: Jodie had made a revenge picture. Could it possibly be? So I viewed the preview based on trust—in her choices—and I wasn't disappointed. It is a marvel to watch her steady decline, emotionally and physically, into the abyss. It is not easy going—this film does not work to make the viewer comfortable. I squirmed through most of it.

The first act—roughly the first third of picture—is the weakest. The early romance is stiff and unconvincing. The director contrasts brutality with love making in elegant counterpoint and juxtaposition, but I found myself reaching for an airplane bag that wasn't there. Relief comes in the form of Terrence Howard, whose performance is one of a gloomy presence, a steadfast determination motivated by his own inability to do what he knows is right. He plays this moral ambiguity with bravado and his wonderful speaking voice transforms his performance. His angst helps him to fill the screen. His sidekick, played by Nicky Katt—of Boston Public--gets the best lines in the picture—and delivers the only laughs, which arrive like air to a drowning man.

Once "Jodi gets her gun," and her courage, the movie takes off. The more a hero, the more a failure, and this is the through-line that intrigues the viewer. It's also what prevents this from being a straight up revenge picture, which, in the end, is what saved it for me. I liked this film, but unlike Silence of The Lambs, I'm unlikely to see it again. It's a film that takes its toll; but that's just the point: The Brave One is a film, not a movie.
The popcorn sits on the floor while watching this one; you must remind yourself to breathe. But when you finally do breathe again, it is a breath of relief, even though the film fails to deliver the correct ending.

There is a sign shown early in the film that reads: Stranger's Gate. I assume this was the working title, for it's thematically pitch perfect. Why The Brave One, I'm not sure—ask the studio executives. But Stranger's Gate says it all. The characters who people this film are strangers to each other, and ultimately strangers to themselves, which is what makes it such an intriguing and interesting—if not disturbing—film to watch.

ON TOUR

2007-07-20T09:34:00.000-05:00

The tour has gone well. Great to see readers and have time to talk. Killer Weekend hit the New York Times, Barnes and Noble and the Wall Street Journal best seller lists, which keeps both the author and the publisher happy.

I was able to visit my friends at Disney Theatrical yesterday and to see a piece of the the technical rehearsal for the upcoming Little Mermaid production. Fascinating to watch, and the tiny piece of the show I saw was impressive. Felt like a "hit."

It's Harry Potter night tonight. Guard your broom. A little strange to be on tour during all the Harry Hype, but then again, the booksellers are excited so it makes for a good atmosphere. I'm 10 cities into a 15 city tour. Countdown is underway!

I see some film producers on Monday about one of my YA projects. Had a great interview yesterday on Mitch Albom's radio show; keeping up with Mitch is next to impossible, but he has both a TV film underway and is writing a script for a major film star. What a world.

Meanwhile, in the theme of Where in the World is Matt Lauer; Where in the World is Dave Barry?

Ridley

FREE SHORT STORY

2007-07-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

Amazon has posted exclusive download of my action-piece called THE CHASE that introduces Walt Fleming.

Look for the link under the image of the book cover.

I hope you enjoy meeting Walt.

Ridley

Questions from a library

2007-06-23T09:21:00.000-05:00

A library is featuring Killer Weekend as a pick of the week. Here are the questions they asked, and I answered...

Question #1: What was the last book you read?

1421 How China Discovered America

Question #2: What is the next book you plan to read or are currently reading?

Mayflower

Question #3: If you could make everyone read one particular book, what would it be?

To Kill A Mockingbird, followed by a close second: Rebecca

Question #4: How do you work reading into your weekly schedule?

I read at night before bed, and I read a great deal when I travel, and I travel a great deal. Even so, I wish there were more hours in the day, because I'm rarely satiated with reading!

Question #5: Why do you read?

My mother makes me. (Just kidding.) Reading is a portal to other places and other times, past, present and future. It is both entertainment and education, a chance for the imagination to take over the much over-worked and inundated senses. It is an intimate look into either a time or place through another's eyes, and therefore has elements of secrecy and sharing. Finally, reading is the mind's calisthenics, and I'm afraid of what I might become without it.

KILER WEEKEND DISCUSSION&QUESTIONS

2007-06-15T07:25:00.001-05:00

Killer Weekend will be published by Putnam on July 10th. It's a new series, set in central Idaho, with a mixuture of town/backcountry rich/not-so-rich and wildlife. The story revolves around a female NY politician delcaring her candidacy for president at a major business conference being held in Sun Valley, Idaho -- an assasin's plan to kill her, and the local sheriff's desperate effort to untangle the threat in time.

The Killer Weekend prologue is now posted on www.ridleypearson.com

Amazon blog is up

2007-06-04T07:08:00.000-05:00

I am blogging on Amazon Connects now as well. For those of you who want a free short story, exclusive to Amazon, you'll want to keep checking back on Killer Weekend's page -- it will be posted soon.

----

Just back from the Book Expo in New York City, where Dave Barry and I signed copies of Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, and I signed for Killer Weekend. The ROCKBOTTOM REMAINDERS, Stephen King, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom et al, performed both on Good Morning America and at Webster Hall, raising money for Dave Edgers' New York 826, and also for Get Caught Reading.

But the highlight of the weekend was, when Dave and I couldn't get a cab at midnight, following the Remainders show, we were approached by a pedacab driver named Omar, who then pedaled us 20 blocks to the band hotel. It was a surreal moment, but one of those weird other-worldly ones I won't soon forget.

I got home last night to our new dog, Tater, who is about the size of a bedroom slipper, running around like crazy while my daughters and I watched the first Harry Potter movie. The contrast to a jam-packed trip to New York couldn't have been more. But just guess where I'd rather be?

Have a good week. There are two surprises coming up on Amazon (for Killer Weekend) in the next week or two. Keep your eyes out. One is a video Dave Barry and shot; the other is a free short story we're offering....

Ridley

Questions for Ridley - APRIL

2007-03-26T06:51:00.000-05:00

I'm back -- after several copyedits, publicity meetings and spring break (a working 2 weeks for me).
Fire away. I hope to answer daily.

Ridley

BOOKS, FILM, and TV - April

2007-03-26T06:50:00.000-05:00

Here's a spot to discuss books (anyone's), film and TV Shows of interest.
(nearly) APRIL 2007
I will participate often in this blog.

Baseball, Life and General Discussion-APRIL

2007-03-26T06:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a spot for readers to blog on whatever topics they want.
-April (or just about) 2007

JUST TALK (#2)

2007-02-01T18:41:00.001-06:00

Here's a place to just toss stuff around.
Feb 1, 2007

A Hint at a Future Book

2007-01-12T11:20:00.005-06:00

Here's a hint
at the topic of a book I'm working on.
Happy clicking....
Ridley

The Drive

2007-01-02T09:45:00.000-06:00

Returning from holiday in Idaho, (we drive because of our dog, Cairo) our family set out in our 4 wheel drive for Denver, believing they just might get I-70 reopened. Since we normally take I-80 we kept our eye on Wyoming (closed the day before) and with it reopening, went the northern route. We knew we couldn't drop down to Denver from Cheyene, our usual route, so we stayed with the trucks on 80 and headed east, reaching North Platte for dinner and a much needed overnight. We awoke to 1" of frozen rain on I-80 and drove the next 120 miles in a little over 7 hours. Crazy roads. We bailed, and headed south to Salina, KS, driving over what behaved like broken concrete for the next 3 hours. Reaching a rainy I-70 was heaven! 7 more hours and we were home in St. Louis. What a trip!

The only thing that saved us was a Christmas gift to ourselves of Sirius radio. Phenomenal entertainment experience. As Marcelle, Paige and I listed to Eragon on my i-Pod, our youngest bopped to Disney Radio for nearly 6 hours of the drive. Then I caught the Rams live in the last game of the season.

We're home safe and sound, but I'm two thumbs up on Sirius. If you haven't tried satellite radio... wow... there's a BIG difference.

R

PS: just finished Devil in the White City. What a read! I have Jeff Parker's next on my reading table: Storm Runners. Jeff is one of the best out there. RP

Please Let it Be Whale Vomit, Not Just Sea Junk

2006-12-19T06:37:00.000-06:00

Please Let It Be Whale Vomit,Not Just Sea Junk

Gordon M. Grant for The New York Times

Dorothy Ferreira with a gift from her 82-year-old sister in Iowa. In a post-whaling age, she has yet to find someone who knows whether it is truly ambergris.

Holiday Cheer

2006-12-16T10:41:00.000-06:00

Here's a man who got creative about a bothersome neighbor:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/risque/ventcover.asp

Next time, check the view.

Naked

2006-12-16T09:45:00.000-06:00

I've been invited to contribute weekly to:

www.nakedauthors.com

Do any of you visit this blog? Do you have interest in it? Would you come visit me if I moved over there on Thursdays?

Ridley

Happy Holidays

2006-12-16T09:42:00.000-06:00

The December Newsletter is out. The cover of Killer Weekend will be posted soon.
Have a great holiday. I'm off chasing reindeer.
Ridley

All The News That's NOT Fit To Print

2006-11-20T15:07:00.000-06:00

Watch the placement of the fork, please.
Check out what a restaurant is serving in Beijing.
(look a few graphs down the page under "Entrepreneurial Spirit")
Ouch!

Messing with de frogs...

2006-11-18T08:37:00.000-06:00

Frogs are taking a hit in the Northwest.
This might be a crime for Boldt... if he were a microbiologist.

What Can Brown Do For You?

2006-11-07T13:29:00.000-06:00

A creative inmate makes his break.

Dave and I get FAME-ous

2006-11-01T13:26:00.000-06:00

Dave and I are appearing in Orlando this week.
We're also signing at the Contemporary Hotel (WDW) 5PM-8PM on Friday.
Anyone in the area?

Austin Arrival

2006-10-27T06:58:00.000-05:00

I'm wondering if THIS is why they asked me down here.
Do I fit in?

One Loooooose Cat....

2006-10-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

You have GOT to be kidding me!
This is one LOOSE CAT.

Questions For Ridley

2006-10-16T15:39:00.000-05:00

Go ahead, ask....

OTHER AUTHORS

2006-10-16T15:38:00.000-05:00

Chat about other authors...
(as if they exist!)

WORLD RECORD

2006-09-29T08:37:00.000-05:00

Dave and I are part of Florida's attempt to break a world record.
Video of the event is HERE.

Wouldn't Want To Miss This...

2006-09-25T08:46:00.000-05:00

The State Of Florida is attempting to break the world record for the most people reading a book at the same time. They chose Peter and the Starcathers. You wouldn't want miss the Public Service Announcement that Dave and Ridley did for the Public Broadcasting.

Go down this opening page to a list of highlighted links. There is our PSA.

Happy viewing.

Smile: You're under arrest

2006-09-20T18:52:00.000-05:00

In Minneapolis, on book tour with Dave (Barry), he convinced me that you could "smuggle" your forbidden toothpaste through security by placing it in the front pocket of your jeans. So I did it.

I set of the alarms. I was "wanded." They found a pen. Some change. And then...

THE TOOTHPASTE!!

and the TSA agent made noises like he favored taking me away to wherever you're taken to when TSA thinks you're a terrorist. Thankfully his superior intervened -- took a look at the toothpaste and told him to throw it out and let me go, or I might still be in lock-up somewhere, trying to get a lawyer before they fly me to Syria for "debriefing."

Live and learn. My teeth might look yellow, but I'm still on book tour.

Ridley

Don't Forget the Tour-and AUTOGRAPHED COPIES

2006-09-15T09:10:00.000-05:00

Dave Barry and I leave Sunday for...
THE TOUR

I hope to see some of you while on the road. But don't forget, you don't have to show up to get...

AUTOGRAPHED COPIES of any Ridley book, or any of the Starctachers books. You can email or call any of the stores on the upcoming tour, and they'll hold new books for you--and we'll personalize them; or send your books to the store with return postage, and we'll sign them for you.

Ridley

Most Unusual Story You've Heard

2006-09-15T09:07:00.000-05:00

I'm enjoying the "Your Story" contributions so much, and getting SO MANY ideas, that I wanted to add a section on strangest crime story you've heard of, but maybe weren't a part of. Again, please don't just make it up (that's my job!). But if you know of a real crime, write about it. If you can include date and area of the country, that might help me research later. Go for it.

Tell Your Story

2006-09-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

INKSMUDGE gave a great story under the EWWWW and ICCCCKKK story posted yesterday. But it gave me the idea to ask for your "crime" story. Please keep 'em true: okay? But if you've had a brush with something weird or seen a crime go down and want to share it -- here's the spot. And I just might use some of them in a novel. But please, no fiction -- that'll just muck it up.

As Low As It Gets....

2006-09-12T08:34:00.000-05:00

Next time you enter a Blue Box, check the seat.
Don't you wish you could hit the handle and flush guys
like this down the drain...?

I love a Parade

2006-09-08T08:21:00.000-05:00

Your chance to throw rotten eggs

See bottom of page....

New Splilt

2006-09-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

What does anyone think about the new

SPLIT

to the website? We've tried to draw some lines to make adults, and young readers alike, feel more at home. Entering the YA side is fun... I think...
Ridley

Mercury Rising at Ivy League

2006-09-03T08:35:00.000-05:00

Strange Theft leaves authorities baffled.

When I was writing No Witnesses (a Boldt novel) I interviewed an infectious disease specialist about what poison could be stolen and later used to contaminate soup in an effort to kill. This article struck me as so similar: someone stealing a substance that over time might be used for.... well, you'll see.

Killer Weekend UPDATE

2006-08-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

The copyedit to Killer Weekend has arrived. And today I had my phone interview, a follow-up, with Sheriff Walt Femling, upon whom the book's central character, Sheriff Walt Flemming, is based.
Thankfully all the procedural work passed muster. I haven't dared to look at the copyedit (received last night), but it has to be in the mail by Tuesday, so I'm going to get on it. My publisher gave me five days to complete it -- 3 of which are a holiday weekend -- welcome to publishing!
Ridley

I Think Interactive Television Is Catching On

2006-08-27T15:56:00.000-05:00

Beats Tivo for interactive entertainment.

Chubby hates Country Music

2006-08-27T15:50:00.000-05:00

This is why I don't mount animal heads in my living room.
(only in the bedroom)

Beachcomber Barf Bags

2006-08-25T17:52:00.000-05:00

Get rich while enjoying a day at the beach.