I swear on a stack of Edgar Award Winners that I never thought I would be writing a sequel to Antler Dust.
But I have two problems.
The first problem is that I have a good idea for what's next for the
main character, Allison Coil. I always thought that some series books
put the main character through too much. Detective main characters?
Sure, they can be subjected to a series of crimes and murders and
mayhem. But non-detective main characters? Probably not. Nevada Barr
doe…
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Added by Mark Stevens on February 11, 2008 at 9:59am —
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OK, it's not the New York Times Notable Books list but it was
incredible to see Antler Dust on a best-of-2007 list, this one from Pop
Syndicate:
Best of 2007 - Angela Wilson
10. The Adventures of Guy, Written by a Guy (probably) Nor
…
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Added by Mark Stevens on January 13, 2008 at 5:25am —
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We are back in touch. The female hunting guide who inspired
Antler Dust years ago still guides in The Flat Tops Wilderness Area on
the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. A woman I met during a
book signing in Glenwood Springs told me how to find her. She had moved
a few towns over but was listed in the phone book. I suppose if I had
hired a detective -- anybody know a good one? -- I could have found her
years ago. But I liked the way this worked out. Anyway, we chatted on
the phone a few time…
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Added by Mark Stevens on December 23, 2007 at 1:01am —
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Antler Dust is
based on a woman I met many years ago while my wife and I were on a
day-long horseback ride.
We were staying at this guest ranch for a week
and this guide was simply A-plus. She was knowledgeable, fun,
articulate, patient, and seemed to enjoy the outdoors in a way that was
simply off the charts. Nothing was routine, every vista was to be
savored. She also took us int…
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Added by Mark Stevens on November 5, 2007 at 12:18am —
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Another great review of Antler Dust was posted today on www.frontstreetreviews.com. One wonderful sentence went like this:
"Antler Dust is a first-rate thriller. Though you know from the early
pages 'whodunit' the excitement is in the chase, which doesn't let up
until the very end."
And near the end, another nice one:
"Tight, straightforward writing and a never-let-up pace make Antler Dust
a superb debut novel for Stevens."
Hey, I love it. I'm lucky to…
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Added by Mark Stevens on October 10, 2007 at 12:29pm —
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I went to a book presentation last weekend by Connie Willis. Who?
Mystery writers and crime writers may not know her. I didn't know
her until the owners of the Denver Book Mall -- Nina and Ron Else --
told me I had to be there. I know a good recommendation when I
hear one. Nina and Ron know their stuff. Anything about books,
they know it. Connie Willis is a science fiction writer. And romance
(gasp) writer and "anything" writer. She stood there pleasantly and
chatted for 45 minutes or so, straig…
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Added by Mark Stevens on October 4, 2007 at 2:00pm —
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Last weekend I was at a Borders in Aurora, Colorado
signing books. One of my 14 sales was to a terrfiic, upbeat male reader
named Eli. He was a friendly customer -- completely open to the idea of
Antler Dust. Two days later, he sent me this e-mail message:
"I'm a few chapters in and so far love it. The prose is fresh and the
story moves along well; your style is great. There were a few parts
that seemed a bit too heavy on description but that's probably more a
personal…
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Added by Mark Stevens on September 27, 2007 at 11:53am —
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Just got back from Telluride. And have I got a tip.
Look for festivals to sell books. Look for people milling around. Look
for a nearby bookstore to sponsor your sales. I stood outside Between
The Covers in Telluride on Saturday selling copies of "Antler
Dust." Okay, I sold 26 copies in just a little over two hours.
They were flying. But people were in the mood to buy, devour, explore.
I believe festivals must make people well, carefree. They certainly
seemed open to the idea of buying something…
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Added by Mark Stevens on September 4, 2007 at 12:13pm —
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OK, gang, here's a question. I am really looking for tips and
advice on this one. I have done about 20 bookstore drop-in
signings. For the majority of these, I have sent ahead of time a
packet with large (11 x 17) posters and a bundle of flyers. In my mind,
the flyers would have been by the register and anyone who bought a
thriller or mystery would have had a flyer stuffed in their bag.
Uh....don't think it happened. Once in awhile I've seen the posters on
the door and windows, but I've also arr…
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Added by Mark Stevens on August 7, 2007 at 2:16pm —
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I am beginning to realize that your book has a life of its own.
You never know where it will wind up or who will be reading it -- or
exactly what prompted them to read it. I had never heard of
armchairinterviews.com but of course, now I love the site. This review
was posted on Amazon this week (below). In a word, thanks!
…
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Added by Mark Stevens on July 26, 2007 at 10:50pm —
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Some
people said it would be a mistake to schedule a book signing on
Saturday, July 21 in the wake of an aircraft carrier known as "Harry
Potter." I was in
Macdonald Book Shop in Estes Park, Colorado. This bookstore is
79-years-old. It's tidy, cozy and very well kept. The books
shine.
Just walking in makes you want to read. The staff could not have been
more friendly. Conservatively, I would say 50 percent of the customers
asked if there were any copies left of the final Harry Potter book. No,
t…
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Added by Mark Stevens on July 23, 2007 at 10:35am —
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I just finished reading a best-seller that has received terrific
reviews all over the place, "Stalin's Ghost" by Martin Cruz Smith. The
writing is dry, taut and the plot is fairly compelling. I didn't
absolutely love it but I must say there are some passages of dialogue
that are achingly good, especially between Renko and his girlfriend. I
haven't read every Renko book but one of my big problems was not being
able to "catch up" with Renko's world. Smith, I would suggest, does
little to bring the…
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Added by Mark Stevens on July 16, 2007 at 12:37am —
1 Comment
On Sunday last week I sold 20 books during two hours at a Barnes
& Noble. Well, actually, I sold 17 and the store had me sign
the remaining 3. One of the 17 buyers e-mailed me yesterday,
wanting to return the book because of all the f*cks and sh&ts and
even the "Good Christs." Of course, she repeated all those words
in her e-mail several times. She wanted my home address so she could
ship it back. Of course, I thought, a murder mystery set amid
hunters and animal rights protestors -- did…
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Added by Mark Stevens on July 11, 2007 at 11:25am —
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Wow. Yesterday while I was on a hike in the mountains, the
following review was posted on the Amazon page for "Antler Dust."
Here it is:
Economy of language, July 1, 2007
…
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Added by Mark Stevens on July 3, 2007 at 2:22am —
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I'm listening to John Dunning's "The Bookwoman's Last Fling" on CD.
Amazing narrator, great story...and main character, Cliff Janeway.
There's a scene in this book that I would like to nominate as one of
the darkest and funniest and most real scenes I've ever "read."
It's the scene when Cliff is stuffed in a car trunk. I know,
somewhat routine idea but the execution here is over the top, the way
he wakes up and starts to try to put the pieces together of where he is
and what's going on. Up until…
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Added by Mark Stevens on July 1, 2007 at 5:59am —
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I'm in the middle of a wonderful biography of Patricia Highsmith,
"Beautiful Shadow" by Andrew Wilson. I have always liked the darkness
in Highsmith's writings. My favorite titles are "The Story Teller,"
"This Sweet Sickness," the Ripley books, and "Strangers on a
Train." There are many more interesting novels in her collection,
too. What really strikes me about her writing is how much of it is
based on a very dark interior life. Anybody who reads it will be
rewarded with a glimpse into a writer…
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Added by Mark Stevens on July 1, 2007 at 1:01am —
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