Agatha Christie comes to Torrington

Goshen Community Theatre in Torrington presents Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" Oct. 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. in the Eastern Wyoming College Fine Arts Theatre. Tickets are $9 for adults, $7 for seniors and students over 12, and $5 for those under 12. All seats $5 on Oct. 17! Funded in part by a grant from the WAC. FMI: gctheatre2002@yahoo.com

From the blogs: Jack Nicholson and Josh Brolin attached to star in C.J. Box's "Blue Heaven"

Local writer Karen Cotton has posted on her blog a nifty Q&A with mystery writer C.J. Box. It's all about writer's block ("a writer without ideas") and news about upcoming films made from C.J.'s novels. Are you ready for Jack Nicholson, Joe Pesci and Josh Brolin in "Blue Heaven?" We are... C.J. says that they are "attached" to the film which is Hollywood-speak for an almost-done deal. Wonder if Josh Brolin will be playing the part of rancher Jess Rawlins? Seems like a great fit. Go to http://lifeisassweetascottoncandy.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/380/

Mystery novelist Robert Greer of Wheatland hits the road April 14 with new novel

North Atlantic Books, publisher of Robert Greer's new novel, "Astride a Pink Horse," sends this info on the Wheatland's author's tour schedule: 

Publication date: March 27, 2012; North Atlantic Books, distributed by Random House; Hardcover; ISBN: 978-1-58394-369-4 (1-58394-369-2); $23.95/$26.95 CAN; 6 x 9; 376 pages).

Group author signing

Saturday, April 14th from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Whistle-Stop Mercantile ~ Books, Espresso & Deli
200 S. 3rd Street
Douglas, WY 82633
(307) 358-3663

Author talk and signing
Friday, April 20th from 4-6 p.m.
The Thistle
1243 Rumsey Ave.
Cody, WY 82414
(307) 587-6635

Reading and/or signing (TBD)
Saturday, April 21st from 1-3 p.m.
Sheridan Stationery, Books, & Gallery
206 North Main St.
Sheridan, WY 82801
(307) 674-8080

Signing
Saturday, April 28th from 1-4 p.m.
The Storyteller
528 Broadway
Thermopolis, WY 82443
(307) 864-3272

New Joe Pickett novel from C.J. Box to be released March 20

New Joe Pickett novel from Cheyenne's C.J. Box. More info at www.cjbox.net

"Longmire" promo hits the airwaves

New "Longmire" promo on A&E, tied in with promos for "The Glades" and "Bag of Bones." Longmire the TV series is based on the mystery novels by Craig Johnson of Ucross. "Longmire" refers to Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire in the novels "The Cold Dish," "Another Man's Moccasins," etc. FMI: http://www.craigallenjohnson.com

Craig Johnson brings along Sheriff Walt for the "Booklovers' Bash" in Cheyenne Oct. 28

http://wwwwlaramiecountylibrary.org/foundation

Murder at a deactivated Wyoming missile silo at center of Robert Greer's new novel

Wheatland’s Robert Greer has a new book coming out in March 2012:

ASTRIDE A PINK HORSE
North Atlantic Books
Hardcover: March 27, 2012, ISBN-13: 978-1583943694

The Cold War ended years ago, or did it? For Thurmond Giles, a decorated African American Air Force veteran found dead, naked, and dangling by his ankles inside an entry tube to a deactivated minuteman missile silo in desolate southeastern Wyoming, the answer is no. The labyrinthine investigation that follows, led by Air Force fighter pilot Major Bernadette Cameron and ex-college baseball phenom-turned-reporter Elgin "Cozy" Coseia, reveals how the atomic era's legacy has continued to destroy minds and lives.

Robert Greer

Set in contemporary times, Astride a Pink Horse follows Bernadette, Cozy, and Cozy's eccentric boss Freddie Dames as they match wits with a gallery of unforgettable murder suspects: a powerful, politically connected cattle rancher, long bitter over government seizure of his land for defense purposes and the expulsion of his son from the U.S. Air Force Academy; a declining 76-year-old WWII-era Japanese internment camp victim and her unstable math professor nephew; an idealistic lifelong nuclear arms protestor; and a civilian Air Force contractor with a 20-year-old grudge against the murder victim. Do three amateur detectives stand a chance against these characters and the conspiracy that may be behind it all?

Robert Greer's trademark mix of vivid eccentrics, surprising plot twists, and political edge makes this one of his most memorable thrillers.

Ten episodes ordered for new "Longmire" TV series based on Craig Johnson's novels

Wyoming man of mystery Craig Johnson shares this bit of good news (from the Shelf Awareness blog): A&E has given Longmire, based on Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire Mystery series of novels, a 10-episode order, Deadline.com has reported. The pilot, which was directed by Chris Chulack, stars Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bailey Chase and Cassidy Freeman.

C.J. Box launches new book tonight at Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne

Cheyenne mystery writer C.J. Box celebrates the release of his new novel, “Back of Beyond,” on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 6:30 p.m., at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne.

Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of “Cold Wind” and “Blue Heaven,” C.J. Box, takes nail-biting suspense to a new level on August 2, 2011 with his latest release: “Back of Beyond.” Come hear C.J. Box do a short reading followed by a question and answer session. Have him sign your copy of the book (books available for purchase). Come early because space will be limited. (Adults, Cottonwood Room, 1st floor).

"Murder Rides Again... in Jackson Hole!" shows again in... Jackson!

Jackson Community Theater presents the second go-around of "MURDER RIDES AGAIN...in Jackson Hole!"

Enjoy a wacky wild west murder mystery dessert theater production, fun for the whole family!

This show will be presented for 3 nights each month through September.....on July 6, 7, and 8, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday evening. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Elk's Lodge. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children under 10 ~ includes dessert! YEEHAW!!

Come help Marshall Duke & Fester solve this zany excuse for a murder mystery and enjoy Miss Liddy's peach cobbler a la mode! Get your tickets at Valley Books and at the door. Call 307-690-8573 for more info and reservations.

"Murder Rides Again... in Jackson Hole" opens June 22

Jackson Community Theater presents "Murder Rides Again....in Jackson Hole," a wacky wild west murder mystery Dessert Theater show for the whole family. 

Discover how the West was fun!

Shows are June 22, 23, 24 at the Elks Lodge, 7:30 pm. Tickets available at Valley Books and at the door.

Call 307-733-7925 for more information. 

C.J. Box hits the road with "Cold Wind"

Cheyenne author C.J. Box hits the highway this week for appearances in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. In May, he's off to the South Carolina Festival of Books in Columbia, S.C. In July, he'll travel to the UK for the Harrowgate Crime Writing Festival. 

C.J.'s new novel is "Cold Wind." Read the first chapter here.


Here's his schedule for this week:

Mon, 04/04/2011 - 7:00pm

Ft. Collins, CO

Old Firehouse Books

232 Walnut St

Fort Collins, CO 80524

970-484-7898

http://www.oldfirehousebooks.com/

Tue, 04/05/2011 - 3:00pm

Casper, WY

Ralph’s Books

Hilltop Shopping Center

215 South Montana Avenue  

Casper, WY  82609

307-234-0308

Wed, 04/06/2011 - 7:00pm

Billings, MT

Barnes & Noble

530 S. 24^th Street West

Billings, MT 59102

406-655-9500

Thu, 04/07/2011 - 6:00pm

Sheridan, WY

Sheridan Stationery Books and Gallery

206 North Main Street

Sheridan, WY 82801

307-674-8080

Fri, 04/08/2011 - 5:00pm

Cheyenne

City News & Pipe Shop

1722 Carey Ave
Cheyenne, WY 82001

307-638-8671


WAC Notes: C.J. Box was awarded a FY 1992 creative writing fellowship from the Wyoming Arts Council. 

Novelist Craig Johnson on the road again

Novelist Craig Johnson of Ucross hits the road April 9 and doesn't return for quite a long time. Here's the schedule:

April 9, Saratoga Museum, Saratoga, WY

April 12, Nantes, France

April 13, Poitiers, France

April 14, Limoges, France

April 15, 16, Clermont-Ferrand, France

April, 18, 19 Brussels, Belgium

April 20, Namur, Belgium

April 21, Liege, Belgium

May 22, WYO Theater ‘High Noon’, Sheridan, WY, 7:00 PM

May 27, Ranchester Branch Library, Ranchester, WY, 5:30 PM

The release date for HELL IS EMPTY is June 2

The release date for JUNKYARD DOGS paperback is May 31

May 31, Blue Heron Books, Casper, WY, 7 PM

June 1, Buffalo, WY, The Office Book Shop, Buffalo, WY, 4:30 PM

June 1, Sheridan Stationary, Sheridan, WY, 6:30 PM

June 2, Barnes and Noble, Billings, MT, 7 PM

June 4, Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop, Mechanicsburg, PA, 4 PM

June 6, Chester County Books and Music, Westchester, PA, 7 PM

June 7, Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Pittsburgh, PA, 6 PM

June 8, Books and Company, Dayton, OH, 7 PM

June 9, Regulator, Durham, NC, 7 PM

June 10, Page and Palette, Fairhope, AL, 6 PM

June 11, I Love a Mystery, Mission, KS, 2 PM

June 13, Next Chapter, Milwaukee, WI, 7 PM

June 14, Booked for Murder, Madison, WI, 6 PM

June 15, Once Upon a Crime, Minneapolis, MN, 7 PM

June 16, Book People, Austin, TX, 7 PM

June 17, Poisoned Pen, Phoenix, AZ, 7 PM

June 18, M is for Mystery, San Mateo, CA, 2 PM

June 20, Viking Rep Dinner (private event)

June 21, Boulder Bookstore, 12:30 PM, lunch stock signing

June 21, Tattered Cover (Colfax), Denver, CO, 7:30 PM

June 22, Murder by the Book, Denver, CO, Noon

June 22, High Crimes, Longmont, CO, 7 PM

June 23-26, Jackson Writer’s Conference, Jackson, WY

June 28, Red Lodge Books, Red Lodge, MT, 4:00 PM

June 29, Fact and Fiction, Missoula, MT, 7:00 PM

July 1, Seattle Mystery Book Shop, Seattle, WA, Noon

July 1, Whodunit Books, Olympia, WA, 7 PM

July 2, Murder by the Book, Portland, OR, Noon

July 2, Powell’s Books (Cedar Hills Crossing), Beaverton, OR, 4 PM

July 3, Sun River Books, Sun River, OR, 5 PM

July 4, Sun River Books, Sun River, OR, private party

July 5, Paulina Springs Books, Sisters, OR, 4 PM

July 5, Paulina Springs Books, Redmond, OR, 7 PM

July 6, Rediscovered Books, Boise, ID, 7 PM

July 7, The King’s English Books, Salt Lake City, UT, 7 PM

July 8, Main Street Books, Lander, WY, 6 PM

July 9, Powell Library, Powell, WY, Noon

July 9, Cowboy Bar, Meeteetse, WY, 7 PM

July 10, Cody Library, Cody, WY, 1:30 PM

C.J. Box's COLD WIND debuts March 22

Cheyenne mystery writer C.J. Box soon will hit the road with his new book, COLD WIND, set for a March 22 release. The book tour features 20 stops so far. C.J. gets an early start with a March 4 presentation at the Teton County Public Library in Jackson and a swing through Arizona, including sessions at the Tucson Festival of Books March 11-13 in Tucson.

The tour:

Laramie, WY
Tuesday, March 22

Cheyenne, WY
Tuesday, March 22

Denver, CO (two locations)
Wednesday, March 23

Orange, CA
Thursday, March 24

Houston, TX
Friday, March 25

Dallas, TX
Saturday, March 26

Oklahoma City, OK
Sunday, March 27

Lexington, KY
Monday, March 28

Cincinnati, OH
Tuesday, March 29

St. Louis, MO
Wednesday, March 30

Minneapolis, MN
Thursday, March 31

Des Moines, IA
Friday, April 1

Phoenix, AZ
Saturday, April 2

Albuquerque, NM
Sunday, April 3

Fort Collins, CO
Monday, April 4

Casper, WY
Tuesday, April 5

Billings, MT
Wednesday, April 6

Sheridan, WY
Thursday, April 7

Cheyenne, WY
Friday, April 8

Longmont, CO
Monday, April 11

Boulder, CO
Monday, April 11

For details, visit http://www.cjbox.net/appearances and check back in coming weeks for changes and additions.

Two more quilt mysteries by Barbara Graham in the works

Cody mystery author, quilter and Wyoming Writers, Inc., member Barbara Graham was interviewed by Jean Henry Mead for an Oct. 23 story on the mysterious writers blog. Here's a snippet from the interview:

Jean: What are you working on now?

Barbara: The third book in the series, Murder by Music: The Wedding Quilt will release next October and I am working on Murder by Vegetable: The Baby Quilt now. I also am trying to find a home for a suspense novel not connected to the series.

Robert Greer launches new CJ Floyd novel with signings in Denver and Wheatland

Platte County author Robert Greer has a new book featuring Denver African-American bailbondsman/detective CJ Floyd. Entitled First of State, it's a prequel to Robert's seven other CJ Floyd mysteries, set in 1971 after CJ returns from Vietnam and is learning the bail bond business from his uncle. Much of the action takes place in Denver's historic Five Points neighborhood.

Robert Greer will discuss First of State in Denver at the Tattered Cover (Colfax) on Thursday, October 21, 7 p.m., and at Murder By The Book on Tuesday, October 26, 5:30 p.m.; and in Wyoming at The Wheatland Mercantile Book Nook on Friday, November 12, 6 p.m.

Great review of the book by Jenny Shank at New West. Read it at
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/first_of_state_shows_denver_pi_cj_floyd_earning_his_stripes/C39/L39/

"Day for Writers" at Cheyenne Barnes & Noble

A "Day for Writers" at Cheyenne Barnes and Noble on Saturday, September 18, 10 a.m.–3 p.m

If you are an aspiring writer, please join local authors at Cheyenne B&N this Saturday for a day of inspiration and instruction.

10:00 — John Nesbitt – “The Plan”

11:00 — Joanne Kennedy– “Getting Started”

12:00 — Tina Ann Forkner– “Creating a Writing Community”

1:00 – Amanda Cabot — “Like Fine Champagne: The Art of Sparkling Dialogue”

2:00 – Discussion Panel: Writing & Publishing (Nesbitt, Forkner, Cabot, and Kennedy)

3:00 — Amanda Cabot – “Surviving Rejection and Other Detours on the Writer’s Path to Success”

FMI: B&N at 307-632-3000.

Ron Franscell's new book tracks "Outlaw Texas"

"The Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Texas" is a new book by Wyoming expat author Ron Franscell, who nows lives and works in San Antonio, Texas. Ron's a Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowship recipient (1996) and former editor of the Gillette newspaper. Many Wyomingites read his true crime book "Fall" about the infamous 1973 killing and rape of two Casper girls.

Ron sends word that the book is set to hit the shelves in two months (just in time for Christmas shopping), but you can pre-order at a discount from Amazon and B&N. Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Crime-Buffs-Guide-Outlaw-Texas/dp/0762759658/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271290160&sr=8-8

Here's a blurb about Ron's new book:

A fascinating journey through the Lone Star State’s unruly past -- with maps, photos, and more

Texas rightfully claims a celebrated place in the “wildest” West of both myth and reality—which makes it truly stranger than fiction that The Crime Buff’s Guide to Outlaw Texas is the first-ever travel guide to the many sites related to the Lone Star State’s renowned rambunctious past, complete with GPS coordinates that put you at the scene of the action.

From outlaws like Sam Bass and John Wesley Hardin to Bonnie & Clyde and Houston’s notorious Candy Man killer, Texas has dozens of places where true-crime buffs can actually stand close to history. For many readers, the attraction to these sites—some well-known, some obscured by time—is irresistible.

Written with the same fast-paced, gripping style that marked the author’s widely praised earlier work, The Crime Buff’s Guide to Outlaw Texas is an indispensable resource for both criminal-history enthusiasts and travelers. Each site description includes a concise summary of the location’s significance, historical context, maps, directions, and photos.

Absaroka County's finest on way to TV screen

Wyoming mystery writer Craig Johnson sends this:

A television series based on Craig Johnson's Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire from the Viking/Penguin novels is in development with Warner Horizon Television and TNT. Golden Globe and Emmy Award–winning Greer Shephard and Michael M. Robin (The Shephard/Robin Company) are executive producing alongside Hunt Baldwin and John Coveny, who are adapting the novel for the screen. Greg Yaitanes is attached to direct. Shephard and Robin are currently executive producers on The Closer (TNT). Among other projects, they executive produced Nip/Tuck (FX) and Trust Me (TNT), the latter created and produced by Baldwin and Coveny. Yaitanes is an executive producer and Emmy Award-winning director on House (Fox). Johnson is currently on tour with Junkyard Dogs, the sixth novel in the award–winning series. When asked who he thought should play the tough but tender sheriff, Johnson, who has been retained as a creative consultant, replied, "Gary Cooper, but he's not returning our calls."

Craig lives in Ucross. He was awarded a 1995 Wyoming Arts Council creative writing fellowship.

Date change for Craig Johnson book signing

From Sheridan Stationery Books & Gallery in downtown Sheridan:

Craig Johnson's book signing for his newest novel "Junkyard Dogs" has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 27th, 2010 at 5 pm. "Craig Johnson's award-winning Walt Longmire mysteries continue to find new fans, and "Junkyard Dogs" is sure to create many more devotees. The sixth book in the series is filled with Johnson's signature blend of wisecracks, Western justice, and page-turning plot twists, as the beloved sheriff finds himself star-deep in the darker aspects of human nature, in a story of love, laughs, death, and derelict automobiles." Stop by and say hi, have some refreshments, and get your books signed by Craig.