CONTEST RESULTS AND THE ANSWER TO THE MYSTERY QUESTION

We have a winner...two, in fact, to my trivia question about the philosophy major who went on to great things producing great books. But first the winners.

Tricia Schutz and Jo Dunsmoor are our winners. Congratulations! We had a lot of entries. Thanks to everyone who participated.

And the correct answer was Benjamin LeRoy, founder and current publisher of Tyrus Books, and the founder of Bleak House Books. In 2007, I first discovered Ben while looking at small independent publishers to whom I might peddle my un-agented manuscript. He was doing these podcasts, discussing the publishing world, interviewing writers and readers, and having some entertaining discussions. To my knowledge, no other small publisher was doing this, and it was pretty exciting. I learned a lot about submitting my work from those podcasts. And when I started reading some of his books I was very impressed.

I wasn't the only one. At the 2008 Edgar Awards, Bleak House Books had three authors up for nominations;  one each in the category of Best Novel (Reed Coleman’s Soul Patch), Best First Novel (Craig McDonald’s Head Games), and Best Short Story (Stuart Kaminsky in Chicago Blues). For a small publisher, I doubt if this had ever been done before, or since.

If you're an aspiring writer and want some good advice, Ben blogs over at Hey, There's a Dead Guy in the Living Room, with some other great bloggers.

If you like great stories and are looking for something new to read, check out the selection from this eclectic publishing house. He has an incredibly deep bullpen of talented writers. You'll find something here you like, whether you're a fan of cozies, noir, or just want something different. Some of my favorites are Victoria Houston, Michael Lister and Mary Logue. If you're undecided, pick up Between The Dark and the Daylight. This excellent collection has some of the biggest names in crime fiction.

You'll thank me. With cookies. Yeah, cookies would be nice.