First, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has followed this blog and posted comments– I apologize for being in absentia for so long! Suffice to say, it’s been a very welcome whirlwind since the top three finalists in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest were announced, and I found myself among them! There was a flood of support from friends and family (You rock!!), many inquiries from literary agents, and a mobilization to get out the vote, which included radio announcements and newpaper articles in my local Napa Valley Register and in my hometown of Sonora, CA. This is scan of their first article (when I made the top 100). What fun to do the follow-up!

Some Hometown Support!

And LOTS of valuable grassroots efforts from just about everyone around me.

While we weren’t given the vote totals, we were told it was “very close.” In the end, James King took the day with his wonderful novel, Bill Warrington’s Last Chance. A hearty congratulations to Jim!!! It was such a pleasure to get to know both of my fellow finalists, (Ian Gibson rounded out the trio, with his charming epic: Stuff of Legends), as well as their lovely wives. Let me just say that the public could not have gotten this wrong. The editors at Penguin picked three fine novels, and we were only three from among a great many rich voices in the semifinals. I know we’ll be seeing many of their books in print in the future…

For all of you who rooted for me and In Malice, Quite Close, you have my heartfelt thanks!! And I’m happy to say your votes weren’t in vain! My new agent, Elyse Cheney, is in the final stages of negotiation with Viking/Penguin now to publish it. Words (for once) can’t express how thrilled I am… It’s been a long and winding road (cue music) but this is it! Since I was 3 years old and learned to read, this has been my dream. Thanks to the fine folks at Amazon and Penguin and to all of you, it has come true.

Okay, so enough gushing for one post, huh? Want to tag along with me on my trip to NYC?!? I’m terrible when it comes to taking pictures, but fortunately I find myself married to a fabulous photographer, Eric Zachary Ryder, who documented our trip from start to finish… Naturally, I’ve added a few words of embellishment. Just click on the photo below to go the slideshow. For the best viewing experience, please follow the instructions at the top of the page. (It’s best to use the “Fullscreen” option and pause, then use the arrows manually so you can catch the captions.) Enjoy!!

Oh, and be sure to check out some of Eric’s beautiful fine art photos while you’re there!

En route! (JFK)

Anyway, here’s a look.

In Malice, Quite Close

In 1979 San Francisco, two fantasies collide. Fifteen-year-old Karen Miller longs to escape her lonely life and abusive father. For affluent art collector, Tristan Mourault, Karen is an exquisite, living objet d’art. He gains her trust, all the while plotting her abduction. Within a month of meeting, he executes a daring plan and she adopts a new identity— as his daughter, Gisèle. Thus, the two embark on an odyssey that spans fifteen years and two coasts: from San Francisco to New York, to the lush Pacific Northwest.

By the age of thirty, Gisèle is living a cloistered life of luxury, caught in a power struggle with the man who once captivated her. Tristan maintains the role of father to the world outside and Gisèle takes the role of daughter to new heights. She marries, has a child and engages in dangerous affairs, all while living with Tristan. Yet the lies compound and she finds herself in a vortex of blackmail and art fraud, jealousies and betrayal. And to protect her young daughter, Nicola, Gisèle tries once more to escape her life.

The tragic events that follow will bridge the chasm between her uprooted past and tangled present, and ultimately give truth to her life.

This is a literary story with wide commercial appeal, in the vein of Donna Tartt, Sarah Waters and Ian McEwan. A haunting psychological tale, it is at heart an investigation into the shifting, prismatic nature of identity. How well do we know anyone? How well do we know ourselves? It is Gisele’s story, yet she’s revealed only through the eyes of those around her—her husband, daughter, and the sister she left behind. Threaded with entries from Tristan’s disturbing journal, In Malice, Quite Close is classic literature wed to the modern page turner.

Perhaps I should have used a word cloud instead… (Courtesy of: www.wordle.net) It’s a great site. I did a cut and paste of my novel and it created this lovely “cloud” (actually more of a tornado) from the most frequently used words in the text. MUCH more fun than pitching!

Stay tuned to this blog to track my progress and participate!

Also: this is a supplement to the primary site for my novels: Brandi Lynn Ryder Feel free to drop in over there, and don’t forget to take a stroll through the gallery.

Step inside...