When the Davis-Kidd bookstore in Nashville held a retirement party recently for longtime bookseller Roger Bishop, it seemed only natural that the admirers in attendance would include many local writers: Ann Patchett and her mother, Jeanne Ray, Alice Randall, poet Mark Jarman, Paula Wall, Michael Sims, Susan Wiltshire and John Egerton were among those spotted. An institution in the Nashville book world, Roger has supported and encouraged countless authors during his years at several Nashville bookstores, including the last 13 years at Davis-Kidd.

Here at BookPage, we regard Roger as our own founding father—the person who first came up with the idea for a literary publication that would contain author interviews and book reviews. "There are so many excellent books that don't get that much attention," Roger says. "This was a good way to get the word out." In the early days, he produced what was then called BookTalk almost singlehandedly for the BookWorld stores.

In 1988, when Michael Zibart expanded the publication and renamed it, Roger became the first editor of BookPage, and he remains a contributing editor today, reviewing books in his many areas of interest, including history and literary biography. We're pleased to report that although he has retired from bookselling, Roger will keep his editorial role at BookPage, allowing our staff and readership to benefit from his amazing knowledge of and love for books.

VEGAS VACATION

Dear Burning Questions,

What ever happened to Susan Rogers Cooper? I've read the two Kimmey Kruse mysteries, but after that, the series ends. I really enjoyed them and plan on reading her other books, but does she plan on continuing this series?

Christina Marks
Warrensburg, Missouri

We recommend that you turn your attention to one of Cooper's other series, featuring Oklahoma Sheriff Milt Kovak. "Of all my characters, I have to admit that Milt, my first born, is, well, OK, I'll say it, my favorite," Cooper tells BQ from her home in Texas. Starting with The Man in the Green Chevy (1988) Milt has been featured in seven mysteries and will reappear in Vegas Nerve, due out in March from Minotaur. As for Kimmey Kruse, Cooper hasn't written a Kimmey novel since the mid-1990s and tells us she doesn't see another on the horizon.

CROW'S REST

Dear Burning Questions,

Can you tell me if Sallie Bissell is working on another Mary Crow book?

Shirley Waclawski
Baltimore, Maryland

In 2005's Legacy of Masks (Bantam) former Atlanta district attorney Mary Crow went to North Carolina to face an uncertain professional future, an uncertain romance and, of course, murder. "Mary has been through so much during the past four books that I'm giving her a well-deserved rest," Bissell says.

While Crow recuperates, Bissell is working on a "totally different mystery" set in Savannah and the north Georgia mountains. Her protagonist is Augusta, a portrait painter, "who one day begins to see a lot more about her subjects than any normal painter could." Bissell's mother was a portrait painter in the 1960s, so she says "much of this book feels like coming home for me." But, she adds, "never fear, at some point Mary will return—just not quite yet."

FIRE AND ICE

Dear Burning Questions,

I really enjoyed The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill and was wondering whether or not there would be a sequel.

Beth Tittle
Jerseyville, Illinois

Book two of the Icemark Chronicles, Blade of Fire, will be published next February by Scholastic. Hill's first epic fantasy, featuring snow leopards, werewolves and vampires, is being adapted for film by Fox Pictures. The heroine, a brave warrior-queen named Thirrin, was based on Hill's older sister, Kathleen, who died of leukemia at the age of 18. The sequel finds Thirrin's evil daughter Medea causing trouble in the realm.

ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER

Dear Burning Questions,

I really enjoyed reading The Patriots Club by Christopher Reich. It kept me on the edge of my seat. There is nothing better than a book whose story and characters grab you and don't let go until the last page. My question is: Is he working on something new?

Tina Venema
Waterloo, Ontario

The Patriots Club (Delacorte) recently won the first "Thriller" award for best novel from the International Thriller Writers Association, and Reich has another book in the works. After a period of extended research in Europe and the Middle East, he's putting the finishing touches on his next novel, to be published in fall 2007. At the center of the story is Jonathan Ransom, an American doctor and avid mountain climber, whose work with an international aid organization requires him to travel to some of the world's most dangerous hot spots. After a tragic accident in the Swiss Alps, Jonathan is forced to uncover secrets of a personal and political nature as he becomes involved in a far-reaching plot involving the Pentagon and the CIA. "Because of the twists in the plot, I can't give away any more than that," Reich tells BQ. "All I can say is that it's a roller coaster ride. You'll never see what's coming next. Everything in the book—and I mean everything—is based on fact. In the end, though, it's a love story. One man's decision to trust his heart."

Author photo by Richard Thacker Studio.

Winner's Circle

Congratulations to Stephanie Chevis of Lafayette, Louisiana, who won the Michelin contest in our June issue and received a Michelin Travel Kit, which included a digital camera and a Michelin Road Atlas.