Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Thomas fell in love with the Oregon Coast while filming his signature role as Anthony Short. Then his estranged daughter, Heather, died there, and Thomas fled. Now, he returns, not to solve his daughter's murder, but to see if he can live with himself and his past. Only someone leaves mysterious notes, signed Your Daughter, and birds die on his porch. Strangers report a man in a cloak who looks just like Thomas, but the fans who follow him everywhere don't see anyone. But Thomas knows something strange lurks in the shadows. Then more people die and Thomas realizes he holds the key to it all. He alone can solve the crisis, if he only dares... "Rusch's Fa ade] is an exceptionally effective casebook of abnormal psychology... Rich and revelatory. The ending is perfect." -Locus "Like early Ray Bradbury, Rusch has the ability to switch on a universal dark." -the Times (London)

The Pan expect perfection of their living windchimes. The difference between a performer's life as the biggest star on Djap and a ruined career comes down to one mistake. When a child prodigy loses everything familiar, he must learn how to survive on a space station very far from home. And perhaps finally understand the life he almost lived. Winner of the Asimov SF Magazine's Readers Choice Award for 2009. " Rusch does] an excellent job in showing us the personal voyage of discovery the protagonist goes on, as his world, and particularly his appreciation of music, widens out step by painful step beyond the crippling artistic and emotional strictures of his youth." -Gardner Dozois Locus Magazine Rusch creates a memorable tale while exposing the reader to interesting musical and life lessons. -Tangent Online This is a disturbing story in places, with a few hard choices, but also a heart-warming and compelling one. As is often the case with Rusch, I wouldn't mind seeing more in this world. -Eyrie

California, a land of mystery, a land of magic. Assassins walk the streets alongside angels. Romance blossoms in the City by the Bay, while death stalks a Los Angeles science fiction convention. In this collection, find the first story featuring Rusch's popular character Spade, "Stomping Mad," as well as four standalone tales: "Ghosts," "The Perfect Man," "Monuments To The Dead," and "Spirit Guides." "...the always impressive Rusch can successfully tackle any genre she sets her sights on." -Barnes & Noble.com "Rusch is a great storyteller." -Romantic Times " Rusch's] short fiction is golden." -The Kansas City Star "Like early Ray Bradbury, Rusch has the ability to switch on a universal dark." -the Times of London

Two days ago, Moira escaped the Midwest with Kasey and her Barbie doll in the back seat of a beat-up van. Now, on sun-drenched Highway 95 in nowheresville Nevada, she wonders if she escaped at all. The residents of Hawthorne, one of the few towns in the desert and her ultimate destination, use bombshells as lawn decorations. She thinks Hawthorne marks the end of her trip; instead, it marks the beginning of one strange and scary adventure, one she and Kasey need to survive. Kristine Kathryn Rusch's crime stories are exceptional, both in plot and in style.-Ed Gorman, Mystery Scene MagazineRusch is a great storyteller-easily the equal of Patterson or Koontz. -Analog Rusch's] writing style is simple but elegant, and her characterization excellent.-Mark Morris, Beyond

Why can't Larissa remember the man who says she saved his life? Larissa Johanssen has spent her adult life running from her own memories of trauma. As a top-notch journalist, she immersed herself in stories of violence and disruption in other peoples' lives; she covered mass shootings and disasters on the national stage with her TV crew. She tried to make sense of the violence for her viewers. Until something in her broke. She escaped to a small Midwestern town to teach in the local high school. But you can't run away from your past-and a school shooting in Larissa's "safe" town makes clear there is nowhere to hide. In the midst of the tragedy, she finds something both terrifying and unexpectedly heart-warming. A story filled with surprises, Bleed Through belongs on everyone's reading list. " Rusch's] writing style is simple but elegant, and her characterization excellent." -Mark Morris, Beyond " Rusch] is one of those very few writers whose style takes me right into the story-the words and pages disappear as the characters and their story swallows me whole. ... Rusch has style." -Charles de Lint