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Archives - August 2018

Poisoned Pen Press, an independent publisher of mystery novels, was founded in 1997 by Robert Rosenwald (President and Founder), Barbara Peters (Editor-in-Chief), and their daughter Susan Malling. In recognition of their contribution to the publishing industry, Robert and Barbara received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2008 Bouchercon Crime and Mystery conference, and were given the Ellery Queen Award at the 2010 Mystery Writers of America’s annual dinner honoring “writing teams and outstanding people in the mystery-publishing industry.” This month marks the 21st anniversary of Poisoned Pen Press, and in this interview, Robert and Barbara reflect on the Press’s history --- including the first titles they published, the various challenges they’ve had to overcome, and their proudest accomplishments. They also identify the single most satisfying day they’ve enjoyed so far as publisher, the publishing trends they would like to implement (and reverse) if they had the power, and their primary goal for the Press over the next few years.
As historical fiction gains popularity with a broader range of readers, some who remember a time when the genre was shunned by publishers have asked “Why?” My answer is “Why not?” History provides us with everything we need for epic story plots --- suspense, mystery, intrigue, battles between good and evil, love and romance, even real superheroes. (Don't get me started on James Douglas!) With all this, it's no wonder millennials and 20somethings are becoming the fastest growing audience of historically based books and films. Sprinkled with fantasy and time-travel, a great story can capture the attention and satisfy the cravings of a generation of readers who grew up playing video games and reading Harry Potter.