Barbara Peters was born in Evanston, raised in Winnetka, Illinois,spent way too much time in graduate school, and founded The Poisoned Pen in 1989. With her husband Robert Rosenwald, she gambled onPoisoned Pen Press in 1997 where she is Editor in chief. Barbara has won the Raven and Quill Awards from the Mystery Writers of America (and been nominated for an Edgar for Best Biographical Work) and is a Bouchercon Fan Guest of Honor and Lifetime Achievement honoree. Meaning she’s turning into an antique…
John Goodwin I lived my early life in Ohio and Pennsylvania and moved to Arizona thirty years ago. I have been interested in books all my life, in fact, my employment at one valley bookstore chain virtually paid for my college education at Arizona State University. I have been involved in politics and real estate but have returned to my roots. My reading is diverse, usually literature or history, or gritty well written mysteries that have well developed characters and locales.
Patrick Millikin - I’ve been here at the PP since 1995 and I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I’m just not cut out for a real job. I’m the big noir fan here on the staff but I read pretty widely. I have a special interest in Southwestern history, blues and jazz music, etc. When I’m not here I enjoy working on various restoration projects for the 1920′s house where I live with my wife, Sandra, and a whole brood of animals. I’ve also become an amateur mechanic in my spare time, and am currently trying to bring a massive 1960 Cadillac Sedan Deville back to life.
David Brooks I was born and raised in London and return there as often as I can for a holiday. From London, I moved to San Francisco and spent a lovely four years by the Bay. Then it was on to Scottsdale, where I’ve been ever since. I inherited the reading bug from my father, who read mysteries constantly. My favorite authors are Peter Lovesey and Christopher Fowler.
Patrick King
I was born in Colorado, but moved down here with my folks when I was 15 years old. It wasn’t long after we moved here, that I volunteered and then was hired by Phoenix Public Library. During that time, Patricia Harrington (one of the Poisoned Pen’s former staff and a co-worker of mine at PPL) introduced me to the store; Barbara would occasionally call me up for the odd job (helping the store move, pack books etc) and eventually I ended up staying on permanently.
During my time here as an employee of the Poisoned Pen, I obtained my Bachelors in Biology and a Masters in Library Science (through the University of North Texas). I am a devout reader and enjoy reading just about anything; however, for pure enjoyment I love reading Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Graphic novels. My mystery tastes are very eclectic- from cozy to high action to noir- if it’s good, I’ll read it!
Will Hanisko I’ve worked at The Poisoned Pen for coming up on three years. The whole thing started out with an internship at the bookstore in conjunction with ASU. By now I’ve worked all aspects from opening boxes to booking events and I’m learning new things every day. I really like incorporating new elements like the blog and webcasting into a place with such a following and reputation. It can be quite daunting at times. I’ll read almost anything but, I’m partial to the more hardboiled stuff like Bruen, Raymond, Pelecanos, Thompson and Cain.
Lea Love Working at The Poisoned Pen is a perfect job for a bookworm such as me….reading is my escape. I enjoy so many authors, from Baldacci and Iles to Claire Matturro, Stephen King, Clive Cussler, James Rollins, and Sue Grafton. The Poisoned Pen is a family tradition: my daughter Megan was on staff some years ago.
Joanne Hamilton-Selway After 28 years with the Scottsdale Public Library, it seems I can’t stay away from books! I’ve been retired for one year now but while I was at Scottsdale Library, I bought the books, managed Technical Services and hosted a monthly cable TV show for the Library for 15 years, the first was called Booktalk, and then @ Your Library, so I may look familiar. Though I would love to write fiction, I’m better at non-fiction. I’m the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to The Ultimate Reading List (Alpha Books, 2007), the associate editor of Romance Today: an A to Z Guide to Contemporary American Romance Writers (Greenwood Press, 2006) and am working on the 2nd edition of The Mystery Readers’ Advisory (ALA Press). I read all kinds of genres and am enjoying reading classic mysteries but am easily distracted by shiny things and new books. And I panic if I don’t have something waiting to read after I’ve finished one!
Tracy Kingsley Although I’m a recent addition to the Poisoned Pen staff, I have been a customer for years. I first started coming to the store to attend author signings and got caught up in all things Poisoned Pen. For a book lover, this store is like cat nip to a cat.
Ariel Amsden I’m an Arizona native. I like to read Dark Thrillers, Horror, Sci-Fi and anything with a good Serial Killer. My favorite authors are Neil Gaiman, Suzanne Collins, Christopher Moore, Darren Shan, and Denise Mina. When not working at the bookstore, I’m doing various projects for The Poisoned Pen Press.