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Rick Skwiot
136 ratings | 108 reviews | avg rating:3.90

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Rick Skwiot

Goodreads Author


Born
in St. Louis, Missouri, The United States
Website

Twitter
rickskwiot

Genre
Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction

Member Since
October 2010


Rick Skwiot's critically acclaimed novel "Fail: A Carlo Gabriel Mystery" was re-released by Antaeus Books in fall 2020 in both paperback and Kindle versions. Skwiot is the author of three previous novels--the Hemingway First Novel Award winner "Death in Mexico," the Willa Cather Fiction Prize finalist "Sleeping With Pancho Villa," and "Key West Story"--and two memoirs: the highly praised childhood memoir "Christmas at Long Lake," and "San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: Memoir of a Sensual Quest for Spiritual Healing." His new novel "The Bootlegger's Bride" is slated for July 2025 release by Amphorae Publishing Group.

He's taught creative writing at Washington University in St. Louis and served as the 2004 Distinguished Visiting Writer at the Uni ...more

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Rick Skwiot The initial seed for FAIL was planted by my colleague and fellow author John Leslie over lunch one day, when I told him about my attempt once to teach…moreThe initial seed for FAIL was planted by my colleague and fellow author John Leslie over lunch one day, when I told him about my attempt once to teach remedial grammar to inner-city college freshmen, who had gone through 12 years of education in the St. Louis Public Schools but still had trouble putting together grammatically correct sentences. He said, "You should write a book about that." I initially dismissed the idea, saying, "It's a short story, maybe." But the idea took root and, after a couple years, blossomed into an urban mystery.(less)
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Rick Skwiot The best thing about being a novelist is being able to put to use everything you've experienced, everything you know, everything you feel, to create s…moreThe best thing about being a novelist is being able to put to use everything you've experienced, everything you know, everything you feel, to create something out of nothing, something with substance that endures. Including characters and events and stories and places and ideas that exist due only to your hand. Nothing else I've ever attempted requires so much of me or gratifies me as much. (less)
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Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.0 · 246 ratings · 75 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors
Fail: A Carlo Gabriel Mystery
3.95 avg rating — 80 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions
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Christmas at Long Lake - A ...
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2005 — 3 editions
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Key West Story
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions
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Sleeping with Pancho Villa
4.15 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 1998 — 4 editions
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The Bootlegger's Bride
3.96 avg rating — 26 ratings — 2 editions
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San Miguel de Allende, Mexi...
3.96 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2010 — 3 editions
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Death in Mexico
3.89 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions
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Flesh
4.43 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1998
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Winter at Long Lake: A Chil...
4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2003
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[(Fail)] [By (author) Rick ...
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24 posts
Rick Skwiot's Blog

A Perennial Aid in Understanding Fanatics

Anyone wanting to understand the psychology, motivations and goals of fanatics—and we...

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Rick is Currently Reading

Lonesome Dove
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Mar 10, 2022 10:45AM
Nostromo Novel by...
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Feb 22, 2022 12:02PM
Collected Stories
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Feb 20, 2022 11:20AM

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Rick Skwiot wrote a new blog post

A Perennial Aid in Understanding Fanatics

Anyone wanting to understand the psychology, motivations and goals of fanatics—and we...The post A Perennial Aid in Understanding Fanatics appeared fi Read more of this blog post »
Sep 17, 2025 01:07AM  · 
Rick Skwiot rated a book really liked it
Precipice by Robert Harris
Precipice
by Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)
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While other leaders were striving to avoid a European war in 1914, the love-and-liquor besotted 60-year-old British Prime Minister H.H. Asquith was writing 560 love letters (as many as four a day) to comely 26-year-old heiress Venetia Stanley (much t ...more
Feb 04, 2025 08:18AM  ·   · see review ·  preview book
Rick Skwiot made a comment in the group Goodreads Authors/Readers — best literary Christmas books topic
" Here's a link to my take on some of the best holiday reads, my favorites:

https://shepherd.com/best-books/liter...

Other opinions? ...more "
Nov 29, 2024 10:00AM
Rick Skwiot made a comment on his review of Sunday
Sunday by Georges Simenon
" Hi, Nick... I just now read your comment... I like also what Simenon has to say about writing craft, always admonishing himself to "cut, cut, cut." He ...more "
Nov 28, 2024 08:03AM  · see review
Rick Skwiot made a comment in the group Goodreads Authors/Readers — Introduce Yourself! topic
" Hello... I'm Rick Skwiot and have worked as a writer of one sort or another for virtually my whole adult life... My new historical novel "The Bootlegg ...more "
Nov 21, 2024 09:20AM
Rick Skwiot joined the group Goodreads Authors/Readers
26989
Nov 20, 2024 05:52AM  · 
More of Rick's books…
Quotes by Rick Skwiot  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“There are three things a man must do before he dies: plant a tree, father a child, and write a book.”
― Rick Skwiot, Sleeping with Pancho Villa
tags: inspirational
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“I do not drink from this jug every day. But sometimes at night when the wind blows and I am alone and feeling very solitary, it is my only friend and comfort. Right, Pancho?”
― Rick Skwiot, Flesh
tags: alcoholism
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“Chinga a los ricos!”
― Rick Skwiot, Flesh
tags: haha, jajajajaja
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26989 Goodreads Authors/Readers — 55307 members — last activity 1 hour, 8 min ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more

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