I just learned of the passing in early May of author Newton Thornburg, probably known best for his novel CUTTER AND BONE.  There is a longer article about him here at The Guardian.  When I was soliciting authors for blurbs, I found him in the phone book and wrote him a fan letter not knowing that his health was in decline. I hope that he knew that he had readers that were incredibly thankful for his contribution.

CUTTER AND BONE is one of the finest examples of California crime fiction that...