Ridley Pearson, sound familiar? If not, maybe you haven’t had a chance yet to pick up one of his books … there are 52 of them! The New York Times bestselling author of both crime/suspense and young adult adventure novels has received numerous accolades since his first book published in 1985. He has worked with such greats as Dave Barry to co-write Peter and the Starcatchers, which was adapted into a Tony-award winning Broadway play. His research has helped authorities solve numerous crimes, including one involving an FBI task force. Raised in Connecticut, Pearson and his wife moved to St. Louis 16 years ago to raise their two daughters. He reveals his wit and humor below.
Education: University of Kansas and Brown University
What I do: I write a lot—52 novels.
How I got started: I wrote a lot. More specifically, I wrote six hours a day for eight and a half years after I graduated college before my first fiction was published.
My first success in the industry: When my first novel, Never Look Back, was published. My first breakout best seller was Undercurrents, a story about police trying to catch the Cross Killer, a serial murderer in Seattle who had eluded police for months.
Where my ideas originate: Somewhere below my hair and above my neck.
Perks of the job: Do you have five hours? I could go on and on and on … I have the good fortune to be friends with people like Dave Barry, Stephen King and Mitch Albom. I have traveled the world both to research and teach writing. I have been invited to speak on the Disney Cruise Line! I’ve seen a story I co-wrote open on Broadway and win five Tony Awards. I’ve involved 150,000 students from around the world to help me write a book, Kingdom Keepers 7. I’ve had letters from parents of autistic and dyslexic children say that Kingdom Keepers got their child reading! But most of all, I’ve been able to be the father and husband I want to be by controlling my own schedule and being there when I am needed.
I write best when: I never stop creating/writing.
What’s up next: My latest book, Lock&Key: The Initiation, just published for the middle grades and up. It’s about the early days of James Moriarty in the Sherlock realm. So fun!
Favorite book and author: To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee
How I like to relax: Walk, read, watch sports, binge on great television
Hobbies: Learning to relax—see above.
When I was a child, I wanted to: Be Jacques Cousteau
Favorite vacation spots: London and New York; anywhere with theater
Why I moved to St. Louis: To raise our two daughters. My wife Marcelle and I decided we did not want to raise our children in a ski town (Sun Valley, Idaho) where values were not in line with our own. She attended Principia School here in St. Louis in the 1980s, and we visited for a fundraising event and instantly fell in love with the area and its people. We now have the good fortune to be a part of its community.
What I love about St. Louis: Everything! The way people smile, the St. Louis Symphony, the fact that it’s a 20-minute drive to anywhere.
Favorite restaurant or local spot: Herbie’s, Monsoon Vietnamese Bistro, Whole Foods
Biggest accomplishment so far: Being a father and husband. That one will never change.
