Rice Starts Cooking

Okay, so Christopher Rice didn't make our list this week—but coming in at #18 on a fiction roster that includes Elmore Leonard, Dean Koontz, John Grisham (twice!), Nelson DeMille, etc., isn't too shabby—especially for an author who's not yet 25. Rice kicked off his 16-city tour just last week, so the publicity wagon is only now starting to roll. The author's second novel, The Snow Garden, was launched with a February 18 appearance on Rosie O'Donnell's show and a party the following night at New York City's trendy new Bungalow 8. His first reading (at B&N in New York City's Chelsea) drew more than 200 fans—on a holiday weekend, no less. It's interesting to note that, in his personal appearances, Rice isn't limited to talking about his book: the press kit from publisher Talk Miramax reports that Rice can discuss the ways in which his experiences as a gay man have informed his writing, and whether being the son of a top-selling novelist (Anne Rice) has helped or hindered his writing career. Whatever the opinions on the latter point, this Garden, with a first print of 82,500, looks set to bloom.

With reporting by Dick Donahue