Book Description

Twenty-two years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. In the years after, their father, John, taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America...and he taught them how to kill it.

Sam and Dean have set out on a road trip to the Grand Canyon, but this is no vacation for the brothers. On a stretch of deserted ranchland just beyond the canyon's stunning vistas, mysterious murder sprees have occurred every forty years. The area's inhabitants have been few and far between in years past, but a nearby mega-mall is about to celebrate its grand opening—and attract thousands of fresh victims.

The Winchester boys are determined to protect locals and shoppers alike, but they never anticipated they'd be fighting a group of killers this vicious, this vindictive, this . . . dead. A deadly horde of animal spirits and human ghosts has arisen to terrorize this tiny corner of the Arizona desert. If Sam and Dean can't figure out why, the wide-open spaces of the West will once again become a desolate frontier . . . and the witch's canyon will be the brothers' final resting place.

Source.

For WinchesterBros.com Exclusive Q&A with Jeff Mariotte, click here.

Click here for Jeff Mariotte blog entry on Supernatural: Witch's Canyon.

The first “Supernatural” novel, “Nevermore”, was received with mixed results by fans of the series. Many found the relative lack of action to be disappointing, and some of the additions to the continuity were questioned. For some, this was good reason to wonder if the tie-in novels would be a disappointment as a whole. Thankfully, fans looking for action should be more pleased with this installment.

On the whole, the story lends itself to the horror genre roots of “Supernatural”, pitting the Brothers Winchester against a curse set forth by a witch in rural Arizona. Every forty years, the curse unleashes a fury of death and murder. Resolving that problem requires a combination of research, careful cooperation with locals and law enforcement, and tons of rock salt. All the usual elements of a solid “Supernatural” episode are therefore represented.

On the positive side, the story never stops moving, and there are enough complications to force Sam and Dean to apply their strengths and contemplate their weaknesses. Observant readers will be able to anticipate a few key plot points, but it’s more about the process taken by the brothers to find the solution. That means solid characterization, and general speaking, the author gets the job done.

This does lead, however, to one complaint. A vital component to any superior “Supernatural” story is exploration of the brothers’ psychology. There are some nice moments in the book, particularly Dean’s memories of his difficult childhood, but there could have been a lot more of that material. It’s almost as if the two books slid towards two opposing extremes, and this was the novel dedicated to the action and style over depth of substance.

Because the scale of the curse was rather large, I found it hard to reconcile some of the reactions from the locals. The mayor and shopping mall manager seemed to be completely insane, ignoring the swath of death throughout the town. It was a more extreme version of the concept used on “Buffy”, where “normal” character would rationalize “paranormal” events, and in this case, it just didn’t make sense. It was so hard to swallow that it took me out of the story on several occasions.

Ultimately, this is still not going to please the fans looking for a literary masterpiece devoted to the Brothers Winchester. It’s a more active story, sometimes to the detriment of the book as a whole, and that makes it an easy enough read. With the effect of the writers’ strike soon to be felt, it’s worth saving for a cold and Winchester-less evening.

Click here for 'Supernatural: Witch's Canyon' on JeffMariotte.com and here for the book on Mysterious Galaxy Books.

Jeff Mariotte has talked a little about Supernatural: Witch's Canyon and the series' tie-in books on an interview he has done with SlayerLit. Click here to read.

Jeff Mariotte to guest on Phoenix Comicon, to be held January 26-27 at the Mesa Convention Center.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Phoenix Comicon 2008.

Copies of Supernatural: Witch's Canyon, signed by Jeff Mariotte, are now at Kayleighbug Books in Morristown, NY.

For more information, check Jeff Mariotte official blog, here.

Jeff Mariotte will be autographing Supernatural: Witch's Canyon on Saturday, May 10, 2008, 10:30 a.m. at Mysterious Galaxy, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite #302, San Diego, CA 92111.

Supernatural: Witch’s Canyon, released on October 30, 2007, is the second Supernatural tie-in novel.

Source: Mysterious Galaxy Books.

For WinchesterBros.com Exclusive Q&A with Jeff Mariotte, click here.

Jeff Mariotte will attend the "Things That Go Bump" panel at the San Diego Comic Con 2008, to take place on Saturday, July 26, 1:30-2:30.

"1:30-2:30 Things That Go Bump— Monsters and haunts continue to fascinate authors and readers alike. Authors who’ll be talking about these supernatural themes include Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box), Max Brooks (World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide), Adrienne Barbeau (Vampyres of Hollywood), Chris Marie Green (Vampire Babylon novels), Jeffrey J. Mariotte (River Runs Red), and Natasha Rhodes (Dante's Girl). Moderated by Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 5AB"

Mariotte will also give autographs at the Autograph Area on Saturday, 2:30 am–3:30 pm at AA1.

Source: San Diego Comic Con 2008.

Jeff Mariotte posted his Comic Con schedule on his blog.

Click here for Sci-Fi Online Supernatural: Witch's Canyon review.

Source: Keith R.A. DeCandido Live Journal.

Jeff Mariotte is about to go on tour to promote River Runs Red and Presidential Material: Barack Obama, but will happy to sign anything brought to him, old or new. The tour will start October 4, and will end on November 9.

For the tour dates and locations, please click here.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Jeff Mariotte has added another event to his tour: October 15 at Douglas Public Library, Arizona.

For the rest of the tour dates and locations, please click here.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Jeff Mariotte posted new information for his Phoenix signing. For the details, click here.

For the rest of the tour dates and locations, please click here.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Jeff Mariotte is scheduled to attend TusCon 35, to be held November 7-9, 2008 at the InnSuites Hotel in Tucson, Arizona, and Tucson First Annual Comic Con, to be held November 8, 2008 at Four Points By Sheraton, Tucson University Plaza, 1900 E. Speedway Blvd, Tucson, Arizona.

For Mariotte's schedule, click here.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

TusCon 35 website.
Tucson First Annual Comic Con website.

Jeff Mariotte is scheduled to attend the Cochise County Author Event, to be held Sunday, December 7 at the Turquoise Valley Golf Course, Bisbee, Arizona, from noon until 3 pm.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Click here for The Novel Blog interview with Jeff Mariotte.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Tie-in books podcast with Supernatural tie-in novels authors

John S. Drew and Keith R.A. DeCandido chat with author Jeff Mariotte and media tie-in fan Steve Roby about tie-in books.

Check The Chronic Rift for the podcast.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Jeff Mariotte at the Tucson Festival of Books

Jeff Mariotte will attend the Tucson Festival of Books, to take place March 14-15, 2009 on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson.

For Mariotte's festival schedule, click here.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Jeff Mariotte's books signings schedule

May 2, 12-3 pm: Spazdog Comics
for Free Comic Book Day
21610 N. 35th Avenue Suite 162
Phoenix, AZ 85308
(623) 582-3240


May 9, 12-1 pm: Mysterious Galaxy
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
Suite #302
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-4747


May 23, 2 pm: Atalanta’s Music & Books
38 Main St.
Bisbee, AZ 85603
(520) 432-9976


June 6, 1-3 pm, Hastings Books, Music and Video
3758 E Fry Blvd
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635
(520) 459-8130


June 13, 2 pm, The Well Red Coyote
3190 W. Highway 89A
Suite #400
Sedona, AZ 86336
(928) 282-2284
(866) 282-9291

Source: Jeff Mariotte website.

Jeff Mariotte signing in Phoenix

Jeff Mariotte will be at Samurai Comics, 5024 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, Arizona on July 4th from 11 am-1 pm.

For more information, click here.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.

Jeff Mariotte is schedule to attend RinCon 2009, to be held Friday-Sunday, October 9-11, 2009 at Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Source: Jeff Mariotte official site.

Jeff Mariotte interview (Supernatural: Witch’s Canyon)

Click here for Innsmouth Free Press interview with Jeff Mariotte, author of Supernatural: Witch’s Canyon, the second Supernatural tie-in novel, released on October 30, 2007.

Source: Jeff Mariotte Blog.