Vintage

Chris Grabenstein

former improvisational comedian (he and Bruce Willis were in the same Greenwich Village comedy troupe in the early 1980s), Chris Grabenstein spent almost twenty years writing commercials for America's top advertising agencies. You've probably seen his spots for clients such as Seven Up, Miller Lite, KFC ("Everybody needs a little KFC"), Dr Pepper, and many others. He was, perhaps most famously, the copy writer who created Trojan Man, a radio campaign that still rides the airwaves today. He ended his advertising career as an Executive Vice President/Group Creative Director at Young & Rubicam in New York. His writing talent was first discovered by James Patterson, his Creative Director at J. Walter Thompson Advertising. Patterson had come up with a Writing Aptitude Test, which ran as a full-page ad in The New York Times under the headline "Write If You Want Work." Over 2,000 applicants responded. Chris was the first writer hired. Try to guess who the woman to the right is... then click here to find out! PLUS another cool old celebrity photo has been added! Chris has written screenplays, made-for-TV movies, Muppet scripts, and the occasional grocery list. In fact, he's been writing since he moved to New York from Chattanooga, Tennessee—bringing along seven suitcases and the Smith-Corona typewriter he got as a high school graduation gift. He won the Anthony Award for "Best First Mystery" (given at Bouchercon 2006) for his debut TILT A WHIRL—the first in a series of John Ceepak stories to be set "Down The Shore" in a New Jersey tourist town called Sea Haven. The second book, MAD MOUSE, was called one of the "Ten Best Mysteries of 2006" by Kirkus. WHACK A MOLE came out to great critical acclaim in 2007. The fourth Ceepak book, HELL HOLE (it's a ride like the Gravitron), will be the first to be published by St. Martin's Minotaur. Look for it in August, 2008. Chris's fast-paced Christopher Miller Holiday Thrillers include SLAY RIDE and HELL FOR THE HOLIDAYS. On May 27, 2008, Random House will publish THE CROSSROADS, the first installment in Chris' Middle Grades ghost story series. Chris is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and this gym on West 73rd Street. He lives with his beautiful, beloved wife J.J. in Manhattan. He often credits his furry friend FRED for giving him time to dream up story ideas because the dog takes Chris on four contemplative walks a day. His cats Jeanette, Parker and, the newest member of the feline colony in his office, Tiger Lilly also help out. Parker enjoys headbutting his computer-mouse hand. Jeanette likes to curl up on his lap while he's writing the slower scenes. Tiger Lilly enjoys traipsing across the keyboard and helppppppp... That was Tiger Lilly.

 

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