Wikipedia

Rysa Walker

Rysa Walker is the pen name of Cheryl Walniuk,[1] an American author of science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries. Her first novel, Timebound, was the 2013 Grand Prize winner of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.[2]

Rysa Walker
Walker in 2013
Walker in 2013
Born
Cheryl Walniuk

Pensacola, Florida
Pen nameRysa Walker
C. Rysa Walker
OccupationAuthor
Alma materSt. Andrews University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Period2012–present
GenreScience fiction, time travel fiction, mystery
Notable awardsAmazon Breakthrough Novel Award (2013)
Website
www.rysa.com

Early life and education

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Walker was born and raised in Northwest Florida. After graduating from St. Andrews University in North Carolina, she earned a PhD in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[3]

Career

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Walker taught political science and history at several universities before beginning to write fiction full time in 2014.[4] After her family relocated to Cary, North Carolina in 2006 for her husband's job, she shifted to teaching her college courses online so she could work from home.[1]

Walker's first novel, Timebound (The CHRONOS Files Book One), was originally self-published as Time's Twisted Arrow in 2012 under her legal name.[5] In January 2013, she entered the book into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, competing against 10,000 self-published and unpublished novels.[6] The Publishers Weekly review of the book during the competition called the book's heroine, Kate Pierce-Keller, the "Katniss Everdeen of time travel," adding that the story reads like a mash-up of Jack Finney's Time and Again and Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City, and works as a contemporary tribute to Robert Heinlein's juvenile novels of the 1950s.[7]

On June 15, 2013, Timebound won the contest's grand prize, leading to a $50,000 advance and a contract with Skyscape, an Amazon Publishing imprint.[8] Walker has said the prize allowed her to take a year off from teaching to write full-time.[1]

Timebound has been translated into fourteen languages, and the CHRONOS Files series has sold nearly half a million copies since 2013.[9] Five additional CHRONOS novels were published through the Skyscape and 47North imprints beginning in 2016. A separate science fiction series, The Delphi Trilogy, was published by Skyscape beginning in 2017.[9]

In addition to science fiction, Walker writes mysteries as C. Rysa Walker, sometimes in collaboration with author Caleb Amsel.[10]

Reception

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Time's Edge, the second book in The CHRONOS Files, appeared at number ten on the Wall Street Journal's bestselling fiction e-books list for October 30, 2014.[11]

The Delphi Effect was a finalist for the 2018 International Thriller Writers Awards,[12] a 2017 Amazon Editors' Pick for Best Science Fiction,[13] and a 2017 Junior Library Guild selection.[14]

The Publishers Weekly review of Now, Then, and Everywhen praised what it described as a twisty narrative blending the past and the future, predicting that fans of intelligent time-travel stories would be rewarded.[15]

Bibliography

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The CHRONOS Files

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Novels

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  • Timebound (January 1, 2014; formerly Time's Twisted Arrow)[16]
  • Time's Edge (October 21, 2014)[17]
  • Time's Divide (October 20, 2015)[18]

Novellas

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  • Time's Echo (April 1, 2014)[19]
  • Time's Mirror (June 30, 2015)[20]
  • Simon Says (December 18, 2015)[21]

Short stories

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  • Whack Job (June 17, 2016)[22]
  • 2092 (June 18, 2016)[23]
  • The Gambit (June 18, 2016)[24]

CHRONOS Origins

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Novels

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  • Now, Then, and Everywhen (April 1, 2020)[25]
  • Red, White, and the Blues (January 19, 2021)[26]
  • Bell, Book, and Key (November 16, 2021)[27]

Short stories

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  • The Circle That Whines (February 4, 2020)[28]
  • Full Circle (February 5, 2020)[29]

Anthology

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  • Time's Vault (June 15, 2021)[30]

The Delphi Trilogy

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Novels

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  • The Delphi Effect (October 11, 2016)[31]
  • The Delphi Resistance (October 24, 2017)[32]
  • The Delphi Revolution (October 9, 2018)[33]

Novella

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  • The Abandoned (June 21, 2018)[34]

The Icarus Code

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  • The Cold Light of Stars (May 4, 2023)[35]
  • First Watch of Night (February 8, 2024)[36]
  • Dark Little Worlds (March 4, 2025)[37]
  • On Alien Skies (March 11, 2026)[38]

Enter Haddonwood (with Caleb Amsel)

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  • As the Crow Flies (October 15, 2019)[39]
  • When the Cat's Away (August 14, 2020)[40]
  • Where Wolves Fear to Prey (August 24, 2022)[41]

Thistlewood Star Mysteries (as C. Rysa Walker)

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  • A Murder in Helvetica Bold (May 14, 2019)[42]
  • Palatino for the Painter (September 26, 2019)[43]
  • A Séance in Franklin Gothic (September 28, 2019)[44]
  • Courier to the Stars (November 29, 2019)[45]
  • Comic Sans for the Ex (November 3, 2020)[46]

Coastal Playhouse Murder Mysteries (as C. Rysa Walker)

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  • Curtains for Romeo (November 4, 2019)[47]
  • Arsenic and Olé (November 4, 2019)[48]
  • Offed Off-Broadway (November 4, 2019)[49]
  • Exes, Stage Right (October 14, 2021)[50]

Serial

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  • Improbable: The Outlandish Adventures of Miriam Cole: Seasons 1–11 (September 11, 2023)[51]

Personal life

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Walniuk lived in Washington, D.C., before moving to Cary, North Carolina, in 2006 after her husband took a job in the area.[1] She resides there with her husband, sons, and a golden retriever.[52]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 Raxlin, Amanda (September 6, 2013). "Chick Lit". Cary Magazine. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Rysa Walker Wins Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award". Publishers Weekly.
  3. ↑ "AUTHORNOMICS Interview with YA fiction author Rysa Walker". andreahurst.com. Andrea Hurst & Associates. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016.
  4. ↑ Walker, Rysa (June 26, 2013). "ABNA Author Interview – Rysa Walker". I Read to Relax!. Interviewed by Jessica Miller.
  5. ↑ Walniuk, C.; Walker, Rysa (October 2012). Time's Twisted Arrow: Book One of the CHRONOS Files. Rysa Enterprises, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-9883511-0-3.
  6. ↑ "Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalists Announced". Publishers Weekly.
  7. ↑ Walker, Rysa (January 1, 2014). Timebound. Alice Duke. Skyscape.
  8. ↑ "Rysa Walker Named Grand Prize Winner of the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award". AboutAmazon.com (Press release). Amazon. June 17, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  9. 1 2 "Rysa Walker: books, biography, latest update". Amazon.com. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Rysa Walker: books, biography, latest update". Amazon.com. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Wall Street Journal Best Sellers". WTOP.com. October 30, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Past Nominees and Winners". thrillerwriters.org. International Thriller Writers. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Best Books of the Month: Science Fiction & Fantasy". Amazon.com. November 2, 2017. Archived from the original on November 2, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  14. ↑ "The Delphi Effect". TeachingBooks. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Now, Then, and Everywhen by Rysa Walker". Publishers Weekly. November 13, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Timebound (The Chronos Files, #1)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Time's Edge (The Chronos Files, #2)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Time's Divide (The Chronos Files, #3)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Time's Echo (The Chronos Files #1.5)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Time's Mirror (The Chronos Files, #2.5)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Simon Says: Tips for the Intrepid Time Traveler (The Chronos Files)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Whack Job (The Chronos Files)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  23. ↑ "2092 (The Chronos Files)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  24. ↑ "The Gambit (The Chronos Files)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Now, Then, and Everywhen (Chronos Origins, #1)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Red, White, and the Blues (Chronos Origins, #2)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Bell, Book, and Key (Chronos Origins, #3)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  28. ↑ "The Circle That Whines (Chronos Origins, #0.25)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Full Circle (Chronos Origins, #0.5)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Time's Vault (CHRONOS Files)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  31. ↑ "The Delphi Effect (The Delphi Trilogy #1)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  32. ↑ "The Delphi Resistance (The Delphi Trilogy, #2)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  33. ↑ "The Delphi Revolution (The Delphi Trilogy #3)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  34. ↑ "The Abandoned (The Delphi Trilogy, #2.5)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  35. ↑ "The Cold Light of Stars (The Icarus Code: A Sci-Fi Thriller)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  36. ↑ "First Watch of Night (The Icarus Code: A Sci-Fi Thriller)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Dark Little Worlds (The Icarus Code: A Sci-Fi Thriller)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  38. ↑ "On Alien Skies (The Icarus Code: A Sci-Fi Thriller)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
  39. ↑ "As the Crow Flies (Enter Haddonwood #1)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  40. ↑ "When the Cat's Away (Enter Haddonwood #2)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Where Wolves Fear to Prey (Enter Haddonwood #3)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  42. ↑ "A Murder in Helvetica Bold (Thistlewood Star Mysteries)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Palatino for the Painter (Thistlewood Star Mysteries)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  44. ↑ "A Séance in Franklin Gothic (Thistlewood Star Mysteries)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Courier to the Stars (Thistlewood Star Mysteries #4)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Comic Sans for the Ex (Thistlewood Star Mysteries #5)". Goodreads. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Curtains for Romeo (Coastal Playhouse Mysteries #1)". Goodreads.
  48. ↑ "Arsenic and Olé (Coastal Playhouse Mysteries #2)". Goodreads.
  49. ↑ "Offed Off-Broadway (Coastal Playhouse Mysteries #3)". Goodreads.
  50. ↑ "Exes! Stage Right". Goodreads.
  51. ↑ "Improbable: The Outlandish Adventures of Miriam Cole". Goodreads.
  52. ↑ Schaeffer, Cindy (October 23, 2016). "More than Just Campfire Stories". The News and Observer. p. 5D. Retrieved February 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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