The AdventureKEEN Blog
Obituary Note: Scott McGrew
AdventureKEEN was a fortunate beneficiary of Scott McGrew’s creativity, design sensibility, loyalty, sense of humor, and friendship for nearly two decades, and we were devastated by his unexpected passing in late April after a short illness. He was 48.
As a staff cartographer and graphic designer, Scott created some truly amazing sketches, art, cover designs, and maps. He was able to simplify complex technical workflows to improve our printed books. Many AdventureKEEN authors were lucky to work with him to create some of the best guidebook maps in print today. Over the years, a lot of the company’s book covers benefited from his detailed eye for imagery and typography.
Scott was loved by his family, his friends, and everyone he worked with here. His jokes, smile, and camaraderie are greatly missed.
Goodbye, dear friend.
Avi Kwa Ame Designated as a National Monument!
As members of The Conservation Alliance, we’re excited to celebrate the designation of sacred Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument! In March, the Biden Administration chose to honor Avi Kwa Ame, the Mojave name for Spirit Mountain, and protect over 500,000 acres of sacred land in Southern Nevada. This designation is Nevada’s 4th national monument and protects sacred lands for 12 tribes, threatened species, and outdoor recreation opportunities.
This designation came alongside the naming of the Castner Range as a protected place as well.
We are proud to support The Conservation Association grantee SHIFT Monumental and congratulate their advocacy efforts in protecting this landscape! #HonorAviKwaAme
A Chilling Read for a Hot Summer Day
The latest installment in Cary J. Griffith’s hit nature detective series is out now! Look for Killing Monarchs wherever you buy your books and catch up with Sam Rivers as he and his wolfdog, Gray, start tracking down a killer after finding bodies in the basement of a school. The Denver Post calls Sam Rivers the “predator’s predator.” Killing Monarchs is an action-packed thriller that you won’t want to miss.
Award-winning author Cary J. Griffith is also on tour, and you have the chance to track him down and get a signed book! For the next month, you can find Cary J. Griffith making appearances all over Minnesota.
Here is Cary J. Griffith’s slate of upcoming author appearance’s:
- June 24: A book signing at Once Upon A Crime Bookstore in Minneapolis, MN, from noon until 1:30 p.m.
- July 15: A book signing at The Bookstore at Fitger’s in Duluth, MN, from noon until 2 p.m.
- July 15: A book signing at Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais, MN, starting at 6 p.m.
- July 16: A book signing at Lake Superior Trading Post in Grand Marais, MN, beginning at 7 p.m.
- July 27: A virtual lunch for Friends of the Boundary Waters in St. Paul, MN, starting at noon.
- July 29: A book signing at Piragis Northwood Outfitters in Ely, MN,
- from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
- July 29: Cary J. Griffith will participate in an Autor Round Table and book signing at Boundary Waters Outfitting Company in Ely, MN, from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.
You can also find all three books in the Sam Rivers mystery-thriller series, including Wolf Kill, Cougar Claw, and Killing Monarchs, in the AdventureKEEN online shop.
In Memoriam, Ritchey Halphen
With incredible sadness, we share the loss of our dear friend and respected colleague Ritchey Halphen. Ritchey passed away unexpectedly on April 14th. Ritchey was a cherished friend to many, a loving partner to Tom, and what one production artist accurately described as “nothing less than an editor’s editor, the crème de la crème.”
A talented editor and project manager, Ritchey helped shape the direction of many books at Menasha Ridge Press and AdventureKEEN during his 18 years at the company. Notably, Ritchey was longtime co-author and editor of AdventureKEEN’s The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line, which is published annually. His incredible attention to detail benefited many of the complex and fact-rich titles published by the company. Ritchey loved dogs and was committed to helping animals in need.
Ritchey was integral to any project he worked on, offering so much time to polish a manuscript to perfection—something that his authors and co-workers greatly appreciated.
We already miss his insights, wit, and conversation so much.
AdventureKEEN and Bookstores Donate to Binc for Fifth Year
We are excited to share the results of last year’s SHOP LOCAL, LIVE LOCAL campaign in support of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) and independent bookstores. In 2022, publisher AdventureKEEN and indie bookstores raised $9,670 for Binc. A matching $9,670 is currently being dispersed and mailed to all participating independent bookstores.
For the past five years, the SHOP LOCAL, LIVE LOCAL program has matched the 3% store rebates for a donation to Binc; to date, nearly $30,000 has been raised. Binc has put that money to good use by directly supporting bookstores with various needs nationwide.
Starting this year, changes to the SHOP LOCAL, LIVE LOCAL programwill make room for an even more significant impact in 2024. Going forward, AdventureKEEN will donate a percentage of the company’s overall indie bookstore profits to Binc. This move will allow us to give a larger donation to Binc each year without the need for complex bookstore enrollment procedures.
AdventureKEEN will continue our SHOP LOCAL, LIVE LOCAL mission across our entire brand and family of imprints. We are committed to providing stores with great resources on how to be regionally minded and support local outdoor and nature initiatives.
The Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that coordinates charitable programs to strengthen the bookselling and comic bookstore retailing communities. Established in 1996, the core program provides assistance to bookstore and comic bookstore owners and their employees who have demonstrated financial needs arising from severe hardship and/or emergency circumstances. Support for the Foundation’s programs and services comes from all sectors of the book and comic industries. Additional information can be found at bincfoundation.org.
Through SHOP LOCAL, LIVE LOCAL, AdventureKEEN hopes to help readers find new outdoor activities and to reinforce the importance of shopping locally. The program aims to enlarge the scope of support to Binc. AdventureKEEN understands, emotionally and financially, the operational challenges and intrinsic rewards of selling books and Binc’s role in helping booksellers. AdventureKEEN is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to donate to Binc again this year.
The Castner Range in now a National Monument
Last week, Castner Range was officially designated as a national monument!
As members of The Conservation Alliance, we’re excited to celebrate major successes in conservation. The protection of the Castner Range represents 50 years of advocacy efforts led by the community in El Paso to make sure this land is protected for its cultural, ecological, and historical values. This new monument protects nearly 7,000 acres of mountainous terrain between majority-Latino city neighborhoods and Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso, Texas.
Thanks to The Conservation Alliance grantees: Nuestra Tierra, Monumental Shift, and Fronterra Land Alliance for your hard work in protecting this landscape for communities, culture, and outdoor recreation. We’re excited to celebrate this success with you.
Successes like this one are one of the key reasons AdventureKEEN is a Conservation Alliance member. You can learn more: https://www.conservationalliance.com/