Raised in Chicago, Peter J. Ryan's heart was tugged at a young age toward the mountains of the West. While attending Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, he took an internship at The Bulletin in Bend, Oregon, where he fell in love with the grandeur of the Cascade Mountains. Following graduation, he held newspaper jobs in Arizona, New Mexico and Washington, all three states abounding with opportunities to explore the great outdoors.
In 1988, armed with a screenplay, Ryan traveled to California. The screenplay didn’t sell, but Ryan stayed, settling in the seaside community of Huntington Beach. After another brief stint in the newspaper business, he took on occasional freelance projects before establishing Main Street Marketing, an advertising and marketing company. In 2011, Ryan and his wife, Derilynn, purchased a home in Paradise Valley, Montana, where they eventually moved full-time.
Lost in the Crazies is Ryan's second novel, coming on the heels of Edge of the Sawtooth. Both books are set in a fictional town in rural Montana, a nod to Ryan’s love of the state’s breathtaking beauty and rugged backcountry.
Edge of the Sawtooth was inspired by Ryan's desire to raise awareness of mental illness. Having had members of his immediate and extended family suffer from bipolar disorder, Ryan grew frustrated witnessing the unfair – and sometimes cruel – stereotyping of the mentally ill. It is his hope that more people will realize that mental illness is something that no one chooses – and it is a relentless adversary that takes enormous courage and effort to subdue.
Lost in the Crazies is the second installment of the Rick Morrand Mystery Series. His third novel, Electric Peak, is due out later this year.