February 2, 2004 For more information: Frank R. Scatoni 619-807-1887 frank@ventureliterary.com "No Kill Date" Venture Literary Sells an In-depth Look at the California Wild Fires to Wiley On February 2, 2004, Frank R. Scatoni of Venture Literary sold the North American rights to Wall of Flame: A Fire Crew’s Heroic Battle to Save Southern California by Erich Krauss to Stephen S. Power at Wiley. In Wall of Flame, Krauss (author of the Border Patrol narrative On the Line) explores the world of a group of firefighters called the Lassen Hotshots and chronicles their two-week fight to save lives during the worst fire in California’s history. The book, however, is more than just the dramatic story of the firefighting crew and the two areas engulfed in flame—much like the best-selling book Young Men and Fire, it’s the story of one of man’s greatest adversaries, and a small group of men who will risk everything to defeat it. While a nation looked on from afar, the Lassen Hotshots, a twenty-man forest firefighting crew from California, stood at the heart of the blaze and fought to contain it, risking their own lives in the process. The narrative will follow the courageous actions of the Lassen Hotshots, focusing on Leland Ratcliff, the elite crew’s newest member (who has given Krauss complete access), as he struggles to overcome fear and exhaustion. The book not only reveals the perilous and dramatic lifestyle of forest firefighters, but also the heart and sacrifice it takes to survive with only a shovel and Pulaski on a frontline Hotshot crew. Erich Krauss is the author of four other books, most notably On the Line: Inside the U.S. Border Patrol, which takes an unprecedented look at one of the most misunderstood law enforcement agencies in America. To learn more about Venture Literary, visit www.ventureliterary.com. To learn more about Wiley, visit www.wiley.com.