“___ Brown, author of "The Da Vinci Code"”

Havanese greeting

Tolstoy book whose title asks a question

Reluctantly stoop

They rate up to 350,000 on the Scoville scale

H.S. class for tough life lessons?

"Just tell me when it's over"

Dance move also known as a backslide

Skims, as soup stock

Fig. that cannot start with 9