Author’s Former Life Subject Of Next Book
Novice writers usually don’t attract a lot of attention.
Thomas Lion is unique in this respect. Not only has he been the subject of news stories, he already has two books to his name.
Lion, who lives in Hawaii, has written “Chelan” (Leobrand Books, 418 pages, $14 paperback, ISBN 0-9658515-0-8), a roman a clef set in the Pacific Northwest that involves “a struggling writer with a haunted past.”
Interesting concept. Especially since Lion’s other book, which is set for a late-fall release, is a non-fiction effort titled “I Was an Unsolved Mystery: A Fugitive’s Story” (Leobrand Books, 350 pages, $14 paperback, ISBN 0-9658515-2-4).
According to Lion, he was one of nine fugitives who, “after stashing millions of dollars,” tried to elude capture by the FBI, the IRS and others. Only after being featured on television’s “Unsolved Mysteries” did Lion end his life on the run.
“This is my story,” Lion promises, “the actual, detailed, inside scoop on life on the lam in America.”
To order either book, call (808) 622-1508. Or, since the publishing house is in Hawaii, fax toll-free at (888) 622-1507.
A fixer-upper
On July 27 I reported that best-selling author Robert Fulghum was going to do a benefit reading on Nov. 20 at Auntie’s Bookstore. So far so good.
Trouble is I also reported, based on what I was told, that the event was to be a fund-raiser for Habitat for Humanity.
Not true, say those who should know. According to Auntie’s reading coordinator Mitch Finley, Fulghum is donating money from this tour to Human Rights Watch.
For further information, call Auntie’s at 838-0206.
A nice cover-up
John Paxson, lead graphic designer at Eastern Washington University, just received some good news. A book cover that he designed will receive an Award of Excellence from the University and College Designers Assoc.
Paxson, who has been at EWU since 1995, won the award for his work on the book “Spells for Not Dying Again,” a book of poems by Diana O’Hehir. The book was published by the EWU Press.
Mysterious meanings
There are all kinds of mysteries - hard-boiled, parlor room, legal, police procedural and so on. One of the most popular in recent times is the medical genre.
Seattle author Mary Morgan is receiving good reviews for her new novel “Willful Neglect” (St. Martin’s, 256 pages, $21.95). As the title suggests, the book is a medical mystery. Specifically, it involves the death of a 5-year-old boy at the local hospital of a small, Northwest logging community.
Kirkus Reviews calls the book a “first-class debut novel.” Booklist praises Morgan’s ability to “tell an engaging story… without dragging in much sex or violence.” And Library Journal cites the book’s “sturdy prose, studied pace and psychological characterizations.”
Looking to the future
Jennifer James, whose syndicated column runs biweekly in The Spokesman-Review, believes that we are all feeling what she calls the “cultural blues.”
“We are worried about our society,” she wrote in the introduction of her forthcoming book, “Thinking in the Future Tense: A Workout for the Mind” (Simon & Schuster, 254 pages, $12 paperback). “We lack a framework for interpreting what is happening.”
She wrote “Thinking in the Future Tense” as a means of providing that missing framework.
“It is meant to be an exploration, a catalyst for your own insights,” James wrote, “and a way to restore the vision so critical to successful leadership.”
, DataTimes