Publishers Weekly articles from March 2003

Publishers Weekly archives from March 2003

Menaker named editor-in-chief at Random House: 'New Yorker' veteran promises profits and literary prowess. (News).(Daniel Menaker)
March 3, 2003... THE RANDOM HOUSE Ballantine Publishing Group named Daniel Menaker the new editor-in-chief of its Random House side, ending one of the most closely watched job searches in recent publishing history. Menaker, an executive editor at HarperCollins...

Winfrey to launch new classics book club. (Return Engagement).(OPRAH WINFREY )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... OPRAH WINFREY BRAVED a Washington, D.C., snowstorm last Wednesday to deliver some good news to a publishing industry in need of some cheering up. While Winfrey did not announce plans to resume her television book club in its old format,...

HarperCollins inks deal for Berenstain Bears. (New Home).
March 3, 2003... STAN AND JAN BERENSTAIN, who have had a relationship with Random House that dates back to the early 1960s, are moving their Berenstain Bears franchise to HarperCollins. In a deal negotiated by HC Children's Books editor-in-chief Kate Morgan...

Crown cuts 20 in Prima restructuring. (Market Conditions).(Crown Publishing Group closing Prima Lifestyles imprint)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... IN A MOVE that will significantly reduce Prima's West Coast presence, the Crown Publishing Group is closing down the Prima Lifestyles imprint and will move the Prima Forum imprint to New York. Crown will stop publishing the Prima Lifestyle...

North-South trims four. (Market Conditions).(North-South Books)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... North-South Books, which had a large staff reduction last spring (News, Apr. 8, 2002), has trimmed its work force again, eliminating four of 15 jobs in its U.S. operation. Company spokesperson Shellie Parkhill said the economic downturn in both...

HCI launches Faith Communications. (Diversifying).(HCI BOOKS forms Christian publishing division called Faith Communications)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... HCI BOOKS, best known for its bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, is forming a new Christian publishing division to be called Faith Communications. Inspirational author and sports executive Pat Williams will be the new division's...

McEwan, Gass, Howard among winners at NBCC awards. (Critics' Choices).(Ian McEwan, William H. Gass, Richard Howard winners at National Book Critics Circle Awards)
March 3, 2003... THE NATIONAL Book Critics Circle awards February 26 had a new format, a new location and--for the first time in living memory--were picketed by a group objecting to one of the nominees. As it turned out, that nominee, American Ground by William...

Macomber to head M-W. (People).(Gordon Macomber named CEO of Merriam-Webster)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... GORDON MACOMBER, formerly president and CEO of the now defunct NYUOnline distance learning site, has been named CEO of dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster. Macamber will also have a seat on the board of directors of Encyclopaedia Britannica,...

The war on privacy. (Hot Deals).(Robert O'Harrow, Jr.'s 'No Place to Hide: Technology, Surveillance and America's War on Terror' bought by Free Press)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... A book by the Washington Poses writer on American privacy issues, Robert O'Harrow Jr., which examines how current government security measures will seriously curtail our civil liberties and privacy, was bought by Free Press senior editor...

Reflections of Goldie. (Hot Deals).(Goldie Hawn writing memoir for Putnam)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Award-winning movie comedienne and producer Goldie Hawn, a star for 35 years, is writing a memoir for Putnam that will offer a "personal, spiritual reflection" on her life. It's to be called A Lotus Grows in the Mud: Footprints of a Spiritual...

Steven Pinker on thought. (Hot Deals).('The Stuff of Thought: Human Ideas and Where They Come From' bought by Penguin)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Pinker, who is professor of psychology at MIT, is that rare academic who can translate difficult ideas into bestselling books (his last was The Blank Slate), and now he has just sold a new opus to his editors at Penguin here and in the U.K....

Goodbye to acne? (Hot Deals).(Atria signs 'Unblemished' by Drs. Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... A signing that could be good news to the millions of Americans, especially teenagers, who suffer from unsightly acne was made for Atria by editorial director Tracy Behar. She won a heated auction for Unblemished by Drs. Katie Rodan and Kathy...

The Road to Ruin. (Short Takes).(Donald Westlake signs three-book deal with Warner)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Good news for admirers of Donald Westlake is that his Warner editor, Colin Fox, has signed him to a new three-book deal, including one of his Dortmunder books (tentatively titled The Road to Ruin) and two stand-alones. Fox dealt directly with...

The Literary Group. (Short Takes).(hires Steve Laube )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... The Literary Group has moved toward the CBA market by hiring Steve Laube, former editorial director at Bethany House, to acquire projects with a Christian character, fiction and nonfiction; he will remain in Phoenix and run the Group's West...

A Chance Meeting. (Short Takes).(Random buys book tracing impact of American culture)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Random's Ileene Smith bought a first book by McSweeney's writer Rachel Cohen called A Chance Meeting, in which she traces the impact on American culture of some noted encounters and friendships over the past century; she got hard/soft world...

Three Game Series. (Short Takes).(Houghton wins auction for account of summer baseball series)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Houghton's Eamon Dolan won an auction for a mid six figures for an account of a summer baseball series by St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and sportswriter Buzz Bissinger, called Three Game Series. David Gernert represented La Russa,...

The Booty Nomad. (Short Takes).(book and movie rights acquired)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Book and movie rights were acquired by Miramax to a first novel called The BootyNomad by Scott Mebus, a satirical romantic comedy about a TV producer; Jonathan Burnham and Steve Hutensky negotiated the two-book and movie-option deal with David...

True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa. (Short Takes).(David Hirshey and Mark Bryant acquire the book )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Two Harper editors, David Hirshey and Mark Bryant, jointly acquired a book called True Story: Murder, Memoir, MeaCulpa by journalist Michael Finkel, who tells the parallel stories of how he lost his New York Times contract, due to a dubious...

Director out at Columbia. (Tangled Ivy).(Columbia Press director William Strachan)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... DIFFICULT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS and reported conflicts with the Columbia University board of trustees have led to the dismissal of Columbia Press director William Strachan. CFO Rebecca Schrader will take over for Strachan on an interim basis, but...

Pocket Books. (People).(Hillary Schupf )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Hillary Schupf was appointed publicity director of the newly created Pocket Books department. Formerly director of publicity at Berkley and New American Library, she has worked on a spectrum of titles like The Drudge Manifesto, The Blair Witch...

Proquest. (People).(Alfred De Seta, president)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Alfred De Seta has been named president of ProQuest Education with responsibility for growth and expansion in the higher education and k-12 markets. Prior posts include group president at WRC Media Inc. and senior v-p of Primedia Inc., where he...

Penguin Books. (People).(Jane von Mehren promoted)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Jane von Mehren, editor-in-chief and associate publisher, has been named a vice-president.

Entrepreneur Press. (People).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Leanne Harvey has been named director of marketing. She was previously director of marketing at BowTie Press.

Sheridan Books. (People).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Bradley R. Maxey is representing Sheridan Books in Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, New Mexico and Southern Nevada. He can be reached at 702-839-1860; bmaxey@sheridanbooks.com.

Martingale. (People).(appoints Tom Wierzbicki and Deb Hanahan)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Tom Wierzbicki, formerly with Meredith Corp., has been appointed director of sales and marketing.... Deb Hanahan has been named national account manager.

Simon & Schuster. (People).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Gary Urda has been appointed v-p, distributor sales and retail marketing for the sales and distribution division. Prior to directing publisher business development at Ingram's Lightning Source Inc., he was vice-president, direct sales at Pocket...

Running Press. (People).(Keltie Hawkins appointed editor for Courage Books)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Keltie Hawkins has been appointed an editor for Courage Books following positions at Counterpoint Press and the Brookings Institution Press and as a bookseller at Olsson's Books and Records.

Mary Anne Thompson Associates. (People).
March 3, 2003... Noel Baca Castex, a former children's book editor at Editorial Atlantida, has been named to cover the children's book markets in the U.S. and Canada for the international scouting agency.

Amacom Books. (People).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Adrienne Hickey, former executive editor, has been promoted to editorial director.... Jacquie Flynn, former senior acquisitions editor, has been named executive editor.... Christina McLaughlin has been promoted to acquisitions and development...

Five publishers sue copy shops in three states. (Enforcement).(Copyright Clearance Center coordinates lawsuit)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... FOR THE THIRD time in four months, the Copyright Clearance Center in Danvers, Mass., is coordinating a lawsuit On behalf of publishers -- Elsevier Science, the MIT Press, Sage Publications, University of Chicago Press and1 John Wiley &...

MIT Press lays off nine. (Tangled Ivy).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... IN ANOTHER SIGN of the financial struggles at university presses, outgoing MIT Press director Frank Urbanowski laid off nine people in the book division in January, or roughly 8% of the staff, Urbanoxvski retired from MIT on January 31 after 27...

Sales and earnings improve at Reed Elsevier. (Results 2002).
March 3, 2003... TOTAL REVENUE AT Reed Elsevier rose 11% in 2002, to [pounds sterling]5.02 billion ($7.93 billion), and pretax profit increased 9%, to [pounds sterling]927 million. Sales and earnings increased in Reed's science and medical, legal and education...

Chronicle and Nickelodeon sign licensing agreement. (Children's Publishing).(Chronicle Books, Nickelodeon)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... CHRONICLE BOOKS HAS inked a deal with children's licensor Nickelodeon, becoming the newest licensee of the popular Nick and Nick Jr. television shows. The line will debut this fall with six titles. While Simon & Schuster also publishes...

The future of publishing.(publishing donations to City College of New York)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... The president of City College, Gregory Williams, held a reception to thank donors to the CCNY Publishing Certificate Program. Penguin made a new two-year 40,000 donation; other donors include Harcourt, Norton, AOLTW, Black Classic Press, AAP...

Obituary.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 3, 2003... George de Kay Dead at 76 GEORGE DE KAY, cofounder and president of the independent publishing house M. Evans & Co., died of cancer at his home in Manhattan February 22. He was 76. In 1954 De Kay and Mel Evans founded M. Evans & Co. The two...

Broadway lights. (Behind the Bestsellers).(marketing of Someone to Watch over Me)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Thirteen books and 30 million copies in print are part of the Judith McNaught bestseller legacy. That number includes her latest national bestseller, Someone to Watch over Me; it is her fastest out-of-the-gate seller and is setting a few...

Elvis is back! (Behind the Bestsellers).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... That's Elvis Cole, Robert Crais's popular L.A. private eye, who returns after two successful stand-alone thrillers published in the last two years, Hostage and Demolition Angel. The ninth Elvis Cole vehicle, The Last Detective, has enjoyed...

'Liberty' for all. (Behind the Bestsellers).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... St. Martin's Press is pleased with the early sales performance of Stephen Coonts's 12th national bestseller, Liberty; the book enjoys its second week at the #13 spot on PW's list. The publisher reports that the author's five-city tour was very...

Siegel's on track. (Behind the Bestsellers).(marketing of James Siegel's 'Derailed')(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Warner Books has high hopes for its newest thriller, Derailed by James Siegel. The house has launched the author in a big way, with a $500,000 marketing campaign that features TV ads in New York, L.A., Chicago, D.C., San Francisco and Boston...

I do... finally. (Behind the Bestsellers).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Tarcher's new bestseller, The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say "I Do" by Susan Piver, has hit the national charts almost 34 months after publication date. The book has 194,000 copies in print after 17 trips to...

Brownout? Enron books may face their own energy crisis. (Book News).(market may be flooded with books about the Enron scandal)(Industry Overview)
March 3, 2003... When a glut of Enron proposals made the rounds last year, Broadway editor Charles Conrad was ready to bid. But he knew there were a lot of risks. So he hedged, and bought a story about Arthur Andersen instead. Andersen made sense, Conrad...

Former Norton editor takes busman's holiday. (Small Press Startup).(Jim Mairs opens Quantuck Lane Press)
March 3, 2003... Even after nearly 40 years with W.W. Norton, former v-p, senior editor and director of production Jim Mairs wasn't ready to throw in the red pencil. Instead, he's renting his old office at Norton, which serves as headquarters for his one-man...

Holy Internet scam!: Book People's cautionary tale to booksellers comes with a happy ending. (Bookselling).(Company Profile)
March 3, 2003... Lots of people do it: take credit card orders over the Internet, by mail and by phone. A few years ago, Ruth Erb, owner of the 22-year-old Book People in Richmond, Va., a general bookstore carrying new and used books, began doing mail order,...

Last course for Book Mark Cafe. (Long Island Closing).(Oyster Bay, New York, bookstore closing)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... The 42-year-old Book Mark Cafe in Oyster Bay, N.Y., has been sold by owner Dana Lamb to the Harvest Group, a restaurant management firm from Brooklyn. Late last week, the 3,000-sq.-ft. bookstore portion of the premises closed after a farewell...

Grisham's Southern loyalists. (Back on Tour).
March 3, 2003... To promote his new book, The King of Torts, John Grisham, the former Mississippi lawyer and state legislator, returned to his Southern roots for signings at the five independent bookstores that held them for him before he skyrocketed to...

Baby got book: from baby journals to charting spiritual growth. (Sidelines).(InScribe Publishing's babEbook service)
March 3, 2003... From babies to tea, creativity and spirituality, booksellers looking for fresh sources for innovative journals are in luck. What to expect... in a baby journal. Want to keep track of baby's arrival and early years but don't want the typical...

Miffy hops onto B and N shelves: Big Tent Entertainment and Barnes and Noble revive the Miffy license. (Children's Books).
March 3, 2003... Created in 1955 by Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna, Miffy the little white bunny has been popular for over 40 years in Europe, Japan and Australia. She and her friends Snuffy the dog, Poppy Pig and bears Boris and Barbara have been featured in...

Frog and Toad on Broadway. (Children's Books).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... One could definitely say that A Year with Frog and Toad, the musical stage adaptation of the late Arnold Lobel's beloved children's books (Children's Books, Dec. 16, 2002), has legs. Following successful runs at the Children's Theater in...

American Girl takes Manhattan. (Children's Books).(Pleasant Company to renovate store for American Girl brand)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... American Girl Place, the retail/entertainment complex on Chicago Avenue in Chicago, has been a commercial mecca for fans of Pleasant Company's (now a division of Mattel) American Girl brand of dolls, books and merchandise since 1998. Now...

ABC contest winner headed for Bologna. (Children's Books).(Association of Booksellers for Children; Bologna Children's Book Fair)
March 3, 2003... The Association of Booksellers for Chilldren has announced that Alison Morris, children's book buyer and manager at Wellesley Booksmith in Wellesley, Mass., has won an essay contest sponsored by the Bologna Children's Book Fair. As winner,...

Announcements addendum. (Children's Books).(children's books to be published)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... The following listing was not included in our spring children's announcement listings (February 10). DUFOUR Jitters in the Jungle ($9.95, 1-901737-42-X) by Noel Ward, illus. by Terry Myler. Can an elephant win a match against a lion?...

Star search: APA events draw prospective titles, talent. (Audio).
March 3, 2003... About 100 people braved snow, cold and troublesome travel to attend two audiobook events in New York City sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association and held at the Park Central Hotel. The Audiobook Rights Conference, held on February 19...

Grammy gold. (Audio).(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... The February 23 broadcast of the 45th Annual Grammy Awards--the first time in five years that the event has been held in New York City--made headlines by featuring stellar musical performances by such nominees and winners as Norah Jones, Bruce...

Light in Shadow. (Fiction).(Audiobook Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JAYNE ANN KRENTZ, READ BY JOYCE BEAN. Brilliance Audio, unabridged, seven cassettes, 10 hrs., $32.95 ISBN 1- 58788-705-3 Krentz's latest opens with an intriguing scene: interior designer Zoe Luce enters the bedroom of her latest client and...

FAT Ollie's Book: A Novel of the 87th Precinct. (Fiction).(Audiobook Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ED MCBAIN, READ BY RON MCLARTY. Simon & Schuster Audio, abridged, four cassettes, 5 hrs., $26 ISBN 0-7435-2713-5 Fans of the Berenstain Bears audio-books are in for a shock when they listen to McLarty's performance here. Instead of reading...

Hollywood Tough: A Shane Scully Novel. (Fiction).(Audiobook Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... STEPHEN J. CANNELL, READ BY PAUL MICHAEL. Audio Renaissance, unabridged, six cassettes, 10 hrs., $36.95 ISBN 1-55927-822-6 In his eighth novel, the third featuring L.A. supercop Shane Scully, veteran television writer and producer Cannell...

This Time Love: A Classic Love Story. (Fiction).(Audiobook Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ELIZABETH LOWELL, READ BY LAURAL MERLINGTON, Brilliance Audio, unabridged, six cassettes, 8 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 1-58788-264-7 Globe-trotting adventurer and best-selling author Gabe Venture returns to the remote, "unearthly beauty" of New...

Caramelo. (Fiction).(Audiobook Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... SANDRA CISNEROS, READ BY THE AUTHOR. Harper Audio, unabridged, 10 cassettes, 16 hrs., $39.95 ISBN 0-06-051591-0 * With the ability to make listeners laugh out loud with her humor, get lumps in their throats with her poignancy and leave them...

What Liberal Media?: The Truth About Bias and the News. (Nonfiction).(Audiobook Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ERIC ALTERMAN, READ BY THE AUTHOR. Simon & Schuster Audio, abridged, four cassettes, 6 hrs., $26 ISBN 0-7435-2968-5 Media bias has been preventing the American public from getting the whole story, says journalist Alterman, and best-selling...

Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic & Madness and the Fair That Changed America. (Nonfiction).(Audiobook Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ERIK LARSON, READ BY TONY GOLDWYN. Random House Audio, abridged, five CDs, 6 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 0-7393-0208-6 This is a steady performance of a book that, while gripping in its content and crisply paced, isn't quite a gold mine for an audio...

Picasso's War: The Destruction of Guernica, and the Masterpiece That Changed the World. (Nonfiction).(Audiobook Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... RUSSELL MARTIN, READ BY OLIVER WYMAN. High Bridge, unabridged, six CDs, 8 hrs., $34.95 ISBN 1-56511-723-9 "Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war." So said Spaniard Pablo Picasso, who created the famous...

Audio Bestsellers.(fiction and nonfiction)(Illustration)
March 3, 2003... Audio Bestsellers Fiction 1 The King of Torts (unabr.). John Grisham. Read by Michael Beck. Random House Audio. Eight cassettes, 12 hours, $49.95 ISBN 0-7393-0224-8 2 By the Light of the Moon ...

Finding their way: independent publishers take different tacks to succeed in a sluggish market.(15 fast-growing small publishers: includes statistics on sales growth and number of titles )
March 3, 2003... THE 15 COMPANIES IN PW's ninth annual survey of fast-growing small publishers have little in common besides success. This year's list includes publishers that specialize in sports, photography, and New Age. Some have lust completed their third...

U.K. publishers are soldering on: despite rising security anxieties and ever-escalating discount demands, the transatlantic book trade scored a not-so-bad year. (British Publishing).(Industry Overview)
March 3, 2003... THERE WERE MANY PROBLEMS ABOUT LIFE in London during our annual visit late last month, but happily the state of the British hook business, at least as reflected in last year's sales, and a slightly-better-than-expected Christmas (in contrast to...

William Boyd resisting the last word. (Interview).(Interview)
March 3, 2003... Picture a writer of British extraction, born and brought up in an exotic foreign country, largely educated in England, hailed as a literary corner with the success of his first book, published when he's in his 20s. If you're thinking...

Sweetwater. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ROXANA ROBINSON. Random, $24.95 (320p) ISBN 0-375-50916-X * In four previous works of fiction, Robinson established herself as an astute and sensitive chronicler of domestic tensions, particularly among affluent families in wealthy enclaves...

Breaking Away. (Fiction).(book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... KRISTIN LATTANY. Ballantine/One World, $23.95 (304p) ISBN 0-345-44249-0 An African-American professor at an Ivy League university becomes immersed in a race controversy in this politically charged novel by Lattany (Do Unto Others). For...

Crabwalk. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... GUNTER GRASS, TRANS. FROM THE GERMAN BY KRISHNA WINSTON. Harcourt, $25 (240p) ISBN 0-15-100764-0 * In a novel that has already attracted attention on both sides of the Atlantic, Nobelist Grass (Too Far Afield) employs a compelling vehicle...

Scratch. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... TROON MCALLISTER. Rugged Land, $23.95 (304p) ISBN 1-59071-006-1 This humorous golf-centered caper is the third in McAllister's series featuring the unflappable hustler Eddie Caminetti (The Green; The Foursome). Now the owner of the...

Lucky Stars. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JANE HELLER. St. Martin's, $24.95 (352p) ISBN 0-312-28848-4 This frolic by Heller (Female Intelligence) may be the spiritual descendant of Freaky Friday, but she delivers her story in fresh language, with singular energy. Stacey Reiser...

Two Heads are Better than One. (PW Talks with P.J. Tracy).(Interview)(Column)
March 3, 2003... PW: Is Monkeewrench [see review, above] your first book? P.J. Tracy: Not the first book we've ever written, but certainly the most mainstream, and the first thriller. We've been writing together for years, short stories [and] mysteries...

Monkeewrench. (Fiction).(book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... P.J. TRACY. Putnam, $23.95 (384p) ISBN 0-399-14978-3 * A mother-daughter writing team pens a soundly plotted thriller that fires on all cylinders. Tracy (the authors' pseudonym) seamlessly weaves together three distinct subplots converging...

A Dragon, A Dreamer and the Promise Giver. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... JOYCE STRONG. Destiny Image, $12.99 paper (208p) ISBN 0-7684-2182-9 Using a biblical framework to portray the human condition and the battle for the soul is a familiar device in evangelical Christian fiction, but prose problems keep this...

The Wishing Jar. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... PENELOPE J. STOKES. W Publishing Group, $16.99 (304p) ISBN 0-8499-1707-7 Stokes has an unquenchable penchant for using the symbolism of objects as a springboard for her stories (Tire Memory Book; The Amber Photograph; The Treasure Box) and...

With a Vengeance. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... EILEEN DREYER. St. Martin's, $24.95 (384p) ISBN 0-312-26577-8 * Fast plotting, thorough research and a swaggering-cop style elevate this sixth novel from Dreyer, known for Brain Dead (1997) and other standard medical/serial-killer...

The Pearl of Kuwait. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... TOM PAINE. Harcourt, $24 (320 p.) ISBN 0-15-100518.4 Paine's first novel, his follow-up to the acclaimed story collection Scar Vegas, takes us on a rollicking ride through the Arabian desert during the Gulf War. Our guides are two AWOL...

1949: A Novel of the Irish Free State. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... MORGAN LLYWELYN. Forge, $25.95 (416p) ISBN 0-312-86753-0 During the period covered in Llywelyn's third magisterial novel (after 1916 and 1921) in her Irish Century series, from the island's division into the primarily Catholic Free State...

Tough Lessons in Nursing. (PW Talks with Eileen Dreyer).(Interview)
March 3, 2003... PW: In your sixth medical suspense novel, With a Vengeance [see review, p. 53], the feisty main character, Maggie O'Brien, reflects your more than 16 years of medical experience as a trauma and forensic nurse death investigator. You recently...

Sleep Toward Heaven. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... AMANDA EYRE WARD. MacAdam/Cage, $24 (295p) ISBN 1-931561-23-0 How do we forgive the unforgivable? First-time novelist Ward explores this question with a delicate blend of compassion, humor and realism. Three women whose lives converge...

The Nightspinners. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... LUCRETIA GRINDLE. Random, $23.95 (320p) ISBN 0-375-50776-0 A set of identical twins who communicate telepathically are at the center of journalist Grindle's fine debut thriller. Susannah and Marina deBreem grew up in rural Georgia, raised...

The Spinning Man. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... GEORGE HARRAR. BlueHen, $24.95 (352p) ISBN 0-399-14983-X * This riveting, whip-smart suspense novel by Harrar (First Tiger) follows a philosophy professor under investigation for the disappearance of a teenage cheerleader. Evan Birch gets...

The Afterword. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... MIKE BRYAN. Pantheon, $16 (208p) ISBN 0-375-42212-9 Bryan's sly, minimalist debut is written in the form of an Afterword to his bestselling novel, The Deity Next Door. The catch is that The Deity Next Door does not exist. The fictional...

Shelter from the Storm. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... MICHAEL MEWSHAW. Blue Hen, $23.95 288p) ISBN 0-399-14988-0 Mewshaw's ninth novel is a timely, stylish international thriller set in an anarchic fictional republic in Central Asia. Zack McClintock's wife died during his second tour in...

August Frost. (Fiction).(Book Review)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... MONIQUE ROFFEY. Atlantic Monthly, $24 (400p) ISBN 0-87113-869-7 An imaginative fable grounded in realistic detail, this first novel follows the metamorphosis of August Chalmin, a socially awkward, lonely 30-something Londoner with "upright...