NOVELIST'S TEXAS TOUR DRAWS CROWDS
HOUSTON--Book lovers crowded around Houston-area author J R LANKFORD at the BARNES & NOBLES in MIDLAND and LUBBOCK as she signed copies of her Hollywood-bound thriller, THE JESUS THIEF--the acclaimed story of a scientist who steals DNA from the Shroud of Turin to clone Jesus Christ. In spite of a flight delay, Lankford arrived to find a TV news film crew there with readers who had patiently waited to meet her.
Andi Kopenec, Community Relations Manager at the Lubbock Barnes & Noble said, "Some came because of the article in the LUBBOCK AVALANCE-JOURNAL. William Kerns is very respected and if he says a book is good, people believe him. Also, considering the media attention surrounding religious issues, some were attracted by the book's title, but many were drawn by the author herself. Her gregarious nature drew people to the table and her intriguing description of the thriller caused customers to purchase the book."
"I enjoy meeting people," said Lankford, a D.C. native who's lived in Houston 17 years, "so the idea for this book tour in which I went to a different Texas city every Saturday was very appealing. All weekend I found myself deep in conversation with wonderful people I'd never ordinarily meet. They made me proud to be a Texan. I had to remember I was supposed to be signing books."
Kopenec says the Lubbock signing was highly successful and was featured on the 10 pm KAMC 28 and KLBK 13 TV news.
According to rave reviews steadily appearing as her novel is discovered, Lankford, a black author, writes with equal passion and authority about everything from the Jews of Fascist Italy, to the hot bed issues of cloning and the varied sexual nature of human beings.
"The Jesus Thief is the culmination of a yearning I've had all my life," says Lankford, former international engineer turned novelist, "to write books that reflect our common humanity."
Lankford completed The Jesus Thief in 2001, but when her then-agent despaired of selling it in the post-9/11 climate, a fan who'd read a draft of the novel offered money for its publication. Soon Lankford and nine backers she calls her "band of angels" formed Great Reads Books LLC with The Jesus Thief as their first title. The novel promptly earned a coveted starred review from the American Library Association's BOOKLIST, calling it "great stuff." In less than two months the first print run--a respectable 3000 hardcovers--had disappeared, sending the new publisher back for a second, larger printing. Meanwhile, Lankford signed with top literary agent ALBERT ZUCKERMAN, founder of WRITERS HOUSE. Last month he concluded the option of film rights to ALFRE WOODARD--the Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated actress Lankford imagined in the role of "Maggie" during the writing--and to Woodard's screenwriter-producer husband, RODERICK SPENCER.
Joyce Silverman, who arranged Lankford's event at the Midland Barnes & Noble said, "J.R. Lankford spent a wonderful afternoon signing and chatting with the good people of the Permian Basin. Lankford's book is a well-written, adventure/mystery and a ’Äòcan't put down read.' J.R. is very personable and was delightful to host."
Excerpt, bio, press kit, and more online at: http://www.thejesusthief.com
Lankford's current Barnes & Noble schedule is: 1 p Apr 3 CORPUS CHRISTI; 2 p Apr 10 EL PASO; 1 p Apr 17, MCALLEN; 2 p Apr 24, SAN ANTONIO; 1 p May 2 Lincoln Park DALLAS; 1 p May 15 WEBSTER; 2 p Jun 5 Westheimer HOUSTON
