HOLLYWOOD CALLS AS TEXAS AUTHOR TOURS
HOUSTON--Pop into your neighborhood Barnes & Noble in Texas in coming weeks* and it's possible you'll see Houston-area author J R Lankford signing copies of her acclaimed thriller, The Jesus Thief--the story of a scientist who steals DNA from the Shroud of Turin and tries to clone Jesus Christ. Best grab one, if so, because when the novel comes to the screen, the lines may be long. Hollywood film rights are being optioned by Roderick Spencer and wife Alfre Woodard, the Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated actress that Lankford imagined in the role of "Maggie" during the writing. Perfect timing, it seems, because the novel depicts the cloning of human embryos using the method just perfected by Korean scientists Hwang and Moon.
Earlier, The Jesus Thief prompted famed agent Albert Zuckerman, founder of Writers House [Ken Follett, Nora Roberts, Christopher Paolini], to open his door to Lankford, an unknown author, on a Friday afternoon and sign her on the spot.
Lankford says it's been like this from the start, as if her book has a guardian angel. "When my then-agent despaired of selling The Jesus Thief in the post-September 11 shifts in our collective psyche, nine wonderful men whom I call my "band of angels" opened their wallets and, to my astonishment, voluntarily forked up tens of thousands of dollars. A year ago we formed a publishing company of our own, Great Reads Books LLC, with The Jesus Thief as our first title. That was miracle number one."
On its heels miracle number two promptly arrived in the form of a coveted starred review in the March 1 American Library Association's Booklist, dubbing the novel "great stuff," then an excursion onto Amazon's mystery-thriller best seller list just two weeks after the pub date. The book garnered praise in eminent scientific circles and a finger-wagging from ThisChristianLife.com which nevertheless called it "breathtaking." Inquiries about translation rights began to arrive [the Portuguese edition was just released] and before long the first print run of The Jesus Thief--a respectable 3000 hardcovers--had disappeared, sending the new publisher back for a second, larger printing.
As Zuckerman mans the rights reins, Great Reads continues its publicity push which featured ads in the NYT Book Review and an ongoing talk radio/book signing tour for the author. "What a great movie this would make," said Mancow at Q101 Chicago. Former Redding, CA mayor Ken Murray said to KQMS news talk 1400 listeners during his show which is number one in northern California: "Awesome book. I want to thank you for writing a book that I enjoyed so much." Lee Davis, host of "The Breakfast Club," a popular program out of Green Bay, WI predicted bestsellerdom for The Jesus Thief.
What's the cause of this growing excitement?
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's principal characters represent the three aspects of human existence: mind, body and spirit. Her wayward scientist is Harvard MD-PhD Dr. Felix Rossi, the devout only-son of a Catholic family, who learns his parents were Jews who escaped WW II Italy. There is an atheist British aristocrat reporter; Felix's ethereal fiancˆ©e; his sardonic sister, his prying black maid from Harlem; their Irish-American doorman who isn't what he seems. Through them, Lankford explores the issues and science of human cloning and her underlying theme that all religions teach love.
John Grant, co-editor of the HUGO and NEBULA award-winning Encyclopedia of Fantasy said the novel has "more thoughtful elements that make it--unlike so many thrillers--a roller coaster ride that one actually remembers after finishing the book ... The Jesus Thief--a thoroughly entertaining tale, will richly repay your time."
Excerpt, bio, press kit, and more online at: http://www.thejesusthief.com
