UC Irvine Extension and Newport Central Library present a banquet of best-selling authors

IRVINE, Calif. – August 10, 2001 – Fans of mainstream fiction won't want to miss this feast, presented by UC Irvine Extension in partnership with the Newport Beach Central Library and Barnes & Noble. A Banquet of Best-Selling Authors will feature a panel of five award-winning writers, moderated by UC Irvine instructor Louella Nelson, in a dialogue about the joys and tribulations of writing mysteries, science fiction, romance, humor and more. This free special event will be held at the Newport Beach Central Library, Saturday, November 3, 9-11am, immediately followed by author book signings at Barnes & Noble/Fashion Island.

Panelists include:

Gregory Benford, recipient of two Nebula Awards and the United Nations Medal in Literature, is the author of over a dozen science fiction novels including Eater and The Martian Race. A physics professor at UC Irvine, Dr. Benford has served as an advisor to the Department of Energy, NASA and the White House Council on Space Policy.

Suzanne Forster, winner of the National Readers' Choice Award for Shameless, the twelfth of 23 novels, is known for lush descriptions and sensitive explorations into character dynamics. She lectures on women's contemporary fiction at UCLA and UC Riverside. Recent works include The Morning After and Angel Face, both romantic thrillers.

Terry Black, winner of a Cable ACE Award for his first teleplay for Tales from the Crypt, HBO's acclaimed horror series. Black is a UC Irvine screenwriting instructor and the author of Dead Heat, a horror film starring Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo. He also has published two sexy westerns and numerous short stories.

James Blaylock is a two-time winner of the World Fantasy Award, finalist in the prestigious O. Henry Award story competition, Orange County High School of the Arts creative writing program director and Chapman University professor. Blaylock is the author of 14 novels and over 50 short stories. In such works as The Rainy Season and Thirteen Phantasms, he reveals a unique fantasist's vision.

Louella Nelson, winner of national awards for technical writing and corporate communications, is the author of five relationship novels, a fantasy novella, poetry and short stories. Nelson has taught writing courses at UC Irvine Extension and Cal State Fullerton, and has acted as book doctor for several novels and nonfiction books.

Rhondi Salsitz is the author of over 40 novels and numerous short stories spanning science fiction, fantasy and suspense. Salsitz is best known for Death Watch, a thriller published under the pen name Elizabeth Forrest. The Magickers, published in June 2001 under the pseudonym Emily Drake, entertains both youth and adult readers in the Harry Potter vein.

Neal Shusterman has won 12 major awards for his novel The Dark Side of Nowhere, soon to be a major motion picture. His novel Downsiders is a Junior Library Guild selection, and he broke into the adult science fiction market with Thief of Souls, Scorpion Shard, and is currently working on the third novel in the Star Shard trilogy. He has also developed games for both adults and children, and has written several one-hour specials for the Goosebumps TV series.

UC Irvine Extension, the continuing education arm of UC Irvine, offers over 1,600 university-level professional and personal enrichment courses, including 45 certificate programs and specialized studies every year. It serves over 12,000 students annually, most who already have college degrees. For the convenience of working adults, most courses are held evenings and weekends on the UC Irvine campus, the UC Irvine Learning Center in Orange, and online.

The program also provides custom education and training programs at business sites worldwide. Instructors for all courses are highly qualified UCI-approved leading industry experts. For more information regarding UC Irvine Extension courses and programs, log on to www.unex.uci.edu, email unex@uci.edu, or call (949) 824-5414.