Dear Burning Questions,
Who is David August? He wrote a new book with John Lutz.

Joseph M. Royal
via the Internet

David August is a pseudonym for a well-known mystery writer -- we're really not supposed to tell who . . . okay, okay, we've never been any good at keeping secrets. It's St. Louis-based author David Linze. He co-authored Final Seconds with John Lutz, released last April from Kensington. The mass market reprint of Final Seconds will be available in November.

From the circus ring to the boxing ring

Dear Burning Lady,
I love the book Geek Love. I'm reading it slowly just so it won't end -- now, that's the sign of a good book. Does Katherine Dunn have anything new?

Kristy Lord
Nashville, TN

You better savor every minute of Geek Love (Alfred A. Knopf) because we can't count on anything soon. Though we do hear from a top-secret source at Knopf that she is supposedly writing a book about boxing called CutMan, but it's long overdue with no pub date in sight. If you're desperate for more of Dunn's freaky kind of love, you can find her work in a number of places. Since Geek Love, she has contributed to several disturbing books, among them Freaks: We Who Are Not as Others, Kill the Body, the Head Will Fall: A Closer Look at Women, Violence, and Aggression, and Death Scenes: A Homicide Detective's Scrapbook.

Chopra's choice

Dear Burning Questions,
I know how prolific he is, so I'm sure there is something on the horizon for Deepak Chopra. What is it?

via the Internet

Even though we're pretty sure he's living in the moment, Chopra does have future plans. Finding God: 100 Days on the Quest will be published by Crown in December. In it, Chopra explores ways of experiencing the sacred in daily life.

Chopra is the author of 19 books and is the director for educational programs at The Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, California.

Don't get crabby, one's on the way

Dear Burning,
Please help. I haven't seen anything out in quite awhile from my favorite modern author, Thomas Berger. Do you have any news on him?

Tom Whitney
Gainesville, FL

True, we haven't heard from Berger in quite some time, but we've got great news for you. Thomas Berger, author of more than 20 novels, including Little Big Man, will release The Return of Little Big Man next March (Little, Brown). In this long-awaited sequel to the classic, Little Big Man, Jack Crabb continues his fabulous adventures.

Woo-hoo! Woo who?

Dear BQ,
Can your reader detectives tell me the author of several books in which April Woo is the main character? She hopes to become a detective with the NYPD or the LAPD. Her partner is Sanchez on whom she has a secret crush.

Sandra L. Theall
via the Internet

The author is Leslie Glass, and her most recent installment (released February 1998) in the April Woo series is Judging Time (Dutton). She also wrote Burning Time, Loving Time, and Hanging Time.

Another Keller thriller

Dear Burning Q.,
When will we see a new book by my favorite author, Jonathan Kellerman?

via the Internet

Jonathan Kellerman pulled a switcheroo and changed publishers. Random House will offer Kellerman's latest, Billy Straight, in January 1999. This latest is a gripping tale about a brutal Hollywood stabbing and a sensitive street kid in danger of going from witness to victim.

A former child psychologist, Kellerman now devotes all of his time to turning out psychological thrillers. He has written 12 Alex Delaware novels, the thriller The Butcher's Theater, two volumes of psychology, and two children's books.

Just the fax, ma'am

Dear Burning,
When will Dorothy Gilman have a new Mrs. Pollifax release?

Dorothy Grant
Quincy, IL

Dorothy Gilman is currently writing another Pollifax, though no pub date has been set. She does, however, have a non-Pollifax novel coming from Bantam next spring.

Dear Burning Questions,
John Brady writes wonderful mysteries with an Irish Inspector, Minogue, in Dublin. One of his novels was entitled, Kaddish in Dublin, another was Unholy Ground. I think his last one was The Good Life. It was published two or three years ago. I don't seem to be able to get any information about him or any new books he may have written.

Beverly M. Agee
via the Internet

In this case no news isn't good news. Brady's editor at St. Martin's Press tells us that John Brady, unfortunately, does not have any new Minogue books in the works.

Asking after Alice

Dear BQ,
My favorite author is Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I just love her Alice books. Is she going to write more? If so, when?

Jeanne E. Skebo
via the Internet

There are several more Alice books planned for future release; the next one is tentatively scheduled for spring 2000. There are currently more than ten Alice books available (both in hardcover and paper). The most recent releases are Achingly Alice (Atheneum Books) and Outrageously Alice (Aladdin).

Stumper of the month

Here's another one, readers. We goofed last time when we implied that everyone who answered our stumper would get a special prize, so let us clarify. The first person who answers correctly gets a special prize. Now, prepare to be stumped.

Dear Burning,
Several years ago we read a book of short stories that included one titled (or something close to this title) "The Cowboy and the One-eyed Librarian from Topeka." The story was tremendously funny! We have lost our copy of the book and are uncertain of the title or collector of these stories. We would appreciate any help you could give us. Thanks!

Ken and Phyllis Perry
via the Internet

Contest update

We've finally gotten around to testing all of the delicious recipes from our summer "What's cookin'?" contest. Our test-kitchenette yielded many tasties, among them: Barbecued Tuna Salad, Grandma Shaffer's Ginger Gems, Cream of Summer Soup, and Berry Rosy Rhubarb Compote. Thanks to all for your recipes and reminiscences. There were so many wonderful entries, we couldn't choose just one. The three winners are:

• Rosemary Johnson, of Irondale, AL, for her delightful story of her frisky whippet and all of her divine recipes.
• Rick Labrecque, of Belchertown (no, we didn't make this up), MA, for his Blue Heaven Haddock recipe.
• David Mann, of Gainesville, FL, for his Fresh Tomato-Mango-Basil Salad.

An interesting aside (or side dish) . . . the majority of recipes contained one of the following and sometimes (yikes) all of them: maraschino cherries, gelatin, mayonnaise, frozen peas, little marshmallows, and Velveeta. (Let's face it -- we all secretly love that cheesiest of "cheese food.")