You have waited patiently, and now the wait is almost over. Next to queries about Jean Auel, our most frequently asked burning question is about Thomas Harris, author of The Silence of the Lambs (which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide since its 1988 publication). When, oh when, readers have been begging to know, will he publish his next book? Well, if you haven't heard already, serial killer Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter returns next month in Hannibal, Thomas Harris's long-awaited sequel to The Silence of the Lambs. Delacorte will publish Hannibal on June 8. In this particular outing, which no doubt will have fatal consequences for half the characters, one of Lecter's former victims uses Special Agent Clarice Starling as bait to lure the Cannibal into the open. We ought to mention, for fans of the 1991 movie version of Silence, that everyone involved with the film has been sent a copy of Hannibal.

Hang in there

Dear Burning,
Linda Lael Miller's gothic books are the best! Can you please tell me whether or not she is going to write another? I feel that her last one has left me hanging, and I can hardly wait any longer. Thanks!

Tammy
Ocean County Library

Linda Lael Miller's publicist at Pocket Books tells us that at this time Miller is taking a step away from the gothic genre and does not have any immediate plans to return to it. She is, however, continuing to write.

This gal's a hoot

Dear Burning Questions,
As a reference librarian, I'm usually able to find this out on my own. However, I can't find any hints of anything new from Lorna Landvik. Can you tell me when she might be coming out with a new book? Thanks.

Judi Sarafin
Bettendorf Public Library
Bettendorf, IA

Great news. Landvik's publicist at Ballantine tells us that the next Lorna Landvik, The Tall Pink Polka, is due out in September. For those not in the know, Patty Jane's House of Curl and Your Oasis on Flame Lake are other books by this Minnesota native.

They're going west

Dear Burning,
Any information on upcoming books by Kathleen and Michael Gear (authors of the People series)?

Amanda Simmons
Ozark, AL

In August, Forge Books will introduce the first in an all-new series from Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear. With The Visitant, these two master storytellers now turn to the American Southwest, to the mysterious civilization of the Anasazi.

Waiting for Elvis

Dear Burning Questions,
I have finished every Elvis Cole novel known to man. When is the next one coming out?

Brian J. Smith
Nelsonville, OH

Elvis Cole and P.I. Joe Pike return this June in L.A. Requiem (Doubleday).

Pitt, Dirk Pitt

Dear Burning Questions,
My wife and I are huge fans of Clive Cussler. We've read all his books and wonder when he's going to write again. If you know, why haven't his books made it to the movies? His Dirk Pitt puts James Bond to shame.

Ed and Gail Gero
Gainesville, FL

Cussler does indeed have new Dirk Pitt adventures in the works, but he recently switched publishers. Formerly with Simon and Schuster, Cussler now plans to publish his next two novels about Pitt with Penguin Putnam. They should receive a book from Cussler in late summer. Who knows, with this switch maybe Dirk will go Hollywood.

Marshall's War

Dear Burning Questions,
As a military history buff, I was fascinated by Captain Charles F. Marshall's first-hand account, Discovering the Rommel Murder, and now his recent gripping memoir A Ramble Through My War. Does he have any further books in the works?

Mark Larson
Miller Place, NY

Marshall's publicist at Louisiana State University Press recently spoke to the author who said that currently he does not have anything in the works.

More and more Kinky

Dear Burning Questions,
What's new with Kinky Friedman? I finished Blast from the Past and am waiting for more Kinky adventures.

via the Internet

In Kinky's latest, Kinky embarks on a search for a sidekick. Spanking Watson will be available in September from Simon and Schuster.

Deja du jour

Dear Burning,
I read a book called Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs and really liked it. Does she have another book out?

via the Internet

Step aside, Patsy Cornwell. Kathy Reichs's next book, Death du Jour, will be released by Scribner next month.

Reichs serves as forensic anthropologist for the Chief Medical Examiner of North Carolina, and as Director of Forensic Anthropology for the province of Quebec. A Professor of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, she divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal.

Hart ache

Dear Burning Questions,
I love all of Josephine Hart's novels (Damage, Sin, Oblivion, and The Stillest Day). Could you please let me know when she'll have a new book published?

Aaron Champion
Jacksonville, NC

Hart's publicist at The Overlook Press tells us that they are releasing the paperback of The Stillest Day in the fall, but that we shouldn't expect a new release from Hart for at least another year.

All the presidents' scandals

Dear B.Q.,
I hear that Bob Woodward has a book due out soon. I read his most recent work, The Choice, and would like to know what's next.

via the Internet

Bob Woodward, Assistant Managing Editor at the Washington Post and author of All the President's Men and The Agenda, among other books, will publish his latest in July (Simon and Schuster). In it, Woodward examines the legacy of Watergate and explains its effect on the presidency today.

Burning sensations

For those not-so-burning literary questions that have been smoldering for some time, turn to The Literary Almanac: The Best of the Printed Word 1900 To the Present (Andrews McMeel). You'll find lists of each year's bestsellers; Nobel, Pulitzer, Newbery and other prizes; reviews and biographies galore; and countless wonderful photos and illustrations. Brief biographies range from Nabokov to Isherwood, Nin to Woolf, Ellison to Asimov.