BOOK SIGNINGS

BOOK SIGNINGS

Mary Claire Mahaney

YOUNGSTOWN — McLean, Va., resident and Warren native Mary Claire Mahaney will make several area appearances in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys this week to promote her new book, "Osaka Heat" (AuthorHouse):

U Thursday: Book signing of library copies at 5 p.m. at Shenango Valley Community Library.

UFriday: 10-11 a.m. on “The Dan Rivers Show,” NewsRadio 570 WKBN; noon to 12:30 p.m. on “First News at Noon,” WKBN 27; and book signing of library copies at 3 p.m. at Warren-Trumbull County Public Library

USaturday:10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. book signing at Borders Express in the Shenango Valley Mall, Hermitage, Pa., and 2 to 4 p.m. Book signing at Borders Books, 2102 Niles-Cortland Road S.E. Niles.

Mahaney, a 1972 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, has written essays, poetry and reviews for several publications, including the Fairfax Journal, the Irish American News and the Sharon Herald, and also short stories, one of which — “The Measure of Her” — received an award at the Whidbey Island’s Writers Conference in 2005. “Osaka Heat,” however, is her first novel. The 340-page trade paperback focuses on teacher Ginger O’Neill, who is forced to confront her life — and her past — while lobbying a prestigious Japanese academy to become a sister school to her own. Social predicaments, including a forbidden romance with a Japanese man, wreak havoc not only on Ginger’s lessons plans, but also her carefully controlled emotions.

The book retails for $19.95 and will be available at both local signings. Copies also may be purchased online from Barnes&Noble, amazon.com, and the publisher at www. authorhouse.com/bookstore. Or log on to the author’s Web site: www.maryclairemahaney.com.

Mahaney graduated magna cum laude from the College of Mount Saint Joseph with her bachelor’s degree. She earned a juris doctorate at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and has been admitted to practice law in Ohio, Michigan and the District of Columbia. She practiced law in the Cincinnati and taught business law at UC and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Now retired, the married mother of two adult sons lives in McLean, where she has served on the board of numerous community groups.

The WNWG

POLAND — Youngstown area authors Joseph E. Arrowsmith, K.W. Koocher, Anthony Marchionda Jr. and Lawrence Payne — collectively the Wednesday Night Writing Group — will sign copies of their book, “WNWG Presents,” a 170-page volume of 20 short stories, from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at The Chapters Cafe in the Poland Library, 131 S. Main St.

The members of the group met at a non-credit fiction writing class at the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center. After the class ended, the four decided to continue meeting on their usual night — Wednesday — and the WNWG was formed.

The stories offered in their first publication are as various in subject matter and style as the authors themselves: the Western influenced offerings of Arrowsmith … the macabre style of Koocher … the comedic pulp fiction of Marchionda … and the social narratives of Payne.Diane Ludwig of McDonald drew the cover and provided the illustrations for each of the stories. Published by You Lulu in large paperback format, the work retails for $15 and is available online from Barnes&Noble and the group’s Web site: www.wnwg.org.

WRITING AWARDS

Heartland Prize for Fiction

DELAWARE, Ohio — Robert Olmstead, an associate professor of English at Ohio Wesleyan University, has been awarded the 2007 Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Fiction for his novel "Coal Black Horse.”

The newspaper established the Heartland Prizes in 1988 to recognize both fiction and nonfiction books that "reinforce and perpetuate the values of heartland America.”

The book, which Olmstead worked on for about 10 years, tells the story of a 14-year-old boy, Robey Childs, who leaves his home in search of his father, a soldier in the Civil War. During his journey, Robey encounters horrific events that challenge him and change his life forever.

Olmstead is the author of five previous books: "River Dogs,” "Soft Water,” "A Trail of Heart's Blood Wherever We Go,” "America by Land,” and "Stay Here with Me.” He has received other awards for his writing, including a Guggenheim and an NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) grant.

Olmstead will receive his Heartland Prize on Nov. 4 during the Chicago Humanities Festival. Previous fiction prize winners have included Ward Just, Alice Sebold, and Annie Proulx.

Combined dispatches