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January/February 2007
Hi, all—
First, thank you so much for visiting my site and
for continuing to read my books. Many things are happening, and it has
been a busy past few months, juggling several projects.
The proposal for PAWPRINTS OF KATRINA: Pets Saved
and Lessons Learned, a book about the rescue by Best Friends
Animal Society of pets in New Orleans, took more than six months to
complete. I now work as a staff writer for Best Friends’ website and
magazine, so I work on my books in my spare time (yes, I’m a work-a-holic).
I’m about to sign a book contract for PAWPINTS OF KATRINA (go
to the link for it on this site to read more about it).
I’ve also been writing a second book off and on for
several years to do with the Outfit in Las Vegas (La Cosa Nostra). The
proposal is now with my New York agent. I’ll be traveling to Chicago
soon to do more interviews and research. I have great contacts and
sources for the book, and have been diving into document archives, so
it’s an exciting project. More about this topic later.
I am also nearly finished with a second edition of
the biography of Susan Berman, now titled Murder of a Mob Daughter:
The Life and Death of Susan Berman. Barricade Books, the publisher
of the first edition, has taken 100 titles out of print, including
Murder of a Mafia Daughter (the title of the first edition). The
updated, revised edition is going back in print with AuthorHouse and
is an expanded version of the first. I’ve interviewed a dozen more
people, pored through more documents, now have a copy of her death
certificate, and have gotten to the core of her murder case, as well
as fleshed out her San Francisco and New York years. You will not be
disappointed. It should be back in print in a few months.
Also, one of my books has been optioned for a movie.
I am not yet at liberty to talk about it in detail, but a screenplay
has been written so things should be happening fairly soon. But this
much I’ve learned: Progress in the film business and in Hollywood
moves slowly.
Finally, my Mother’s final book about chintz china
collecting, which was unfinished when she passed away in April 2005,
has been completed by my sister, Cordelia Mendoza, who has an antique
store in Ocean Beach, in San Diego (http://www.cottageantiques.biz/).
The book, titled Royal Winton Chintz and Pastel War, is
expected to be released in the fall by Schiffer Books, is co-authored
by Eileen Rose Busby (my late mother) and Cordelia Mendoza.
Thanks again for stopping by the site. Stay tuned
for more. This is proving to be an exciting year.
All my best,
Summer
2006
Hi, all--
First of all, you may have noticed that my Web site
has been freshened up a bit. Just some tweaking and overall cleaning
up to make things easier for you to navigate. More changes and updates
on my books and case updates will be coming soon.
It’s been a busy eleven months, to say the least.
Lots of things have changed. I’m now writing books in my spare time
(evenings and weekends) while writing stories full-time for Best
Friends Animal Society, the largest no-kill sanctuary in the nation.
It’s been a good change for me. Last September I was
asked to travel to New Orleans for Best Friends to cover the largest
animal rescue effort in history. I jumped at the chance. I planned to
be there for a little over two weeks but ended up staying a total of
three-and-a-half months (two of them consecutive). I left my teaching
position at UNLV to remain in New Orleans. It was an incredible
experience.
As a result, I’m in the process of writing a book
that has a working title of Saving the Pets of Katrina: From Rescues
to Reunions. I’ll let you know when it gets closer to being published
(right now the proposal is in the hands of my agent). I continue
writing follow-up stories about the rescued pets on Best Friends'
Website.. Because of Best
Friends, I get to do the two things I love most in the world: Writing
and working with animals.
Working at home full-time, and no longer having to
hustle pitching freelance stories or driving to and from campus (not
to mention grading papers) has afforded me more time in the evenings
and on weekends to work on my book projects. I do miss teaching, but I
don’t miss circling the parking lot looking for a space or grading
endless numbers of papers. My students from as far back as five years
ago have stayed in touch with me and I continue to track their
progress and give them writing and publishing advice whenever I’m
asked.
A second book I’m working on is a story about the
Hole in the Wall Gang (a band of mob burglars in the 1970s and ‘80s).
Besides including the gangster crew headed up by Tony Spilotro, the
manuscript focuses on Herbert “Fat Herbie” Blitzstein, the last of the
Chicago mobsters in Las Vegas. Herbie was murdered in a contract hit
in 1997. I was at the crime scene after his body was found. I covered
the case from the get-go. Herbie’s death marked the end of an era and
is a fascinating story. More to come about that later.
The book Tupac: A Thug Life, written by a
conglomeration of writers, is now available. To order, click onto the
Amazon.com link, then search for the book on that site. My article
about Tupac and Biggie Smalls that was first published in George
magazine has been reprinted in A Thug Life as a chapter in the book.
The tenth anniversary of Tupac’s murder is fast
approaching. I’ll be writing a lengthy feature and analytical piece,
looking back on Tupac’s life and death, for an alternative newspaper
in Las Vegas. I’ll include the link on my site and in my newsletter as
soon as it’s published.
Also, I’ve signed a movie option for one of my
books. But I’m not yet free to disclose who it’s with, because the
producer has asked me to keep it under wraps for now. In the meantime,
the producer is in the midst of writing the script. Having a producer
who is also a screenwriter is half the battle to turning a book into a
film. Details to follow at a later date.
Hope everyone’s having a good summer. Please keep
your e-mails coming in. I love answering your questions.
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