2010 Spring Authors! Authors! Series

An actor turned human rights activist, a popular novelist of African-American fiction, and a witty author of suspense thrillers are all scheduled to grace the Stranahan Theater stage next year for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library’s 2010 Spring Authors! Authors! Series, presented by The Blade.

The exciting spring series next year will kick off with Mike Farrell, best known for portraying B.J. Hunnicutt in the popular TV series M*A*S*H. Farrell, now a human rights activist, film producer and author, is scheduled to speak on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 7 p.m. in the Stranahan Theater, Great Hall, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd.

Other authors include African-American fiction author Carl Weber, scheduled to speak on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, and suspense, thriller author Lisa Scottoline, scheduled to speak on Wednesday, May 12, 2010.

All Authors! Authors! events begin at 7 p.m. and are held at the Stranahan Theater Great Hall, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd.  Tickets are $10 per person, $8 for students.  Tickets are available for purchase at all Toledo-Lucas County Public Library locations beginning today (Thursday, December 31) and are limited in quantity.

Below are brief biographies on each author:

• Mike Farrell – Farrell wrote and directed several episodes of M*A*S*H, which he appeared on for eight years. His writing and directing of the memorable show earned him nominations for Director’s Guild and Emmy Awards. After

·         M*A*S*H, Farrell with partner Marvin Minoff formed ‘Farrell/Minoff’ productions, and produced many films. Beyond film, Farrell is a human rights activist and speaks out on his opposition of the death penalty, two of his prime concerns. His books include Of Mule and Men, and Just Call Me Mike: A Journey to Actor and Activist. Farrell is married to actress Shelley Fabares (star of ABC TV’s “Coach”).

·         Carl Weber – Weber is a New York Times and #1 Essence Magazine bestselling novelist of African American fiction. Weber’s works, including The Preacher’s Son, So You Call Yourself A Man, and Married Men, are popular with fans for their identifiable characters. Weber’s first novel, Looking For Luv, a relationship story written from the rarely heard male perspective, was published in 2000. His pending books for 2010 feature female characters who are all plus-size. Weber is the founder and publisher of Urban Books and in 2005 he was named Blackboard’s Publisher of the Year. He is the owner of Urban Knowledge, a chain of bookstores.

·         Lisa Scottoline – Scottoline is the New York Times bestselling author of 16 novels, including her current work, Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog, a compilation of the columns she writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Chick Wit,” her witty and fun take on life from a woman’s perspective. In her spare time, Scottoline teaches a course she developed, “Justice and Fiction” at The University of Pennsylvania Law School, her alma mater. Scottoline has over 25 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 25 countries.

In 2010, the Authors! Authors! series will be in its 16^th year. Each program features an hour-long speech and a question-and-answer session presented by the featured author. For more details, please call 419.259.5266.