The next few months are going to be very exciting at the Columbus Public Library! This is the time of year when a lot of the “name” authors are releasing their new books. Everyone from John Grisham to Danielle Steele is expected to be the perfect read for Mother’s Day, 2003.

Let’s start with one of America’s most cherished novelists: Danielle Steele. Her March release, Dating Game, takes readers on the rollercoaster ride of dating the second time around. Poignant and wickedly funny, Dating Game is a story about tackling life and love with both courage and laughter—told as only Steele can tell it.

Who’s better at psychological suspense than Nora Roberts? Her latest effort, entitled Birthright, fits perfectly in that genre. When 5,000-year-old human bones are found at a construction site in the Blue Ridge Mountain town of Woodboro, the news draws archaeologist Callie Dunbrook out of her sabbatical and into a whirlwind of adventure, danger and romance.

Kathleen Woodiwiss has been writing for years. But this will be her hardcover original debut. The Reluctant Suitor is a story of a dashing colonel and the aristocratic lady he once spurned. After all this time, the publisher is demonstrating her power as one of the preeminent romance writers, by finally having her novel come out first in hardback and later in paperback.

A gentle romance by Lori Wick entitled The Visitor is the third book in the English Garden Series. When the handsome, outgoing Alexander Tare is thrown from his horse, he experiences a loss of vision and must rest at his aunt’s estate. Small-town life holds nothing of interest for Alexander, and he grows restless—until he has an unexpected visitor—the bright and gentle Cassandra Steele.

If you love a good mystery, try a book by Nevada Barr. Flashback sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Running from a proposal of marriage, Anna Pigeon takes a post as a temporary supervisory ranger on remote Garden Key in Key West. When a boat explodes mysteriously and unidentifiable body parts are discovered, Anna finds crimes of past and present closing in on her.

Last, but not least, John Grisham, America’s #1 best-selling author, delivers this tale of a young public defender who finds himself in the middle of a complex case against one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. The case could result in an enormous settlement and make him the legal profession’s newest King of Torts.

Needless to say, this is a much abbreviated list. Next month, count on some book reviews for Dad. Please submit any burning questions about your favorite author to Sally Hansen: shansen@megavision.com or (402) 561-7116, ext.2 or stop by the Columbus Public Library.