Chronicle of Sailing Along With Duke

Bert Minshall, who skippered John Wayne’s 136-foot yacht, will sign copies of “On Board With the Duke: John Wayne and the Wild Goose” from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Brentano’s in South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa.

But there’s a bonus for fans of the Duke: a 10-minute video overview of the book, featuring photos, music and a narration by Minshall, a Costa Mesa resident who wrote “On Board With the Duke” with Orange County writer Clark Sharon.

The copiously illustrated, large-format book ($39.95) provides Wayne fans with an insider’s view of the legendary actor: This is the John Wayne the public didn’t see, at his leisure on board his beloved Wild Goose, a former Navy minesweeper.

England-born Minshall, who joined the Wild Goose as a deckhand in 1963, served as first mate for many years and became Wayne’s last skipper in 1977, two years before the actor’s death, provides a colorful chronicle of his many voyages with Wayne and his family--times when ol’ Duke could let his hair down (sans toupee).

The book, which was published by Seven Locks Press in November with a 5,000 first printing, is about to go into a second printing, according to co-author Sharon. And after being available in various bookstores scattered around the country, it will soon be distributed through the major chains, including B. Dalton Bookseller and Waldenbooks.

Sharon is working with a graphic artist to create a counter display that will include a color photo reproduction of the book’s cover: Wayne in what is believed to be the only picture ever taken of him in his classic Western costume aboard the Wild Goose. When the picture was shot by Minshall, the actor was getting ready to make one of his Great Western Savings commercials in the Pacific Northwest.

In the picture Wayne is holding a glass, but fans may be surprised to learn its contents: It’s a protein drink.

“He took a swallow and said, ‘It tastes like hell, but it’s good for my energy,’ ” said Sharon. “I think he’d rather have had a tequila, but at that time his health was starting to fail a little bit.”

Sharon said a TV special based on the book, which will incorporate home movies, photos and interviews with family members and former shipmates, is in pre-production for possible airing around the country. It also will be out on video.

A reception for J. Joaquin Fraxedas, author of “The Lonely Crossing of Juan Cabrera,” will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Rancho Santiago College in Santa Ana.

The recently published novel, which describes the lonely journey of three desperate men escaping Cuba on a raft, has the distinction of being the first novel a major U.S. publishing house (St. Martin’s Press) has ever published and marketed in both English and Spanish simultaneously.

Cuban-born Fraxedas, who will sign books during the reception in Johnson Center Room U-201A, is an Orlando, Fla., lawyer who has at least 70 relatives in Orange County. (They will join the author at a private reception on Saturday in the Santa Ana home of Nick and Nora Clayton.)

Although fiction, “The Lonely Crossing of Juan Cabrera” is based on real events.

“I think my cousin was inspired because he goes out in airplanes with groups that try to rescue these people out of the water,” said Victor Cueto, a Santa Ana lawyer, referring to Brothers of the Rescue, a Miami-based organization of volunteer pilots who look for Cuban refugees adrift between Florida and Cuba.

Space is limited for the reception Tuesday. Those interested in attending should call (714) 564-6454.

Book Signings. Australian novelist Thomas Keneally (“Schindler’s List,” “Woman of the Inner Sea”) will sign from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. today at the UC Irvine campus bookstore. Keneally also will sign at 7 p.m. today at Rizzoli Bookstore in South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa; from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Fahrenheit 451 Books, 540 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach; and from from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Lido Book Shoppe, 3424 Via Oporto, Newport Beach. . . . Ed McBain (“Mary, Mary”) will sign from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at The Green Door Mystery Bookstore, 31781 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. . . . McBain also will sign from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Book Carnival, 348 S. Tustin St., Orange. Also at Book Carnival on Tuesday: Colin Dexter (“The Way Through the Woods”) will sign from 5:30 to 7 p.m. . . . Sara Sefchovich (“Demasiado Amor”) will sign from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Courtyard Books, 14961 Holt Ave., Tustin.

*

Poetry Reading. Pop the Trunc will perform “Next Train” at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Alta Coffee House & Roasting Company, 506 31st St., Newport Beach.

*

Writing Class. Writers Barbara DeMarco and Daniel Sterling will teach a writing workshop, “The Art of Business Writing,” from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Irvine. Fee: $45, includes handouts and refreshments. To preregister, call DeMarco or Sterling at (714) 760-8086.

*

Author Talk. Frank Chin, a fifth-generation American and writer on the Chinese experience in the West, will discuss “The Difference Between the Real and the Fake” at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Crystal Cove Auditorium in the Student Center at UC Irvine. General admission: $6. Information: (714) 856-5000.

*

Resource Guides. Rankin Communications of Irvine is offering two resource guides for free-lance writers, “The Guide to Orange County Freelance Markets” and “The Guide to Los Angeles County Freelance Markets.” Cost: $11.95 for the Orange County guide; $17.95 for the Los Angeles guide. For more information, call Rankin Communication at (714) 362-4875.