Beating the Odds

According to some reports, publishers are so focused on potential celebrity blockbusters that writers are yearning for the good old days, when literary careers were gently nurtured.

So it’s appropriate to tell the story of how Los Angeles resident Margaret McCord, author of “The Calling of Katie Makanya,” and her local agent Julie Popkin beat the odds. The rejections piled up from American publishers who did not see a market for a biography of a black South African woman--no matter how compelling and beautifully written.

The persistent agent found a publisher in South Africa, where the book became a huge success and received two of that country’s most prestigious literary prizes. This led John Wiley & Sons (which had previously rejected the manuscript) to publish it in the United States. There’s a film on the horizon, and the 80-year-old McCord is on a national book tour, which includes an appearance at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Borders Books, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

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Bookstore owner Jody Fickes Shapiro welcomes teachers to preview new books for the classroom at a reception at 6:30 tonight at Adventures for Kids, 3457 Telegraph Road, Ventura. The store continues to designate 10% of all purchases during August to school and public libraries.

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Dennis Lehane travels from Boston to sign his newest private-eye novel, “Sacred,” at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

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Ventura County Museum of History and Art docent Suzanne Lawrence will enact the life of Molly Donlon, a member of the prominent pioneer family who settled Ventura at the turn of the century. Lawrence will describe the history of the era at a lecture and reception at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Oxnard Library, 251 South A St. Call (805) 485-8262.

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Ronald Woolsey will sign “Migrants West,” his collection of profiles of Southern California pioneers, at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Barnes & Noble, 829 State St., Santa Barbara, and at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura.

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In Santa Barbara

Milce Novas, who moved from New York just two years ago, is one of Santa Barbara’s most prolific authors. Her eclectic titles include “Everything You Need to Know About Latino History” and “Remembering Selena.” And, in separate Spanish and English editions, she co-wrote with Rosemary Silva, “Latin American Cooking Across the USA.”

Novas teaches a literature class at UCSB, hosted a radio talk show for two years, and is completing her second novel. She will discuss her best-selling first novel, “Mangos, Bananas & Coconuts,” at 7 tonight at Earthling Bookshop, 1137 State St.

Also featured at the Earthling are local authors Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks, who will sign “The Conscious Heart” at 3 p.m. Sunday. And Rosemarie Grabski will present a slide show based on her book, “You Don’t Want to Die in Africa,” at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday.

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Two local authors will appear this week at Borders Books, 900 State St. Virginia Dale will sign “Never Marry in Morocco,” published by Fithian Press of Santa Barbara, at 7:30 tonight. And biochemist Stephen Cherniske will discuss “The DHEA Breakthrough” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

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Frances Halpern and Jon O’Brien are co-hosts of “Beyond Words” at 10 a.m. Sundays on KCLU-FM (88.3), Ventura County’s National Public Radio station.