Man of Mysteries

James Ellroy, the master of hard-boiled crime novels, will be at the Ventura Bookstore at 7 tonight to read from and sign “My Dark Places,” an account of his mother’s slaying, and to discuss his novel “L.A. Confidential,” now a movie playing in local theaters.

The bookstore, owned and managed by Ed Elrod and Kent Weigel for 19 years, opened its doors 59 years ago in downtown Ventura as Blendine Nickel’s Bookshop and Lending Library. Nickel, an opera singer, came to Ventura to treat her ailing voice, loved the area and settled down.

The lending library--5 cents a book--was started when publishers cut back on new books in response to the need to conserve paper at the start of World War II. Elrod displays one book that was brought in by a faithful customer from those lending-library days.

The bookstore was recognized nationally in 1994, when it received the Charles Haslam Scholarship award at the annual American Booksellers Assn. conference. And as supportive customers attest, the store provides a sense of community while enriching lives.

Poetry lovers can meet the award-winning Luis Omar Salinas at the bookstore, 522 E. Main St., at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

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Barnes & Noble stores in Thousand Oaks, Ventura and Santa Barbara are hosting a gathering today of authors who are part of the Writers’ Harvest efforts to diminish hunger in America. Call Cynthia Leggitt at (805) 445-9054.

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Two events this week at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks: Dale Furutani signs “The Toyotomi Blades” at noon Saturday. And S.J. Rozan will introduce her new mystery, “No Colder Place,” at noon Monday.

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Jerry Jenkins, creator of the syndicated sports comic strip Gil Thorp and author of more than 100 titles, will present “Nicolae,” the third novel in his evangelical trilogy written with Tim LaHaye at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Christian Family Bookstore, 1770 Ventura Blvd., Camarillo.

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Happenings at the Thousand Oaks Borders Books, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd.: Members of the Santa Susana Repertory Theater and the Kingsmen’s Shakespeare Festival will perform scenes from “The Tempest” at 2 p.m. Sunday. And artist Dean Morrissey, author of the classic bedtime story “Ship of Dreams” will present his new book, “The Great Kettles,” at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Joel Saltzman returns to conduct his popular writing workshop at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

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Poets published in the literary journal Rivertalk will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Local Hero Books & Cafe, 254 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai.

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In Santa Barbara

James Ellroy will be at the Earthling Bookshop, 1137 State St., to sign “L.A. Confidential” and “My Dark Places” at 7 p.m. Friday. And Janet Hadda will discuss her biography, “Isaac Bashevis Singer,” at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Trot the kids over to Chaucer’s, 3321 State St. in Loreto Plaza, to meet favorite local authors Carol Heyer, Francess Lantz, Ellen Jackson, Marni McGee, Mary Smith, Wendelin Van Draanen and Lee Wardlaw at 2 p.m. Sunday.

* 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.