Shelly Reuben turns from mystery to fables at BookMark Shoppe

January 23, 2013 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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Shelly Reuben, a writer who has published several novels dealing with crime, mystery, and suspense, is branching out with her latest work.

Reuben described her latest book, “The Man With The Glass Heart,” as “a fable for adults.” 

She admitted that she doesn’t know why she decided to leave crime behind when she sat down to write her new book. The book was written “for no reason I can think of, other than an uncontrollable burst of romanticism,” she told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

“The Man With The Glass Heart” is “quite different from my other books,” she said.

The book tells the tale of Panache, a gypsy, and Benjamin Pencil, a man with the glass heart. It has villains, seductresses, and a character named Papa, who plays his saxophone with wild abandon.

Reuben, who is a licensed arson investigator and also works as a private investigator, is often inspired by her real-life work when she writes fiction. She has published six books, including “Spent Matches,” “Tabula Rasa,” and “Weeping.” Her books have been nominated for Edgar Awards, the prizes handed out by the Mystery Writers of America. The Edgars are named after Edgar Allan Poe.

Reuben says she enjoys interacting with readers and encouraging their creative talents.

Two upcoming events she is holding in Bay Ridge to promote “The Man With The Glass Heart” will give her a chance to do just that.

Reuben will appear at the BookMark Shoppe, a bookstore, at 8415 Third Ave. on Feb. 9, but she will be doing more than just autographing copies of the book. “At the book store, we are running a poetry competition. Whoever writes the best poem about a heart gets a free copy of my book,” she said.

Participants are free to write any type of poem, sonnets, limericks, couplets, or free verse. The only rule is that the poem must be short enough to fit on an index card.

Reuben will be at the bookstore at 3 p.m.

The deadline for contestants to submit a poem is Feb. 8, the day before Reuben’s appearance. The bookstore owners will post all of the poems on a bulletin board.

During her appearance, Reuben will select her favorite poem and that person will get a free copy of her book. 

On March 16, Reuben will be appearing at the Fort Hamilton Library, 9424 Fourth Ave., at 2 p.m. “We are going to experiment with creating a fable,” she says.

Reuben will discuss her new book and then lead the audience in a discussion about fables, fantasy, and fairytales.

She will also help audience members find their own creativity by showing them how to come up with conjure up the story line for a new book, starting with the title.

“Both events should be fun,” Reuben says.

For more information on Reuben’s upcoming appearances, call the BookMark Shoppe at 718-833-5115 or the Fort Hamilton Library at 718-748-6919.

 

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