David Benjamin Talks About His Books Set in Wisconsin
Mar 02, 2021 7:15 AM
David Benjamin, Author/Publisher
David Benjamin Talks About His Books Set in Wisconsin

 https://zoom.us/j/964291657

David Benjamin, prolific author and founder of the oft-honored Last Kid Books, has lived all over the world, creating richly detailed stories set in Tokyo (Black Dragon), Paris (Skulduggery in the Latin Quarter) and even Wisconsin (Jailbait, the first Jim Otis mystery). His ten titles, published since April 2019, so far have won ten awards from independent press organizations.www.lastkidbooks.com.

Benjamin will discuss his latest books which happen to be set in small town Wisconsin. Since he last talked to the Rotary Club, his newest version of his classic memoir recounting his life as kid growing up in Tomah, Wisconsin. Those who loved “The Life and Times of the Last Kid Picked, can devour a brand new, updated version of the Madison author’s beloved book, originally published by Random House in 2002.

Regarded as a masterwork of storytelling, the book shadows the life — often in laugh-out-loud detail — of a kid coming of age in mid-20th century Wisconsin.

Do you remember when the local dime store was filled with every possible thing a child would long for from comics to scrapbooks, coloring books and crayons, colored chalk, sticker books and matchbook cars, balls of all kinds, and baseball cards?

Or Chiclets, licorice whips, cap guns, kites and model planes? Kids could also find Testors paint, airplane glue, wind-up toys, yo-yos, hula hoops, rubber snakes, wax mustaches, and chocolate cigarettes.

If you have memories like this or you want to hear author David Benjamin describe his slice of life memoir, join the Zoom talk on March 2 at Sun Prairie Rotary.

Benjamin will be speaking at the DeForest Library about how he regained the copyright from Random House (not an easy task) to publish the new book under his own Last Kid Books imprint.

Crime-stopping Series Set in Wisconsin

Benjamin’s newest and 11th book Bastard's Bluff, is set in the fictional town of Hercules in the LaCrosse area of the state.

This is the second book in a series of four books (the next two books in the series will be released later this year) in the Jim Otis mystery series.

In the latest thriller, Jim Otis, a former sharp-eyed policeman must revive his detective skills and solve the town’s mystery before hardboiled FBI agent Flint Hardesty turns Bastard’s Bluff into another Ruby Ridge.

Maureen Holtz, author, The Last Resort— “… says, The book is a page-turner of a novel! Jim Otis’ relationships with the town’s citizens—from gumptionless weasels wanting power to intolerant bigwigs, to women with brains and no fear—are richly entertaining. We learn that Jim’s teenage daughter, Natalie, is an effervescent chip off the tough old block. Let’s hope she joins her father in future exploits. Beautifully paced and plotted with smart dialog and lively characters, Benjamin’s books never disappoint! I can’t wait for the next one.”