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LOS ANGELES: THE IDENTITY FACTOR SCOOPS UNPRECECENTED FOURTH FINALIST AWARD IN 2008 "BEST BOOKS AWARDS"

October 20, 2008 -- USABookNews.com, the premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, honored James Houston Turner's geopolitcal thriller, The Identity Factor, with its fourth Finalist Award in the Thriller/Adventure (Fiction) category of the 2008 Best Books Awards! "This competition was extremely tough," said James from his home in Adelaide. "Books from small publishers go up against big name authors from the major New York houses. This is an awesome accomplishment and I'm definitely celebrating my victory." Click HERE to read press release on PRLog.org.

In a major publicity campaign, Jeff Keen, President and CEO of JPX Media, parent company of USABookNews.com, said the 2008 Best Books Awards yielded an unprecedented number of entries, which were then narrowed to a field of over 500, from which winners and finalists were chosen. The 2008 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers, including Simon & Schuster, Tarcher/Penguin, HarperCollins, Hyperion, St. Martin’s Press, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, & hundreds of independents.

USABookNews.com is an online publication providing coverage from mainstream and independent publishers to the global online community. USABN Magazine Online is their monthly magazine e-mailed free to a large cross-section of the book buying public. JPX Media, in Los Angeles, California, is the parent company of USABookNews.com. Jeff Keen may be contacted at 800-733-6511 or jpxmedia@earthlink.net for press interviews about the National 2008 Best Books Awards and other publishing industry topics.

For a full listing of winners and finalists, visit http://www.usabooknews.com/bestbooksawards2008.html

THE IDENTITY FACTOR HITS HOLLYWOOD !!!

After meeting my 90 day screenplay deadline, The Identity Factor has been disassembled into four "acts" and is now in the development phase to focus the storyline and polish dialogue, which includes resetting much of the film to Washington, DC. But we're keeping specific details of other changes under wraps because the first draft has to be first-rate before it's released. And that means a lot of background work on characters and setting.

For example, I have been given assignments like: List the characters' greatest fears. What is each character hiding? What message to you want to communicate with this film? What is its theme? Who do you see cast in the roles of Tyler, Zoë, Teague, Sharifa, and the ominous and frightening Majli? What is the geography and culture of a particular area? That and other information then goes into a chart that lists and analyzes each scene. Central to this process is a cold, hard, essential question: is this scene important? Is the story advanced? In the book, I had certain luxuries, such as pausing to flirt with location descriptions or showing quirks of personality. We could listen in on a character's thoughts, musings, and internalized emotional responses. Not so in a film. Action, visuals, and dialogue are the vehicles of communication. Many of you know how I like to ramble, so this has been a real learning curve for yours truly! But I'm loving each and every minute. The result will be something we hope hits the big screen in majestic style.

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CASTING CALL FOR THE IDENTITY FACTOR???

LOS ANGELES (June, 2008) -- This window poster for The Identity Factor stopped the chairman of a Hollywood film studio in his tracks in Los Angeles recently and he went in and bought a copy of James's novel then and there. Does this mean a film deal is in the making? "Not yet," says James. "And I emphasize 'yet' because we're hoping that changes."

Hollywood assessor, Joyce Irvine, who critiques novels for the William Morris Agency, called the book 'very cinematic.' Film producer Kristin Overn (Americanizing Shelley), called The Identity Factor "a film that needs to be made." James met Kristin recently in Los Angeles at the atmospheric El Compadre Mexican cantina on Sunset Boulevard to discuss the book.

"I've always wanted to write the film adaptation of my novel," says James, "but wanting and doing are two different things. Kristin was aware that I knew the mechanics of screenwriting as I had already written three scripts, one of which placed high in several U.S. and Canadian competitions. So when she asked if I could get her an adaptation in ninety days, I rather glibly said that I could. That's when she stuck out her hand and said, 'Then let's shake on it: you'll send me the script in ninety days.' I gulped and realized she wasn't kidding. She actually wanted a script of The Identity Factor in 90 days!

I stared at her hand for a moment then finally shook it. 'Good,' she said, raising her glass. 'Let's toast. After all, we're drinking El Compadre's flaming margaritas, and these babies are serious business. Just like writing a good script is serious business." She then explained several key elements that she likes to see in a good script - and Kristin has seen literally thousands come across her desk.

"No passive protagonists," she said, "and I can't emphasize that enough. Your main concern is streamlining and condensing three hundred and seventy pages of the powerful novel you've written into 120 pages of dynamic script that will ultimately bring this unique story to the screen. Think you can do it?"

I took a deep breath and raised my glass. "See you in ninety days."

Speaking about his life as a smuggler and courier behind the old Iron Curtain and how these experiences inspired him to write espionage and geopolitical thrillers, James addressed an exclusive breakfast crowd on May 27 at the 60th annual NAFSA convention in Washington, D.C. "As an American living in Adelaide, James was a natural," says Denise von Wald, Chief Executive of Education Adelaide. "We did an Oprah Winfrey style of interview, as well as furnished guests with complimentary copies of James's latest thriller, The Identity Factor."

According to the NAFSA website (www.nafsa.org), NAFSA "was founded in 1948 as the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers to promote the professional development of American college and university officials responsible for assisting and advising the 25,000 foreign students who had come to study in the United States after World War II." Over the years, NAFSA has grown into an international organization of educational advisers. "We were in Washington to showcase Adelaide as an educational destination," says Ms von Wald, "and with James being a dual American-Australian citizen who has traveled and researched his novels both here and abroad, we wanted him to speak about some of his experiences, as well as share why he chooses to call Adelaide home."

This was followed over the course of two afternoons with sell-out wine tasting events featuring award-winning Jacob's Creek wine. Last year's guest speaker from Adelaide was astronaut Andy Thomas.

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For an e-brochure (pdf) on James as an author and speaker, click HERE.

JAMES INTERVIEWED IN HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE, ARTIST INTERVIEWS

James Houston Turner, Melissa George, G'day USA

Attracting over one million visitors per month, the glamorous Artist Interviews Magazine is one of the first online magazines to hit the internet. The winner of seven international awards, "AI" recently featured an in-depth interview with James about the various life experiences that influenced him both as a person and a writer. To read the interview, click HERE and scroll down to the photo icon of James, which will link you to the interview.

LOS ANGELES: G'DAY USA 2008 A HUGE SUCCESS!

Says James: "Wendy and I had an awesome time at The Mystery Bookstore signing in Westwood Village. Many people who were not able to attend ordered copies of The Identity Factor by mail. Thank you! And a special thanks to those of you who braved those infamous LA freeways in order to come to the first G'day USA satellite event ever for an author. Meeting you (and getting your e-mails) is what makes this writing journey worthwhile."

I also met Terri Irwin in the hotel gym. We got to talking and she said she would love to read a copy of my book. Okay, so maybe she accepted a copy to get rid of the blubbering, sweaty guy annoying her on the treadmill, but when we met again later that night at the gala, she flagged me down and said, "Mate, I am so excited about your book. I cannot wait to read it." She then gave me a kiss on the cheek and invited Wendy and me to visit her in Brisbane. Terri Irwin. Pure class.

We also met Olivia Newton-John -- whose singing that night was absolute magic -- plus the gorgeous and talented Melissa George and the legendary John Travolta. Harrison Ford was there to present the "Excellence in Film Award" to Phillip Noyce, who - in addition to directing a raft of fabulous Australian films - directed Ford in screen adaptations of two of Tom Clancy's novels. Pop singers Kylie Minogue and Christine Anu were also there, as was the Qantas choir, the amazing Pembroke orchestra (from Adelaide), Australia's great former cricket captain Steve Waugh, professional golfer Ian Baker Finch, and the dynamic host of Australian Idol and Take40.com - Andrew G. Last year's sellout crowd event honored actors Russell Crowe, Naomi Watts, and the late Steve Irwin. Music was by The Veronicas.

Along with its New York counterpart, G'day USA Los Angeles has become one of the premier social and promotional events of the year, reaching a worldwide audience of 400,000,000.

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While in Los Angeles, I was especially excited to meet up again with Peter Rocca, director of the film adaptation of my previous novel, The Second Thirteen. There are still some hurdles to clear, but things are looking very encouraging for this project to go ahead.

By far the most memorable part of this trip, however, was spending time with Ally - Alexandria Elizabeth Turner - my captivating and incredibly beautiful granddaughter, who just turned one. What a gorgeous little pistol! She is definitely my #2 girl.

Thank you, Bill Rich, of Bill Rich Photography, for not only opening your home to us, but for your fantastic photos (Bill is a renowned, award-winning photographer in Los Angeles, whose lens has captured the likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Voight, and more. Check out his websites at www.therichimage.com and www.billrichphotography.com). And a very special thanks to Qantas and Jacob's Creek, for helping make this extraordinary trip so... extraordinary.

LOS ANGELES -- AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR PETER ROCCA ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO HIS SCREEN ADAPTATION OF JAMES'S ACCLAIMED ESPIONAGE NOVEL, THE SECOND THIRTEEN

"Originally set in Miami, the screenplay will now be set in Sydney and Brisbane, to be more in line with the novel and take advantage of the wonderful financial incentives being offered by the Australian Film Commission. We would never have known about these incentives had not James introduced us at last year's G'day LA." Now in active negotiations with a funding and distribution company, Rocca hopes to shoot the film both in Australia and Italy.

Having worked on the film, The Italian Job, Rocca - a former stuntman - speaks fluent Italian and loves Italian food. When asked if he is daring enough to try Turner's homemade pizza, he quips: "I love living on the edge but that's pushing it. He keeps telling me that charcoal's supposed to have health benefits but I'm not convinced." (Click HERE to read the interview with Peter, where he talks about working on the hit TV show, 24.)

Kansas-born, Adelaide-based novelist James Houston Turner celebrates his second chance at life 16 years after his cancer operation. Not many people have two birthdays, but acclaimed fiction author James Houston Turner has been receiving “sweet sixteen” birthday wishes from all over the world via his MySpace site. The “sweet sixteen” actually refers to Turner’s 1991 cancer operation, where doctors at Australia’s Royal Adelaide Hospital cut out half of his jaw bone in order to excise a malignant tumor the size of an orange. They then fashioned him a new jaw bone out of hip bone, grafted skin and vessels from his arm into his mouth, where teeth and gums used to be, took muscles and arteries from his other arm to reconstruct his face, then grafted skin from his thigh back onto his arm.

"I feel a bit like a Legos man," he says: "interchangeable parts." Turner was told if he lived eighteen months, he would probably live to be 100. “After 16 years, I am happy to report I am well on my way toward that goal!” Turner exclaims. But it has not been an easy battle. “I thought I had been given a death sentence,” Turner recalls about being told he had cancer. “To make matters worse, when the cancer specialist in San Diego found out that we didn’t have health insurance, he simply walked out of the room, leaving me alone in the examination chair... (Click HERE to read article in its entirety.)


1991. Diagnosis: cancer. The tumor in James's jaw was the size of an orange.	James was told, "If you live 18 months, you will probably live to be 100..."	James as he looks now.

JAMES HOUSTON TURNER FEATURED IN DELTA TAU DELTA FRATERNITY MAGAZINE, RAINBOW

James has been featured several times in Rainbow magazine. Other featured Delts included bestselling authors Richard North Patterson and Forrest Gump's Winston Groom. James has also been featured as a Delt living abroad in the "Global Delts" issue, and he was quoted on the cover: "Like the view of Earth from Space, the view of America from afar is spectacular." An article in "Books by Brothers" mentions James's current film option with The Second Thirteen and his upcoming launch of The Identity Factor as part of the prestigious G'day USA festivities in Los Angeles. Other featured Delts include Drew Carey, Matthew McConaughey, Will Ferrell, David Schwimmer, James Marsden, Academy Award winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan ("Traffic"), and football legends John Elway and Gene Washington.