BOOKS, MOVIES, WORKS IN PROGRESS

William Buchanan is the author of six books, three of which were made into movies. His awards and honors include: Freedoms Foundation Award for Excellence in American Writing, 1966; Reader's Digest First Person Award, 1967; South Carolina Young Adult Book Award, 1980; Wisconsin top-ten Young Adult Books, 1980; International Readers Association 1999 award for Excellence in Fiction. Film Awards, based on his works: Silver Cindy, 1981; National Council of Family Relations Award, 1980; CHRIS Statuette, 1980; Gold Camera, 1980; Christopher Award, 1980. His Reader's Digest story "John Baker's Last Race" is the most reader-requested reprint in Digest history.

In 1998 he formed WJB Publishing Company to produce quality reprints of his previously published books.

BOOK CREDITS

(With Author Comments)

In addition to publishers listed, all books available through

Award-winning true story of Coach/Teacher John Baker of Albuquerque. Ranked 8^th best miler in the world, training for the Olympics when struck down by cancer. During attempted suicide he "saw" the faces of his students, and desisted. During remaining life, devoted himself to children, mostly handicapped and/or abandoned, performing miracles in their lives. Filmed under same title by Columbia Pictures. Available through your bookstore, or UNM Press (800) 249-7737.

True story of the crime that changed the history of capital punishment in America. Based on events in life of W. Jesse Buchanan, who, during his 20-year tenure as warden of the Kentucky State Penitentiary, supervised 51 executions. A once staunch supporter of capital punishment, he became an equally staunch abolitionist. Although his change-of-belief evolved over several years, the catalyst came during one 24-hour period preceding the scheduled execution of three men for the murder of a prominent woman golf star. Fear that one of the men may have been innocent caused the warden to take the law into his own hands and change the order of executions in an attempt to get at the truth. The result changed his life forever. He spent his remaining years after retirement speaking against the death penalty. Recognized as one whose opinions were based on hard experience rather than armchair conjecture, his counsel was sought by state and federal legislators, as well as two Chief Justices of the United States. He was a major player in bringing about the Supreme Court mandated moratorium on capital punishment that compelled the states to rewrite death penalty laws. Execution Eve is based on those 24 fateful hours that changed the history of capital punishment. Available through your book store, or New Horizon Press (800) 533-7978.

Cold war thriller, with international setting, involving genocide in Viet Nam and South Africa. Available through out-of-print book dealers. Future reprint planned through Lightning Print, Inc.

Anthology of author's pre-published articles/stories, most from Reader's Digest works. Available through out-of-print book dealers. Future reprint planned through Lightning Print, Inc.

Young adult western adventure novel set on the Isleta Indian Pueblo in New Mexico. Critically compared on par with A Separate Peace and Stand By Me. Recommended by the American Library Association for "reluctant young readers - especially boys." Available through out-of-print book dealers. Future reprint planned through Lightning Print, Inc.

True story of George Mendoza, Jr., promising young athlete suddenly blinded by a rare eye disease at age 15. He was constrained from suicide and emotionally sustained by the selfless devotion of his mother, a single parent divorced when George was a baby. Then, during a sojourn to a famous Lourdes-like chapel in New Mexico, where he went to mourn the death of a friend, he experienced a "vision" which sent him back into the world to become a world class runner, an Olympic gold medallist, and indefatigable spokesman for the handicapped. WJB Publishing edition, August 1998. Order through your bookstore, specify title and ISBN 0-9666576-0-8.

WORKS IN PROGRESS: The Seneca Directory: Contemporary mystery set in Appalachian strip-mining country; Straw Man: Contemporary military/CIA thriller set in Far East; The Miracle of Rio Abajo: Young adult sequel to One Last Time.