The California State Fair, Aug. 15 to Sept. 1, again gives a nod to the literary side of the Golden State.

Fairgoers can chat with 39 California writers, who will sell and sign their books at the Authors Booth. The authors will rotate in and out of the booth, four at a time, throughout the run of the fair. The booth will be on the first floor of the California Building (Building A).

"Almost anything you could possible want to read will be there," said organizer Naida West, an author who lives in Rancho Murieta. Genres will include adventure, memoir, romance and children's literature.

West and author Alton Pryer of Roseville established the Authors Booth in 1998. "From an author's point of view, this is a chance for us to get feedback from our readers," said West. "For readers, they get an opportunity to ask questions of published authors."

For a list of participating authors and when they will appear, go to www. bridgehouse books.com or call West at (916) 985-7411.

New on shelves

When it comes to best-selling genres, it's hard to top mysteries, thrillers and romances. We'll save the passions of the heart for another day, and look instead at a trio of – as they say in the trade – "heart-pounding" adventures:

• "Legally Dead" by Edna Buchanan (Simon & Schuster, $26, 368 pages; on sale Wednesday): Buchanan is the idiosyncratic former police reporter for the Miami Herald and an award-winning novelist. She's the creator of the popular Britt Montero series. The stand-alone "Dead" is about a former U.S. marshal who helps wrongly accused people to find new identities – then the killings begin.

• "Leather Maiden" by Joe R. Lansdale (Knopf, $23.95, 304 pages): When a big-time journalist loses his job, he goes back to his hometown to work for the local paper. He comes across a cold-case murder file, and links those killings to a recent run of similar murders. Lansdale's books have won an Edgar Award and six Bram Stoker awards.

• "Collision" by Jeff Abbott (Dutton, $24.95, 336 pages): His 10th outing begins with a random event that brings together two disparate characters – a high-powered businessman and a deep-cover government agent. When they discover they've both been framed for crimes, they become a lethal team.

Big-buzz alert

The always-adversarial, intellectually acute Walter Mosley has fans wondering if his most popular character, Easy Rawlins, was killed or not at the end of "Cinnamon Kiss," the 10th title in the Rawlins franchise. Meanwhile, readers can turn their attention to "The Right Mistake" (Basic Civitas, $23, 240 pages; on sale Oct. 6). It's the "further philosophical investigations of Socrates Fortlow," the star of Mosley's "Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned" and "Walkin' the Dog." Socrates, now 60, is a parolee in L.A. (27 years for murder and rape) who forms the Thinkers Club. He leads its members – from gangstas to preachers and businessmen – to ponder social ills and find solutions, but trouble soon follows. As always, Mosley provokes a gamut of emotions.

Written on the calendar

• Mark Kreidler for "Six Good Innings: How One Small Town Became a Little League Giant" (Harper, $24.95, 256): Kreidler, a former Bee sports columnist, focuses on Toms River, N.J., a small town with a winning dynasty in Little League baseball. In following one all-star season, he shows how a community hangs its dreams on the performance of the kids and their coaches.

Event: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Borders, 2339 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 564-0168.

• Robyn Carr for the "Grace Valley" trilogy: Grace Valley is an idyllic town in the country. There, the home-grown June Hudson is the local doctor and guardian of the townfolks' many secrets. Intrigue abounds in "Deep in the Valley," "Just Over the Mountain" and "Down by the River" (Mira, all $6.99).

Event: 1 p.m. Sunday at Barnes & Noble, 6111 Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights; (916) 853-1389.

The Bee's Allen Pierleoni can be reached at (916) 321-1128 or apierleoni@sacbee.com. Contact him with news of coming literary events that are open to the public.