The author or coauthor of more than 80 books in a variety of genres, Bain is still not a household name. In this engaging look at his writing career, Bain introduces readers to the fast-paced life of a ghostwriter—a career that requires taking credit for not taking credit. Part chameleon, part businessman, Bain prides himself on his professionalism, his work ethic and his ability to keep his ego in check. Whether writing comedies, westerns, historical romance, crime novels, biographies, investigative journalism or novelizations of the popular Murder, She Wrote
TV series, his attitude never changes. "Whatever I'm writing at the moment is the most important thing I'll ever write, and maybe the last." Ghostwriting was a side job until he hit pay dirt with Coffee, Tea, or Me?
in 1967, a book that told the tales of two airline stewardesses and spawned three sequels. Bain's storytelling skills shine when he focuses on the people who have enriched his life and flavored his writing: e.g., the post-fame, alcoholic Veronica Lake and Candy Jones, who was his subject for The Control of Candy Jones,
the controversial account of her 12 years as the subject of CIA mind-control experiments. Bain educates as he entertains by revealing his own writing habits and the machinations of the editor-publisher-agent relationships behind his writing projects. Readers will marvel at the diversity of subjects he's written on and his ability to convert nearly every opportunity into success. (Oct.)
