Art expert David Nolta Who has Been Visiting Talk Shows to Talk About da Vinci and About Dan Browns Novel Takes a Stab at Mystery Writing with Stunning Results

Art expert David D. Nolta, who has been visiting talk shows from Dateline to the Today Show to talk about Leonardo da Vinci and about Dan Browns novel, takes a stab at murder mystery writing with stunning results.

(PRWEB) July 13, 2005 -- Art expert David D. Nolta, who has been visiting talk shows from Dateline to the Today Show to talk about Leonardo da Vinci and about Dan Browns novel, takes a stab at murder mystery writing with stunning results.

Sleep is not part of the equation for Dr. David D. Nolta these days. Between teaching at several prestigious institutions along the eastern seaboard, appearing on television to talk about the Da Vinci Code, and promoting his own new mystery novel, Lostlindens, hes fortunate if he has time to visit his suburban Boston home on the weekends. I need to spend a long weekend at Home Depot," he laments.

A quick peek at his credentials doesnt leave much doubt as to why hes in high demand: in addition to a Masters degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph D in the History of Art from Yale, his CV reads like a laundry list of writing awards and scholarships: Hopwood awards, Fellowships at Harvard and The Huntington Library, etc. A full-time Professor at the Massachusetts College of Art, he teaches summer courses at Yale. He regularly gets calls from television producers, radio talk show hosts, and newspaper reporters who all want to hear about Leonardo da Vinci. Dr. Nolta, an expert in Italian Art, does not disappoint: He usually begins with a discussion about the great artists name, and about how the term da Vinci" is a geographical reference to the place of the Leonardos birth. Referring to Leonardo simply as 'da Vinci," he jokes, would be akin to calling me 'Detroit."

But putting pedantics quickly aside, his discussion invariably turns to the Renaissance masters skills as an artist, as an inventor, and as an intellectual. Its no wonder that such a talented and influential person is the center of such ongoing speculation, Dr. Nolta admits, and that his paintings and writings are such fodder for mystery.

Its when the discussion shifts to mystery that one of Dr. Noltas other passions becomes evident. The things that end up drawing audience and interviewers attention, the things that reflect the perfect melding of his love of mystery, writing, and painting, are the novels that he has quietly penned in between all his courses and appearances. Lostlindens: An Ivory Tower Mystery (and its predecessor, Grave Circle), published by boutique literary publisher Quality Words In Print, have earned him critical praise, book award nominations, and comparisons to Jane Austen, among others. These mystery novels, which feature a brother-and-sister team of Professor-Sleuths, offer ample doses of tongue-in-cheek humor, wonderfully imagined characters, and lots of literary allusion. Nolta manages to poke fun at every sort of pretense and still offer well-written, lively tales that appeal to the intelligent reader. One look at his vividly atmospheric descriptions--of rooms and gardens and architecture, and even of people-and readers quickly appreciate how his background in Art History has enhanced his power of observation. A title on a painting gives a clue to the murderer; a shadow falling across a tripartite window foretells a characters doom; a relic from childhood implies both motive and regret. A doorway is never just a doorway; it is an opening to an undiscovered realm.

And suddenly David Noltas schedule is clouded by another obligation: that of indulging requests to discuss his own books, murder-mysteries with endearing characters and strong art themes, which include references to Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and, you guessed it, Leonardo da Vinci.

Dr. Nolta is resigned to the fact that home repair will take a back seat to his speaking schedule for the time being. As the popularity of Lostlindens and Grave Circle spread by word-of-mouth, the requests for his time come not just from TV producers, but also from librarians, curators, and bookstore owners. Fortunately, it seems clear that there is almost nothing he prefers to talking about art and its mysteries, and his singular wit makes him an instant favorite with audiences. He admits his schedule can be tiring, though the perks can be fun. He mentioned a recent ride to the Today Show: ...the limos were very comfortable and I could really get used to that whole 'Your car is already waiting for you, Sir thing!" If his success continues, it would appear that David Nolta should indeed get used to the ride.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR A READERS COPY of Lostlindens: An Ivory Tower Mystery, or Grave Circle: An Ivory Tower Mystery, please contact Holly C. Gruber at Quality Words In Print, (714) 436-5700 or hgruber@qwipbooks.com.

Lostlindens: An Ivory Tower Mystery by David D. Nolta (hardcover, 304 pages, $23.95) was published by Quality Words In Print in May 2005; Grave Circle was published in September 2003 (hardcover, $21.95, 304 pages). Both titles are available through major internet booksellers and selected bookstores.

Quality Words In Print is an independent publisher of literary fiction and non-fiction based in Costa Mesa, California.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Holly Gruber

Quality Words In Print

(714) 436-5700

hgruber@qwipbooks.com

www.qwipbooks.com

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