DANVILLE — It’s 1980 and Chicago gossip columnist, Paul Doyle, sets out to write a biography of a radio celebrity, his friend Nick Roberts.

Along the way, he encounters skeletons in the closet, ties to a missing-girl case, death threats and romance, all in the Windy City.

All these elements make for a fast-paced novel called “Saint Nick: The Life and Times of Nick Roberts,” by Ronald W. Reis of Danville.

Reis, a native of Chicago, is a former recording engineer and radio producer who based some of the book upon his own experiences.

“The names have been changed to protect the guilty,” he said.

Reis, 66, moved to Danville in 1991 to be near his mother, Hazel Reis, and his sister, Rosemary Maser.

He finished the book in 1997, but it was too long. The rewrites took about a year.

In the meantime, he contacted publishers, but with no luck. “I got so many turn-down notices, I could paper my bedroom with them,” he said jokingly. “The market today is tough.”

Finally, he got lucky with PublishAmerica, which specializes in new writers and has the philosophy that no author should pay to get published.

He sent the manuscript to the company in January and was holding a copy of the book in his hands a few months later. Everything was done over the Internet, including the rewrites and editing, he said.

Because this is his first book, he’s had to work to promote himself, saying, “People don’t know me from Adam. I’ve got to make some noise.”

He has sent e-mails and autographed copies of the book to several newspapers, including the New York Times.

A press release describes the book as a “rapidly paced, enthralling novel” that stars Doyle and his friend, Nick Roberts. “Nick may or may not be a saint, but he is inarguably a charming, mercurial celebrity whose two bad marriages, chronic alcoholism, chaotic career and presumed knowledge of Rita Caldwell — a girl who has been missing for over 20 years — make him the perfect candidate for a best-selling biography,” the release says.

Reis’ niece, Sharon McMahon of Danville, has ordered her copy of the book and can’t wait to read it. Her mother, Rosemary Maser, has read it and described the book as “really, really good,” McMahon said.

The book combines mystery and romance with a twist, she said, adding, “sounds like it’s right up my alley.

“I read Nora Roberts, John Grisham … now I’m going to read Ron Reis.”

The entire family is excited about the book’s release, she said. “I wish him all the luck in the world.”

Reis hopes for good sales of the book, adding, “I don’t expect to get rich over it.”

He’s begun work on a sequel, which will take another year to complete.

A Navy veteran, Reis has two grown children. Before retiring, he was a recording engineer with an independent studio and produced radio and TV spots, as well as old radio programs. He also was a radio newsman for a while.



TO ORDER

Ronald W. Reis’ book “Saint Nick: The Life and Times of Nick Roberts” will be released Nov. 13 by PublishAmerica. You may pre-order at Reis’ Web site http://hometown.aol.com/greaserron/index.html, which will take you to the PublishAmerica site.

It sells for $21.95 through http://www.amazon.com or $18.95 through PublishAmerica (http://www.publishamerica.com). You also may call the publishing company at (301) 695-1707.