the book What Does Being Jewish
Mean?, working with Rabbi E. B.
Freedman. It was published by Simon
and Schuster in 1991 and revised and
reissued in 2003.
The two moved on to novels and
came up with Something Borrowed,
Something Blue, released by
Doubleday in 1993 and made into a

TH E

BOO
OF

A NOVH„

JILL GREGORY &
KAREN TINTORI

The Book of Names is a fast-paced

thriller about an evil sect bent on

destroying the world.

CBS-TV movie with Connie Sellecca
and Ron Howard. Their suspense
novel Catch Me If You Can was
published by Avon in 1996.
Although their Judaism book used
their real names, other books have
not. Jillian Karr became the shared
penname for their first two fictional
collaborations.
Greenberg has written more than
30 historical and romantic novels
using the name Jill Gregory, also used
for The Book of Names. Her next
contemporary romance novel, Wolf
River, will be published in May by
Bantam Dell.
Katz has worked on nonfiction
books using her maiden name,
Tintori, also used for The Book of
Names. Trapped, an account of the
1909 Cherry, Ill., mining disaster,
was recently optioned for a motion
picture and was published by Atria
in 2002. Unto the Daughters, about
the legacy of an "honor killing" in
a Sicilian-American family, will be
published by St. Martin's in July.
"Both of my [nonfiction] books
come from stories in my family back-
ground:' says the 50ish Katz. "I want-
ed to share stories that will resonate
with people and look into secrets that

people have been afraid to talk about.
The first book is about the worst
coal mine fire in our country's his-
tory, and the other has to do with the
Sicilian side of my family."
The author converted to Judaism
in the early 1970s when she became
disillusioned with her birth religion,
Catholicism, due to the relaxing of
Catholic traditions by the Second
Vatican Ecumenical Council.
Some of the historical information
in The Book of Names came from
research while Katz looked into the
background of her Italian grandfa-
ther, who shared a surname with one
of the earliest Italian-Jewish printers
of Hebrew books.
Greenberg, who graduated from
the University of Illinois, studied
English education but could not find
a teaching job after graduation. She
was hired for office work and began
reading historical romances during
her off hours. The transition into
writing them was very smooth.
Katz, who graduated from Wayne
State University as a journalism
major, spent a number of years doing
public relations and freelance writ-
ing, including assignments for the
Detroit Jewish News.
"Jan encouraged me to write fic-
tion:' Katz says. "I take my journalist's
head and novelist's heart and use
them both in writing."
The Greenberg family, members
of Temple Israel, and the Katz family,
members of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek, became close as the women
worked together. Jan and husband
Larry, who is in the insurance busi-
ness, have a grown daughter; while
Karen and her husband, Lawrence, an
attorney, have two grown sons.
"Jan and I feel like sisters, and we
have shared lots of laughter work-
ing as a team," Katz says. "We would
like the Book of Names to show
the beauty of Judaism and what the
religion represents in standing up for
life.
"I think the book explains some
very difficult concepts in ways that
do not make the readers feel they are
sitting in a lecture class. I also believe
the religious ideas are intricately
woven in without being preachy" ill

Jan Greenberg and Karen Katz
will sign copies of The Book of
Names 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan.
17, at Borders, 30995 Orchard
Lake Road, in Farmington Hills.
(248) 737-0110.

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41