Meet the Authors: Literary Insights from Mayfield & Strelow

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Two Oregon authors share readings, insights, and book signings.

Join us for an engaging literary event with two acclaimed Oregon authors from Regal House Publishing. Steven Mayfield will present Sixty Seconds, his fourth work of fiction with Regal House, released in July 2025. Michael Strelow will share from his forthcoming novel, John and Julie and Robert, launching in September. Together, they will offer readings, discussions about their writing process, and book signings. Don’t miss this chance to connect with two distinctive voices in contemporary fiction during this joint author event. 

About the Novels:

Sixty Seconds by Steven Mayfield

As the clock ticks down the final minute of World War II in Europe, Sixty Seconds tells the stories of nine people on both sides of the Atlantic—a legendary war correspondent, a madwoman and her unwitting accomplice in a deranged assassination attempt, a fifteen-year-old girl singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Times Square, her soldier brother still in Germany, a Nazi war criminal undergoing interrogation, a German foot soldier frantically dodging Russian patrols as he attempts to surrender to Americans, and a Polish couple who endured the seemingly unendurable only to be separated by an ocean as they are about to become parents. Individually and together, these seemingly disparate and yet inextricably intertwined people hurtle toward their own climactic finishes as midnight and the official beginning of V-E Day approaches on 7 May 1945. Foreword gave the book five stars and described it as “…a captivating novel in which history unfolds moment by moment;” Kirkus Reviews called it “An artfully composed latticework that captures the moral chaos of war;" and Midwest Book Review wrote, “Replete with the blood, sweat, and tears of the common man on the cusp of multiple life changes after a long period of struggle, Sixty Seconds is a standout in World War II fiction."

John and Julie and Robert by Michael Strelow

In a small town, three childhood friends—Julie, John, and Robert—forge an unbreakable bond beneath the sprawling branches of a maple tree. As kids, Julie dazzles them with her imaginative adaptations of Shakespeare, igniting their dreams of adventure. Now adults, they’ve taken divergent paths: Julie becomes a globe-trotting activist, Robert a successful lawyer, and John a passionate environmental crusader, often finding himself in trouble for his bold stand against pollution. As John battles against leaf blowers and other threats to their hometown, he relies on the stories of heroes and the power of their friendship. But can love truly navigate the complexities of their changing world? With Julie’s guiding light illuminating their paths, the trio confronts the realities of adulthood, grappling with the weight of their shared history and the challenges ahead. John and Julie and Robert is a poignant tale of loyalty, nostalgia, and the enduring ties of friendship as the past and present collide, reminding us that some narratives shape our lives forever.

About the Authors:

Steven Mayfield is the award-winning author of four novels and one collection of short stories. A past guest editor of the literary journal, Cabin Fever, his short fiction has appeared in Event, The Long Story, and the anthology From Eulogy to Joy, among others. A former physician, he also has over forty publications as author or co-author in the medical/scientific literature. He followed his children and grandchildren to Oregon where he has resided for the last ten years.

Michael Strelow, professor emeritus at Willamette University, is an accomplished Oregon author based in Salem whose work spans adult fiction, middle grade literature, poetry, and creative nonfiction. His forthcoming novels, John and Julie and Robert (Regal House Publishing, September 2025) and A Confluence of Strangers (April 2026), follow a diverse body of work that includes The Greening of Ben Brown (2005), a finalist for the Ken Kesey Novel Prize; Henry: A Novel of Beer and Love in the West (2014); the Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated Some Assembly Required (2017); and The Moby-Dick Blues (2018). His middle-grade trilogy—The Princess Gardener, The Alyssa Chronicle, and Jake’s Book—playfully critiques the myth of “royal” blood. Strelow’s poetry, short stories, and essays have appeared in numerous literary journals such as Orchid Magazine, Oregon Quarterly, CutBank, and Willow Springs. He has made public appearances at major bookstores, universities, and literary events throughout the Pacific Northwest and internationally, including in Galway, Ireland.

Questions? Contact beccar@dpls.lib.or.us