* THU, AUG 15: Lars Eighner's Travels with Lizbeth may have an unhappy sequel, unless his many Austin fans pitch in to help. Eighner's novel, as you probably know, chronicled his struggle with homelessness on the streets of Austin and California. Largely due to the success of that book, Eighner was able to put a roof over his head, but health problems incurred during that era are threatening to take it away. A benefit reading for Eighner will be held at Bookstop Central Park, 7-9pm, including the talents of Eighner, Mary Willis Walker, Marion Winik, and Lawrence Wright, with more likely to be announced. Other co-sponsors of the event include The Texas Observer and The Austin Chronicle, and refreshments will be provided by Central Market... Patricia Page, who recreates late 1960s Houston in her novel Hope's Cadillac, will appear at Book People at 7pm on the third-floor stage... Writer Paula D'Etcheverry will detail the fundamentals of romance writing in "Romance Writing 101" at Borders at 7:30pm... A panel of newly published authors will discuss their experiences in the competitive market of mystery writing at the Austin Writers' League meeting. Writers include Nancy Bell (Biggie and the Poisoned Politician), Jan Maxwell (Baptism by Murder), and Chuck Meyer (The Saints of God Murders, Blessed Are the Merciless). The panel is moderated by Jan Grape, mystery writer and owner of Mysteries & More; 7pm at the First Unitarian Church. Open to the public.
* FRI, AUG 16: J.R. Helton will sign his new book, Below the Line, a critical look at the treatment of workers in the movie business, 7-8pm at Barnes & Noble north.
* SAT, AUG 17: "Mexico" Mike Nelson, considered an expert on driving in Mexico by the Mexican Governmental Tourism offices, makes an appearance at Barnes & Noble with his book, Mexico's Colonial Heart, 2-3pm.
* WED, AUG 21: Wil McCarthy, author of The Fall of Sirius, signs at Adventures in Crime & Space, 6-8pm.
* ONGOING: The Austin Writers' League (AWL) is accepting entries for the Sixth annual Violet Crown Book Awards to honor three outstanding published books written by league members. Three $1,000 prizes will be awarded in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, and literary (poetry, essays, short stories). Only AWL members are eligible, but authors may join when submitting an entry. Entered books must have been published between Sept. 1, 1995 and August 31, 1996, and entries are due August 31. For an entry form or more information, call the AWL at 499-8914... Registrations are now being taken for AWL's fall workshops. The lineup includes: Billy Porterfield will offer the "Lowdown on Nonfiction" Sept. 14, the same day Susan Wade (Walking Rain) presents "Fiction Proposal and Outline"; Sept. 21 features "Mysterious Characters" by Purple Sage series author Barbara Burnett Smith and "Travel Writing" by Lin Sutherland; publicist Leann Phenix presents "Book Promotion/Marketing" and Channel 36 morning anchor Larry Brill does "Handling the Interview" on Sept. 28; "Book Proposals and Beyond" by Tom Ferguson and "Writing for the World-Wide Web" by Donn LeVie come on Oct. 5; and former Michener Fellow Dorothy Barnett teaches a two-day advanced writing intensive on "Writing Our Stories as Memoir and/or Fiction" on Sept. 14 and 28. n