News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 84

4 THE NEWS-PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2001 Cover Story Ciencin's dinosaur books keep kids roaring for more 'i V-. y'-P'' iv it. HI I Scott Ciencin By CHARLES RUNNELLS There's an inner dinosaur in all of us. At least, thaf what one of the kids who came to author Scott Ciencin's book signing at Naples' Barnes Noble bookstore last year seemed to believe. The boy quickly launched into his Tyrannosaurus Rex impersonation, Ciencin recalled during a recent interview at his Fort Myers home.

He stalked around, waved his arms like short T-Rex forearms and roared with the most fearsome roar his lungs could muster. "We just gave him the microphone and let him go," said Ciencin, 38, and laughed. "He was so cute." Ciencin's children's books including the bestselling "Dinotopia" and "Dinoverse" series appeal to the wannabe dinosaur in all of us. In fact, his "Dinoverse" series is about kids who travel back in time and become trapped in the bodies of dinosaurs. It's an idea which, no doubt, the T-Rex kid approved of.

Sprinkle, Chassie West, Evelyn Coleman Noon: Dennis Fried, Clinton Black, Ben Bova, Jasmine Cresswell, Christine Lemmon, Charles Sobczak 12:15 p.m.: Jeremiah Healy, Wes DeMott, Scott CiBncinJrish MacGregor, Nancy Ptekard, Martha Powers 1 p.m.: Ace Atkins, Tim Oorsey, Evelyn Coleman, Doug MacGregor, Jack Muir 1:15 p.m.: Darryl Wimberley, Nancy Cohen, Kathy Hogan Trocheck, M. Diane Vogt, Frederick Schofield 1:45 p.m.: James Kaserman 2:15 p.m.: Jeffrey Lindsay, Hilary Hemingway, Beverly Taylor Herald, Barbara Taylor McCafferty, C.C. Medina, Frank Remkiewicz 3 p.nu Heather Graham, Linda Shute, Tina Wainscott, Millie Criswell, Mary Alice Monroe, Kayia Perrin, Patricia Rice Ciencin used to be one of those eager children infatuated with dinosaurs and the mystery surrounding them. In many ways, he still is. "I loved dinosaurs when I was a kid," he said.

"We had the dinosaur toys, and we'd be out playing with them going, 'I want to be the 'No, want to be the "Dinosaurs appeal to the kid in us, always. They're mysterious, and our knowledge of them is always changing. It's this magnificent question mark." Ciencin will talk about dinosaurs and writing Saturday at the second annual Lee County Reading Festival in downtown Fort Myers' Centennial Park. He'll give a talk about "Secret Lives of Dinosaurs" at 1130 am and sign copies of his boob at 12:15 p.m. Born in Somerset County, N.J, Ciencin started writing as soon as he was able to read.

But after high school, Ciencin ended up becoming a commercial artist Still, he couldn't seem to escape his writing destiny. He was working at a Sarasota studio 12 years ago when he got a call from an editor at Random House. The editor had seen a short suspense film Ciencin had made called "Calls From the Dark Place." Based on the storytelling and writing in the film, the editor offered Ciencin a contract on the spot "At the time, writing had never crossed my mind," Ciencin said. "But it sounded interesting. So I took a stab at it and got hicky." The author has lived in Fort Myers two years.

He came here with his wife, Denise, who took a job as a mental health counselor before quitting to write full time herself. The couple bounce ideas off each other, and she does most of the research and storyboarding for Ciencin's novels. "You have to be able to bring the reader into a hishly detailed, realistic world," he said. "That takes a lot of work." For example, they have to figure out things like: When a Tyrannosaurus Rex falls down, how does he get up with those short forearms of his? The answer, which they figured out for "Dinoverse," was that the dinosaur would have to roll over onto his haunches and then use his forearms and the momen tum to get all the way standing. Aside from books scattered everywhere, the Ciencins' apartment is surprisingly normal.

No brontosaurus femurs on the mantle, no life-size velociraptor statues. The few nods to the dino world include a cardboard book display for "Dinoverse" and a stuffed pterodactyl on his computer. As he talked, Ciencin sat on his couch, one leg crossed, and steepled his fingers. His voice was soft, his glasses big and round. Ciencin said he has a lot on his plate right now.

He's written the novelization for the movie "Jurassic Park which comes out July 2L and then he's working on a series of children's novels based on the movies. He wouldn't give away anything about the movie, though. Instead, he smiled cryptically and talked about signing confidentiality agreements in triplicate. "I will tell you this, though," he said. "I think fans of the original movie will be very pleased." Ciencin has written five of the 12 "Dinotopia" books and he's working on the sixth.

At the moment, he's also working on 10 movie, book and comic-book projects, most of which he said he couldn't talk about, either. "I write because I love doing it," Ciencin said. "I love telling stories. I can't not do it" Ciencin doesn't like to be pigeonholed into one type of writing which is why he balances dinosaur books with comics, screenplays and other types of fantasy and science fiction. One look at Ciencin's bookshelves shows how eclectic his tastes are.

Books on mythology, physics and history sit side by side with Stephen King, C.S. Lewis and Emily Bronte "I haven't found one type of book that I want to write all the time, over and over," he said. '1 like to keep things interesting." At the moment, Ciencin is focusing on a historical thriller about ambition and murder set in 1920s New York City. F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby," and wife Zelda are background characters.

"I love F. Scott Fitzgerald and his life and that time," he said. "Thaf what I'm writing right now, anyway." Then Ciencin shrugged and smiled. "And next time, it could be robots. Who knows?" LEE COUNTY READING FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS 10 a.m.: "When Hollywood Comes a panel discussion on writing for the movie screen, featuring Scott Ciencin, Hilary Hemingway and Jeffrey Lindsay i 10 a.m.

and 1 p.m.: Moxie Puppets, a puppet show with puppeteer David Ballard 10 a.mj Jazz music by the Trafalgar Middle School band 11 a.m.: Storybook Character Parade begins at the Shows for Kids stage. All ages may join the parade in costume. Souvenir ribbons will be given to all participants. 11 a.m.: Panel discussion with Florida authors Clinton Black, Ben Bova, Jasmine Cresswell, Christine Lemmon and Charles Sobczak 1150 "Writing to Extreme Awards ceremony for a song lyrics contest followed by a performance by rock band The Stingrays I 1215 p.nu "Crime Scene: Florida," a panel discussion with crime writers Nancy Cohen, Frederick Schofield, Kathy Hogan Trocheck, M. Diane Vogt and Darryl Wimberly 2 p.mj Keynote speaker Heather Graham 3 p.nu John Storms' World of Reptiles: a reptile show by Fort Myers herpetologist John Storms 3 p.m.: "Careers in Writing and Illustrating," a teen talk with Scott Ciencin, Evelyn Coleman and Doug MacGregor For more information, go online at www.lee-county.comlibrary Book-signing schedule 10 a.mj Franklyn A.

Johnson, Michael T. Impellizzert, Doris Parker, Dr. Carol Kennedy, Connie Bransilver, Larry Richardson, Faye Stephens 10:30 a.m.: Kayia Perrin 11 am: Hilary Hemingway, Jeffrey Lindsay 11:15 mil: Brenda Seabrooke, Karen Harper, Peter King, Patricia.