Star authors Sebastian Junger and Scott Anderson invited us to their bar, the Half King, for complimentary drinks and some wonderful hors d'oeuvres, including crab balls and asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. They were feting their new books, Moonlight Hotel and A Death in Belmont (see the book jackets below).

The eager crowd overcame any shyness on the authors' parts and got them to talk about themselves and their works.

At The Half King, April 4, 2006

Photos by Joe Silva

Moonlight Hotel author Scott Anderson

mb founder Laurel Touby and Scott Anderson

A Death in Belmont author Sebastian Junger

BBC arts reporter Damian Fowler, writer Nathaniel Bellows and Time editorial assistant Harry Sawyers

Former mb managing editor Aileen Gallagher, The New York Times photo editor Becky Lebowitz-Hanger and The New York Times staff editor Charles Hanger

Insurance and Technology associate editor Maria Woehr, CMP Media assistant managing editor Debra Kelly and CMP Media copy editor Vanessa Porter

Ketchum director Nancy Sharp, writer Stephen Rinehart, More books and entertainment editor Barbara Jones

Time senior editor Rachel Hardage, POZ editor-in-chief Regan Hofmann, Angelo Ragaza and Real Simple associate editor Elizabeth Wells

New York Law Journal deputy sections editor Elaine Song, Saveur editor-in-chief Colman Andrews and mb editorial director Dorian Benkoil

mb volunteer Vera and mb intern Angela

Doubleday's Carolyn Pilkington and Nicole Dewey

Kirkus Reviews managing editor Chuck Shelton, VNU US literary group's Jerome Kramer, and Kirkus Reviews' Ann Dehmer and Eric Liebetrau

Books

The Half King waitresses Shannen and Nathalie