Helen of Pasadena, a romantic comedy written by Southern California author Lian Dolan, has been named a finalist for Best Fiction by the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association (SCIBA.) The novel, set in Pasadena, California, tells the story of one woman’s struggle to reinvent her life after her philandering husband is killed by a Rose Parade float.Helen of Pasadena is joined by three other books on the finalist short list: Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr (Akashic Books); Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (Viking) and When the Killing’s Done by T.C. Boyle (Viking). The winner will be announced at SCIBA’s annual gala in October.

Dolan’s novel, her first, has been a mainstay on the SCIBA and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists since its publication in November 2010.

This marks the fourth  nomination in five years for tiny Prospect Park Media of Pasadena, publisher of the bestselling Hometown Pasadena, Celebrating with Julienne and EAT: Los Angeles. Upcoming Prospect Park books include The Spa Less Traveled: Discovering Ethnic Los Angeles One Massage at a Time, and The Neurotic Parent’s Guide to College Admissions: Strategies for Helicoptering, Hot-housing & Micromanaging.

For more information or to arrange an interview with author Lian Dolan or publisher Colleen Dunn Bates, please contact Caroline Purvis, marketing director, Prospect Park Media, 626.793.9796, www.prospectparkmedia.com.