Connie Reeves Cooke's latest page-turner, Cayman Heat, has become a hometown best seller even before hitting the major book leagues. All 100 copies of her thriller, offered at her recent book signing, were sold within two hours.

Susan Krohn and Patrick Gehm hosted the festive cocktail party at their River Oaks home where 100 fans gathered in support of the author. A portion of sales from the book are earmarked for the Knowledge Arts Foundation, founded by Krohn and Mary Yenik. In fact, Cooke and Virginia Reisman will chair the Knowledge Arts Foundation Picnic in the Park on Oct. 25.

Cooke had been scheduled to attend the Los Angeles launch party for Cayman Heat, as well as the Emmy Awards the next night, to publicize the book, but an out-of-the-blue heart attack sidelined her, forcing her to cancel the trip. The good news is Cooke is happily, healthily on the mend and plans on attending the Golden Globes in January.

Social bookworms included Clayton Cooke, Joanne King Herring, Cathy Cagle, Danielle and John Ellis, Phyllis Williams, Jan Carson, Virginia Reisman, Jeanne Sims, Donna Vallone, Sandy Barrett, Carol Sawyer and Julie Brown.

Arts surveys celebrated

There couldn't have been better news for Houston arts groups than that found in the surveys released this week that reveal a broad community endorsement of the arts and calculate the economic benefits from the city's cultural component. So it was fitting that the mood was celebratory at the Houston Arts Alliance reception at the home of Leslie and Jack Blanton Jr.

The reception honored Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, who was in town from Washington D.C. to give the keynote address to the Greater Houston Partnership's Business of the Arts Luncheon.

Among the 70 guests at the Blanton home were representatives from arts organizations across the state as well as HAA CEO Jonathan Glus, Marc Melcher, Philamena Baird, Peggy and Stephen Klineberg, Minnette and Peter Boesel, Brad Bucher, Lori and Scott Wulfe and Maribel and George Farish.

Tea time in River Oaks

Jeanie Kilroy's River Oaks home overflowed with new toys earlier this week when scores of Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary members arrived with playthings in hand for the auxiliary's Angel Tree Christmas Project. The occasion was the auxiliary's annual membership tea, chaired by Linda McReynolds and daughter Merritt Marinelli.

The Salvation Army's Harbor Light Choir performed, City Kitchen served the tea and taste treats and auxiliary president Mary Maxey welcomed guests. Carrying in the toys were Lilly Andress, Elise Joseph, Lynn Wyatt, Brenda DeVore, Billie Selke, Evelyn Howell, Joanne King Herring and Dorothy Nicholson.

Meet-and-greet with Jack Cagle

Just ask Cindy Clifford and you shall receive. Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle knows first hand the power of this woman to round up a serious group of politicos and she did just that for him with a powerhouse lunch on Wednesday at Reef.

Cagle and Clifford took over the private room at the popular Midtown eatery to host a crush of 50 influencers. Among them were City Controller Ron Green, State Rep. Carol Alvarado, National Reliable Lending's CEO Lee Lahourcade, former U.S. Rep. Craig Washington, City Council members Jerry Davis and C.O. "Brad" Bradford, Amegy Bank's John Hernandez, Fulbright & Jaworski senior partner Neil Thomas and Jason Fuller, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's regional director.

Sight 'ems

Interior decorator Adair Gockley and Liz Decker lunching at Tony's where they ran into ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons (Adair's eighth grade boyfriend). They compared notes on Lee High School's anniversary reunion in October where he'll be honored as an outstanding alumnus . . .

Gibbons hanging out at the Houston Texans Grille where he had lunch and did an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. The talent gets around.

Diane Lokey Farb, Judith Oudt, Barry Silverman, Bob Allen, Neil Strauss, John Mecom and loads more rocking in Brasserie 19's Thursday night throng.