Connecticut author Jeff Benedict is on a cross-country book-signing tour for his latest work. For an author, that is not unusual.

His book, "The Mormon Way of Doing Business: Leadership and Success Through Faith and Family," profiles eight CEOs who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All eight describe the effect their faith has had on their accomplishments in the business world. The subject nature of this book and its success, now in its third printing, is more unusual.

Benedict is frequently accompanied at speaking engagements by one or more subjects of the book, which is quite unusual.

The audiences at the book tour events attend because of their business interests, though they become keenly interested in the religious aspects of the book, peppering Benedict with questions about Mormons and their church. Even though Benedict is a member of the LDS Church with missionary experience at age 19, this experience on a book-signing tour is most unusual.

"It's not a religious book, but so many people who come to see these events, who don't know anything about the church, once they start to hear the spiel about the book they can't help but ask about the doctrine," Benedict said in a phone interview. "I've spent the past three or four months answering questions about the church."

Benedict comes from Catholic ancestry. He said being a convert and living far from Utah give him a broad perspective on the church and what might be of interest to outsiders.

"People really are curious, and I think it helps that the writer is a Mormon as well. That had a lot to do with why (Time Warner Books) asked me to do the book, because they know I am a Mormon, and I'm the only writer they had in the stable who is. They saw that as a plus, not a negative, and it certainly has been helpful on the tour."

His previously published books include a title on the intrigue of forensic science and three titles dealing with the underreported criminal exploits of professional athletes.

"I'm used to doing TV interviews on things more controversial than this. I'm used to having somebody coming after me." But with "Mormon Way," "It's not that people are challenging me, it's just they want to know," he said.

Benedict spoke at Brigham Young University in January. He will speak in Salt Lake City Wednesday, then return to BYU April 27. But most of his book-tour engagements are far from the LDS heartland: The Wharton School, Yale, Harvard, Columbia University and numerous engagements closer to his home in Connecticut.

The book's subjects were resistant when first invited to accompany Benedict to public engagements. Benedict now describes their time together as fun and anything but awkward.