Four Authors Help Aspiring Writers this Fall at the Cumming Library

Local writers aspiring to publish their work can get free advice from four authors at free Forsyth Writes Together events this fall at the Cumming Library.

On Thursday, October 5 at 6:30 p.m., author and naturalist Mark Warren will speak and sign copies of his book Secrets of the Forest Vol. 1: The Magic and Mystery of Plants and the Lore of Survival.

“Local writers will want to hear about the time Warren spent with the Cherokee people researching lore, gathering source material, and learning survival skills that add realistic detail to the Secrets of the Forest series and to his memoir, Two Winters in a Tipi,” explains Branch Manager Denise Leeson.

Warren also wrote the forthcoming Adobe Moon, the first in the Wyatt Earp, an American Odyssey trilogy of historical fiction published by Five Star, an imprint of Gale.

On Thursday, November 16 at 6:30 p.m., authors Susan Jimison, Ray Chandler, and Daniel Lovelace will gather to share their experiences researching, writing, and publishing soldier stories.

Jimison is a supporter of organizations for veterans and author of Through the Eyes of a Tiger: The John Donovan Story, a work of WWII military non-fiction released in 2015 by Deeds Publishing.

Chandler is a journalist and Scripps News correspondent, as well as the author of The Last Days of the Confederacy in Northeast Georgia, a non-fiction account of the last days of the Civil War in northeast Georgia published by The History Press, an imprint of Arcadia Publishing.

Lovelace is a former political science professor and senior intelligence analyst, as well as the author of Tory Spy: A New York Frontier Family’s War Against the American Revolution, an account events leading to the capture and execution of Loyalist Thomas Loveless published by Heritage Books.

Following their presentations, the panel of authors will take questions from the audience. Participants may also purchase autographed books directly from the authors at the event.

“Each of these authors’ books capture the sense of uncertainty faced by both soldiers and ordinary citizens during three different wars,” says Leeson. “Aspiring writers can take their advice, research tips, and writing processes and adapt them to improve the settings, imagery, and dialogue to make their own stories come alive for readers.”

The Forsyth Writes Together series is designed to connect experienced authors with local writers and, like other services provided by Forsyth County Public Library, participation in these writing workshops is free.

“Libraries offer so much support for writers. We provide free resources like online writing tutorials, research databases and reference materials, and we even host groups for writers to share their ideas or work-in-progress and receive constructive feedback from their peers,” explains Leeson.

In addition to the Forsyth Writes Together series for adults and the Teen Writers Club at the Cumming Library, the Post Road Library also hosts a semi-monthly writing group for adults and a monthly group for teens moderated by The Last Monster author Ginger Garrett.

For more information on the Forsyth Writes Together series or other writing groups at the library, please visit www.forsythpl.org.