Teen Fiction by North Georgia Authors

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Paths to Publishing KidLit panel by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Chapter at Sharon Forks Library. It was a real treat to hear what inspired each of the seven authors at the event to write and publish their books. Here are two books for teens written by authors featured at the program. 

Peony Watercolor's Wish for Sun and Moon by Robyn Field

Worried about her family’s finances, twelve-year-old Peony Watercolor hopes to win a thousand dollar grand prize in her middle school’s talent show. This charming story combines real-world issues with whimsical elements, including a school librarian who fills the role of fairy godmother. 

In 2024 Peony Watercolor’s Wish for Sun and Moon received a Gold Medal in the Pre-Teen Fantasy category at the 2024 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards which celebrate youthful curiosity, discovery, and learning through books and reading. 

Ranger Nader & the Sunstruck Phantom by Kam Karem

An ordinary ninth grader receives a relic from the battle of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia and is called to defend Lebanon's famous Cedar Forest and the Phoenician way of life against the demi-god determined to destroy both. This exciting teen novel by T.K. Read, published under the pen name Kam Karem, combines legends, futuristic technology and adventures in space. 

Ranger Nader is the first book in the Guardian Chronicles series. It was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Award and the IAN and won its category in the Global Book Awards and the International Book Awards.

Robyn Field
Image Credit Forsyth County Public Library

SCBWI KidLit Panel
Image Credit Forsyth County Public Library

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Picture Books by North Georgia Authors

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Paths to Publishing KidLit panel by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Chapter at Sharon Forks Library. It was a real treat to hear what inspired each of the seven authors at the event to write and publish their books. Here are two picture books written by authors who spoke at the program. 

Before I Lived Here by Stacy S. Jensen; Illustrated by Victo Ngai

This beautifully illustrated picture book takes readers on a trip back in time. It shows the planning and developing of a modern neighborhood, early settlers working on homesteads, Native Americans living off of the land, dinosaurs roaming, and all the way back to one billion years ago when volcanic eruptions burst through the earth, creating the mountains we see today. 

Before I Lived Here was inspired by Stacy S. Jensen's former neighborhood in Colorado. The story will fascinate children who enjoy history and nature science. 

Meet Author Will Leitch Tuesday, August 26 at Sharon Forks Library

 

Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride by Will Leitch

When an Atlanta police officer known for his de-escalation skills abruptly shifts tactics and starts charging into hot pursuits and bold showdowns wherever he can find them, the viral videos of his reckless acts of bravery raise alarm bells for his friends and family.   

Narrating his own story, Detective McNeil reveals that he's concealing a terminal diagnosis and hoping the substantial death benefit paid to families of officers killed in the line of duty will provide financial security for his thirteen-year-old son Bishop. 

Local Author Spotlight: Ravi Prakash, Author of Safar: An Immigrant's Journey of Life & Leadership

Safar: An Immigrant's Journey of Life & Leadership by Ravi Prakash

In Safar: An Immigrant’s Journey of Life & Leadership, Ravi Prakash describes his personal journey coming to the United States from India as a college student and rising from hourly retail jobs to leadership positions in global corporations. Through the lens of personal stories, the inspiring memoir encourages readers to lead a meaningful life. 

Safar: An Immigrant's Journey of Life & Leadership is filled with practical wisdom that demonstrates the importance of perseverance, integrity, and gratitude. While readers at any stage in their careers will gain valuable insights from Safar, it seems ideal for people experiencing a transition. “Wherever you are, you have to take the next step. You don’t have to be perfect but don’t give up. Even if you aren’t sure, show up. Growth is the way we become better.” 

Staff Picks: The Time Has Come by Will Leitch

 

The Time Has Come by Will Leitch

The lives of seven strangers intersect on the most intense night of their lives in The Time Has Come, the latest novel by Georgia author Will Leitch.

The story revolves around a family-operated pharmacy that casts a long shadow over residents of America's quintessential college town, Athens, Georgia. 

With the passing of the family patriarch, Theo Lindbergh becomes the reluctant public face of Lindbergh Pharmacy. At the same time, a retired school teacher with a long-standing grudge against the Lindbergh family plots a reckoning she feels is long overdue. 

When Miss Lamm (a compassionate teacher known to her students on her better days as Mommy Mario) confronts Theo at the drugstore, a mixed group of customers become the victims, witnesses, and first responders at a shooting. The Time Has Come chronicles the events that bring each one of them—a widow, a nurse, a musician, a lawyer, a contractor, and his son—to Lindbergh Pharmacy. As fans of Leitch's 2021 novel How Lucky already know, the author has a genuine gift for crafting relatable characters.  

The Time Has Come perfectly captures the range of attitudes in small town America as individuals from all walks of life re-emerge from pandemic isolation and tensions flare. Fans of novels like Frederick Backman’s Anxious People and Before the Fall by Noah Hawley will appreciate this dramatic character-rich story. 

From Journalist to Novelist with Will Leitch kicks off FCPL's 2023 Forsyth Writes Together series on August 8. Mr. Leitch will share his experiences in writing and publishing and discuss his novels The Time Has Come and How Lucky, both set in Georgia Bulldogs territory.  

How Lucky was an Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel in 2022 and won the Alex Award in 2022 which honors novels written for adults that have special appeal for young adults.