Local author and nature educator Mark Warren visits the Cumming Library, 585 Dahlonega Street, Cumming, today Wednesday, August 14 at 7:00 p.m. to separate fact from fiction about Wyatt Earp, the legendary lawman of the west and the focus of Warren’s trilogy of historical fiction novels.
“Mr. Warren is a favorite among our patrons. He came to speak with readers about the first two books in the series, Adobe Moon and Born to the Badge, and our readers are eagerly awaiting the third book, Promised Land, to arrive on shelves in October,” says Programming Manager Tracy Walker.
Beyond his popularity with readers who love westerns, Warren is also known as a historian, naturalist, and survival skills educator. His series of nonfiction books, Secrets of the Forest, explain the properties and uses of native plants and how tribes of the Cherokee used them to treat common injuries and ailments. Warren will visit the Hampton Park Library, 5345 Settingdown Road, Cumming, on Sunday, September 22 at 2:00 p.m. to explain how the Cherokee used common plants as medicines and how these remedies can still be effective today.
Memoir author Texas Stready will appear at the Sharon Forks Library, 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming, on Wednesday, August 21 at 7:00 p.m. Stready’s book, Deep in the Heart of Texas, offers an up-close view into the mind of an addict on a downward spiral and the revelations that finally led to her recovery.
“Texas Stready’s story of addiction is, unfortunately, familiar to many in our community. Her recovery is a beacon of hope for families and friends who want to understand how and why their loved ones are struggling with addiction,” explains Walker.
Ginger Garrett, author of The Last Monster and several other books for teens and adults, returns to the library this season as the moderator for W3, the Wednesday Writer’s Workshop for writers in middle and high school. The first W3 workshop of the season will be held at the Post Road Library, 5010 Post Road, Cumming on Wednesday, August 28 at 6:30 p.m. as Garrett leads the group in offering constructive critiques, providing writing tips and strategies and guidance on the publishing process.
Local human rights advocate and venture-philanthropist Daniel Blackman will appear at the Post Road Library on Thursday, September 5 at 7:00 p.m. as the first guest in a series featuring community authors. Blackman is expected to speak about his book, Nationalism Without Compassion, and how it focuses on what unites us as a nation, rather than divides us as a people. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
Dr. Linda Owens Wiley, author of Tame Your Tongue & Transform Your Relationship, and Justin Joseph, author of They Come from the Mountain, will appear at the Post Road Library later in this series.
Local historian Lisa Russell presents "Lost and Drowned in North Georgia" at the Hampton Park Library on Sunday, September 15 at 2:00 p.m.
“Lisa Russell literally wrote the book on the history of lost and forgotten places in our area,” says Walker.
Russell’s books Lost Towns of North Georgia and Underwater Ghost Towns of North Georgia explains how Georgia’s controversial decision to dam the region's rivers for power and water supply changed the landscape forever.
“If they’re not from this area, readers might be surprised to learn that north Georgia’s lakes are not naturally occurring. They were built as part of civic works projects, but their creation meant the loss of homes, cemeteries, and whole towns. Lisa’s research gathers photos and stories from those forgotten places and gives us all a new perspective on things we might otherwise take for granted,” explains Walker.
August and September offer so many opportunities for booklovers to meet authors in person and discover new books to read for both education and enjoyment. October promises more reasons for readers and aspiring writers to visit the library.
Forsyth Writes Together returns to the Hampton Park Library on Saturday, October 5 at 10:30 a.m. with a 7-author panel discussion on writing children’s literature.
“Confessions of a KidLit Critique Group” features authors and illustrators sharing both successes and failures as they explain how they found agents and lost them, handled rejections, and got their work published. The panel will also discuss writing strategies and methods for critiquing children’s books and answer questions from aspiring writers in the audience.
Sara Varon, author of such children’s books and graphic novels as Chicken and Cat and Sweaterweather, will visit a special family storytime at the Post Road Library on Saturday, October 26 at 10:30 a.m.
“Sara Varon is both an author and illustrator and she’s such an engaging storyteller. Families who participate in this special program will be entranced by her on-the-fly character sketches and her unique storytelling style. While she writes for a range of ages, Ms. Varon will be focusing on her picture books for this program,” says Walker.
Each author visit and writer’s panel is free and registration is not required. For more information on these and other events at Forsyth County Public Library, please visit www.forsythpl.org.
