| Abdi Abdirahman | Abdi Abdirahman | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/abdirahman | Abdi’s World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun by Abdi Abdirahman | <div class="ExternalClass12B5EA0AC7CB41D4A1DE207208452189"><h2>
<a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6462324" target="_blank"><em>Abdi's World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun</em></a> by Abdi Abdirahman</h2><p>
<br>Abdi Abdirahman is the only American distance runner to qualify for five Olympic Games. Born in Somalia, he came to Tucson, Arizona, at age 16 after his family escaped civil war in their home country. Abdirahman became an American citizen in 2000 and has represented the United States as a 10,000m runner at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympics, and in the marathon in 2012 and 2020. "The Black Cactus," as the 45-year-old is affectionately known, is also the oldest American runner to qualify for the Olympics, the oldest male to podium at the New York City Marathon, and the USA Track & Field master's record holder in the marathon. Abdirahman is a four-time USATF champion at 10,000m and a four-time US road champion at distances ranging from 10 miles to a half marathon. He has represented the United States five times at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and three times at the IAAF World Track and Field Championships. He still lives in Tucson, when he isn't training in Flagstaff, Arizona, or Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.</p><h3>
Q + A</h3><p>
What inspired you to write this book</p><p>
I wanted to share why I love running so much to encourage others, especially kids, to give it a shot. I got interested in running completely by chance and it changed my life. I am so grateful for that.</p><p>
I have had a lot of ups and downs over a 20-plus-year professional running career. After I qualified for my fifth Olympics, I decided that I wanted to tell my story. I had not done that before in much detail so it was a challenge I got excited about.</p><br></div> | abdirahman | |
| Andrew Maynard | Andrew Maynard | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/maynard | Future Rising: A Journey from the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow by Andrew Maynard | <div class="ExternalClass8F6C571C730F461094FDD324F15A55C3"><h2>
<em>Future Rising: A Journey from the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow</em> by Andrew Maynard</h2><p><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/5233559" target="_blank">eBook</a><br><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/5563468" target="_blank">eAudiobooks</a></p><p>Dr. Andrew Maynard is a scientist, author, and leading expert on the responsible development of new and emerging technologies. For over twenty years he has worked closely with experts from around the world on the opportunities and challenges presented by technologies ranging from nanotechnology and genetic engineering to artificial intelligence and self-driving cars. His books include
<em>Films from the Future: The Technology and Morality of Sci-Fi Movies</em>, and
<em>Future Rising: A Journey from the Past to the Edge of Tomorrow</em>. Andrew has a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge in the UK, is a professor in Arizona State University's School for the Future of Innovation in Society, and watches more science fiction movies than any sane person should!</p><h3>
Q + A</h3><h4>
What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p>
A little under three years ago I was having coffee with a friend and chatting about where I might go with my next book. As we batted various ideas around, he asked "why don't you write about the future as an object?"</p><p>
I thought it was a crazy idea at the time—the future most definitely isn't an object in the usual sense—but I humored him. The thing is though, I couldn't get the idea out of my head. And the more I thought about it, the more I began to see how this might work as the basis of a unique book about our relationship with the future, and how this impacts our decisions and actions in the present.</p><p>
This might have been as far as I got with the concept though, had it not been for two other factors. The first was my work around the challenges of building a more vibrant and promise-filled future in an increasingly complex and stressed world. I'd been looking for new ways of pulling together my thinking here, and the concept of approaching the future as an object began to look like it might be just what I needed. But the real catalyst was reading the book
<em>High Heel</em> by Summer Brennan.</p><p>
Brennan builds up her unique high heeled shoes-inspired exploration of sexual identity through a tapestry of short reflections and essays that, together, are greater than the sum of the whole. And it was this that inspired me to explore something similar around how we individually and collectively think about and understand the future.</p><p>
And so
<em>Future Rising</em> emerged as a series of sixty short reflections (almost meditations) on different aspects of our relationship with the future—sixty of them to denote the passing of time. These weave together to provide a deeply personal and timely perspective on where we're heading, and our responsibility to future generations</p><h4>
What attracted you to this genre?</h4><p>
I must confess that, by preference, I read fiction. So it's ironic that I write non-fiction! But I'm passionate about drawing on my work and expertise to help people better-understand the world they live and how they can be part of creating a better future. And in this context, writing a non-fiction book about the future made sense.</p><p>
However,
<em>Future Rising</em> doesn't really fall into any one genre beyond being non-fiction. In telling a complex story about our relationship with the future it weaves together science, art, the humanities, social responsibility, reflection and meditation, and even what it means to be human. The result is a book that isn't easy to categorize. But to me, the message has always been more important than the labels it comes with—and the message that threads through
<em>Future Rising</em> is most definitely an important one if we care about a future that's better than the past.</p><h4>
What book are you currently reading?</h4><p>
I'm currently reading
<em>Alexander at the World's End</em> by Tom Holt. It's a wickedly alternative, deeply insightful and utterly compelling account of Alexander the Great's rise and influence as seen through the eyes of a Greek philosopher whose fictitious life briefly intersected with Alexander's.</p><h4>
Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</h4><p>
I have a couple of ideas in the works and will be working on my next book over the next couple of years. Its theme could go a number of ways, but I'm currently spending a lot of time thinking about what it will mean to be human a hundred years from now if we imagine where emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and human augmentation will take us</p><h4>
If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>
Ha—my main work is as a scientist, thinker, and professor, and I'll not be giving this up any time soon! But writing is how I get stuff out of my head and into the heads of my readers, and so this will always be a part of what I do.</p><h4>
Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</h4><p>
I'm really embarrassed to say that I don't, but only because I have access to everything I need as part of my job as a professor at Arizona State University. When I was younger though, our local library was my life—it was where I got to read and learn about stuff I would never have had access to anywhere else. It was the same for my kids when they were younger. And as I type this, I realize I really should spend more time in the library—Tempe Public Library, here I come!</p><br></div> | maynard | |
| C. Mack Lewis | C. Mack Lewis | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/lewis | The Angel Wore Black by C. Mack Lewis | <div class="ExternalClassDE6BEFEA22234F3A928D308BE9B1CF39"><h2><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6340314"><em>The Angel Wore Black</em></a> by C. Mack Lewis<br></h2><p><br></p><p>Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy is a podiatrist who has been in private practice in North Scottsdale since October 2000. C. Mack Lewis is the good doctor’s alter ego who delights in writing wickedly delicious fiction, such as <em>The Fallen Angels</em> series, which is a fast, fun detective series served up with wit, grit, and more than a few shocking twists. The trilogy features a private detective father and his teenage daughter who is riddled with anger management issues and has a penchant for finding trouble. This is one father-daughter relationship that careens from bad to worse and some unexpected places in between. Her screenplay <em>Oh Brother</em> won the Phoenix Film Festival screenwriting competition in 2005 and was optioned by Gold Circle Films in 2008. Her screenplays can be found online on <em>The Black List</em>, including the urban comedy <em>There Goes The Neighborhood</em> where residents of an upscale African American gated community must act to protect their property values when a "white trash” family moves in. C. Mack hosts <em>The Hidden Gems Podcast</em>, which is dedicated to featuring classic and original short fiction. She is also the co-host of<em> Midnight Balloon</em>, which is an award winning limited-series podcast. C. Mack currently resides in Phoenix with her husband, Dennis, and their pit-bull, Daisy. She is an avid audiophile and can usually be found wearing her pink Beats headphones and listening to audiobooks and podcasts, playing piano, and watching indie films with her husband. If she had more time, she would love to become a street artist, write musicals, and read more books.<br></p><p><br></p><h3>Q + A</h3><p><br></p><div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to writing <em>Gunning For Angels</em>?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"> I was very close to my father who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2010. <em>Gunning for Angels</em> was the first book in the <em>Fallen Angels</em> series and I was emotionally drawn to writing a story about how important it is for a girl to have a father-figure in her life. Both of my main characters, Jack and Enid, are deeply flawed and struggle to connect on the most basic level. In writing their story, I was exploring my own grief over losing my father and how important it is for every girl to have a father-figure in her life, even if that father is far from perfect. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to write this genre?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"> I’ve always loved detective stories and murder mysteries. I also love witty and comedic dialogue, and I particularly delight in throwing my characters “under the bus” as I send them careening into dangerous situations to battle it out with horrible people. One of the advantages of writing detective stories is that the detective must venture into unknown situations and interact with people of all social classes and backgrounds, which keeps the story fast paced and unpredictable. My goal is to have the reader not want to stop reading because they can’t wait to find out “what happens next.” </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading? </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">I am always listening to one audiobook and reading another book on Kindle, so instead of telling you what I am currently reading, I am going to take the liberty of giving you a list of my top 10 books. </span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">1. <em>Jane Eyre</em> by Charlotte Bronte<br>I love this book because it is about a poor, plain-looking girl who remains true to herself and overcomes all obstacles, and finds true love. <br>2. <em>Pride and Prejudice</em> by Jane Austen<br>I love that this witty heroine, despite multiple blunders, still manages to find true love. <br>3. <em>The Alien Series</em> by Alan Dean Foster<br>I know that is quite a jump from classic literature to sci-fi horror, but this series is my ultimate chicken noodle soup cure for when the world gets overwhelming. I love a strong female heroine, as I am sure you will figure out if you have read any of my books! <br>4. <em>Cousin Bette</em> by Honore de Balzac.<br>This book has the ultimate femme fatale who, with the help of Cousin Bette, skillfully keeps four men catering to her every whim and emptying their bank accounts even if it means destroying their own families. <em>Cousin Bette</em> is revenge incarnate! <br>5. <em>The Talented Mr. Ripley</em> by Patricia Highsmith<br>You know a writer has got some serious skills when she can have you rooting for and sympathizing with a serial killer. This book is a full-on immersion into the mind of Tom Ripley and it is a fascinating journey that you will never forget. <br>6. <em>Vanity Fair</em> by William Makepeace Thackeray<br>Are you sensing a pattern here? It's yet another strong female lead who heads into the world armed only with her wit, beauty, and charm. The story is never what you expect and the ending is deeply satisfying. <br>7. <em>Little House of the Prairie</em> series by Laura Ingalls Wilder<br>What can I say? It's simple writing, a true story, and a complete pleasure to follow Laura's journey toward adulthood and love. <br>8. <em>Children of Ruin </em>by Adrian Tchaikovsky<br>Wow. I didn’t like it at first, but I kept listening and it has turned into one of those books that you cannot forget because it is so completely original and has such a satisfying end. Hope you like spiders… <br>9. <em>The Three-Body Problem</em> by Liu Cixin<br>This book is problematic, particularly how he portrays women (rather one-dimensional) and there is some stilted dialogue that is cringe-worthy, BUT this book changed the way I view the universe and my opinion on space exploration. The first book is a little confusing, the second book a game-changer, and the third book blew my mind. <br>10. <em>Persuasion</em> by Jane Austen<br>Anne Elliot is perfection. She is the woman that I wish I was—quiet, impeccable good taste, and kindhearted discretion. If that sounds boring, it's not. This is a classic story about remaining true to yourself and getting a second chance at love -- after all hope has gone. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now? When will it come out?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"> I am currently working on a book of short stories that I hope to have published in early 2023. I created and host <em>The Hidden Gems Podcast</em>, which can be found online and features classic and original short stories. My upcoming book will showcase 10 of my latest short stories, some of which can be heard on the podcast. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">If I wasn’t a writer, what would I do? </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">I’ve always loved creating things, so if I was not a writer I would most likely be drawn to painting. I love living in Phoenix and I think that I would try my hand at being a street artist, painting large murals that passersby could enjoy. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? If so, which one? </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Although there are closer libraries to where I live, I love going to the Burton Barr Central Library. I always enjoy the architecture, the interesting art work, the lovely people who work there and are always willing to answer questions, and the wide selection of fiction. Closer to my work, I sometimes go to Appaloosa Library during my lunch hour and enjoy its easy beauty and wonderful selection of books and movies.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><p><br></p></div> | lewis | |
| Cathy McDavid | Cathy McDavid | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/mcdavid | Wildfire Threat by Cathy McDavid | <div class="ExternalClass61A6536866F34678B2E98BBF66F8A9BF"><h2><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6301357"><em>Wildfire Threat</em></a> by Cathy McDavid <br></h2><p>
<br>In the third grade, <em>NY Times</em>, <em>USA Today</em> and Amazon bestselling author Cathy McDavid made it her goal to read every <em>Black Stallion</em> book ever written. Who knew such an illustrious ambition would eventually lead to a lifelong love of all things western, owning a stagecoach pulled by six mules, and a career writing contemporary romances for Harlequin? With over 55 titles in print and 1.6 million books sold, This “almost” Arizona native and mother of grown twins is married to her own real-life sweetheart. After leaving the corporate world eight years ago, she now spends her days penning stories about handsome cowboys riding the range, busting broncs, and sweeping gals off their feet — oops, no. Make that winning the hearts of feisty, independent women who give the cowboys a run for their money.<br></p><p><br></p><h3>Q + A<br><br></h3><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to write this book? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">For many years, my family owned a charming vacation home in Young, which is considered the most remote town in Arizona. Several years ago, we came "this" close to losing our home during the Young fire. We could see the flames and smoke filling the sky from our front porch, and it seemed so close. It was terrifying to know there was absolutely nothing we could do to prevent the fire from destroying the town and our home. All we could do was grab what few personal possessions we could fit in our vehicle and evacuate. Fortunately, the fire was contained before reaching the town. Still, pretty scary. There a many ranches in the Young area, and how to save the livestock was a serious concern during the fire. The loss of all those cattle and horses would have been tragic. How to "save the ranch" became the idea for <em>Wildfire Threat</em>.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to this genre?</span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I was a romance book lover long before I started writing. I'm a sucker for happy endings. Really, I am. I want that big, happy sigh at the end of the book. As a writer, I enjoy the challenge of throwing insurmountable obstacles in front of my characters and then finding realistic ways for them to overcome the obstacles. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>Razorblade Tears</em> by S.A.Cosby. I belong to a book club (I may be a writer, but I'm still a reader), and this is our current selection. I've only just started the book and am enjoying it immensely.</span> <br> </p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I'm writing another inspirational romantic suspense that will be out in June of 2023. This one takes place in the Superstition Mountains. The characters wind up in grave danger when they accidentally stumble upon an illegal mining operation. Before then, my book <em>Blizzard Refuge</em> will be out November 2022.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br> </p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I spent over thirty years in the corporate world before leaving to write full-time. Truthfully, I'd probably still be there. But I'm glad I'm not. </span><br></p><h4><br><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If so, which library is it and what do you do there? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Local libraries are my writing home away from home. Sometimes, I need a change of scenery. The four walls of my home office can close in on me. About once a week, I take myself to the library and write or edit there for a couple hours. Rather than distract me, the people watching energizes me. If I'm lucky, a new idea will come to me.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br></p><p><br></p></div> | mcdavid | |
| Dan O’Mahony | Dan O’Mahony | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/omahony | The Fifth Cycle: A New Hero is Forged by Dan O’Mahony | <div class="ExternalClassA82C35FC093E4A799AD8F332A95E1542"><h2><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6065147" target="_blank"><em></em><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>The Fifth Cycle: A New Hero is Forged (Colin Caulfield and the Irish Gods #1)</em></span><em></em> </a>by Dan O'Mahony<br></h2><p><br>T<span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">he man known as Dan O’Mahony was born in a library where he was raised by a pack of wild fantasy novels that brought him up as if he was one of their own. In addition to being an author, he is also an educator, who enjoys sharing his love of reading and writing with his students.</span><br></p><h3><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Q + A</span></h3><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to write this book? </span> </h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">This book was inspired by my love of my Irish culture. Most people are unfamiliar with the length and breadth of Irish myth and folklore. I hope to change that. In future books, I also plan on introducing readers to key figures and moments of Irish history as well as pay my respect to the many great Irish writers who have come before me.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"></span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to this genre? </span> <br></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I have always loved the fantasy genre. It is the ultimate escape. It is also the home of dreamers and outsiders who may not feel at home in the “real world” but know they are in fact heroes destined for great things.</span> <br></p><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I enjoy writing for a younger audience, because I remember, growing up, how much reading meant to me and how many great books have had a personal impact on me. I hope to “pay it forward.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"></span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading?</span> </h4><p>I am currently enjoying Terry Pratchett’s <em>Tiffany Aching</em> series of middle grade books.<span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out? </span> </h4><p>I plan on releasing two books in the fall. The first one, <span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>Illumina</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">, is a middle grade fantasy book that is about the healing power of the craft of writing. </span> <br></p><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">The next one, </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>Death’s Fair Maiden</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">, is my first attempt at a young adult book. It is a fantasy romance that I have nicknamed “Boy meets Banshee.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> <br></span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If you weren't a writer, what would you do? </span> </h4><p>Honestly, I don’t know. Writing is my calling. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.<span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div class="SCXW142237348 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:#000000;font-family:"segoe ui", "segoe ui web", arial, verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;background-color:#ffffff;"><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</span> </h4><p>I enjoy visiting <a href="/locations/ironwood" target="_blank">Ironwood Library</a>. I’ll check out the “competition” and cruise the stacks for some old favorites. Sometimes, I’ll bring my iPad and write – allowing myself to be inspired by all that great literature that surrounds me.<span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><div><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW142237348 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;cursor:text;clear:both;direction:ltr;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW142237348 BCX8" style="margin-bottom:0px;padding:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;color:windowtext;"><br></p></div></div></div> | omahony | |
| Dane McCaslin | Dane McCaslin | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/mccaslin | Cat’s Meow by Dane McCaslin | <div class="ExternalClassE2DE0FF80CE54C2B96087BB305AA65F3"><h2><em></em><em>Cat’s Meow</em> by Dane McCaslin<br></h2><p><em><br>USA Today</em> bestselling author of the <em>Proverbial Crime</em> mystery series, is a lifelong writer whose love of mysteries was formed early in life. At age eight, she discovered Agatha Christie—much to her mother's dismay—and began devouring any and all books she could find that featured murder and mayhem. After retiring from her career as a high school and community college English teacher, Dane now devotes her newly found freedom to writing mystery novels and reading for pleasure.<span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br></p><h3><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br>Q + A</span></h3><p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to write this book?</span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">The book is the vehicle for a pair of amateur sleuths, p-als of longstanding, who are “ladies of a certain age,” a demographic that is under-represented in my view. The antics they get up to are pulled from my own life, so I can raise my hand and say that yes, indeed, we gals of ‘that” age come in all different personalities.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to this genre: romance, mystery, non-fiction, etc.?</span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I’ve loved cozy mysteries since I was very young. I skipped over Nancy Drew and went straight for Agatha Christie, thanks to my mother’s own reading choices. This format, this type of writing, is what I know best as a reader and I feel it’s translated well to my writing.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br></p><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading?</span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I’m currently re-reading Simon Brett’s <em>The Body on the Beach</em>, book one in the <em>Fethering Mysteries </em>series. Love it!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now?</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> If so, when will it come out? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I am currently at work on book two of a brand new cozy series under the pen name Alice Adler. The first book, <em>Murder Most Newsworthy</em>, will be released in August of this year, followed by <em>Murder Most Tasty</em> (2023) and <em>Murder Most Stylish</em> (2024).</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Easy! I’d be what I was: an English teacher! I was privileged to teach American Lit for over twenty years, and those were the best, craziest, busiest, and most rewarding years of my life.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I do! I go to the Queen Creek Library. I go as a reader only and love finding new-to-me writers who love a good mystery as I do.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br></p></div><p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></p></div> | mccaslin | |
| G.K. Lamb | G.K. Lamb | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/lamb | Filtered: Great Society Trilogy Book One by G.K. Lamb | <div class="ExternalClass22D73B5899E447B58B6B724AA7569B43"><h2><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/4667483"><em>Filtered: Great Society Trilogy Book One</em></a> by G.K. Lamb</h2><p>
G.K. Lamb writes speculative fiction, science fiction, and fantasy. Trained as a historian and documentary filmmaker, he explores themes of memory, history, and truth through a cinematic lens. He holds a BA and MA in history from Northern Arizona University. When he isn't writing, teaching, or making films, G.K. host the Fiction Writer podcast. He lives in the Sonoran Desert with his wife, two cats, and dog.</p><h3>
Q + A</h3><h4>
What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p><em>Filtered </em>is my attempt to grapple with the conflicting narratives of our all-too-often confusing, isolating, and paranoid world. I was eleven in 2001 so I spent my adolescence being bombarded by the "War on Terror" that reshaped everyday life. There was a constant fear that at any moment, the world was going to come crashing down and all this violence was going to be poured onto us by evil others from somewhere else. But that narrative didn't line up with the realities I saw around me. I was beginning to see how the outside threat masked the cancerous internal divisions and domestic threats within the United States.</p><p>I went to college to study history, and with the help of great mentors, I focused on the rise of totalitarianism in the 20th century and the Holocaust. I was shaken up by the power cultural narratives have to shape our lives and to fuel atrocities. <em>Filtered</em> emerged out of my search to make sense of the horrors of the 20th century, the dizzying acceleration of modernity, and my own experiences.</p><p>I am not alone in responding to the "War on Terror" zeitgeist by writing dystopian fiction. However, most dystopian fiction is from the perspective of the outsider who can reveal the hypocrisy of the world and bring it shattering down. Those stories are fun, and they can be really engaging, but they don't speak to the insidiousness of dystopia and rarely grapple with the individual's responsibility in creating and maintaining oppressive power structures. I was struck one day with the idea for a character who was so deep in the thick of it, she didn't even realize there was a problem. Following her to see how she handled learning the cost of her comfort was the genesis of <em>Filtered</em>.</p><h4>What attracted you to this genre? </h4><p>I am drawn to speculative and dystopian fiction because it reflects the angst, outrage, and yearning for apocalypse of American life in the internet age. </p><h4>What book are you currently reading? </h4><p>Currently, I'm reading
<em>The House in the Cerulean Sea</em> by TJ Klune. Although not my typical genre, it is a delightful book with engaging characters and a vivid, quirky setting. </p><h4>Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out? </h4><p>I'm currently working on the third and final novel in the
<em>Great Society Trilogy: Broken</em>. I hope to be finished writing it this year with an optimistic late 2022 or early 2023 release. </p><h4>If you weren't a writer, what would you do? </h4><p>If I weren't a writer, I would want to pursue my other big passion: filmmaking. I love making films and I think the cinematic lens and the language of film heavily influences my writing. </p><h4>Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there? </h4><p>I love libraries. They have been a consistent refuge and source of stillness in my life. For example, the last time I was at
<a href="/locations/century">Century Library</a> in Phoenix, I was having a hectic day and having an oasis of calm was exactly what I needed to help me get back on track. I rarely check out physical books anymore, but I listen to as many audiobooks as I can. </p></div> | lamb | |
| J.C. Eaton | J.C. Eaton | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/eaton | From Port to Rigor Morte by J.C. Eaton | <div class="ExternalClassFE8D9E9B04534B728B1C56884CCEBF2A"><h3>
<a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6174721" target="_blank">From Port to Rigor Morte by J.C. Eaton</a> </h3><p>
<strong>Ann and Jim, Writing as J.C. Eaton</strong><br></p><p>
<em>Ann I. Goldfarb</em><br></p><p>New York native Ann I. Goldfarb spent most of her life in education, first as a classroom teacher and later as a middle school principal and professional staff developer. Writing as J. C. Eaton, along with her husband, James Clapp, they have authored The Sophie Kimball Mysteries (Kensington), The Wine Trail Mysteries (Kensington Lyrical Underground and Beyond the Page Publishing), and The Marcie Rayner Mysteries (Camel). In addition, Ann has nine published YA time travel mysteries under her own name.</p><p>
<em>James E. Clapp</em></p><p>When James E. Clapp retired as the tasting room manager for a large upstate New York winery, he never imagined he’d be co-authoring cozy mysteries with his wife, Ann I. Goldfarb. Non-fiction in the form of informational brochures and workshop materials treating the winery industry were his forte along with an extensive background and experience in construction that started with his service in the U.S. Navy and included vocational school classroom teaching.</p><h4>Q + A</h4><p>
<strong>What inspired you to write this book?</strong></p><p>Living in a retirement community was just too much “fodder” to ignore. As a seasoned YA author, Ann couldn’t resist her husband’s nagging to co-author “over the top” cozy mysteries meant to keep people laughing and guessing whodunit.</p><p>
<strong>What attracted you to this genre: romance, mystery, non-fiction, etc.?</strong></p><p>We love cozies – lots of mystery, puzzles and crime solving without violence, sex, or harm to children or pets. Just an old-fashioned murder mystery complete with humor.</p><p>
<strong>What book are you currently reading?</strong></p><p>Ann is currently reading Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger and Jim is currently reading Long Range by C.J. Box.</p><p>
<strong>Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</strong></p><p>We are writing a new series – The Charcuterie Shop Mysteries with Level Best Books. The first title, Laid Out to Rest, is set for release in July 2022.</p><p>
<strong>If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</strong></p><p>Not sure what we would do if we couldn’t write!</p><p>
<strong>Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there? </strong></p><p>Yes, we use the Maricopa County Library in Surprise, AZ, for our reading selection.<br></p></div> | eaton | |
| Jennifer Deibel | Jennifer Deibel | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/deibel | The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel | <div class="ExternalClassA38850D55175405B8541726A278AD106"><h2><em>The Lady of Galway Manor</em> by Jennifer Deibel</h2><p><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6437638" target="_blank">eBook</a><br><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6601332">eAudiobook</a></p><p>
Jennifer Deibel is the bestselling and award-winning author of <em>A Dance in Donegal</em> and <em>The Lady of Galway Manor</em>. A middle school ELA teacher in Glendale, her work has appeared on <em>(in)courage</em>, on <em>The Better Mom</em>, in <em>Missions Mosaic</em> magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at <a href="http://www.jenniferdeibel.com/" target="_blank">www.jenniferdeibel.com</a>.</p><h3>Q + A</h3><h4>What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p><em>The Lady of Galway Manor</em> was inspired, in part, by the 4 years our family lived in the Galway area. We walked the cobbled streets of that enchanting city, and visited the home of the creator of the Claddagh ring. Ireland is a truly magical place, and Galway is even more so. There's just something so...intoxicating about it. And I got to thinking, "What would have happened if a British courtier was apprenticed to an Irishman?" With the rumblings between Ireland and England never far from the surface, it wasn't difficult to imagine what sparks might fly between them.</p><h4>What attracted you to this genre: romance, mystery, non-fiction, etc.? </h4><p>I've always been a romantic at heart, playing wedding and princess since I was a little girl. I love the excitement of meeting someone new, and the flurry of emotions that comes with falling in love. I also love exploring the deep nuances of a well-established, time-proven love. I believe we were made for story, and romance is at the very heart of it.</p><h4>What book are you currently reading?</h4><p>I am currently reading <em>A Heart Adrift </em>by Laura Frantz, and it's amazing. I mean, a privateer and colonial-chocolatier in a second chance romance? Yes, please!</p><h4>Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out? </h4><p>I am currently working on edits for my third book, which is set to release from Revell in early February, 2023. I'll be revealing the title and cover to my newsletter subscribers very soon! (You can sign up for that newsletter on my website at <a href="http://www.jenniferdeibel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.jenniferdeibel.com</a>.)</p><h4>If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>Well, when I'm not writing, I'm teaching middle school ELA. But I think if I couldn't write or teach, my other dream job would be to sing and/or act. I also love to dance. I guess I can't get too far away from the creative world!</p><h4>Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</h4><p>I do! And I love it so very much! My family typically visits the Foothills Branch of Glendale Public Library. We love the summer reading program, and my daughters like to go there to work on homework when they need a good place to focus. I enjoy just perusing the shelves and soaking in the relaxing atmosphere.</p><br></div> | deibel | |
| Karen Odden | Karen Odden | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/odden | Down a Dark River by Karen Odden | <div class="ExternalClassE8F8F8417B6E4DE3930E2D3FED7F4928"><h2>
<em>Down a Dark River</em> by Karen Odden</h2><p>
<a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6071033" target="_blank">eBook</a><br><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6071033" target="_blank">eAudiobook</a></p><p>
Karen Odden earned her Ph.D. in English from NYU in 2001, writing her dissertation on Victorian railway disasters and the medical, legal, and fictional literature written about them. Subsequently, she taught English literature at UW-Milwaukee. She has contributed essays to numerous journals, written introductions for novels by Dickens and Trollope for the Barnes & Noble Classics Series, and edited for the academic journal Victorian Literature and Culture (Cambridge UP). For her first novel, she built upon the research for her dissertation, and all of her books are set in 1870s London.
<em>A Lady in the Smoke</em> (2015, Random House) was a
<em>USA Today</em> bestseller; her second and third novels,
<em>A Dangerous Duet</em> (2018) and
<em>A Trace of Deceit</em>
(2019) have won awards for historical fiction and mystery. In her fourth novel,
<em>Down a Dark River</em> (2021), a former thief and bare-knuckles boxer named Michael Corravan becomes an inspector at Scotland Yard in 1878, and he is faced with the murder of a prominent judge's beautiful daughter, whose corpse is put in a boat and sent floating down the Thames River. The sequel,
<em>Under a Veiled Moon</em>, will be published in October 2022. Karen is a member of Sisters in Crime National and two local Phoenix chapters, Mystery Writers of America, and the Historical Novel Society. An avid desert hiker, Karen lives in Scottsdale with her family and a ridiculously cute rescue beagle named Rosy. She loves to hear from writers and readers; she has a fun, newsy e-newsletter that comes out every 6 weeks and includes "behind the book" essays and book giveaways by other women authors; she periodically offers online seminars for writers; and you can connect with her at
<a href="https://karenodden.com/" target="_blank">www.karenodden.com</a>.</p><h3>Q + A</h3><h4>What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p>
For my first three books, I was inspired by some aspect of Victorian culture—for
<em>A Lady in the Smoke</em>, it was railway disasters; for
<em>A Dangerous Duet,</em> thieving rings, seedy music halls, and the Royal Academy of music; for
<em>A Trace of Deceit</em>, the art and auction world and the Slade School of Art in London. But for my fourth book, I was inspired by an article about race, injustice, and the law in the US in the 21st century.</p><p>
The article included an account of a young Black woman in Alabama who was jaywalking across a quiet street when she was hit by a car, being driven far too fast by a wealthy white man who was intoxicated. She suffered terrible injuries, but when her family sued, the judge awarded her a mere $2,000, justifying it by saying that she was jaywalking. This story felt deeply disturbing to me, but what snagged my attention especially was the aftermath. The victim's outraged father took an unusual step: he threatened the judge's
daughter. To my mind, he did so at least in part to show the judge what it was to almost lose a child. He wanted to make the judge feel what he was feeling; put another way, he wanted empathy and understanding. He wanted the judge to "get it." Now, the story presented to the judge in the lawcourt hadn't succeeded in bringing this about; but forcing the judge to take a few steps in his shoes might.</p><p>
This got me thinking about the nature and purpose of revenge—and how the phrase "an eye for an eye" is too simple, too glib; it obscures just how complex revenge can be. It raised other questions as well: What role can empathy play in mediating the desire for revenge? When is an injury "worthy" of notice by society? Does it matter who the injury belongs to—and who speaks of it—and where and how it is presented and discussed? These are some of the concerns at the core of the book.</p><p>
However, most of all, I wanted to write a book that entertains and keeps readers turning the pages long into the night!
<em>Mystery and Suspense</em> magazine calls this book "A superbly written Victorian mystery. Dark and atmospheric." That's what I was hoping for! In addition to former thief and bare-knuckles boxer Inspector Michael Corravan, an interesting cast of characters populate the novel, including Belinda Gale (a novelist and his love interest), young inspector Gordon Stiles, the irascible newspaperman Tom Flynn, the new and very proper Director at the Yard Mr. Vincent, and Corravan's young cousin Harry Lish. I hope readers enjoy getting to know them as much as I enjoyed writing them.</p><h4>
What attracted you to this genre?</h4><p>
Mysteries have life-and-death stakes, so they make room for authors to explore large themes such as social injustice, problematic laws, political and economic structures, and the way the power to speak and act is determined (in part) by someone's class, race, and gender. While
Down a Dark River has a hero (my inspector) and the villain (the murderer), the resolutions aren't black and white; within the constraints of the genre, I can explore the gray areas. That is, a villain is never a villain in his own head; he has a worldview that he has come by honestly, that has been shaped by his experiences. I'm curious about how people come to have world views that are peculiar or warped and what they do because of it. Also, writing
historical mysteries enables me to address current concerns, such as gender inequality or distrust of the police or newspaper bias, for example, within a different framework.</p><h4>
What book are you currently reading?</h4><p>I'm reading four at the moment: Ruth Ozeki's
<em>The Book of Form</em><em> and Emptiness</em>; Kate Quinn's
<em>The Diamond Eye</em>;
<em>Inside the Victorian Home</em> (for research); and
<em>Memoir of a Victorian Woman: Reflections of Louise Creighton, 1850-1936</em> (for research).</p><h4>
Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</h4><p>
I just turned in the manuscript for the sequel to
<em>Down a Dark River</em>; it is entitled
<em>Under a Veiled Moon</em>, and it's about a (true) historical disaster on the Thames River in September 1878. The
Princess Alice was a wood-hulled steamship that carried day-trippers up and down the Thames. One night, it collided with the
Bywell Castle, an enormous, 900-ton coal ship with a steel hull. The
Princess Alice broke into three parts and sank in four minutes, throwing all 650 passengers into the icy river. Most of them drowned—and because there was no passenger list, no one knew who was on the boat. Early clues about who caused the disaster point to the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and Inspector Corravan (who is Irish himself) must determine whether it was an accident or a purposeful act of destruction. The book will come out on October 11, 2022.</p><h4>
If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>
I would probably teach writing. During the pandemic, I've been offering Zoom classes on elements of craft—backstory, secondary characters, and voice—and really enjoying it. I love meeting writers around the country!</p><h4>
Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</h4><p>
Yes, I use the Mustang Library all the time! I belong to 4 book clubs, so I borrow books there; I find my research materials for my writing there; and I pop in at least once a month to take photographs of my author friends' books "in the wild" to post on social media.</p><br></div> | odden | |
| Kyra Halland | Kyra Halland | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/halland | Beneath the Canyons: Daughter of the Wildlings Book 1 by Kyra Halland | <div class="ExternalClassC12F091B3BC74F4BB64C268F87EE236A"><h2>
<a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/4503339" target="_blank">Beneath the Canyons: Daughter of the Wildlings Book 1 by Kyra Halland</a></h2><p>
Kyra Halland has always loved fantasy, and she's always loved romance. She could never find novels that combine these two in the way she craved, so she decided to write her own. She writes tales of magical worlds where strong, smart, feminine heroines and honorable, complicated heroes find love, and through their love save their world and each other.</p><p>
Kyra Halland is the pen name of a fantasy author living in southern Arizona. She grew up in Tempe, Arizona, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Music Education and an M.A. in Music History and Literature from Arizona State University. For the past three decades, she has resided in Tucson with her attorney husband, whom she met at ASU. She is also a mom and mom-in-law, proud grandma, and devoted cat servant. </p><h3>
Q + A</h3><h4> What inspired you to write this book? </h4><p>
<em>Beneath the Canyons</em> started as an experiment in combining my favorite genre, fantasy, with the traditions of the western. I wanted to put the familiar western elements into a world that isn't ours, where magic is pervasive and well-known. To me, fantasy and western were made to go together. The struggle between good and evil; epic journeys where simply surviving is a victory; the hero with extraordinary skills and strengths, a loner, who has his own mission in life and his own moral code that doesn't necessarily fit with the accepted conventions; the contrast between the down and dirty struggle for survival that was life in the Old West and the otherworldly wonder of magic, and between the rough technology of the late 1800s and the traditions of magic and fantasy. I was also inspired by the landscapes of the West - rugged desert hills and dry riverbeds, grassy rangelands, and snow-covered peaks and evergreen forests. These landscapes hold deep secrets and power and history, and demand the utmost in skill and courage of those who journey or live there.</p><h4>
What attracted you to this genre: romance, mystery, non-fiction, etc.? </h4><p>
I've always loved fantasy. When I was a child, my father read
<em>The Hobbit</em> and
<em>The Wind in the Willows</em> out loud to me and my siblings.
<em>The Prydain Chronicles</em> by Lloyd Alexander and the
<em>Earthsea Trilogy</em> by Ursula K. Leguin are some of my other favorite books from childhood. I'm drawn to the sense of wonder, the chance to go on adventures and explore worlds beyond our own, the heroism, and the magic! I enjoy reading about ordinary people with extraordinary gifts doing extraordinary things. In fantasy, there really are no limits to what can be done. <br><br> I've also always loved reading about two people who fall in love and overcome the odds to reach their happily ever after. <br><br> The combination of romance and fantasy draws me because love is such a powerful motivation, and showing characters in love, in a developing or committed relationship, shows sides of them that otherwise might be passed over as they struggle to save the world or whatever the fantasy story is about. It makes the characters more well-rounded and more sympathetic, and raises the stakes in the story. Saving the world is a huge thing; saving it for the people you love - sweetheart, spouse, children, family members, friends - makes it a lot more personal. I also like exploring how the development of the relationship and the fantasy quest affect each other, and how the couple deals with the challenges they face as they work together to achieve their goal of saving the world.</p><h4>
What book are you currently reading? </h4><p>
I'm currently reading
<em>Fierce Hearts</em>, a romantic fantasy charity anthology to raise funds for Ukraine humanitarian relief. I have a story in this anthology. It's an honor to be part of
<em>Fierce Hearts</em> with many of my author colleagues who also write romantic fantasy.</p><h4>
Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out? </h4><p>
I'm currently in edits on
<em>Storm of Magic</em>, book 3 of the
<em>Mage of Storm and Sea</em> series. I really can't say when it'll be out; it's a big book. Later this year, is the best I can say. I'm also writing the first draft of the next
<em>Wildings</em> series,
<em>Children of the Wildings</em>. No idea when that will come out. I'm aiming for starting sometime next year.</p><h4>
If you weren't a writer, what would you do? </h4><p>
Being a writer is actually the perfect career for me, and after I started writing, I realized I had never really wanted to do anything else. I enjoy scrapbooking and paper crafts, so if I didn't spend so much time writing I would probably do more of that. Also, my house would probably be a lot cleaner!</p><h4>
Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there? </h4><p>My local library system is the Pima County Public Library. I don't read much on paper any more, so I enjoy being able to borrow eBooks from the library.</p></div><br> | halland | |
| Lindsay Harrel | Lindsay Harrel | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/harrel | The Inn at Walker Beach by Lindsay Harrel | <div class="ExternalClass866BEDD5E3014BE69494B5EA229B904E"><h2><em><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6244186" target="_blank">The Inn at Walker Beach</a></em> by Lindsay Harrel<br></h2><p><br></p><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years, and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-charstyle="Hyperlink"><a href="http://www.lindsayharrel.com/" target="_blank">www.LindsayHarrel.com</a></span></span>.<br></p><p><br></p><h3>Q + A<br></h3><p><br></p><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to write this book? </span> </h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I wanted to write a story about a group of women working toward a common goal, supporting each other, lifting one another up. There’s so much negativity in the world right now, and I loved the idea of a story that brings hope and joy. I also wanted to explore how women of different ages and life circumstances might struggle with the same things—identity, purpose, significance—and how they might handle them similarly and differently. I started writing in a fictional California town in my <em>Walker Beach</em> series and decided a spinoff with more of a women’s fiction bent was in order. Thus, </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>The Inn at Walker Beach</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> was born!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to this genre? </span> <br><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I’ve always loved books about women figuring out who they are, their place in the world, etc.—and of course, finding love! In my opinion, the best books have a romantic arc, even if that arc isn’t the main point of the book.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading?</span> </h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I’m reading Gabrielle Meyer’s </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>When the Day Comes</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">, a super unique time travel type book about a heroine who has two lives in two very different time periods—and she has to choose which one to stay in forever before her next birthday. I’m loving it!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out? </span> </h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I am working on the next book in the <em>Barefoot Sisterhood</em> series, </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>A Refuge by the Sea</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">. I’d intended for it to release this August, but some life circumstances have meant it will likely be pushed back. I hate that, but sometimes real life has to come first. I’m grateful to my fans who are ever faithful in waiting for my next release!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If you weren't a writer, what would you do? </span> </h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Is it cheating to say I’m an editor also? So I’d do that full time if I didn’t also write. There’s something so thrilling about helping people improve their stories. I also have edited everything from college curriculum to medical journal-type material, in addition to novels.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">YES! I go to the <a href="/locations/agave" target="_blank">Agave</a> branch all the time with my kiddos (ages 5 and 7). They love browsing the kids section. We also put books on hold all the time and pick them up from the holds shelf. In the past, when my kiddos were younger and not in school, we have participated in a lot of the storytimes and other kids activities. Also, we love the summer reading program!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><p><br></p></div> | harrel | |
| Lorraine Hawley | Lorraine Hawley | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/hawley | Curious World of Dandy-Lion by Lorraine Hawley | <div class="ExternalClass5223855946104A0182035730ED5B303A"><h2><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6491936" target="_blank"><em></em><em>Curious World of Dandy-Lion</em> by Lorraine Hawley<br><br></a></h2><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Lorraine Hawley writes stories about tweens, teens, and adult misfits struggling to adapt to fantastical worlds. While she has attempted to write non-magical stories, her characters refuse to stay grounded in reality, leaping off the pages to fly. The author resides in Gilbert, Arizona, with her selfless knight of a husband, Chris, while her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson live incredibly close by—next door!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Lorraine is excited to connect with her readers and is passionate about bringing forth education in creative writing. Fellow authors, parents, teachers, and librarians are her community, and together we bring words to curious young minds. Contact the author for readings and appearances.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></p><h3><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}">Q + A</span></h3><div><div><h4><br><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to write this book?</span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Events from my childhood inspired this book. Like many kids, I didn’t know where I fit in, and much like my main character Meredith, I struggled with noise and light sensitivity. I was overwhelmed, dealing with my shyness, insecurities, and overstimulation issues—it was difficult to concentrate in general. Looking back, I came to believe there were other children like me who needed to see themselves working through a difficult time and succeeding. I wrote <em>Curious World of Dandy-Lion</em> to ensure children—especially children who struggle—know that they have the strength to power through hard times and come out stronger.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" style="color:#000000;font-family:"segoe ui", "segoe ui web", arial, verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="color:#000000;font-family:"segoe ui", "segoe ui web", arial, verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"> </span><br></div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to middle-grade fantasy? </span></h4><div style="color:#000000;font-family:"segoe ui", "segoe ui web", arial, verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I fell in love with fantasy books at a young age. Specifically, I sought stories that suggested another world, somewhere I could escape to, preferably with a touch of magic just out of reach, with characters who made me believe I was not alone in my oddities.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p></div><div style="color:#000000;font-family:"segoe ui", "segoe ui web", arial, verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span></p></div></div><div class="SCXW139406596 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:#000000;font-family:"segoe ui", "segoe ui web", arial, verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;background-color:#ffffff;"><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Currently, I am reading an advanced reader copy of a fellow middle-grade writer, a darling little STEM steampunk set to release in early 2023 by a debut author, Dani Camarena, called </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>Time Writer</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br> </p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I have completed a middle-grade epic fantasy with lots of adventure and magic. The main character is a spunky outcast 12-year-old who struggles to come of age as an Aries in a mythical zodiac world. It is now out on submission with my agent, Deidre Knight, and looking for the perfect home.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span></p></div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I do. I attend writer’s groups in local libraries, or I did before the shutdown. As an active member of the writing community, I love to read fellow authors’ manuscripts and offer feedback. What better place than among the energy of great literature to be inspired?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br><br></p><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">When I moved from Phoenix to Gilbert, I joined a group at the Queen Creek Library. Soon after, everything shut down. Now that the world is back in motion, I have signed up again and am delighted to rejoin the community in person. I also love wandering into the Southeast Regional Library by the Riparian Preserve, or Perry Library, my closest, and delving into beautiful words. No one seems to mind that I’m a back cover lurker. I adore reading covers and gawking at gorgeous illustrations. However, I do return the books to the proper spot.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br></p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If you weren’t a writer, what would you do? </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Over the years, I have allowed curiosity to guide me in pursuing several jobs and hobbies. Perhaps I would revisit one or two. Though not my first job pulling weeds and gutting fish! </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span><br><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I’ve tried my hand at martial arts, earned a 2nd-degree black belt, and trained in kickboxing. Worked a career as a paramedic, a licensed nurse, in marketing, and have owned multiple businesses, even a paintball field. I am a wife, mom, and, most recently, doting grandma. Each of my experiences have led to this exciting career in writing. Maybe someday I could find a job as an author who travels the world, trying to live inside stories of interesting books taking place in far-off lands. I would love that experience.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span> </p><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW139406596 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;overflow:visible;cursor:text;clear:both;direction:ltr;"><p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></p></div></div></div></div> | hawley | |
| Mark Athitakis | Mark Athitakis | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/athitakis | The New Midwest: A Guide to Contemporary Fiction of Great Lakes, Great Plains, and Rust Belt by Mark Athitakis | <div class="ExternalClassE2B8966AA43C4937A541B20975129FD8"><h2><em><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6274240" target="_blank">The New Midwest: A Guide to Contemporary Fiction of Great Lakes, Great Plains, and Rust Belt</a></em> by Mark Athitakis</h2><p><br>Mark Athitakis is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in the <em>Washington Post</em>, <em>Los Angeles Times</em>, <em>New York Times</em>, <em>Humanities</em> magazine, and many other publications. He has served as a judge for numerous literary honors, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Kirkus Prize, and Southwest Books of the Year. He is the author of <em>The New Midwest</em>, recipient of the Books by the Banks Author Award for best nonfiction title. He lives in Chandler, Arizona.<br></p><p><br></p><h3>Q + A</h3><br><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to write this book?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4><div><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">I've been working as a book critic for many years, and my excitement for books originates in the Midwest, where I grew up: Nelson Algren, Stuart Dybek, Willa Cather, and Toni Morrison were the first fiction writers I felt passionate about. I'd been writing a column called "Reading the Midwest" for a little while and wanted an opportunity to talk about some of the trends and themes I was seeing in Midwestern fiction at the current moment, not just the Midwest people associate with Ernest Hemingway or Sinclair Lewis.</span></div><div><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to this genre: romance, mystery, non-fiction, etc.?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4><div><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">I love reading fiction first, but I'm also a fan of longform literary journalism in <em>The</em> <em>New Yorker</em>, <em>The</em> <em>Atlantic</em>, and similar publications. As an alt-weekly newspaper staffer, I enjoyed writing and editing those kinds of pieces. Ultimately, I'm a much better nonfiction writer than a novelist; it's what I'll always be most drawn to. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></div><div><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading?</span> </h4></div><div><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Just one? I usually have a bunch in rotation. At the moment I've been reading Library of America's collection of John Updike's early short stories; Andrew Holleran's new novel, <em>The Kingdom of Sand</em>, and Hernan Diaz's <em>Trust</em>. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></div><div><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4><div><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">I'm always reviewing. I'm also researching a book-length project about a certain famous architect who had a substantial footprint in the Phoenix area. Not sure yet if it's a book. Fingers crossed...</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></div><div><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4><div><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Teaching or, if I'd kept up my math skills, working for an MLB team as a sabermetrician. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></div><div><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></div><h4><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4><div><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">Of course! I'm a regular patron of the Chandler Public Library, particularly the Sunset Branch. Sometimes I'm browsing---I always check the new-release shelves for titles I may have missed. I'm a regular patron of CPL's book sales. And I make regular use of its online offerings, particularly Kanopy and its research databases. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></div><p><br></p></div> | athitakis | |
| Maxym M. Martineau | Maxym M. Martineau | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/martineau | Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer Series, #1) by Maxym M. Martineau | <div class="ExternalClass8B24C25DE22A4851BD8F3CCAC2B25006"><h2><em>Kingdom of Exiles</em> by Maxym M. Martineau</h2><p><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/4539212" target="_blank">eBook</a><br><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/4824485" target="_blank">eAudiobook</a></p><p>Maxym M. Martineau is a staff writer and editor by day, and a fantasy author by night. When she's not getting heated over broken hearts, she enjoys playing video games, binge-watching television shows, competing in just about any sport, and of course, reading. Following her passion, Maxym earned her bachelor's degree in English Literature from Arizona State University. She has two (three, if you count the husband) children and a deep love of coffee and animals.</p><h3>Q + A</h3><h4> What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p>Sleep! I'm kidding. Sort of. Actually, my dreams play a big part in my writing process. They've always been fantastical in nature and very, very lucid. For
<em>Kingdom of Exiles,</em> in particular, though, I actually had a dream about Noc (my main male character). He sat me down and told me his life story, and the emotions he experienced were so visceral and tangible that I knew I just had to put them down. Of course, I made him wait, haha. Noc's backstory comes into play in the second book in the series, so I had to think holistically about how that would evolve, and I ended up starting the series in a different place. The magical beasts, the world itself, and the remaining characters just sort of came to me naturally as I began drafting. I knew I wanted fantastical beasts because of my love of animals, and I wanted a main female character with agency, so everything came together nicely.</p><h4>What attracted you to this genre?</h4><p>Growing up, fantasy was my absolute favorite genre to read. But, I always found myself wanting more romance. So I figured, why not blend the two? These days, it feels like a lot of young adult fantasy has more amped up romantic elements, and I could not be happier with that shift.</p><h4>What book are you currently reading?</h4><p>I just finished
<em>House of Hollow</em> by Krystal Sutherland, which I would HIGHLY recommend if you're into gothic young adult fantasy. It's so beautifully written and wonderfully spooky. And then there's
<em>The Queen of Nothing</em> by Holly Black, which is the conclusion of a young adult fae trilogy, and
<em>Girl, Serpent, Thor</em>n by Melissa Bashardoust. Oh, and I absolutely cannot forget
<em>King of Battle and Blood</em> by Scarlett St. Clair. It's real spicy and has vampires, so be prepared.</p><h4>Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</h4><p>Yes! I'm currently working on
<em>Shadows of the Lost</em>, which is the first book in an offshoot series from the
<em>Beast Charmer </em>series (<em>Kingdom of Exiles, The Frozen Prince</em> and
<em>The Shattered Crown</em>). It follows the three lovable secondary characters we met during my first three books, and of course there's angst, magical beasts, romance, and undead assassins. It's slated to release during the summer of 2023.</p><h4>If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>I actually started at Arizona State University as a biology major with an emphasis on animal behavior. I had it in my head that I wanted to study large cats and work with animals, but my love for writing was stronger. I ended up switching majors, but there's a reason why some of the legendary creatures found in
<em>Kingdom of Exiles</em> are massive felines!</p><h4>Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</h4><p>Unfortunately, especially post COVID, I don't spend a lot of time at my local library. That said, I have very strong, positive memories of my days at the Mesa Public Library as a kid. I lived nearby, and I'd always walk or ride my bike there and spend hours reading just about every book I could get my hands on. I learned so much from the adventures I went on thanks to the books I devoured, and I think it's incredibly important for those kind of experiences to be accessible to children and adults alike.</p><br></div> | martineau | |
| Mimi Francis | Mimi Francis | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/francis | Run Away Home by Mimi Francis | <div class="ExternalClass88539D8BBC0A417EAD7B01DF0463B0E2"><h2>Run Away Home (Loves of Lakeside Book #1) by Mimi Francis</h2><p><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6270192" target="_blank">eBook</a><br><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/7036688" target="_blank">eAudiobook</a></p><p><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/7036688" target="_blank"></a><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I write contemporary romance of the spicy, steamy variety. I love writing tropes and frequently use them in my series, Second Chances in Hollywood and Loves of Lakeside. I stumbled into writing when my favorite obsessions–Marvel and Supernatural–led me to writing fanfiction. With encouragement from friends, family, and my fanfiction readers, I successfully made the jump to writing original fiction.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">When I'm not writing, I work as an admin assistant, crochet, binge-watch my favorite TV shows and movies, and spend time with my three children, my dogs, and my husband.</span></p><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><br></span></p><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Q + A</span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to write this book?</span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I was inspired to write </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>Run Away</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em> Home</em> by a trip to my home state of Montana. We were visiting Flathead Lake and the story came to me out of nowhere.</span> </p><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span> <br></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to this genre? </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I enjoy writing romances. I think it's a fun genre to write and I enjoy writing happy endings.</span> </p><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span> </p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading? </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>Hook, Line, and Sinker</em> by Tessa Bailey</span> <br><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span> </p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out? </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I am writing book 3 in my <em>Loves of Lakeside</em>. It will be released in November.</span> <br><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span> </p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If you weren't a writer, what would you do? </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I would breed and raise Shih Tzu puppies.</span> <br><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span> </p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there? </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I do use my local library. I like to go to the main library in Mesa, browse for books, and sometimes I take my laptop and write.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div></div><p><br></p><br></div> | francis | |
| Oran and Mary Tkatchov | Oran and Mary Tkatchov | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/tkatchov | Proactive Professional Learning: Creating Conditions for Individual and Organizational Improvement by Oran and Mary Tkatchov | <div class="ExternalClassF09BCA3D59B345E6B9CDE1C18D5A4221"><h2>
<em><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/5104520" target="_blank">Proactive Professional Learning: Creating Conditions for Individual and Organizational Improvement</a></em> by Oran and Mary Tkatchov</h2><p>
Oran Tkatchov's career has included such roles as a middle school teacher, high school teacher and charter school director. He has spent the last 17 years directing, presenting and providing professional development in the areas of special education, leadership and organizational improvement for various agencies and businesses.</p><p>
Mary Tkatchov has devoted almost two decades to the education field as a former high school teacher and adult educator, and she is currently working in assessment development for Teachers College at Western Governors University. She presents at national conferences and writes articles about education and assessment in higher education.</p><h3>Q + A</h3><h4>
What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p>
Our love of adult learning and connecting what we learned about school improvement to any type of adult learning and professional development.</p><h4>
What attracted you to this genre?</h4><p>
We have a long background in education, and wanted to share what we have learned with others.</p><h4>What book are you currently reading?</h4><p><em>Cloud Cuckooland</em> by Anthony Doerr and
<em>Forbidden Signs</em> by Douglas C. Baynton</p><h4>
Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</h4><p>
We are currently researching two topics: 1) best practices in strategic planning, and 2) accommodations for children and adults with low incidence disabilities. We are hopeful to have one or both books out in 2024-2025.</p><h4>
If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>
N/A</p><h4>
Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</h4><p>
We love our local library! We currently go to
<a href="/locations/mesquite">Mesquite Library</a>. We go to Mesquite to check out books and music. Our children also love the kids area.</p><br></div> | tkatchov | |
| Parker Fairchild | Parker Fairchild | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/fairchild | Christmas Cookies on a Cruise Ship by Parker Fairchild | <div class="ExternalClass3E8A0B1840A94247BD42189DC9E70B26"><h2>
<a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/5898863" target="_blank"><em>Christmas Cookies on a Cruise Ship</em> by Parker Fairchild</a></h2><p>Parker Fairchild is a social media copywriter, a freelance writer with multiple writing credits, and a model. A Virginia native, she and her husband have their own shipboard romance as they met on a cruise ship tender in Maui, and as her mom is fond of saying, "they haven't stopped talking since." When she's not busy playing with words, she loves spending time with her husband and family in Arizona where she now resides.</p><h3>
Q + A</h3><h4>
What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p>Serendipity. I'll explain.</p><p>I wrote the outline for this novel while on a Caribbean cruise some years ago. Upon returning home, I put it aside for a large work project. Then, on a cruise to Hawaii, I met my husband-to-be, Jason, on a tender going into Maui. This chance meeting was love at first sight.</p><p>I'd just finished writing a memoir for a client when the COVID pandemic hit. At the same time, my mom had just finished reading a book that she loved written by an author who was new to her. While reading more about her, my mom discovered that this author owned a publishing company—5 Prince Publishing. Further investigation revealed that they were looking for Christmas submissions.</p><p>Since we were in quarantine, my mom suggested that I use this time and complete one of my unfinished books that lived on my computer. Because those early days of COVID were difficult and sad for the entire world, she suggested I finish my Christmas book, which would help to cheer us up, and submit it to 5 Prince Publishing, which was seeking holiday novels.</p><p>So, with my new hubby as inspiration for my hero, I dove in, and as they say, the rest is history and serendipity all the way. Thank you, Princess Cruises, for playing host to Jason's and my grand romance; you truly are "The Love Boat".</p><p>Come, and sail along with Olivia and Jace on the Serendipity and celebrate their love story as it unfolds in <em>Christmas Cookies on a Cruise Ship</em>.</p><h4>
What attracted you to this genre: romance, mystery, non-fiction, etc.?</h4><p>Not all of the novels I have written or have outlined on my computer are romantic comedies.
<em>Christmas Cookies on a Cruise Ship</em> evolved from an inspiration I had on a Caribbean cruise, and then I literally married this to my other real-life experience of meeting my husband—love at first sight style—on a Hawaiian cruise. Setting the book during the holiday season was festive, fun, and reflective of my love of this time of the year.</p><h4>
What book are you currently reading? </h4><p><em>What Happened to the Bennetts?</em> by Lisa Scottoline</p><h4>Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</h4><p>I'm working on the sequel to
<em>Christmas Cookies on a Cruise Ship</em>, which is the second book in
<em>The Perfect Pairings Series</em>.</p><h4>If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>When I was a child, I wanted to be a lawyer; that's all I remember ever wanting to do. Once in college, my goal was to be a lawyer in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG), but due to my asthma, I was ineligible to join the military.</p><h4>Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it?</h4><p>Saguaro Library</p><br></div> | fairchild | |
| Sandra Cavallo Miller | Sandra Cavallo Miller | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/miller | Where No One Should Live by Sandra Cavallo Miller | <div class="ExternalClass9AD56C36820249CA9D79E0EA615CA4BA"><h2><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6412727" target="_blank"><em></em><em>Where No One Should Live</em> by Sandra Cavallo Miller</a><br><br></h2><p><span style="color:#444444;"><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW260468844 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:#ffffff;color:#201f1e;font-size:11pt;line-height:21.5833px;font-family:"segoe ui", "segoe ui_embeddedfont", "segoe ui_msfontservice", sans-serif;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW260468844 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">Sandra</span></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW260468844 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:#ffffff;color:#323232;font-size:10.5pt;line-height:18.3458px;font-family:"work sans", "work sans_embeddedfont", "work sans_msfontservice", sans-serif;font-weight:bold;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW260468844 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;"> </span></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US" class="TextRun SCXW260468844 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:#ffffff;color:#323232;font-size:10.5pt;line-height:17.2667px;font-family:arial, arial_embeddedfont, arial_msfontservice, sans-serif;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW260468844 BCX8" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">Cavallo Miller is an author, poet, and retired academic family physician in Arizona who has helped launch hundreds of medical students and residents into their careers. Little fiction has been written about realistic women physicians or about family medicine, and she is on a mission to change that. This is the fourth novel she has published with the University of Nevada Press.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="color:#444444;"><br></span></p><h3><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span>Q + A<br></h3><p><br></p><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What inspired this book?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I admired people I knew in public health, long before Covid took over. I wanted to tell their stories, their rewards and challenges. I always try to show the daily struggles and joys of hard-working family physicians in a realistic way, with some adventure, romance, and mystery thrown in to keep those pages turning. To show the human sides of medicine: good and bad physicians, good and bad patients. Then add to that the drama of living through a Phoenix summer, a task rarely depicted in literature! </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to this genre?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">My novels are mixed-genre. They sometimes get classified as mysteries although they don't fit any formulas for that and true mystery readers may disagree with such categorization. I like to call them science-based medical adventures and feel they fit best in general fiction or medical fiction. But not in the crime-scene CSI kind of way.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Currently reading?</span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I recently finished re-reading one of my favorite novels, T<em>he Remains of the Day</em> by Ishiguro. The most important books I've read recently include <em>Caste</em> by Wilkerson and <em>Cultish</em> by Montell. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Writing now?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">My next novel, <em>Out of Patients</em>, will be released on August 16 this summer 2022. Here's a brief summary (and a sequel is in the works): </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">After practicing medicine for over thirty years, Norah Waters MD is weighing her options, and early retirement looks better and better. At age fifty-eight, who needs midnight calls, cranky patients, and business headaches? Fighting burnout and workplace melodrama, Norah gives herself one last year to find her way back to enjoying her once-cherished career. Supported by her steadfast dog, a misfit veterinarian, and a thoughtful radiologist, Norah wrestles her way through a surprising assortment of obstacles, sometimes amusing and sometimes dreadful, to make a final decision about her future.</span> <br></p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If I weren't a writer...</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">At this age, that's a loaded question. I retired from medicine almost 7 years ago, so you can do the math and see that I'm pretty old. Not certain what I'd be doing because this unexpected late endeavor is the most fun I've ever had</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Local library:</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></h4></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">My closest branch has been the <a href="/locations/mesquite" target="_blank">Mesquite Library</a> at the now-obliterated PV Mall on Cactus and Tatum. I've used it mostly as a research resource and have had some lively conversations with librarians there while trying to find other novels written about living in Phoenix and/or the Grand Canyon.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><p><br></p></div> | miller | |
| Sean Avery Medlin | Sean Avery Medlin | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/medlin | 808s & Otherworlds: Memories, Remixes, and Mythologies by Sean Avery Medlin | <div class="ExternalClass842824F3F6F04AA1B0FF03A28BE40BB7"><h2><em>808s & Otherworlds: Memories, Remixes, and Mythologies</em> by Sean Avery Medlin</h2><p>
<a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6286962" target="_blank">eBook</a><br><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/6660954" target="_blank">eAudiobook</a></p><p>
Sean Avery Medlin (they/them) is a gamer and Hip-Hop nerd, whose only wish in this world is to watch an unproblematic, Black sci-fi T.V. show. Till then, Medlin teaches creative writing and guides cultural work across the state of Arizona, while also creating rap, poetry, prose and performance. Their music, literature, and theater all question the limits of Black masculinity, media (mis)representation, and personal narrative.</p><p>
Medlin's work has been featured in
<em>Phoenix New Times</em>,
<em>Chicago Tribune</em>,
<em>Afropunk</em>,
<em>Blavity</em>, and at the '2020 Tucson Poetry Festival'. Their Hip-Hop play and album,
<em>skinnyblk</em>, along with all their previous work, is available online at
<a href="https://superseanavery.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">
superseanavery.com</a>.
<em>808s & Otherworlds: Memories, Remixes, & Mythologies</em> is Medlin's debut collection of essays and poetry, available in audio and print.</p><h3>Q + A</h3><h4>
What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p>
My lived experiences, and the lack of art reflecting that, is what inspired me to write
<em>808s & Otherworlds</em>. Stepping into my voice to examine my life, where I was raised, and the conditions of my trauma, helped me realize that I was not alone but still needing to be heard.</p><h4>
What attracted you to this genre?</h4><p>
I've written poetry since I was about 10 or 12; it's mostly a mythology at this point. Rap music was my first poetry teacher, slam poetry my second. As an adult pursuing my childhood passion, I feel that poetry best actualizes my imagination. Though,
<em>808s</em> is so many genres. </p><h4>
What book are you currently reading?</h4><p>
I'm currently reading many books:
<em>Clay's Ark </em>by Octavia Butler,
<em>the blind pig</em> by Aziza Barnes, and<em> The Tradition</em> by Jericho Brown. </p><h4>
Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</h4><p>
I'm working on my second manuscript. No news on a release date yet; I'm in the lab!</p><h4>
If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>
If I were not a writer, I imagine that I'd be more miserable. </p><h4>
Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there? </h4><p>
I do use the local library! I go to
<a href="/locations/burton-barr">Burton Barr</a> to check out poetry and novels, as well as do whatever work I need to on my laptop. It's an awesome place, I've been going since I was 15!</p>
<br></div> | medlin | |
| Sharon Skinner | Sharon Skinner | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/skinner | The Healer’s Legacy by Sharon Skinner | <div class="ExternalClassA4A21CB8DB78463BA512264F3A3A59EE"><h2><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/1720198" target="_blank"><em></em><em>The Healer’s Legacy (Book 1 of The Healer’s Trilogy) </em>by Sharon Skinner </a></h2><p></p><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Sharon Skinner holds a GPC, a BA in English, an MA in Creative Writing, and is a Certified Book Coach and freelance editor, whose goal is to help writers weave their words into stories that shine. She writes fantasy, science fiction and paranormal for audiences of all ages. Skinner is an active member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and serves as the Regional Advisor for SCBWI AZ.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">She served as an Arizona State Library Writer in Residence for Scottsdale Library (2017), Mesa Library (2018) and Tempe Library (2019).</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Her Young Adult and Middle-Grade novels tend to explore complex relationships, particularly those between women, and especially mothers and daughters.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">A proud Navy veteran, s</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">he served aboard the USS Jason, the first US Navy vessel to take women to sea (WestPac cruise). But that’s another story.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">A voracious and eclectic reader, Skinner also loves drawing, arts and crafts, sewing, and costume-making (especially steampunk). Her guiltiest pleasure is online gaming, and her biggest weakness is home-made, double-dark chocolate fudge. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three annoying but lovable cats.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">More information can be found at </span><a href="https://bookcoachingbysharon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-charstyle="Hyperlink">bookcoachingbysharon.com </span></span></a><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">or </span><a href="https://sharonskinner.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-charstyle="Hyperlink">sharonskinner.com</span></span></a>.<span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></p><h3><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}">Q + A</span></h3></div><div><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"><br></span></div><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What inspired you to write this book?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":360,"335559739":160,"335559740":259,"335559991":360}"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">My work is very character driven and always starts with the character in mind. Often, characters get inside my head and just refuse to let me be until I write out their stories. I wrote the first draft of </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>The Healer’s Legacy</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> as part of the work for my MA degree in Creative Writing. It, combined with my thesis on the use of fantasy as resistant text for young women in a patriarchal normed social setting, delves into the ways in which women must often struggle to navigate a system set up to favor men. Ultimately, <em>The Healer’s Legacy</em> trilogy is an exploration into what happens in an imbalanced society and how it is not only possible to seek and find renewed balance but that finding such balance can offer betterment to society. I also worked hard to make it a solid quest/adventure /hero’s journey. </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What attracted you to this genre?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":360,"335559739":160,"335559740":259,"335559991":360}"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I am a huge fan of speculative fiction, particularly fantasy and science fiction, which is what led me to both write and coach the genre. I find that speculative fiction provides opportunities to explore real issues in an imaginative setting, which provides additional distance from the issue and offers the reader a safe space from which to deeply explore difficult topics. Also, magic and science are great fun!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">What book are you currently reading?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":360,"335559739":160,"335559740":259,"335559991":360}"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I am a voracious and eclectic reader. I just finished </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>The Heart Forger</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> by Rin Chupeco and am now reading </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>American Demon</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> by Kim Harrison with </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>Red, White, and Whole</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> by Rajanni LaRocca up next on the TBR pile.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":360,"335559739":160,"335559740":259,"335559991":360}"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Yes. I am always working on the next thing, really the next several things. Right now, I am in final edits for a collection of short fiction coming out later this year. It’s titled </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><em>Blood From a Rose</em></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"> and is a bit outside my usual work, consisting of flash fiction, short stories and poetry that treads the darker side and edges up on horror. Though, TBH, some of it twists in a bit of humor, as well. The new book is due out in late September/early October, so just in time for Halloween/All Hallows’ Eve.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":360,"335559739":160,"335559740":259,"335559991":360}"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I always wanted to be a writer, but for much of my life my work was of a technical nature. If I couldn’t be a writer, I would probably pursue some other artform, like painting. That said, I do find the area of forensic science quite fascinating.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><h4><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559685":360,"335559739":160,"335559740":259,"335559991":360}"> </span></h4><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">Yes! Yes! Yes! Mesa Library system is home, but I am a fan of all libraries and have spent a fair amount of time in the Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Tempe libraries.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">I am an eclectic and voracious reader, so I go through books at a high rate of speed and can’t afford to buy them all. I use the public library to support my habit. I also love doing local events and workshops for libraries. This year, I presented a webinar for Temp library in January and participated in the Mesa Local Author Day at the Main Library on June 18, 2022.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p><div><p><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}"> </span></p></div></div> | skinner | |
| Stephanie Elliot | Stephanie Elliot | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/elliott | Sad Perfect by Stephanie Elliot | <div class="ExternalClass382987E6EEE94C77B762F696E21DE18D"><h2>
<a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/2916100" target="_blank"><em>Sad Perfect</em> by Stephanie Elliot</a></h2><p>Stephanie Elliot is the author of the young adult novel,
<em>Sad Perfect</em>, which was inspired by her daughter's journey with ARFID, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. She writes about parenting, mental health issues, relationships, and more. An editor and advocate for authors, she lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her family. For more info, visit
<a href="http://www.stephanieelliot.com/" target="_blank">www.stephanieelliot.com</a> or
<a href="https://stephanieelliot.wixsite.com/stephanieeditorial" target="_blank">www.stephanieeditorial.com</a>.</p><h3>Q + A</h3><h4>
What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p>
My daughter was diagnosed with a unique eating disorder called ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). When she was in therapy, I wrote
<em>Sad Perfect</em> based on our family's experience as a way to understand what was going on.</p><h4>
What attracted you to this genre: romance, mystery, non-fiction, etc.?</h4><p>
I enjoy writing in the young adult space because kids are so impressionable.</p><h4>
What book are you currently reading?</h4><p>
Currently reading
<em>The Agathas</em>
by Liz Lawson and Kathleen Glasgow. And
<em>The Counselors</em> by Jessica Goodman. I also recently read and loved
<em>Family of Liars</em> by E. Lockhart. I'm looking forward to reading my friend Kelly de Vos's book
<em>Go Hunt Me</em>. And a fabulous adult novel I recently read was
<em>Our Little World</em> by Karen Winn.</p><h4>
Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</h4><p>
I am working on a new novel. I am not sure if it is going to be young adult or adult fiction. And there may or may not be a murder in it, and a swimming pool. I hope this book will see the light of day eventually, but for now, it lives not completely written on my laptop.</p><h4>
If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>
When I'm not writing, I'm either editing other people's work or promoting other people's books in my job as a publicity manager for a book PR company. So, if I wasn't a writer, I would still be heavily involved in books and words!</p><h4>
Do you use your local library? If so, which library is it and what do you do there?</h4><p>
Yes, I live very close to the Appaloosa Library, but don't get there as often as I would like! I love browsing the shelves and seeing what's new in YA!</p><br></div> | elliott | |
| T. C. LoTempio | T. C. LoTempio | <i class="fa-solid fa-typewriter"></i> | https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/services/local-authors/lotempio | Murder Faux Paws, A Nick and Nora Mystery by T. C. LoTempio | <div class="ExternalClass28B9B0606F094B11B6961836586C5A42"><h2><em>Murder Faux Paws, A Nick and Nora Mystery</em> by T. C. LoTempio</h2><p>
<a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/8725584" target="_blank">eBook</a><br><a href="https://phoenix.overdrive.com/phoenix-phoenixpl/content/media/8871960" target="_blank">eAudiobook</a></p><p>
Award-winning and national bestselling author T. C. (Toni) LoTempio has been a lover of mysteries ever since she read her first
<em>Nancy Drew</em> at age eight. Born in New York City, she was a New Jersey resident until retiring from her day job and moving to Phoenix in March of 2020, where she now resides with her two cats, Rocco and Maxx.</p><p>
The first book in her
<em>Nick and Nora</em> mystery series,<em> Meow If It's Murder</em>, was published in December of 2014 and earned her the title of National Bestselling Author. The latest book in this series,
<em>Murder Faux Paws</em>, was the recipient of the 2022 Firebird Award for Best Cozy Mystery. Book number six in the series,<em> A Purr Before Dying</em>, will be out next February from Beyond the Page publishing.</p><p>
T. C. is also the author of two other series, the
<em>Cat Rescue</em> series, published by Crooked Lane, and the
<em>Urban Tails Pet Shop</em> mysteries, published by Beyond the Page. The latest in the pet shop mysteries,
<em>Killers of a Feather</em>, was released June 21, 2022.</p><p>
When she's not busy penning cozies, T.C. enjoys reading mysteries, biographies and true crime fiction. She and Rocco are also supporters of Kids Need to Read, a charity based out of Mesa, Arizona that provides books to disadvantaged children. Find out more here:
<a href="http://www.kidsneedtoread.org/" target="_blank">www.kidsneedtoread.org</a>.</p><h3>
Q + A</h3><h4>
What inspired you to write this book?</h4><p>
The
<em>Nick and Nora</em> series was inspired by my own tuxedo cat Rocco (who writes his own blog,
<em>Cats, Books and More Cats!</em>). One rainy afternoon I was laying on my couch in New Jersey watching
<em>The Thin Man</em> when Rocco, a twenty-pounder, jumped onto my chest. That started me thinking . . . what if Nick Charles were killed, but came back as a cat? And the
<em>Nick and Nora</em> mystery series was born!</p><h4>
What attracted you to this genre?</h4><p>
I've been attracted to mysteries ever since I read my first
<em>Nancy Drew, </em>
<em>The Secret in the Old Attic</em>, at age 8. My mother was also a big mystery lover, so it wasn't long before I graduated to Erle Stanley Gardner and Agatha Christie! It continues today, primarily cozies, with more favorite authors than I can list, many of whom are friends!</p><h4>
What book are you currently reading?</h4><p>
<em>Forgotten in Death</em> by J. D. Robb</p><h4>Are you writing anything now? If so, when will it come out?</h4><p>>I just finished my second pet shop mystery,
<em>Killers of a Feather</em>, which was released June 21 from Beyond the Page. The sixth
<em>Nick and Nora</em> mystery,
<em>A Purr Before Dying</em>, will be released February 2023.
</p><h4>
If you weren't a writer, what would you do?</h4><p>I can't imagine not being a writer, but if I weren't . . . I'd probably own a pet shop or a mystery bookstore.</p>
<br></div> | lotempio | |
