Our partner in the regional literary scene, the National Writers Series, is sponsoring the first-ever “Author Next Door” Book Expo. Just in time for holiday shopping, 22 of TC’s best known writers will speak and sign books.
The Expo will be held at the Inside Out Gallery on Saturday, Dec. 19, from noon to 5:30 p.m. The event is free of charge and the authors will talk throughout the afternoon on a wide range of writing and publishing topics. Some plan to read poems or excerpts from their books.
The Inside Out Gallery is located at 229 Garland Street, adjacent to the Workshop Brewpub and behind the new Indigo Hotel.
The National Writers Series is sponsoring the event with a goal of attracting hundreds of book lovers from throughout the region who will buy these great books as a gift to themselves or loved ones.
Local companies that assist with book publishing will also be in attendance for anyone interested in pursuing the writing path.
“Anyone who loves books and wants to meet their favorite author or learn more about writing will love this event,” said Anne Stanton, executive director of the National Writers Series, which is sponsoring the Expo. The Expo will be held from noon to 5:30 p.m. at the Inside Out Gallery in Traverse City’s Warehouse District and books of all participating authors will be available for sale as holiday gifts.
Participating in the Expo will be nationally- and regionally-known local authors, including Doug Stanton (Horse Soldiers, In Harm’s Way), Mardi Link (Bootstrapped), Anne Marie-Oomen (Love, Sex and 4-H), the team of Jerry Dennis and Glenn Wolff (A Walk in the Animal Kingdom), Aaron Stander (Murder in the Merlot) and Elizabeth Buzzelli (the Emily Kincaid mysteries).
“A major goal of the Expo is to raise the profile of local authors,” said event coordinator Bob Downes, author of Travels With My Wife and Biking Northern Michigan. “Traverse City is well known as a restaurant destination and for its music scene; we believe it should also be known as a mecca for writers. In fact, the Traverse City Commission recently deigned Traverse City as an official ‘Book City’.”
Downes says he has been interested in launching an expo for local authors for several years, but a chance meeting with Anne and Doug Stanton of the National Writers Series helped make the event a reality.
“The National Writers Series has the respect of the book-loving community and the resources needed to make this event a success,” he said.
Participating authors, poets and illustrators at the upcoming Expo will include:
- Fleda Brown: author of No Need of Sympathy, speaking on “Poems and a Conversation on Poetry.” 3:45 p.m.
- Elizabeth Buzzelli, author of the Emily Kincaid mysteries, speaking on “The Passionate Predator: Secrets of a Cowardly Killer,” or “Murder for Fun and Profit.” 4:15 p.m.
- Jerry Dennis, author of A Walk in the Animal Kingdom and Canoeing Michigan Rivers, speaking on “Letter to a Young Writer.” 4:45 p.m.
- Michael Dow, author of the forthcoming Dark Matters, speaking on “The Future of Income Inequality.” 12:15 p.m.
- Bob Downes, author of Travels With My Wife, speaking on “So You Want to Be a Travel Writer.” 2:15 p.m.
- Richard Hall, author of Remarkable and the Big Bay book series, speaking on “Imagination.” 3 p.m.
- Stewert James, author of Writing with Hemingway at City Park Grill, will speak on Hemingway in Petoskey. 1:45 p.m.
- Jason Link, author of “The Legenders,” speaking on “How to Build a Fantasy World.” 4: p.m.
- Mardi Link, author of The Drummond Girls and Bootstrapped, speaking on, “Funding the Writer’s Life.” 2 p.m.
- Bill Montgomery, author of Prayer for Time, reading from his memoir on surviving cancer. 12:45 p.m.
- Kelly Nichols/P.J. Parrish, author of the Louis Kincaid mystery series, with topic to be announced. 4:30 p.m.
- Cari Noga, author of Sparrow Migrations, speaking on “Why You Should Give Your Books Away*.” 3:15 p.m.
- Anne Marie Oomen, author of Love, Sex and 4-H, speaking on “Poems from the Back Forty.” 1:15 p.m.
- Joan Schmeichel, author of Devil’s Rock, speaking on “I played with paper dolls.” Noon.
- Teresa J. Scollon, author of To Embroider the Ground With Prayer, speaking on “Storytelling and Poetry.” 2:45 p.m.
- Heather Shaw, author of Kitty Lullaby, speaking on Digital Book Illustration.1:30 p.m.
- Bill Smith:, author of Chickadees at Night, speaking on “Creating a Picture Book.” 12:30 p.m.
- Aaron Stander, author of Murder in the Merlot, speaking on “Where Do Stories Come From?” 1 p.m.
- Anne Stanton, editor of StormStruck, speaking on “Freelance Editing.” 5:15 p.m.
- Doug Stanton, author of Horse Soldiers and In Harm’s Way, speaking on “Truth that Reads like a Novel.” 5 p.m.
- Karen Trolenberg, author of Flight of Megizzewas, speaking on “A Brief Overview of Self-Publishing.” 2:30 p.m.
- Glenn Wolff, illustrator of A Walk in the Animal Kingdom and many other books, topic to be announced. 3:30 p.m.