Authors to visit Addison library

Addison Township’s public library is inviting readers to get to know the folks behind the words as it’s hosting a panel of authors on Saturday, July 9 at 4 p.m.

Four native Michigan authors will discuss their latest works in the young adult genre, participate in a question-and-answer session and a book-signing.

Library Director Jaema Berman said the library has seen more teens using its services with the rise of wildly-popular book series like “Twilight” and “Game of Thrones.”

The library recently introduced a graphic novel collection to provide teens with more reading options.

According to Berman, the author panel is designed to expose local teens to even more options in the world of fiction.

“We decided to do something a little more ambitious for teens in our community by hosting this event,” she said. “We want to reach out more to teens. We want to connect teens to great books, including graphic novels. We also want to connect teens to technology that we have here in the library and to the community.”

The panel is being hosted as part of the library’s greater event, the 2016 Teen Summer Reading Program.

Through the program, teens can earn prizes in weekly drawings for reading.

Teens that participate in the author panel event will receive five extra chances towards winning the grand prize, a Kindle Fire, at the final drawing to be held on Aug. 5.

Participants must be registered for the Summer Reading Program to be eligible for the grand prize.

Registration opens Monday, June 13.

Here’s a little more about the featured authors:

Jae
Jae

The first author is Ava Jae, of Ann Arbor.

She debuted her first novel, “Beyond the Red,” in March 2016.

The novel is about a violent uprising on a distant alien planet that takes place during the reign of a young alien queen.

Jae, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, is assistant editor at Entangled Publishing, as well as an active blogger/vlogger on YouTube under the moniker Bookishpixie. Jae writes and vlogs about writing and publishing.

“I’m looking forward to meeting some readers,” Jae said. “I haven’t been to too many local events quite yet. I’m starting to do that this summer, so it will be exciting to get to know some teens in the area and see the library.”

The second author is Bethany Neal, of Ann Arbor. Neal published her young adult fiction novel, “My Last Kiss,” in June 2014.

Neal
Neal

The story is told from the ghostly perspective of a girl named Cassidy, who died on the night of her 17th birthday. She tries to piece together the events leading up to her death after she shared a kiss with a stranger.

Neal said the concept of life after death is what inspired the story.

“I’m just really intriqued by the idea of what happens afterwards . . . If you do die under mysterious circumstances and nobody else who’s living is trying to solve that mystery for you, it’s kind of a fun concept that you could have the opportunity to solve your own mystery,” she said.

Neal also holds monthly writing workshops called Emerging Writers at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Neal said this will be her second visit to Addison.

“I’m really excited to come back and hopefully see some of the same faces. It’s so great to see in small-town communities how everyone sort of rallies together around reading. I just love that,” she said.

The third featured writer will be Laura Wolfe, of Milford.

Wolfe
Wolfe

Wolfe debuted her young adult mystery novel, “Trail of Secrets,” in August 2015.

The novel is about a young girl at a horse riding academy in northern Michigan trying to discover the mysteries behind the disappearance of a girl on the riding trails four years earlier. The novel was a finalist in the 2016 Indie Book Awards-First Novel (under 80,000 words).

Wolfe’s second novel in the series, “Barn Shadows,” is set to release spring 2017 via Fire and Ice YA. She also published a children’s picture book recently, “Henrietta’s Hoof Polish.”

Wolfe calls herself an “equine enthusiast” and said she loves writing about adventures with horses.

The final author at the event will be Sarah Zettel, of Ypsilanti.

Zettel is an award-winning fantasy, science fiction and mystery author. She has published 14 novels and many short stories.

Zettel
Zettel

Her most recent contributions to the young adult genre include the “American Fairy” trilogy, a series set in the 1930s dust bowl where a young girl named Callie discovers a long-kept secret – she’s half-fairy.

When her mother vanishes, Callie sets out to learn more about her parents and herself.

Zettel also wrote the “Palace of Spies” trilogy, a saga about a 16-year-old orphan named Peggy who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the Palace of King George I and gets caught up in the Jacobite uprising.

While Zettel’s works have largely been historical in nature, she has written a large variety of other genres, like fantasy, science fiction and paranormal mysteries.

“I joke that I write about anything I can get away with,” she said with a chuckle.

Zettel is a best-selling author and won the Philip K. Dick award in 2010 for her novel “Bitter Angels.” She wrote that under the pen name C.L. Anderson.

The event is free and open to all ages. Books will be sold at the event. Registration is recommended by calling the library at (248) 628-7180.

 

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