Leslie Banks introduced President Obama yesterday at Arcadia University with her own story of how our dysfunctional healthcare system has slammed into her.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/87096917.html
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Harleysville Books in Harleysville, PA is one of those special independent bookstores that are so dear to a Liar’s heart. A treasure of a shop filled with carefully selected titles, and that features a continuing series of great events. At the heart of it all is owner Shelly Plumb, a person who loves books and who also loves to support local authors! To show her support, each year Shelly has been throwing an author reception, highlighting writers from the region. VERY cool.
This year you can mingle with 16 published authors at the Third Annual Author Reception, being held on Thursday, March 11th from 6-8 p.m. at Harleysville Books. The store is located at 674 Main Street, Salford Square in Harleysville. The reception, which is free and open to the public, features something for everyone with food, fun and authors of titles ranging from picture books, to young adult novels, to adult fiction and nonfiction. And yes, for those who are of age, there will be wine provided by Country Creek Winery.
The informal gathering is full of opportunities for visitors to mingle and chat with all of the authors present. Among the featured authors are a number of members from the Philly Liars Club, which, if you don’t already know, is a group of critically acclaimed professional writers who provide events to support libraries, bookstores, literacy, and a love of books. I’m VERY proud to be a member.
Liars Club authors at the Harleysville Books event include New York Times bestseller Sara Shepard (The Pretty Little Liars series, HarperTeen, and The Visibles, Free Press), young adult author Marie Lamba…that’s me…(What I Meant…, Random House), New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry (Patient Zero, The Dragon Factory, St. Martin’s Griffin, and The Wolfman, Tor), best selling mystery author Merry Jones (The Borrowed and Blue Murders, Minotaur Books), lauded contemporary novelist Kelly Simmons (Standing Still, Washington Square Press), and historian, actor and storyteller Keith Strunk (Prallsville Mills and Stockton, Arcadia Publishing).
Visitors to the reception can also meet picture book authors and illustrators including Lindsay Barrett George (Alfred Digs, Greenwillow), Rob and Lisa Papp (P is for Princess, Sleeping Bear Press), and Mara Rockliff (Busiest Street in Town, Knopf). Children’s fiction authors will include: 2010 Scott O’Dell prizewinner Matt Phelan (Storm in the Barn, Candlewick), and Michael Townsend (Kit Feeny Graphic Novel Series, Knopf). Young adult authors include debut novelists Cyn Balog (Fairy Tale, Delacorte), Josh Berk (The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, Knopf) and Jennifer Hubbard (The Secret Year, Viking), and also on hand will be author MJ Ticcino (Valley Forge). I’m happy to say that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting most of these authors before, and they are all really nice. Interested in asking them about writing? About the author’s life? About their books? They’ll all be happy to talk.
For more information about the Third Annual Author Reception, or to reserve a copy of any of the featured author’s books in advance, contact Harleysville Books at 215-256-9311.
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A great, practical set of reminders for anyone writing or revising a novel, Laura Miller offers A Reader’s Advice to Writers.
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And now, the answer to the question that stymies me whenever I speak to a group of high-school-age writers: “What should I major in if I want to write novels?”
Major in statistics. You’ll learn the odds of getting published are roughly three zillion to one.
Major in economics. You’ll understand why the publishing companies will never put you on a book tour or run an ad for your book in The New Yorker.
Major in law. You can fight Google and everyone else who wants to offer your book as a free download.
Major in journalism. Your future will appear so tenuous your parents will beg you to be a novelist instead.
Major in history. You’ll unearth enough material that you won’t need to invest in research and travel, which you’ll never make back on your advance.
Major in drama. Being rejected during auditions will make being rejected on paper seem like child’s play.
Major in forensics. When you inevitably end up writing for a hack TV crime show, you won’t have to work too hard.
Major in English. That’s what all the English majors would tell you to do.
Major in computer science. You can invent something with a better name than “vook.”
Major in Spanish. It will help your parents understand your Hemingway-esque desire to run with the bulls.
Major in psychology. Trust me –it’s easier to work through daddy issues on the couch than on the page.
Major in Phys Ed. Most first-time authors are attractive and fit. (Oh, don’t tell me you don’t look at those author photos!)
Major in music. Since you’re going to be singing the blues your entire life, you may as well be in tune.
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