Arts & Media❯Books❯Author Talks

Sticking together through thick and thin, sisters Lucy and Frida decide it is time to explore what lays beyond the family farm after catching glimpses of a two fanged monster wreaking havoc at night in Daniel Nayeri’s newest graphic novel The Bizarre Bazaar: Down a Dark Path. In Ghost Guild: The Lost Threeby Annie Barrows we meet Genie, Fenella, and Tillotson Maconochie as they begin their journey as ghosts. Without a copy of Ghostology the Maconochie siblings are led astray and find themselves trapped by a notorious swindler. Joined by moderator Shana Targosz both authors come together to discuss their beautifully illustrated new works about family and unexpected journeys.

A wickedly entertaining supernatural story about three siblings finding their way in the world as ghosts from the bestselling author of the Ivy and Bean series, Annie Barrows.

Everyone at the Ghost Guild knows how the afterlife is supposed to work. But something is amiss with the case of three siblings – Genie, Fenella, and Tillotson Maconochie – who are beginning their journey as ghosts in a highly irregular way. They haven’t even been issued their copy of the Ghostology, which would have helped them know how to stay out of trouble. It’s no wonder that they fall prey to the infamous swindler Serena Aster, and end up trapped in her mansion to do her evil bidding for eternity. When they discover that a young orphan is trapped with them, their desire to break free and find their greater ghostly purpose takes on new urgency.

In this page-turning, beautifully illustrated yarn, perfect for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science readers will discover that at the end of their lives, the Maconochie siblings’ remarkable story is only just beginning.

Enter the Bizarre Bazaar, a phantasmagorical graphic novel series sure to enchant or entrap its curious customers! In this spine-tingling mystery, there’s evil lurking in the shadows just outside the Buford family farm!

Lucy and Frida Buford have never stepped foot outside their family farm in the Carolina Inner Banks. It’s the dead of July, and in the midst of yet another boring summer making jam for the family business, the girls are clamoring to be taken to the elusive town they’ve never been allowed to visit. Their father has always said that the outside world is a dangerous place, but danger is closer to home than they even know.

There’s something in the nearby woods uprooting trees, scaring fish from the water, and scratching at Lucy’s window in the middle of the night. Lucy can’t shake the feeling that there’s a monster out and about—one with two pointy fangs who only comes out at night.

It’s up to these two sisters to discover what this monster wants. But the further they stray from home, the weirder things become. What’s really going on beyond the Buford family farm?

Uncover the bizarre (and more!) in this sinister graphic novel series sure to bring chills and thrills!

In Kara LaReau’s novel Licorice, Kitty the cat is adopted from Mount Charles Animal Shelter and brought to her new home. While Max’s house is certainly better than the shelter, a lingering presence haunts her new home. In this novel, our feline protagonist shares her experience facing the looming character of the old family cat. Like La’Reau, Rosanne Parry writes from a nonhuman perspective. In A Raven of the Rainforest, Parry writes about Westerly the raven and the prophecy that binds her to leadership, bravery, and hopefully glory. Both novels explore the pressure stand up to the reputation thrust upon them and overcoming the fear of fitting in. Moderated by Emily Chenoweth.

About Licorice:

A young and frightened kitten is brought starry-eyed into a new household. A boy named Max is trying desperately to get over the loss of his former beloved pet. But ghosts don’t always enjoy being forgotten. Sometimes they have to make their presence known.

Both spine-chilling and heartwarming, funny and charming, Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor winning author Kara LaReau has written a story about fitting in, standing out, overcoming fear, and finding a place called home.

In her cage at the Mount Charles Animal Shelter, Kitty has no other choice but to be the captive audience of the opinionated Bunny Van Hopper. But it’s better than the woods. Kitty can still remember the rain that came and swept everything… everyone… away. Here, at least she has food and company, even if Bunny’s words scare her. And then Max appears at the shelter. Max has adopted all sorts of pets over the years. Rumor has it that he treats all of his pets with care and kindness. And of all the animals at the shelter, he actually chooses her—a scrawny and scared kitten. Kitty is going to be home at last. But she can’t seem to get Bunny’s words out of her head as Max takes her away in her carrier…

“You’re going to regret this! I just know it!” Bunny Van Hopper cries. And perhaps Bunny is right…

There is a scent lingering in the house on 5 Manderley Lane. The scent rises from every chair leg, every carpet fiber, every throw pillow, even inside the bathtub. Everything smells like Licorice. It is the strongest upstairs in Max’s room, almost overpowering. If the smell isn’t enough, Duchess, the family’s old parrot, won’t let Kitty forget that she is a replacement. And soon, Kitty finds herself trapped in the long shadow of the cat that came before her. But is it just a shadow? Or is there something really there on the other side of it…haunting her…

About A Raven of the Rainforest:

A stand-alone addition to the New York Times and Indie bestselling Voice of the Wilderness Novels by Rosanne Parry. Westerly the raven fears she won’t survive the prophecy she was born to fulfill in this enthralling animal survival story about destiny, leadership, and bravery.

On Westerly the raven’s otherwise ink-black tail, one bright white feather stands out. Westerly stands out, too. She isn’t like her brother and sister—she’s different. Everyone knows it, including the roost’s storykeeper, who proclaims that Westerly alone is destined to save her fellow ravens from a terrible fate. Questioning her destiny, isolated from her family, and full of doubt, Westerly takes to the sky, vowing never to return. But when a once-in-a-lifetime volcanic eruption finds her, she has no choice but to flee in the direction of home.

A Raven of the Rainforest is a stand-alone companion to Rosanne Parry’s bestselling Voice of the Wilderness novels, A Wolf Called Wander, A Whale of the Wild, A Horse Named Sky, and A Wolf Called Fire. Set in the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, A Raven of the Rainforest tells a gripping animal survival story about family, courage, faith, leadership, and hope. Illustrated in black-and-white throughout and impeccably researched, A Raven of the Rainforest is an excellent read-aloud for parents and teachers.

Willamette Writers helps writers find their community, develop their craft, and expand their careers at our monthly chapter meetings. Whether you write for the mic, the page, the stage, or the screen, we would love for you to join our community.

The whole family is invited for a joyful and informative discussion with picture book artist & author Michaela Goade. Michaela's beautiful, award-winning artwork for the picture book Berry Song inspired the immersive early childhood space at East County Library, merging literacy, play, art, and connection with nature.

Emiko Jean (Love Me Tomorrow) and Angela Velez (Tangled Roots & Wild Dreams) sit down for a conversation about their newest Young Adult novels and the mysteries that lead their characters on unexpected adventures toward love. Humorously written and wholesomely sweet, both stories feature the challenges of coming of age but the heartwarming beauty of young love. Moderated by writer Katherine Cusumano.