Alachua County Library District staff has been busy planning an impressive parade of authors to speak at the Library during the first half of 2015. Whether your favorite author is on the list or you discover a new favorite among this talented group, you’re sure to enjoy hearing from each of them. Each author will speak, answer questions, and be available for book signings. Copies of their books will be available for sale at the events, thanks to a partnership with BooksaMillion. Library copies, in print as well as eBooks and eAudiobook formats, when available, may be reserved in the library's catalog.
Joshilyn Jackson, Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 2 PM, Millhopper Library
New York Times Bestselling novelist Joshilyn Jackson is the author of six novels: Gods in Alabama, Between, Georgia, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, Backseat Saints, A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty, and Someone Else’s Love Story. A former actor, Jackson reads the audio versions of her novels. In 2012 Jackson began reading the audio versions of books written by other novelists, beginning with Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer. Someone Else’s Love Story, her newest title, is the #1 Indie Next Pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, an Okra Pick, the She Reads book club selection, a LibraryReads Selection, and A Bloggers Recommend Pick, so pretty much everyone on the planet is telling you to blow off your errands, take a long lunch, sneak away to a coffee house, and read it.
Edward Kelsey Moore, Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 2 PM, Millhopper Library
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat is Moore’s debut novel. Among other recognitions, it hit the NYT Best Seller list at #15, was chosen for inclusion in the Illinois Reads literacy program, and has been optioned for a movie. Moore's essays and short fiction have appeared in the New York Times and in many literary magazines For more than two decades, Moore has been a professional musician, performing with the Chicago Philharmonic and the Joffrey Ballet Orchestra.
Marisa de Los Santos, Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 2 PM, Millhopper Library
Marisa de los Santos has published three NYT bestselling novels for adults, as well as collaborating on a young adult book with her husband, David Teague. Her first book, From the Bones Out, a collection of poems, was published in 2000. A new novel, The Precious One, will be released in March 2015. Each is full of beautifully luxurious language that makes them a hit with book clubs. Having gone to school for a very long time, she has a degree in English as well as an MFA in Poetry and a Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing. She is now a novelist, swim mom, field hockey mom, eater of gummy bears, owner of the world's yummiest puppies.
John Scalzi, Saturday, April 25, 2015, 1 PM, Headquarters Library
John Scalzi, distantly related to John Wilkes Booth, is best known for his Old Man’s War series. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fanwriter in 2008 based predominately on his daily blog, Whatever, and his novel, Redshirts, won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel. He has written non-fiction books and columns on diverse topics such as finance, video games, films, astronomy, and writing, and served as a creative consultant for the TV series Stargate Universe. His newest novel is called Lock In. Scalzi will be a featured speaker at ACLD’s Comic Con event!
John Searles, Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 2 PM, Millhopper Library
Time magazine named Searles a “Person to Watch” after he published his first novel, Boy Still Missing, while balancing novel writing with a magazine career. His second novel, Strange but True, was praised as “sinister and complex” by the New York Times, and both novels have been optioned for film. His most recent novel is Help for the Haunted. John frequently appears on NBC’s Today Show and CBS’s The Early Show to discuss his favorite book selections. He has also appeared on NPR’s Fresh Air, Live! With Regis and Kelly, and CNN.
Steve Berry, Sunday, June 7, 2015 at 2 PM, Millhopper Library
Steve Berry is a New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling thriller author whose books have been translated into 40 languages in 51 countries. History lives at the heart of every Steve Berry novel. It’s his passion, one he shares with his wife, Elizabeth, which led them to create History Matters, a foundation dedicated to historic preservation. A 2010 NPR survey named The Templar Legacy one of the top 100 thrillers ever written. He is a founding member of International Thriller Writers—a group of more than 2,600 thriller writers—and served three years as co-president. His newest novel, The Patriot Threat, is being released in March 2015.