Upcoming Anniversary Events

Hard as it is to believe, Chapters Books & Gifts is celebrating ten years in business in 2014.  When we opened in August of 2004, my youngest son was in first grade, you could buy a gallon of gas for $1.87, and Harry Potter was only on book number five.  Look how far we've come!  Nate got his driver's license last month, we don't even talk about the price of gasoline anymore, Harry Potter is all grown up, and the books have been made into eight blockbuster movies.

To celebrate our anniversary year, Chapters is launching an occasional "Second Saturday Series" of events featuring local and nationally-known authors.  Our series kicks off Saturday, March 8 at 1:00 p.m. with a reading and signing to celebrate the release of Stephanie Grace Whitson's new book, A Captain for Laura Rose. Special guests who will also be signing their books will be Michael Curd, author of Through the Valley, and Kathy Wiens, author of Bars, Dumps, and other Childhood Hangouts.

  

Stephanie Grace Whitson visited Chapters several years ago.  If I can find a photo, I'll post it here. Stephanie, an award-winning author of Christian/inspirational historical fiction, lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her recent books include three books in her Quilt Chronicles series. Her upcoming book, A Captain for Laura Rose, is set in 1867 aboard a Missouri River steamboat. When tragedy strikes, Laura must make the two month journey from St. Louis to Fort Benton and back in order to save her family's legacy, her home, and the only life she's ever known. Although she herself is a skilled riverboat captain, the only way for her to overcome the nearly insurmountable odds is with the help of her brother's disreputable friend Finn MacKnight, a skilled pilot with a terrible reputation. Learn more about her by following her on  facebook  or  her blog, http://www.stephaniegracewhitson.blogspot.com/.

Joining Stephanie on March 8 will be Michael Curd, retired pastor of the Methodist Church in Milford, Nebraska, who now resides in Omaha.  His book, Through the Valley, is a novelized account of a chaplain's experiences in a large urban hospital.  Kathy Wiens, also formerly of Milford, now lives in Newton, Kansas.  Her memoir Bars, Dumps, and other Childhood Hangouts, details her early life in Lincoln, Nebraska, as a child of an alcoholic mother who was taken in and whose life was turned around by a family from Milford.

The second event in our "Second Saturday Series" will feature debut author Lydia Kang reading from her young adult dystopian thriller Control.  Joining her will be Carol Bicak, author of The Littlest Lion, and Seward's own Linda Svoboda, author of picture books for young children including her newest, Loving Times with Grandma.  Read more about them in a future blog post.

Meanwhile, mark your calendar and don't miss our signing with Stephanie, Michael, and Kathy on Saturday, March 8!

Ted Kooser Poetry Reading

I had the opportunity to attend Ted Kooser's poetry reading Wednesday, when he introduced those of us in the audience to new poetry, which will be included in his forthcoming book.  It's been awhile since Ted's last book of poetry, so it's exciting that he has a new one coming in fall of 2014.  I love listening to him read his poetry aloud.  I'm not a huge reader of poetry, but when he reads it, I can just enjoy the images and his calm, down to earth tone--both the tone of his voice and the tone of his poetry.

Most of the poems he read us were about the ordinary, everyday people he's known for writing about--a couple of old men waiting for their car to be repaired, his wife learning Spanish, a possum (one of my favorites).  For a taste of that poetry, take a listen to the video below.  I don't remember the poem's title, but it's the one about the men at Midwest Auto.

Mary Doria Russell Visit

This last week of September is a busy week for book lovers of all ages in Seward!  Sunday, September 22, bestselling author Mary Doria Russell was at the Seward Memorial Library for a presentation on Doc, the All Seward Reads title for 2013.  If you missed it, you missed an entertaining and informative hour.

We even found out that she had just decided the day before what her next book (after the upcoming sequel to Doc) will be about. . . . Edgar Allen Poe.  There are not too many books about him out there that I'm aware of!

 

I've read three Mary Doria Russell books, including Doc, and was very excited that we were able to get her to come to Nebraska.  Her books make readers see historical figures such as Doc Holliday or historical time periods such as World War II in ways that stretch our preconceived notions.  My favorite of her books, Thread of Grace, for instance, is set in Italy during World War II and is about Italians hiding Jews from the Nazis.  Almost unbelievably, 85% of Italy's Jews survived the war, and that's a story I'd never heard until Mary told it.  Doc takes a figure known only for one violent incident and makes him into a complete person, someone's son, as Mary describes him.

Here's a brief video clip from her presentation, when she's talking about her first book, The Sparrow, a science fiction novel about "Jesuits in space."  I haven't read it, but after hearing her talk about it, I may have to find a copy.

2013 Local Authors Event

I'm very excited for Chapters' 2013 annual event for local authors.  This year we're trying something different, and so far the response has been incredibly positive.  If you're interested in writing or simply bringing more creativity into your everyday life, join us for a workshop on October 19 at the Red Path Gallery in Seward.

"Write from the Heart: A Writing and Creativity Workshop with Becky Breed and Lucy Adkins" will take participants through a series of writing exercises designed to help individuals realize their greater writing potential and maximize their creative energies.  By creating out of our hearts--writing from our inner selves, our experiences, and what we dream--participants will become empowered to tap into their creative abilities and find more inspiration in their lives.  Pre-registration and a $25 registration fee are required.  Bring your writing notebook or journal.  Click here to register now.

The presenters, Lucy Adkins and Becky Breed, are both from Lincoln and are actively involved in the local writing community as teachers, writers, and presenters.  Their new book, Writing in Community is available at Chapters.  

Gina Barlean, president of the Nebraska Writers Guild, says it is, "Poignant.  Deep thoughts.  Beautiful ideas.  An epiphany at every turn of the page.  Beautifully written by well-read women.  As a writer, I tend to read judgmentally.  I found I never had a moment of judgment with this book.  I read it like a reward for good behavior.  This book is yoga for the creative mind."

If you haven't visited the Red Path Gallery yet, you're in for a treat.  The gallery is host to area artists and their studios, and while you're taking a break during the workshop, don't miss the opportunity to browse.  There are some very talented artists in our community, and the gallery does a beautiful job of showcasing their work.  I'm doing some Christmas shopping down there this year!  Check them out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/redpathgallery.  

Following the workshop, all participants, as well as other area writers and friends are invited to Chapters for a reception.  No registration is required for the reception, which will simply be a time to network, visit, and share your inspiration.

So, here are the crucial details:

Write from the Heart:

A Writing and Creativity Workshop

Saturday, October 19

1:00-3:00 p.m.

Red Path Gallery

514 Seward Street

Seward

Reception following at Chapters Books & Gifts

548 Seward Street

Seward

Click here to register.