ST. GEORGE – Books by St. George-area residents are popping up faster than spring flowers, some by veteran authors and others by fresh new literary voices. Many of them will have the opportunity to personally promote their work at the Local Authors Book Fair on May 19.
Reilly Woodhouse, age 14, recently broke into the young adult market through a remarkable turn of events. A Snow Canyon Middle School student diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at age eleven, Woodhouse has amazed family, friends and teachers alike with her skill for creating fantasy stories. Her debut novel is “The Pirate Heir,” a coming-of-age tale of a girl swept up by dashing pirates who promise both danger and romance. It was published on May 3.
Another such author is Shane D. Williams, who currently has two children’s books published under his own label. The first, entitled “The Endless Achoo,” was released in 2005 and gained a significant following via the Internet, which inspired him to continue writing for a young audience. His second book, “All Mixed Up! A Motley Horde of Funny Poems,” went public one month ago.
Though volumes in the juvenile genre often seek to educate, Williams said he also strives to entertain by pouring his infectious, carefree personality into his work.
“My main goal is to make people laugh; it helps people unwind and brings families (closer),” he said. “(I want) to show both kids and adults that reading and writing can be fun.”
Held concurrently with the Tuacahn Saturday Market in the parking lot of the Tuacahn Amphitheatre from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Local Writers Book Fair is hosted in part by the Heritage Writers’ Guild, a division of the Utah League of Writers.
The featured authors and their main genre(s) are:
Ann Kearns – Fiction/Self-Help
Annette Louise – Romance/Western
Beth Shumway Moore – Nonfiction/Historical
David W. Smith – Action-Adventure/Nonfiction
Ginny Sparks – Juvenile
Lin Floyd – Poetry
Linda Weaver Clarke – Historical Fiction/Romance
Lori Viets – Nonfiction/Self-Help
Marleen Bussma – Poetry/Western
Ned Greenwood – Action-Adventure/Historical Fiction
Russell Estlack – Nonfiction/Historical
Shane D. Williams – Juvenile
Tom Baldwin – Fantasy/Action-Adventure
V.S. Grenier – Juvenile
Many other St. George-based scribes, whose works range from romance to self-help, will be attending. From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., the authors will participate in a meet-and-greet with fans and offer them a chance to preview the first few pages of their respective books.
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Copyright 2012 St. George News.