Dear Gentle Reader,

Tickets are now up and for sale for our amazing buffet luncheon with Toni TIpton Martin, Morgan Bolling and KC Hysmith with Leoneda Inge to celebrate the publication of When Southern Women Cook on Thursday, November 7th at 11:30. The ticket includes a signed copy of the gorgeous When Southern Women Cook (which is a modern compendium of Southern recipes and the important ladies making modern food happen), lunch, wine, tax, and gratuity. This book and/or luncheon is an ultimate gift for you and your friends.

This Saturday (September 21st) at 11am, we are hosting a science fiction and fantasy event with multiple Hugo Award-winner T. Kingfisher and staff favorite Mur Lafferty. T. Kingfisher’s latest, A Sorceress Comes to Call, is a deliciously dark retelling of the Grimm’s fairy tale, The Goose Girl.  

“A Sorceress Comes to Call is the Regency-fantasy-horror hybrid only T. Kingfisher could write.”—BookPage, STARRED review

“This is another one of Kingfisher’s marvelous works (like the Hugo-winning Nettle & Bone) that takes elements of fairy tales, myths, and legends and blends them into a story that feels both familiar and new at the same time while subtly weaving a novel where women play the parts that men traditionally filled. . . . Highly recommended for readers who enjoy reimagined legends.”—Library Journal, STARRED review

With Ms. Kingfisher, we are delighted to welcome Mur Lafferty, author of McIntyre’s staff faves Six Wakes, Station Eternity, and Chaos Terminal, is here with her latest novella, The Ophelia Network. The fascist government controls the Internet, and communication between the resistance is difficult, but some have a plan. It involves a children’s television show with puppets, codes, and the friendly AI assistant everyone has in their houses. The only problem is our friendly host, Bailey, is oblivious to what his show is transmitting.

Next week is Banned Books Week. We wish that was all we needed to say full stop, but we agree with Sarah. “I feel fortunate that there weren’t any books I was denied reading when I was growing up, which is not the case for today’s young people. It seems simple that if you don’t like a book, or its subject matter, you don’t have to read it, or even let your child read it, but that you shouldn’t have the right to prevent someone else from reading it.” Touche! 

Next weekend we celebrate Minrose Gwin at 11am on Saturday the 28th. Pete says, “What a wonderful storyteller! She takes us back into the recent Southern past and explores parts of Southern culture previously unvisited.” He’s a fan. Then on Sunday the 29th we host the penultimate NC Poetry Society reading for this year with  Ashley Lumpkin, Michael Gaspeny, and Steve Cushman.

Seniors (and loved ones going through their college application process with them), listen up! Margot Lester is here to help you with two workshops to get that essay in top shape. 

Pre-writing and drafting workshop, 10-11:30a
Revising and finalizing workshop, 12-1:30p
$90/workshop, $150 for both

Whether you’re using the CommonApp or crafting an essay for a specific school, college application writing can feel daunting. That’s because even confident writers struggle to write about themselves. In these hands-on workshops, we build confidence and produce stronger essays. You learn a proven essay-writing strategy respond to your chosen prompt/question and revision strategies to make your piece stronger. We also provide opportunities for peer- and instructor-led feedback. You leave with more confidence, new skills for pre-writing and revising/editing, and a solid essay. The workshop is facilitated local writing coach and journalist Margot Lester, co-author of the multiple award-winning book, Be a Better Writer. Participation is limited to 10 students. Click here to learn more about Margot’s approach.

And finally, on Saturday, October 12th we are delighted to host Cozy Con Southwith Kensington Books. Tickets are $10. There will be panels, some refreshments, and a whole lot of crime. This is a great opportunity to meet new authors and stock up on your reading before the holidays.

The Usual Suspects,

Pete, Johanna, Sarah, Tyler, Beth and Keebe