<\/p>\n <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Lubbock enters the book festival arena this fall <\/span>with the all-day Lubbock Book Festival on Saturday, Oct. 28. More than three dozen best-selling authors and regional favorites have been confirmed to read, sign books, and greet fans at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, a cornerstone of the Lubbock Cultural District.<\/p>\n Keynoters include S. C. Gwynne,<\/span> author of the nonfiction bestsellers Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches<\/span> (2010) and Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson<\/span> (2015). Most recently, Gwynne explores how throwing passes revolutionized Texas\u2019 most popular sport in The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Reinvention of Football<\/span> (2016)\u200e, including a nod to the innovations of Mike Leach,<\/span> former Texas Tech University head coach.<\/p>\n More than 20 regional and national bestselling authors are scheduled to attend the Lubbock Book Festival, including Jodi Thomas,<\/span> a member of the National Romance Writers Hall of Fame, and John R. Erickson, <\/span>creator of the beloved Hank the Cowdog series for young readers.<\/p>\n Fans can also look forward to appearances by writers Terry Jennings,<\/span> author of the heartfelt memoir\/biography Waylon: Tales of My Outlaw Dad<\/span> (2016); Ad\u00e1n Medrano, <\/span>cookbook author of Truly Texas Mexican: A Native Culinary Heritage in Recipes<\/span> (2014) and Angelina LaRue,<\/span> author of The Whole Enchilada<\/span> (2015), with a luncheon cooking demonstration; and Patrick Dearen<\/span>, Western Writers of America Spur Award winner for The Big Drift<\/span> (2014), as well as newcomer to the book scene Karin McCay,<\/span> news co-anchor of Lubbock\u2019s KCBD-TV, with her Magic Mommy series of titles for children.<\/p>\n The Lubbock Book Festival will play a key role in the 20th anniversary of the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, known locally as LHUCA (pronounced Luka). The center\u2019s studios, galleries, and performance spaces host a busy schedule of film screenings, exhibitions, concerts, and dance performances. With the new book fest, the center will strengthen its connection to the literary arts, Executive Director Jean Caslin said.<\/p>\n Moreover, the new festival is in keeping with a quote from George Washington, appropriately lettered above the door of LHUCA\u2019s Firehouse Theatre: \u201cTo encourage literature and art is the duty that every good citizen owes to his country.\u201d<\/p>\n Festival admission is free and open to the public; tickets will be required for some free events as well as Saturday’s cookbook luncheon. A full schedule and lineup is in progress at www.LubbockBookFestival.org<\/span><\/a><\/span>, with further events to be announced as festival time approaches.<\/p>\n (Information from organization’s press release)<\/p>\n This year\u2019s celebrity guest will be Charlaine Harris<\/span> (left), author of the novels that inspired HBO\u2019s\u00a0True Blood<\/span>\u00a0and the new hit NBC series,\u00a0Midnight,\u00a0Texas.<\/span> Joining Harris as guest speakers will be renowned cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard, Research and Investigation of the Paranormal founder Greg Stephens, and Boni Furusho, a mentor to those who have experienced paranormal phenomena. Hallie of Hallie\u2019s Heroes will also be a special guest, swabbing visitors and adding them to the National Bone Marrow Registry to help save the lives of those who need bone marrow transplants.<\/p>\n Cosplay, or dressing in costumes, will also be a much bigger feature this year. Visitors will meet many costumed characters and even take pictures with several movie replica vehicles. A children\u2019s cosplay contest for ages infant to 12 will take place on\u00a0Oct. 1, sponsored by Heroic Inner Kids and hosted by Unwrap the Magic Parties and Events.<\/p>\n For more information, visit\u00a0www.GranburyParanormalExpo.com<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0Expo organizer Brandy Herr can be reached at\u00a0GranburyGhosts@gmail.com\u00a0or\u00a0(817) 559-0849.<\/p>\n (Information from organization\u2019s press release)<\/p>\n Braccia has been an active leader in the library community since becoming a librarian in 2005. She is a past president of the Mountain Plains Library Association and mentor for their Leadership Institute, as well as a former American Library Association councilor. She received her MLS from the University of Arizona and will complete her MBA this fall from the W. P. Carey School of Business \/ Arizona State University with an emphasis in analytics and public policy.<\/p>\n Most recently, Braccia was vice-president of Library Operations for Library Systems and Services, where she partnered with city and county stakeholders to provide strategic oversight and library services management for over for eighty public libraries throughout the U.S. Braccia also has extensive experience in the private and public sectors having worked in government services, hospitality, major event management, retail, and banking with organizations including City of Scottsdale, Hilton International, San Francisco Giants, Citibank, Carefree Resorts, and Micronesia Mall. She is an eCourse instructor for the American Library Association as well as adjunct instructor in several Masters programs.<\/p>\n \u201cI am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve and support the amazing library community in Texas,\u201d says Braccia. \u201cTLA is an outstanding organization that provides exciting professional leadership opportunities, ongoing education, and dynamic resources to members throughout the state. Libraries are vital institutions and TLA has been a pillar for the library community since 1902. It is an honor to follow in the footsteps of outgoing executive director Patricia Smith, and I look forward to continuing to build on the tradition of association excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMembers of the search committee were impressed with Ms. Braccia\u2019s diverse experiences. She demonstrates her broad vision and understanding of national trends, and her passion for advocacy for libraries and librarians.\u201d said Dr. Ling Hwey Jeng, TLA president and chair of the search committee. \u201cWe are excited to welcome her to Texas and look forward to the new beginning.\u201d Braccia plans to attend several TLA district meetings this fall to meet with members.<\/p>\n TLA extends its deepest appreciation to Patricia Smith for her willingness to postpone retirement until September 30 to ensure the smooth transition.<\/p>\n Information and photo from organization’s press release<\/p>\n * * * * *<\/p>\n Texas Writes is a statewide program of the Writers\u2019 League of Texas<\/span> that brings accomplished authors to rural libraries for a half day of presentations and panel discussions. Each event is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n WLT has two Texas Writes events slated for September 2017, in locations as geographically diverse as Clifton (near Waco) and Shallowater (near Lubbock).<\/p>\n The first is in Clifton Saturday, Sept. 23 at the Bosque Arts Center. This event will feature TWO presentations \u2014 one at 10 a.m., with Greg Garrett<\/span> and Jennifer duBois, <\/span>and one at 1 p.m., featuring Meg Gardiner<\/span> and Jeremy Kraatz.<\/span><\/p>\n Garrett will be leading a session on how to write yourself into the story, and DuBois will do a workshop on how to move beyond your own personal narrative. In the afternoon, Gardiner will talk about how to ramp up the suspense in your stories, and Kraatz will discuss how to make dialogue work for you.<\/p>\n To pre-register for this event, contact the Nellie Pederson Library at (254) 675-6495.<\/p>\n The second September event is Texas Writes at the Shallowater School County Library Sat., Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event will feature presentations from authors Charlotte Gullick<\/span> and Donna Johnson.<\/span>\u00a0 Gullick will be conducting a workshop on incorporating the seasons into setting and character, and Johnson will be heading up a presentation on the role of imagination on memoir<\/p>\n To pre-register for this event, contact the library at (806) 832-4951.<\/p>\n Information from organization’s website<\/p>\n * * * * *<\/p>\n AUSTIN \u2014 The Texas Book Festival (TBF) this week announced its full 2017 lineup<\/span> filled with nationally and regionally renowned authors. The 2017 TBF weekend takes place on Nov. 4 and 5, is spread throughout the grounds of the Texas State Capitol and along Austin\u2019s iconic Congress Avenue.<\/p>\n TBF showcases first-time novelists and established writers, introducing attendees to new literary talents and connecting them with their favorite authors. Award-winning authors are found throughout the TBF lineup, including Jennifer Egan,<\/span> who will be presenting her new novel, Manhattan Beach.<\/span> Egan has won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and her work has appeared in the New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Granta, McSweeney’s,<\/span> and the New York Times Magazine.<\/span><\/p>\n Hailed by the New York Times<\/span> as \u201cone of America’s most important novelists,\u201d Nicole Krauss<\/span> will present Forest Dark,<\/span> which will be published this fall. Krauss is the author of the international bestsellers Great House,<\/span> a finalist for the National Book Award and the Orange Prize, and The History of Love,<\/span> which won the Saroyan Prize for International Literature, France’s Prix du Meilleur Livre \u00c9tranger, and was short-listed for the Orange, M\u00e9dicis, and Femina prizes.<\/p>\n Gretchen Carlson,<\/span> one of the nation\u2019s most successful and recognized news anchors, will present Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back, <\/span>which will release in October. She has reported and produced a 30-part series on domestic violence that won several national awards. Her first book, Getting Real,<\/span> was a national best seller.<\/p>\n Graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang<\/span> will present the newest installment of the highly popular Secret Coders series, Robots & Repeats.<\/span> As the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and a MacArthur Fellow, Luen Yang will take the stage to talk about his wildly entertaining series that combines logic puzzles and basic programming instruction with a page-turning mystery plot.<\/p>\n Cristina Garc\u00eda<\/span> is the author of seven novels, including Dreaming in Cuban,<\/span> a finalist for the National Book Award that just celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary. Her work has been translated into fourteen languages. Garcia will present her most recent work, Here in Berlin,<\/span> during the TBF weekend.<\/p>\n Award-winning poet Tyehimba Jess<\/span> will present Olio, <\/span>which has won prestigious awards this year, including the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Poetry, and the Book Award for Poetry from the Society of Midland Authors.<\/p>\n The star-studded 2017 TBF lineup will feature Dan Rather, Jenna Bush Hager<\/span> and Barbara Pierce Bush, Mark Bittman<\/span>, and Gail Simmons.<\/span> Other renowned writers in the program include Claire Messud, Jeffrey Eugenides, Angie Thomas, Margarita Engle, Lisa Ko, Jami Attenberg, Javaka Steptoe, Colin Meloy<\/span> and Carson Ellis, Matthew Dowd, Roger D. Hodge,<\/span> and Tom\u00e1s Q. Mor\u00edn.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe opportunity to bring together hundreds of authors and thousands of readers for two days of discussions, book signings, and those special unscripted moments of conversation and connection is a joy,\u201d says Texas Book Festival executive director Lois Kim<\/span>. \u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to present this year\u2019s tremendous line up of talented writers. We can\u2019t wait to see every book-loving Texan in Austin for this big, free, two-day Festival of books, ideas, and literary community!\u201d<\/p>\n More than 275 writers, including chefs, actors, and more, make up the exciting 2017 TBF lineup. One of the nation\u2019s premier literary events and longest-running book festivals, the Festival continues to be free and open to the public thanks to its generous and dedicated sponsors and volunteers. The Festival brings together more than 50,000 attendees, live music, kids\u2019 activities, food trucks, book signings, sales, and 100 exhibitors in and around the State Capitol over two full days.<\/p>\n The weekend kicks off with the First Edition Literary Gala, featuring national bestselling author Min Jin Lee;<\/span> New York Times<\/span> bestselling author and current president and CEO of the Aspen Institute Walter Isaacson; Attica Locke,<\/span> award-winning author, writer, and producer on the Fox drama Empire; <\/span>and award-winning poet, critic, and as of this November, poetry editor of the New Yorker<\/span> Kevin Young.<\/span> Award-winning journalist, screenwriter, and executive editor of Texas Monthly<\/span> magazine Skip Hollandsworth<\/span> will emcee this year\u2019s gala, to be held on Friday, Nov. 3, at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/sites\/lonestarliterary.etypegoogle10.com\/files\/description\/lubbockbookfestival_montage%20041917%20sm.jpg\")
<\/div>\nSchedule posted for Lubbock Book Festival, Oct. 28<\/h1>\n
S. C. Gwynne to headline with The Perfect Pass; Hank the Cowdog author John R. Erickson keynoter for children<\/h1>\n
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<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAuthor Charlaine Harris to headline Granbury Paranormal Expo, Sept. 30\u2013Oct. 1<\/h1>\n
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<\/span><\/span>GRANBURY \u2014 The Sixth Annual Granbury Paranormal Expo<\/span> will kick off the Halloween season on\u00a0Sept. 30, 2017,\u00a0from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and\u00a0Oct. 1\u00a0from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a street festival in the middle of Granbury\u2019s historic downtown square. This festival is free to the public and will feature ghost hunters, psychics, horror, sci-fi, cosplay, fantasy, and much more.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nTexas Library Association announces new executive director<\/h1>\n
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<\/span><\/span>AUSTIN \u2014 After an extensive national search, the Texas Library Association (TLA) has appointed Dana Braccia<\/span> (left) as the new Executive Director starting Oct. 1, 2017. Braccia brings a diverse range of experience and expertise in innovative library and operational management as well as member relations and industry partnerships to the association.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWriters\u2019 League of Texas\u2019s \u201cTexas Writes\u201d events set for September<\/h1>\n
Texas Book Festival announces 2017 lineup; more than 275 authors to be featured<\/h1>\n
Festival to feature Jennifer Egan, Nicole Krauss, Cristina Garc\u00eda, Gretchen Carlson, Gene Luen Yang, Kadir Nelson, more<\/h1>\n