Author Talk

Tim Barton joins our Lit Chat series on Tuesday, August 24th, at 7 pm. Tim will be discussing his book The American Story: The Beginnings. Click here to register. 

Tim Barton is the President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our religious, moral, and constitutional heritage. WallBuilders has been recognized from coast-to-coast for its work in education, history, law, and public policy, integrating the elements of Biblical faith and morality throughout all aspects of American life and culture.

Jacksonville artist Michael Regina published his first books with Kickstarter money back in 2013, and now his newest book, The Sleepover, is being published by a major imprint. Find out how he achieved this success at our next Lit Chat!

Historian Richard Webb chats about his book Boats Against the Current. He presents a case for Westport, Connecticut as the real setting of one of America's most famous novels, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Boats Against the Current is a large-format book that includes compelling stories about Scott, Zelda, and their wealthy neighbor the model for Jay Gatsby. Illustrated with period newspaper clippings, items from Fitzgerald family scrapbooks, and never-before-seen photos, the book also recounts Webb’s process of making a companion documentary film with Robert Steven Williams.

Have you ever read a sci-fi or fantasy book and wondered, what kind of a mind thinks up these new worlds? Find out and get a peek inside of one at our Lit Chat with Chuck Wendig! Chuck Wendig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Star Wars: Aftermath, as well as the Miriam Black thrillers, the Atlanta Burns books, Zer0es/Invasive, Wanderers, and the upcoming The Book of Accidents (July 2021). He’s also worked in a variety of other formats, including comics, games, film, and television. A finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the cowriter of the Emmy-nominated digital narrative Collapsus, he is also known for his books about writing. He lives in Pennsyltucky with his family.

Sometimes an epic fail can become an epic success. The Space Race in the US started with a failed satellite launch nicknamed “Kaputnik” and the Wright brothers had many mishaps on their way to their first powered flight. For Erik Slader, writing and talking about these epic fails has led to a successful podcast and children’s book series!

Erik will share his experiences in writing and talking about history at our next Lit Chat, so be sure to join us!

Interested in learning more about authors from your community? What is their writing process and what inspires them? Learn more at Lit Chat with Therese Tappouni, who will talk about her book, Caught Between Worlds. Tappouni will be joined with moderator Stacey Horan, a local author and podcaster. Both authors reside in Jacksonville and are passionate about living creatively and helping others through their writing.

Brad Meltzer is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle, The Book of Fate, and 10 other bestselling thrillers including The Tenth Justice, The First Counsel, The Millionaires, The President’s Shadow, and The Escape Artist. He joined us at the Main Library on Feb. 29, 2020 as the keynote speaker for Jax Book Fest, a community event that brings authors and book lovers together. During his time here we got a chance to chat with him about his most recent book and first work of nonfiction, The First Conspiracy, which describes a secret plot to kill George Washington.  If you missed Brad Meltzer's wonderful keynote presentation, you can check out our interview with him on the latest episode of Completely Booked.