author talks

05 27, 2021

Uncover the Hidden History of Lake County

By admin|2021-05-27T06:00:24-04:00May 27, 2021|

Jennifer Boresz Engelking joins us for an interview and explains how an amusement park and shipwreck kindled her interest in local history and inspired her to write Hidden History of Lake County, Ohio. She also describes the research her book required.

Then chats about her first forays into writing, how she acted in the movie Unstoppable, and talks about her favorite Metroparks.

By the way, if you’re interested in local history, we’ve hosted several programs about it – many of which can be viewed in their entirety on our YouTube channel – including:

05 2, 2021

Author Mary Hogan Crashes our Book Club

By admin|2021-05-02T12:00:52-04:00May 2, 2021|

You never know who’s going to show up at one of our book clubs! Author Mary Hogan was kind enough to crash our Senior Center Book Club this week to chat about her historical fiction novel, The Woman in the Photo. Hogan answered questions from the group and explained why the Johnstown Flood needs a better name (like the Johnstown Deluge or the Johnstown Cataclysm!)

She also talked about her love for Clara Barton and how much research goes into writing historical fiction.

Then, she explained how she accidentally got her start as a YA novelist and joked about her obsession with murder shows during the pandemic. (Relatable.)

You can visit our YouTube channel for more author interviews, including discussions with bestsellers like Karin Slaughter, Paula McLain and Christina Baker Kline, as well as upcoming authors like Stephen Markley and Rebekah Frumkin.

09 11, 2020

9 ways to change our world with author Amy Neumann

By admin|2020-09-11T06:00:01-04:00September 11, 2020|

Amy Neumann shares nine ways that you can make a difference in the world… yes, even right now.

Refer someone to 2-1-1
Support a teacher with DonorsChoose.org
Get your kids (and yourself) a library card
Create a Facebook page that promotes positivity in your community
Donate blood to the American Red Cross
Think about diversity, equity and inclusion
Let nonprofits know about Google’s Ads Grant
Combine two things you love into a unique volunteering experience
Create a helping calendar

Neumann is the writer of “Simple Acts to Change the World: 500 Ways to Make a Difference,” which you can borrow from your community library.

08 12, 2020

Amanda Flower Interview: Meet the mind behind the mysteries

By admin|2020-08-12T16:00:12-04:00August 12, 2020|

Bestselling and award-winning writer Amanda Flower is the mind behind more than 30 mystery novels, including The Magical Bookshop Mysteries, The Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, and the Magic Garden Mysteries – many of which you can borrow from your library.

She discusses her newest mystery, “Mums and Mayhem” as well as:

what inspired her Magic Garden Mystery series
what “the English” get wrong about Amish communities
her favorite job ever (and why it involved wearing a pink checkered ball gown)
where she finds joy and peace of mind during a global pandemic.

By the way, we love a good mystery at Mentor Public Library, and we’ve hosted several of our favorite mystery authors over the years. You can see our interviews with them (and, in a few cases, their entire talks) on our YouTube channel, including:

Karin Slaughter, author of the bestselling Grant County and Will Trent series
D.M. Pulley, author of The Dead Key and The Unclaimed Victim
James Badal, author of In the Wake of the Butcher about the Kingsbury Run Torso Murders. (The linked video includes several graphic crime-scene photos and may be upsetting to some people.)
Jane Ann Turzillo, author of Wicked Women of Ohio and Unsolved Murders & Disappearances in Northeast Ohio
Vivien Chien, author of The Noodle Shop Mysteries
Brad Ricca, writer of Mrs. Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of New York City’s Greatest Female Detective and the 1917 Missing Girl Case That Captivated a Nation

06 17, 2020

Susan Petrone discusses ‘The Heebie-Jeebie Girl’ and what people get wrong about Youngstown

By admin|2020-06-17T19:00:40-04:00June 17, 2020|

Author Susan Petrone chats with us about her newest novel, The Heebie-Jeebie Girl, and why Youngstown is so important for her story. She also discusses:

how she got the ideas for her previous novels The Super Ladies and Throw like a Woman.
her favorite job that she’s ever had. (Hint: It involves baseball.)
how her favorite authors (Jane Austen and Kurt Vonnegut) may have influenced The Heebie-Jeebie Girl.

Petrone used actual events from her family’s history to write The Heebie-Jeebie Girl. Her story takes place in Youngstown, 1977, at the time when the city’s largest steel mill has just closed and the worst blizzard in over 40 years has hit the area. It’s a tale of change, family, and redemption.

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