Author event coming to local bookshop later this month

By Ron Giofu

A bookseller is organizing a local authors’ event later this month.

Cindy Lemieux, a bookseller at the River Bookshop in Amherstburg, is presenting a local author’s event Feb. 25-26 from 12-4 p.m. each day. It will be held upstairs in the Richmond St. bookshop’s “Hole in the Wall” event space.

“We have ten authors each day,” said Lemieux. Authors from around Windsor-Essex County that the bookshop deals with were invited to attend with ten authors of books targeted for adults coming Saturday while children’s book authors will be on site Sunday. Lemieux said each author will have a space to set up, chat with the public, have a reading and sign their books.

Authors scheduled for Feb. 25 are Mark Robinson, David Garlick, Kevin Shea, Mary Ann Adam, George Morneau, Christian Laforet, Elisa Sinnett, Dorothy Mahoney, Sally Cole-Misch and Victor Dinardo. Children’s authors coming in the next day are Duncan

Lam, Victoria D’anna, Gaye McGee, Celeste Kurcz, Glen Hawkes, Amy Soucie, Jane Ripley, Alma Hogan, Peter Billing and Lynn McLaughlin.

Lam, Soucie and Ripley will also be participating in “Story Time” that day at the bookshop.

“I wanted to do something to showcase local authors,”

Lemieux explained. “I want to showcase as much talent as possible. We reached out to local authors we carry or have carried.”

Lemieux said they had all of the positions filled within 24 hours. Reception for the authors’ event has been so positive that River Bookshop plans on having two or three of them per year, including some possibly to be held outdoors when the warmer weather hits. Having the first one in February is a way to help welcome people and get them in the door during the winter, she stated.

“I thought it would be a nice time of year to get people in,” said Lemieux.

The authors’ event is free to attend for the public with proceeds of sales to be split as they always are with contractual agreements between the store and the authors.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Lemieux. “I’ve been trying to get together and have an event with local authors.”

Lead bookseller Meghan Desjardins said they want to find new ways to support local authors and be creative at the same time.