BOOKISH

A Not-So-Ordinary Book Discussion BY TIFFANY KILLOREN

TO QUOTE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN …

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

Writing is hard. Stories bring readers comfort and joy, but behind the scenes it is a lengthy process of writing, design, contract negotiations, and marketing efforts. To be an author, you have to be passionate about what you do to overcome the bad writing days and rejections that are inevitable in this industry.

Authors have to wear many hats these days, so I again dedicate a column to recognizing the below local authors in the hopes you will keep their books in mind when deciding on your next read or gift for a book lover. As a fellow author, I tip my hat to them.

Stephanie Hansen: Award-winning author and literary agent, Hansen has established a name for herself on both sides of the publishing table. Founder of the Metamorphosis Literary Agency, Hansen represents an impressive author list while establishing herself with YA readers through her sci-fi thriller Transformed Nexus duology (Replaced Parts and the recently-released Omitted Pieces), and trilogy (Altered Helix, Stranded Coil and Paralleled Bond), which looks at haunted houses in a whole new way as its protagonist learns lessons about love, acceptance, and working together for the greater good. authorstephaniehansen.com

Shannon Thompson: Author and local librarian, Thompson surrounds herself with the written word. With two series now available—the Timely Death series (paranormal romance) and the Tomo trilogy (sci-fi dystopian)—Thompson is passionate about connecting with YA readers. Currently working on a middle grade novel-in-verse about a young girl who loses her mom to the opioid epidemic, Thompson wants to use her writing to not only entertain, but also educate young readers about important topics so they know they’re not alone. shannonathompson.com Alastair Heim: Visit Heim’s website and you can tell by his self-description (“Laughter is my favorite sound, purple is my favorite color, and other-people-cooking-for-me is my favorite food”) that he’s a pretty great fit for writing children’s books. With titles like Quiet Down Loud Town, No Tooting at Tea and The Great Puppy Invasion, among others, Heim’s stories bring joy to little readers everywhere and have made him a popular guest at schools and library events. I mean, who doesn’t want to read about puppies and a toot-rule-breaking tea party? alastairheim.com

Kellista Rae Keaton: Who doesn’t have fond memories of watching Dawson’s Creek? Well, Keaton’s memories are a bit more vivid because she actually used to work on the set of the popular show, but now focuses her creativity on writing books. Her 2020 novel, The Window, is about a woman stuck in an abusive marriage who begins having dreams that inspire her to reach for something better. Keaton is currently working on short stories about the beautiful ways that autistic children see the world. touchpointpress.com/authors/ kellista-rae-keaton/

Tiffany Killorenis a local author and lover of the written word. Her novel, GOOD WILL, was released in 2020 and she is always thinking

of new stories to tell. Follow her at @readandthreads on Instagram for book and life musings as she tries to balance career, family and

her passion for writing one step - or word - at a time.

PHOTO BY MOLLY KUPLEN