Back in 2002 we ran a story talking about Catawba Murder Hole, it’s history and it’s legends. Owner Marian McConnell has now put penned these tales into a book.

Below is a listing of upcoming readings & signings.

When: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Where: Fincastle Branch Library, 11 Academy Street, Fincastle, VA, 24090

Contact: Marian McConnell (540)309-4707

New book, “Murder Hole,” about a local infamous cave and historical landmark is now available. Meet the author, Marian McConnell. Sponsored by the Botetourt County Historical Society and Museum.

When: Saturday, March 23, 2013 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Where: The Emporium, 211 Markin Lane, New Castle, VA, 24127

Come meet Marian McConnell, author of the new book “Murder Hole” about the infamous and historical Catawba cave.

When: Monday, April 15, 2013 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Where: The Salem Museum, 801 E. Main Street, Salem, VA, 24153

Marian McConnell will speak on her colorful new history of The Murder Hole, the cave she and her husband own in Catawba. The legendary cavern evokes many legends– McConnell separates fact from fiction in a subterranean wonderland.

Tue., March 12, 7 p.m.

A Literary Evening with Judy Light Ayyildiz

Rockbridge Regional Library, 138 S. Main St., Lexington, VA, Piovano Room

Author Judy Light Ayyildiz will read and discuss her novel, “Forty Thorns,” winner of the 2012 International Book Award. Reception and signing to follow.  Admittance free, donations to benefit the library appreciated.

Press release:

The Friends of the Rockbridge Regional Library will sponsor a Literary Evening with Judy Light Ayyildiz and her book, “Forty Thorns.”  

A bestseller in Turkey, a 2012 International Book Award winner, “Forty Thorns” was the only book to be honored at the Golden Orange Film Festival and Ayyildiz the only author to speak at the event.

Ayyildiz, a widely published writer of poetry, short stories, articles and reviews, based the book on the life of her Turkish mother-in-law, Andalet, whose 92 year life was enmeshed in the fall of the Ottomans and the founding of modern Turkey.   In her quest for political and feminist power, Adalet embodies both the dreams and struggles of the 20th century woman.

“The book succeeds spectacularly in portraying Turkey in its entirety, from ancient roots to the present,” reviewer David Barudin says.  “Ayyildiz creates her story in much the same way Margaret Mitchell’s epic “Gone with the Wind” …through the eyes of a woman caught up in the conflict. She does it with the light touch of a master writer at the top of her skills.”

Ayyildiz will read from and discuss “Forty Thorns” in the Piovano Room of the Rockbridge Regional Library (138 S. Main Street, Lexington VA) on Tuesday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m.  A reception will follow.  The author talk is free and open to the public.

For more information about the activities of the Friends of the Library, please call 540-463-4324.

Here’s a list of book club meetings happening in March. I’ve tried to include Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Bedford County, Franklin County, and NRV. Please let me know if you know of any  missing from this list.

Also, if you’d like to recommend any of these books or book clubs please let us know. We love to hear your take on things.

Wednesday, March 6

Christiansburg Library
11:00 am
“Silver Linings Playbook” by Matthew Quick

Meadowbrook Library
6:00 pm
“The Falls” by Joyce Carol Oates

Thursday, March 7

Vinton Library
2:00 pm
“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green

Montvale Library
2:00 pm
“Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind” by Ann B. Ross

Williamson Rd Library
2:00 pm
Storychasers Book Club – 3rd grade & up Read more »

After teenager Colleen Truskey snapped a photo of her friend Sarah Beth Penny, neither was prepared for Random House to ask to use it on a book cover.

by MIKE ALLEN | 981-3236

Thousands of young artists hope to break into the New York publishing scene.

Cave Spring High School senior Colleen Truskey did it by posting a portrait of a friend online.

Colleen’s photograph of longtime friend and fellow Cave Spring senior Sarah Beth Penny graces the dust jacket of “Flutter,” a young adult science fiction novel by Chicago author Gina Linko . It was released Oct. 23 by Random House Books for Young Readers.

Continue to full article.

 When: February 22nd through the 23rd

Where: Holiday Inn Tanglewood, 4468 Starkey Road, Roanoke, VA, 24018

Cost: $35 for adults. $45 at the door. $25 for students and military personnel with valid ID. Special discounted rates for children and groups.

Description: MystiCon returns for 2013! With over 100 guests and expanded programming, MystiCon has something for everyone!

Our Media GOH for 2013 is Peter Davison, the 5th Doctor from the “Doctor Who” BBC television series and Henry Sharpe in “Law & Order UK”.

Our Author GOH is Orson Scott Card, the writer of the Hugo and Nebula award winning novel “Ender’s Game”. MystiCon’s first ever YA Writer is Tom Angleberger, author of “The Secret of the Fortune Wookie” and “Darth Paper Strikes Back”.

The MystiCon Artist GOH is Larry Elmore, an award winning fantasy illustrator for TSR “Dungeons and Dragons” and TOR books.

Steve Long, gaming developer and owner of Hero Games, is the MystiCon gaming GOH for 2013.

We have three musical guests performing at the convention: goth/dark-wave band Bella Morte, industrial dance band The Gothsicles, and nerdcore comedian-musician Devo Spice.

Star City Mystery Dinner Theater is hosting another whodunnit at MystiCon and Consortium 499 will be providing original musical scores for screenings of silent-film classics “Nosferatu” and “Le Voyage Dans La Lune”.

MystiCon offers LARPing, Gaming, Vendors, an Indie Film Festival, Masquerade, Artist Alley, Paranormal Investigations, Dance Party, & Roller Girls! Come to MystiCon in Roanoke, VA February 22-24, 2013 and join in the fun!

For a list of schedules click here.

Local writer and golfer Neil Sagebiel’s book “The Longest Shot: Jack Fleck, Ben Hogan, and Pro Golf’s Greatest Upset at the 1955 U.S. Open,” was chosen by “Booklist” as one of the Top 10 Sports Books of 2012.

Booklist, a book-review magazine which has been published for over 100 years, is used by librarians when deciding which books to purchase for the library. It also helps students decide what to read.

Author Bill Ott wrote, “Great sportswriting comes in many forms, and we do our best to keep our eyes on the balls, the waves, the bullets, and whatever else comes our way.”

Back in June we ran this review of Sagebiel’s book saying, “Sagebiel brings to life the drama of the tournament and the long road to arrive there. He also re-creates a time when golf was just a sport, and the players enjoyed the game without the money and the fame that accompany modern-day athletes. Reading this book is like reading the golf coverage from a major newspaper in the 1950′s when a keen ability to describe the players and their venue was the key to having readers. Having readers was the key to job security.”

Sagebiel lives in Floyd with his wife and two daughters. He writes a golf blog called Armchair Golf Blog.

Read more »

The Roanoke City Library monthly event magazine is now updated. They have many ongoing book clubs and monthly events as well as several special features this month.

MystiCon Crossover Event on February 21, at Roanoke City Main Library from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Description:The Roanoke Public Libraries/MystiCon crossover begins here! Come to the Main Library on February 21 to get a preview of some of the amazing guests appearing at MystiCon 2013. Strange Aeons (Live Action Roleplayers) will begin an interactive game at 5:30. Guest author Keith R A DeCandido (Star Trek novels, Farscape comics, Resident Evil novelizations, and many more!) will be doing a talk and Q&A at 6. After the talk, stick around for food, fun, and nerdcore rapper Devo Slice! Start off a great weekend of art and imagination with this “can’t miss” event!

Lunar New Year Celebration on February 9, at Williamson Road Library from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

 *** This has been postponed to the following weekend, 2-1 &2-2, due to the threat of snow***

Get your pen and paper ready. The sixth annual Roanoke Regional Writer’s Conference is this weekend, January 25 and 26th.

I’ve attended this twice in past years and enjoyed it both times. If you’re a writer I suggest you look into attending.

The price is $60, but considering it includes a reception on Friday at Veranda Bistro, lunch on Saturday and a full day of classes (several of which are taught by award winning authors), I think $60 is a bargain price. Other conferences I’ve seen are priced much higher.

It sold out last year, so if you want to go you’d better go ahead and buy your ticket.

In case you missed it, Mike Allen’s Sunday Arts & Extras column featured author Karen Osborn’s return to her alma mater, Hollins, for the conference.

Here is more information about the lineup sent in by RRWC Director Dan Smith. Read more »

 Local author Gina Holmes’ new book “Wings of Glass” has been chosen as one of the Winter/Spring Okra picks.

“The Okra Picks are a dozen fresh titles chosen each season that SIBA Indie Bookstores want to handsell.  These books should be southern in nature but can cover any genre, not just fiction.  Southerners love their writers, and we want to be at the forefront of bringing them a strong selection of southern titles not to be missed each season.”

Here is the description of Holmes’s latest book from her website, “From the bestselling author of Crossing Oceans comes a heart-rending yet uplifting story of friendship and redemption. On the cusp of womanhood, Penny  is swept off her feet by a handsome farmhand with a confident swagger. Though Trent Taylor seems like Prince Charming and offers an escape from her one-stop-sign-town, Penny’s happily ever after lasts no longer than their breakneck courtship. Before the ink even dries on their marriage certificate, he hits her for the first time.  It isn’t the last, yet the bruises that can’t be seen are the most painful of all.

When Trent is injured in a welding accident and his paycheck stops, he has no choice but to finally allow Penny to take a job cleaning houses. Here she meets two women from very different worlds who will teach her to live and laugh again, and lend her their backbones just long enough for her to grow her own.”

“Wings of Glass” is set to go on sale March 1, 2013. You can read the first chapter here.

Have you read any of Holmes’ other books? I’ve heard good things about both “Crossing Oceans” and “Dry as Rain.”