www.roanoke.com

April Sanders will be available to sign copies of her Christian romance novel, "Highland Masquerade."

When: 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, August 1, 2009

Where: Barnes and Noble, Tanglewood, 4478 Electric Rd. SW, Roanoke, VA 24018   

"Highland Masquerade": In the privileged life of eighteenth-century nobility of Northern England, Lady Victoria Montgomery flourishes with a beauty and charm that matches her incredible wealth. But the untimely death of her parents has Victoria unwittingly ordered by the king into the hands of a cruel and scheming uncle determined to squelch her inheritance and title. Risking death for defiance of the king's ruling, Victoria escapes and begins a clandestine affair that takes her far from home to the unfamiliar lands of Scotland and into the home of the man she has dreamed about since childhood. Protecting her identity by pretending to be a young boy—as squire to Lord Colin McTavish, the Duke of Marlborough—Victoria is in the hands of her one true love, but now she must keep up her disguise in order to protect them both. She must trust God to help her life and the lives of those she loves while yearning for her life to connect with Colin. When her situation turns deadly, will she be able to keep up this Highland Masquerade?

Be a part of the literary art! The Roanoke Public Libraries and the Roanoke Arts Commission are inviting public input that will be used to enhance the sculptural installation titled “Reading Garden,” scheduled to be placed at the Gainsboro branch library this fall.

“Reading Garden” will be a work of functional art, part of the “Bench People” series by Colorado-based artist Madeline Wiener. Her sculptures in this style are meant to be interacted with, caressed, climbed upon, even a place to sit and read. In literary fashion, and giving the location outside of the library, it will feature two figures holding open books, as well as other seating areas made of carved stacks of books. Individuals or groups are invited to submit essays, poems, or art to be etched onto the actual components that make up the sculpture. (The photo is a sample of her work and does not depict the actual image of the proposed sculpture.)

According to Doug Jackson, chair of the Roanoke Arts Commission, “It was important to the Commission that the artist chosen for this Percent for Art Project interact with the community.” Wiener, who was selected in May to produce the sculpture, is known for her interactive pieces, which made her the ideal artist for this project. In June, she came to Roanoke for the first of two workshops to brief citizens about “Reading Garden” and encourage participants to share ideas. A second workshop will be held at the time of installation. Materials submitted for the sculpture will also be considered for inclusion in a book celebrating Gainsboro.

Submission forms and guidelines are available at all Roanoke Public Libraries locations, or may be downloaded at www.roanokeva.gov/publicart. The deadline is Aug. 24. Submissions will be accepted at the front desk on the first floor of the Main Library, or may be mailed to:
Roanoke Public Libraries
706 S. Jefferson St.
Roanoke, VA 24016
Attn: Gainsboro “Reading Garden”

For more information, please call 540-853-2474.

Artful Writers will host a special guest lecture on the ins and outs of the publication process, Lexington author Laura Brodie. Brodie is the author of  "The Widow's Season," winner of the 2005 Faulkner-Wisdom Award for Best Novel-in-Progress. Artful Writers meets after hours in the museum to explore the craft of writing.
Where: Taubman Museum Roanoke, VA
Contact:  tgray@taubmanmuseum.org
When: 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Book group discussion of “Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortensen.

When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Where: Christiansburg library, 125 Sheltman St., Christiansburg
Cost: Free
Contact: 382-6965

A beginner's course in recording oral histories. How to collect spoken memories, establish a project theme, create questions to ask family members, use digital recording equipment and transcribe your interviews. Part of a three part workshop, "Creating a Digital Memory Scrapbook."
Where:Main Roanoke Library
Contact: 540-853-2073
When: July 27, 2009 at 7 p.m.

WVTF Book Club discusses "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.
When: 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Where: WVTF Broadcast Center, 3520 Kingsbury Circle, Roanoke
Cost: Free.  All are welcome.
Contact: 540-989-8900

There will be a group discussion about the book “Madonnas of Leningrad,” by Debra Dean.

When: 11 a.m., Monday, July 27, 2009
Where: Blacksburg library, 200 Miller St., Blacksburg
Cost: Free
Contact: 382-6965

Mary Akers, author of “Women Up On Blocks” and “Radical Gratitude” will return to her hometown to talk about her latest book.

When: 2 p.m., Saturday, July 25, 2009
Where: Jessie Peterman library, 321 W. Main St., Floyd
Contact: 382-6965

The Los Angeles Times reported that Barnes & Noble is back in the e-book business. Having withdrawn from the "fad" back in 2006, the company has now reentered the growing field and opened "the world's largest eBookstore." The online store offers more than 700,000 titles, including half a million books that are in the public domain and are available as free downloads.

Can B&N compete with Amazon's Kindle? I think not, just yet, even though the selection, compared to Amazon's 300,000+ title offering, is a great deal larger. B&N ebooks are incompatible with the Kindle and Sony Corp.'s Reader of course, but the company is in partnership with Plastic Logic, a start-up company that is developing an eBook device.  The reader is expected to be the length and width of a sheet of notebook paper, would have wireless download capabilities and may be on the market as early as 2010. B&N's digital books can be displayed on iPhones, Blackberries, and computers. Will B&N be sucessful this go around? Time will tell.

Amazon's Kindle seems to be making an impact on the literary world, as USA Today has just begun to include Kindle download data in it's weekly top seller's list. What do you think? Are you an e-reader? Can you be?

Listen to master storyteller Dr. Gwynn W. Ramsey tell some of the traditional tall tales of Southern Appalachia. Optional night hike to follow. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a flashlight.
Where: Peaks of Otter Amphitheater, Milepost 86, Blue Ridge Parkway, Bedford, VA, 24523
When: 8 p.m., Saturday, July 25, 2009
Cost: Free
Contact: 540-586-4496