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We are counting the days until we celebrate the launch of Claire Caterer's book The Wand and the Sea... with Claire Caterer herself!

Thursday, June 25

6 - 7:30 p.m.

Lackman Library

Claire was kind enough to give us a sneak peak and I know you will find her as charming as I do!

What are you working on now that The Wand and the Sea is finished?

I’ve got two things going at the moment. I’m outlining the third book in the series, titled (for now) The Spell & the Stone, and I’m also finishing up the manuscript of another, unrelated story for middle-grade readers that I’m very excited

It’s no secret that the landscape of publishing is rapidly evolving. With thousands of new books joining the marketplace every day, millions of bloggers vying for readers, and the ease of sharing words, how do writers connect with readers? In an environment where readers are either pigeonholed into selecting from an infinitesimal best-seller list, or bombarded with choice, how can one writer rise to the surface and capture the readers who will come back looking for more of the same?

There is no easy answer to this question, but with a little creativity and hard work, some authors can carve a

In one of my favorite books about writing, The Memoir Project, Marion Roach Smith says “[writing] is serious work. And it cannot be reduced to generic writing exercises and prefabricated prompts.” While reading, I was immediately offended, for I lead a prompt-based creative writing group. And my writers, as I like to call the members, produce wonderful work.

Mike O’Leary has been a long-time member of the Creative Writing Group and has agreed to share some of his stories here. We're working through the exercises in The 3 A.M. Epiphanyby Brian Kiteley. Mike chose "Evil" and "Goodness", two

Kansas City is blessed to be called home by many wonderful writers and creators. Thus, it is no surprise that three of our own are included in the collection Listen to Your Mother. In 2010, Ann Imig, through stage performances by writers in her community, gave voice to “the realities of mothers and mothering, of non-moms and caretakers, of sons and daughters … with stories so urgent they press from the hearts of people to the page and then to the LTYM Stage, a small selection which return again to the page.” It is no exaggeration to say the stories are urgent.

But don’t let the title fool you

Local writer Bridget Heos is the author of Mustache Baby, Mustache Baby Meets His Match, I, Fly, and more than 70 other children's books. Check out our review of the Mustache Baby books, then keep reading to learn all about Bridget and her experience as an author through her responses to our interview questions.

Your writing seems to cover a broad range of topics and styles. How has that come about?

Well, so much of what I write is “work for hire,” meaning the editor gives me a topic, and I write about it. Usually the editor also indicates the style (funny or serious, etc.) Now, I’m starting

This fall, Johnson County Library has been looking at race: stereotypes, self-awareness, and what it means to look beyond the surface. We’ve invited you to tell us how you have been affected by race. Justin Carter, in the following essay, shares his experience. As a suburban white woman, it’s easy to subconsciously, or otherwise, believe that issues of race don’t happen in my community, my city, or even my state. My country, sure, but that’s Missouri. That’s the other United States. But he dispels the myths I accept as truth and exposes the subtle, and not-so-subtle, ways race is still an