Stewart O’Nan, a best-selling novelist who set some of his stories in Connecticut, will speak at noon on Thursday, July 14, at DoubleTree by Hilton, 42 Century Drive, Bristol, at the 2016 Friends of the Bristol Public Library Author Luncheon.
O’Nan, who now lives in his native city, Pittsburgh, formerly made his home in Connecticut. He will discuss how local libraries helped him research “Night Country,” “Circus Fire” and “Last Night at the Lobster,” novels set in central Connecticut, and he will read from “Lobster.”
Tickets are $28 at Bristol Public Library, 5 High St., Bristol, and Manross Memorial Library, 260 Central St., Forestville. Information: 860-584-7787, ext. 2023, or 860-584-7790.
Sunken Garden Poetry Festival
The 24th annual Sunken Garden Poetry Festival continues Sunday, July 10, with poets Brian Turner and Doug Anderson on the grounds of the Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road, Farmington. Guests may bring food or purchase it there. Admission: $12 online; $15 at the gate. Free parking. Tickets and information: hillstead.org.
The gates will open at 4:30 p.m., followed by a Prelude conversation with Turner at 5 p.m., a reading by Anderson at 6 p.m., music by singer/songwriter Logan Vath at 6:30 p.m. and a reading by Turner at 7:15 p.m. An exhibit of art by veterans will be on display from 3 to 8 p.m.
Turner is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq. His first book, “Here, Bullet” (Alice James, $15.95), is about his time in Iraq.
Anderson was a combat medic in the Vietnam War and has written about his service in poetry and non-fiction. He has published poetry collections and a memoir.
Avon Author Festival
Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon, will host a free Local Author Festival through July 28. Forty authors are taking part in events featuring teen and middle readers and children’s, romance, travel and mystery books and more.
On Tuesday, July 12, at 7 p.m., authors of books for teen & middle readers will speak. They are Deborah Ann Davis (“Fairly Certain” ); Liz Delton (“The Fifth City”); Stacy Mozer (“The Sweet Spot”); Caragh M. O’Brien (“The Rule of Mirrors: Vault of Dreams #2”) and Padma Venkatraman (“A Time to Dance).
On Friday, July 15, at 2 p.m. a Children’s Author Afternoon program will feature Christine Ieronimo (“A Thirst for Home, A Story of Water Across the World”); Donna LeBlanc (“Explorations of Commander Josh”); Mollie Wilson Ostroski (“Duck Tape”);Martha Simpson (“The Dreidel That Wouldn’t Spin: A Toyshop Tale of Hanukkah”); and Patricia Clark Smith (“The Garden Party”). Information: 860-673-9712 or avonctlibrary.info.
Connecticut Authors Trail
The eighth annual Connecticut Authors Trail, a series of free talks presented at 20 eastern Connecticut libraries, from Mansfield to Mystic, with a finale Sept. 15 at Mohegan Sun featuring romance writer Kristan Higgins, continues with three talks.
On Monday, July 11, at 7 p.m. at Mystic & Noank Library, 40 Library St., Mystic, Raymond Uzanas, a former chemist in the industrial diamond industry and president and CEO of Amplex Corp. before becoming a writer, will discuss his book, “Faces and Places of the Deep South” (Blurb, $145), based on his 2015 travels through the region. Information: 860-536-7721,
On Tuesday, July 12, at 7 p.m., at Booth & Dimock Memorial Library, 1134 Main St., Coventry, Carrie Firestone, author of the YA novel “The Loose Ends List” (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17), who is a former teacher, will discuss her book, which mixes teen romance, a family saga and death with dignity issues. Information: 860-742-7606,
On Thursday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at Andover Public Library, 355 Route 6, Andover, Lauren Acampora, author the linked story collection. “The Wonder Garden” (Grove Atlantic, $24) will speak. Acampora’s book was named a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, an Indie Next selection, and Amazon and NPR best books of the year lists. Information: 860-742-7428.
Authors Trail information: connecticutauthorstrail.org.
New Twain Book
Hartford Public Library will present a free talk by local author Steve Courtney about his illustrated book, “Mark Twain’s Hartford” (Arcadia/The History Press, $21), on Thursday, July 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the library, 500 Main St., Hartford.
When Twain first came to Hartford in 1867, it was a center for banking, insurance and manufacturing. In the two decades that he lived here, he wrote his classics, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “The Prince and the Pauper” and other books.
Courtney, a journalist and author, won the 2009 Connecticut Book Award for “Joseph Hopkins Twichell: The Life and Times of Mark Twain’s Closest Friend” and also is the author of ‘The Loveliest Home That Ever Was’: The Story of the Mark Twain House in Hartford” and “We Shall Have Them With Us Always’: The Ghosts of the Mark Twain House.” Information: hplct.org or 860-695-6300.
Authors At R. J. Julia
R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison, will present free talks by several authors. They will begin at 7 p.m. and require reservations: 203-345-3959 or rjjulia.com.
On Tuesday, July 12, Ramona Ausubel, author of “Sons and Daughters of Ease and Plenty” (Riverhead Books, $27) will speak. Her novel is about a family on Nantucket that is used to living off an inheritance and how they react when the money runs out. Ausubel also wrote “No One Is Here Except All of Us,” winner of the PEN Center USA Fiction Award and the VCU Cabell First Novel Award.
On Wednesday, July 13, Larry Olmsted will discuss his book, “Real Food/Fake Food: Why You Don’t Know What You’re Eating and What You Can Do about It” (Algonquin Books, $27.95). Olmsted, an award-winning food journalist and travel writer, explores deceptions by the unregulated food industry and how counterfeiting and bait-and-switch schemes dupe customers of such foods as coffee, juice, cheeses, olive oil and Kobe beef.
On Thursday, July 14, Delia Ephron, an author and screenwriter, will talk about her new novel of marriage and betrayal, “Siracusa” (Blue Rider Press, $26). In this psychological thriller, two couples on a trip to Sicily must deal with a secret affair that upends their relationships. Ephron’s screenplays include “You’ve Got Mail,” “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “Hanging Up” (based on her novel), and “Michael.
On Friday, July 15, mother and daughter writing team Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella will talk about their latest humorous memoir, “I’ve Got Sand in All the Wrong Places” (St. Martin’s Press, $21.99), the seventh in a series. Scottoline is the best-selling and Edgar award-winning author of more than 20 novels and writes a column for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Serritella is also a best-selling writer and Inquirer columnist.
Dan Foley In Manchester
On Wednesday, July 13, at 6 p.m., contemporary horror story writer Dan Foley will give a free talk about his latest book, “Abandoned,” at the Whiton Branch Library, 100 North Main St., Manchester. Foley’s other books include “Death’s Companion,” “The Whispers of Crows” and “Intruder.”
Information: 860-645-0821 or library.townofmanchester.org.
Liebert At Book Club
Author Emily Liebert will appear on Saturday, July 16, at 1:30 p.m. at Book Club Bookstore & More, 100 Main St., in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor. Her novel, “Some Women” (NAL, $15), explores marriage, unlikely friendships and unexpected connections.
Reservations: 860-623-5100 or bookclub.com.
Three Poets At Prosser
A free program of poetry readings will take place at Prosser Public Library, 1 Tunxis Ave., Bloomfield, on Wednesday, July 13, at 6:30 p.m.
Taking part will be Carl Dean, author of two self-published poetry collections, “Rhythm” and “Life … Through the Words & Between the Lines.” He teaches performance poetry at UConn.
Donna Wilkinson Maxwell is the author of “My Heart in Time” (Xulon Press, $8.99), a collection of inspirational poems.
Russ Salk, a retired businessman, has published a collection of haiku, “Full Moon Shining Bright” (CreateSpace, $10).
Information: 860-243-9721 or prosserlibrary.info.
Poetry On The Patio
Poets Maria Sassi, Catherine Hoyser and Michael Peterson will read on Tuesday, July 12, at 7 p.m. in the Poetry on the Patio series held outdoors near Blue Plate Kitchen, 345 N. Main St., West Hartford. Guests should bring their own seating.
