Some days I am a librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, Massachusetts. Some days I am an author who visits schools and attempts to pen a few words around midnight when the house is quiet. As a mother, wife, author, librarian, wannabe knitter, pathetic scrapbooker, amateur photographer (the attached photos don’t count…they were from my cell phone, for crying out loud), I am always tired. BUT, on rare days like today, my two hats blend.
Today I was at MLA’s (Massachusetts Library Association’s) Conference, and I was able to meet six fabulous authors from our fine state. We “Speed-Dated,” i.e. we had four minutes to talk with each author in rotating fashion.
I want you to meet them as well, because their books are Must-Reads selected by the Massachusetts Center for the Book (www.massbook.org).
 |
| Leonard Rosen |
 |
| D.M. Gordon |
I must add my fellow Fine Line Poet (www.finelinepoets.com), J. Lorraine Brown, also has a poetry collection entitled Skating on Bones that was on the Must-Read list as well. Her book was published by Finishing Line Press.
 |
| Jef Czekaj |
Jef Czekaj is a force to be reckoned with. He is a cartoonist, children’s author/illustrator, and musician. Check out his Must-Read entitled New Alphabet. It is so fun! He also wrote Hip and Hop, Don’t Stop!, Cat Secrets, and the Circulatory Story.
 |
| L.M. Vincent |
And then there’s the lovely Kimberly Marcus whose novel, Exposed, explores the subject of sexual assault through the lens of a 16 year old girl, Liz. She must grapple with her best friend’s accusation against her own brother. Her novel is in free verse, one of my favorite styles to read.
 |
| Kimberly Marcus |
 |
| Laura Harrington |
If that’s not enough for fabulous choices, our last author was Laura Harrington whose award-winning plays, musicals, and operas have been widely produced in the U.S., Canada and abroad. Her first novel is Alica Bliss, and it crosses over from adult to young adult. It is a coming-of-age story about a young girl whose father is deployed to Iraq.