Wednesday, October 22, 2008

BREAKFAST WITH THE AUTHORS NOV. 8

Great authors and their books, good food and exceptional company might best describe the annual Breakfast with the Authors hosted by the Friends of the Racine Public Library. Literary enthusiasts will want to mark their calendars for the 22nd annual Breakfast being held on Nov. 8 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Roma Lodge, 7130 Spring St. in Racine. This wonderfully intimate event features a fabulous breakfast with fellow book lovers and some of the region's best authors. Each author will offer a short presentation and will be available for book signings. Admission to the breakfast is $12 and reservations may be made by calling 262.681.2381. Proceeds from the event benefit the Friends of the Racine Public Library. The Friends support the Racine Public Library through advocacy and funding of programs, services and special collection materials.


These featured authors will be in attendance at this year's breakfast:

Mary Bergin : "Hungry for Wisconsin: A Tasty Guide for Travelers"

Mary Bergin of Madison writes about and photographs Wisconsin more than anywhere else. That means she stays relatively close to home when doing much of her work, which includes a weekly and syndicated travel column that began in 2002.

The author of the new "Hungry for Wisconsin: A Tasty Guide for Travelers" and "Sidetracked in Wisconsin: A Guide for Thoughtful Travelers" worked for newspapers for 30-some years before becoming a full-time freelancer.

Freedom tastes better than wealth, she has decided, and riches sometimes can be measured in mileage. Publication credits include The Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Global Traveler, Where to Retire, AAA Living and various regional publications. Follow her work at www.mary-bergin.com and www.roadstraveled.com.

Awards include 2007 Best Book ("Sidetracked") and 2007 Photographer of the Year, during Society of American Travel Writers Central States competition. A three-part photo/text package about Bavaria was judged Best Series in the 2008 Midwest Travel Writers Association contest.


Libby Fischer Hellmann: "Easy Innocence : A Novel of Suspense"

According to the Chicago Tribune, "Libby Fischer Hellmann has joined an elite club: Chicago mystery writers who not only inhabit the environment but also give it a unique flavor." While the Trib was referring to Libby's award-winning amateur sleuth series featuring Chicago video producer Ellie Foreman, her fifth novel, Easy Innocence, promises to do the same.

Easy Innocence is a dark, disturbing tale about high school girls and what they are doing when they're not adequately supervised. It came out of Libby's experience with her own daughter, and what she imagined as "every mother's nightmare."

Libby Hellmann is the author of the acclaimed "Ellie Forman" series of mysteries which debuted in 2002 with "An Eye for Murder". This and several other books from the series have won the Readers Choice Award.

Libby has published over 12 short stories, and edited the acclaimed crime fiction anthology, Chicago Blues, which was released in October, 2007 by Bleak House Books.

A transplant from Washington, D.C., Libby has lived in the Chicago area thirty years. When not writing fiction, she conducts executive training programs in presentation skills, speech delivery, and media interviews. She also writes video scripts, articles, and speeches. She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in Film Production from New York University. After an eight year stint in television news, including PBS and NBC, she spent eight years at Burson-Marsteller, the large public relations firm.

Libby lives on the North Shore of Chicago with her family.


Terry Lynch : "But I Don't Want Eldercare! ─ Helping Your Parents Stay as Strong as They Can as Long as They Can",

In this myth-shattering guide to aging in America, author Terry Lynch unveils a compelling and effective counterpoint to the traditional "caring for your aging parents" theme. "We have more control over the future than we realize," says Lynch. "Dependency and the burden of caregiving are not inevitable - far from it. It is urgent that people understand why."

A remarkable personal journey underlies Terry Lynch's eye-opening from his work with the White House Conference on individuals with disabilities, to a decade as his mother's caregiver. Lynch's approach to self-reliant aging is based on Eight Rules or "counter-myths" that Lynch says we must know in order to make the best possible decisions and avoid disastrous mistakes.

Lynch's creative strategies, learned through years of trial and error, also set this book apart. "Many helpful books tell people what they should know and where to find it," says Lynch. "I take it further by showing readers how to use this information to achieve sometimes unconventional goals. I find that my approach is liberating for older people and their families." Lynch also draws on personal experience to provide compassionate and practical assistance to adult children who are already overwhelmed by their caregiving responsibilities.

Lynch specializes in helping older people remain self-reliant and involved in community life. He has been advancing the independent living cause since 1977, first in Washington, D.C. and then as an independent living consultant in Wisconsin. Lynch is a member of the AARP-Wisconsin Executive Council and was appointed to the State Board on Aging and Long-Term Care by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle in 2006.


Michael Schumacher : "The Wreck of the Carl D.: A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea"


The author of Mighty Fitz, the dramatic account of the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley on Lake Michigan, published on the fiftieth anniversary of the wreck.

On November 18, 1958, the Carl D. Bradley, a 623-foot limestone carrier caught in one of the most violent storms in Lake Michigan history, snapped in two and sank within minutes. Four of the thirty-five man crew escaped to a small raft, where they hung on in total darkness, braving massive waves and frigid temperatures. As the storm raged on, a search-and-rescue mission hunted for survivors, while the frantic citizens of nearby Rogers City, the tiny Michigan hometown to twenty-six members of the Bradley crew, anxiously awaited word of their loved ones' fates.

In Wreck of the Carl D., Michael Schumacher reconstructs, in dramatic detail, the tragic accident, the perilous search-and-rescue mission, and the chilling aftermath for the small town so intimately affected by the tragedy. A fitting tribute to a powerful ship, the men who died aboard it, and the town that still mourns its loss, Schumacher's compelling follow up to Mighty Fitz is a wonderful addition to the literature of the Great Lakes and maritime history.

Michael Schumacher is the author of nine books, including Family Business, Francis Ford Coppola, There but for Fortune, Crossroads, Dharma Lion, Mighty Fitz, and, most recently, Mr. Basketball. He lives in Wisconsin.

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