Ready to storm the library?
If a book begins with “It was a dark and stormy night,” you just know it's going to be good. Well, maybe not. What you can depend on more heavily, though, is the caliber of mystery, science fiction, fantasy and horror authors invited for the annual Dark & Stormy Nights at Lincoln City’s Driftwood Public Library.
The 19th annual series will take place at the library every Thursday afternoon in October, beginning on Oct. 6 with the return of Wendy Wagner. A full-time writer and editor, Wagner’s first two novels, “Skinwalkers” and “Starspawn,” are set in the world of the Pathfinder role-playing game, and she has written more than 30 short stories about monsters, heroes and unsettling stuff. Her poetry and short fiction have appeared in more than 40 publications. Her horror novel, “The Deer Kings,” and dark gothic novella, “The Secret Skin,” were both released last year.
The series continues on Oct. 13 with a visit from Elle Marr, who strives to tell powerful and compelling stories of women who demonstrate resilience in the face of great obstacles. She is the author of the thrillers “The Missing Sister,” “Lies We Tell” and “Strangers We Know.”
“The Missing Sister” was a number one Amazon bestseller, number one in the Kindle store, featured in Woman’s World, and named one of PopSugar’s 31 Thrillers of 2020. Her book “Lies We Bury” earned a starred Kirkus review, was named one of The Nerd Daily’s Eagerly Anticipated Thrillers, and reached number one in Serial Killer Fiction for four straight weeks. Publisher’s Weekly has called Marr a “writer to watch.” Originally from Sacramento, she earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne in Paris and now calls Oregon home.
On Oct. 20, the library welcomes first-time novelist Lana M. Fox, whose first novel, “The Truth Will Set You Free,” was published at the beginning of this year and was a finalist for the Colorado Gold Writing Contest. Fox, who lives in the Hood River Valley, has also written short fiction for Women’s World magazine, as well as a number of smaller publications. The series wraps up on Oct. 27 with a visit from Genevieve Hudson. Hudson’s first novel, “Boys of Alabama,” was published in 2020 and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Their other books include the critical memoir “A Little in Love with Everyone” and “Pretend We Live Here: Stories,” which was a LAMBDA Literary Award finalist. Their work has appeared in ELLE, Oprah Daily, LA Review of Books, Tin House and McSweeney’s.
All events in the Dark & Stormy Night series begin at 4 pm at Driftwood Public Library, located at 801 SW Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City. For more information, email khobson@lincolncity.org or call 541-996-1242.