APRIL EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
story and photos courtesy of PAT CONROY LITERARY CENTER
Author event: Marissa McFarland in conversation with Kristen Ness
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelists Marissa McFarland and Kristen Ness, on Thursday, April 2, at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited for this free event; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
Marissa McFarland is the author of her debut novel, When Goobyes Begin. Her short story, “New in Town,” was featured in the online magazine, Pawners Papers.
Marissa began writing her first novel as a form of therapy while her family struggled through her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. As the disease progressed, Marissa knew she could reach other readers who have had similar experiences.
She is currently working on another novel, one that will bring laughter to her readers, especially the moms out there.
Kristen Ness grew up in South Carolina and serves as a volunteer for the Island Turtle Team on Isle of Palms, SC. A graduate of Duke University and the University of South Carolina School of Law, she is an immigration attorney obsessed with marine biology. She lives near the coast in Charleston, South Carolina, with her family. At Loggerheads is her first novel.
Book Signing: Joy Corley with Percy (the dog)
Saturday, April 11, 2-4 p.m. (Drop-in)
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an outside event with childrens’ book author Joy Corley, and featuring the star of the book-Percy!. Books will be available for sale and signing.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Percy Does Yoga… Not!
Percy is an 80-pound pit bull who knows NOTHING about personal space. His goal on any given day is to lay on you, beside you and to be as close to you as possible, regardless of how uncomfortable you may be! This is a true story of Percy coming to understand “me vs. we” time, and how we can learn to give each other space and grace at the same time.
Joy Corley, is a retired Care Coordinator at Beaufort Memorial hospital.
She became a lover of children’s books after her son Clay was born in 1982. She always wanted to write a children’s book and was just looking for the right inspiration whenever Percy came into her life.
Joy also enjoys reading, and being a volunteer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Sea Turtle Program and Beaufort County Animal Services.
Author event: Robert Gwaltney in conversation with Bren McClain
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelists Robert Gwaltney and Bren McClain, on Thursday, April 23, at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited for this free event; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
Robert Gwaltney is the author of Sing Down The Moon and The Cicada Tree, works of Southern literary fiction that explore inheritance, identity, and the fragile boundary between the living and the dead. Rooted in the landscapes and histories of the American South, his writing blends the gothic tradition with elements of magical realism to illuminate the forces that shape who we become.
Bren McClain is the author of the award-winning debut novel One Good Mama Bone, a two-time winner of the South Carolina Fiction Project, and the recipient of the 2005 Fiction Fellowship by the South Carolina Arts Commission. She is at work on her next novel, Took, which was named the gold medal winner for the 2016 William Faulkner–William Wisdom Novel-in-Progress.
Author event: Greg Howard
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an afternoon with Greg Howard, author of several Young Adult books on Saturday, March 25, at 2:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited for this free event; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
The Whispers is a middle-grade debut novel that’s a heartrending coming-of-age tale, perfect for fans of Bridge to Terabithia and Counting by 7s.
Before she went missing, Riley’s mother used to tell him stories about the ‘Whispers’ in the nearby forest. The incompetent detective is making no progress with the investigation, and it appears he thinks Riley may know more about her disappearance than he is saying. With the case stalled, Riley, his dog, and his best friend take to the woods in search of the ‘Whispers’ and the truth.
Greg Howard was born and raised in the South Carolina Lowcountry where his love of stories blossomed at a young age. Originally set on becoming a songwriter, Greg followed that dream to Nashville, Tennessee, where he spent years producing the music of others before eventually returning to his childhood passion of writing stories. Greg writes about LGBTQ characters and issues as his focus is writing the kind of books he wishes he had access to as a gay kid growing up in the South. He currently resides in Nashville with his three rescued fur babies–Molly, Toby, and Riley.
