Gaston Library discussion

A variety of authors call North Carolina home from Jan Karon to Orson Scott Card. Which North Carolina author is your favorite?

Wiley Cash and Sarah Dessen!

Megan Shepherd, Beth Revis, Carrie Ryan, and Meagan Spooner are a few really awesome YA authors who live in NC!!

Sarah Dessen, Megan Shepherd, Megan Miranda (Huntersville!), and Stephanie Perkins.

Don't forget Kathy & Brendan Reichs are in NC, too!

As egotistical and presumptuous as I know it sounds my favorite NC author is ME, of course. Why not? I like what I've written and apparently so do most of those few who have read my stuff. Check out Hilltop House by L. A. Shute (on Amazon). Having gotten that out of my system, Jan Karon was an inspiration that helped steer me in the direction I took.

Sarah Addison Allen is wonderful! Born and raised just west of us in Asheville, NC. I read her first book, Garden Spells and have recommended it to several patrons. I really need to pick another... Hm. I think I know what I'll be reading this weekend!

I second Traci's recommendation. I adore Sarah Addison Allen. She is one of my favorite authors. If you are a fan of magical realism, she is an author for you. I've read all her books and all are amazing. Her language is beautiful!

If you are a fan of crime fiction, and enjoy a good murder with a splash of paranormal thrown in, check out Kay Hooper and the Special Crime Unit/Bishop series. They are written in trilogies and are wonderful. It focuses around a special FBI unit whose members all have some type of psychic ability. She lives in Forest City I believe. And promotes animal rescue groups.

Now that she's published, we can add Renee Ahdieh to the list! She recently debuted with her YA novel, The Wrath and the Dawn. She's a Charlotte gal!

Jenny Hubbard is also in NC. She lives in the Salisbury area.

Another NC author (Asheville) is Robert Beatty. He has a book coming out in July called Seraphina and the Black Cloak. It takes place at the Biltmore Estate! Disney-Hyperion is the publisher for his first book.

Seems like I should give Sarah Addison Allen a try. I do enjoy magical realism. Although he is not a North Carolina author, I enjoyed The Witch Of Portobello.

I have also heard great things about Sharyn McCrumb's The Ballad of Tom Dooley.

I enjoyed Wiley Cash's This Dark Road to Mercy. I loved all of the Gastonia references!

Oh, goodness! I'm not sure how or why I've missed mentioning Kim Boykin! She lives in Charlotte and is so super sweet! Her next book, A Peach of a Pair, is due out in August. She also wrote The Wisdom of Hair, Palmetto Moon, and also a few other romance, low country, beachy books.

We also have Kristy Woodson Harvey who recently had her debut with Dear Carolina. She's a NC gal and actually has a signing at Park Road Books this Saturday, June 13!

Ron Rash is another good author. He teaches at Western Carolina University (go Cats [my alma mater]). His stories focus around the Appalachian mountains. He also has some collections of short stories.

Kathryn Stripling Beyer is a wonderful NC poet, as is Catherine Carter (both located in Western NC). Fred Chappell is another great NC poet.