The book tells of the trials and tribulations Harrington and her boyfriend endured when they adopted an abused shelter dog [...]]]>

Rex and the City

The book tells of the trials and tribulations Harrington and her boyfriend endured when they adopted an abused shelter dog and tried to raise him in New York City.

Patrons are invited to bring their dogs to the program, but animals must be leashed at all times and must enter and exit through a marked side door for Auditorium B.

“Hands-down the best human-with-dog memoir you will ever read!” ~ Bark magazine

A best-dressed dog contest will precede the talk, and the owner of the winning dog will receive a free copy of “Rex and the City.”

Books will be available for purchase, and some proceeds will benefit the humane society.

For more information about the book, visit rexandthecity.net.

READ CHAPTER 13

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — Tim Dorsey will be the first to admit he’s one of the reasons people think those things about Florida.

“People from out of state always say, ‘I love your books. I like to read them. I’m never, never going to move to Florida.’ [...]]]> By Mark Lane, Daytona Beach News-Journal

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — Tim Dorsey will be the first to admit he’s one of the reasons people think those things about Florida.

“People from out of state always say, ‘I love your books. I like to read them. I’m never, never going to move to Florida.’ ”

Dorsey is the author of 15 novels revolving around the criminal career and Florida travels of Serge Storms, a frenetically cheerful psycho killer with poor impulse control and an insane depth of knowledge about Florida history and politics which he must share with anyone driving with him in his 1972 Chevy Chevelle.

Usually, that would be his dimwitted sidekick Coleman, who is probably too much of a stoner to really be called a straight man, even if that’s often his literary function.

Dorsey spoke to a group of more than 50 book lovers Saturday at New Smyrna Beach Regional Library. It was the fourth time he’s been there in as many years and about half the people who showed up had seen him there before. His books have that kind of following.

“It’s my fourth time seeing him,” said Tammy Murray of Edgewater while balancing a stack of newly autographed books.

She said her husband picked up a copy of “Orange Crush” at the airport on their way to a honeymoon in Hawaii and she couldn’t put it down. “He’s saying, ‘don’t you want to see the volcano, and I’m like, ‘just let me finish two more pages.’ ”

Lois Love said she drove all the way from Palm Coast to see Dorsey. “There isn’t anybody like him. I share his bizarre sense of humor.”

Read More on News-Journal

Wednesday, February 1, 2012
New Smyrna Beach Library
Nook eReaders at 9:30 am
Learn how to download and read free eBooks and audiobooks on your eReader (Nook and Kindle) via the free OverDrive service. There are hundreds of current titles in the collection as well as over 33,600 classics and out-of-copyright books.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012
New Smyrna Beach Library
Nook eReaders at 9:30 am
Kindle eReaders at 10:30 am

Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Edgewater Library
Nook eReaders at 10:30 am
Kindle eReaders at 11:30 am

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
New Smyrna Beach Library
Nook eReaders at 4:30 pm
Kindle eReaders at 5:30 pm

Facilitators: Librarian Tobey Mason and Library Assistant Kristin Heifner.

The workshops are free but reservations are required. For additional information or to reserve a space, please call 386-424-2910, ext. 104.

As in so many corners of our culture, diversity is now the name of the game in book publishing. With that lead I could go almost anywhere. I could compare books on paper to ebooks, or describe the hierarchy of nonfiction, fiction and poetry, or the way independent book publishing [...]]]> Gary Broughman’s Indie Book Watch

As in so many corners of our culture, diversity is now the name of the game in book publishing. With that lead I could go almost anywhere. I could compare books on paper to ebooks, or describe the hierarchy of nonfiction, fiction and poetry, or the way independent book publishing is following the path of the music industry to get the best talent to the public without permission from institutional gatekeepers. But my focus today is on genre novels vs. contemporary cultural fiction.

Alligator Pool by Joan Hartwig

The novel I’ve chosen to highlight in this column, Alligator Pool by Joan Hartwig, stands firmly in both camps. On the surface, it appears Ms. Hartwig has written a spellbinding mystery/suspense novel, but the attentive reader with come away knowing this is also a story about people in our culture who will do almost anything to protect profits—including murder and the destruction of the Everglades ecosystem.

One quick caveat: No honestly rendered, high quality book is easy to write. But at least the would-be genre novelist has a formula with which to begin. As an editor who often works with novice writers, I see many for whom the great challenge is how to put it all together. They decide they want to write because they have all these “really interesting stories” but have no idea how to combine them into a cogent whole. I call this having a box full of pretty ornaments but no tree on which to hang them. If your novel is a detective story, a mystery or a romance, there are certain known elements your book should include. You can look them up online or read a book or attend a workshop on your genre. You still might write a terrible book, but if you follow the designated path you’ll at least include all the proper touchstones.

Now, just to be clear, Ms. Hartwig is no novice writer. A retired PhD college professor at major universities, she has published books and essays on Shakespeare and other Renaissance literature. Alligator Pool is her first novel. It took her awhile to complete the 214-page volume, but the wait was well worth it. Alligator Pool is both entertaining and instructive. One comes away unsure whether to hate her villain—South Florida sugar baron Jorge Fuegos—because he murders people or because he is murdering the Everglades. The answer may be both, but my impression is that deep in the author’s heart it’s the Everglades.

Of course, there’s also the poor alligators sickened by the pollution the sugar company is pumping into the Everglades. Fuegos and his comically inept hired killers try to pin the murders on the reptiles, but hero Luke Palmer, a dedicated and forceful photojournalist, will have none of it. To solve the crimes and stop the murders—of people and the Everglades—Palmer puts his own life in danger along with several of the beautiful women who always seem to be pulling at his shirttails.

Alligator Pool is full of suspense and dangerous moments which leave readers holding their breath in sympathy for Ms. Hartwig’s “good guy” characters. Yes, we know who wears the white hats and who wears the black, but that’s OK. A clear moral compass is one of the many touchstones for a well-crafted mystery/suspense story, and the author has deftly placed all the required stops along her fictional path—which in this case is often the beautiful waterway known as the Everglades.

Alligator Pool is published by iUniverse and priced at $15.99. It’s available online at amazon.com and barnes and noble.com, or by request in most bookstores. If you’d like to have a signed copy directly from the author, contact me at my email address below and I’ll see if I can hook you up.

Gary Broughman is a professional writer and editor. His independent publishing company is CHB Media. Write to him at chbmedia@gmail.com or visit his website at www.chbmediaonline.com

Dorsey, a former night metro editor at the Tampa Tribune, is set to publish his 15th novel featuring Serge Storms, a homicidal [...]]]>

Pineapple Grenade

Dorsey, a former night metro editor at the Tampa Tribune, is set to publish his 15th novel featuring Serge Storms, a homicidal antihero. A book signing will follow his talk, and books will be available for purchase.

When/Where: Saturday, Feb. 4, 4pm at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 S. Dixie Freeway.

This event is cosponsored by the Friends of the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library. Learn how to join Friends and support your library.

For more information, please call 386-424-2910, ext. 104.

When: Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 1 pm at the DeLand Library.

Registration [...]]]> Are you a teen (grade 6-12) who is an aspiring world class chef? If so, you are invited to compete in a special Teen Iron Chef event. Enter the Kitchen Stadium and battle other teens in preparing dishes with a secret ingredient.

When: Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 1 pm at the DeLand Library.

Registration is required and slots are limited. For more information contact Paul Giovanetti at 386-822-6430, ext. 109.

When: Friday, January 20, 2012 at 7 pm

Sponsored by the New Smyrna Beach Library Friends.

When: Thursdays at 2pm [...]]]> The next Friends’ sponsored DVD learning series is “Mr Lincoln: The Life of Abraham Lincoln.” Allen Guelzo, a professor with Gettysburg College, will discuss the president’s life, focusing on the man, his politics, his opposition to slavery, and the gifts that equipped him to lead the nation through the Civil War.

When: Thursdays at 2pm from January 12 – February 16

Registration is not required for this televised program.

In 2011, the Friends of the New Smyrna Beach Library continued their decades-long mission of raising money that enables our library to move ahead from good to great.

This year the money we provided to the library allowed the Children and Teen’s Department to [...]]]> By Tom Skove, Friends of the New Smyrna Beach Library Board

In 2011, the Friends of the New Smyrna Beach Library continued their decades-long mission of raising money that enables our library to move ahead from good to great.

Teen area furniture

The work of the Friends of the Library highlights the fact that our library is the cornerstone of the community providing opportunities for all ages to engage in the joy of lifelong learning. Free public access to print and electronic materials for adults, teens and children is for the betterment of our community.

Looking ahead, the Friends of the Library will launch a new program in early 2012 that will mail an age-related book to every child born in New Smyrna. We strongly believe, and evidence suggests, that if parents will read to their children before they reach kindergarten, they will give the biggest boost to a successful education.

Please consult our website regularly for updated information on our library’s diverse programs, ‘Happenings’, for both adults and children. If you have not yet become a Facebook friend, please do so in 2012. And remember that a small donation of $10 is all it takes to become a member of Friends of the New Smyrna Beach Library.