Community Author Talk & Book Signing
Date: Sunday, June 6
Time: 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Location: Rockfish Valley Community Center Auditorium
Admission: Free
The Rockfish Valley Community Center is launching a new community event series celebrating the stories and voices of local writers.
Join us for Meet Your Local Authors, an afternoon featuring authors who will share the inspiration behind their books and the journeys that led them to write and publish.
The program will begin with a moderated conversation led by Jean Shipman, where each author will talk about how and why they wrote their books, lessons learned along the way, and what it means to bring personal stories to life.
Following the discussion, guests will have the opportunity to meet the authors, purchase books, and enjoy book signings.
Wine and light refreshments will be available during the reception.
This event is part of an ongoing RVCC series highlighting local authors.
Featured Authors
Susan Burke
Susan Burke left the corporate world and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, 25 years ago. It was her intention to spend her retirement years acting in the local theatres, as she had done at night in Off-Off-Off Broadway theatres in New York. Within three years she performed in seven shows. But then disaster struck! Diagnosed with a rare condition that causes imbalance, she could no longer act. So, she decided to try writing. It was poetry at first, but then she learned about the work done by The Division of Perceptual Studies at UVA. Intrigued by the notion of one’s consciousness living on after the death of the body, she dove into further research and came up with three books over the course of six years. Each are fiction, but they incorporate factual information about the following subjects: reincarnation, out-of-body and near-death experiences, and communication between the living and the dead. They are available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle.
Books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Susan-Burke/author/B0994RF2CD
Patrick Kelly
Patrick Kelly has written six books comprising the Wintergreen Mystery Series. He has deep roots in Virginia. His mother grew up in Crozet, and he fondly remembers feeding chickens and picking peaches on his grandparents’ farm. Later, he graduated from the University of Virginia. Patrick and his wife spend their summers in Wintergreen, hiking mountain trails, sampling local wines, and marveling at nature’s beauty. The Blue Ridge Mountains provide the perfect setting for retired detective Bill O’Shea to match wits with scheming murderers.
Books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Patrick-Kelly/author/B00I1KAQN2
Brent Kitching
Ironically in high school, Brent Kitching hated reading and writing. He attended Duke University on a basketball scholarship and gradually discovered a genuine love for learning. He taught high school English for forty-two years, mostly enjoying the daily challenge of helping young people think more deeply about the world and their personal realities. Stimulated by the Dodge Poetry sessions in the nineties, he helped establish “The Other Poets” and has embraced writing and sharing poetry as an important part of his life. He has written several books, including A Bicycle without a Chain and The Grendel Project.
Books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brent-Kitching/author/B00JBRM9H0
Marta Anne Tice
Marta Anne Tice was inspired to write her first historical romance, Allegiance to Alsace, when she discovered her ancestral village of Leisel, Germany in 2006. As a licensed interior design of ASID, with a Degree in Decorative Arts, she became fascinated with the styles and fashions of the Napoleonic era. Recalling a former trip to Germany with her parents when she was fourteen, she experienced déjà vu feelings both in Alsace Lorraine and the Pfalz in Germany.
The author lives just outside of Albemarle County and Charlottesville, VA. Marta was influenced living in this area and the sequel; From Alsace To America, will have much of Virginia’s history highlighted during the War of 1812, including inspiration drawn from the Adams side of her mother’s lineage.
Books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marta-Anne-Tice/author/B09SQZMFQH
Jean Pugh Shipman – Moderator and Author
Jean Pugh Shipman spent nearly 40 years as a medical librarian and scholar before turning to fiction. Her debut novel, One Tragic June, draws on authentic family letters and stories from her mother’s family history.
Raised in a small Pennsylvania town steeped in Plain religious traditions, Jean now lives in the foothills of Virginia with her husband, Mark, and their cat.
Books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jean-Pugh-Shipman/author/B0FY4KRHGG
Guests are welcome to purchase books in advance using the author links above. Limited copies may be available at the event.