Beaverdale Books is well-recognized for its longtime support of local authors, so twice a year, we offer a Local Author Fair to feature a few of the many wonderful writers who live and work nearby.  Join us on Saturday, August 12 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM as we welcome SIX authors at a meet-and-greet.  Learn about their books, their writing careers, and show your support of their creativity.

The Peace Tree Mystery, by the Marion County Writers Works Vannatta – Stephen Brayton (editor) is a light-hearted look at how a small town went crazy for four days looking for a “treasure” that might be gold or maybe just Native American artifacts. While the Sheriff hunts down a known criminal, Jacob Wildcrow hunts for his heritage, with his reluctant granddaughter veterinarian Grace Snow, and her would-be boyfriend, high school history teacher Justin “Digger” Clay in tow. Things heat up when unexplained fires keep happening, a man goes missing, and romance blossoms – or wilts. Set around scenic Lake Red Rock and Knoxville, Iowa, is it murder or just small-town mayhem?

True North, by Gary Eller, is a novel consisting of twenty-two stories inhabited by three families in conflict with both themselves and one another. It is set in the Turtle Mountain region of Northern North Dakota from the 1930s through the 1960s. An ongoing theme involves tension between the many resident Native-Americans and the descendants of white settlers arriving later. Life has always been difficult and dangerous for those living on and around the Turtle Mountain Reservation. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a secret. Everyone thinks they’re only connected to their neighbors by the isolated, peculiar town they share.

Little Doves, by Sara Ennis: Twenty years ago, Stasia King’s sister was abducted, tortured and killed. Now another girl has gone missing from the same location – the Madalena, an exclusive golf and country club on the outskirts of DC. The cases can’t possibly be connected since the murderer has been dead nearly twenty years – or can they? At the same time, someone calling themselves The Surgeon is maiming seemingly innocent men in very specific ways. The Surgeon isn’t hiding in the shadows; they record the attacks and post them on social media, with an invitation to watch as the assaults become more violent, and more final. They’re sending a message and demanding justice with a cryptic hashtag: #stopsabine

Charlie Learns About Her Food Allergies, by Katie Holl, is a beautiful blend of story and education to help children better understand food allergies. Charlie is a funny, creative, and imaginative little girl who loves jokes, rainbows, and unicorns. She looks like other kids, but has a unique difference that isn’t always visible. She has food allergies. But food allergies don’t keep Charlie from enjoying all the things other kids can do. It just means she has to do things a little different to make sure she stays safe. Join Charlie as she shares her experience finding out about her multiple food allergies, how she was diagnosed, and how others support her to keep her safe. As Charlie shares her story in her own words, she also shares allergy-specific terms, and most importantly, some super skills she’s learned along the way. Filled with fun and captivating illustrations, Charlie Learns About Her Food Allergies is a book for all children, with and without food allergies. To educate those without, and empower those with, by encouraging empathy and inclusion.

The Re-Creation of the Death Firm, by Lisa Lucero:  Dr. Fritz Camargo is at it again! Camargo is among a team of scientists who re-creates the Death Firms — monsters that are part human, part animal, and part robotic. Their original use was for military purposes, but Camargo has evil intentions. With the ability to transform the monster back into its human form, they can stay hidden in the public. It’s not long before the Death Firms are running loose with intent to kill and destroy.  Camargo is seeking revenge on Winter Harris, who studied the original Death Firm’s behavior patterns and figured out a way to kill them all. But Harris won’t go down without a fight. He contacts an old comrade, Lt. Col. Lee Alderson, who has a few battle tricks up his sleeve to resist the Death Firm’s attacks. “We can’t let ourselves get too scared,” Alderson said. “They can sense fear or any kind of weakness.” With a winning combination of action, romance, and intrigue, The Re-creation of the Death Firm will leave you clinging to the edge of your seat. You may even feel the need to take cover as the bullets fly and explosions ignite.

When Julie Phillips and her sister cleaned out their dad’s apartment, she threw a box of her dad’s papers into the back of her car to sort through later.  She soon discovered that the papers contained little slivers of information about her father’s life-but they generated lots of questions. Those questions launched a journey into the untold stories of the Haalands. Windshield time with her dad was when the best stories were told. Weekend journeys to his childhood haunts helped unlock a history she never knew existed.  As the piecemeal information unraveled, she discovered a rich family history of first-generation Norwegian-Americans, and capture the stories in her book, Tell Me about Myrtle.