In the spirit of connecting writers with readers, Valley Bookseller and the Daily Grind are partnering up to present Authors After Hours.  We will meet one or two Fridays a month at 6:45pm in the Daily Grind.  Guest authors will present their work, discuss the writing process and take questions. Attendees must call the store to reserve their spot (max of 20 people) and pay a $5 fee.  On the night of the event, arrive by 6:45 and get a free beverage before the Grind closes at 7:00.  Presentation will start after everyone is settled in and go until 8:00 or so. The bookstore will be closed by that time as well but everyone will have a chance to shop after hours if they choose. 

The Catalain Book of Secrets: Faith Falls is a snug little Minnesota town constructed over a mystery, a place where the most impressive building is a gorgeous Queen Anne with turrets, cantilevered gables, and a wraparound porch. In a concealed room beneath its twisting stairs lies the Book of Secrets, the repository of the wisdom the Catalain women have gathered since the beginning of time. Told in a majestic mosaic of strong women’s voices, The Catalain Book of Secrets weaves together alchemy, hope, tragedy, and true love to spin a tale in the style of Garden Spells, Eva Luna, and Practical Magic.

Author Bio: Jessica (Jess) Lourey is best known for her critically-acclaimed Murder-by-Month mysteries, which have earned multiple starred reviews from Library Journaland Booklist, the latter calling her writing “a splendid mix of humor and suspense.” Jessica also writes sword and sorcery fantasy as Albert Lea and edge-of-your-seat YA adventure as J.H. Lourey, and is branching out into magical realism, literary fiction, and thrillers under her given name. She is a tenured professor of creative writing and sociology at a Minnesota college. When not teaching, reading, traveling, writing, or raising her two wonderful kids, you can find her dreaming of her next story.