Author Talk

This month, celebrate reading with great programs at the library! Read on to learn about our programs for readers, writers, gardeners, and more!

Calling our thriller and true crime lovers, our Florida fiction readers, and our soap opera fans! Former soap star turned author Deborah Goodrich Royce joins us at the Beaches Library this January to talk about her new book, Reef Road, a thriller based on a true crime and set in Palm Beach.

Forward Thinking: Building Arlington, Saturday, January 21 at 10:30 am in the Regency Square Branch Library. The panel discussion will focus on the past, present, and future of local structures unique to Arlington. This program is a part of Regency’s 50th anniversary celebration.

How do you talk to kids about slavery? In the new book, An American Story, New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander's unparalleled poetry combines with debut illustrator Dare Coulter's singular art to present a sweeping account of our country's founding. They'll join us, as part of their book tour, for an interview with Jacksonville's own Rahman Johnson to talk about how they put this book together and what they want readers to take away from it. The book and this interview program are intended for middle and high schoolers, educators, parents, and caregivers.

Calling all romance lovers! We’re bringing bestselling author and Northeast Florida resident Valerie Bowman to talk about her popular Regency romance series, in conversation with contemporary romance author Jessica Hatch. Find out how writers make a love story feel real and be entertaining at the same time!

Lovers of zines, comics, and podcasts will all enjoy our upcoming Lit Chat Interview with Jim Rugg, a big name in all of those fields! Jim Rugg joins us on October 22 as our headlining author for the inaugural Duval Comic and Zine Fest at the Main Library downtown. Read on for more info!

Ryan Estrada is an author and an adventurer who has spent 8 years traveling the world. He has lived and visited over a dozen countries and his work is heavily inspired by his experiences and the cultures and people that he has met in his travels. Ryan will join us from his home in South Korea to tell us all about these experiences and how he creates his work!

Have you ever wondered how authors make the people and places in their books feel so real? For Kristy Cambron, it’s the research! Join Kristy and interviewer Madeline Martin for a live Zoom event to learn more about the painstaking process of researching a historical novel, and more! 

Celebrate National Poetry Month and learn about publishing your own poetry with local author Rahman Johnson, in our first Lit Chat live from the Main Library's Hicks Auditorium!

Dawnie Walton left Jacksonville after high school to pursue a successful career in magazines. Now she returns to town to chat with us about her first novel, which features a music magazine editor on a mission to discover the truth about an enigmatic music duo – a mission which includes a quick trip to Northeast Florida!