David Giffels

Imbolo Mbue

Imbolo Mbue, author of the critically acclaimed Behold the Dreamers, will be the keynote speaker for the second Northcoast Writers’ Showcase from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at Lakeland Community College.

Mbue’s keynote will cap a day in which readers and aspiring writers can interact with dozens of talented and hard-working authors, ask questions about their writing journey, and attend workshops about the craft of writing.

The showcase begins at 11 a.m. in Lakeland’s H-Building. Authors will have their books available for sale and signing throughout the event. And breakout sessions will be held during the afternoon, as well.

Breakout leaders and topics:

Noon

• Deanna Adams (Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Roots and The Writer’s GPS):
  The Pleasures, Perils, & Perseverance of Being a Writer
• Rachele Alpine (Canary and You Throw Like a Girl):
  Active writing workshop
• J. Thorn (The Black Fang Betrayal and Portal Arcane series):
  Understanding Amazon.com

1 PM

• Mindy McGinnis (Not a Drop to Drink and Heroine):
  How to Write for the Teen Market
• Alan Dutka (Cleveland in the Gilded Age):
  Picking the Perfect Publisher
• Sara Dobie Bauer (Bite Somebody):
  Building an Online Persona

2 PM

• David Giffels (Furnishing Eternity and The Hard Way on Purpose): A Basic Guide to Getting Published
• Claire McMillan (The Necklace and Gilded Age): The First Glimpse Scene

3 PM

• Imbolo Mbue‘s keynote talk in the Dr. Wayne L. Rodehorst Performing Arts Center with book signing to follow

Other participating authors and publishers include:

• Funky Winkerbean writer and illustrator Tom Batiuk
• Gail Ghetia Bellamy (Cleveland Food Memories)
• James Renner (True Crime Addict and It Came from Ohio)
• Terri Libenson (The Pajama Diaries and Invisible Emmie)
• Thom Zahler (Love & Capes and My Little Pony graphic novels)
• Dave Lange (Virginity Lost in Vietnam)
• Leslie Basalla-McCafferty (Cleveland Beer: History & Revival in the Rust Belt)
• Tom Matowitz (Cleveland’s Legacy of Flight and Cleveland Metroparks)
• Carlo Wolff (Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories)
• Lindsay Ward (Dexter T. Rexter picture books and When Blue Met Egg)
• Mike and Janice Olszewski (Cleveland TV Tales)
• Susan Petrone (Throw Like a Woman and The Super Ladies)
• Catherine Pomeroy (The Gulch Jumpers)
• James Sulecki (The Cleveland Rams)
• Marty Gitlin (A Celebration of Animation and The Great American Cereal Book)
• Ron Hill (Edutoons)
• Belt Publishing (What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia and Rust Belt Arcana)
• Literary Cleveland

Both the Showcase and Mbue’s keynote address are free to attend and open to all. People can register for Mbue’s talk at www.leagueoflibraries.org.

The Northcoast Writers’ Showcase is hosted by the Lake-Geauga League of Libraries, a group of 12 libraries in Lake and Geauga County that have partnered to promote the arts, creativity and enthusiasm for learning in the region.

The Lake-Geauga League of Libraries includes Burton, Fairport Harbor, Geauga County, Kirtland, Lake Erie College, Lakeland Community College, Madison, Mentor, Morley, Perry, Wickliffe and Willoughby-Eastlake library systems.

The showcase is funded by the collective generosity of the library’s foundations, friends groups, The Lubrizol Corporation and Lake County Visitors Bureau.