Several authors are attending meet-the-author events around Cuyahoga County throughout the rest of May and June. Few of the events are on this side of town, but all are great opportunities to meet and chat with published authors.

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl


Information below from the Cuyahoga County Public Library:

AUTHOR EVENTS FOR MAY AND JUNE 2012 @ CUYAHOGA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

Registration is required for these events. You can call the branch to register or go to www.cuyahogalibrary.org and go to the “events & classes” tab to find the event.

Meet Author Cathy Maxwell
Tuesday, May 15, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Parma-Snow Branch: Meeting Room
2121 Snow Road – Parma, OH 44134  --  (216) 661-4240
Cathy Maxwell is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty historical romances. Her latest, Lyon's Bride, will be released in April and is the first of the Chattan Curse series.


Meet Author Dan Chaon
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Bay Village Branch: Meeting Room
502 Cahoon Road – Bay Village, OH 44140  --  (440) 871-6392
Dan Chaon is the author of the national bestselling novel, Await Your Reply. His latest collection of short stories, entitled Stay Awake, will be released this spring. Dan is a previous finalist for the National Book Award and the National Magazine Award in Fiction. He is currently a Creative Writing professor at Oberlin College. Books will be available for purchase and signing.


Memoir of an Army Brat
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Brook Park Branch: Meeting Room
6155 Engle Road – Brook Park, OH 44142  --  (216) 267-5250
Like millions of other army brats, Christine Kastner grew up on military bases stateside and around the world. In her book, Soldiering On – Finding My Homes: Memoir of an Army Brat, Christine recalls memories from the 1960s and her recent trip back to Okinawa, an island her family was stationed at more than forty years ago. Books will be available for purchase and signing.


Meet Author Loung Ung
Tuesday, May 29, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Solon Branch
34125 Portz Parkway – Solon, OH 44139  --  (440) 248-8777
Loung Ung is a Cambodian American human-rights activist and bestselling author of two memoirs. First They Killed My Father and Lucky Child detail her survival of Cambodia’s Pol Pot regime and its scarring aftermath. Her newest book, Lulu in the Sky, will be released in April and tells the next chapter in Loung’s life. Books will be available for purchase and signing.


Meet Author James Renner
Wednesday, June 06, 2012 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Strongsville Branch: Meeting Room
18700 Westwood Drive – Strongsville, OH 44136  --  (440) 238-5530
James Renner is a Northeast Ohio native and author of the debut novel, The Man from Primrose Lane. James has previously released two books of nonfiction, Amy: My Search for Her Killer and The Serial Killer’s Apprentice. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Please register.


Meet Author Claire McMillan
Saturday, June 16, 2012 2:00 PM
Beachwood Branch
25501 Shake Blvd – Beachwood, OH 44122  --  (216) 831-6868
Meet author Claire McMillan as she discusses her novel The Guilded Age. Claire’s debut takes the stifling society depicted in Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth to contemporary Cleveland, perceptively capturing a woman’s struggles to redefine herself and her position in society after a scandalous divorce. Books will be available for purchase and signing.


Meet Author Carrie Bebris
Saturday, June 16, 2012 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
North Olmsted Branch: Meeting Room
27403 Lorain Road – North Olmsted, OH 44070  --  (440) 777-6211
Meet Carrie Bebris, author of the Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mysteries. The sixth book in the series, The Deception at Lyme, was released last fall and is based on Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Books will be available for purchase and signing.


Local Perspectives : Author Erin O'Brien
Saturday, June 23, 2012 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Beachwood Branch
25501 Shake Blvd – Beachwood, OH 44122  --  (216) 831-6868
New! Join us from 2-3 pm for a book discussion of local author Erin O'Brien's The Irish Hungarian Guide to the Domestic Arts. Erin will visit from 3-4pm to answer questions and sign copies of her book.

Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Submit your events at www.News-Herald.com/Calendar, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.


“Library Resources for the Job Search” program will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at Chardon Library on Chardon Square. Sarah Prueter, Nick Fagin and Carol Tuttle will be the featured speakers.
The event is sponsored by the Geauga County Department of Job and Family Services and is part of a Coffee Talk series, an opportunity for job seekers to interact with employment professionals. To RSVP, call Geauga Workplace at 440-285-1223.


The program "Dream Hikes Coast to Coast" will be presented by author Jack Bennett at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Chardon Library, 110 E. Park St. Bennett will feature an audio-visual presentation of his new book "Dream Hikes Coast to Coast: Your Guide to America’s Most Memorable Trails." He will share an armchair travelogue and photos from 30 of America’s best hikes. His books will be available for purchase and autograph at the program. This free program is sponsored by the Chardon Friends of the Library and open to the public. Seating is limited. To register, call 440-285-7601.


Experience Reiki at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Perry Public Library, 3753 Main St., Perry. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administrated by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. The presenter is Reiki Master Gisa Ticconi of the Earthwinds Wellness Center serving the Cleveland-Akron area. To register or for details, call the library at 440-259-3300.


Anybody who prays is invited to an evening with Page Zyromski, author of "How to Pray with the Bible," at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Morley Library. Zyromski received a master's degree in classical languages from St. Louis University and has designed and taught Scripture classes at every level from Summer Bible School through college. She is the author of seven books and a regular contributor to Catechist.


Rabbi Kushner wrestled with the question of why bad things happen to good people when his son became ill with progeria (rapid aging disease). Join Rev. Dick Dunn in a six-week discussion of Rabbi Kushner’s book “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People” beginning at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Fairport Congregational Church, 308 Third St., Fairport Harbor. Copies of the book will be available.


The Lake County Council on Aging and the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program will offer several presentations throughout Lake County on the topic of “Understanding Medicare and Reviewing Your Options for Open Enrollment.”
Presentations will be

• 10 a.m. Oct. 20 at the Kirtland Senior Center
• 1 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Perry Senior Center
• 10 a.m. Oct. 26 at the Willowick Senior Center
• 2 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Kirtland Public Library
• 9 a.m. Nov. 2 at the Wickliffe Senior Center
• 12:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Madison Senior Center
• noon Nov. 9 at the Mentor Senior Center
• noon Nov. 12 at the Eastlake Senior Center
• 11 a.m. Nov. 15 at the Painesville Senior Center
• 4 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Madison Public Library
• 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Council on Aging
• 10 a.m. Nov. 18 at the Fairport Senior Center
• 10 a.m. Nov. 30 at the Wickliffe Public Library
• 2 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Mentor Public Library
• 1 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Willoughby/Browning Center

Call the individual locations to register for this free presentation.


Paws to Read will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Oct. 20 at Mentor Public Library’s Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch. The event is for children ages 6 to 12 years old. Children who are able to read independently are invited to sign up for a 30-minute session. A gentle, licensed dog who is trained to be a good listener will be paired up with the child. For details and to register, call the library at 440-255-8811, ext. 220.


The Bake Shop Ghost for children in kindergarten through sixth grade will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Mentor Public Main Library. Not too scary stories, songs and a ghoulish edible craft will be part of the event. For details and to register, call the library at 440-255-8811, ext. 220.


Lake Erie in a Bottle program will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Mentor Headlands Branch of Mentor Public Library. The event is for children in grades three through nine. This is a take-home craft program. To register, call 440-257-2000.


Mentor Public Library will host Heidi Callendar, author/editor of "Wind Energy in Ohio," to discuss this innovative technology. Callender will lead a discussion on that topic and more from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 21 during a “Meet the Author” event at Mentor Public Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. Callender’s book is a compilation of articles from experts on the topic of wind energy in the state that examines major wind energy events since 1888. Wind Energy in Ohio will provide insight into Ohio's key past, present, and future wind industry. To register for the program, call 440-255-8811 or visit www.mentorpl.org.


Friends of the Mentor Public Library will hosts the October book sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 22 at the library, 8215 Mentor Ave. The sale features a great assortment of gift and regular books for the entire family. There are two rooms full of great books in the basement, and the store on the main floor will be open. A huge assortment of books from children's picture story, junior and young adult to adult fiction in hardback and paper is available. The non-fiction selection includes a bit of everything, from animals to history to great literature.


Madison Public Library, 6111 Middle Ridge Road, Madison, will host “Plants that Survive in Deer Country” Oct. 23. With deer eating an ever increasing variety of plants, hear about some types that they do not like. Better understand what plants they seek and which they will avoid.
For details, call 440-428-2189.


All young chemists are invited to join the National Chemistry Week program at the Beachwood Public Library (25501 Shaker Blvd., Beachwood) at 10 a.m. Oct. 23. Children in grades two through five will have fun exploring the chemistry behind the scenes. Parents must sign a release for children to participate. Forms will be available at the Children's Desk. Registration is required by phone at 216-831-6868 or online at cuyahogalibrary.org.


Scholastic Media presents a local stop on the “Get Goosebumps!” mall tour designed to thrill and chill the entire family from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 23 at Great Lakes Mall in the Macy's Court. Mall visitors will enjoy a complete Goosebumps experience -- starring in and sharing their own custom “Get Goosebumps” video, playing the “Goosebumps HorrorLand” Wii game, taking pictures as a Goosebumps Horror, entering for a chance to win a Goosebumps Prize Pack and more.


All Geauga County Public Libraries welcome voter information and campaign literature for issues and candidates appearing on local ballots. Each library has an election display to help voters become well-informed. Brochures and fliers are acceptable, while items such as bumper stickers are not. Geauga County Public Libraries include Bainbridge, Chardon, Geauga West, Middlefield, the Bookmobile, and the Newbury and Thompson library stations. For locations and phone numbers, visit www.geaugalibrary.net.


--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Submit your events at www.News-Herald.com/Calendar, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.


“Careers in Biotechnology” program will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. Oct. 11 at Burton Public Library, 14588 West Park St. Joseph Deak of Lakeland Community College will be the featured speaker. The event is sponsored by the Geauga County Department of Job and Family Services and is part of a Coffee Talk series, an opportunity for job seekers to interact with employment professionals. To RSVP, call Geauga Workplace at 440-285-1223.


If you are considering downsizing your home or Grandma’s, you might want to attend the “downsizing” seminar at the Geauga West Library at 7 p.m. Oct. 11. Trina Miller, of Spaces Showroom and Liquidators in Bainbridge, will offer tips on how to recognize valuables and how to turn your trash into cash. If you have a particular item you feel may be valuable, mention it when you call 440-729-4250 to register for this program. Several items will be selected in advance for appraisal and discussion during this seminar.  The presentation of this program is a collaboration of the Friends of the Bainbridge Library and the West Geauga Friends of the Library. The Geauga West Library is located just south of West Geauga High School at 13455 Chillicothe Road, Chester Township.


Alyea Barajas from the Lake County Council on Aging will present a program to those already enrolled in Medicare on Oct. 12. Topics include an overview of Medicare options and the Annual Coordinated Election Period. This event is free and open to the public and will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the main branch of the Mentor Public Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., in the lower level Garfield Room. Call 440-255-8811 to register, or contact Grace Sims for more details at grace.sims@mentorpl.org.

A representative of the Ohio AARP will explain the new health care laws at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Perry Public Library, 3753 Main St., Perry. For the past several years, AARP volunteers and staff have worked to help pass a health care law that benefit members and society as a whole. Now, AARP is focusing efforts on educating its members and the public on the contents of the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The legislation is more than 2,000 pages and is crammed with new benefits, rules, penalties and projects, spread out over many years. The goal is to educate consumers by answering the three most frequently asked questions: What does this mean to me? What do I get? What, if anything, do I need to do? This program will focus on those 50 years and older, with all adults welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. For details, call 440-259-3300.

Mentor Public Library’s main library at 8215 Mentor Ave. will be closed Oct. 12-14 for paving of the main parking lot. The Mentor-on-the-Lake and Headlands locations will be open from 9 to 5 p.m. Oct. 12 and 14 and from 1 to 9 p.m. Oct. 13. No fines will be accrued on items already checked out during this time, although returns will be taken at the branch locations. The book drops at the main library will be unavailable. Patrons with items “on hold” may pick them up on Oct. 18. Staff at the main library will conduct an inventory of main’s collections while the library is closed.


The Mentor Multiple Sclerosis Support Group will celebrate its fifth anniversary from 10:30 to noon Oct. 13 at Borders Books, Music, Movies and Cafe, 9565 Mentor Ave., Mentor. The group is open to anyone with MS or affected by the disease. Details: 440-254-4050 or KathySoke@aol.com.


Lunch and a movie will take place at noon Oct. 15 at Mentor Public Main Library, 8215 Mentor Ave. The family event is for all ages. Bring a lunch and drink for a picnic style meal in the Garfield Room. Popcorn will be provided. Registration is not necessary. Children ages 8 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. For details, call 440-255-8811, ext. 220.


Children and their families are invited to discover the wonder of magic with nationally renowned magician and illusionist Rick Smith Jr. at the Beachwood Public Library (25501 Shaker Blvd., Beachwood) at 2 p.m. Oct. 16. All ages are welcome, and registration is required by phone at 216-831-6868 or online at cuyahogalibrary.org.


Experience Reiki at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Perry Public Library, 3753 Main St., Perry. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administrated by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy. The presenter is Reiki Master Gisa Ticconi of the Earthwinds Wellness Center serving the Cleveland-Akron area. To register or for details, call the library at 440-259-3300.


Paws to Read will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Oct. 20 at Mentor Public Library’s Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch. The event is for children ages 6 to 12 years old. Children who are able to read independently are invited to sign up for a 30-minute session. A gentle, licensed dog who is trained to be a good listener will be paired up with the child. For details and to register, call the library at 440-255-8811, ext. 220. 


The Bake Shop Ghost for children in kindergarten through sixth grade will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Mentor Public Main Library. Not too scary stories, songs and a ghoulish edible craft will be part of the event. For details and to register, call the library at 440-255-8811, ext. 220.


Friends of the Wickliffe Public Library will again host Silhouette Productions under the direction of Angela Velotta when they present “Polter-Heist” Oct. 22. The audience-participation murder mystery-comedy will be open to the public, and tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the library. You must be 18 or older to attend the play. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the performance beginning at 7 p.m. Details: 440-944-6010.


All young chemists are invited to join the National Chemistry Week program at the Beachwood Public Library (25501 Shaker Blvd., Beachwood) at 10 a.m. Oct. 23. Children in grades two through five will have fun exploring the chemistry behind the scenes. Parents must sign a release for children to participate. Forms will be available at the Children's Desk. Registration is required by phone at 216-831-6868 or online at cuyahogalibrary.org. 


All Geauga County Public Libraries welcome voter information and campaign literature for issues and candidates appearing on local ballots. Each library has an election display to help voters become well-informed. Brochures and fliers are acceptable, while items such as bumper stickers are not. Geauga County Public Libraries include Bainbridge, Chardon, Geauga West, Middlefield, the Bookmobile, and the Newbury and Thompson library stations. For locations and phone numbers, visit www.geaugalibrary.net.


The Mentor Public Library will be loaning Kill-A-Watt EZ meter devices to their patrons for a two-week period. The service is an expansion of the library’s Go Green initiative along with the ongoing recycling programs already in place at the library. The devices were donated by the Friends of the Library. The patrons will be able to take the device home and plug it into any household appliance to find out exactly how much energy the appliance uses and how much it costs the homeowner. According to the Kill-A-Watt EZ meter manufacturer P3 International website, the meters will empower consumers on their electric bills. The meters are accurate to within 0.2 percent.


--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com

Odds and Book Ends features activities and events in the area related to libraries, books and authors. Send your events to Community@News-Herald.com or submit it at www.News-Herald.com/Calendar, and check back to The Book Club every week for upcoming events and activities at your local library.


Reel Talk-Book and movie discussion group meets at 2:45 p.m. the second Monday of every month in Morley Library meeting Room B, 184 Phelps St., Painesville. Books and DVDs are available at the check-out desk on the main floor. Details: www.morleylibrary.org


Mentor Public Library will have an end-of-summer party at the Read House next to the Main Library, 8215 Mentor Ave., Mentor at 6 p.m. Aug. 10. Bring the family and celebrate the end of summer. There will be games and three inflatables to explore. For details call 440-255-8811.


The Art of Poem-Making will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at The Gathering Place East, 23300 Commerce Park, Beachwood. Poet John Fox will conduct a poetic medicine workshop that teaches participants to use poetry as a tool for expression. Advance registration is required. The event is free. For details, call The Gathering Place at 216-595-9546 or visit www.touchedbycancer.org.


Friends of the Wickliffe Public Library will host the annual book sale Aug. 12-14 in the meeting room of the library, 1713 Lincoln Road, Wickliffe. The sale hours are 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday for members only, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Saturday will be the day for the bag sale. Good bargains will be offered in books, videos, CDs, children’s books, paperbacks and more. Donations of any of the above materials that are in good condition will be accepted for the sale. For details call 440-944-6010.


Chef Sherry K. Letzelter, a popular local expert chef, is returning to the Beachwood Library to help children create several delicious treats following the theme of Melina Long’s book, “How I Became a Pirate.” Children entering second through fifth grades are invited to this progra,m which will begin at 4 p.m. Aug. 14. Registration is required, and parents must sign the release for their children to participate. Register by phone at 216-831-6868 or online at cuyahogalibrary.org.


The Burton Public Library will host a book sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 14 in the library basement. Enter the sale through the white door located at the back of the building. Burton Public Library is located opposite the Burton Park.


Join Steve Haas on Aug. 30 at Panera Bread, 9587 Mentor Ave., Mentor, at 6:30 p.m. for the “Twenty Something Readers.” This month’s selection will be "Manhunt: the twelve-day chase for Lincoln's killer" by James L. Swanson. Light refreshments will be provided. Stop by the library to get your copy of the book. For more information, call Haas at 440-255-8811. Details: www.mentorpl.org.


--Cheryl Sadler
CSadler@News-Herald.com