Meet children's author Marilyn Brown 12/5 at 6 North Cafe-Ballwin

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Meet author/photographers 11/28 at 6 North Cafe-Wentzville

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Zip Rzeppa book signing 11/21 at 6 North

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Bestselling author tells of life on the road at Dec. 5 workshop

Don’t miss “Road Hazards: The Life of a Touring Writer,” presented by bestselling author M.R. Sellars at the St. Louis Writers Guild’s Dec. 5 workshop, held 10 a.m. to noon at Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Road, Kirkwood, Mo. Free to members; $5 for nonmembers.

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Sellars’ stories will range from being left behind during a hurricane to being inundated at a bookstore by fans cosplaying the antagonist from one of his novels, and everything in between.

A member of the ITW (International Thriller Writers), M.R. Sellars is a relatively unassuming homebody who, in his own words, “tells pretty lies for a living.” Although his penchant for creating fiction began at an early age, it wasn’t until 2000 that his first full-length novel, HARM NONE: A ROWAN GANT INVESTIGATION, hit bookstore shelves, officially launching the acclaimed paranormal thriller series and its associated spinoff.

All the novels in Sellars’ continuing Rowan Gant Investigations saga have spent several consecutive weeks on numerous bookstore bestseller lists, as well as a consistent showing on the Amazon.com Horror/Occult top 100. In 2010 a short e-novella featuring a supporting character from the RGI cast spawned a new series, The Special Agent Constance Mandalay Novels, the first full-length book being IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, which hit the streets November 2011. The second, INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE, is slated for release in 2015.

Sellars currently resides in the Midwest with his wife, daughter, and a houseful of rescued animals – a population that currently stands at one canine (Vicki the Wonder Dog) and three felines (Asphalt, Nachos el Tigre, and Mac the Klaw). He often describes the fluctuating menagerie as “the competition.” At home, when not writing or taking care of the household, he indulges his passions for cooking and home brewing.

M.R. Sellars can be located on the web wherever there is a virtual bar serving virtual single malt Scotch, single barrel bourbon, good Irish whisky, and decent beer. In other words, look for him on the major social networking sites. http://www.mrsellars.com

Learn more about the St. Louis Writers Guild at www.stlwritersguild.org.

See you at the Local Author open house Nov. 19!

Local Author Open House for Over 100 Authors!

We eat local, we shop local, so let’s read local!

Don’t miss the St. Charles City-County Library District’s Local Author Open House. At this one-of-a-kind event more than 100 local authors will be gathered in one place to sell and autograph their books, and to talk to visitors about how they got their start. The 2015 Local Author Open House, now in its 7th year, is being held at a new location allowing it to double in size.

The event will take place on Thursday, November 19 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Spencer Road Branch, 427 Spencer Road, St. Peters, MO 63376.

“This gathering of so many local authors in one place, is an event that you will not find anywhere else in the area,” said St. Charles City-County Library District Adult Services Manager Sara Nielsen. “We are excited to be able to help people discover the many authors that live right here in our own community.”

The St. Charles City-County Library District offers a special collection that features the work of local authors. This collection is housed at the Middendorf-Kredell Branch, or you can browse and reserve a title online.

To access the collection online, go to www.youranswerplace.org/specialservices and select “Local Author Collection.” Refreshments will be provided, and attendance prizes will be given out.

Register online at youranswerplace.org or call the Spencer Road Branch at 636-441-0522.

Star Between the Rivers release party Nov. 7 at 6 North Cafe-Wentzville

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 ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO - Not your average history book, The Star Between the Rivers: A History of the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department, 1805-2015 chronicles the journey of the department, from the appointment of the first sheriff following the Louisiana Purchase to the creation of a separate county police department after voters approved a charter change, in a coffee-table format with pictures on nearly every page.

“In 210 years the department grew with the community, handling legal and political issues and pressures while successfully managing rapid growth in law enforcement technology and criminal sophistication. Sheriffs, deputies, and department staff experienced triumphs and tragedies – with an unwavering commitment to keep the people of St. Charles County safe.”

- Excerpt from The Star Between The Rivers: A History Of The St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department, 1805-2015 back cover

The book was a committee effort suggested in 2014 by St. Charles County Police Officer Dave Fournell after he saw a similar book published by a sheriff’s department in another state. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, retired St. Charles County Journal photographer Roy Sykes, retired St. Charles County Sheriff Tom Neer, St. Charles County Police Chief David Todd, St. Charles County Police Captains David Kaiser and Jim Hudson, retired St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department detective Marsha Corley, St. Charles County Director of Administration Joann Leykam, and St. Charles County Public Affairs Coordinator Colene McEntee served on the committee to bring the book to life.

“Whether you are a law enforcement professional, a history buff, or simply a proud current or past resident of St. Charles County, you will enjoy the stories and the multitude of pictures in this book,” said Tom Neer, who wrote the foreword. “It is exciting to finally have this history documented and in a format to share with the community served by our county sheriff and police departments.”

The community is invited to a celebration of the book at a public release party on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. until noon at Six North Café, 10 Cliff View Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385. Attendees will be able to meet members of the committee and purchase the book for $20. Only cash or checks (payable to St. Charles County) will be accepted at the event.

Starting Monday, Nov. 9, citizens can purchase books for $20 at the following locations. Cash, check (payable to St. Charles County) and credit card will be accepted (please note: There is an additional $1.25 processing fee added per book for credit card transactions):

 _St. Charles County Finance Department 201 N. 2nd St., Suite 541 St. Charles, MO 63301 Available to purchase Monday-Friday 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

 _St. Charles County Police Department – Records Division Window 101 Sheriff Dierker Court O'Fallon, MO 63366 Available to purchase Monday-Friday 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

 _St. Charles County Heritage Museum, 1630 Heritage Landing, St. Peters, MO 63303 Available to purchase Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. until 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

For questions, please call the St. Charles County Office of Public Information at 636-949-1864 or email publicinfo@sccmo.org.