To help commemorate the 175th anniversary of Aiken, South Carolina, Mary Alice Monroe will take part in the citywide reading program,

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

4:00p-5:00p
Mary Alice will give a 4:00 pm children's presentation at the Aiken County Public Library about the award-winning children's book Turtle Summer.

6:30p
Then, at 6:30 pm, Mary Alice will lead a book discussion on Swimming Lessons. She will also be discussing the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. The events will be followed by a special book signing.

Copies of all Mary Alice Monroe's books will be available for sale, as part of the Aiken Reads, in conjunction with Celebrate Aiken! The author will answer questions about her book Swimming Lessons. Contact the Aiken County Public Library at (803)642-2020 or Booklovers Bookstore for more information.




From the July 13, 2010 edition of the Aiken Standard:


Monroe coming to present at library
7/13/2010 6:57 PM

By SUZANNE R. STONE
Staff writer

Bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe is bringing her love of South Carolina, and her love of fiction, to the Aiken County Public Library.

Monroe will be the featured speaker at two presentations Tuesday, July 27, at the library: one at 4 p.m. for children based on her children's book "Turtle Summer," and a presentation for adults at 6:30 p.m. on her novel "Swimming Lessons," an Aiken Reads book discussion selection. There will be book signing sessions at both programs, according to Fran Bush, owner of Booklovers Bookstore, which is co-sponsoring the events.

"Mary Alice Monroe is a South Carolina author based in Charleston. She's been writing for quite a while, I believe her first book was in 1990," Bush said. "I've been a fan of hers for a lot of years, and I've been working three years to get her to come here."

Bush met Monroe at the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) conference several year ago. At last year's SIBA conference, the organizers auctioned off dinner with each author in attendance, and Bush bid on and won dinner with Monroe. After their dinner Bush received a thank-you note from Monroe, saying she was determined to come to Aiken sometime in the following year.

Monroe's "Turtle Summer" will also be among the books featured in the Summer Reading Program's "Turtle Time" event at 2 p.m. on July 21. Booklovers will have copies of the book available to purchase at that event as well. It is Monroe's first title for children, but not her last; a new children's book is due out next year, according to Bush.

"'Swimming Lessons' is the sequel to her novel 'Beach House,' and 'Turtle Summer' is the journal kept by one of the characters in 'Swimming Lessons' for her daughter. So they're all related," Bush explained.

Monroe's presentations will include a slideshow on the South Carolina Aquarium Turtle Hospital, which figures in the plot of both books, and Bush said she has a DVD on the Turtle Ladies of Charleston she is lending to book groups discussing the titles.

For more information about Mary Alice Monroe's books or the upcoming presentations, call Booklovers Bookstore at 643-3198 or the Aiken County Public Library at 642-2020.

Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.