The 14th annual Bridge Run show will be here at Blue Bicycle Books Thurs., Mar 29 at 7:30 pm. Local author and excellent parker Jonathan Sanchez will read new work, none of this old crap, and Blue Bike’s own Kristen Gehrman will perform a short set of her own micro-fiction. Runner or not, join us for this relentless tradition.
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Join us at the store for our local author night, Fri., Mar. 16, 4-6 pm. Four local and regional authors will be signing copies of their books– a great opportunity to sample the literary talent in our community.
Valerie Perry is the author of Upper King Street, a sweeping love story set right in the heart of downtown Charleston. Lucy is a sassy, intelligent gallery owner downtown who lives by strict self-prescribed rules for life. She falls hard for Sam, a preservation contractor with a taste for adventure travel. Set amidst Charleston’s glorious mansions, gardens, and exquisite architecture, Upper King Street offers a fast-paced, rollicking tale of love, misunderstanding, growth, and discovery. Perry works in historic preservation downtown Charleston.
Upper King Street (Create Space, pb., 300 pp. $15)
Philip Gerard is a Southern essayist and author of The Patron Saint of Dreams. This collection of 15 narrative essays is about moments when seemingly small decisions have large consequences: enduring the terror of a hurricane, having a heart attack while hiking, hearing a disturbing secret from an old sailor who has kept it for 60 years, discovering an imposter who maintains his dual life long after death. Filled with uncanny and mysterious details, Gerard reveals true mysteries that give meaning to life. Gerard teaches Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
The Patron Saint of Dreams (Hub City Press, pb., 200 pp. $18)
Rev. Peter Lanzillotta is the founder of Interfaith Services of the Lowcountry and author Spirit, Time, and the Future. Drawing on various theological perspectives such as contemporary Biblical studies, scientific exploration, feminism, and Jungian philosophy, this book examines the new Age of the Spirit and what it means for us today and in the future. Challenging religious status quos in favor of an inclusive mindset, Lanzillotta promotes an expansive and inclusive Holy Spirit that can guide personal and societal transformation. Lanzillotta is a scholar and spiritual counselor residing downtown Charleston.
Spirit, Time, and the Future (O’Brian & O’Brian, pb., 174 pp. $16)
Jesse Hale is the author of Island Castaways, a story of survival and adventure. Ethan and Julie are young Atlanta professionals who decide to take a yearlong sabbatical along with some close friends. Casting their corporate lives aside, they head to an island off the Caribbean coast of Belize. They envision paradise, but their journey is filled with challenges of survival, near-death experiences, and underwater surprises, including a hurricane and an encounter with modern day pirates. Jesse lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife and teaches 5th grade. This is his second book.
Island Castaways (Shades Creek Press, pb., 278 pp. $13)
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Author Stephanie McAfee will be at the store Thurs., Mar. 15, 4-6 pm to sign Diary of a Mad Fat Girl, her hilarious new novel.
Gracelia “Ace” Jones is a sassy high school teacher, known in her small town of Bugtussle, Mississippi, for an outsize presence and a mouth to match. But this time that big mouth might get her into big trouble…. Ace knows that something bad is brewing when her best friend cancels their annual spring break trip to be with a man she’s kept a secret for months. On top of that, the love of her life has shown up with a marriage proposal one year too late and Ace herself has been accused of sleeping with a student. Needless to say, Ace is mad! Taking matters into her own hands, she uncovers a multitude of other scandals plaguing the small town. Lauded for her sassy wit, McAfee weaves a fast-paced plot that will sure to make you laugh.
Diary of a Mad Fat Girl (NAL Trade, pb., 368 pp. $15)
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Blue Bicycle welcomes author Tim Owens to the store Fri., Mar. 9, 5-7 pm to sign The Search Committee.
Forced to spend countless hours together, these very different personalities from different generations begin to bond. Their lives are profoundly changed as they love and support each other through their personal difficulties.
The Search Committee (Tyndale House, pb., 400 pp., $13)
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Author Taylor Polites will visit Blue Bicycle Books Thurs., Feb 16, 5 – 7 pm to sign his new novel, The Rebel Wife , a story that confronts old Southern stereotypes and speaks to the profound impact the civil war had on the Southern nobility.
Augusta Branson is a young widow from an elite antebellum family trying to survive in Reconstruction Alabama. Finding herself in the ashes of a broken civilization, stained by the reputation of her Union-sympathizing husband, she must now fend for herself and her son.
“Peeling back layers of deceit and myth combined, Taylor Polites takes us into an era we barely understand. The flawed human heart that finally comes to understand ‘the truth’ is at the heart of this enduring, suspenseful novel.” —Patti Callahan Henry
The Rebel Wife (Simon & Schuster, hb. 304 pp. $25)
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Blue Bicycle Books welcomes former U.S. Army Special Forces Commander Rusty Bradley to sign copies of his book Lions of Kandahar Sat., Feb. 18, 2 – 4 pm. Lions of Kandahar is a first-hand account of one of the fiercest battles fought during the Afghan War. Bradley’s in-depth narrative provides a vivid glimpse of the NATO coalition’s offensive to topple the Taliban and establish order in the Kandahar Province.
Lions of Kandahar
(Random House, hb., 280 pp.,. $26)
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Blue Bicycle welcomes local artist and book-maker, Bette Mueller-Roemer Sat., Feb. 5, 2-5 pm. Bette’s beautiful hand-made journals combine her affinity for ceramics, painting, and drawing. Bound with waxed linen thread, the journals are filled with blank cotton paper, separated with hand-painted section covers. Journal covers range from fine paper to ceramic plates, making the books as much of art pieces as keepers of thoughts and memories. Prices from $85-$150.
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Local professor and New York Times bestselling author Bret Lott will sign his new book Dead Low Tide at Blue Bicycle Sat. Jan 28, 1-3pm. This long anticipated sequel to The Hunt Club, set in the South Carolina Lowcountry, returns with more murder, mystery, and family secrets. No longer a teenager and now a young man, protagonist Huger Dillard must come to terms with and confront the truth about his community, his past, and the mysterious place he calls home.
Pat Conroy calls Dead Low Tide “The best book Bret Lott has ever written—by far. He creates a Charleston that has never been written about in history… it is a literary thriller of the highest order—like something John Le Carré would write. I couldn’t put it down.”
Dead Low Tide (Random House, hb. 256 pp. $26)
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Join Blue Bicycle at Red’s Ice House Tues, Jan. 17, 7:30 pm for the official launch of Brad Taylor’s anticipated new thriller All Necessary Force, second in the Pike Logan series. Last year, the launch of first book, One Rough Man, drew a crowd of over 200 people!
Taylor draws on decades of experience in the U.S. Army Infantry and Delta Force to tell the story of protagonist Pike Logan and his partner Jennifer Cahill. In All Necessary Force, he takes the two on an increasingly dangerous and convoluted anti-terrorist mission through Asia and Egypt. Cussler, Clancy and Ludlum fans are sure to love this local author! Signed copies will be available at our online store after the event.
All Necessary Force (Dutton Adult, hb. 400 pp. $25.95)
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Blue Bicycle Books welcomes the Charleston Junior League this Sat., Dec. 10, 2-4pm for a taste of Charleston Receipts, our best-selling cookbook! Charleston Receipts was first compiled in 1950 as a way for the League to raise money for the Charleston Speech and Hearing Center. Since that time, proceeds from the cookbook sales have supported numerous other League-sponsored, charitable activities. Now in its 61st year, the cookbook continues to offer Southern staples like Shrimp and Grits and Corn Pudding edited by the ladies who knew them best. Join us in the store on Saturday for some free samples and a holiday gift with a lot of Southern charm.
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