January

Meet the Author: Catherine Schaff-Stump & Doug Engstrom Jan 22, 2022 from 02:00 PM to 03:00 PM — Beaverdale Books,: The Wrath of Horus For Gregorius Klaereon, his trial with the god Horus isn't about winning or losing. It's about the fight. His temperament aggressive, his anger on display for all to see, Greg is a direct contrast to his brother Marcellus, the perfect Lord Klaereon, the prophet who can do no wrong. How Marc tolerates Greg is a mystery to Greg himself, especially as Greg knows deep down that he is responsible for the deaths of his parents. On the eve of the Klaereon birthday celebration, two days before Greg's trial, Greg fights with his cousin Flavia Borgia, and the two of them activate a reality shard which sends them, Marc, and others to the Abyss. There, they are judged and scattered throughout the nine circles. Greg, alone, discovers his Trial was the least of his worries as he is confronted by Set, the god of destruction, in a desolate landscape where his shadow powers no longer work. While Greg endures, certain his rightful punishment has found him, Marc and the others scramble to reunite, rescue Greg, and make their way to the Golden City of the banished Egyptian pantheon, desperate to find a way home. Corporate Gunslinger Doug Engstrom imagines a future all too terrifying--and all too possible--in this eerie, dystopic speculative fiction debut about corporate greed, debt slavery, and gun violence that is as intense and dark as Stephen King's The Long Walk. Like many Americans in the middle of the 21st century, aspiring actress Kira Clark is in debt. She financed her drama education with loans secured by a "lifetime services contract." If she defaults, her creditors will control every aspect of her life. Behind on her payments and facing foreclosure, Kira reluctantly accepts a large signing bonus to become a corporate gunfighter for TKC Insurance. After a year of training, she will take her place on the dueling fields that have become the final, lethal stop in the American legal system. About the authors... Cath Schaff-Stump writes fantasy for children and adults. She writes funny stories, dark stories, and everything in between. She is the author of the Klaereon Scroll series and the Abigail Rath Versus series. Cath lives and works in Iowa. During the day, she teaches English at a local community college. Doug Engstrom has been a farmer's son, a US Air Force officer, a technical writer, a computer support specialist, and a business analyst, as well as being a writer of speculative fiction. He lives near Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Catherine.
Meet the Author: Julie Stone Jan 26, 2022 from 06:30 PM to 07:30 PM — Beaverdale Books,: He’s With the Band After twenty-three years of marriage to an utter jackass and beige décor as far as the eye can see, Campbell Cavett is now divorced. Officially. But how did she lose herself for all these years? Somehow, she went from being a bold, starry-eyed young groupie who followed Golden Tiger on tour to...snapping photos of snot-nosed kids for their Pinterest moms at the local Portrait Hut. But she takes her Divorce Party one bottle of Pinot Grigio too far and wakes to discover she’s quit her boring-ass job, arranged to sell her house, and has tickets to the Golden Tiger reunion show. Now Campbell’s on tour as the official photographer of her favorite band and living the life she’s always dreamed. But backstage access means that she’s about to discover a whole lot. Not just about herself, but about a blast from her past who looks way hotter than he has any right to twenty-plus years later. About the author... Julie Stone was born a child of the seventies complete with rainbow shirts, bell bottoms and a belief in unicorns. All that whim and whimsey ushered her into the wonderful world of being a teenager in the eighties, something she has a hard time letting go of most days. She graduated with a degree in English from the University of Iowa (go Hawks!) and also earned herself a husband. She embarked on all the regular, boring grown up things that come with age. Until the magical world of motherhood brought along a new chapter of joy, terror, and sleepless nights. But also, nap time. Suddenly there was time to go back to her creative calling and write. Through raising two boys, several moves around the Midwest, those stories and that keyboard kept her company and kept her, relatively sane. (Depending on who you ask.) Currently settled in Iowa, she continues to pursue her love of the written word, her cat and “sMothering” the three boys in her life.
All Iowa Reads 2022: Author Presentations Jan 24, 2022 from 01:00 PM to 03:00 PM — Online,: Join us for a special webinar with the authors of all three 2022 All Iowa Reads selections.