WordFest will feature stories about love between concert pianists, World War II from a German soldier’s perspective, and murder with questions of justice, next Tuesday, October 10, 6:00 pm, at the Cassava Coffeehouse, 1333 Broadway in Longview.
Laura Baird will be reading from her debut romance novel, Keyed Up:
As pianist with the Seattle Symphony, Penelope Dixon is unexpectedly reunited with Sebastian Mauer, her first love from ten years earlier. Sebastian, once a famed performer, had foolishly pushed aside his love for Penelope, thinking it for the best at the time. Now a reclusive composer, he’s wants to prove they deserve a second chance together, and Penelope is forced to face her buried desires and the impact of those desires on her career.
A dental hygienist for more than seventeen years, Laura has been writing steadily during that time, resulting in three of her stories recently being accepted by three different publishers. Copies of Keyed Up will be available for purchase at WordFest. Second Time Love (Evernight Publishing) and Resort Virgins (Wild Rose Press) will be appearing in six to nine months.
Philip Brock will be reading from his novel, Silk Cocoon, set during World War II: With a beautiful wife and child and a successful business, Hans Schultz is living an almost idyllic life in pre-war Germany. He believes the future is bright and promising under the new Nazi government with its vision of Germany becoming a world leader once again. But with the onset of war, his world spins out of his control. He’s called to military service in the infantry and, as the war progresses, begins to question the actions of his government. When he witnesses the slaughter of men, women and children at the Plunda Work Camp, Hans realizes the country is run by monsters. Eventually, he will have to answer for the part he was forced to play in these atrocities.
Philip, a 1972 graduate of Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington, worked for more than 30 years as a Certified Public Accountant. Now retired, he lives in Cathlamet, Washington, on the shores of the Columbia River. His interest in Nazi Germany began as a child living in Wurtzburg, Germany. He remembers lying in bed, watching the morning sunlight streaming through a bullet hole in the window shutter, playing in a back yard still pock-marked from exploding shells, and finding his landlord’s garden shed filled with Nazi uniforms, flags and other memorabilia.
Kevin Hunter is president of the Longview Downtowner’s business group and an international video broadcaster and podcaster. As host of The Business Forum Show, he produces content seen and heard in 220 countries and territories around the world. He will be reading from a book he wrote with his wife, Stephanie, titled Justice was Served.
Though fiction, the story is based on a true event about a young nurse who disappeared from a hospital parking ramp after finishing her shift. The investigation into her disappearance bogs down in the dead of winter, but in the following spring, her body is discovered with the melting snow. As the perpetrator is awaiting his trial, some people think that three meals a day, cable TV, and a warm jail cell isn’t really justice for snuffing out the life of young vibrant woman. The FBI say the case may be compromised. What if he is set free? How will they know that justice was served?
There will be an open mic period following the presentations.
The monthly gathering of readers and writers meets the second Tuesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 PM, at Cassava. The events are free and open to the public.
Cassava offers a dinner menu for those who wish to enjoy a meal with the readings, as well as local wines and brews.