Thousand Oaks library hosts local authors, hopes next J.K. Rowling in mix

Thirteen local writers will rub elbows with their fans at the Local Author Fair Sunday at the Grant R. Brimhall Library in Thousand Oaks.

The writers, whose books are in the library’s local author collection, will sign and sell their books 1 to 4 p.m. in the library's community room, 1401 E. Janss Road.

It's the library's second author event, which promotes authors whose books are self-published or published by small companies, said Benjamin Salin, adult services librarian and the fair’s organizer.

“A lot of these authors haven’t had the promotions that come with big publishers," he said.

Salin noted that the fair, which drew a crowd of more than 50 people last year, inspires readers to visit the library and check out local authors’ books.

"We're always trying to find new ways to highlight our local authors, who frequently submit their works to the library," Salin said. "This fair was done in past before I was here, and we brought it back."

The authors are from Ventura and Los Angeles counties, and many of them live in Thousand Oaks, he said.

Salin said the fair will include Kenneth Strange Jr., who wrote “A Cop’s Son” and served with the FBI, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Strange's career led to encounters with Jihadists, cartels and international perpetrators of fraud.

The fair will also feature sci-fi authors J.A. Freely, who wrote “Quick Spin Around the Galaxy,” about a man finally getting off his parents’ couch when faced with an alien encounter, and Rayya Deeb, who penned “Seneca Element,” about a woman getting her brain connected to her computer.

Other authors vary from Cristy L. Bowlin, who wrote “Hybrid Magic,” a novel set in the fantasy land of the Deravine Commonwealth, to Sara Borczuk Applebaum, known for "Pomorska Street," about a central Asian child displaced by war who comes to America with her family.

People who want to write their first book can hear from authors about how they got their books published, Salin said.

“No one starts out as a J.K. Rowling,” he said, referring to the author of the Harry Potter books. “Everyone starts at the local level. We would love to see one of our authors become the next big writer or author.

“For all we know, the next James Patterson is in Thousand Oaks.”

Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks library hosts authors, hopes next big name in mix