Two recent debut novels seemed to come out of nowhere and explode in popularity. Virginia Evans did not want to publish “The Correspondent” until persuaded by her agent to at least try. Allen Levi self-published “Theo of Golden” to see his labor of love in print. Both books jumped to number #1 on the NY Times Best Seller List.

Peter Franklin wanted to know the why and how of such an unlikely event. Are there common factors that sparked the passionate early word-of mouth which jump started sales and rave reviews? Was the timing just right for themes of engagement in an era of increasing isolation? What resonates with readers in a variety of demographics?

Peter is a retired marketing executive for Coca-Cola, former Lanier Library officer, and a life-time reader who loses count of the number of books read in a year.

*Audience size for Lanier Library programs has been steadily increasing. Comfortable capacity is 50. To assure a seat, register now at the link below.

At Live@Lanier, naturalist Steve O’Neil will help you decide which of the following, and more, are fact or fiction. Copperhead snakes in the Carolinas will chase hikers. Only two types of turtles can crawl out of their shells. Corn snakes are green and yellow like corn. Some turtles can freeze solid and revive unharmed. Baby venomous snakes have more potent venom than adult snakes. Box turtles do not make good pets even if living in a box at least 4x their size.

During college, Steve studied wildlife and fisheries management, and for over a decade worked as a naturalist and science educator. Positions included The Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Chimney Rock State Park. In 2010, his experiences and passion for nature prompted him to found his non-profit Earthshine Nature Programs. “Reptile Myths, Lore, and Facts” is one of many of his programs.

* Audience size for Lanier Library Felburn Programs has been steadily increasing. Comfortable capacity is 50. To assure a seat, register now at the link below.