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Teenage Cary Author Publishes First Novel

Cary, NC – Raymond Chandler published his first book at age 44. Anna Sewell sold her first copy of “Black Beauty” at age 57. But in Cary, a local author has published her first book, a cyber-crime thriller, at 18 years old. Read more

Cary Authors: Becoming a Fashion Designer

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Story by Lindsey Chester, photos courtesy Lisa Springsteel.

Cary, NC – With popular shows like Project Runway bringing the world of fashion into our living rooms, many young people fantasize about becoming fashion designers and ruling the runways.

Cary resident Lisa Springsteel, 20-veteran of New York’s Fashion Avenue, recently published a guide to the business called Becoming a Fashion Designer and just returned from her New York book launch. Read more

Cary Author Wins $50,000 Amazon Award

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Cary, NC – The votes are in and Amazon customers have chosen Rysa Walker of Cary, N.C. as the Grand Prize winner of the sixth annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest for her young adult novel Timebound.

Cary Author Wins $50,000 Amazon Award

timebound-rysa-walkerWalker’s Timebound was inspired by her love of history and science fiction and explores how the choices we make affect our future.

In the novel, 17-year-old Kate learns that she’s inherited a genetic license to time travel when her grandmother shares a strange blue medallion, an even stranger tale about future historians, and the unshakeable conviction that the fate of half the planet lies in Kate’s hands.

Timebound will be released October 22, 2013 by Skyscape—an imprint of Amazon Children’s Publishing—and Walker will receive a publishing contract with a $50,000 advance. The book is now available for pre-order in print and Kindle formats on Amazon.com at www.amazon.com/abna.

The remaining four category winners, Ken Moraff (General Fiction, It Happened in Wisconsin), Jo Chumas (Mystery/Thriller, The Hidden), Evelyn Pryce (Romance, A Man Above Reproach) and J. Lincoln Fenn (Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror, POE), each received publishing contracts from Amazon Publishing with a $15,000 advance. Their books will also be released in print and Kindle formats in the fall and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.

“Rysa’s novel is one of those up-til-dawn reads that you just can’t put down, so it’s no surprise Amazon customers gave her this award,” said Daphne Durham, Editor-in-Chief, Amazon Publishing.

The Last Childhood: A Family Story of Alzheimer’s

Story by Hal Goodtree, photo by Olsen.

Cary, NC – Carrie Knowles, best known as the Executive Director of the Cary Cross Currents Music Festival, recently released a Kindle edition of her well-regarded book The Last Childhood: A Family Story of Alzheimer’s. It’s risen to #11 on the Kindle Best Sellers list under caregiving. Read more

Book Review: North Carolina’s Favorite Food – Barbecue

Story by Matt Young. 

Cary-lina, NC – As any North Carolinian knows, barbecue is a noun (it’s also a religion). Barbecue is NOT the thing you grill on. It’s not something you go to. It is a cooked pig. Period. Read more

Book Review: North Carolina Craft Beer and Breweries

Story by Matt Young. Photo by Jessica B.

Cary-lina, NC – Just 6 years ago, North Carolina wasn’t even on the map when one talked about southern states with a “beer culture”. Now we are the southern state with the most breweries. A new book documents all the craft beer and breweries in North Carolina. Read more

Go Local: Used Book Stores

Story and photos by Jeff Strowe. Above, Second Chance Books.

Cary, NC – These days, reading tends to happen online, and hey, CaryCitizen is only available that way, so this is not a complaint.  However, contrary to popular belief, printing presses have not gone silent and books are still being bound, published, and sold, right here in Cary.

Herewith, a tour of four used bookstores in the Greater Cary Metroplex. Read more

Cary Authors: Faith, Dancing and Energy Medicine

Book review by Matt Young. Photo by PanArmenian.

Cary, NC –  Suzette Faith Foster walks to the beat of a different drummer (or dances, I should say). Some of you might be worried that this is an insult. Trust me – to Sue, it is not. There was a time when many thought she would never even walk againRead more

Book Review: 27 Views of Chapel Hill

Book review by Matt Young. Photo by Robert St. Louis, 1943.

The passionate, even romantic love of Chapel Hill by those that grew up there, and by those that were educated there is befuddling to the uninitiated. I learned this a little bit first-hand in my daughter’s freshman year at UNC-CH when she helped me come to the realization that I could never again utter the apparently ignorant words…”Yes I root for UNC and Duke.” Read more

Local Authors: Surf and Saltwater Fishing in the Carolinas

Book review by Matt Young.

Cary, NC – File this one in the “short drive from Cary” category.

As Cary-dwellers, we are walking or driving distance from great places to fish in North Carolina. Read more