Eastern York is a community rich in creativity and talent, and Kreutz Creek Library hopes to shine a light on that. The library will host "Meet Local Authors!" on Saturday, March 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event will be held at the library, 66 Walnut Springs Road, Hellam.

Local authors participating in the program are Joshua Brandstadter, who writes children's books; Janine Eaby, author of young adult fantasy books; Metro Sean Heller, who writes thrillers; M. J. McCluskey, who writes children's books; Joan Patterson, who has written a memoir; Joshua Stauffer, author of middle-grade books; and John Verrico, who has written nonfiction self-help books.

Each author will sign and sell copies of his or her books at the event, and vendors will sell book-related merchandise, said Jennifer Johnson, library manager. There will also be door prizes. All seven authors will be on-site for the duration of the event.

The idea for the event came from a collaboration between the library and some of the authors.

"Several local authors had generously donated copies of their books to the library," Johnson said. "I felt as though I could do more to promote them than just adding their titles to the collection. With the author meet-and-greet event, I feel as though I am providing a platform for authors to showcase their work and for readers to learn about the amazing local homegrown talent. The library plays a unique role in this through its capacity to bring all these elements together."

Four of the featured authors - Brandstadter, Stauffer, Heller and Eaby - created the agenda for the day.

"The authors wanted the event to be informal and low key, with the emphasis on meeting the authors, conversation and making connections with individual readers," Johnson said.

This is the first time for this event at the library, and Johnson is optimistic about its success.

"We wanted to start small to gauge interest and then build on the event in future years," she noted. "This is a community that reads, and this is a community that also supports its small businesses and charitable organizations. Most of these authors live, work and write in the local area. This is a chance for you to meet, get to know and support homegrown talent before they hit the big time!"

No registration is required for the event, and there is no cost to attend.

"It has been an absolute pleasure working with the authors to plan the event," Johnson shared. "I have learned so much from them about how to tailor the event to create the best experience for them and for their audience. My hope is that from this, we can create a mutually supportive community of writers and readers."

To learn more about Kreutz Creek Library, visit https://bit.ly/4iDlmPp.