Agatha Christie - Author of the Month

Picture from Wikipedia

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the best-selling author in the history of the world - 4 billion copies of her works have been sold. She is most famous for her 66 detective and murder mystery novels and her memorable characters like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She is also the playwright The Mousetrap. It opened in London in 1952 and has been running ever since - the longest initial run of a play in history.

Christie led an adventurous life compared to most and was part of a generation who survived two world wars and the difficulties surrounding them. There have been many biographies written about her life and many commentaries exist on her works and characters. Most of her works are now controlled by Agatha Christie Limited, the chairman of which is Christie's grandson Mathew Prichard. Their website has a tremendous and detailed biography about Christie's life and an overview of her works. 

You can find a full reading list of Christie's works here, and if you are interested, there is a book club that selects and reads a new Christie book each month. If you'd like to dive into the mysterious world of Agatha Christie and join the millions of others who have been entertained by her storytelling and suspense, you can find a selection on display in the fiction section of the media center.

Melody Carlson - Author of the Month

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MelodyCarlson.com

One of the most popular book series in our collection is the True Colors series by Melody Carlson. Melody Carlson is a Christian author for both teens and women. She has published over 90 books (RandomHouse.com) and continues to write prolifically.

Carlson lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest. She has a separate writing studio about 20 feet from her home where she goes daily to focus on her writing. She cites her faith as the most important aspect of her life and writing, and many of her characters face issues regarding religion or faith.

MelodyCarlson.com is a great resource for any fan or aspiring author. She has an FAQ page where she shares her advice for people who hope to be published writers, and she talks about some of the things she does to hone her craft. If you want to know more about Carlson, she tries to answer fan mail, which you can send to melodycarlsonbooks@gmail.com or you can sign up for her newsletter.

Check out the display of Melody Carlson books in the fiction section of the Library Media Center, and let us know what you think!

Garth Nix - Author of the Month

Picture from the
Old Kingdom Chronicles
Website

Garth Nix is an Australian writer of young adult and children's fantasy novels including the Old Kingdom Chronicles and the Keys to the Kingdom.

Nix is a full time writer now, though according to at least one bio of his, this "contributes to the strange behavior of many authors." In his past though, he has worked as a bookseller, literary agent and public servant. He seems to really enjoy the process of creating works of fantasy. Nix describes fantasy as an "iceberg." Good fantasy, according to him, is only 10% told. The author should allude to the stories and people who make up the history of the fantastical world. Doing so creates an experience for the reader that seems real - even though the world in the story is fantasy. You can find out more about Nix's ideas about writing and creating characters at his author page on his publisher's website.

Like many authors these days, Nix is a fairly regular Facebook user. He interacts with fans and often holds contests for them. You can keep up with his thoughts on writing, new releases, and any new contests by liking his page.

Check out some Garth Nix fantasy today. His books are on display in the fiction section of the library media center.