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Virtual – “Little Mister Victory” with Author and Historian David Kruh

 

Join us for a talk with one of our favorite speakers, David Kruh, on his new book “Little Mister Victory: A Daughter’s Search for the Woman Who Abandoned Her Father on VJ Day, co-written by Tina Drzal. Little Mister Victory is the story of Tina’s decades-long search for the woman who abandoned her father on VJ Day. Using cutting-edge DNA analysis and good-old-fashioned detective work (burrowing into newspaper archives, ecclesiastic and government documents) David and Tina found the mother, along with a surprise; abandoning her newborn baby was not the most shocking act of her life.

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Register to receive a Zoom link via email.**  

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program. 

About the Author:

Little Mister Victory is David’s sixth published book. Along with dozens of columns and articles in local newspapers and national magzines, his other work includes two books on Boston’s Scollay Square and the building of Route 128, as well as a musical about the Boston Red Sox so-called Curse (which he says may have returned.)

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities.

Virtual – Celebrating America’s 250th: Petticoat Patriots with Speaker and Author Libby McNamee

 

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Register to receive a Zoom link via email. **  

We are so pleased to be ending our year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with speaker and author Libby McNamee! Libby will be discussing the Petticoat Patriots of the American Revolution – this talk includes  the “Daughters of Liberty” and future “Lady Presidents” Martha Washington, and Abigail Adams. We will also meet Mrs. Adams’ friend Mercy Warren, as well as Esther Reed, a Philadelphia socialite. Then we will marvel over the courageous midnight-riders: Susanna Bolling of VA, Betsy Dowdy of NC, and Sybil Ludington of CT. Lastly, we will explore the soldiers, Deborah Sampson of MA and “Molly Pitcher” of NJ.  We hope you can join us for this fascinating conversation!  

Register directly on Zoom HERE. 

RECORDING NOTE: This program will NOT be recorded.

You can buy signed books by Libby from Aesop’s Fable, just make a note that you want the books signed when you check out.

About Libby:

Libby Carty McNamee is a speaker, lawyer, and award-winning author of “Susanna’s Midnight Ride,” “Dolley Madison and the War of 1812,” and “The Union Spymistress: The Story of Elizabeth Van Lew” and their Study Guides. She is also Co-Editor of “The Epic Story of 1776” and “The Epic Story of 1777-1779.”

Libby lives with her husband in Richmond, Virginia, and a son in college. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and Catholic University School of Law. She practiced law in firms and corporations. She is also a Veteran who served as a major in the U.S. Army JAG Corps in South Korea, Washington State, Bosnia, and Germany.

Please register for this event and you’ll receive the link in the confirmation and reminder emails – make sure to check your spam folder for them, the email will be coming from Zoom. 

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities. We are also pleased to be partnering with the Ashland Senior Center for this event.

Virtual – A Book Birthday with Horror Writer Robert Ottone in conversation with Lauren Bolger

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.**  

You all know we love our book birthdays and we can’t wait to celebrate Amityville Awakens with horror author Robert Ottone! The book will have just come out on October 6th, so we’re sure there will be plenty to chat about.  Robert is joined by Lauren Bolger for a conversation about his new book, his process, and whatever other horror-ific things they’d like to chat about. We hope you can join us for this fun discussion (although, it is BYOC – bring your own cake :). 

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program. 

You can purchase signed books by Robert and/or Lauren from Aesop’s Fable. Just note in the comments that you would like your book to come with a signed bookplate.

Robert P. Ottone is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Triangle and is also the best-selling author of Curse of the Cob Man, The Sleepy Hollow Gang, The Vile Thing We Created and Nocturnal Creatures. His short fiction has been collected in Wrapped in Plastic and Other Sweet Nothings as well as Her Infernal Name & Other Nightmares. ​

He holds two master’s degrees in Education, as well as an MFA in Children’s Literature. Robert is also a true crime lecturer for various universities, libraries and groups. ​A bagel-loving fabulist of spooky absurdity, Ottone enjoys cigars, cocktails and time with his wife.

Lauren has this to say about herself: I’m a Chicago chapter member of the Horror Writers Association, an avid music fan. I live in a town you’ve never heard of with my husband, kids and cats. 

 

Please register for this event through Zoom and you’ll receive the link in the confirmation and reminder emails.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities.

Virtual – Author and Historian Helen Fry Discusses “The White Lady”

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.**  

We learned so much from Helen the last time she spoke with us, we had to have her back! This time, she’ll be discussing her book, The White Lady: The Story of Two Key British Secret Service Networks Behind German Lines – A major new history of the two most important British secret service networks in the First and Second World Wars. This is a compelling account of the agents who risked their lives and found ingenious ways to smuggle intelligence out of occupied Belgium. 

This program is at 2pm ET (Boston Time). We will NOT be recording this session. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

Buy signed (by bookplate) books by Helen from Aesop’s Fable. Just note in the comments that you’d like the books signed at checkout!

Buy Signed Books by Helen

About The White Lady:

Intelligence gathering was essential to both sides in the First and Second World Wars. At the heart of MI6’s efforts were two key networks in Belgium. Agents in The White Lady acted as couriers, radio operators and spies to facilitate the end of German control. And, when war broke out again two decades later, the leaders of the network regrouped and established a successor: The Clarence Service.

Helen Fry charts the history of these pivotal intelligence networks. Drawing on recently declassified information, Fry examines who the agents were, how they were recruited, and how the intelligence they gathered directly impacted the outcome of both wars. Operators in the field sent over eight hundred radio messages to London and delivered more than a thousand reports, including groundbreaking information on Hitler’s secret weapon the V-1. 

About Helen:

Discover the versatile expertise of Dr. Helen Fry, a distinguished WWII historian, and author with a profound focus on the contributions of 10,000 Germans and Austrians who fought for Britain during WWII. Her specialisation extends to the intriguing realm of the ‘Secret Listeners’ and the intricate world of 20th-century spies and espionage. Helen’s influence goes beyond the pages of her books. She is a sought-after consultant for leading TV and documentary productions, offering historical insight for WWII scenes filmed by major channels like the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4. Her commitment to historical education encompasses curriculum development for schools and educational programs related to WWI, WWII, and the Cold War. An ardent supporter of the National Centre for Military Intelligence (NCMI), she also serves as a trustee for the Medmenham Collection and holds honorary membership in The Association of Jewish Refugees. Her latest book, ‘Women in Intelligence,’ illuminating the crucial roles of women in both WWI and WWII, was released in America in October 2023.

 

Please register for this event and you’ll receive the link in the confirmation and reminder emails – make sure to check your spam folder for them, the email will be coming from Zoom.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities.

Virtual – Romance Author Julie Hall Discusses “The Secrets of Everlight”

 

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.**  

You all know we love romantasy and Julie’s newest book looks amazing so we just had to invite her to our virtual stage to discuss The Secrets of Everlight! A thief turned spy must unravel an assassination plot against the fae prince by disguising herself as a princess competing for his heart . Who doesn’t want to more about that?!!? We hope you can join us for this fun discussion. 

 

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program. 

About the Book:

For nineteen years, Rowan has fought to survive: first on the streets scavenging for scraps, then bound by a decade-long contract to a corrupt master. She longs for freedom but spends her days stealing from the highborn to pay off her servitude.

When a mysterious fae buys her contract, Rowan seizes her chance to escape. But her freedom comes at a price: she must uncover the assassin targeting Prince Dryden of the Ember Kingdom. To do so, she will pose as a princess among the royals competing for his hand in marriage.

Thrust into a world of silks and finery, Rowan has just weeks to master her role while hunting a killer hidden in plain sight. Eavesdropping and sneaking through gilded halls may come naturally, but the bonds she forms with the other princesses—and Dryden’s growing interest in her—are complications that threaten to unravel everything.

As whispers of danger beyond the kingdom rise, Rowan realizes the stakes are far greater than she imagined. And every stolen glance with the prince pulls her closer to a desire that could cost her not only her future but the kingdom itself. 

About Julie:

Julie Hall is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author who traded her career in movie marketing for worlds filled with magic, danger, and slow-burn romance. She writes the kind of fast-paced, heart-wrenching fantasy stories that leave readers with epic book hangovers and a desperate need for more.

Her love of all things fantasy and supernatural started early, thanks to Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathons and a dog-eared collection of L.J. Smith paperbacks. She’s been chasing that same blend of heart, humor, and high stakes ever since.

Her stories have captured readers around the world and are known for fierce heroines, morally gray love interests, and twists that make you gasp out loud. She lives in Colorado with her husband, daughter, and two furry chaos-makers, forever chasing stories where love burns bright in the darkest moments. 

 

Please register for this event on Zoom and you’ll receive the link in the confirmation and reminder emails.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities.

Virtual – Cooking Demo with Heidi McIndoo: One-Pot BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.** 

Something warm and cozy as we head into Fall – join our favorite chef, Heidi McIndoo, as she shows us how to make One pot BBQ chicken mac and cheese – Yum!! 

Recipes will be sent out prior to the program so you can cook along if you’d like. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

Recording Note: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

Heidi Reichenberger McIndoo, M.S., R.D., L.D.N. is a nutrition consultant, spokesperson, author and freelance writer with 25 years experience as a registered dietitian. She loves helping people realize that eating nutritiously doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor and pleasure. And, that giving up favorite foods is not a must.

She currently works with Hannaford Supermarkets and in corporate wellness. She’s the author of When to Eat What and the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to 200-300-400 Calories Meals. In addition, she has written for several magazines including, All You, Today’s Diet & Nutrition, Parents, Family Circle, Self, Prevention, Fitness, Shape and Woman’s Day; and newsletters such as Environmental Nutrition and Women’s Nutrition Connection. As a former national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) she’s been quoted as an expert in hundreds of magazines articles and television broadcasts.

 She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Ms. McIndoo lives in the metro Boston area with her husband, and their daughter and son. 

 

Please register for this event on Zoom and you’ll receive the link in the confirmation and reminder emails.

This program is brought to you in collaboration with a multitude of MA & NH libraries, and is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.

Virtual – Even More Haunted Lighthouses of New England with Author Jeremy D’Entremont

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.** 

We always have such a blast with Jeremy on this talks about haunted lighthouses, that we just had to have him back! He’s working on a 4.0 program just for us! Even more stories, even more ghosts, even more sightings – just more! 

Lighthouses and ghost stories often seem to go hand in hand. In the past, Jeremy has discussed the lovelorn spirit known as Ernie at Connecticut’s New London Ledge Light and the piano playing ghost of Maine’s Seguin Light, among others as well as about the mysterious Woman in White in the Isles of Shoals and the spirit of a drowned lighthouse keeper at Penfield Reef in Connecticut. This time, who knows what fascinating and haunting tales Jeremy will come up with.

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program

Jeremy D’Entremont is the president and historian of the American Lighthouse Foundation, historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society, and the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He’s the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s podcast, Light Hearted. He has appeared on the popular Ghost Hunters TV show, as well as Haunted Lighthouses of America on the Travel Channel. He has also appeared on the History Channel, Public Television, and National Public Radio speaking about lighthouses.

You can find all of Jeremy’s past talks with us on our YouTube Channel.

Please register for this event and you’ll receive the link in the confirmation and reminder emails – make sure to check your spam folder for them, the email will be coming from Zoom.

This program is brought to you in collaboration with the Chelmsford, Groton, and Tewksbury Libraries. We’re also thrilled to be partnering with a multitude of additional MA & NH Libraries to bring this program to our communities.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library

Virtual – Author Leslye Penelope Discusses “The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass”

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.** 

Back by popular demand, we are thrilled to welcome author Leslye Penelope to our virtual stage! We hosted Leslye years ago and we had such a great conversation so we expect we’ll have another great time. This time, Leslye will be discussing her new book, The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass which she tells us is not strictly a romance but with a strong romantic subplot – you know what? We’ll take it! 

 

Save your sister, doom the world. For five years, Zahara Douglass has been haunted by her sister’s impossible disappearance. Now, in December 1999, with the world on the brink of chaos, Zahara sets out to find her sister no matter the cost in this twisty and compelling modern fantasy. Sounds awesome, right? We hope you can join us for this fun discussion!

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program. 

About the Book:

In April 1995, Zahara watched her twin sister, Annica, get hustled into a stranger’s car and disappear—only to return to a world where no one remembers Annica ever existed. Not her mother. Not the police. No one.

Five years later, as the world braces for the looming Y2K crisis, Zahara finds evidence proving her sister is real. Determined to uncover the truth, she hires a private investigator and begins digging into her family’s shadowed past. When the investigation leads to two charismatic men who once served with her father in Vietnam, Zahara realizes she and her sister may be pawns in a dangerous power struggle with unthinkable consequences.

​To find Annica, Zahara must face the truth about her family, her memories, and the power lurking within her. But the twins’ reunion comes at a price—one that could unravel reality and bring about the end of the world. 

About Leslye:

Leslye Penelope, who also writes as L. Penelope, has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of fantasy and paranormal romance. Her debut novel Song of Blood & Stone was chosen as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. The novel also won the inaugural award for Best Self-Published Fiction from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Her novel The Monsters We Defy won the 2023 Audie Award for Best Fantasy Audiobook.

She was born in the Bronx, not long after the birth of hip hop, but left before she could acquire an accent. Equally left and right-brained, she studied film production at Howard University and minored in computer science. This led to a master’s degree in multimedia and a career in website development. She’s also an award-winning independent filmmaker, co-founded a literary magazine, and sometimes dreams in HTML.

Leslye is an alumna of VONA/Voices and Hurston/Wright Writers Workshop. She has spoken and taught at conferences and festivals around the country including the Baltimore Book Festival, Romance Writers of America, Writers Digest Annual & Novel Writing Conferences, and the Historical Novel Society.

Virtual Author Talk: Simple, Sustainable, and Powerfully Delicious Meals with Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy

VIRTUAL PROGRAM

Register for this author talk: libraryc.org/morseinstitute

Join us as we chat with Sana Javeri Kadri and Asha Loupy about The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook, which celebrates beautiful, simple, and seasonal cooking with 85 recipes adapted from India and Sri Lanka’s best family spice farms.

Diaspora Spice Co. sources the most flavorful, fresh spices in the world from 150 regenerative farms across South Asia—from elders, indigenous communities, young changemakers, and brilliant multi-generational farming families across India and Sri Lanka who are leading the way in sustainable and climate change–resistant agriculture. Filled with culinary storytelling, The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook highlights these farmers and their spices with profiles and evocative photography, plus 85 recipes for simple, seasonal, and powerfully delicious meals.

CEO and founder Sana Javeri Kadri and recipe writer Asha Loupy realized that eating with the people who grow our spices unveils a whole new dimension in our cooking. Adapted for a global pantry, these recipes share the warmth of true South Asian home cooking at its truest and tastiest.

 

 

About the Authors:

Sana Javeri Kadri is the founder and CEO of Diaspora Co., a farm-to-table spice company that puts equity, transparency, and high-quality products at its forefront. Sana founded the company in 2017 with just a turmeric blend; now her company sources 30 single origin spices from across 150 farms across India and Sri Lanka. A third-generation native of Mumbai, she now lives in Oakland, California.

Asha Loupy is a recipe developer and writer with more than a decade of experience in the specialty food industry, from cheese monger to grocery buyer and e-commerce manager. She’s written for Bon Appétit, Food52, Epicurious, and more. She’s based in Oakland, California.

Virtual Author Talk: Nurturing Future Generations: Stories from the Heart of Grandfatherhood with Ted Page

VIRTUAL EVENT

Register for this author talk:libraryc.org/morseinstitute

Join us in virtual conversation with storyteller and popular blogger Ted Page as we chat about his book Good Grandpa: Stories from the Heart of Grandfatherhood. This heartfelt book highlights his journey to bring together the stories and wisdom of grandfathers from all walks of life—all with a mission to nurture the next great generation.

When author Ted Page found out he was going to be a grandpa, he did a web search to learn more about the experience in store for him, but all he could find were references to the movie Bad Grandpa. He couldn’t help but wonder, “Where are the good ones?” Page started a blog, GoodGrandpa.com, and set out to talk with grandfathers across a diverse spectrum. This included an NFL pro athlete, a priest, a rabbi, an imam, newsman Tom Brokaw, comedy legend John Cleese, people of Asian descent, physicians adapting to disability, an air force general, a Vietnam combat vet, and many more—plus his Aunt Lois and the Dalai Lama, because why not?

Good Grandpa is inspiring, uplifting, evocative, and filled with genuine emotion. It is a recipe of hope for a divided America, and the book that will be on every grandparent’s reading list.

Register today and find out why Ted Page says “our greatest generation is to come.”

About the Author: Ted Page is a storyteller and performer. He is the author of Good Grandpa: Stories from the Heart of Grandfatherhood (Regalo Press) featured on NBC’s The TODAY Show, NPR and in Forbes magazine. His nonfiction stories have appeared in Boston Magazine and The Boston Globe Magazine, and his comedy screen credits include work with John Cleese and Florence Henderson. His blog for grandfathers—GoodGrandpa.com—has been featured in The New York Times. Ted’s book of true family stories, The Willoughby Chronicles, was published in 2017. He lives in New England and has a bunch of grandchildren.

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