I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting this. When I put out a call for local authors, I figured I’d hear from a handful of people and put together a single page. Instead, I was bowled over — by the enthusiasm, and by how much people appreciated someone taking an interest in local writers. In a day when it seems AI can do everything, the response to supporting local has been genuinely heartwarming.
So what started as a few authors on one page grew into something bigger. Each author now has their own story, linked below, so everyone gets the attention they deserve. And this probably isn’t the end of it. I’m still waiting on a few authors to send their information, and I suspect there are more I haven’t heard from or found yet. There’ll likely be a follow-up. What do they say — strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet.
What surprised me most was the range. There’s a former healthcare CFO who rode his motorcycle across the country at 71. There’s a folk horror writer for whom it’s spooky season all year long. There’s Martha, a monkey puppet a whole generation of Gardner second graders have grown up with. And that’s just the start — crime series, memoir, a thriller set in 1990s Leominster, hiking guides, children’s books, and a novel about one of the darkest days in recent Canadian history.
It’s tough out there. This holiday season, I’d encourage you to find a title here to treat yourself to, or to give to a friend. And if you’re so inclined, leave a review. As local author Christine Noyes put it, “Book sales are driven by reviews.” It’s free, it takes two minutes, and it makes a real difference for these writers.
Know another author from Central Massachusetts? Send them my way.
The Authors
Robert Cress, Westminster: Travel memoir
Erin Cowell, Leominster: Thriller
Donna Decker, Ashburnham: Novel
Kimberly Hallinan, Gardner: Children’s books
Matt Landry, Westminster: Hiking guides, memoir, personal growth, children’s books
Christine Noyes, Orange: Crime series, romantic comedy, memoir, children’s books
Paul “Greg” Smith, Ashburnham: Military memoir
Salvatore J. Vassallo, Westminster: Folk horror
