I was NOT 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 has just sort of morphed in to I now have a books and authors section. Each author now has their own story, linked below, so everyone gets the attention I want them to have. 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. Use the Contact form at the bottom of this story to be in touch if you’d like to be included in a follow-up story.
What surprised me most about the author submissions was the range in genres, life experience and motivation for writing. 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.
And if you’d like to support my local writing, please share this story, use the links at the bottom of every story to share to Facebook, and sign up to receive my free, local and fun monthly email newsletter, where you just never know what I’ll write about!
The Authors
Robert Cress, Westminster: Travel memoir
Erin Cowell, Leominster: Thriller
Donna Decker, Ashburnham: Novel
Kimberly Hallinan, Gardner: Children’s books
Stephanie Hoefsmit, Fitchburg: Children’s book
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
Know another author from Central Massachusetts? Send them my way.
