NW Valley Times

An award-winning author with extensive experience as an academic librarian and a talent for painting vivid pictures of life in rural Oklahoma through her mystery novels will share her recipe for success with residents as the city of Glendale’s Writer in Residence from September to November.

The Glendale Public Library is welcoming Donis Casey to provide several free workshops at the city’s four libraries and meet one-on-one for consultations with anyone seeking advice on writing. Casey, a former academic librarian at Arizona State University and the University of Oklahoma, wrote the Alafair Tucker Mysteries, which are historical mystery novels about a married woman, Alafair, with 10 children living on a farm in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, during the booming 1910s. While Alafair does not intend to solve mysteries, Tucker’s children keep getting themselves into shady situations that require her intervention. The 10 books in the series hit close to home for Casey, who was born and raised in Tulsa.

Residents can ask questions and bring writing for Casey to review during free, half-hour consulting sessions at the Foothills Library during her Writer in Residence visits. Participants must register ahead of time for a session at http://gplaz.org/events or by calling 623-930-3600.

Casey will also provide these workshops in Glendale:

- Creating the World of Your Story: Learn how to create an authentic setting at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 at Heroes Regional Park Library.

- The Plot Thickens: Learn techniques to maintain readers’ interest throughout the novel at 3 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Foothills Library.

- Dialog, Dialect and Voice: Discover how you can use dialog to reveal information about your characters at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Velma Teague Library.

- Memoir and Autobiography: Learn how to use personal memories in powerful storytelling at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the Main Library.

- Characters are Everything: Explore proven techniques for creating compelling characters at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Foothills Library.

- Getting Published: Delve into ways to get your book or story published at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 at Foothills Library.

Casey’s first novel, “The Old Buzzard Had It Coming,” was named an Oklahoma Centennial Book, and she won the Arizona Book Award twice. She was also named a finalist for the Willa Award and Oklahoma Book Award. After finishing the ten-book series, Casey penned two spin-off books to the Alafair Tucker Mysteries – “The Wrong Girl” and “Valentino Will Die,” part of the Bianca Dangereuse Hollywood Mysteries.

“If you want a reputable publisher, you have to have a hide like a rhinoceros and incredible patience,” Donis Casey said. “Even Stephen King got lots of rejections. If you’ve got a book burning in you, you should get it on paper; I know the technique and I’m very glad to get people started.”

Sarah Herlache, interim supervising librarian in charge of programming for the Foothills Library, said that the Writer in Residence program inspires budding and experienced authors.

“It’s fun to see how they come up with ideas; it’s motivating,” Herlache said. “Donis is a successful, nationally known author. She has a good sense of humor but she’s practical and very down-to-earth. She will be a kind and patient teacher.”

To learn more about the Writer in Residence program and other Glendale Public Library programs visit Home - Glendale Public Library (glendaleazlibrary.com).