Library hosts Valerie Geary Author Jan Bono releases two mysteries
for Northwest Author Series New series’ setting resembles the Long Beach Peninsula
CANNON BEACH — Valerie
Geary, author of “Crooked
River,” will be the speaker
at the next Northwest Author
Series event at the Cannon
Beach Library, set for 2 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 10. The event
is free.
Geary’s debut novel,
“Crooked River,” is a psy-
chological thriller that moves
from Eugene to the forests and
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grew up in Albany and has a
strong connection to its wild
places. Now a Portland resi-
dent, she spent her childhood
outdoors, riding bikes, digging
in the garden and tromping
through the woods.
Her novel focuses on two
young sisters, grieving the
death of their mother, and ad-
justing to the family’s move
from the comforts of Eugene
to rural Oregon with Bear,
their beekeeper father. Soon,
their eccentric father is arrest-
Submitted photo
“Crooked River” by Valerie Geary.
ed for murder.
Full of emotion and sus-
pense, and told in the voices of
the two sisters, “Cooked Riv-
er” is a powerful debut.
The Cannon Beach book
Store will have books avail-
able for purchase and signing.
5:00 pm
Downtown Astoria
Every month, year ‘round!
Oct
10th
Visit Downtown Astoria on the
2nd Saturday of every month for
art, music, and general merriment!
Presented by the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association
astoriadowntown.com
facebook/astoriadowntown.com
22 | October 8, 2015 | coastweekend.com
LONG BEACH, Wash. and ASTORIA
— ³,¶P GH¿QLWHO\ GRLQJ WKH
happy dance,” says Jan Bono,
author of a cozy new mystery
series. “And I’m delighted
to share my excitement with
readers who’ve been waiting,
literally for decades for the
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mysteries often set in small
towns. An amateur sleuth,
along with an entourage of
quirky friends, works with the
police department to solve the
crime — usually a murder.
“But cozies don’t have
graphic violence, bad lan-
guage or blatant sex,” explains
Bono. “What makes them fun
to read are the recurring cast of
characters and the humorous,
borderline slapstick situations
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as they wrestle to put together
the pieces of the puzzle.”
The television show “Mur-
der She Wrote” is an excellent
example of a cozy mystery se-
ries, notes Bono.
“My main character, Sylvia
Avery, is an early retiree from
Child Protective Services. Her
closest friends include a se-
quined casino lounge singer;
a young, gay motel manager;
a slightly conservative high
school history teacher and the
teacher’s retired mentor; the
Book signings
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10
Long Beach Coffee Roasters
811 S. Pacific Ave., Long Beach, Wash.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
3 Cups Coffee House
279 W. Marine Drive, Astoria
360-642-4932
48 readers. Bono hints that
the Sandy Bottom Coffee Cup
Author Jan Bono holds “Bottom Feeders” referred to in her novels has a
and “Starfish,” the first two books in her striking resemblance to Long
new Sylvia Avery Mystery series.
Beach Coffee Roasters.
The second book signing
county sheriff and his young- will be Saturday, Oct. 17 at 3
er, handsome deputy; and a Cups Coffee House in Astoria.
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The series’ action runs
The Sylvia Avery Mystery the entire length of the North
series begins with “Bottom Beach Peninsula, from the
)HHGHUV´DQG³6WDU¿VK´%RQR southern town of Unity past
recommends that these books Tinkerstown and Ocean Crest
be read in order.
to the Spartina Point Casino
Bono has two book sign- and Resort.
ings scheduled at local coffee
“I had almost too much fun
shops, taking place from 10 with place names,” admits Bono.
a.m. to 2 p.m..
“I even put a map in the front of
7KH RI¿FLDO UHOHDVH SDUW\ both books in case locals want to
will be Saturday, Oct. 10 at double check their geographical
Long Beach Coffee Roasters VXVSLFLRQV/HW¶VMXVWVD\P\¿F-
in Long Beach, where free tional locales have a tendency to
FDNHZLOOEHVHUYHGWRWKH¿UVW imitate real places.”
Submitted photo
Can you play dead?
ASTORIA — The Clatsop
County Historical Society is
preparing for its ever-popular
Talking Tombstones program,
which will take place Sunday,
Oct. 25.
The historical society seeks
volunteers to assist in putting
on the event. At Talking Tomb-
stones, actors portray deceased
former citizens in costume
who ready for a graveside chat
with any and all willing to visit
their tombstones.
All interested persons
ASOC opens ‘True West’
ASTORIA — The Astor Street
Opry Company presents “True
West,” a play written by Pulit-
zer Prize-winning playwright
should contact the society Sam Shepard.
Directed by Markus Brown,
by calling 503-325-2203 or
“True West” runs at 7 p.m. Fri-
emailing cchs@cumtux.org
Clatsop County Historical day and Saturday, Oct. 9 to 24.
Society is a 501(C)(3) non- A Sunday matinée is scheduled
SUR¿WHGXFDWLRQDORUJDQL]DWLRQ for 2 p.m. Oct. 18.
This fall production is a
dedicated to preserving and
presenting the history of Clat- thought-provoking show geared
sop County and the surround- for mature audiences. “True
West” takes you into the pri-
ing area.
The society operates the vate lives of two brothers and
Flavel House Museum, the their roller coaster ride of a re-
Heritage Museum, the Oregon lationship that built up over 40
Film Museum, and the Up- years. In the play, they are stuck
SHUWRZQ)LUH¿JKWHUV0XVHXP together in their mother’s home
Historical society seeks volunteers to
assist with Talking Tombstones event
Bono’s books are written in
a slightly larger font size than
most standard tomes. “I’m
61,” says Bono. “Most of my
friends also have what I call
‘mature eyes.’ And I promised
Mom she’d never have to wear
her reading glasses to enjoy
my books.”
Each book costs $15. The
books are currently available
only through book signings,
bazaars and direct communi-
cation with the author.
An assortment of Bono’s
eight other published books
will be available at both book
signings. “There’s a 10 per-
cent discount on three or more
different titles,” she says.
“Bottom Feeders” and
“Starfish” are the first two
of a proposed six to eight
book series. “I’ve got a
rough idea of the plots of the
next four books for sure, and
already have many pages of
notes for book three, which
I plan to have out in 2016,”
she says.
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I’m hoping to see and visit
with many readers over the
next two weekends. Good cof-
fee and good books — what a
perfect combination.”
For more information, call
360-642-4932. Long Beach
Coffee Roasters is located at
6 3DFL¿F $YH LQ /RQJ
Beach, and 3 Cups Coffee
House is located at 279 W.
Marine Drive in Astoria.
with nothing but booze, burnt
toast, and the sound of yapping
coyotes to occupy their time.
Ben VanOsdol portrays Aus-
tin, a well-educated struggling
writer. Jason Hippert plays Aus-
tin’s older brother, Lee, a drifter
and a petty thief. Dan Driscol
plays Saul, a Hollywood Pro-
ducer, and Karen Bain performs
as the mother to Austin and Lee.
Tickets are $8 to $15. All
proceeds go toward helping
ASOC fund new productions
and activities.
For more information or to
purchase tickets, call 503-325-
6104 or visit www.astorstreeto-
prycompany.com