Las Vegas Book Briefs for Oct. 15-21, 2015

Vegas Valley Book Festival: The 14th annual literary festival is set to offer workshops, author visits, panel discussions, literary art exhibitions, performances and more Oct. 15-17. Highlights include a presentation by Brad Meltzer, author of "The Inner Circle," "The Book of Fate" and seven other best-selling thrillers, at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Authors of the Las Vegas Writes short fiction compilation "The Anarchy of Memories" are set to speak at 6 p.m. Oct. 16 at The Writer's Block, 1020 Fremont St. Claire Vaye Watkins, author of "Battleborn," is slated to speak at 3 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St. Colum McCann, author of "Let the Great World Spin," is scheduled to speak at 4:15 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Fifth Street School. Top local and national authors for children are set to speak from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17 in the courtyard of the Fifth Street School. More than 40 young adult authors are set to participate in panel discussions from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 17 in the Fifth Street School parking lot. Authors focused on romance, fiction, nonfiction and poetry for adults are set to participate in panel discussions from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Fifth Street School. All events are free. Visit vegasvalleybookfestival.org or call 702-229-3515.

Book release party: Local author Renee Jean is set to host a book release party and fundraiser for victims and survivors of domestic violence from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Toscana ballroom of The Venetian and The Palazzo Congress Center, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The event will be held in partnership with The Shade Tree, an organization that provides safe shelter to women, children and their pets in crisis, and Sands Cares, the corporate citizenship program of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Donations to Shade Tree will be accepted in lieu of tickets at the door. Readings from the book "Survivor," guest speakers and a raffle are planned. Other books being released are "Behind Closed Doors" by Kate Marie Robbins, "Finding Rachel" by Bree Vanderland, and "Fighting Chance," an anthology contributed to by various authors from the Domestic Abuse Awareness Warriors. All will be available for sale. Call 702-385-0072.

Fire department presentation: Tim Szymanski, public information and education officer for the Las Vegas Fire Department, is scheduled to speak about the fire department chain of command and procedures during a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Tap House, 5589 W. Charleston Blvd. A $5 meeting fee is charged. Szymanski is open to working with fiction and nonfiction writers who want to get facts straight. Visit meetup.com/las-vegas-writers.

Book signing: The authors of "Seekers, Saints and Scoundrels: The Colorful Characters of Red Rock Canyon" plan a book signing from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Nevada State Museum at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. Email info@friendsofredrockcanyon.org or call 702-515-5360.

The Three Wise Guys: Dayvid Figler, Gregory Crosby and Geoff Carter plan to present Spoken Word and Poetry, a free performance planned in conjunction with the Vegas Valley Book Festival, scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 16 in the jury assembly room at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, 333 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

Author discussion: Melody Moezzi, author of "Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life," is set to share her experiences thriving despite bipolar disorder from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at the West Charleston Library, 6301 W. Charleston Blvd., and from 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 17 at the Spring Valley Library, 4280 S. Jones Blvd. Visit lvccld.org.

Signing set: Toni Gallagher, executive producer of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and kids chapter book author, plans to sign copies of her Sept. 22 release, "Twist My Charm: The Popularity Spell," at 4 p.m. Oct. 17 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

Bukowski, Man and Myth: Las Vegas poet Lee Mallory plans to speak about his friendship and adventures with iconic poet Charles Bukowski during a free lecture at 2 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 McLeod Drive. Admission is free.

Book signings: Local author Yetta Yvette is set to sign copies of her book "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number" at 1 p.m. Oct. 17 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble. The bookstore also is set to welcome Dennis Goode, who plans to sign and discuss his novel "Time Squares" at 3 p.m.

Journalist presentation: Award-winning investigative journalist Nicholas Schou plans to share insights into the world of smugglers, drug dealers and narcotics during an author talk scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 17 at The Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. The event is free with paid admission or museum membership. Visit themobmuseum.org.

Spy Secrets Classes: Jason Hanson, author of "Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life: A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected," plans to offer Spy Escape & Evasion classes from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 16 and 17 at the Hampton Inn Tropicana. Class prices start at $997. Visit spysafety.com.

"Nemesis": Local author Eddie Lee is set to sign copies of his novel "Nemesis" at 1 p.m. Oct. 17 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

"Save Queen Green! Mother Nature's Eco-Rhymes": A book launch with food samplings, a disc jockey, contests and more is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 17 throughout the promenade at The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2225 Village Walk Drive. For more information about the book by mother and daughter Marisa and Angela Vincent, with illustrations by Serene Temple, visit savethegreen.com.

Temple Sinai book discussion: Join author Tod Goldberg and Rabbi Malcolm Cohen in a discussion about Goldberg's book, "Gangsterland," from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Oct. 18 at Temple Sinai Las Vegas, 9001 Hillpointe Road. The event is open to the public. Visit templesinailv.org.

History Signing: Eric Bogosian is set to sign copies of his book "Operation Nemesis: The Assassination Plot That Avenged the Armenian Genocide" at 2 p.m. Oct. 18 at the 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

Stories People Play: English professor Amy Green is set to speak about storytelling elements in video games at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 in the Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Visit unlv.edu.

"A Hero Named John": The Public Education Foundation recently honored Bank of Nevada CEO John Guedry as its annual education hero. As part of the award, the foundation commissioned a book in his honor, "A Hero Named John." The book joins others in the Heroes Series dedicated to Gary Loveman, Mark L. Fine, Sig Rogich, Jim Murren, Pat Mulroy, Jan Jones Blackhurst, Bruce Woodbury and Thalia Dondero. All the books in the series are available for $25 at thepef.org.

"Introspection II": Regana McKinney-McGee is set to sign copies of her novel "Introspection II" at 1 p.m. Oct. 24 at the 2191 N Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble.

An Evening With Jessica Brody: Jessica Brody started self-publishing her own books when she was 7. After graduating from Smith College in 2001, she went to work in acquisitions for MGM Studios. In 2005, she quit to pursue a dream of being an author. She has written two books for adults, "The Fidelity Files" and "Love Under Cover," and the young adult novels "The Karma Club," "My Life Undecided" and "52 Reasons to Hate My Father." Brody is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. Nov 4 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Visit lvccld.org.

NaNoWriMo: The Writer's Block plans to welcome National Novel Writing Month participants for NaNoWriMo Write-Ins from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sundays in November. Every year, aspiring writers push toward a goal of writing a 50,000-word novel through the month of November, ending at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30. The downtown bookstore also plans to host NaNoWriMo critique sessions from 3 to 5 p.m. Sundays, and free NaNoWriMo workshops from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Activities are designed for writers 13 or older. Visit nanowrimo.org.

Las Vegas Stories: Writer and Director of UNLV's Center for Gaming Research, David Schwartz plans to discuss the life of Kirk Kerkorian at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Visit lvccld.org.

Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival: The Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, a day chock-full of free activities, panel discussions and presentations celebrating comic book culture, is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Highlights are set to include workshops led by local and nationally recognized experts on comic art, writing and marketing, and a concert featuring The Doubleclicks and Molly Lewis. Visit lvccld.org.

Mob Museum signing: Author C. Joseph Greaves plans to sign copies of his book "Tom & Lucky and George & Cokey Flo" from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 9 in the retail store at The Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave. There is no admission charge to enter the store. Visit themobmuseum.org.

The Wheel of Time Companions: After his death, Robert Jordan's wife and editor Harriet McDougal, selected Brandon Sanderson to complete his The Wheel of Time series. Alan Romanczuk and Maria Simons, Jordan's editorial assistants for a combined 18 years, worked with Sanderson to complete the last three volumes. Join filmmaker, online Wheel of Time forum founder and author Jason Denzel, McDougal, Romanczuk and Simons as they discuss the series at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Visit lvccld.org.

Lucky Luciano Book: C. Joseph Greaves is set to discuss his novel "Tom & Lucky and George & Cokey Flo," based on the 1936 vice trial that ended the criminal reign of mobster Lucky Luciano, at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Visit lvccld.org.

Writing workshop: Hollywood script and story consultant Michael Hauge, best-selling author of "Writing Screenplays That Sell" and "Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read," is slated to present a Las Vegas Romance Writers-sponsored workshop on creating compelling fiction and more from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at Sunset Station, 1301 W. Sunset Road. Admission is $75 for Las Vegas Romance Writers members and $100 for others. Visit lvrwa.org.

"Pete the Cat" author tour: "Pete the Cat" author and musician Eric Litwin is set to bring his musical stories to several local libraries in November, with stops scheduled at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 18 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road; from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane; from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 19 at the West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd.; and from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Whitney Library, 5175 E. Tropicana Ave. Visit lvccld.org.

Tino the Tortoise: Carolyn L. Ahern is set to read from her newest Tino adventure,"Tino the Tortoise: Adventures in the Grand Canyon," at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 24 at the 567 N. Stephanie St. Barnes & Noble.

Writing and art competition: Henderson Libraries are sponsoring a creative writing and cover art contest for Clark County writers and artists 18 or older. The contest deadline is Nov. 30. Visit mypubliclibrary.com.

Ongoing events

Neon Lit: Neon Lit, a public reading featuring writers from UNLV's Master of Fine Arts and Ph.D. writing programs, is scheduled the fourth Friday of most months at The Writer's Block, 1020 Fremont St., No. 100. The next gathering is set for Oct. 23. Visit neonlit.org.

5/5+ Poetry: Poets are invited to share original work for five minutes followed by attendees offering comments for five minutes during 5/5+, a workshop series put on by Nick Marco, Lana Hanson and Lee Mallory, scheduled every two weeks at BooksOrBooks, 3460 E. Sunset Road, Suite R. The next session is planned from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 25. Call 702-754-5971, email jtjmarco@live.com, raisewomenup@gmail.com or leewmallory3@gmail.com or search for 5/5+ on Facebook.

Writers club: The Aliante Library Writers Club is scheduled to meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of each month at the Aliante Library, 2400 W. Deer Springs Way. Email facilitator Glory Wade at glorywadewriter@gmail.com.

Sevens Live!: Poet Lee Mallory plans to present Sevens Live!, a new poetry, music and comedy showcase, from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays inside the Cantina at the Silver Sevens, 4100 Paradise Road. Admission is free with a one-drink minimum. Call 702-733-7300.

Fiction writing series: The Creative Writing @ Your Library: Fiction Writing series facilitated by Henderson Writer's Group president Gregory A. Kompes is scheduled from 10 to 11:30 a.m. the first and third Tuesdays of the month through Dec. 15 at the Gibson Library, 100 W. Lake Mead Parkway. Topics to be discussed include settings, characters, dialogue and editing. Visit mypubliclibrary.com.

Poets Corner: The West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., plans to host poets corner readings with Keith Brantley at 7 p.m. the first and third Friday of each month. Call 702-229-4800.

Science fiction and fantasy writing group: Readers, writers and editors of science fiction and fantasy are invited to check out a new group scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Saturdays in meeting room two at the Green Valley Library, 2797 N. Green Valley Parkway. Call 702-334-0204.

Barnes & Noble writing group: The 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd. Barnes & Noble plans to host a writing critique group at 5:15 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month. The group is limited to the first 20 participants per meeting. Sign up at meetup.com/las-vegas-creative-writing-class.

Henderson Writers Group: The Henderson Writers Group plans to meet from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. Mondays in Room C-2 at Community Lutheran Church, 3720 E. Tropicana Ave. Meetings are typically canceled on holidays. Visit hendersonwritersgroup.com.

Memoir-writing workshops: An ongoing series of free four-week memoir-writing workshops is scheduled at noon Wednesdays and 10 a.m. Fridays at the Las Vegas FamilySearch Library, 509 S. Ninth St. Four-week sessions are set to begin the first week of every month. Call 702-382-9695.

Books needed: Students at Clark County's 78 Safekey sites are in need of books, and Clark County commissioners and Las Vegas' new poet laureate are appealing to the community to help out. The goal is to collect 3,000 new or gently used books for use by elementary school children enrolled in morning and afternoon Safekey programs. The programs are set to adopt the Apple Core reading program with the goal of setting aside 15 minutes of reading time during each Safekey session. Visit clarkcountynv.gov.