Paseo Verde Library to launch Local Authors Showcase with event

With a community filled with many unknown writers, Henderson Libraries has decided to set up a display that showcases local authors.

“I think this shows you how creative of an environment we have,” said Lisa Phelan, the head of adult services at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway. “We have so many authors in our community. Having this display gives the public a chance to know some of them.”

To launch its display, the library district is hosting its Local Authors Showcase event from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 8 at the Paseo Verde Library.

Local authors are expected to have booths throughout the library and seminars to help budding writers. The event is free and open to the public.

Phelan said the concept started out among her staff as a simple idea to bring more awareness about local authors.

“We start discussing having a display that would feature them,” she said. “So we put feelers out in the community to see how many authors would be interested to be a part of this.”

More than 60 authors from Las Vegas and Henderson responded with interest.

From there, the concept grew into a larger event to introduce the display, which will remain at the Paseo Verde Library.

There is a meet-and-greet session with more than 40 local authors scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Phelan added that the library is planning to set up a bingo game to encourage guests to visit as many booths as possible.

“There will be several prizes like restaurant gift cards or other gift cards,” she said.

People can check out a variety of writers such as Kip Noschese, who recently published “Otto & the Grand Prix Bees.”

“I am pretty honored to be part of the event,” he said. “It’s a relatively new event. I hope it does well.”

Noschese worked as an animator before creating his first work.

“My mother was a kindergarten and first-grade teacher,” he said. “I was always around children’s books and knew I wanted to be an author one day.”

After he had children, he was inspired to start thinking about working on a children’s book.

Even though he had friends point him in the right direction with self-publishing, he wished he had a resource such as the event the library district is offering.

“I hope people take advantage of this resource,” he said.

He added that this will also serve as a way to promote his book.

“I blew most of my budget on publishing the book,” he said. “It didn’t leave much for my advertising budget.”

Shahab Zargari, another Henderson-based author, is also excited to be at the event to display his book, “Prison Break 2438.”

“I wish I would have had this when I was starting out,” he said.

Zargari is also hoping to share his story about becoming a writer.

“There are two camps of writers,” he said. “There are those who get their bachelor’s (degrees) then their MFA (Master of Fine Arts) and then pursue writing. I’m in another camp. I just couldn’t help but to write.”

After writing many short stories, Zargari and his brother, Shahram Zargari, developed the concept of this book. After taking a retreat away from distractions, they were able to finish the book.

“This is my first novel,” Shahab Zargari said.

At the event, he plans to share a piece of advice that helped him along the way.

“Finish the novel before you go back and edit,” he said. “In so many of my other stories, I would go back and find flaws.”

Instead of pressing through, Zargari would focus on flaws and inconsistencies.

“I would never finish because of it,” he said.

At 12:30 p.m., a local authors panel is slated to feature Matthew O’Brien, Deborah Coonts, David Schwartz, Gerard de Marigny and Brian Rouff.

Phelan said because most writers have had to face the road to publishing at some point, whether it is self-publishing or going through a publishing house, the event is slated to have a workshop “How Do I Publish My Book” at 2:30 p.m.

Roger DeBlanck and Jonathan Sturak, the seminar’s presenters, are expected to discuss the changing problems of modern publishing, strategies for marketing books and how to establish an online presence.

Phelan is already pleased with the response she has gotten about the event and is daydreaming about what future possibilities there could be.

“This might even turn into a yearly event,” she said.

For more information, visit yourpubliclibrary.org.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 702-387-5201.