Author Events for the remainder of February

Meet the Author Series at Paragraphs

Monday, February 19^th   1-3 PM

Book signing and conversation with author, M.E. Bakos

“Fatal Flip”

Flipping houses can be fatal! When thirty-five-year-old, widowed Katelyn, gets fired from Colossal Health she takes friend Myra’s, advice to “follow your bliss.” She becomes a Home Rehab Specialist in Crocus Heights, Minnesota. Her ninety-day plan to turn distressed properties into cash and career fulfillment veers towards deadly when she finds a body in her first project. Attractive, blue-eyed, muscular Sheriff Don Williams at first suspects Katelyn. After all, it’s her house. Meanwhile, her ex-husband Eddy, (it’s complicated) is back in her life and sleeping on her sofa. One mystery leads to another when Katelyn’s snooty neighbor, Ariel, is discovered dead in her bathtub. Could any of the townhome residents have killed Ariel? Between keeping her stray cat, Boots, in kibble, and herself in pizza and good coffee, Katelyn works survival jobs as she unravels the puzzle of who leaves bodies in abandoned houses, and why. And while Katelyn recovers from losing Jake, the love of her life, she warms to the possibility of a new love with the handsome Sheriff Don.

M.E. Bakos has published several short stories in national women’s magazines. Her love of mysteries has led to writing cozies. Her first mystery short story, “Carpe Diem or Murder at the Carp Fest” appeared in the Festival of Crime, a SINC Anthology. Her second, “Perfect Storm . . . Perfect Murder” will be in Dark Side of the Loon, May, 2018 also a SINC Anthology.
Her first cozy, FATAL FLIP, A Home Renovator Mystery has several home improvement tips for the reader.
Mary is a member of Twin Cities Sisters in Crime, the SINC Guppies Group, and an alumna of the University of Minnesota. She is a lifelong resident of Minnesota and resides in Minneapolis with her husband, Joe Sebesta, and their spoiled Morkie.

Saturday, February 24^th       1-3 PM

Book signing and conversation with author, Gail Hanson

“Through the Shadows”

“Through the Shadow” is part of the love story of Paul and Gail Hanson.  In 1971 God spoke to them to drive nearly 3000 miles across America in an old pick-up truck and with their baby son to a border town in the lower Rio Grande Valley.  Their intention was to prepare briefly for a permanent move into Mexico to serve as missionaries.  However, God waylaid them in Brownsville and told Paul that it was His Will to establish a Christian High School.  For forty-five years Valley Christian High School has been an oasis for teens from Mexico and Texas.  The school is committed to being a safe environment and a culture of honor for their international student body.  It has a unique environment dedicated to welcoming the Holy Spirit into their daily lives while having fun and preparing, not only for college but for every aspect of their adult lives.  This is also the story of how Gail’s life and dreams were shattered on a beautiful April morning and her painful journey to recovery.

Gail Hanson grew up north of Seattle overlooking the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains.  She is the daughter of a Norwegian immigrant who became a gold miner in Alaska and a commercial salmon fisherman in both Alaska and Washington.  Her roots are in the north and her childhood joys focused on skiing, boating and mountain explorations.  She graduated from the University of Western Washington near the Canadian border where her life was caught up n the Hippie Revolution of the 60s.There she met her husband, Paul and there together Jesus Christ captured their hearts.  She has three sons, Joel, Marco and David and six grandchildren.  She continues to live in Brownsville Texas as principal of Valley Christian High School.

“The Magic of Mariachi” 

Sunday – February 25^th  2018    1-3 PM

Book signing and reception with author and Poet, Steven Schneider

This is Steven’s second visit to Paragraphs this year. His earlier signing was for his book, “Borderlines: Drawing Border Lives”.  A well-received event, he now returns with “The Magic of Mariachi”. A bilingual poetry book with lavish artwork by Reefka Schneider on every page.

The Magic of Mariachi / La Magia del Mariachi is a fascinating book that combines two disciplines – art and poetry – creating a treasure of lyrical poetry and strikingly beautiful paintings of mariachi musicians. The twenty four poems, written in English and skillfully translated into Spanish, were created in response to each of the twenty-four works of art in the book. The poems are placed side by side with the paintings and drawings of contemporary mariachi musicians. The artwork in the book is the result of the artist’s direct encounter with mariachi musicians in their rehearsals and performance settings. The paintings and drawings are done in pastel, watercolor, and charcoal in a variety of styles and approaches. The poems are written in a variety of poetic forms: sestina, haiku, villanelle, triolet, prose poems, dramatic monologues and free verse. The Magic of Mariachi / La Magia del Mariachi is a cross-cultural text that will encourage reading, bilingual learning, and creative expression through poetry and art.

Steven P. Schneider is the author of three books of poetry: Borderlines: Drawing Border Lives (Wings Press, 2012), a collaborative effort with his wife, Reefka Schneider; Unexpected Guests (Blue Light Press, 2008); and Prairie Air Show (Hurakan Publications and Sandhills Press, 2000). Steven Schneider’s poetry has been widely anthologized and featured in American Life in Poetry, Prairie Schooner, Critical Quarterly, The Literary Review and numerous other international journals.

He earned a BA from Syracuse University and an MFA and PhD from the University of Iowa.

Schneider’s awards include three Big Read grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Nebraska Arts Council Poetry award, and a Poetry Fellowship and Residency from the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, New Mexico. He is professor of English at the University of Texas-Pan American. 

All events are free and open to the public.

Paragraphs On Padre Boulevard, 5505 Padre Blvd. South Padre Island, TX

For information call us at 956-433-5057