Authors at JCPL is a program series that brings popular and award-winning writers from around the country right here to Johnson County, thanks to generous donations to The Johnson County Public Library Foundation. If you would like to help ensure that great programming like this continues at JCPL, please consider making a donation.
Shelby Mahurin
Tue • Sep 26 • 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Whiteland Community High School Auditorium
300 E Main St, Whiteland, IN 46184
JCPL welcomes Shelby Mahurin, the New York Times, indie and internationally bestselling author of the Serpent & Dove trilogy. The first 100 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a copy of “The Scarlet Veil.” Please, only one free book per library cardholder. General admission tickets may be reserved by anyone; you do not need a library card to attend. Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Shelby Mahurin grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn’t fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches The Office and reads voraciously. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband and semi-feral children.
Visit her website
Check out her books
*Please contact Kelly Staten (kstaten@jcplin.org or 317-738-9835) with accessibility or interpretive needs.
Past Authors 2023
Ruth Ware
Mon • June 26 • 7 p.m.
The Historic Artcraft Theatre
57 N. Main St., Franklin
JCPL welcomes Ruth Ware, the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of "The Woman in Cabin 10." The first 100 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a copy of "Zero Days." Please, only one free book per library cardholder. General admission tickets may be reserved by anyone; you do not need a library card to attend. Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Ruth Ware is the international number one bestselling author of "In a Dark, Dark Wood", "The Woman in Cabin 10", "The Lying Game", "The Death of Mrs. Westaway", "The Turn of the Key", "One by One" and "The It Girl". Her thrillers have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and The New York Times. Her books have been optioned for both film and TV, and she is published in more than 40 languages. Before becoming an author, she worked as a waitress, a bookseller, an ESL instructor, and a press officer before settling down as a full-time writer. Ruth lives near Brighton, England with her family.
Ruth Ware will be joined in conversation by Ashley Flowers. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Creative Officer of audiochuck, the award-winning, independent media and podcast production company known for its standout content and storytelling across different genres, including true crime, fiction, comedy, and more. Most recently, Ashley is also the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, "All Good People Here." Flowers was born and raised in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, her daughter, and their beloved dog, Chuck. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Services from Arizona State University.
Visit her website
Check out her books
*Please contact Kelly Staten (kstaten@jcplin.org or 317-738-9835) with accessibility or interpretive needs.
Jack Carr
Tue • May 23 • 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
The Historic Artcraft Theatre
57 N. Main St., Franklin
JCPL welcomes #1 New York Times bestselling author and former Navy SEAL, Jack Carr to our Authors at JCPL series! The first 100 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a signed copy of “Only the Dead.”
Due to popularity of this event, please only one free book per JCPL cardholder. General admission tickets may be reserved by anyone - you do not need a library card to attend. Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Carr will be joined in conversation with Franklin Chief of Police, Kirby Cochran.
Jack Carr is the author of the bestselling James Reece series. His debut novel, “The Terminal List”, was adapted into the #1 Amazon Prime Video series starring Chris Pratt. He is also the host of the top-rated podcast Danger Close.
Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF) of Indiana will be collecting boxed and canned goods at our Authors at JCPL event with Jack Carr. Here is a list of items to fulfill immediate needs. Bring your items with you to the event.
Visit his website
Check out his books
*Please contact Kelly Staten (kstaten@jcplin.org or 317-738-9835) with accessibility or interpretive needs.
Angeline Boulley
Wed • May 10 • 7 p.m.
Beeson Hall
396 Branigin Blvd, Franklin
JCPL welcomes Angeline Boulley, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Printz Award winning novel, “Firekeeper’s Daughter.” The first 100 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a copy of "Warrior Girl Unearthed." Please, only one free book per library cardholder. General admission tickets may be reserved by anyone; you do not need a library card to attend. Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Angeline Boulley is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and the former Director of the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Her debut novel “Firekeeper’s Daughter” has earned the Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, the Printz Award, the William C. Morris award for YA debut literature, and was an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book. It was also named one of the top 100 young adult novels of all time by Time magazine and has been optioned for Netflix as a miniseries.
Angeline will be joined in conversation with Autumn Brunelle. Brunelle is Anishinaabe, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and grew up on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Cass Lake, Minnesota. Autumn graduated in 2015 from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Native American Studies with a desire for integrating indigenous knowledge into environmental education and outreach. She has continued to develop this passion through her diverse work experiences with international and local non-profits, the National Park Service, local governments, and in creating community-based environmental programming. She currently works as a full-time Naturalist for the Monroe County Parks and Recreation Department.
Visit her website
Check out her books
*Please contact Kelly Staten (kstaten@jcplin.org or 317-738-9835) with accessibility or interpretive needs.
V.E. Schwab
Thu • Apr 13 • 7 p.m.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Come early to enjoy a beverage at the cash bar before the program begins.
The Sycamore at Mallow Run
7070 Whiteland Rd., Bargersville, IN 46106
JCPL welcomes Victoria “V. E.” Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 books for adults, teens and children, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, the Villains series, the Cassidy Blake series and the international bestseller, "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue."
The first 100 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a signed copy of "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue." Please, only one free book per library cardholder. General admission tickets may be reserved by anyone; you do not need a library card to attend. Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Her work has been translated into over two dozen languages, as well as optioned for television and film. "First Kill" – her YA vampire series based on the short story of the same name – is currently on Netflix. Schwab serves as a creator, executive producer and writer for the show. A Nashville, TN native, Ms. Schwab now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.
Ms. Schwab will be joined in conversation by author Brooke Lauren Davis, author of "The Hollow Inside" and "After Dark with Roxy Clark." She loves stories of all kinds, from plays to ballets, to TV shows, to memories rehashed over the dinner table. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found annoying her pets, haunting bookstores, or shouting Jeopardy! answers at the TV.
Copies of the paperback edition of "The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue" will be pre-signed and stamped with a tour exclusive custom image. In lieu of a post-event signing line, there will be a longer Q&A session. A limited number of signed bookplates will be available for personal copies. Please, only one per person.
Visit V.E.'s website.
Check out V.E.'s books.
*Please contact Kelly Staten (kstaten@jcplin.org or 317-738-9835) with accessibility or interpretive needs.
Photo Credit: Jenna Maurice
Past Authors 2022
Janet Evanovich
Tue • Nov 1 • 7 p.m.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a pre-program book signing
The Historic Artcraft Theatre
57 N. Main St., Franklin
JCPL is thrilled to welcome Janet Evanovich, the author of over 42 #1 New York Times bestsellers, including the blockbuster Stephanie Plum novels, to our Authors at JCPL series! The first 200 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a copy of her new book, “Going Rogue.” Due to popularity of this event, please only one free book per JCPL cardholder. General admission tickets may be reserved by anyone - you do not need a library card to attend. Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Evanovich was born in New Jersey and began her career writing short contemporary romance novels under the pen name Steffie Hall. After twelve romance novels, Evanovich shifted creative directions, writing more action based mystery novels. Her last seventeen titles in the Stephanie Plum series have debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. She lives in Hawaii & North Carolina with her husband, Pete.
Visit her website
Check out her books
*Please contact Kelly Staten (kstaten@jcplin.org or 317-738-9835) with accessibility or interpretive needs.
Kathy Reichs
Fri • July 8 • 6:30 p.m.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Franklin College's Branigin Room in the Napolitan Student Center
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JCPL welcomes The New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Kathy Reichs to our Authors at JCPL series. The first 100 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a copy of her new book "Cold, Cold Bones." One free book per cardholder. Meet the author and get your books signed, as well! Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Dr. Reich’s popular mystery novels featuring the character Temperance Brennan were developed into “Bones,” a long-running TV series for Fox that was loosely based on the author’s life. Dr. Reichs has written more than 20 novels, including the Temperance Brennan series, several novellas, and the Virals series which she co-authored with her son Brenden.
As a forensic anthropologist, Dr. Kathy Reichs has brought her own lived experiences to her captivating forensic thrillers and also served as a producer for the “Bones” television series. A Chicago native, Dr. Reichs splits her time between Charlotte, N.C., and Montreal, Québec.
Visit her website
Check out her books
*Please contact Kelly Staten (kstaten@jcplin.org or 317-738-9835) with accessibility or interpretive needs.
Craig Johnson
Thu • Jul 7 • 6:30 p.m.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
The Historic Artcraft Theatre
57 N. Main St., Franklin
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JCPL is excited to welcome Craig Johnson, the New York Times bestselling author of the Walt Longmire mystery novels to our Authors at JCPL series! The first 100 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a free copy of "Daughter of the Morning Star". One free book per cardholder. Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Johnson has written 18 books, two novellas, and many short stories featuring the Longmire character. He is the recipient of the Western Writers of America Spur Award for fiction, the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award for fiction and his novel "Spirit of Steamboat" was selected by the Wyoming State Library as the inaugural One Book Wyoming title.
The books also inspired the "Longmire" TV show, which was the highest-rated original drama series on A&E before moving to Netflix. Johnson grew up in Huntington, WV, and attended college at Marshall University, but now lives in lives in the tiny town of Ucross, Wyoming (population 25) with his wife.
Jennifer Weiner
Wed • May 11 • 6:30 p.m.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Come early to enjoy a beverage at the cash bar before the program begins.
The Sycamore at Mallow Run
7070 Whiteland Rd, Bargersville, IN 46106
JCPL is excited to welcome New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner to our Authors at JCPL series! The first 100 JCPL cardholders to register and attend will receive a free copy of "The Summer Place". Meet the author and get your books signed, as well! Copies of the author's books will also be available for purchase from Wild Geese Bookshop.
Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 18 books, including "Big Summer", "Mrs. Everything", "Good in Bed", and an essay collection, "Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing". A graduate of Princeton University, Jennifer lives with her family in Philadelphia.
Tahereh Mafi
Virtual Author Visit and Conversation with Tahereh Mafi and Ransom Riggs
Sat • Feb. 5 • 1 p.m. • via Zoom
Registration has closed
JCPL is excited to welcome New York Times bestselling and National Book Award nominated author Tahereh Mafi to our Authors at JCPL series! She is the author of sixteen novels for children and teens including the Shatter Me series, "A Very Large Expanse of Sea", "An Emotion of Great Delight" and her forthcoming young adult fantasy novel. The first 25 JCPL cardholders who register and virtually attend will receive a signed copy of her new book "This Woven Kingdom".
Mafi was born in Connecticut and now resides in southern California with her daughter and her husband Ransom Riggs, who is also a writer and best known for the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series. Join us for a live, virtual event as she discusses "This Woven Kingdom", the explosive first book in a new epic, romantic fantasy trilogy inspired by Persian mythology. Ransom Riggs will be joining her for the event and the conversation!
Visit her website
Check out her books
Purchase their books from Wild Geese Bookshop
