Tag Maryland

A snowy border overlays a plate and utensils tied with a bow, surrounded by pinecones.

Author Works: Wendy Eckel

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A snowy border overlays a plate and utensils tied with a bow, surrounded by pinecones.

Saturday, Dec 2 
2 – 3 pm  
Miller Branch
For adults. Register.

In Killer in a Winter Wonderland, the much-anticipated holiday-themed fourth book in the Rosalie Hart cozy mystery series, Wendy Sand Eckel once again brings the fictional town of Cardigan, Maryland to life. With delectable menus, high stakes sleuthing, and the rich atmospheric scenes only the holiday season can provide, Killer in a Winter Wonderland is a cornucopia of delicious fare, compelling new and returning characters, and a fast-paced tale that keeps one riveted to the last page.

Eckel studied criminology and earned a Masters in Social Work. Before becoming a writer she worked as a psychotherapist, helping families and adolescents. Her mystery series has been awarded “Best Cozy” by Suspense magazine, and Mystery at Windswept Farm, the third book in the series, made the humorous novel bestseller list on Amazon. A trained life coach, Wendy writes the advice column for the Maryland Writers’ Association newsletter and enjoys mentoring aspiring authors.

A snow covered white house sits behind a split rail fence, with a pine and winter bare trees in the yard. Old maps of the Chesapeake area are faded into the brown background. the

Meet the Local Author: Ned Tillman

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A snow covered white house sits behind a split rail fence, with a pine and winter bare trees in the yard. Old maps of the Chesapeake area are faded into the

Historical Fiction as a Lens for the Future

Monday, Oct 23
7 – 8 pm
Elkridge Branch
with book discussion at 6:30 pm
Registration recommended.


Award-winning author Ned Tillman discusses his new book, Good Endeavor, and how historical fiction provides perspective on the challenges we face today.

In this historical novel full of colorful characters, Ned Tillman conjures up five generations of his family in an engaging look at how they might have dealt with the critical social, economic, and political issues of their time. Centered on the 300-year-old Good Endeavor homestead (where the author grew up), the book incorporates a slew of family stories, unusual family traits, and artifacts passed down through time.

The protagonist discovers artifacts which incites a desire to know more about the past. The book takes the reader through the lives, loves, and losses of five generations, right up to the present day. Along the way the family members encounter vigilante justice, piracy, bounty hunters, abolitionists, suffragettes, land conservationists, barnstorming, union strikes, integration, and war and climate protests.

Tillman is the author of four books — two nonfiction and two fiction. He discusses the value of both genres for telling the stories of our past and how they can be used to get a sense of how life really was like over the centuries. For this book, he considers (per his comments on Amazon):

* What was life really like over the past 300 years?
* How have our key moral issues changed through time?
* How to tell our stories while breathing life and humanity into all of our ancestors.

A black and white family photo showing four African American boys sits atop an image of fire escapes on row houses.

September Author Events

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The cover features a collage of historical photos that have been partially colorized, arranged around a central circle containing the title.

Wild Women of Maryland: Grit & Gumption in the Free State

Thursday, Sep 28 | 7 – 8:30 pm
Miller Branch
For adults. Register at bit.ly/wild_women_md

Author Lauren Silberman shares her tales of the Wild Women of Maryland. They may not always be role models, but they are always fascinating! Discover true stories behind the pretend-royal Sarah Wilson to the one-legged WWII spy Virginia Hall. From famous figures like Harriet Tubman to unsung heroines like “Lady Law” Violet Hill Whyte, discover Maryland’s most tenacious and adventurous women.

Silberman is the author of Wild Women of Maryland, Wicked Baltimore, and The Jewish Community of Baltimore.
In partnership with Howard County Historical Society

A black and white family photo showing four African American boys sits atop an image of fire escapes on row houses.

Author Works: David Hugo Barrett

Saturday, Sep 30 | 2 – 3 pm
Miller Branch
For adults. Register at bit.ly/newark_barrett

David Hugo Barrett discusses his memoir, A Newark Childhood. Weaving through African American music, folklore, and more, he recounts a coming-of-age story from kindergarten through high school graduation.

Barrett spent his formative years in Newark, New Jersey. He attended Newark’s public schools before earning his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in computer science from Howard University. His community service, here in Howard County, includes director of the board of the Alpha Foundation of Howard County, Inc. and the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society, past president of the Howard County Library System Board of Trustees, past chairman of The Alpha Foundation of Howard County, Inc., former director of the Horizon Foundation, and past president of the Kappa Phi Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.