Join us Tuesday June 23rd from 7-9pm for an evening of readings by local authors at The ACT Maple Ridge. The lobby is not available this month and we will likely be in the gallery or the studio theatre. Please look for signs!
Playbill:
Author of the traditional, globetrotting Cait Morgan Mysteries, and the cozy WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries set in Wales, Cathy Ace was born and raised in Wales and migrated to Canada. She's a past Chair of Crime Writers of Canada, and is a Bony Blithe, IPPY, IBA, and Editor’s Choice CrimeFictionLover Award winner. Her 30th novel will be published on July 13th this year.
Cathy will read a cozy crime fiction excerpt from Criminally Comical - Wales's WISE Women crack cases and smiles.
A writer since she could hold a pen (or crayon as the case may be), Ronda Payne is a full-time copywriter, freelancer and storyteller. She joyfully lives in Maple Ridge in yet another renovation project home with her husband and their pets.
Ronda will be reading a personal essay about realizing, then going through, depression titled "The Pills that Saved Me."
Jack Emberly is a local author and columnist - Along the Fraser.
Jack will read excerpts from “Goodbye Chums”, his short story of hope and empathy in a grade three classroom. The story was longlisted in the 2022 CBC Short Story competition.
Margarita Escobar is a bilingual writer who thinks in Spanish, writes in English, and hopes that the story finds its way to readers, regardless of language.
From her short story collection Under a Weeping Willow, Margarita will read an excerpt from the story “Time Never Forgets.”
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Annette LeBox is an award-winning poet, novelist and children's writer. Two of her picture books have won the BC Book prize for Illustrated Literature. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and a certificate from S.F.U.'s The Writer's Studio.
Annette will be reading her lyrical picture book, Mother Aspen: A Story of How Forests Cooperate and Communicate.
Lynn Easton writes from unceded Katzie territory in Maple Ridge, BC. Her writing has appeared in a wide variety of periodicals, anthologies and literary magazines including The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, The Globe and Mail, and most recently Beyond Blue (Caitlin Press), and Better Next Year (Tidewater Press) both published in 2025.
Lynn will read from her creative nonfiction ‘hermit crab' piece titled Missing Purse Alert.
Mark McClure is an Appalachian-born author living in British Columbia, with his wife Jennifer and their two children Jacob and Emma. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals, including The Threepenny Review, and his novels, Coming to Scratch and The Courier are forthcoming Fall/Winter 2027.
Mark will read an excerpt from a first person POV short story titled “An Honest Man”.
This is our last lobby night of the season before we break for the summer. We are returning in September!
There is no charge for this event. Beginner to experienced writers! There are door prizes (donations of door prizes always gratefully accepted).
This is an adult event, but mature older teenagers with an interest in writing are welcome. No young children, please. No charge to attend.
The ACT Maple Ridge opens the bar/concession for us. Please support them, as they support us. Cash sales only.