Local author Jan McCanless will sign her books at the N.C. Museum of Dolls, Toys and Miniatures (formerly Spencer Doll and Toy Museum) on Saturday, Aug.  26, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Her latest book is the 11th in her Beryl’s Cove mystery series, and is packed with the usual quirky characters and action. “Murder for the Profit,” will be available for sale, along with several of her previous books.

McCanless will appear at the Bookmarks Festival in Winston-Salem on Saturday, Sept. 9, from noon until 4 p.m. She will be at the Indigo Press booth with her books, and a sneak preview of her next book, “Gold, Frankincense and Mrrdur.”

Winner of the Mother Vine award for her compilation of columns, “Wyatt Earp, GAP Pickles and Thoughts of Home,”  she is listed in Who’s Who as a premier Southern humorist, and will be happy to visit with her fans. She’s a regular contributor to Senior Savvy, as well as national publications and area newspapers.

At South Main Book Co.

Two authors will be at South Main Book Co. on Friday, Sept. 1. Maggie Harstad will show a short film and J.C. Sasser, author of “Gradle Bird,” will read from her new book. The events will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Harstad is the daughter of Salisbury natives John Rawling and Katharine Murphy.

Harstad is touring the country as a book publicist and master of ceremonies of a literary event called “Spent Saints.”

Based on the 10 linked short stories by author Brian Jabas Smith, this book, available through Detroit’s Ridgeway Press and now through Ingram, tells the story of Julian Grayling across 30 years of his life.

He is a champion bike racer at 14, then the frontman of a rock band which almost makes it, and ends up in alcoholic despair in the Phoenix barrio, where he falls for a nude dancer who turns him on to crystal meth. Julian must face down his real demon of depression in order to escape with body and spirit intact.

Eleven 30- to 60-second micro shorts were made, inspired by each of these stories across the genres of narrative, experimental, animated and dance film. You may view those at spentsaints.com

Sasser’s novel is about 16-year-old Gradle Bird, raised in a seedy motel by her grandfather, then moved to a dilapidated and supposedly haunted house.

She makes some very unusual friends, including a professional Dumpster diver, D-5 Delvis Miles.

More than a coming-of-age story, the book dives into imagination, fantasy and danger. It was shortlisted in the 2015 William Faulkner-William Wisdom novel competition and was named a spring Okra pick by the Southern Independent Booksellers Association.