What’s better than curling up with a good book under a cozy blanket as the weather turns chilly? If you’re looking for some new books to dive into and love supporting local, then the Ellsworth Public Library Local Author Fair Open House should be on your calendar.

EPL will host 25 local authors from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 at the library (388 W. Main St.) From well-known national best sellers to those just starting out and multiple genres represented, this regional gathering is an opportunity for readers to meet and talk to actual authors.

“It’s a chance to meet and greet authors and get to know their books,” said Youth Program Coordinator Caroline Herfindahl. “Folk can purchase books and get authors to sign them.”

From 2-3 p.m., six authors till take part in an author panel, talking about their different perspectives in writing, in their genres and their publishing journeys. Facilitated by Herfindahl with an audience Q&A at the end, people will hear from Jacqueline West, Carin Thoms, Gary Porter, Thekla Madsen, Rob Bignell and Frank Ginther.

“They all have really different perspectives,” Herfindahl said. “They’re from different genres. We have a picture book person who had to get an illustrator, West has had big commercial success, Bignell is in editing and publishing himself and also writes, Thekla writes with another person, Ginther will talk about non-fiction research.”

Herfindahl, who has been at EPL for seven years, has been thinking about hosting an author fair for a while. With Adult Programming Librarian Robin Kruse on board, the event took shape over the summer.

“We invited folks who have either been at the library before or are people that I’ve met through events at Fox Den (in River Falls), or recently read about in the ‘Journal,’” Herfindahl said. “For some I thought it would a good opportunity for them to jump start getting the word out there about their books. It’s nice to have a lot of authors at once. It gives them exposure whether they’re well-known or not.”

Friends of the Ellsworth Public Library are offering financial support for the event, as well as contributing to author swag bags, door prizes and providing light refreshments.

Herfindahl often receives requests from local authors wanting to hold events at the library. The author fair grew out of wanting to accommodate as many of those requests as possible. The new library space also provides the perfect venue to do so.

“It took a little while to settle into the new space and now we can start to make some of these events happen,” Herfindahl said. “We had it in mind to have a wide variety of genres represented. Kids and young people, to adults, fiction and nonfiction. I’m really happy with how that turned out.”

Western Wisconsin is a literary rich area, with authors abounding. Herfindahl believes the proximity to the Twin Cities, the Loft Literary Center and UW-River Falls helps foster writers’ creativity.

“There are a lot of people who are very interested in writing and publishing. It’s really a fun thing to have that, that richness in a smaller rural area,” she said.

Attendees are invited to stop in for part of the event or the whole three hours.

“We hope people will take the opportunity to meet with all of these authors that are our neighbors and community members,” Herfindahl said. “And even friends and family in some cases. It’s another way we can support local, not just businesses, but writers and artists.”

The library will be open regular business hours that day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No checkouts will be available after 1 p.m.

Trimbelle Nature Day

Looking ahead, EPL will host its popular Trimbelle Nature Day from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 6 at the Trimbelle Recreation Area (N5154 County Road O, Ellsworth). This is a non-school day for the Ellsworth district; everyone is welcome.

Activities will range from a scavenger hunt, story walk, making boats out of nature materials and racing them and hands-on learning opportunities with local conservationists. These include Retta Isaacson from Pierce County Land Conservation talking about macro vertebrates and finding water bugs, a representative from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources who will conduct fish shocking/counting on the Trimbelle; Prescott Librarian Darien Becker, who will talk about cloud observation and recording cloud data on an app, and Amber from Friends of the Willow and Kinni State Parks will be on hand with their Skulls, Pelts, Tracks and Scat program.

Separate box accompanying story:

Meet the Authors

Wade Bergner, Eau Claire (“The Bird Ride” and “Mirror Box”)

Rob Bignell (multiple genres and series, writing and hiking guides)

Kim Catron, Stockholm (“Threshing Straw” historical fiction)

Arlyn Colby, Barron (local railroad history)

Diane Davies, Minnesota (“Life in the Neck” series for children)

John Gaspard, Minneapolis (“Eli Marks” and “Como Players” series, cozy mysteries)

F.G. Ginther, River Falls (“The Life & Times of Dawn Manor”)

Jack Henderson, River Falls (“The Forest Primeval,” crime/suspense)

Grant R. Herfindahl, River Falls (“Shards of Azamius,” science fiction)

Abigail Larkin, Brookfield (“Rose Taylor,” historical fantasy)

Shannon Lavone, Ellsworth (“The Life Unforgiving” series, fantasy)

Nancy Loewen, St. Paul (“The Everybody Club” and other picture books)

Thekla Madsen, River Falls (“Det. Silvano” series, crime/thriller)

Jean Maher, Hudson (“What Do You Spy with Your Eagle Eyes?”)

Rhonda Mumby, Iowa (“A Journey to My Life” and “The Sunflower Experience,” general fiction/romance)

Judie Ohm, Durand (“Turret Tales,” historical biography)

Jessi Peterson, Wisconsin (“Century Farm” poetry)

Gary Porter, Hudson (youth and young adults)

Tonya Schmitt, River Falls (“Backyard Mindfulness”)

Amy Shomshak, Minneapolis (“Ballet” series for teens)

Gail Shore, Balsam Lake (“Changing My Cultural Lens,” travel/memoir)

L.C. Simon, Stillwater (Det. Janssen books, crime/suspense)

Kent Smith “(I See No Problem: The Story of the Southern Minnesota Wing CAF Ghost Squadron,” non-fiction)

Carin Thoms, Wisconsin (“Sara Goes Fishing”)

Carrie Torgersen, River Falls (“Magnus the Naughty Dog Steals Lunch”)

Jacqueline West, Red Wing (“The Books of Elsewhere” series, “The Collectors,” “Last Things,” “Long Lost,” youth/teens)

Robert Wittenberg, Ellsworth (“Righteous Women of the Bible”)