Al Lamanda

Al Lamanda was born and raised in The Bronx, New York. He worked for many years as a private investigator and crime prevention specialist. His novel Sunset was nominated for the Edgar Award for best mystery novel of 2012.

Meet Al Lamanda and dozens of additional Maine authors at this year's Books in Boothbay festival!

Dorothy Cannell

Dorothy Cannell is the author of mystery novels and numerous short stories, including the award-winning Ellie Haskell mystery series. Born in Nottingham, England, she came to the U.S. in 1963. She married Julian Cannell, and lived in Peoria, Illinois, from 1965 to 2004. They now reside on the Maine coast with their dog Teddy and a cat named Killer. They have four children.

Dorothy traces her writing aspirations to the English 110 course she took at Illinois Central College. Her instructor encouraged her to write for publication. Seven years later, she sold her first short story. She has since published 18 novels.

In addition to the U.S. and the United Kingdom, Dorothy's books are sold in Japan, Germany, Italy, Russia and Ukraine.

Her short stories have been published in a variety of anthologies and magazines.  Several have been nominated for the Agatha award.  "The Family Jewels" won in 1994.

Dorothy is a member of Mystery Writers of America, American Crime Writers, and Sisters in Crime.

Come meet Dorothy Cannell and dozens of other Maine authors at this year's Books in Boothbay festival!

Cynthia Lord

Cynthia Lord is a former elementary and middle-school teacher and the children's book author of Rules, Touch Blue, and her newest novel, Half a Chance. She is also the author of the Hot Rod Hamster series, illustrated by Derek Anderson, including the new Hot Rod Hamster Monster Truck Mania, all published by Scholastic. She lives in Brunswick, Maine with her family, a dog, a guinea pig, and two bunnies. You can visit her at www.cynthialord.com.

Come meet Cynthia Lord and dozens of other Maine writers at this year's Books in Boothbay festival!

Katherine Mayfield

Katherine Mayfield is a speaker on bullying and the award-winning author of Bullied: Why You Feel Bad Inside and What to Do About It, a guide to recovery for teens and adults who have been bullied.  Ms. Mayfield’s memoir, The Box of Daughter: Healing the Authentic Self, won awards in the 2012 New England Book Festival and Reader’s Favorite Awards, and was nominated as a finalist in the 2013 Maine Literary Awards.  She has also published two books on the acting business: Smart Actors, Foolish Choices and Acting A to Z, both published by Back Stage Books; a book of poems, The Box of Daughter & Other Poems; and the Kindle book, Dysfunctional Families: The Truth Behind the Happy Family Facade.

Ms. Mayfield appears regularly with the Portsmouth Athenæum's Wednesday Writers' Series in Portsmouth, NH.  She teaches writing workshops and classes in Maine, and blogs on Dysfunctional Families on her website, www.TheBoxofDaughter.com.'

Come meet Katherine Mayfield and dozens of additional Maine authors at this year's Books in Boothbay festival!

Christopher Lockwood

Christopher Lockwood loves tennis and would bring used tennis balls home to Fannie, his chocolate Labrador Retriever, who was the inspiration for this story. When his children were younger, he enjoyed reading bedtime stories to them, but sometimes he fell asleep reading the longer stories. The kids would call downstairs, “Mom, Dad fell asleep again.” It’s fitting that his first children’s book is lighthearted and very short! He lives in Hallowell, Maine with his wife Cindy, and Lucy, his yellow Lab, and Nixon, his orange and white cat, who both enjoy playing with tennis balls. He has four adult children and eight grandchildren.

Come meet Christopher Lockwood and dozens of additional Maine authors at this year's Books in Boothbay festival!

John R. Cobb

Author of “Judith: A Quoddy Tale” and “Tales of the Cemetery Trees”, John R. Cobb is a proud Mainer with a great affection for the woods and waters. John and his family reside in Holden, Maine. Feel free to visit his website at www.johnrcobb.com

Come meet John and dozens of other Maine authors at this year's Books in Boothbay!

Jean Flahive

Jean Flahive, who has a lifelong interest in the Civil War and Maine history, has taught college classes, served as a dean of students at a community college, and has worked as a grantwriter for numerous non-profits. She's the author of Billy Boy, The Sunday Soldier of the 17th Maine, Railroad to the Moon, Elijah’s Story, Remember Me, Tomah Joseph's Gift to Franklin Roosevelt, which won the Moonbeam Gold Award for Best Multi-Cultural Children's Picture Book in 2009, and The Galloping Horses of Willowbrook, which was a finalist in the 2012 Maine Literary Awards.

Come meet Jean and dozens of other authors at this year's Books in Boothbay!

James Hayman

Here's another Books in Boothbay author announcement!

After twenty-five years writing advertising for Madison Avenue ad agencies, James Hayman moved from New York to Portland, Maine in 2001. Recognizing that Portland would make an almost perfect setting for a thriller series, Hayman started writing his first Mike McCabe thriller, The CuttingThe Cutting was published by St. Martin’s/Minotaur  in 2009. The second McCabe novel, The Chill of Night, came out last year.  Both books have been published all over the world and have been translated into half a dozen languages. Hayman’s third thriller, Darkness First, which takes place in Downeast Maine and features McCabe’s partner, Detective Maggie Savage was published as an ebook by Harper Collins in October and in paper on March 25, 2014.

Lynne Plourde

Here it is, our first author announcement of 2014!

Lynn Plourde is the author of twenty-eight children’s books, including her newest “You’re Wearing THAT to School?!” which received a starred review from Kirkus plus a Gold Oppenheim Award. Plourde’s other books include “Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud,” “Moose, of Course!” “Dino Pets,” and “Lost Trail,” the 2013 Maine Student Book Award winner and a graphic novel co-authored with Donn Fendler. Islandport Press will publish her next book, “Merry Moosey Christmas,” in the fall with illustrations by Russ Cox of Pittsfield, Maine. Video read-alouds, learning activities, and a blog on teaching writing are available on her www.lynnplourde.com website. Plourde is a Skowhegan native who currently lives in Winthrop with her husband, Paul Knowles.