(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 30, 2008 ) Spencer, IA -- Arts on Grand, the Spencer, Iowa, community art gallery, will host a book fair on Sunday, December 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. A number of local authors will be on hand to sign their books, including local author Amelia Painter.

Amelia Painter and Mary Nichols, who compiled Discover Iowa: A Culinary Journey Through Iowa will be joined by Donna Muilenburg to distribute recipes from Painter's latest cookbook Discover Iowa: Cooking with Iowa Wines, Meats and other Iowa Products. Painter will also have copies of her popular book Opening and Operating a Bed & Breakfast in the 21st Century available. (All of Painter's books can also be purchased on Amazon.com.)

Also on hand will be Alan Oppedal of Ruthven, author of The Inevitable Triumph, the story of a northwest Iowa community; Jim Oleson of Milford, who wrote In Their Own Words: True Stories and Adventures of the American Fighting Ace; Helen Augustine of Emmetsburg, who wrote They Opened the Door and Let My Future In about the country school teachers of Palo Alto County; and Julie Schmidt, author of Conflagration: The Great Spencer Fire of 1931. Other books of reminiscence are also available, including My Grandma Always Told Me … by Patricia Phipps and Snapshots: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl by Verna Hanson.

Among the books available will be the recently published Walking Beans Wasn’t Something You Did With Your Dog, stories of growing up in and around the small towns of the Midwest. Compiled by Jean Tennant of Everly, the book includes stories by members of Arts on Grand’s writers group, several of whom will be on hand to sign copies. Hartley artist and writer Katie Thompson will be present for the event. She is the author (using the pen name Kate Iola) of Deadstock, a novel that deals with agricultural terrorism in northwest Iowa.

Arts on Grand has a number of books with whimsical illustrations for young children, including A Mutt Wutter’s Tale and The Muttwutter in a Storm at the Zoo by Marjorie Ilich, illustrated by Mark Ilich, as well as a series books of animal books by Ina Faye Underwood with illustrations by P. K. Streets. Amy J. Maurer will be at Arts on Grand to autograph her book, A Purple Hippopotamus and Pink Penguin Sheets, which was illustrated by Rachael Smith with a cover design by Gina Bailey. Marjorie Roelofsen of Spirit Lake will also be on hand to autograph her children’s book, Sam.
Arts on Grand
408 N. Grand Avenue, Spencer, IA 51301
Phone (712) 262-4307
Fax (712) 264-0430

Contact Information:
Amelia Painter, author
Martin Arthur
Tel: 712-262-4307
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