Author Nancy Christie to Appear at Poland Ohio Local Arts Event, 12/04

Ohio-based author Nancy Christie will be signing copies of her books- "Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories" and "The Gifts of Change"-as part of the upcoming Friends of Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County Local Author, Artist, and Musician Event. The event will take place at the Poland branch, 311 S. Main St. in Poland, OH on December 4 at 6:30 PM.

"I'm very pleased to be part of this event," said Christie. "The library is a wonderful place not only to find great books to read but also to meet other people who share a common interest. And by sponsoring an event for those in creative fields-writers, musicians and artists-it serves as a great opportunity to showcase local people for whom the arts are both a profession and a passion."

Christie's book, "Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories," published by Pixel Hall Press, is a collection of short stories about people who, in her words, "are unwilling or unable to keep control over their lives and so end up 'traveling left of center.' Some are successful at getting back to the safe side, while others are still struggling."

Individual stories from the book have been published in literary journals including Full of Crow, Wanderings and Office Number One, while "Annabelle" and "Alice in Wonderland" had been previously released by Pixel Hall Press as e-books under the PHP Shorts imprint.

Christie's inspirational book, "The Gifts of Change" (Atria/Beyond Words), focuses on the opportunities change can bring into one's life, "even those changes that we didn't want, would like to forgo or wish had arrived on someone's else's doorstep instead of ours," Christie said wryly. "But if we approach it with an open mind, change can also be a wonderful generator of understanding, helping us to identify not only new opportunities to explore but also those strengths and abilities that we did not realize we possessed."

"The Gifts of Change," also available in three foreign editions, has received numerous accolades since its release in 2004.

Founder of the Monday Night Writers group, Christie is also be coordinating the "Celebrate Short Fiction" Day event at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Boardman on December 21.