Local Authors

Is it something in the water around here, or is it common for communities the size of Fredericksburg to be home to a lot of successful writers? I discovered another one last week. Hope Tarr. Genre: Romance.

LK Hunsaker lives in Stafford, but was born in Washburn, Illinois, a small rural area that lends its atmosphere to the scenery of Finishing Touches -- a romantic novel that applies the stream-of-consciousness literary style.

Local author and retired cop Michael Middleton served from 1966-1988 in the Los Angeles Police Department. Years of writing police reports have colored his conversational style. He gets to the point, and he doesn't mince words.

"Any writer who says they don't care about reviews is lying," he tells me.

Candice Ransom, the author of 100 children's books, balances the responsibilities of a writing career with the creative energy necessary for reaching young readers. Her works include picture books, young adult books, and early readers.

Local author and artist, Ron Miller, has written and illustrated over 30 books, including children's books and a mural in the Headquarters' storytime room, fantasy novels and nonfiction pieces. While his audiences may vary, Miller's work reveals one common thread: his love of science fiction.

Ruth Coder Fitzgerald may have started the Local Authors Project for the Friends of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, but she is an accomplished author in her own right.

 From the Archives: For a 2003 article, Claudia Emerson discussed her teaching and writing, including the work then in progress, Late Wife, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on April 17,