Authors at March 20 Reading Festival

INFORMATION RELEASE

Media Contact: Karen Sloan

(239) 533-4826 or ksloan@leegov.com=

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Lisa Scottoline, Chris Claremont, and R.L. Stine

Among M= any Authors at March 20 Reading Festival

FORT MYE= RS, Fla., February 9, 2010 = 211; The Lee County Library System announced the slate of authors for their ann= ual free signature event, the Southwest Florida Reading Festival. Lisa Scottoline, Chris Claremont and R.L. Stine are among= this year’s list of blockbuster authors making presentations at the Harborside Event Center and Centennial Park in the downtown Fort Myers R= iver District on Saturday, March 20. The main event on March 20 runs from= 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and there are partner events across town March 17 throug= h 19 leading up to Saturday’s festivities.

“I had the pleasure of hearing Lisa Scottoline speak last May and just knew we had to ha= ve her at our event,” says Karen Sloan, Reading Festival Coordinator. “She is not only a talented writer, but she is a dynamic speaker and= our attendees will find her keynote program at the Reading Festival very engaging.”

Scottoline is the New Yor= k Times bestselling author of sixteen novels, including “Look Again” a= nd “Why My Third Husband Will be a Dog.” She visits the festival = as part of her tour for “Think Twice” which will be released just prior to the March 20 event.

“Readers of all ages know R.L. Stine,” co= ntinues Sloan. “Children today enjoy his books, but you may have read = him when you were a child yourself, or you read his books to your children or grandchildren.”

Stine has written over 300 books for children includi= ng his “Goosebumps” series and the “Rotten School” series. Presentations are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on March = 20. Free tickets are required for these two programs and may be picked up only= at the event on March 20 starting at 10 a.m. at the outdoor Information Booth= at Edwards and Monroe.

Chris Claremont is an award-winning novelist and grap= hic novelist, best known for his seventeen year run on Marvel Comics “The Uncanny X-Men” series. This run culminated with the launch of the new title, “X-Men,” whose first issue sold over 7.6 million copies= , a record that has not been broken.

Also in the 2010 line-up are She= ramy Bundrick, Tim Dorsey, Sharon M. Draper, Jason Edwards, Lucia M. Gonzalez, James Grippando, M= argaret Peterson Haddix, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Lisa Jac= kson, Robert Macomber, Johanna Moran, Gustavo Bolivar Moreno, Lauren Myracle, Carla Neggers, James O’Neal, and F. Paul Wilson.

The Lee County Library System produces this annual ev= ent to showcase library resources and services, and to promote reading and literacy. In addition to meeting favorite authors, attendees to the Southwest Florida Reading Festival will be able to sign up for a library c= ard and participate in hands-on demonstrations of the latest offerings from the Library System.

The Reading Festival is supported through generous donations, sponsorships and grants. Please help ensure the continuation of= this free community event by visiting readfest.org and making a secure online donation.

Complete author information, schedules of festival activities, dates of partner events, directions to the event, and more, are available for your convenience 24 hours a day at readfest.org or call 239-337-READ (7323) during library operating hours.