Liars Club Authors to Hold Writing Workshop at West Oak Lane Library

The Liars Club, a group of Philadelphia writers that includes some of the areas most popular authors, will be holding a free writers workshop at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s West Oak Lane branch on Tuesday, June 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. "I think it's important for established writers to share what we know,” says Liars Club member Solomon Jones, who organized the event. “That's how we keep the craft alive, not only for this generation, but for those to come."

The Liars Club is known collectively more for their lively panel discussions and parties celebrating libraries and bookstores. This event will concentrate more on the craft of writing, and the business of getting published, covering topics including Research, Setting, Character, Dialogue, Plot, Publicity, and Publishing. Among the Liars Club members participating in the event are:

Solomon Jones, the author of the critically acclaimed novels C.R.E.A.M., Ride Or Die, The Bridge, Pipe Dream, and Payback, as well as the short story collection, Keeping Up With The Jones: marriage, family and life … unplugged.
Jones also writes the Weekend Warrior column for the Philadelphia Daily News.

Jones has been published in Newsday, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia magazine, the Philadelphia Weekly, and the Philadelphia Tribune. An adjunct professor at Temple University's College of Liberal Arts, Jones lives in Philadelphia with his family.

New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry is a multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author and Marvel Comics writer. He has published over a dozen nonfiction books and his many novels include Patient Zero and The Dragon Factory (in development for TV), The Wolfman, and Rot & Ruin. He also has the dubious distinction of being a co-founder of the Liars Club.

Jon McGoran writes gritty and humorous thrillers under the pen name of D.H. Dublin, including Freezer Burn, Body Trace and Blood Poison, from Penguin Books. He also writes short fiction and satire as Jonathan McGoran. He is a member of the Mystery Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers, and a charter member of the Philadelphia Liars Club. When not writing under his own name or as D. H. Dublin, McGoran is communications director at Weavers Way Co-op in Philadelphia and editor of the monthly newspaper, The Shuttle.

Merry Jones is the author of the Zoe Hayes mystery series (The Nanny Murders, The River Killings, The Deadly Neighbors, and The Borrowed and Blue Murders) as well as several humor and non-fiction books.

Keith Strunk is the author of Prallsville Mills and Stockton of the Arcadia Publishing Images of America Series. He is co-founder of River Union Stage, a professional Equity theater based in Frenchtown, NJ.

Kelly Simmons is the author of Standing Still (Simon & Schuster) and The Bird House, coming in February, 2011. One of the most award-winning advertising writers on the East Coast, Simmons served as Chief Creative Officer of Tierney Communications and Executive Creative Director of Earle Palmer Brown before forming her own company, bubble advertising.

This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of Weavers Way Ogontz, the community-owned food market at 2129 72nd Ave. Books will be available for purchase and the authors will be signing. Library copies will also be on hand to be checked out.