Submitted by Timberland Regional Library
Mystery and suspense writer J.A. Jance will speak about her new mystery, “Deadly Stakes,” at two libraries, the Shelton Timberland Library and the Olympia Timberland Library on Thursday, February 14, a valentine to the author’s many admirers. Jance will be at the Shelton library from 1:30 to 3 p.m., and at the Olympia library from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m.
Ms. Jance will talk about how she became a writer and how she develops her characters and will answer audience questions. A book signing will follow. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. Deadly Stakes, released on February 5, is the eighth in Jance’s Ali Reynolds series.
Jance, perennially on the New York Times bestseller list, is the author of the J.P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, four interrelated southwestern thrillers featuring the Walker family, and a book of poetry. The novels are known for their fast-moving, complex plots and strong, yet human, central characters.
On the difference between a mystery and a thriller—she writes both—Jance states on her website: “In mysteries, the reader doesn’t know who the killer is until the end. In thrillers, the reader knows who the bad guy is from the beginning. The only question is how much damage he’s going to do before he gets caught.”
The settings in Jance’s novels are rooted in her own experience. She was born in South Dakota, raised in Arizona and moved to Washington in the 1980s. She and her husband now split their time between Seattle and Tucson, Arizona. Ms. Jance’s website is www.jajance.com.
The Shelton Timberland Library is located at 710 W Alder Street; telephone, (360) 426-1362. The Olympia Timberland Library is located at 313 8th Avenue SE; telephone, (360) 352-0595. For more information, contact one of the libraries or visit www.TRL.org.
