ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - A Seat at the Table Books held its summer Local Author Fair on July 14, giving authors from the Elk Grove area an opportunity to promote their latest writing and discuss their work with readers and other writers.

A Seat at the Table owner Emily Autenrieth said that the bookstore hosted its largest number of authors yet at this edition, with 12 writers split into two groups over the course of the afternoon.

“We actually had one person go around and buy a book from every single table. They were so excited to see the authors in person,” Autenrieth said, adding that live book events can help readers connect with writers. “It’s kind of funny; you hear a lot with things like this, you kind of forget that authors are these real people that you can meet.”

Autenrieth said individuals struggling with their own writing can be inspired by seeing authors in person.

The Citizen spoke to authors and visitors in the first group of the day. The featured authors brought books in a variety of genres, from fantasy and science fiction to realistic fiction and self-help.

Authors such as Catherine Arguelles and Vince Wetzel had drawn inspiration from their own lives. Arguelles was promoting her middle-grade mystery novel, “Flip Turns,” which follows a 13-year-old girl on her school swim team, who is dealing with unwanted attention from a classmate. When vandalism threatens to close the pool, she tries to find the culprit.

Arguelles was inspired by an accident at her school swimming pool, imagining a scenario in which the event was intentional. She also had an unwanted admirer during school, and a “fun mystery” would be a way to broach the topic of harassment in a kid-friendly way.

Wetzel brought two books, including “Friends in Low Places,” a semi-autobiographical novel that chronicles the evolution of a group of friends over 20 years through a yearly camping trip.

“I have had a similar trip with my friends going to the same place every year,” Wetzel said, “and it is interesting how you have some of those ride-or-die friends that you grew up with. And then over the years, the conversations become more mature, obviously, but you still have that fun together, that silliness.”

Sylmia Britt, author of “Confidence Unleashed: Shattering Ceilings, Claiming Your Seat at the Table,” said that she wrote her self-help book for people of color and other marginalized people “who may have felt like they were held out of corporate America and not really able to navigate the constraints related to advancing in their careers.”

“And so the book’s really about finding your own way, understanding your true voice and finding all the internal confidence in your identity that you should promote and be so proud of,” Britt said. Noting that she grew up low-income and has anxiety, Britt said she felt a lack of control over her own success but eventually realized “that I had full control over my identity and my pathway forward.”

Among the author fair visitors was Harriet Schwartz, a Phoenix resident visiting family in Elk Grove. She had just spoken to Britt and Arguelles about their books.

“It was very interesting hearing about their writing process, about how they got started, and they were very open about everything,” Schwartz said, noting that her daughter-in-law is a regular patron of A Seat at the Table.

Two authors brought adult fantasy romances. Kelly Virens said her goals in writing “Secrets of Old Giants” included creating a main couple in their mid-30s (“I don’t think fairy tales have to die when you get a certain age)” and showcasing the beauty of California’s natural landscapes. 

“Secrets” takes place in Humboldt County, imbuing the redwoods with magic.

Virens also offered supplemental artwork that she had created, such as a zine of one of the main characters’ drawings.

“I wanted to be able to say that it was all my work and I wanted to show a lot of what California has to offer,” Virens told a guest.

In Joanne Kwan’s romance, “Secunda,” a young woman finds a mysterious skull. When she puts on the skull, she becomes the host to a monstrous creature.

“Throughout the story, they navigate their relationship and they eventually fall in love and there’s other obstacles that get in the way that they have to overcome,” Kwan said, noting that she has always been a fan of monsters and stories of the paranormal.

Ricardo Andrés was promoting “Luminary: Quantum Rising,” a science-fiction story inspired by the comic book movies he enjoys and his family’s history of immigration.

The main character, who comes from a utopian planet, is charged with protecting other planets, including Earth, from shapeshifters. Arriving on Earth, he learns that he is “the chosen one,” but first he has to figure out what that means.

In writing “Luminary,” Andrés wanted to imagine a new universe influenced by older properties such as the Marvel, DC and Star Wars cinematic universes.

“And I was inspired by my mom’s story as an immigrant,” Andrés said. “And one thing I learned, especially in the U.S., is that there’s not a lot of stories that mix science fiction and immigration.”

Other authors featured at the fair were Hanan Harb, Olivia Sosa, Rachel and Alex Perez, and Michaila Oberhoffer, as well as Shea Robinson, who is also A Seat at the Table’s bookstore manager.

Autenrieth said she met Robinson through a previous author fair, calling it a “really natural connection” that can happen at smaller, local events.

“I get to have that inside look and help authors along and be excited for them and talk to them about how to best market their book and make sure that their book is really doing well on our shelves,” Robinson said.

A Seat at the Table Books, 9257 Laguna Springs Drive, Unit 130, hosts its local author fair in January and July. For more information about A Seat at the Table, visit aseatatthetablebooks.org.