October 8: Autumn Celebration at Wild Rumpus

Wild Rumpus // Saturday, October 8 at 2:30pm

Wild Rumpus is thrilled to present a unique book launch celebration with Margi Preus and Lauren Stringer. We will celebrate Preus's new middle grade novel, WINDSWEPT, and Stringer's picture book, THE DARK WAS DONE. This all-ages event will celebrate darkness and the fading light of autumn.

WINDSWEPT: In Tag’s world, children are disappearing. “Youngers” who venture Outside are windswept—vanishing in the swirling snow—Tag’s sisters among them. Many have tried to find the lost children; all have failed. And since the Other Times, the Powers That Be seem intent on keeping it that way.

THE DARK WAS DONE: Everyone was afraid of the Dark and pushed it away, wishing the Dark would leave. So one day, the Dark left and did not return. The Dark was done. At first, nobody misses the Dark. But a young boy starts to miss creatures of the night: crickets singing and owls hooting and bats flying. He decides to go look for the Dark. One by one, others who miss the Dark and all its creatures and mysteries and magic join in. Can they find a way to bring back the Dark?

This event is free and open to the public. Seating will be available on a first-come first-served basis. The event will take place outdoors on the asphalt patio behind Wild Rumpus Books. In the event of rain, this event will be postponed. Masks will be required.

Following the event, Margi Preus and Lauren Stringer will be available to sign and personalize copies of their books. Learn more >

October 1: FallCon Conference & Tradeshow

Margi is excited to attend this year’s FallCon Conference & Tradeshow sponsored by Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA). The mission of the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association is to support and promote independent bookstores in their region, raise awareness of the value of locally owned businesses in our communities, and celebrate diversity in literary culture, and an open exchange of ideas.

They are a non-profit professional association of bookstores, booksellers, publishers, authors, and industry professionals. The Association began over fifty years ago in Denver, Colorado, and has grown to represent hundreds of bookstores across thirteen western and mid-western states.

Windswept is one of 150 Most Anticipated Books of the Fall

Margi is honored to be included on this amazing list of 150 authors from Kirkus Reviews!

From Kirkus: Inspired primarily by the Norwegian fairy tale “The Three Princesses in the Mountain Blue,” this edgy, somewhat dystopian tale set in a world where race holds no significance masterfully blends European fairy-tale motifs with timely warnings about human greed, waste, and destructiveness while extoling the power of storytelling. Richly descriptive prose and delicate, atmospheric black-and-white illustrations enhance the fairy-tale flavor. An inventive, memorable must-read. 

Learn more and see the complete list of 150 books >

September 15: Windswept Book Launch

Sept. 15, 7:00-8:30pm // Zenith Books, Duluth

Join Margi for the launch of her newest book, Windswept, a a gripping middle-grade fantasy about a girl who must save the children of her world from being “windswept."

In Tag’s world, children are disappearing. “Youngers” who venture Outside are windswept — vanishing in the swirling snow — Tag’s sisters among them. Many have tried to find the lost children; all have failed. And since the Other Times, the Powers That Be seem intent on keeping it that way.

Little remains from those times: snippets of songs, heaps of plastic trash, and a few banned texts—including a book of fairytales.

An unlikely crew of Youngers join forces — Boots, who can climb anything, Ant, who will eat anything, Ren, who will say anything, and Tag, who doesn’t appear to have any talent whatsoever. With their dubious skills, the fairytales, a possibly magic ribbon, and an unwillingness to accept “that’s impossible,” they set off to rescue their windswept siblings in this spellbinding fantasy.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required to attend this event, as is the wearing of face masks over nose and mouth.

Learn more at www.zenithbookstore.com/events.

September 24: Teen Book Fest

Saturday, sept. 24, 2022 // Rochester, New York

This September, Margi is proud to be one of the authors featured at the Greater Rochester Teen Book Fest (TBF)! Teens can sometimes be overlooked in libraries, with much attention, money, and resources given to children and adults. Somewhat caught in the middle of budgetary constraints, TBF is an amazing opportunity to dedicate an event to teens, to encourage their reading, and to demonstrate their value to and within our communities. And…to have fun!

Learn more about the Greater Rochester Teen Book Fest at www.teenbookfest.org.