Adult Services Coordinator Maryann Owen said she has been looking for ways to encourage local artists to become involved with the Elizabethton/Carter County Library, and now, their new Local Authors spotlight series will help her realize her dream for her community.

Owen said this series has been part of her goals for the library for over a year, but other needs kept pushing back the idea.

“Art improves everyone’s lives,” Owen said. “I wanted to do a Meet and Greet series in the fall.”

She said Carter County is full of local artists and authors, but people do not know the scope of it, which is where a spotlight series will come in.

Starting this Friday, Owen said a local author will come to the library from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to talk about their works and how they came to be, including their inspiration for the work and how they got from the main idea to sending it off to their publisher.

For example, in November, Tony Hardin will come talk about his latest work: Everyone Can Win, in which he talks about how sports programs should be more than just about winning.

“If you teach it properly, it can teach life skills,” Hardin said.

Hardin said the opportunity to showcase his work to his local community members is a huge opportunity.

“I  am very thrilled,” he said. “I am excited about the book.”

Owen said even if she did not work here, this is an event she would want to attend.

“People might dream of writing a book but never put the pen to paper,” she said. “Maybe there will be a spark.”

In this line of thinking, she said she is in contact with a self-published author in Mountain City, to highlight how there are more ways to get published than many aspiring authors would realize.

Owen said the program currently will run through January, but if more local authors seek to showcase their work in this new series, she would be more than happy to keep doing it.

“I thought it would be a wonderful way to meet people,” Owen said.

She said each month, participants will have a chance to win a signed copy of the book.

This month’s spotlight will take place Friday, Oct. 18, at 5:30 p.m. Owen said the actual meet and greet will begin in earnest at around 6 p.m.