Author Loreen Niewenhuis Debuts her Novella, ATLANTA, at the Decatur Book Festival

Aug. 9, 2011 - PRLog -- ATLANTA, a novella, was released by Main Street Rag Publishing (MSR) of Charlotte, North Carolina in June of this year. Authored by Loreen Niewenhuis, it captures the vitality and pulse of modern Atlanta.  "I lived in Atlanta in the mid-nineties," Niewenhuis said.  "It was a time when Atlanta was transforming from a sleepy, Southern city to a modern metropolis.  Hosting the Olympics thrust Atlanta onto the world stage and the city rose to the occasion.  I tried to capture this transformation and the diverse tapestry of life in this magical city."

Niewenhuis has also authored A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH (published by Crickhollow Books of Milwaukee), her adventure memoir about hiking all the way around Lake Michigan.  This book is currently on The Heartland Indie Bestseller list and was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie book awards.  

Niewenhuis will bring both books to the AJC Decatur Book Festival.  "I'm looking forward to returning to Atlanta and to taking part in the Decatur Book Festival," Niewenhuis said.  "I'm especially thrilled to introduce my novella to festival-goers.  I have many friends in the city and am looking forward to seeing them again."  Niewenhuis will make appearances in Atlanta and Savannah after the festival.  Bookstores can order the book directly from MSR Publishing or from Baker & Taylor.

Robin Lippincott, author of IN THE MEANTIME, said this about ATLANTA, a novella, by Niewenhuis:  "Swooping down into various Atlanta neighborhoods, Loreen Niewenhuis populates her first novel with a diverse cast of characters. Like the great filmmaker Robert Altman, Niewenhuis deftly and movingly illuminates these small, individual lives, while simultaneously creating the larger portrait of a particular time and place. Atlanta is a bold and confident debut."

Niewenhuis has a Master of Science degree from Wayne State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writting from Spalding University.  Her short story collection, SCAR TISSUE, was a finalist in the 2009 Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction.  Niewenhuis's complete book tour schedule and a link to her blog can be found on her website http://LakeTrek.com.  

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival Presented by DeKalb Medical is the largest independent book festival in the country, and the fourth largest overall. This year, more than 300 authors and tens of thousands of festival goers will crowd the historic downtown Decatur Square to enjoy book signings, author readings, panel discussions, an interactive children’s area, live music, parades, cooking demonstrations, poetry slams, writing workshops, and more. For more information, visit http://www.decaturbookfestival.com.

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Loreen Niewenhuis is the author of A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH (the account of her hike around Lake Michigan), the novella ATLANTA, and many literary short stories. She was a finalist for the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. She gives lectures about the Great Lakes and readings from her work.