St. John the Baptist Parish Library showcases a virtual author talk series each month featuring bestselling, award-winning, and highly acclaimed authors from around the world. The free, virtual series takes place six times a month and includes the opportunity to ask questions to the author. Monthly topics include fiction, nonfiction, health and wellness, cooking, K-12, and variety.
NONFICTION
Migrant Heart: The Hidden Cost of the American Dream and Healing Through Storytelling with Author Reyna Grande, Award-Winning and Bestselling Author of The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home
Thursday, July 16 at 1 PM
In her ambitious new memoir, Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget, beloved bestselling author Reyna Grande illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follows survival.
With her signature blend of sophistication and raw honesty, Grande interrogates how living between two nations, two languages, and two identities has shaped the woman, mother, and writer she has become. Register today for this virtual talk if you identify as a seeker, a dreamer, or “anyone who believes in the enduring, transformative power of finding one’s voice.”
FICTION
Small Town Secrets and Deadly Silence: Exploring North Falls with Karin Slaughter, International and New York Times Bestselling Author of Pretty Girls, the Will Trent series, and The Good Daughter
Tuesday, July 14 at 6 PM
Join us for a thrilling evening with acclaimed author Karin Slaughter as we chat about her North Falls series, consisting of We Are All Guilty Here, in which two teenage girls vanish in rural Georgia, and her upcoming sequel, The Secrets We Hide.
Register now to take part in the discussion, and for an exclusive sneak peek of The Secrets We Hide, coming out August 11, 2026!
HEALTH & WELLNESS
How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are (and How to End the Cycle) with Renowned Therapy Expert Mark Wolynn, International Bestselling Author and Winner of the 2016 Silver Nautilus Book Award in Psychology
Tuesday, July 7 at 1 PM
How do the experiences of our ancestors influence our thoughts and behaviors today? In his award-winning book, It Didn’t Start with You, author Mark Wolynn shares compelling evidence that the roots of our anxiety, phobias, and chronic pain may not reside in our immediate life experience or in chemical imbalances in our brains but in the lives of our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents.
Register today to join our virtual conversation and learn more about how inherited family trauma impacts your health and how to break the cycle.
VARIETY & LIFESTYLE
The Power of Connection: How to Create Lasting Friendships in an Increasingly Lonely World with Dr. Marisa Franco, Psychologist, Professor, and New York Times Bestselling Author
Tuesday, July 28 at 1 PM
Join us in an online conversation with bestselling author Dr. Marisa Franco, one of the world’s leading experts in human connection. Her book, Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make–And Keep–Friends, explores the science of different attachment styles and how they impact our relationships–often in ways we don’t realize!
Platonic provides a clear and actionable blueprint for forging strong, lasting connections with others—and for becoming our happiest, most fulfilled selves in the process. Register today to learn more about how to harness the science of human connection to create cultures of belonging.
COOKING/FOOD
Make Protein Goals Easy (and Satisfying!) with Dietitian Rachael DeVaux, New York Times Bestselling Author, Dietitian, Mom, and Founder of Rachael’s Good Eats
Wednesday, July 29 at 1 PM
Join us for an energizing virtual conversation with Rachael DeVaux, New York Times bestselling author of Rachael’s Good Eats. Her newest book, The High Protein Plate, shows how anyone at any stage of life can easily incorporate protein into their diet. Whether you’re focused on building lean muscle, balancing blood sugar, boosting energy, or just feeding your family well you need protein. The High Protein Plate makes it simple and delicious to get enough every day.
Register today to learn delicious ways you can incorporate protein into your meals!
K-12
Dragons, Castles, and an Irresistible Princess Bent on Revenge with Katherine Rundell, International Bestselling and Award-Winning Author of Impossible Creatures, 2024 Author of the Year
Thursday, July 30 at 1 PM
Katherine Rundell’s award-winning Impossible Creatures soared to instant stardom, quickly earning the spot as one of the most popular children’s fantasy books in the 2020s. Now you can tune-in online to hear directly from the author (and ask your own questions about Christopher and Anya’s adventures) as we dive into the sequel, The Poisoned King!
Register now to go behind-the-scenes of the making of the Impossible Creatures books–just in time for The Neverfear’s (Book #3)’s release on September 1, 2026!