Author Talks
Attn: Bookstores, Libraries, Historical Societies, Breweries, Wineries, & Distilleries
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Looking for an interesting event to draw people into your venue? I have three free presentations that interest Maine audiences.
From Book to Screen: How a Maine Novel Turned into a Feature Film
What happens when a Maine novel suddenly becomes a movie? Author and journalist K. Stephens takes audiences behind the scenes of the transformation of her 2009 novel, The Ghost Trap, into an award-winning independent feature film by Khanlarian Entertainment—filmed on location in Midcoast Maine in the summer of 2022. Stephens, who adapted her own novel for the screen and served as an executive producer, was involved in virtually every stage of the production, from location scouting and casting to costumes, set design, and the final cut. A major part of the story is the remarkable role played by Maine's lobstering community. Stephens' Spruce Head lobstermen friends served as script and location consultants and captained boats for crucial scenes. The presentation also reveals some of the unexpected realities of filmmaking in Maine.
Presentation length: Approximately 1 hour
Audience Q&A: Followed by an audience question-and-answer session
Rumrunners, Spirits, and The Mysterious Speakeasies of Maine
In this lively presentation, award-winning Maine journalist and author K. Stephens takes audiences back to the Midcoast in the 1920s—a time when lobstermen became rumrunners, hidden speakeasies flourished behind respectable Main Street facades, and the wealthy summer “rusticators” mingled uneasily with working-class Mainers who had their own ideas about who should be allowed to drink. As a longtime Maine journalist, Stephens personally researched old newspaper accounts of sheriff's raids, arrests, bootlegging operations, and “blind pigs”—the secret drinking establishments of the era. She was also the only Midcoast reporter to document two actual Rockland speakeasies before their buildings were renovated into modern businesses and apartments. This presentation works for both formal library settings as a Powerpoint and informal “Sip 'n' Sign” and “Books 'n' Brews” events, where audiences can pull up a chair, have a drink and discover the colorful history hiding beneath the respectable surface of 1920s coastal Maine.
Presentation length: Approximately 1 hour
Audience Q&A: Followed by an audience question-and-answer session
Selkies & Spells: Irish Folklore in Maine Fiction (with author Jen Comeau)
Join Maine authors K. Stephens (By the Dark o' the Moon) and Jennifer Comeau (A Moon in All Things) for an engaging exploration of how Irish folklore, mythology, and cultural traditions shape their historical novels. Through themes of resilience, sovereignty, hidden power, destiny, belonging, and the enduring pull of the Otherworld, the authors will discuss how their heroines navigate the constraints of 19th-century society while remaining true to their deepest identities. From selkie legends to Celtic spirituality, discover how ancient Irish storytelling traditions continue to inspire contemporary fiction rooted in Maine's rugged landscape and maritime heritage.
Presentation length: Approximately 1 hour
Audience Q&A: Followed by an audience question-and-answer session
Contact: [email protected]
From Book to Screen: How a Maine Novel Turned into a Feature Film
What happens when a Maine novel suddenly becomes a movie? Author and journalist K. Stephens takes audiences behind the scenes of the transformation of her 2009 novel, The Ghost Trap, into an award-winning independent feature film by Khanlarian Entertainment—filmed on location in Midcoast Maine in the summer of 2022. Stephens, who adapted her own novel for the screen and served as an executive producer, was involved in virtually every stage of the production, from location scouting and casting to costumes, set design, and the final cut. A major part of the story is the remarkable role played by Maine's lobstering community. Stephens' Spruce Head lobstermen friends served as script and location consultants and captained boats for crucial scenes. The presentation also reveals some of the unexpected realities of filmmaking in Maine.
Presentation length: Approximately 1 hour
Audience Q&A: Followed by an audience question-and-answer session
Rumrunners, Spirits, and The Mysterious Speakeasies of Maine
In this lively presentation, award-winning Maine journalist and author K. Stephens takes audiences back to the Midcoast in the 1920s—a time when lobstermen became rumrunners, hidden speakeasies flourished behind respectable Main Street facades, and the wealthy summer “rusticators” mingled uneasily with working-class Mainers who had their own ideas about who should be allowed to drink. As a longtime Maine journalist, Stephens personally researched old newspaper accounts of sheriff's raids, arrests, bootlegging operations, and “blind pigs”—the secret drinking establishments of the era. She was also the only Midcoast reporter to document two actual Rockland speakeasies before their buildings were renovated into modern businesses and apartments. This presentation works for both formal library settings as a Powerpoint and informal “Sip 'n' Sign” and “Books 'n' Brews” events, where audiences can pull up a chair, have a drink and discover the colorful history hiding beneath the respectable surface of 1920s coastal Maine.
Presentation length: Approximately 1 hour
Audience Q&A: Followed by an audience question-and-answer session
Selkies & Spells: Irish Folklore in Maine Fiction (with author Jen Comeau)
Join Maine authors K. Stephens (By the Dark o' the Moon) and Jennifer Comeau (A Moon in All Things) for an engaging exploration of how Irish folklore, mythology, and cultural traditions shape their historical novels. Through themes of resilience, sovereignty, hidden power, destiny, belonging, and the enduring pull of the Otherworld, the authors will discuss how their heroines navigate the constraints of 19th-century society while remaining true to their deepest identities. From selkie legends to Celtic spirituality, discover how ancient Irish storytelling traditions continue to inspire contemporary fiction rooted in Maine's rugged landscape and maritime heritage.
Presentation length: Approximately 1 hour
Audience Q&A: Followed by an audience question-and-answer session
Contact: [email protected]
