PIQUA — As part of the One Book, Many Communities program, author Jess Montgomery will be at Edison State Community College on Wednesday, April 19.

The event will be held in the Robinson Theater and will include a meet and greet and book signing with the author at 5:30 p.m. and a discussion at 7 p.m. led by Vick Mickunas, host of WYSO’s Book Nook.

Montgomery is the author of the “Kinship Historical Mysteries”, set in 1920s Appalachian Ohio and inspired by Ohio’s true first female sheriff.

Under her given name, she writes the “Level Up Your Writing (Life)” column for Writer’s Digest and teaches for Writer’s Digest University. She was formerly a newspaper columnist, focusing on the literary life, authors, and events of her native Dayton, OH, for the Dayton Daily News.

She is a three-time recipient of the Individual Excellence Award in Literary Arts from the Ohio Arts Council and a two-time recipient of the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District (MCAD) Artist Opportunity Grant.

She has also been a John E. Nance Writer in Residence at Thurber House (Columbus, Ohio).

Mickunas introduced the Book Nook author interview program for WYSO in 1994. Over the years, he has produced more than 1,500 interviews with writers, musicians, poets, politicians, and celebrities. He also reviews books for the Dayton Daily News and the Springfield News-Sun.

One Book, Many Communities, a reading initiative for the northern Miami Valley, and the local libraries involved invite participants to read Montgomery’s “The Widows.” The program will focus on themes from the series. During the event, there will be time for a Q&A with the audience, including submitted questions from participating libraries.

For those who can’t attend in person, the event will also be live streamed via Facebook Live. Check with your local library for details.