C.H. Booth Library will host Kristin Ward for a virtual Local Author Talk planned for Wednesday, February 24, at 7 pm.

Ward plans to offer a reading of her latest young adult fantasy novel, Rise of Gaia, a Q&A about her writing history and path to publishing, and a reading from her upcoming fantasy series, The Daughter of Erabel. One participant will also win a signed copy of Rise of Gaia.

Ward’s first novel was After the Green Withered, released in 2018. The book received the 2018 Best Indie Book Award in Young Adult Fiction, an international literary honor, according to its website, “recognizing outstanding achievement by independent authors.” Last year, the title was awarded the 2020 Connecticut Author Project in the Young Adult category.

Its sequel, Burden of Truth, was also released in 2018. It was a 2019 TopShelf Indie Book Award finalist.

Ward is also the author of Legacy of Gold: A Pandemic Novella.

The Newtown resident’s latest release continues her work as an environmental novelist. In Rise of Gaia (pronounced “GUY-ah”), Mother Earth is a sentient being, and she has had enough of the greed and violence of Man. Mother Earth fights back, Ward said recently, “against mankind, because she is just so filled with wrath.”

Her books are not meant to be depressing, she says.

“They’re meant to raise awareness, to be the cause for change,” she explained. “The changes are actionable. Little things add up,” said Ward, who said she was inspired by Greta Thunberg, the teenage activist from Sweden who has become the face of the youth climate movement.

“We have Greta, and this incredible youth movement, globally,” Ward said February 8. “Those kinds of things matter, and the do end up influencing people who can make policies for positive change.”

With all of her books self-published, Ward told The Newtown Bee this month that she has found herself within a very supportive independent publishing community.

“Like Walt Disney said, ‘If you can dream it, you can do it,’” Ward also said. “This is something I toyed with for 30 years before actually publishing something.

“Then when I went and published, I won awards, which made me realize I didn’t have to take the traditional route,” she added. “There are so many resources available for somebody who wants to write and to be published. They can do it on their own steam and creativity.”

Registration is required to receive the Zoom link for Local Author Event: Kristen Ward. The program will begin at 7 pm; Booth Library is asking for registration by noon on February 24.

Visit chboothlibrary.org to register; contact Catherine Findorak at 203-426-4533 extension 31 or cfindorak@chboothlibrary.org for additional information.