**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.**  

We loved Venessa's debut book "When the Tides Held the Moon" and so we are thrilled to be in conversation with them! With lush illustrations and buoyant prose, Venessa Vida Kelley blends historical fantasy with epic romance at the turn of the 20th century in this unforgettable New York fairytale of queer identity and found family. Bring your questions as we'll be having a rapid fire AMA session about Venessa's books, writing process, illustrations (check them out, they are beautiful!), and what we can look forward to next from them. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program. 

You can buy signed books by Venessa from Aesop's Fable, just make a note that you want the books signed when you check out.

Buy Signed Books By Venessa

About When the Tides Held the Moon:

Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone, especially the eccentric side-show proprietor who commissioned it. Benny’s work earns him an invitation to join the show’s eclectic crew of performers—his first welcome in the city—and share in their astonishing secret: the tank Benny built is a cage for their newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman stolen from the banks of the East River under a gleaming full moon. 

The merman is more than a mythic marvel, though. Benny comes to know Río as a clever philosopher, an observant traveler, and a kindred spirit more beautiful and compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own. 

A cage is no place for a merman to survive. Though releasing Río means betraying his new family, bankrupting their home, and losing his soulmate forever, Benny must look within for the courage to do what’s right, and find a love strong enough to free them both. 

When the Tides Held the Moon is a beautifully illustrated novel with artwork throughout by Venessa Vida Kelley, known for her stunning romance and fantasy art. This novel includes two different full-color endpapers for front and back, fully-designed chapter headers, and 27 pieces of detailed illustrations throughout, using beautiful two-color, aqua blue and black inks. 

About Venessa (she/they):

Venessa is a Nuyorican author, illustrator, and aspiring mermaid who writes fairy tales about the real world so they can draw them too. They hold a BA and MA in English literature with concentrations in film from the University of Delaware and the George Washington University respectively, and their illustrations have decorated LGBTQ+ books worldwide. WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON is their debut novel. Venessa lives in Washington, DC, with their spouse, two sons, and an overabundance of teacups and washi tape. 

Venessa es une autore, ilustradore y aspirante a sirena nuyorriqueñe que escribe cuentos de hadas sobre el mundo real para que también pueda dibujarlos. Tiene una licenciatura y una maestría en literatura inglesa con concentraciones en cine de la Universidad de Delaware y la Universidad George Washington, respectivamente, y sus ilustraciones se han publicado en libros LGBTQ+ por todo el mundo. WHEN THE TIDES HELD THE MOON es su primera novela. Venessa vive en Washington, DC, con su cónyuge, dos hijos y una sobreabundancia de tazas de té. 

Please register for this event and you'll receive the link in the confirmation and reminder emails - make sure to check your spam folder for them, the email will be coming from Zoom.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and we're thrilled to be collaborating with a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities.

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