It was 11 years ago when the Buffalo Historical Society welcomed 20 local authors to a special book event. Now known as the Buffalo History Museum, the cultural institution welcomed 75 authors to this year's event.
The way the event works, once a visitor buys a book, the author signs it. That's any way the purchaser wants so it's often apparently used as a holiday gift.
The event mates the interest in Buffalo books, computer software which allows an author to self-publish and local printers who can turn out a book with a quality available only in rare print shops a few years ago.
Gift Shop Manager Mary Louise Stanley says it's good business for the museum and the authors.
"Books are a major classification, especially books about Buffalo. We sell anything with a buffalo on it and unfortunately, it does go out of town 90 percent of the time because people are buying things for people who have moved away," Stanley said.
"But, we have also seen people buying things now for people who are moving to Buffalo, so books about Buffalo, about the Waterfront, about the history are being given as gifts to people who are moving here."
That means picture books, an increasing number of novels, books about sports, more children's books and an increasing array of historical fiction with a local base.
Local musician Jeremiah McClain is now writer McClain with his new "The Land of Good Deeds" a children's book about the need for good behavior.
"It's very important. I feel everybody needs to hear this story cause it's about doing good deeds. There's so much badness that's going around, starting from youth. So, I'm trying to give them a little guidance, that's all," McLain said.
Gary Friedman is offering the novel "The Flockless Shepherd" about those who make a promise in praying for something and are now called to keep that promise.
