Arts and Lecture Series kicks off Monday with Lisa Unger

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Mystery writer Lisa Unger will discuss her "journey from aspiring writer to published writer, and all the adventures along the way" when she speaks Monday evening at the Manatee Performing Arts Center.

Unger is the first of three authors who will speak over the next six months as part of the 2015 Arts and Lecture Series sponsored by the Manatee Library Association and the Manatee Performing Arts Center.

Lisa Unger / COURTESY PHOTO

Lisa Unger / COURTESY PHOTO

Jeff Lindsay, author of the "Dexter" series that became a hit TV series as well, will speak on July 13; Nancy Cohen, author of the humorous "Bad Hair Day" mysteries series, will speak Oct. 21.

Unger, who lives in St. Petersburg, is the author of multiple New York times best-selling mysteries. Her most recent is "Crazy Love You."

"It's about a young man by the name of Ian Payne, a graphic novelist. He's come to New York City and he's living his dream as a successful graphic novelist," said Unger.

But a childhood friend from his hometown, whose friendship involved "some very dark behaviors and dark appetites," doesn't like the changes she sees in Ian, especially when he meets a young woman and wants to "move on from some of the problems he's been having."

Unger likes both her characters, Ian because she can "sort of relate to, in terms of his confusion between fiction and life. I like his struggles; I like his challenges, his struggle to be somebody better than he has been," she said.

"Priss, I like her mystery, I like her fire, I like her ability to be powerful even when it's for bad."

The book has a paranormal element that has been hinted at in past Unger novels, which often include shared settings and some characters, major or minor.

For example, a psychic named Eloise showed up as a minor character in 2010's "Fragile."

"I thought, oh, that's interesting," said Unger. "I was excited to spend some time with her. I went on to explore her a little bit more in 'Darkness,'" and again in three short stories she wrote last year.

Unger herself has had "a lot of strange, sort of unexplainable experiences" and based her Eloise character on the psychic John Edwards, whom she worked with earlier in her career.

"He was just an amazing guy," she said. "I feel like some people are tapped into different things than other people. The normal and the so-called paranormal dwelled side by side in him. That was in a sense the germ for Eloise, and I was really interested in exploring her."

AUTHOR PREVIEW

LISA UNGER will be the first speaker in the 2015 Arts and Lecture Series at 6 p.m. May 4 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 3rd Ave. W., Bradenton. tickets are $35, $75 for the series. 748-5875; www.manateeperformingartscenter.com.

AUTHOR PREVIEW
LISA UNGER will be the first speaker in the 2015 Arts and Lecture Series at 6 p.m. May 4 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center, 502 3rd Ave. W., Bradenton. tickets are $35, $75 for the series. 748-5875; www.manateeperformingartscenter.com.
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Susan Rife

Susan Rife is the arts and books editor for the Herald-Tribune Media Group. She holds a bachelor of science degree in journalism from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She can be reached by email or call (941) 361-4930. Make sure to "Like" Arts Sarasota on Facebook for news and reviews of the arts.
Last modified: April 30, 2015
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