In-store | Olivia Neal presents Blue Ridge Calling with F.T. Lukens

Name: In-store | Olivia Neal presents Blue Ridge Calling with F.T. Lukens
Start: 2025-09-30T18:00:00-04:00
Location: 55 Haywood St, Asheville, NC, United States, North Carolina 28801

Schedule

Tue, 30 Sep, 2025 at 06:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

55 Haywood St, Asheville, NC, United States, North Carolina 28801 | Asheville, NC

Join us in store when NC writer Olivia Neal presents her debut novel Blue Ridge Calling, in conversation with local author F.T. Lukens.
The event is free, but registration is required to reserve your seat.

Blue Ridge Calling
The Appalachian mountains are some of the oldest in the world. They say ancient magic runs through these rivers and valleys.
Two years ago, a car accident on a perilous mountain road sent a family into freefall, and none of them have been the same since.
Sage used to have everything under control, but ever since her mom died, she’s just been going through the motions, and no one in her family seems to notice. Kora has known Sage’s family her whole life, so losing Sage’s mom was like losing her own. At the end of the summer, she’s supposed to abandon her beloved Blue Ridge mountains for a prestigious art school in New York, but leaving now feels wrong. And an unexpected romance with a new girl in town might complicate things. Then there’s Sam, Sage’s older brother. He’s spent the last two years traipsing through the mountains, trying to find evidence of local ghost stories. He said he would be back by now, but no one has heard from him.
To find him, Kora and Sage will have to dig deeper into the myths and legends of the mountains they call home — before it’ s too late.

Olivia Neal is a writer, artist, and storyteller based in Durham, North Carolina. Her passion has always been using language and narrative-building to advance social change. She has published work across genres, including fiction, poetry, essays, reviews, and multi-media projects. Her debut novel Blue Ridge Calling is out September 22. Her zine series CRUSH is frequently available at zine festivals across North Carolina. She edits submissions for the literary journal Knee Brace Press, focusing on disability and chronic illness. She also works as a communications specialist for social justice nonprofits. She is a proud member of the LGBTQ community and has a passion for media with queer and trans characters. In her free time, she enjoys visiting her family in her hometown of Greensboro, seeing live music, and petting her two cats.
F.T. Lukens is a New York Times bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including the novels Love at Second Sight, Otherworldly, Spell Bound (2024 ALA Rainbow Booklist), So This Is Ever After (2023 ALA Rainbow Booklist; 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee), In Deeper Waters (2022 ALA Rainbow Booklist; Junior Library Guild Selection), and the forthcoming The Last Best Quest Ever as well as other science-fiction and fantasy works. F.T. resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats.