Local fiction author J.L. Hyde will speak from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, at Bay de Noc Community College. The free event is open to the public. Copies of Hyde's books will also be available for sale and to sign. (Courtesy photo)

ESCANABA – J.L. Hyde, local fiction author, will speak from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in room 952 of the Joseph Heirman University Center at Bay de Noc Community College, 2001 N. Lincoln Road.

Hyde is a graduate of Gladstone High School and Central Michigan University and recently moved back to the area after 20 years of living in the South.

“I am so thankful to be back home in Delta County after two decades. I’ve been able to publish five books in the two years I’ve been home because I’m surrounded by inspiration here. Whether it’s listening to Yoopers tell stories about deer camp or taking scenic drives down wooded highways, I’m always thinking of how I can incorporate this beautiful place into my next book,” Hyde said.

Hyde has written and published 10 murder mystery novels, including the Grady Lake three-book series, “Summer of ’99,” “The Bluff” and her most recent release, “To All Those I’ve Killed Before.” In 2022, the film rights were optioned for her sophomore novel, “Delta County.”

Hyde, a Green Bay Packers fan and avid true-crime documentary watcher, is working on her 11th novel. It will be the first book in her new The Westridge Cove Mystery Series, and it is slated to be released in early March.

“I’m so thankful to live in a place that is just so special, and I hope it continues to inspire my writing for years to come,” Hyde said.

The event is free and open to the public. Copies of Hyde’s books will be available for sale and to sign after a session for questions with moderator Nanci Love, English instructor at the college.