CARMEL, CA. (Nov. 21, 2022) — The Pilgrim's Way Community Bookstore & Secret Garden will host a book reading Dec. 8, at Café Carmel with Nicki Ehrlich, author of the novel, “Ellis River,” her debut.

The event will be held from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at Café Carmel, located on the north side of Ocean Avenue between Mission and San Carlos streets, in Carmel.

Meet the author, listen to a short reading from her book, followed by a Q&A session and book-signing. Attendees will be able to purchase her book, and coffee and small bites will be provided.

“Ellis River,” which started out as an idea for a simple Zane Grey-type Western with a strong female protagonist and turned into a research-rich historical novel, was recently named a semifinalist for the Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize.

Ehrlich grew up in Southern Illinois before attending college at the University of Denver and later, Idaho State University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy/English. After living 10 “horse-rich” years in Idaho, she moved to Oregon, and later Washington, where she realized she had unwittingly traveled the Oregon Trail.

While living in the Pacific Northwest, Ehrlich continued to write fiction, non-fiction and poetry. She has won awards for her poetry and creative writing, including the Writer’s Digest Annual Poetry Awards and the Ray Fabrizio Memorial Award.

Her writing has been published in Scheherazade, the literary magazine of MPC, among other magazines and newspapers.

Ehrlich holds a Certificate in Creative Writing from Monterey Peninsula College and is a member of the Central Coast branch of the California Writers Club. She is also a proud member of the Independent Book Publishers Association. She currently lives on California’s inspiring central coast where she is at work on the sequel to “Ellis River.”

For more information, call (831) 624-4955 or email: pilgrim@pilgrimsway.com.

About Pilgrim's Way

The Pilgrim's Way Community Bookstore & Secret Garden, the last remaining bookshop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, is owned by the husband-and-wife team of Paul Fridlund and Cynthia Fernandes.

Fridlund became the fifth owner of the bookshop in the 1980s, following in the footsteps of his mother. He arrived from Wisconsin to help her set up a computerized inventory system right before her retirement.

Navigating through changing tastes, corporate dominance, rising rents and, of course, the rise of the internet, Fridlund kept the business local, heartfelt and transformative — always offering something for the adventurous at heart.

In the early 2000s, Fridlund joined his life with Fernandes’ and joined his bookshop with The Secret Garden next door. Running things as a hands-on team, the couple transitioned into a certified green business while connecting with its community and the beauty of the natural surroundings.

Pilgrim’s Way still stands behind its free gift-wrapping service, local delivery and a customized detective service for anyone searching for that perfect book or gift idea. And each day, two pilgrims stand ready to lead guests on their way.

Pilgrim's Way Community Bookstore & Secret Garden

Dolores Street between 5th & 6th

Carmel-by-the-Sea

https://www.pilgrimsway.com

(831) 624-4955