Here is my press release regarding my appearance at the fair:

Lori Schafer, author of the award-winning memoir On Hearing of My Mother’s Death Six Years After It Happened: A Daughter’s Memoir of Mental Illness and the newly released romance Just the Three of Us: An Erotic Romantic Comedy for the Commitment-Challenged will be signing copies of her books on Saturday, June 20th at the first Local Author Fair to be held at the Castro Valley Public Library. It will be Schafer’s first public appearance after dislocating her shoulder during an ice hockey game in December.

“My memoir was released in November, and I had numerous book signings planned,” Schafer said. “But after the injury, my arm had to be immobilized in a sling for six weeks – which meant no driving, no writing, and only left-handed typing. I couldn’t even get dressed by myself.”

Schafer’s plans were further disrupted when she developed adhesive capsulitis, more commonly known as “frozen shoulder,” a condition in which calcium deposits build up in a joint during a lengthy period of immobilization, severely limiting range of motion.

“It was such a shock to me, finally getting out of that sling and discovering that my arm wouldn’t move. I couldn’t even reach the keyboard of my laptop at first. Plus being housebound for three months nearly drove me nuts.”

Schafer does physical therapy daily, but she is still looking at a lengthy recovery – perhaps six months to a year, after which she may still need surgery to correct tears in her labrum.

“I’ve got about 120 degrees in most directions, and that’s enough to allow me to do most things I need to do. The biggest improvement, though, is being able to drive again. It simply wasn’t practical for me to walk the two miles down to the grocery store and back – especially when I can’t even put on a backpack.”

Schafer was therefore thrilled to learn about the Local Author Fair in the Castro Valley Forum last month.

“I’m so excited they’re doing that. I’ve been reluctant to schedule events until I was able to get around on my own –I was very disappointed to have missed the Bay Area Book Festival – and now I want to do as many as possible just in case I have to have surgery next year. It’s likely to be a very long recovery if I do, as it’s probable that I’ll develop frozen shoulder again following the procedure.”

How will this affect the author’s plans for the future?

“The injury, the frozen shoulder, and the physical therapy have all put me way behind schedule on – well, everything! I haven’t even cleaned house in months, and I’m disappointed that I haven’t had more time for writing. But I figure if I might be looking at surgery then I ought to get around as much as I can while I can. I will be attending the 7th Annual NW Book Festival in Portland in July and am also trying to schedule more events to places where I feel comfortable travelling.”

There has been an unexpected plus side to the injury, though, Schafer asserts.

“I’ve worked a shoulder dislocation into the plot of my work-in-progress, a sequel to Just the Three of Us. It’s the culmination of a series of horrible events the protagonist endures on the heels of making a big mistake. Thanks to the personal experience, I’ve been able to detail it out in a way I never could have before – complete with screaming.”

In addition to On Hearing of My Mother’s Death Six Years After It Happened and Just the Three of Us, Schafer will also be offering for sale and signing two literary short story collections, an erotic short story collection entitled To All the Penises I’ve Ever Known, and her debut novel My Life with Michael: A Novel of Sex, Beer and Middle Age. Schafer assures readers not to worry about her damaging her injured arm.

“It is so stiff that if you try to push it to the side, my whole body moves! Trust me, this is the toughest this shoulder has ever been – I have no problem carrying boxes of books.”

The Local Author Fair will feature 39 Bay Area authors and will take place at the Castro Valley Public Library located at 3600 Norbridge Avenue in Castro Valley on Saturday, June 20th from 1 to 4 pm. Interested parties wishing to learn more about the event may also contact Chris Selig at (510) 608-1137.