Join us for an evening celebrating Zachary Steele’s new novel, Perfectly Normal. He'll be in conversation with Colleen Oakley. Written with deep sensitivity and the rare ability to bring the little-understood to life, Perfectly Normal is a resounding work of fiction that might bring new color to your world.

This free event will take place in the Fourth Floor of Decatur Library.

*Please note, Eventbrite is limiting the number of free tickets we can make available, so note that tickets are not required for this event. Please come even if it's sold out, and feel free to call if you're worried about space. Stay tuned for updates on the Georgia Center for the Book ticketing.

About the book:

For sixteen-year-old Nate Alexander, music is more than sound. It’s a symphony of color, vibrant and beautiful, a blessing and a curse. For all that he may love about living with Chromesthesia, however, the added weight of undiagnosed autism clutters his life daily, turning school into a trial of his oddness, social encounters into a jumble of confusion, and leaving him on uneven footing with a father determined to make him more "normal." The arrival of Julian Mack, an openly gay new student quickly gaining the attention of bullies, draws Nate into a friendship that tests the limits of what he can endure. Absorbed by the need to please Julian, Nate is quickly at odds with his best friend Michelle and her efforts to protect him. As Nate struggles to find what meaning music has in his life, rumors about him swirl around school, leaving him to decide between defending Julian and his reputation or the safety and comfort of his haven of music and color. Written with deep sensitivity and the rare ability to bring the little-understood to life, Perfectly Normal is a resounding work of fiction that might bring new color to your world.

About the Author:

Broadleaf Writers Association Founder and Executive Director Zachary Steele is the author of Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO, Flutter: An Epic of Mass Distraction, and The Weight of Ashes, the latter of which was nominated for Georgia Author of the Year. He has been featured by NPR, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Publishers Weekly, Baby Got Books, and Shelf Awareness, and was nominated for the Sidewise Award for Alternate Fiction.

About the Moderator:

Colleen Oakley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, You Were There Too, Close Enough to Touch, Before I Go, and The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise. Colleen’s novels have been longlisted for the Southern Book Prize twice and Close Enough to Touch won the French Reader’s Prize. Her books have been translated into more than 21 languages, optioned for film and have received numerous accolades. A former magazine editor for Marie Claire and Women’s Health & Fitness, Colleen’s articles and essays have been featured in The New York Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, Women’s Health, Redbook, Parade, Woman’s Day, Fitness, Health, Marie Claire, and Martha Stewart Weddings. A proud graduate of the University of Georgia’s school of journalism, Colleen currently lives in Atlanta with her husband, four kids, and a terrier mutt named Baxter.