Enjoy a Taste of Thai and More at Carlsbad City Library

Authentic Thai cooking and finding a new career are just two of the diverse topics that will be covered by Carlsbad authors at Carlsbad City Library’s fifth annual Local Authors’ Festival on Saturday, Feb. 23. Seven local authors will discuss their books and answer questions during a panel discussion from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the library’s Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium, followed by a book signing in the library’s courtyard between 12 and 1 p.m.

Two of the participating authors, Krongtong Na Songkhla and Carl Wellenstein, recently shared the inspiration for their books.

Krongtong Na Songkhla, who goes by Krong, is a native of Thailand and the author of the cookbook True Taste of Thai. “When I first arrived in the U.S., I was a business student at the University of Michigan.  I found myself craving real, authentic Thai food but found it difficult to find. So I began to rediscover the foods my mother used to make and that led me to study Thai culinary arts in Bangkok. After relocating to San Diego, I developed True Taste of Thai to offer in-home Thai cooking classes. My enthusiastic students inspired me to collect some of my best recipes in one cookbook."

Wellenstein, the author of 12 Steps to a New Career, helps executives, managers and other professionals find satisfying new careers. “I was an executive in a financial services business who wanted to transition out of the field but could not find any published books on making career transitions at a senior level. I moved to the U.K. and started an executive search firm that I managed for more than seven years. In that role, I learned how executive recruiters work and how employers make decisions about hiring managers and leaders for their business. I created a twelve-step process and began to work with individuals to help them find new and rewarding careers.”  

For more information about the Local Authors’ Festival, call 760-602-2012 or visit www.carlsbadlibrary.org. Look for an upcoming column featuring two additional event participants, authors Lisa Monaco Gonzales and Arthur Webster.