Mike Torreano's love affair with the written word began in grade school, when his fifth-grade teacher assigned him to read a book and write a book report each week of the school year.  He devoured every Zane Grey book he could get his hands on that year, sparking a lifelong love for the American West of the 19th century.

His life-long interest in things historical, especially mid-to-late 19th century America. brought him to write about the fascinating events of that era--the Civil War, the opening of the American West, the gold rushes, the Industrial Revolution, Reconstruction. As a student of the Civil War, he has written the first of what may become several novels centered on that agonizing, but captivating, period.

Torreano, author of The Trade, The Renewal, The Reckoning, and A Score to Settle, will entertain listeners with the accounts of what incidents began his stories, will answer questions, and will be available to sign books following his talk.