Local author Paul Heingarten will discuss his new novel, Xeno Reckoning: An Interstellar War Story (The Essence Wars, Book 1), at 12 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 5, via video conference online. Visit www.jplibrary.net/adults for more details, including how to join the discussion.

Stranded in a galaxy on the brink of war, the last of the human race are trying to survive. Regulation Officer Selina Ravencraft, a pioneer’s daughter, is doing what she can to help her kind settle and keep their makeshift colony safe.

But when Ravencraft activates a mysterious device, she brings her people into the sights of the alien race that killed her father. Ready to prove she’s more than her father’s daughter, she flings herself between the humans and their biggest enemy.

Can Ravencraft keep the last of humanity out of harm’s way? Or will they die out forever?

Paul Heingarten writes science fiction and fantasy, with the occasional detour into general fiction. His novel Cataclysm Epoch was selected as a semi-finalist in the 2017 William Faulkner - William Wisdom Writing Competition held in New Orleans. He is an IT professional and a musician. He is a member of the Bayou Writers Club which is headquartered on the North Shore. Heingarten has written more than a dozen novels and has written short stories that are available through Kindle.

For more information regarding this presentation, contact Chris Smith, Manager of Adult Programming for the library, at (504) 889-8143 or wcsmith@jplibrary.net.