5pm-8pm on Thursday (6/18) at Saturn Club, 977 Delaware Ave.

Local author and creative writing teacher, Mary Mullet-Flynn, will launch her new novella Cherry Blossom Diaries. The novella is based on the authentic diaries of Deborah Peters, recorded from March 19, 1942 to August 14, 1945, set during World War II. Mullet-Flynn found these real-life encounters fascinating, and she says her favorite part of writing the novella was getting to know Deborah.

Twenty-one year old Deborah Peters leaves the Buffalo Central Terminal waving good-bye to everything she has ever known to live in a city where she knows only one person, her mother’s oldest friend. She boarded the train with an overwhelming desire to serve her country and the naïve belief that a man in uniform could always be trusted, no matter what his rank. As noble as her ambitions were, she quickly discovered life was more complicated than she had ever imagined.

Mullet-Flynn says, “Since Deborah moved from Buffalo to live in Washington with the sole purpose of helping to win the war, she included a great deal about what was going on in Washington D.C. and how it looked and felt to be living there at that time.” Deborah touched on everything: love, family, friends, food, night-clubbing, washing out her underwear, the beauty and the bleakness of Washington, and her country at war. These rich encounters inspired Mullet-Flynn to do extensive research in order to bolster what Deborah touched on throughout her diaries.

Published by Roc-City Book Publishing out of Rochester, the book will be available for purchase and signing at The Saturn Club on Thursday (6/18) from 5pm-8pm. The book is $19.95 with $4.00 from the sale of each book the day of the launch going to Olmsted Parks for planting of cherry blossom trees in their Japanese garden.

Mary Mullett-Flynn is a writer and watercolor artist in Buffalo, New York and owns a small shop, Back of the Moon: Gifts & Gallery in Wilson, New York. Mullett-Flynn was featured in the July 2012 issue of Woman’s Day Magazine. She was the recipient of the Business First 2012 Women of Influence Award. She also sat on the board of directors of The Kenan Art Association, The Kenmore Merchants Association and presently is on the board of Artists in Buffalo.She has conducted writing workshops at the Chautauqua Institute, through Just Buffalo Literary Center, and the Albright Knox Art Gallery working with children through the Gallery’s “A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words” program, pairing docents and writers. She lives in Kenmore, New York with her husband, Patrick; son, Evan and puppy, Lily.

Other Events

Tuesday (6/16)—Writers’ Critique Group at 6:30pm at Just Buffalo, 468 Washington St. Bring several copies of your work—all genres under 1,000 words—and get advice and inspiration from fellow writers. You can also enjoy the annual pizza party with a Q&A session with Gary Earl Ross.