Library Promotes Local Debut Author

Niceville Public Library is giving a local debut author an unusually large welcome to the literary community.

When Sage Byrne's debut novel, Nereid Unbound, launched this month, she expected the usual mixture of book announcements, social-media posts, and the nervous hope that readers would discover her work.

She did not expect to see her book on a digital billboard. Or two. Or three.

The Niceville Public Library is promoting Byrne's upcoming Meet the Author event with digital billboard advertising around the community, giving the locally published author and her debut novel a level of visibility that is unusual for a first-time novelist.

"I knew the library was supporting the event, but I never dreamed I’d see my book on a billboard," Byrne said. "And then I found out there were three of them."

Nereid Unbound is the first novel in Byrne's Nerissa Morgen urban-fantasy series. Set in Northwest Florida, the novel combines the region's natural beauty with a supernatural world influenced by both classical mythology and Choctaw traditions.

The story follows Nerissa Morgen, a Florida nature photographer whose life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers a connection to a heritage she never knew existed.

Byrne's affection for the Florida landscape is also reflected in her work as a nature photographer, and the natural world plays an important role in the atmosphere of the novel.

The Meet the Author event will give local readers an opportunity to meet Byrne, learn more about Nereid Unbound, and get a signed copy of the book.

For Byrne, the billboard campaign has become one of the most unexpected moments of her debut launch.

"Publishing a first novel is a strange experience," she said. "You spend years imagining what it will be like to finally see your book in the world. I don't think I ever imagined that it would include seeing it on a billboard on my way to the grocery store."

The author hopes the event will introduce Nereid Unbound to local readers while also celebrating the community support that helped make her first novel's launch possible.

And if you've happened to spot one of those billboards around Niceville, now you know the story behind the book on it.