A new author/poet in Arlington, Elizabeth Riggin will be reading from her first book, “Life Goes On,” at the Lakewood Crossing Starbucks on 27th Avenue N.E. in Marysville from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 25.

“I’ve been writing, taking notes and journaling for many years, and have been wanting to write a book for a long time,” said Riggin, who is housesitting her sister’s house on Crown Ridge Boulevard, while her sister is serving in the Navy in New Orleans.

“I love this area,” Riggin said. “I’ve been doing lots of hiking and meeting lots of people,” she said.

“I felt that my stories could encourage people, to help them through their trials,” Riggin said. The stories are about her life as a divorced mother and her travels in Italy, among other matters.

The second story in the book is about her daughter running away from home when she was a middle school student. Riggin wanted to share with other people, and her daughters, too, what that experience felt like from her own perspective.

“I aged a few extra years in that ordeal,” Riggin said.

The story does not explain, however, why her daughter ran away, and what happened after she came back home.

“I left that out on purpose,” she said, “Because I wanted to follow up in the next volume, or maybe in a full book.”

Her second book is done and the publisher, Tate Publishing, wants to publish it, but Riggin is waiting to see how her first book does.

“I’ve received lots of positive feedback. My daughters have read it and said they like it,” Riggin said.

The book is available on-line at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Tower Books.com, Target.com, Tate Publishing Bookstore.com, Borders.comand and at local bookstores, Reader’s Choice, 3323 169th Pl. NE, in Arlington, BookWorks, 1510 Third St., in Marysville, and Uppercase Books & Collectibles, at 611 Second St., Suite L, in Snohomish.

Riggin is working on volume three of “Life Goes On” at the same time as working on her first novel, and holding down a day job in medical records.

“I spend my evenings and weekends writing,” she said.

“I want to encourage all people, youth and seniors, to document their thoughts on paper,” she said she sees the internet interaction devices as temporary and worries about the future when we have no records of peoples’ thoughts.

“I think the internet is temporary, but books are permanent.”