Now that the writing is done and their books are published, Richard Wagner and John Hood have moved to the next stage of their projects. This week, Wagner spoke to 150 kids at North Chatham Elementary School about his book, Little League Heaven: The Legend of Odie Sweeny. As part of Young Authors Week at the school, he also provided a primer on the elements of good writing. Based on recent test scores and questions about the writing tests themselves, the kids can use Wagner’s expertise. This weekend, John Hood spoke about his book at the Crystal Coast Book Festival in Carteret County. In Selling the Dream: Why Advertising is Good Business, Hood traces advertising’s history and discusses the consumer society, in which advertising plays an important role. It is his third work. He is also the author of Investor Politics and The Heroic Enterprise.