DAMARISCOTTA — The Chats with Champions program’s next speaker, Tess Gerritsen, is scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 20 at Skidompha Library, 184 Main St.

Tess Gerritsen David Empson photo

Gerritsen, an internationally bestselling author, took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, she went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her Doctor of Medicine, according to a news release from Meghan Hawkes, library communications coordinator.

While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. Her 1996 medical thriller, “Harvest,” marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list; her novels have hit bestseller lists ever since.

Among her titles are “Gravity,” “The Surgeon” and “Listen to Me.” Her 30 novels have been translated into 40 languages, and more than 30 million copies have been sold around the world.

Her series of novels featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the hit TNT television series “Rizzoli & Isles. ”

Now retired from medicine, she writes full time and lives in Maine.

At Chats, Gerritsen will discuss how she creates her characters and develops her stories, from idea to final plot. She will also give a sneak preview of her new book “The Spy Coast,” due out early next year.

Chats with Champions is a free community offering sponsored by the library and Sherman’s Books. For more information, call the library at 207-887-0919.

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