If you have a hankering to spend time at a bed & breakfast, why not combine that with meeting a favorite author? That’s the idea behind the Authors and Inns Tour, run by the New Jersey shore-based Historic Inns of Spring Lake in association with the Spring Lake and Sea Girt public libraries to introduce readers to visiting authors like Mary Higgins Clark on June 10.

“We were looking for a way to publicize the inns and bring more people to town,” said Barbara Vogel, owner of Sea Crest by the Sea in Spring Lake. “Spring Lake used to be a huge mecca for vacationers who would stay at the big old hotels. One of our goals is to have people keep coming back to our seashore towns.” Candy Kadimik, owner of the Beacon House in Sea Girt, said the Authors and Inns Tour will be exciting in more ways than one. “Whether you’re a fan of a certain writer or want to discover new ones, we offer an eclectic group of authors,” Kadimik said. “This won’t be like a typical book signing that occurs at a bookstore or a lecture hall. You’ll be meeting the authors in an entirely different and informal venue.”