Today: Authorfest! 35 authors! Food! Music!

I'm off today at a fun event. Stop by if you're in the Round Lake Beach, IL area!

Brought to you by This Old Book in Grayslake, Lake County Authorfest features more than 35 authors at this family-friendly and admission-free event:

• Richard Bell (LIFE SEEMED GOOD, BUT….)
• Robb Chase (BROKEN DAGGER)
• John Clark and Cheryl Clark (SORROW’S ASHES)
• Donna Codell (THERE ARE NO ALLIGATORS IN HEAVEN)
• Trisha Daab (THE NOT-SO-EVIL STEPMOTHER IN THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON EARTH)
• Mitch Davis (FINDING RICHARD)
• Dennis F. Depcik (WOULDN’T IT BE SOMETHING)
• Dwight E. DeRamus Jr. (DISAPPEARING DADS)
• Catherine Finger (SHATTERED BY DEATH)
• David John Ford (CONFESSIONS OF A SMALL TOWN MINISTER)
• Mitchell Granger (JACK STRYDER AND THE LOST LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA)
• Justin Hamelin (THE DARKEST CORNER)
• Elizabeth Harmon (PAIRING OFF)
• Ruth Hull Chatlien (BLOOD MOON: A CAPTIVE’S TALE)
• E.M. Kaplan (FULL SLAB DEAD)
• Kathryn Knapik-Kick (THE MANY TALES OF SAMMY THE CAT)
• Christian A. Larsen (THE BLACKENING OF FLESH)
• Audrey N. Lewis (EVERYBODY HAS A STORY…. THESE ARE OURS…..)
• Gail Lukasik (DEATH’S DOOR)
• Patricia McClure-Chessier (LOSING A HERO TO ALZHEIMER’S)
• Sue Myers (DECEPTION)
• M.E. May (UNSCRUPULOUS)
• Papa V (VANISHED)
• Jerry Peterson (ICED)
• Georgann Prochaska (THE CASE OF THE EX WHO PLOTTED REVENGE)
• Dawn Napier (WORLD OF DRAGONS, WORLDS OF MIST)
• William D. Napier (WHEN WATCHERS ASCEND)
• David A. Rench (THE NEW AQUARIAN SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT DIET)
• Randy Rossi (THE LAST MAN TO LIVE THE REAL AMERICAN DREAM)
• Kimberley Schumacher (MY LETTERS TO AMY)
• Jean-Michel Smith (AUTONOMY)
• tel (INK ON PAPER)
• Christine Todd (PINS)
• C.A. Verstraete (LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER)
• C.J. Warrant (FORGETTING JANE)
• Charlene Wexler (LORI)
• Jeffrey Westhoff (THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH)
• Donn G. Ziebell (GORKY, RUSSIA: FIRST MAN IN)

A portion of the proceeds go toward the Ray Bradbury Museum project in Waukegan, which seeks to restore the Carnegie library at 1 North Sheridan Road where Bradbury, author of DANDELION WINE, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, and FAREWELL SUMMER spent his formative years.

Updates! Dr. Bowen #Mystery, AuthorFest!

Updates!

The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden's Fall River is on pre-order for Kindle!

* Awaiting the final approval for print! (The book is 141 pages, and includes an excerpt of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter.


* Tuesday - July 25 -  Authorfest panel: Authors discuss Secrets of Publishing

See the full list of 35 authors and other info for the Aug. 5th event. Plus Young Author's writing contest - and book donations for kids K-5 will be collected to replace books in the flooded middle school. 

Lake County IL Authorfest Coming!

 Join me and 34 other authors at the 2nd Annual Lake County Authorfest! - August 5th at the Round Lake Beach Civic Center.

** KICK-OFF Author Panel! Tuesday, July 25 - 7 pm, Round Lake Area Library, 906 Hart Rd. near the park district. See http://www.rlalibrary.org

Lake County IL Authorfest Coming!

 Join me and 34 other authors at the 2nd Annual Lake County Authorfest! - August 5th at the Round Lake Beach Civic Center.

** KICK-OFF Author Panel! Tuesday, July 25 - 7 pm, Round Lake Area Library, 906 hart Rd. near the park district. See http://www.rlalibrary.org

* ALSO - Help Round Lake's flood-ravaged middle school library! Donate a children's book for grades K-5. Books collected at the event and at the Round Lake Area Library. 

* New! Youth Writing Contest! See below.

Brought to you by This Old Book in Grayslake, Lake County Authorfest will feature more than 35 authors at this family-friendly and admission-free event:

• Richard Bell (LIFE SEEMED GOOD, BUT….)
• Robb Chase (BROKEN DAGGER)
• John Clark and Cheryl Clark (SORROW’S ASHES)
• Donna Codell (THERE ARE NO ALLIGATORS IN HEAVEN)
• Trisha Daab (THE NOT-SO-EVIL STEPMOTHER IN THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON EARTH)
• Mitch Davis (FINDING RICHARD)
• Dennis F. Depcik (WOULDN’T IT BE SOMETHING)
• Dwight E. DeRamus Jr. (DISAPPEARING DADS)
• Catherine Finger (SHATTERED BY DEATH)
• David John Ford (CONFESSIONS OF A SMALL TOWN MINISTER)
• Mitchell Granger (JACK STRYDER AND THE LOST LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA)
• Justin Hamelin (THE DARKEST CORNER)
• Elizabeth Harmon (PAIRING OFF)
• Ruth Hull Chatlien (BLOOD MOON: A CAPTIVE’S TALE)
• E.M. Kaplan (FULL SLAB DEAD)
• Kathryn Knapik-Kick (THE MANY TALES OF SAMMY THE CAT)
• Christian A. Larsen (THE BLACKENING OF FLESH)
• Audrey N. Lewis (EVERYBODY HAS A STORY…. THESE ARE OURS…..)
• Gail Lukasik (DEATH’S DOOR)
• Patricia McClure-Chessier (LOSING A HERO TO ALZHEIMER’S)
• Sue Myers (DECEPTION)
• M.E. May (UNSCRUPULOUS)
• Papa V (VANISHED)
• Jerry Peterson (ICED)
• Georgann Prochaska (THE CASE OF THE EX WHO PLOTTED REVENGE)
• Dawn Napier (WORLD OF DRAGONS, WORLDS OF MIST)
• William D. Napier (WHEN WATCHERS ASCEND)
• David A. Rench (THE NEW AQUARIAN SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT DIET)
• Randy Rossi (THE LAST MAN TO LIVE THE REAL AMERICAN DREAM)
• Kimberley Schumacher (MY LETTERS TO AMY)
• Jean-Michel Smith (AUTONOMY)
• tel (INK ON PAPER)
• Christine Todd (PINS)
• C.A. Verstraete (LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER)
• C.J. Warrant (FORGETTING JANE)
• Charlene Wexler (LORI)
• Jeffrey Westhoff (THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH)
• Donn G. Ziebell (GORKY, RUSSIA: FIRST MAN IN)

New this year:  Youth Creative Writing Contest for kids ages 4 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 to 18. Winners in each category win a $50 This Old Book gift certificate and an Authorfest goodie bag. Pieces should be no longer than 2,000 words and the deadline to enter is July 24th. Click here for more information.

A portion of the proceeds go toward the Ray Bradbury Museum project in Waukegan, which seeks to restore the Carnegie library at 1 North Sheridan Road where Bradbury, author of DANDELION WINE, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, and FAREWELL SUMMER spent his formative years.

Today! Beachfest - WI Books!

If you're in Wisconsin, check out the Beachfest! Event 

today - Saturday, July 8  in Lake Geneva!

Lots of authors, books and sun around the Lake Geneva Library!

 10-4, 918 W. Main St.

Say hello if you stop by!

AuthorFest - Today! Round Lake Beach IL

I'll be among 25+ authors participating at AuthorFest! TODAY at the Civic Center in Round Lake Beach, Ill.  Stop by and say hello!

 Sponsored by the fantastic This Old Book, there'll be books of all genres, free kid's activities, music and more! Come spend the day!! (Check out the fest info and authors here.)

 


  Featuring Andra Watkins, NY Times Bestselling author of Not  Without My Father: One Woman's 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace and To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis.

AuthorFest

Saturday, July 30th at 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Open to the Public - Free

Round Lake Beach Cultural & Civic Center (Located south of the Meijer store off 

 Rte. 83 ) -  2007 N Civic Center Way, Round Lake Beach, Ill. 

10:00-4:00 Children’s Activity Tent
Edison the Elf coloring page and activity sheet, Sci-fi coloring sheet, Build a Bug, Invent a Gadget, Color a Cookie, Spider Web Art, Creative Writing pages. Face painting
Scavanger hunt for both Children and Adults- Join the Hunt, Win a Prize!
10:15-10:30 Opening Remarks by Robb Chase
10:30-1:30 Various Children’s Book Readings
10:45-12:00 Music by Edison Blake
12:30-2:30 Music by Deezguize at theGazebo
2:30-3:15 Presentation by Andra Watkins
4:00 Close of Authorfest

AuthorFest authors' panel

AuthorFest! will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Cultural and Civic Center, 2007 N. Civic Center Way, (south of the Meijer store off Rte. 83) in  Round Lake Beach, IL.  (The fun of events like this is getting to find out about all kinds of different books you might not have found otherwise!) 

Sponsored by This Old Book, the event features 25+ authors of all genres, free kid's activities, music and more! Come spend the day!! (Check out the fest info and authors here.)

** Here are some highlights from the pre-fest author panel moderated by author/organizer Robb Chase that was held on Wednesday. Featured authors included:

  

  ** Andra Watkins, NY Times Bestselling author of Not  Without My Father: One Woman's 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace and To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis. (She'll be the keynote speaker Saturday afternoon.) 

* Mark Spreyer, executive director of the 80-acre Stillman Nature Center, South Barrington, Ill. and author of Natural Digressions: Natural History for the 21st Century. The book features essays on raptors, insects and nature. Book sale proceeds are donated to the center, which offers classes, environmental education and sanctuary to injured raptors, animals and feathered friends. 

 * Robb Chase, event organizer and author of Broken Dagger: Adventures of Annuvin Book 12. Chase enjoys writing stories with a fantasy-sci-fi twist that mirror real life.

* John F. Wasik, author of  The Merchant of Power: Sam Insull, Thomas Edison, and the Creation of the Modern Metropolis. Wasik details the story of former Edison right-hand man and creator behind the national power grid, written with access to Insull's documents.  Wasik also tells the story of another manufacturing giant Nikola Tesla in Lightning Strikes: Timeless Lessons in Creativity from the Life and Work of Nikola Tesla (Coming Oct. 11.) 

 * Christian A. Larsen, author of the sci-fi-flavored Losing Touch about a man discovering he an walk through walls (with a foreword by Piers Anthony),  and The Blackening of Flesh, about a teen's home being haunted by Prohibition-era gangster ghosts. 

* Michelle Cox, author of  A Girl Like You: A Henrietta and Inspector Howard, a murder mystery set in 1930s Chicago, part of a series. (She also has interesting stories of forgotten Chicagoans on her blog.)

Some Fun Q&A's (moderated by Robb Chase):

  

*What person would you liked to have talked to or learned more about?

Watkins: "Meriwether Lewis so he could tell me how he really died. He may have killed himself, or he may have been murdered." (Lewis finished the first American expedition across the West with William Clark in 1806 at age 32. He was dead at age 35, shot twice, once in the head.)

Wasik: "I would have liked to communicate with Tesla. He came over from Europe. (Thomas) Edison put him to work as a repairman. He completely redesigned Edison's power plant. He was promised a $50,000 bonus and Edison said he was 'just kidding. You don't understand American humor.'  Edison refused to see Tesla had the superior technology."

* What would you say is more important, character or plot?

Watkins: "If you don't have complex characters, I don't think people will read far in the book."

Larsen: "What draws me into a story isn't so much what's happening as (being able to have) identification with the people in the story."

Chase: "Long John Silver comes to mind."

* What scares you?

Larsen: "I'm kind of difficult to scare. I was 11 years old and saw Return of the Living Dead. I didn't stop hearing those zombies for six years."

Wasik: "The scariest thing to me are editors. You can submit a book you spent a year on it, and they'll say this is not what they want."

Watkins: "I think the scariest things are the things that can really happen. I was miles away in this cabin, I picked up a book to read. It was Deliverance."

Chase: "I remember the movie, Willard. I was a little boy when I saw it."

Cox: "I saw the movie, The Exorcist when I was 15. It took me about eight years to get over that thing."

* What one word would you say is most important to your readers?

Watkins: "Escape. I write because I want you to take a glass of wine, sit in the sun for an hour and escape."

Spreyer: "Curiosity. I want them to be curious about things around them."

Wasik: "Insight. Even the best novels provoke you to think in a different way."

Larsen: "Kinship. I want readers to experience stories through the characters' eyes."

Cox: "Intrigue. I like readers to come away really wanting to know what happens in the book."

Chase: "Acceptance. All too often we focus on the dust of our differences instead of how we're all the same."

** Be sure to come out Saturday to check out their books and meet all 29 authors (including me!) 

Today is Lake Geneva WI Authorfest

Stop by and find a good book. Say hello!! Located behind the library at the lake! Music and more!