Once warm weather rolls around, festivals abound. Some of my favorite ones are book festivals. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Gaithersburg Book Festival. Touted as one of the best in the country, I could see why. I was duly impressed, and despite the uncharacteristically cold and rainy weather, I had a great time.
My husband and I parked in a mall lot and took a shuttle straight to the festival grounds. Plenty of signs and volunteers pointed us in the right direction. Once at the festival, we wandered around the wide array of exhibitors. Many authors of multiple genres attended, giving presentations and signing books.
In the center, the Politics and Prose Bookstore had a tent containing all the books for the authors who were signing. You bought your books there first, then went to the signing lines, so the lines moved fast.
My husband met Tim Kurkjian, got a book signed, and got a picture with Kurkjian. We attended a panel called World Building in Fantasy and Scifi. Martina Boone, Lori Goldstein, Kathy MacMillan, and Jon Skovron each told a little about their world building process, and how it affected their completed novels. They had some great tips for aspiring authors!
Afterwards, I met both Martina Boone (author of Heirs of Watson Island series) and Lori Goldstein (Becoming Jinn and Cirlce of Jinn) and got them to sign their books. Next, we checked out the Friends of the Library sell, and both found some great deals. We came home with a whole bagful of books!
I was also able to meet Kara Thomas (author of The Darkest Corner) and hear her read from her book. Then we headed home, eagerly anticipating the next book festival (the Baltimore Book Festival in September). I highly recommend anyone who loves books attend a book festival. You won’t be disappointed.
And as always, if you have been to a book festival, feel free to share about your experiences in the comments.
Finding Faith, Holding Onto Hope, and Living With Love 