There were of course a couple of glitches they need to iron out, but all-in-all I give their effort a solid thumbs-up. I was surprised at how many authors there are in this area. Many of the books were regionally based (we have a rich Native American and pioneer history here), but there were a number of books of other genres as well.
I was especially happy to chum up a bit with Donita Baze, author of Soul Mates, a book that deals with sexual abuse and is geared toward young adults. As far as I can tell, her book isn't yet available online, which is a pity because when she spoke about it from the podium, she captured everyone's interest, eliciting the first applause of the day.
I also met author M. Scott Carter, a political reporter with the Journal Record in Oklahoma City who's novel, The Immortal Von B was published last year. His novels are geared toward young adults, but his writing is sophisticated and completely palpable for adults as well. I intend on buying a copy of Von B. very soon. If I'd had the cash or had brought the checkbook, I'd have come home with a copy. As the only two authors representing rock & roll yesterday, we naturally gravitated to each other and he even bough a copy of my book.
The real plus of the fair, besides the exposure to the book-reading public and networking with other authors is that we were given the choice whether we wanted to pay a $25 registration fee, or donate two copies of our books. While one copy was raffled off in a contest, the other is to be placed in the library. For me, the choice was easy. Put Beyond The Bridge in the hands of a reader and on the library shelves, please!
Congratulations, Stillwater Public Library, and thank you for supporting local authors!
