Teen Bookfest by the Bay 2018

I was honored to be invited back to the incredible Teen Bookfest by the Bay last month in Corpus Christi, Texas. The organizers of this event do an absolutely fabulous job of spoiling the attending authors and running an exciting event for readers. Below are a few pictures from the fun weekend in February 2018. 

For more information about the annual event visit: http://www.teenbookfestbythebay.org/

School Visit - San Antonio

On February 14, 2018, I had the pleasure of visiting Sippel Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas. What a pleasure! We had a great discussion about online safety, being an author, and reading great books. I had trouble choosing only a couple of pictures - - - so scroll on down for your viewing pleasure! 

If you're interested in having me visit your school or organization, feel free to email me at margokelly1 @ outlook . com  (without the spaces) for more information.

Teen B-Fest at Barnes & Noble

On September 23, 2017, I had the pleasure of teaching a class about writing at the Barnes & Noble in Boise, Idaho, and one of the best parts was having a friend from high school stop by. I hadn't seen her in all the years since high school, and she even brought pictures from back in the day. That was awesome - such a treat! After the writing workshop, I participated in a book signing with other local authors. Barnes & Noble has been a great supporter of authors, writers, and readers.

If you are interested in having me come and speak to your group, feel free to email me at margokelly1 @ outlook . com - (without the spaces included).

Storymakers Conference 2017

Whew! Two writers' conferences in two weekends! What was I thinking? Well, honestly, I was thinking it would be AWESOME!! And it was. But my brain is tired. So many ideas bouncing around in there. ;)

This was my first time attending the Storymakers Conference in Provo, Utah, and it was AH-MAZING!

Nearly ten different class choices were offered every hour on every topic imaginable - for TWO days! How is a person supposed to choose? It was hard. But it was worth it.

Some of my favorites included:
Frank Cole talking about being a writing juggernaut
Rosalyn Eves teaching about rhetorical devices
Michelle Frey explaining her perspective as an acquisitions editor
Jennifer A. Nielsen exploring the psychology of characterization
Camille Andros showing how to write picture books
Rosalyn Eves explaining the Objective Correlative

Yes, Rosalyn Eves was such a fabulous teacher, I attended two of her classes!



I also had the pleasure of sharing my presentation "Infuse Tension into Your Writing" with attendees.

 

I signed books with people like James Dashner, Brandon Sanderson, Ally Condie and more. ;) I even got James Dashner to write encouraging words to my critique partner Melissa.

The surprise benefit of attending was meeting great people like LJ, Karen, and Shane.

Plus, Ally Condie gave a keynote address. Jennifer A. Nielson gave a lunch-time talk that was so inspiring, 750 attendees rose to their feet, giving a standing ovation. And James Dashner was a hoot throughout the entire conference.

If you've never attended this conference, I would encourage you to add it to your calendar for next year: May 3-5, 2018.

Booking Signing at Jordan Landing Barnes & Noble

What are the benefits are doing a book signing?

Simple:
1. Seeing old friends
2. Meeting people who've already read my books
3. Meeting new people who want to read my books
4. Discussing all books with all readers
5. Feeling happy . . . because BOOKS!
6. OH, and of course there was the awesome Facebook post my sweet son shared (see below)

Here are a few pictures from the event:

Oh, and I signed the remaining copies of both books at the Jordan Landing Barnes & Noble in Utah. Hop on over there and grab one before they're all gone! 

Happy reading!

Teen Bookfest by the Bay 2017

WOW. What an amazing weekend. The organizers of this event went above and beyond on every level imaginable. Before I became an author, I used to arrange huge events, and so I'm familiar with the inner workings of such a thing. So from both the inside and the outside, here are the main items I observed this weekend:

1. There is a dynamic committee that works year round planning and executing this event. Each person on the committee has a different responsibility such as fundraising, public relations, transportation coordinator, treasurer, and so on and so on. Leading the committee is the fearless Debbie VanZandt, who is humble and inspiring.

2. A top goal of the committee was to make sure the attending authors felt spoiled and valued. Goal achieved! The accommodations, the meals, the swag bags, the thoughtful moderators on the panels ... all were beyond fabulous.

3. The event was well publicized. They incorporated student artists to design logos for the event. They reached out to schools and community advocates. And ... I thought it was a great idea to have local vendors set up downstairs for attendees and authors to shop.

4. The event was well organized. The schedule ran smoothly, and the attendees had plenty of interesting panels and workshops to choose from each hour.

5. The list of attending authors was impressive, including New York Times best-selling authors and distinctive award-winning authors.

6. And most importantly, people smiled. Everyone. I never saw a dissatisfied person at the event. That says a lot right there!

As soon as the 2018 dates are announced, I highly encourage everyone to mark their calendars and plan to attend.

My hat goes off to an amazing 2017 Teen Bookfest by the Bay - Corpus Christi, Texas.

Thank you.