More than 40 local and regional authors, including several New York Times bestsellers, are participating in Books Down South, A Festival for Readers and Writers, on Saturday, Oct. 26, in the former River’s Elementary School at the intersection of Sandy Creek Road and Veterans Parkway in Fayetteville (map below).
The Citizen Newspapers and Fayette Woman magazine are pleased to present this inaugural event which will include book selling, author signings, children’s readings, speakers and more.
Bestselling authors Steve Eubanks, Dianna Love, Ronda Rich and Haywood Smith will be signing books along with more than 40 additional authors in a variety of genres.
“We are excited to create this unique opportunity for readers to connect with their favorite writers — and discover new ones,” said Joyce Beverly, publisher of Fayette Woman Magazine.
The festival is free and open to
the public.
Syndicated columnist and bestselling author Ronda Rich will deliver the keynote address, “Conversations with Ronda Rich,” at 1:30 p.m.
Rich is a master storyteller and writer who first exploded on the national stage with her wildly popular “What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should), a book now in its 32nd printing.
She will also be discussing “The Art of Southern Storytelling” in a workshop for writers at 3:30 p.m. Tickets to the keynote and the workshop are $10 each and are available at the door or can be reserved by emailing booksdownsouth@gmail.com.
Steve Eubanks, author of more than 30 books, will also be speaking at the event. Eubanks’ newest book, “All American,” about two men who faced each other in the Army-Navy gave in 2001 and then fought with each other in Iraq, will make its debut at the festival. The author will talk at 11:30 a.m.
Red Hat Club author Haywood Smith will delight festival goers with a talk that’s sure to tickle funny bones as well. Smith writes humorous, uplifting “hell hath no fury” women’s fiction. She will be speaking at 10:30 a.m.
New York Times Bestseller Dianna Love, 11-Alive news anchor Karyn Greer and local children’s author and publisher Carole Marsh will also be signing at the event
Other authors appearing include:
Children’s Books – Annette Burrell, Deborah Cheek, Gail Goldbert, Tracy Sands, C.E. Walz, Vincent Wolf
Ficton – Romily Bernard, Marilyn Baron, Mike Boylan, Milton Davis, Jill Smith Entrekin, Linda Joyce, Debbie Kaufman, Lynn Murphy, Ben Nelms, Bryan Powell, Larissa Reinhart;
Richard Smith, Harrison Jones, Stephanie Lauren, Gillian Summers, Laura Templeton, Mark Trettel, Victoria Wilcox, Aubrey Williams
Nonfiction – Dick Bowley, Mary Brances Bowley, Leroy Curtis, George Dillard, Jeanne Hewell-Chambers, Linda Jennings, Adrienne Johnson, Paul Lentz, Nancy Lewis, Scott Ludwig, Ben Nelms, Rick Rickeley, Judy Suiter and Maggie Worth
Poetry – Pat Butler, Brigitte Byrd
Additional details will be available on the festivals social media sites at Facebook.com/BooksDownSouth and on Twitter, @BooksDownS.
Sponsors include Gallopade, Rivers Rock LLC II, FC&A, Omega Books, Dogwood Forest, Harbin Agency, Somerby, Vitasource, Southtowne Newnan, Towne Club Peachtree City, Bedazzled Flowers, Sourcepoint Coaching, Azalea Estates, ClubZ, Toyota of Newnan, Interiors Blinds & Designs, Peachtree Planning, Angie’s Cleaners, Allstate / Hallene Minter, and Kids Education Care Party Center.
Established in 2013 by Fayette Woman Magazine and The Citizen Newspapers, Books Down South is a book festival designed to connect readers and writers and provide a platform for local and regional authors to meet new fans.
Driving directions to get to Books Down South:
From Fayetteville:
Take Hwy. 54 West and turn right at the traffic light at Veterans Parkway; proceed 1.7 miles to Sandy Creek Road where you turn left. The event is being held in the large brick building with a blue roof almost immediately on your right (the former Rivers Elementary School).
From Peachtree City:
Take Hwy. 54 East from the east side of Peachtree City and proceed approximately 3 miles to the traffic light at Veterans Parkway; turn left and proceed 1.7 miles to Sandy Creek Road where you turn left. The event is being held in the large brick building with a blue roof almost immediately on your right (the former Rivers Elementary School).
From I-85 South:
Head south on Hwy. 74 approx. 2.6 miles to Sandy Creek Road (there is no traffic light at this intersection); turn left on Sandy Creek Rd. and proceed 4.4 miles to the event location. The festival is located in the large brick building with blue roof on your left (the former Rivers Elementary School).
