South Carolina Book Festival

I have had several literary weekends recently that have inspired me tremendously. In May several friends and I went to the South Carolina Book Festival in Columbia, South Carolina. What an inspiration to hear so many authors talk about their work and offer advice and encouragement to new or struggling authors.

C. J.  Box told of his writing journey from his days as a young reader to becoming a bestselling author of the Joe Pickett series, beginning with Open Season and continuing to his latest Cold Wind, his thirteenth novel.

Cathy Pickens, (author of Can’t Never Tell), Lisa Patton  (author of Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter), and Celia Rivenbark (author of   You Can’t Drink All Day if You Don’t Start in the Mornin’ and Bless Your Heart, Tramp)told hilarious stories about their writing journeys as Southern women writing mysteries, contemporary women’s fiction and newspaper columns. The room was packed for the panel discussion which was laugh-out-loud side-splitting funny!  

Mignon Ballard, Katheryn Wall, and Carla Damron told of their latest mysteries. Miss Dimple Disappears, Ballard’s latest, is a delightful Southern mystery set in World War II. Every character, every mannerism, every word is perfect! Jericho Kay, Wall’s latest, was well-written and explosive at times. I loved the setting. Death in Zooville, Damron’s latest, is the next book I plan to read.

Beth Webb Hart, author of Love, Charleston, and River Jordan, author of Praying for Strangers, talked about writing for the inspirational market. Two more books found their way into my shopping bag.

Faith Hunter, author of Mercy Blade,  and Mario Acevedo , author of The Nymphos at Rocky Flats, told of the fun of writing urban fantasy. While I do not normally knowingly read vampire stories, Hunter’s books are always fast-passed and suspenseful. Acevedo’s book proved to be a little too bloody for my taste, but it was entertaining and funny.  

Several panels described and discussed “Great Summer Reads”. Among them were: Nicole Seitz, author of The Inheritance of Beauty, and Eleanor Brown, author of The Weird Sisters. Two more titles were added to my list of books to read this summer.

At the end of the second day of the Festival, I had purchased nine books, and had started a list of authors to look for on my next trip to the library and/or bookstore. And I won a door prize, a beach towel, the perfect accessory for reading in a chaise lounge beside the pool.

If you have read any of these titles, let me know what you think.