Virginia Book Lovers: This is the week for you!

This is the week to be proud to be a Virginian, especially if you’re a book geek like me. The Literary Festival of Virginia is back. It has been  gaining national attention over the years, thanks to the impressive list of  bookish events you can find in this state.

One event that I hope is on your radar is right here in Richmond. If you’re a fan of books for young readers,  we want to see you at Teen ’13  at the Richmond Public Library on October 17, 6 – 8:30 PM. Food, music, authors, books, free stuff, all in one place. The fifteen Virginia authors who are coming offer a mind-blowing range of styles and topics. The books – all 2013 releases — are about psychic powers, romance, religious zealots, racism, canaries in coal mines, circus freaks, the KKK, bullies, military families, Darfur, dementia, horses, angels, courtiers, girls in juvie hall – you name it. See for yourself on the final schedule and the author list here. Teen ’13 program_proof2 (2)

Oh, and to sweeten the deal even more, there’s free stuff: six $25 gift cards to Fountain Bookstore (which will be on hand that night); three winners of 30-minute video chats with an author of their choice; and an autographed collection of the entire list of books. Huge smooches to the Hanover High School Jazz band for their talents and to the Friends of the Library who funded the food, the space and all the prizes. (And buttons. Did I mention the nifty buttons?) #TRW and #teen13valit

Librarian Patty Parks sporting just a few of the book buttons

Other highlights:  On Wednesday, I’ll be at St. Margaret’s in Tappahannock VA to talk about YAQUI DELGADO WANTS TO KICK YOUR ASS. (A whole school dedicated to amazing girls, located in as beautiful a place as there can be in the world!)

The James River Writer’s Conference, an annual family reunion of sorts for writers all over the mid-Atlantic. Here’s the conference schedule. You can get your feet wet with a one-day pass or come both days. Maybe it’s all that creativity in one place, but I always leave the event feeling excited to get back to the page.