Hagerstown Hometown Holiday Book Festival

Seventeen Inspirational Authors Meet in Hagerstown, Maryland for Book Festival

2009-11-29T16:24:00.014-05:00

It went great. Lots of guests. Lots of desserts. Book sold and signed.

Candice Speare and Trish Perry smile for their readers

Rita signing a copy of Surrender the Wind for Marty.

The Dessert Table

Mr. & Mrs. Herb Flemming, and Dave Geber talk with guests.

Jeanette Windle

Melanie Jeschke

Loree Lough & Trish Perry chat about writing.

Lisa Samson and Joyce Magnin.

Cathy Gohlke

Jessica Adriel

Leah Morgan. She brainstormed this event and put it all together with Wanda Dyson. She worked from Dusk to Dawn.

Tracy Higley

Event Planner, Wanda Dyson

Kelly Higgins Kund and her family came all the way from Pennsylvania.

Lisa Samson

Teryl Cartwright

Loree Lough

2009-11-25T09:41:00.002-05:00

Listen to a live interview with Leah Morgan with WTHU Christian Radio. She shares all about the Hagerstown Hometown Holiday Book Festival.

http://www.wthu.org/PodcastNew.aspx

New Additions

2009-11-11T02:46:00.000-05:00

Adding to the list of fabulous authors that will be meeting readers and signing books, are authors Gayle Roper and Jessica Adriel.

See the list in its entirety and the links to all the authors' websites on the sidebar under 'Participating Authors'.

2009-10-31T20:32:00.000-04:00

We just received an amazing donation that will be offered as a door prize at the event. Local pastors and lay leaders will want their name on this one: Several commentaries and study books written and autographed by faculty members of Cincinnati Christian University along with a host of items bearing the school logo. AND a letter of congratulations from University President, David Faust! Thank you CCU and Todd Smith!

Word in today that two book clubs will be coming in, one from western Maryland area and the other from Pennsylvania.

Rita Gerlach is donating a 12 x 18 poster of the Surrender the Wind book cover, dated and signed in gold ink to be in a drawing alongside all the great gift baskets being donated.

Update! Four Weeks to go!

2009-10-28T12:03:00.000-04:00

We are at the starting gate in anticipation for this mega book signing, the largest of its kind in the Maryland history where CBA authors are gathering together to meet the public. It's only four weeks away!

If you live in the Hagerstown area, keep a lookout for the beautiful red Holiday posters designed by author Wanda Dyson that advertise the event.

A coffee/tea and desert bar will be provided. Volunteers will be offering lusheous treats such as pumpkin bread and Butternut Pound Cake.

The buzz continues to grow louder and louder. You will have a blast meeting authors, acquiring signed books which make great Christmas gifts, winning gift baskets, picking up some freebies, enjoying coffee with your favorite authors and friends, and having a photo taken with authors.

The Buzz

2009-10-20T16:59:00.001-04:00

Not only has the news of the mega book signing reached the ears of Publishers Weekly staff, and the participating authors' editors and publishers, it is all the buzz in the central Maryland area. Several businesses have requested posters to hang in their windows. Literary agents from Hartline Literary, along with members of their book club, are driving down from Pennsylvania to attend the event. The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers group (ACFW) is promoting the event on the chapter's blog spot. Leah Morgan will be giving a live interview on radio the Monday before the event.

Why should you attend this event on the busiest shopping weekend of the year?

Because you will have a fun afternoon meeting some of the best Christian writers in the East.
Enjoy a time of fellowship and fun with other readers.
Acquire signed copies of highly rated novels to give as Christmas presents.
Acquire signed copies of new novels for your reading pleasure.
Have a photo taken with acclaimed Christian authors.
Enjoy a cup of Joe and a pastry with authors, friends, and other attendees.
Support the ministry of a local church who has graciously given their hall to us for this event.
Support the writing ministries of Christian authors
Have the chance to win a basket full of books.
Have the chance to win a gift basket put together by one of the authors.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

In The News. . .

2009-10-13T17:35:00.001-04:00

Our co-coordinator and the one who originally came up with this event, Leah Morgan, has been invited by WTHU Christian Radio to come into their station and hold a live interview on Monday, November 23. Leah will be talking up the event on the air waves, that reach the western / central Maryland area and Gettysburg, PA. The broadcast can be listened to live by going to the WTHU website.

Ready, Camera, Action!

2009-10-08T17:15:00.000-04:00

NEW VIDEO FOR THE EVENT UP ON FACEBOOK!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=1223043745623

NEWS FLASH!

2009-10-06T15:37:00.000-04:00

Abingdon Press has sent word of their excitement about this event. Two of their authors will be signing their novels! Joyce Magnin author of The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, and Rita Gerlach author of the romantic historical Surrender the Wind.

Mark Yeh, marketing director for Abingdon Press sent word that they will be putting together a press release and will send it to the consumer media, such as Christianity Today and Charisma Magazine, newspapers local to the event, and to trade magazines. Already word has been sent to the religion editor at Publishers Weekly, and we (Wanda, Rita, and Leah - the fearsome three coordinators), are hoping for an article.

In addition to Abingdon's help, Waterbrook, a devision of Random House is posting about the event on their Facebook page. Waterbrook is Wanda Dyson's publisher.

Another author has been added to the mix. Christy Award winning author Lisa Samson will be at the event signing her latest novels.
http://www.lisasamson.com/

Watch this site for up and coming posts showcasing the authors that will be signing at the Hagerstown Home for the Holidays Book Festival on November 28!

Message

Update - Gift Basket Door Prizes

2009-10-03T12:09:00.001-04:00

Rita Gerlach, author of Surrender the Wind, an inspirational historical romance, will be offering a gift basket for a door prize that will have an English Country Tea theme, filled with items perfect for a quiet moment by the fire on a chilly winter's day.

http://ritagerlach.com/

Co-authors for the Be Still…and Let Your Nail Polish Dry devotional (Andrea Boeshaar, Sandie Bricker, and Debby Mayne and Loree Lough) want to donate one 'Love Finds You' book apiece, plus one copy of the devo, which will be tuck into a pretty basket, along with some “fingernail and hand vanity” products. (And since Andrea lives in Wisconsin, and Debby and Sandie are in Florida, they’ll sign some post cards that Loree will slip into any copies of 'Be Still' that sell.

http://bestilldevos.blogspot.com/

CBA suspense author Wanda Dyson will also be donating a gift basket for a door prize filled with items any reader would love, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

www.wandadyson.com/

Terri Gillespie author of Making Eye Contact with God and Woman at the Well, Meditations for Quenching Our Thirst, is putting together a meaningful gift basket designed in mind for the busy woman longing for time to spend in God's presence.

Jeanette Windle, author of Veiled Freedom, her most recent novel set in Afghanistan, and other political-suspense novels, will be offering a gift basket with a medley of her titles for all ages from juvenile Parker Twins Mystery Series, Jana's Journal for teens, and adult thrillers, ideal for Christmas gifts for the whole family.

http://www.jeanettewindle.com/

UPDATE!

2009-10-02T15:50:00.000-04:00

Abingdon Press out of Nashville has requested a group picture of all the authors, and will send it to Publishers Weekly.

Several writer's groups are donating books and promotional material for gift baskets that will be given as door prizes.

Christian Authors Book Signing Event - Saturday, November 28, Virginia Avenue Church of God, Hagerstown, Maryland

2009-09-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

How - What - When - and How

On a sunny afternoon, in mid-September, three writers met for lunch for the first time. Over cups of steaming green tea and plates of fried rice, Leah Morgan expressed her love for Christian authors and her desire to bring them and readers together in the central/western Maryland area. Wanda Dyson and Rita Gerlach, both published authors, were enthused about the idea.

Thus was born the idea of a joint book signing event at Leah's church. In one week, the event evolved from a few authors to ten, with Borders sponsoring the event, talking up a coffee bar, and an event that would please the most discriminating of readers with book giveaways, gift baskets to be raffled, and free items sent in from CBA authors from across the country.

Virginia Avenue Church of God in Hagerstown, Maryland is hosting the event and is happy to greet everyone through their doors into a hall decked with Christmas flare and a table of delicious baked goods. Readers will have the chance to meet some of the finest Christian authors in the book world, such as Christy Award winner Cathy Gohlke, best selling suspense author Wanda Dyson, whose book 'Why I Jumped' was featured on Oprah, and Rita Gerlach, author of romantic historical fiction whose novel Surrender the Wind is one of Abingdon Press' first books in their new line of fiction.

Mark your calendar! You won't want to miss this. Saturday, November 28, from 1 to 4 pm.

Visit this blog often for updates, author profiles, and more.
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If you live in the Hagerstown / Frederick area and would like to put up a poster please let us know. Wanda's design is gorgeous.