Pictures, Anyone?

After weeks of fighting my phone AND my digital camera, I've finally managed to get some of the pictures I took from last month's Children's Festival of Reading to load on my old Mac laptop.  There are more but unfortunately every time I try to load them, they are standing on their heads!

This first photo is of the lovely Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and local author, Jennifer Madison.  Jennifer donated some autographed books to my booth last year, we got to talking, and now her two children are my students at my TaeKwonDo school.

This is one shot of the long table where I displayed all the lovely books donated to this event.

Here is another shot of donated books.  The people that stopped by loved being able to have a hands-on experience with the autographed items.

Here is a view in one direction from my booth of the festival just at it was beginning...

And another one...

Here's one of the characters milling around to visit with the children...

One of the local radio station's mascot, Buzby.

I think this young fan was surprised to see Curious George!

I'm not sure who this character is, but the kids sure liked him!

I feel badly that I can't load the rest of my pictures from my digital camera to my laptop without them being upside down.  If any of my readers know how to correct this, please comment here or private message me so I can hopefully get the rest of the pictures out for everyone to see.  Thanks again to all the wonderful authors and illustrators who participated in this year's event.  It was my pleasure to help the over 12,000 people who attended this year's event connect with your lovely books!

Until next year...;~)

Second Annual Free Authors' Promotion

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

A view from the Sunsphere at this year's Children's Festival of Reading

Last weekend was my second annual FREE AUTHORS' PROMOTION event at my city's Children's Festival of Reading.  I thought last year's event was amazing but I was blown away by this year's participants.  I ended up with 49 authors and over 1000 autographed items for my FREE GIVEAWAY!

It was rainy and muddy when I was trying to set up my booth (if you look at the line of smaller tents on the right side of the photo above, my booth was the blue one at the beginning of the row in the back.  I was right across from the author signing booth and could literally wave at Sudipta if I would have had the time.  

Despite the overcast clouds, over 12,000 people made it to the festival and I didn't even have time for a potty break as people were constantly stopping by to either register for the free books, pick up the signed swag items, or do the crafts I provided.  The hits at the booth obviously included the books (Susanna Leonard Hill, the little ones fought over your flap books again...;~), the older kids liked the  autographed bookmarks the most and parents loved Julie Hedlund's story app bookmark.  

Just a note for new authors wondering about marketing budgets and what to invest in.  At my booth the business cards, magnets, and large postcards weren't as popular as regular bookmarks, stickers, and Romelle Boas' Casey Chameleon bookmarks with the gummy lizards she attached to them were an absolute hit!

Thanks to everyone who sent me things to display at my booth...I had members of my TKD Street Team handing out cards all over the festival grounds and your lovely bookmarks and postcards are now in the hands of hopefully new fans of your work!

Below are pictures of some of the fun that went on all day long!

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

David Claunch, storyteller

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Some of the youngest festival goers having fun!

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Jarret Krosoczka drawing his Lunch Ladies

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Curious George and the crew from Alice In Wonderland

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Bob Shea talking about his Dinosaur vs series with young volunteers

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Kerry Madden, author of Nothing Fancy

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Friends of the Library Used Book Sale

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Wah Lum Lion Dancers performing for the crowd

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Our very own Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen meeting fans

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen during her author showcase talk

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Musician Jim Gill entertaining the crowd

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Play Village youngsters having fun in the sand!

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

The Tennessee Valley Fair Chicken

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Bob Shea & Jarrett Krosoczka autographing books for their fans

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Debbie Diesen, Author of Pout Pout Fish

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Junior League's Kids In The Kitchen performance

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Author and storyteller, Sherry Norfolk

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Curious George led the Parade of Books through the festival grounds

(courtesy of Knox County Public Library)

Allan Wolf entertaining the crowds

I can't wait until next year!

FREE AUTHORS PROMOTION UPDATE

CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL OF READING CROWD

Time flies by so quickly when you're having fun.  Almost a year ago I hosted my first annual FREE AUTHORS PROMOTION in May during my city's Children's Festival of Reading.  I reached out to authors around the country with the promise of promoting their lovely books in exchange for donated autographed items to include in my FREE GIVEAWAY to help benefit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.  You can read about the event by clicking on this link.. http://knoxrooms.sirsi.net/rooms/portal/page/21676_Childrens_Festival_of_Reading 

Last year's event was a wonderful success with 350 autographed items given away!

Now it's almost time for my second annual FREE AUTHORS PROMOTION and the donations have been rolling in like crazy!  I'm working hard to get everything ready and thought I would give everyone an update on the wonderful authors and illustrators whose works I'm thrilled to be able to promote this year.  Here is the list of people participating so far:

1. Gloria Repp
2. Edwin Wolfe
3. Maggie Pajak
4. Yvette Cragun 
5. Adrienna Quintana
6. Donna L Martin
7. Genevieve Petrillo
8. Jan Godown Annino
9. Darlene Foster
10. Amy Dixon
11. Susanna Leonard Hill
12. Patricia Newman
13. Janie Reinart
14. Debbie Ridpath Ohi
15. Rob Sanders
16. Brandy Herr
17. Cindy Springsteen
18. Lisa Rose
19. Clarike Bowman-Jahn
20. Krista Rausin
21. Jolene Ballard Gutierrez
22. Ann tucker
23. Romelle Broas Guittap
24. Laurie Jacobs
25. Nicky Johnson
26. Sylvia Liu
27. Tracey M Cox
28. Vivian Kirkfield
29. Tania Bauerle
30. Alayne Kay Christian
31. Stuart Schadt
32. Salina Yoon
33. Quinn Cole
34. Cher Green
35. Erik Weibel

This year the event has gone international with donations coming in from Canada, Australia, Ireland, as well as all over the United States.  And there's still time to participate!  Any authors or illustrators wanting to be a part of this event can email me at donasdays (at) gmail (dot) com for more information and the mailing address for their donated autographed items.

And the number of items donated so far?