https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-jv2st-13bb1d7

Discover the full author line-up under the umbrella of Great Lakes Writers in this podcast, and at the Expo.

Find your next favorite read by Michigan authors at the West Michigan Women’s Expo this weekend starting on Friday at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.

Seventeen Michigan authors will be grouped under the umbrella of Great Lakes Writers, and they will be located in booths 110-118.

I have one free ticket left to the show for the lucky winner. Listen in to the podcast for details of the giveaway, as well as the author line-up and instructions for participating authors.

Come, bring a friend and have fun with us. We’re going to have a blast together.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent and The Lowell Ledger

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-pyy3s-13575ed

Author Diana Kathryn Plopa, founder of Pages Promotions talks about the upcoming Virtual Book Festival in February with author Emma Palova, host and producer of For the Love of Books Podcast. Listen in for a chance to win free registration and Plopa’s book A Duck Quacks.

In support of Indie and small press author all over the world, Plopa is hosting the Virtual Book Festival on Zoom, from Feb. 1 through Feb. 28. The deadline for authors to apply is January 15.

It’s wintertime in Michigan (and other parts of the world), and authors aren’t easily able to meet with crowds of readers at book festivals and fairs like we do in the warmer months… so we’re hosting a Virtual Book Festival to give you the opportunity to discover new authors and their books… all while staying warm!

Each day, we’ll share live interviews with authors, listen to them read some of their work, play games, give away prizes with the Spinny Wheel of Happiness, and generally have a good time with the written word. 

 Writers can sometimes be a wacky group of unpredictable people… after all, we make stuff up for a living.  You never know what kind of literary shenanigans might happen…

​So visit our Facebook page every day to see what’s coming next!

Share on social media #virtualbookfestival #mysteryofthemissingmanuscript

Sponsored by Doc Chavent and The Lowell Ledger.

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-vefv9-122ee64

Hauling a cartful of books, you can find Diana Duell at just about any festival in West Michigan, but her favorite one is the Lakeshore Art Festival (LAF) in Muskegon.

“That’s where I started my book collection,” she said. “I was looking for something new.”

Right off the bat, Duell bought 60 to 70 books that the first year when she discovered Indie local authors.

Her collection of Indie authors counts 60 authors, 171 books read, and 350 TBR. She spends approximately $1,000 a year on books.

“It’s disposable income,” Duell said. “It’s my vacation. I fell in love doing this and I collect more books every year.”

Now, as an established collector, she knows most Indie authors and writes reviews on Facebook and Goodreads.

“It’s all about supporting local businesses and writing a book is a craft,” she said.

She has built-in three bookcases with six shelves, all full.

“There has to be a meaning behind a good book,” she said. “A great book is one you can escape into. Keep on writing and I will keep on buying. That’s a promise.”

Depending on her mood, she likes to read anything from a cozy mystery to a short story, and everything in between.

Among her favorite authors are Ingar Rudholm, DA Reed, and Andrew Allen Smith.

“I wouldn’t want to be on DA Reed’s or Andrew Allen Smith’s bad side,” she said.

Duell is always on the lookout for new authors and new books.

Watch for Duell at LAF this year on June 25 & 26. Listen in to the interview for a chance to win a signed copy of your next favorite read.