Speakers – Spring 2021
Meet Our Speakers, Authors, Journalists, Publishing Professionals and Thought Leaders:
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Schedule (Pacific Time)
| Day 1 – For Readers Saturday, April 17 | All times listed in Pacific Time. |
| 10:30am PT | Welcome Message from The BookFest Founder Desireé Duffy, and Special Guest Deborah Kobylt |
| 10:45am PT | Opening Keynote by Bert Sarkkinen – From the Timber in the Trees to the Paper in Our Books, Let’s Find Long-Term Happiness |
| 11:00am PT | A Conversation with Michael Shermer – Being a Skeptic Today |
| 12:00 Noon PT | Books That Force You to See the World Differently |
| 1:00pm PT | Must Love Books and Television: The Connection between Television, Writers, and Pop Culture |
| 2:00pm PT | Mental Health and Physical Wellness Books for the Extended Pandemic |
| 3:00pm PT | A Conversation with Patrick M. Oliver: Creating the Next Generation of Readers, Writers and Leaders |
| 4:00pm to 6:00pm PT | Live Author Chats – Hosted by Jenna Busch and Anastasia Washington |
| 4:10pm PT | Sharon Koifman from Distant Job and author of Surviving Remote Work talks about thriving while working from home, and what the future holds for remote workers. |
| 4:20pm PT | Amber Nichole, No, don’t look away. How to facilitate inclusion and dialogue between children of all abilities using play from the perspective of a parent and educator. |
| 4:30pm PT | Jeff Sweat talks about his harrowing Covid experience and getting back to writing. He is the author of YA fiction including the books Mayfly and Scorpion. |
| 4:40pm PT | Karen Sloan-Brown, author of The Fortunes of Blues and Blessings will talk about the Fisk Jubilee Singers Grammy win and what it means to chase one’s dreams. |
| 4:50pm PT | Debra Eckerling, author of Your Goal Guide, speaker, and founder of The D*E*B Method and Write On Online talks about setting goals. |
| 5:00pm PT | T.L. Bequette, author of the forthcoming Good Lookin’ talks about how being a criminal defense attorney in Oakland, California, who’s tried over 20 murder cases, inspires his writing. |
| 5:10pm PT | Bill McCormick, aka Bill McSciFi, author of Splice: Hit Bit Technology and The Brittle Riders Trilogy, tells the story of how Russian bootleggers and Amazon Tech support gave him his nickname. |
| 5:20pm PT | Celeste Duckworth from Vertikal Media Group and host of A Taste of Ink Live talks about empowering authors and our communities. |
| 5:30pm PT | Julian Reeve, author of Captain Perfection & the Secret of Self-Compassion: A Self-Help Book for the Young Perfectionist talks about self-compassion and other perfectionism. |
| 5:40pm PT | Mandy Jackson-Beverly, author of The Creatives Series: a dark vampire thriller, speaker, and host of The Bookshop Podcast, talks about the role of indie bookshops in communities. Reads from her latest collection of ghost stories. |
Day 2 – For Writers Sunday, April 18 | |
| 9:00am PT | A Conversation with Jonathan Maberry: Being a Prolific Writer |
| 10:00am PT | How to Work Successfully with a Free-Lance Editor |
| 11:00am PT | Sharing Your Story: The Secret Ingredient in Your Memoir is You |
| 12:00 Noon PT | PR Pro Tips for Powerful Book Promotions |
| 1:00pm PT | The Science of Storytelling: How To Use Science, Structure and Sizzle to Create a Bestselling Novel or Non-Fiction Book |
| 2:00pm PT | Goodreads 101: What Every Writer Needs to Know |
| 3:00pm PT | A Conversation with Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords |
| 4:00pm PT | Ask the Industry Experts Anything: A Live Q&A for Writers of Every Level |
Saturday, April 17, 2021
4:00pm to 6:00pm Pacific Time
| 4:10pm PT | Sharon Koifman from Distant Job and author of Surviving Remote Work talks about thriving while working from home, and what the future holds for remote workers. |
| 4:20pm PT | Amber Nichole, No, don’t look away. How to facilitate inclusion and dialogue between children of all abilities using play from the perspective of a parent and educator. |
| 4:30pm PT | Jeff Sweat talks about his harrowing Covid experience and getting back to writing. He is the author of YA fiction including the books Mayfly and Scorpion. |
| 4:40pm PT | Karen Sloan-Brown, author of The Fortunes of Blues and Blessings will talk about the Fisk Jubilee Singers Grammy win and what it means to chase one’s dreams. |
| 4:50pm PT | Debra Eckerling, author of Your Goal Guide, speaker, and founder of The D*E*B Method and Write On Online talks about setting goals. |
| 5:00pm PT | T.L. Bequette, author of the forthcoming Good Lookin’ talks about how being a criminal defense attorney in Oakland, California, who’s tried over 20 murder cases, inspires his writing. |
| 5:10pm PT | Bill McCormick, aka Bill McSciFi, author of Splice: Hit Bit Technology and The Brittle Riders Trilogy, tells the story of how Russian bootleggers and Amazon Tech support gave him his nickname. |
| 5:20pm PT | Celeste Duckworth from Vertikal Media Group and host of A Taste of Ink Live talks about empowering authors and our communities. |
| 5:30pm PT | Julian Reeve, author of Captain Perfection & the Secret of Self-Compassion: A Self-Help Book for the Young Perfectionist talks about self-compassion and other perfectionism. |
| 5:40pm PT | Mandy Jackson-Beverly, author of The Creatives Series: a dark vampire thriller, speaker, and host of The Bookshop Podcast, talks about the role of indie bookshops in communities. Reads from her latest collection of ghost stories. |
| 5:50pm PT | Debbie Monteggia, poet and author of Tears of Change reads poetry from her book and shares a message of hope and inspiration. |