Reading Room – Spring 2020
Listen to an array of LA Book Fest Authors reading to you: Videos are launched
Enjoy videos of authors reading from the books, essays, poetry, their works in progress, and more.
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Edgar Scott
Author Edgar Scott reads from 418
Sara Winokur
Author Sara Winokur reads from her book Double Blind
Ryan Southwick
Author Ryan Southwick reads from his book Angels in the Mist
Bilal Alaji
Author Bilal Alaji reads from his book This Ain’t My Life
Sheryl Benko
Author Sheryl Benko reads from her book The Last of Will
Scott Brody
Author Scott Brody reads from his book The Org
Steven Joseph
Author Steven Joseph reads from his book The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris
Debra Eckerling
Author Debra Eckerling reads from her book Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goal
Diana Lee Brown
Author Diana Lee Brown reads from her book Fly By
Gerald Everett Jones
Author Gerald Everett Jones reads from his book Preacher Finds a Corpse
Joanna Dodd Massey
Author Joanna Dodd Massey reads from her book Culture Shock
Ora Nadrich
Author Ora Nadrich reads from her book Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity
Sue William Silverman
Author Sue William Silverman reads from her book How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences
Bill McCormick
Author Bill McCormick reads from his book The Brittle Riders Book III
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. |