Arts & Entertainment

Local Authors at Fall for the Book

Presenters at this week's Fall for the Book Festival include authors who call this area home.

The Fall for the Book Festival features many local authors. The writers and presenters in these sessions make their home in the D.C. Metro area, according to festival organizers.

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. — Thriller Writer and Fairfax resident John Gilstrap - Hub, Rooms 3, 4, 5

Bestselling author Gilstrap reads from his latest novel — "Damage Control," the fourth book featuring freelance rescue specialist Jonathan Grave — and discusses the craft of writing thrillers.

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Thursday, 6 p.m. - Washington Writers’ Publishing House Short Story Winners - Research I, Room 163

David Taylor, author of "Success", Andrew Wingfield, author of "Right of Way", and David Ebenbach, author of "Into the Wilderness"—recipients of the 2008, 2010, and 2012 fiction prizes from the Washington Writers’ Publishing House—share stories and reflect on the craft of developing a short fiction collection.

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Friday, 1:30 p.m. - Washington Area Women Writers - Sandy Spring Bank Tent

Contributors to "Amazing Graces: Yet Another Collection of Fiction" by Washington Area Women, edited by Richard Peabody, share selections of their work. Participants include Julie Agnone, Beth Konkoski, Tara Laskowski, Teresa Burns Murphy, Susan Sharpe and Eugenia Tsutsumi.
 
Friday, 5:30 p.m. - Mystery Writers of America Panel - Grand Tier III, Center for the Arts

Four area mystery novelists discuss their books and the larger genre: Mary Higgins Clark Award finalist Tracy Kiely, with her new book, "Murder Most Austen"; award-winning cinematographer Thomas Kaufman, author of the DC-set novels "Drink the Tea" and "Steal the Show"; Agatha Award winner Sandra Parshall, with her new novel "Bleeding Through"; and Agatha Award nominee Joanna Campbell Slan, debuting "Death of a Schoolgirl," the first book in her Jane Eyre Chronicles. Sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Parshall and Slan are Northern Virginia residents, Kiely lives in Maryland.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - Self-Publishing Panel -
Sherwood Center, Performance Hall A, 3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, Va.

Join Karen Cantwell, author of the comedy-mystery "Take the Monkeys and Run," Matt Iden, author of the collection "One Bad Twelve," Scott Nicholson, author of "Troubled," Michael Sullivan, author of the "Riyria Series" and Robin Sullivan, editor with Ridan Publishing, as they share their personal experiences in self-publishing and discuss the how-to of becoming a successful self-published author.

Saturday, noon - Virginia Romance Writers Panel - Sherwood Center, Performance Hall A, 3740 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax

Fall for the Book’s first panel of romance writers features stars from the local chapter of Romance Writers of America: Diana Cosby, author of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series; Tina Glasneck, whose debut novel "Thou Shall Not" tracks a serial killer in Richmond, Virginia; Nara Malone, whose books span the genre from shapeshifter romances ("The Tiger’s Tale") to BDSM ("The Dungeon Gourmet"); and Laurin Wittig author of Scottish historical romances, including "Charming the Shrew" and "Daring the Highlander." Moderated by Leah St. James, whose own works include the novel Surrender to Sanctuary.

Saturday, 2 p.m. - Historians Charles Mauro and David Welker - Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim, 3610 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax

Mauro, author of "The Civil War in Fairfax County", and Welker, the author of "Tempest at Ox Hill: The Battle of Chantilly", mark the 150th anniversary of the largest engagement in Fairfax County during the Civil War as part of the Virginia Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration. Sponsored by the Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Blenheim.

Saturday, 8 p.m. - Old Firestation #3 Poetry Reading - Old Firestation #3, 3988 University Drive, Fairfax

The fifth consecutive Old Firestation #3 reading will feature poets of distinction from the surrounding region: Elizabeth Arnold, author of "The Reef, Civilization and Effacement"; David Keplinger, author of "The Prayers of Others", recipient of the Colorado Book Award; Christopher Nealon, author of "The Joyous Age" and "Plummet"; Mel Nichols, author of "Catalytic Exteriorization Phenomenon", a finalist in the 2007 National Poetry Series; Tim Seibles, whose collections include "Body Moves", "Hurdy-Gurdy", and most recently "Fast Animal"; and Rod Smith, author of "Deed, Music or Honesty", "Poèmes de l’Araignées", and "In Memory of My Theories". Sponsored by Split This Rock.

Sunday, 12:30 p.m. - Falling for the Story Reading - Old Town Hall, 3999 University Drive, Fairfax

A hallmark of each year’s festival, the annual Falling for the Story event features the literary stars of tomorrow—student writers sharing original works published in the Northern Virginia Writing Project’s yearly collection of exemplary work from local elementary, middle, and high schools. Sponsored by the Northern Virginia Writing Project. 

Sunday, 1:30 p.m. - E-book Panel - Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library, 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA

Join Fairfax County Public Library staff members—including director Sam Clay, assistant branch manager Elizabeth Rhodes, and customer services director Katie Strotman—along with Timothy Travaglini, director of children’s acquisitions at Open Road Integrated Media, and a local representative of Barnes and Noble for a discussion about the current and future impact of e-books on publishers, libraries, and bookstores. Sponsored by the Fairfax County Public Library.

Sunday, 1:30 p.m. - NBCC Literary and Genre Panel - Johnson Center, Meeting Room F

The National Book Critics Circle hosts a discussion of literary fiction and genre fiction. What’s the difference? What’s the divide? Where’s the overlap? Weighing in on these topics are critically acclaimed novelist Julianna Baggott, whose latest novel, Pure, ventures into the realm of post-apocalyptic horror; Louis Bayard, whose literary mysteries include, most recently, "The School of Night"; Alma Katsu, who has made a thrilling debut into fantasy fiction with "The Taker" and "The Reckoning"; and journalist and critic Laura Miller, author of "The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia". Sponsored by The National Book Critics Circle.

For more information about the Fall for the Book Festival, see:

Fall for the Book Festival Begins Wednesday

Fall for the Book: Authors with Ties to GMU


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