The Write Women Book Fest is held every other year in the D.C. Bowie, Maryland area. This year, it was hosted at the Bowie Comfort Inn’s immaculate ballroom, providing table space for over one hundred authors.
I really cannot pay enough compliments to the wonderful setting and atmosphere the hotel provided through its ballroom and staff. Even the lunches they provided were top notch.
I sent my compliments to the chef over the potato salad alone.
The Write Women Book Fest is not a genre specific event, but focuses on giving female authors and poets a space for their voices.
The event is ticketed and it’s best to grab tickets early at a discount through coupon codes provided by the attending authors and event hosts: Heather L. Brooks and Cardyn Brooks. The next Write Women Book Fest is scheduled for 2025.
The event ran from 10am-5pm on October 14th with door prizes such as “Blind Date with a Book” and event-themed merchandise.
The afternoon hours held scheduled poetry readings in a back corner of the ballroom where attendees could sit and listen and ask questions to the featured writers.
“Birthright of Scars: Rising” had just been awarded Distinguished Favorite at the NYC Big Book Awards several days prior, so I had scrambled to put together a display of the new award for the event. It was a little difficult to know if the full sized banner of Disrel was overbearing since I also like to display the higher resolution portrait in a frame. But his life-sized image caught eyes and stole hearts all over the ballroom.
I would have loved to display Ambrosia’s portrait in the frame for this event, but it is still a work in progress.
The Write Women Book Fest is likely to be a place I revisit in the future, due to the intimate VIP experience it offers vendors and attendees.
The next day, I had a book signing at Cupboard Maker Books in Enola, PA. The independent book store, owned and operated by Michelle Harring, is known for its resident cats and rescue kittens available for adoption. During the signing, Mouse (shown) graced my table with his presence.
Following the signing, Cupboard Maker acquired several copies of the Birthright of Scars duology for their New Book collection where they are now available for sale.
On Friday, prior to both events, I attended the second West Reading Book Stroll from 5pm-7pm. Still a young event, it has the potential to draw more authors and readers with time.
Each author was assigned to a participating business along the 500-600 block of Main Street in West Reading, Pennsylvania where they could interact with the local patrons.
I was blessed to be assigned to Trish’s Specialty Cheesecakes where Trish made me and my assistant feel right at home. Right after being introduced to her and her bakery staff, she introduced me to her cheesecake in a cup.
I now know exactly where I will be sending my husband on my birthday and special occasions. Perfect cheesecake aside, the event was a cozy experience and I made new friends.
I’m sure I’ll return to West Reading, and Trish’s cheesecake shop, at the next available opportunity.
Meanwhile, the “Birthright of Scars” duology is available through online book retailers, including Bookshop.org, which allows buyers to contribute a portion of their purchase to an independent bookstore of their choice.
You can also learn more about my books HERE.