Texas Book Festival Authors - 2007Every November, book festival authors from Texas and other states travel to Austin. Texas book authors are invited every other year to readings, lectures and book signings. Laura Bush helped start the Book Festival in 1996 to raise money for Texas libraries. The book festival takes place both in and around the state capitol buildings. It began on Friday night Nov. 2nd and ended on Sunday afternoon Nov. 4th. 2007 was the 10th year in a row that Jim and I had attended. We were looking forward to a book festival that was less hectic than those in
2005 and 2006.
The Texas Book Festival has grown in attendance ... in the number of famous book authors ... and in the total number of authors. The weather was ideal in 2007 with temperatures in the 70s and 80s and no rain. Jim drove in from Dallas on Friday and I came in from Houston. We checked in to our hotel along I-35 and then went out to a few book stores.
After looking around a bit we decided to go to one of the Capitol Extension Rooms to hear three Texas mystery authors talk -
Joe Lansdale, David Liss and Ben Rehder.
Michael Connelly I walked back to the capitol building to catch Michael Connelly's presentation. Mr. Connelly has won an Edgar Award for best First Novel, two Anthony Best Novel awards, a Shamus and a McCavity award. He gave his talk in the House Chamber and said he was impressed by the Chamber. Mr. Connelly is originally from Florida but moved to California when he was 30 to become a crime reporter. One of the more interesting stories he told was about going to a Los Angeles Dodgers game. He sat down next to a person that introduced himself and they started talking. The guy told Mr. Connelly that he was a lawyer and that he worked in all of the courts in LA. Mr. Connelly didn't believe him and was suspicious as he knew the distances involved. He asked him how he could possibly cover all the courts and where was his office. The lawyer replied that his office was his Lincoln Town Car. He had his computer with a wireless broadband connection, a printer, cell phone of course. So he really could cover all the courts and met with clients in his car. When Michael Connelly left Dodger stadium he had a lot of material he needed for The Lincoln Lawyer his next novel. Mr. Connelly's favorite author is Kurt Vonnegut. He uses advice from Vonnegut in each of his books. (Perhaps that is why he is so successful) The advice is: Have a character want something on each page! He gave an example as a character asking for a glass of water. At the end of the talk, one question he was asked was what book had he read recently that he liked. He said Cornelius Read's Field of Darkness was one of his favorites of 2007. I believe it was nominated for an Edgar. Jim and I are looking for this book.
After his talk, both Jim and I got copies of Black Ice, his second book, signed. Jane Hamilton
Jim and I next got books signed by Sherman Alexie. Mr. Alexie is a Native American author who just won the National Book Award in the young adult category. I got The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven signed.
Unfortunately, we were not able to be present at his talk. One of the problems when you want to get books signed by the many book festival authors. Joseph Ellis We noticed that Joseph Ellis, a Pulitzer Prize winning author, had a new book out called American Creation.
We found first editions in the stacks of books and got them signed. Mark Penn I told Jim about Mark Penn. I had seen Jim Cramer of Mad Money on CNBC show Mr. Penn's book on his show. (I found out later they were friends). The book sounded interesting so I went to get a copy. There were six stacks of books ... I picked up a couple and the number line started with a 4 - meaning a 4th edition. I wanted to buy the book but wanted a first. I kept picking up other books and then found a first edition - number line starting with "1" in one of the stacks. I've had this happen several times.
You'll find first editions sometimes mixed in with seconds, thirds and fourths.
Jim had other books signed by Texas Book Festival authors and then we departed to go scouting for more books at an independent book store name Book People. More Book Festival Authors on Sunday: Click here for
Sunday Morning Author Discussions
Click here for
Sunday Afternoon Author Discussions
The entertainment and food tents at the Festival. General Web Directory
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