New "Featured Books" Page Debuts
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Recently we debuted a handy new feature on our website - a Featured Books page that shows all the books by featured authors who will appear at our 10th Annual Festival.
Scroll through and see the book covers, or sort by genre. See interesting title? Click on the book covers and learn more about the books and their author, then plan to come see them on May 18.
The schedule of author talks and signing times will be coming soon. Stay tuned so you can plan your day at the Festival.
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The Slate of Featured Authors Continues to Grow
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It seems like every day yet another great author joins our line-up for the 2019 Festival. Here's a look at the latest:
~ Children's and Middle Grade ~
 Karen Leggett Abouraya grew up in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and worked as a broadcast journalist on WMAL Radio in Washington, D.C., for many years. She published "Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt’s Treasured Books" in 2012, an award-winning picture book illustrated by Susan L. Roth that tells the story of Egyptian protesters who held hands around the great library in Alexandria, Egypt, to protect it from vandals. In 2019, Karen celebrates Lee and Low’s publication of a new edition of "Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words," highlighting the young Pakistani’s ongoing advocacy for girls’ education around the world.
 Zeno Alexander spent years exploring the world's libraries before settling down in his lavish underground bunker, where he regularly hosts exquisite dinner parties and tends to his collection of extinct plants. His friendship with the famous librarian, Lenora, has turned into a series of biographical works devoted to chronicling her adventures. His latest book is "The Library of Ever."
 Fred Bowen is the author of 23 action-packed sports books for kids ages 7-12, including his most recent, "Lucky Enough." He has written the weekly sports column for kids in The Washington Post since April 2000. He has been a guest author at hundreds of schools and conferences, as well as the National Book Festival and The Baseball Hall of Fame. Fred lives in Silver Spring, Md., with his wife Peggy Jackson. Their son, Liam, is the associate head baseball coach at UMBC and their daughter, Kerry, is a reading teacher in Washington, D.C.
 Gennifer Choldenko is best known for her "Tales from Alcatraz" series, which Kirkus called: “A cornerstone series in contemporary children’s literature.” "Al Capone Does My Shirts" was a Newbery Honor Book and the recipient of 20 other awards. Gennifer will speak about "Al Capone Throws Me a Curve," the fourth book in the Alcatraz series. "One-Third Nerd" is a Junior Library Guild selection and has received starred reviews from PW and Kirkus, which said: “Reminiscent of Judy Blume’s work, this endearing story will make many children laugh and allow some to see a part of themselves.” Gennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her loyal husband and naughty dog.
 Lulu Delacre is the author and illustrator of many award-winning children's books, as well as a non-fiction novel for teens. Winner of several Pura Belpré Award Honors, Lulu has been named a Maryland Woman in the Arts and served as a juror for the 2003 National Book Awards. A native of Puerto Rico, Delacre lives with her husband in Silver Spring, Md. Her latest book is "¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z!"
 Corey Ann Haydu is the author of YA novels, "OCD Love Story," "Life By Committee," "Making Pretty" and "The Careful Undressing of Love," as well as the middle-grade novels "Rules for Stealing Stars" and "The Someday Suitcase." A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and The New School’s Writing for Children M.F.A. program, Corey has been working in children’s publishing since 2009. In 2013, Corey was chosen as one of Publisher Weekly’s Flying Starts. Her books have been Junior Library Guild Selections, Indie Next Selections and BCCB Blue Ribbon Selections. Corey also teaches YA and Children’s Novel Writing for everyone from kids to graduate students. She has worked with Arizona State University, Rosemont College, Mediabistro and Writopia. Up next for Corey is the middle-grade novel, "Eventown," which was published in February 2019 and the YA novel, "Her Stillness," coming out in 2020. Also coming in 2020 is Corey’s debut chapter book/early reader series, "Hand-Me-Down Magic." Corey lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with her husband, her daughter, her dog, Oscar, and a wide variety of cheese.
 Andy Hirsch is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Dallas, whose current projects include several entries in the totally great "Science Comics" line from First Second Books, including "Dogs," "Trees" and "Cats." Andy is the co-creator of "The Baker Street Peculiars," illustrator of the graphic novel "The Royal Historian of Oz" (a 2013 YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens), and contributor to the "Garfield," "Regular Show" and "Adventure Time" ongoing comic book series. His first solo graphic novel, "Varmints," was released in 2016.
 Hena Khan is an award-winning Pakistani-American children’s author. Her middle grade novel "Amina’s Voice" was named a Best Book of 2017 by The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, NPR and others. She is the author of the popular Zayd Saleem: Chasing the Dream series: "Power Forward," "On Point" and "Bounce Back." Hena has written several acclaimed picture books, including "Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns," "Night of the Moon," "It’s Ramadan, Curious George," "Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets" and "Under My Hijab."
 Dave Roman is a cartoonist and full-time waffle enthusiast. He is the author/illustrator of the "Astronaut Academy" series (winner of Maryland’s Black-Eyed Susan Book Award) and writer of the graphic novels, "Teen Boat! Race for Boatlantis" and "Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery." He has contributed stories and art to "Goosebumps Graphix: Slappy’s Tales of Horror," "Pluto is Peeved!" and "Nursery Rhyme Comics." Dave is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts, a former editor at Nickelodeon Magazine and is currently series editor for First Second’s "Science Comics" series of non-fiction graphic novels. He lives in New York City and draws a webcomic called Starbunny, Inc.
 Susan Tan is the author of "Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire" (winner of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Children’s Honor Award), "Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book is A Classic" and "Cilla Lee-Jenkins: The Epic Story." She earned a Bachelor's degree from Williams College, her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, and was the 2015 Gish Jen Emerging Writers Fellow at the Writers' Room of Boston. She currently lives in Jamaica Plain and is a post-doctoral teaching fellow at UMass, Boston.
 Deborah Wiles is the author of the picture book, "Freedom Summer," and the novels, "Love, Ruby Lavender," "The Aurora County All-Stars" and "Each Little Bird That Sings" (a National Book Award finalist). She is also the author of the documentary novels "Countdown" and "Revolution" (also a National Book Award finalist). Her latest book is "A Long Line of Cakes." She has vivid memories of ducking and covering under her school desk during air-raid drills at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. She also sang in the Glee Club, was a champion speller, and hated Field Day. Deborah lives in Atlanta.
~ Teen/Young Adult ~ 
Maya Motayne decided to be a writer when she was four years old and hasn’t stopped writing since. She lives in New York City, where she pursues her passions of petting as many dogs as possible and buying purses based on whether or not she can fit a big book in them. "Nocturna" is her first novel.
 Jeff Zentner is the author of "The Serpent King," a New York Times Notable Book, winner of the William C. Morris Award, and recipient of many other accolades; and "Goodbye Days," named an ALA-YALSA Top 10 Best Fiction for Young Adults title. Jeff was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indies Introduce pick. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave and Debbie Harry. "Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee" is his ode to best friends who make things together. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son.
~ Non-Fiction ~
 Ben Bradlee Jr. is the author of the critically acclaimed "The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams," among other books. Bradlee spent 25 years with The Boston Globe as a reporter and editor. As deputy managing editor, he oversaw the Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church from July 2001 to August 2002. Bradlee lives with his wife outside Boston.
 Lorene Cary’s scholarship-girl memoir, "Black Ice," was hailed by reviewers as "brutally honest" and "stunning." Her first novel, "The Price of a Child," fictionalized the story of a female fugitive from slavery, and was selected as the inaugural choice of One Book, One Philadelphia. Other works include a girlfriend novel, "Pride;" "FREE! Great Escapes from Slavery on the Underground Railroad," for young readers; and "If Sons, Then Heirs," a family saga with love, land, and lynching at its center. "Ladysitting: My Year with Nana at the End of Her Century," has already been described as brilliant, funny, sensitive, and complex.
 Vince Houghton is the historian and curator of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. He also is the host and creative director of the Museum’s podcast, SpyCast, which reaches a national and international audience of more than 3.5 million listeners each year. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in the Balkans before receiving his Masters degree and Ph.D. in Diplomatic and Military History from the University of Maryland. He has appeared on CNN, NBC News, Fox News, NPR and other major outlets as an expert in intelligence history. His latest book is "Nuking the Moon: And Other Intelligence Schemes and Military Plots Left on the Drawing Board."
 Jamie Ferguson Kuhns is the senior historian in the Montgomery Parks Cultural Resources Stewardship Section and lead researcher/project manager for the future Josiah Henson Park Museum. She is completing a Doctoral degree in History of American Civilization with emphasis on post-Civil War African American History, Medical History and Southern History, at the University of Delaware. Her dissertation is entitled, “Asylum for Jim Crow: African American Mental Hospitals in the Upper South, 1865-1965.” She earned a Master’s degree in History from James Madison University and a Bachelor’s degree in History from Radford University. Her book is entitled "Sharp Flashes of Lightning Come from Black Clouds: The Life of Josiah Henson."
 Maria Leonard Olsen is a mother, lawyer, recovery mentor and author. She leads writing/empowerment retreats and is co-host of WPFW-FM's "Inside Out" radio show. Maria graduated from Boston College and UVA Law School, and served in the Clinton Administration's Justice Department. She has written for The Washington Post, Washingtonian, Bethesda Magazine, Parenting, Thrive Global and Up Journey. Her books include "Mommy, Why's Your Skin So Brown?," "Healing for Hallie," "Not the Cleaver Family - The New Normal in Modern American Family" and "50 After 50 - Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life."
 Mark Thiessen has been a photographer with National Geographic since 1990 and on staff since 1997. He is widely published in all areas of the National Geographic Society, including National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure and National Geographic Traveler magazines. National Geographic books that feature Thiessen's work include "Return to Midway," which documents the discovery of the U.S.S. Yorktown, and "Baseball as America," a look at the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1996, Mark began a personal photography project on wildland firefighters that took him to the front lines of wildfires every summer. To better understand the world of this little known subculture, he became a certified wildland firefighter. An award-winning online piece, "FireCall," features Thiessen's photographs and interviews with a veteran wildland firefighter. Mark was also profiled for an episode of the National Geographic Channel's "Out There" series.
 Etan Thomas, who played in the NBA for 11 years, was born in Harlem and raised in Tulsa, Okla. He has published four books: a collection of poems titled "More Than an Athlete;" the motivational book "Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge;" "Voices of the Future," a collection of poems and essays by young writers from around the country; and "We Matter: Athletes and Activism." Thomas was honored for social justice advocacy as the recipient of the 2010 National Basketball Players Association Community Contribution Award, as well as the 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Foundation Legacy Award. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, CNN, and ESPN. He can be frequently seen on MSNBC as a special correspondent and he cohosts a weekly local radio show, "The Collision," on WPFW in Washington, D.C., about the place where sports and politics collide.
 Marion Winik, a longtime "All Things Considered" commentator, is the author of "The Baltimore Book of the Dead," "First Comes Love" and eight other books. Her column at BaltimoreFishbowl.com has received the Best Column and Best Humorist awards from Baltimore Magazine, and her essays have been published in The New York Times Magazine, The Sun and elsewhere. She is the host of "The Weekly Reader" radio show and podcast, based at the Baltimore NPR affiliate. She reviews books for Newsday, People and Kirkus Reviews and is a board member of the National Book Critics Circle. She is a professor in the M.F.A. program at the University of Baltimore.
 Damon Young is a co-founder and editor-in-chief of VerySmartBrothas, a columnist for GQ.com, a contributing editor and columnist for EBONY Magazine, a columnist for The Root and a founding editor of 1839. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, Al-Jazeera, Slate, Salon, The Guardian, New York Magazine, Jezebel, Complex, Essence Magazine, USA Today and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Based in Pittsburgh, he's also a member of ACLU Pennsylvania's State Board.
~ Fiction ~
 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is The New York Times best-selling author of "Friday Black." Originally from Spring Valley, N.Y., he graduated from SUNY Albany and went on to receive his M.F.A. from Syracuse University. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous publications, including The New York Times Book Review, Esquire, Literary Hub, The Paris Review, Guernica and Longreads. He was selected by Colson Whitehead as one of the National Book Foundation's “5 Under 35” honorees.
 Marcia Butler has had a number of creative careers: professional musician, interior designer, documentary filmmaker and author. Her debut novel, "Pickle's Progress," is set for release in April 2019 from Central Avenue Publishing. Marcia’s nationally acclaimed memoir, "The Skin Above My Knee," was one of The Washington Post’s “top 10 noteworthy moments in classical music in 2017.” She was chosen as 2017 notable debut author in 35 OVER 35. Marcia was a 2015 recipient of a Writer-in-Residence through Aspen Words and the Catto Shaw Foundation. She was a 2018 writing fellow at VCCA. She lives in New York City.
 Carrie Callaghan is a historical fiction author living in Maryland with her family. Her debut novel, "A Light of Her Own," about 17th century painter Judith Leyster, was published by Amberjack in 2018. Her short stories have been published in multiple literary journals around the country, and she is a senior editor with the Washington Independent Review of Books. She loves seasons of all kinds, history and tea...and books, books, books.
 Patricia Harman, CNM, is a best-selling author who spent more than 30 years caring for women as a midwife, first as a lay-midwife, delivering babies in cabins and on communal farms in West Virginia, and later as a nurse-midwife in teaching hospitals and in a community hospital birthing center. She was a nurse-midwife on the faculty of Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University and West Virginia University. She lives near Morgantown, W.Va., with her husband OB/Gyn, Tom Harman. She is the author of "Once a Midwife" and the "Midwife of Hope River" series.
 Eugenia Kim’s debut novel, "The Calligrapher’s Daughter," won the Borders Original Voices Award, was shortlisted for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and was a Washington Post Best Historical Novel and Critic’s Pick. Her second novel, "The Kinship of Secrets," published last November, received a starred review from Booklist, and was an Amazon Best Book of the Month, Literature and Fiction. She teaches at Fairfield University’s M.F.A. Creative Writing Program.
 Jennifer Klepper is the USA Today best-selling author of "Unbroken Threads." A Midwest native, Jennifer made stops in Dallas; Charlottesville, Va.; and Boston before settling for good in Maryland. While she has an appreciation for the expansive beauty of the plains states, she hopes never to live landlocked again. Jennifer attended Southern Methodist University and the University of Virginia School of Law, her law degree guiding her through the worlds of corporate law, tech startups and court advocacy for foster children. When she’s not writing, she’s crossing things off a never-ending to-do list and hoping to catch that next sunset. Jennifer lives near Annapolis, Md., with her husband and two kids.
 Kristyn Kusek Lewis is the author of "Half of What You Hear," "Save Me" and "How Lucky You Are." A former magazine editor at publications including Glamour and Child, Kristyn has been writing for national publications for more than 20 years. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Reader’s Digest, Glamour, Self, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Parents, Allure, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Health, Men’s Health, The New York Daily News and many more. Kristyn is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she earned an M.F.A. in creative writing. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her family.
 Greer Macallister is a novelist, poet, short story writer and playwright who earned her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from American University. Her debut novel, "The Magician’s Lie," was a USA Today best-seller, an Indie Next pick and a Target Book Club selection. It has been optioned for film by Jessica Chastain's Freckle Films. Her novel, "Girl In Disguise," also an Indie Next pick, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called it “a well-told, superb story.” Her latest book is "Woman 99." Raised in the Midwest, Greer now lives with her family in Washington, D.C.
 Anna Jean (A. J.) Mayhew’s first novel, "The Dry Grass of August," won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction, and was a finalist for the 2012 SIBA Book Award. An audio book was followed by seven translations. Mayhew's second novel, "Tomorrow’s Bread," was published by Kensington Books in March 2019. A native of Charlotte, N.C., much of A.J.’s work reflects her vivid memories of growing up in the segregated South. She has been both production editor of a major medical journal and editor of a science-fiction fan magazine; in earlier careers, she ran a court reporting agency and worked in opera management. She is a writer-in-residence at The Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Writers’ Network. She also was a writer-in-residence for a month at Moulin à Nef Studio Center in Auvillar, France. A. J. is now working on her third novel.
 Vivian Shaw wears way too many earrings, and likes edged weapons and expensive ink. She was born in Kenya and spent her early childhood in the U.K. Her debut urban fantasy trilogy starring Dr. Greta Helsing ("Strange Practice," "Dreadful Company" and the forthcoming "Grave Importance") was published by Orbit Books, and her short fiction has appeared in Uncanny magazine and is forthcoming in Pseudopod. In her spare time she makes jewelry, collects vintage cookbooks and fountain pens, and writes fanfiction (pen name: Coldhope). She lives in Baltimore, Md., with her wife, the author Arkady Martine.
~ Mystery ~
 Anne Hillerman continues the mystery series her father, author Tony Hillerman, created in 1970. Anne's debut novel, "Spider Woman's Daughter," elevated a minor character, Bernadette Manuelito, to crime solver. Bernie became the central protagonist in the re-imagined series. "Spider Woman's Daughter" received the Spur Award from Western Writers of America for Best First Novel. Four more novels followed, each becoming a New York Times best-seller. The newest book in the series, "The Tale Teller," will be released in April 2019. In addition to mystery, the plot calls attention to the Navajos’ Long Walk and the treaty that established the Navajo Nation. Anne lives and works in Santa Fe with frequent trips to the Navajo Nation. She belongs to many writers’ organizations and is an emeritus board of Western Writers of America. In 2015, she was deeply honored to be invited by the University of New Mexico to present the annual Rudolfo and Patricia Anaya Lecture on the Literature of the Southwest. She is a frequent presenter at the Tucson Festival of the Book and represented New Mexico at the National Book Festival hosted by the Library of Congress.
 Erica Wright is the author of the poetry collections "All the Bayou Stories End with Drowned" and "Instructions for Killing the Jackal." Her poems have appeared in Crazyhorse, Denver Quarterly, Gulf Coast, New Orleans Review and elsewhere. She is the poetry editor at Guernica Magazine, as well as a former editorial board member of Alice James Books. Her debut, "The Red Chameleon," was one of O, The Oprah Magazine's Best Books of Summer 2014. Her latest novel is "The Blue Kingfisher." Erica has taught creative writing at Marymount Manhattan College and New York University's continuing studies program and currently runs a novel writing group through OneRoom. She grew up in Wartrace, Tenn., and received her B.A. from New York University and her M.F.A. from Columbia University. She now lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and their dog Penny.
~ Poetry ~
 Grace Cavalieri is Maryland’s 10th Poet Laureate. She’s the author of 20 books and chapbooks of poetry. She’s had 26 plays, short-form and full-length, produced, most recently “Anna Nicole: Blonde Glory.” She founded, produces and hosts “The Poet and the Poem” for public radio, 42 years on-air. Cavalieri is a poetry columnist/reviewer for The Washington Independent Review of Books. Among honors Grace holds are the 2013 AWP’s George Garrett Award, the Pen-Fiction Award, two Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards, the Bordighera Poetry Award, two Paterson Poetry Awards, the Folger Library Columbia Award, The Washington Independent Review Lifetime Achievement Award and The CPB Silver Medal.
 Rose Solari is the author of three full-length collections of poetry, "The Last Girl," "Orpheus in the Park" and "Difficult Weather;" the one-act play, "Looking for Guenevere;" and the novel, "A Secret Woman." She has lectured and taught writing workshops at many institutions, including the University of Maryland, College Park; St. John’s College, Annapolis, Md.; the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University; and Oxford University’s Centre for Creative Writing in Oxford, England. Rose’s awards include the Randall Jarrell Poetry Prize, an EMMA award for excellence in journalism, and multiple grants.
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10th Annual Gaithersburg Book
Festival
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Saturday
May 18, 2019
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On the Grounds of
City Hall in Olde Towne Gaithersburg, Md.
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Interested in spending the day rubbing elbows with today’s literary stars and helping your community? If so, consider volunteering for the 2018 Gaithersburg Book Festival.
A wide array of volunteer opportunities are still available.
Visit our website to learn more.
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Exhibitor, Vendor Applications
Due March 25
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Whether you’re an author, poet, publisher, literary non-profit, rock star food vendor or have a business that relates to reading or the book industry… the Gaithersburg Book Festival provides you with a great opportunity to connect with book lovers.
As an exhibitor or vendor, you’ll have your own space for the day where you can meet and interact with thousands of attendees and showcase your work, literary-related wares, services, programs and delicious dishes
~ Apply Early & Save ~
The application deadline is
March 25, 2019.
All applications postmarked or delivered after that date must include a $25 late fee; late applications that do not include the fee will not be accepted.
Applications received after
April 17, 2019 will not be considered.
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Library Display Contest Entries Due March 31
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Librarians and media specialists - only a couple weeks remain to win two tickets to our private VIP author reception.
All you have to do is create an awesome library display promoting the Gaithersburg Book Festival, send us a picture, and then encourage your friends and family to vote for your library on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Full contest details can be found on our website.
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Writers - Learn from Agents, Editors and Publishing Pros
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The Gaithersburg Book Festival thanks the organizations
that have recently pledged
their support of our
10th annual event.
~ Presenting Sponsors ~
Lakeforest Mall
Montgomery College
Music Planet Radio
Spectrum Apartments
WQER-LP Radio
~ Literary Sponsor ~
Maryland Center for the Book
at the Maryland Humanities
~ Book Lovers ~
Comcast
Patient First
~ Festival Friends ~
Hess Construction
Lerch Early &
Brewer, Chartered
Sponsoring the Gaithersburg Book Festival is a great way to show your company's support of the community and the arts, while gaining visibility with our attendees, who are among the region’s best-read and most well-educated individuals.
We offer sponsorships to fit a variety of budgets, or we can tailor a sponsorship plan to fit your needs.
Visit our website for more information and to see sponsorship options.
call 240-805-1635.
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~ Partners ~
~ Festival Sponsors ~
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Share the GBF News with your friends, family and book club members so they can see what we're planning for 2019! Simply click the "Send to a Friend" button at the top of the newsletter to pass along this issue.
To become a regular GBF News subscriber, visit the Festival website and click "Join Our Mailing List."
Subscriber contact information will be used solely for the newsletter and will not be shared or sold to other parties.
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Want to be one of the first to know about the latest news from the Gaithersburg Book Festival and our featured authors?
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