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| Serfina series author Robert Beatty has a new book |
The Rose Glen Literary Festival in Sevierville attracts more authors, books and readers every year. Yes. Good old fashioned books made out of ink on paper, blood, sweat and tears every time you get a rejection letter. This was the tenth annual Rose Glen and I have not missed any of them. Bigger and better. Always.
The luncheon keynote speaker, Robert Beatty—author of the best-selling "Serafina" series—was there with his new book, Willa of the Wood. His talk could have been titled, "An overnight success, and it only took 38 years." Yes. It really did.
A huge thank you to CEO Brenda McCroskey, Carroll McMahan, Amanda Marr, Chad Branton and the rest of the staff at the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce for all the work it takes to organize an event of this size. And thank you volunteer and writer Renea Winchester, from the other side of the mountain, for introducing me.
Since I was the first keynote speaker and have been to all ten festivals, I was asked to speak of my remembrances of the first nine. I was actually born roughly four miles from the convention center and yesterday was my birthday, so it was a homecoming for me. Plus, I got to visit with many, many longtime friends I have met over the years at Rose Glen.
But more than that, over the past ten years I have bought some absolutely wonderful books, gems too numerous to mention in detail but none more so than "Riding to Newport" by Donnie Lamon. It is hard to find today, but worth the search.
And a huge hug of thanks to all who stopped by my author table for a chat, buy a book or piece of artwork.
Renea Winchester's blog post focuses on the "sense of community" that Rose Glen fosters and small towns do it so much better than large. Click: delightful.
For more about the lineup, click: 2019 Rose Glen, or here's a quick peek:
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| Sevierville Convention Center |
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| Robert Beatty speaks at the luncheon banquet |
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| With everyone's favorite author, Luke Copas |
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| Michelle McMahan surprises this speaker on his birthday |
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| Thank you to all who attended my Rose Glen remembrance talk |
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Is Knoxville's beloved Sam Venable thinking about retiring? No way
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| Commemorative Rose Glen note cards by Chris Myers |
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| With Smoky Mountain series author Dr. Lin Stepp |
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And Dr. Stepp's Smoky Mountain books
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| Commemorative 2019 Rose Glen ceramic |
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Jack Neely and Paul James' Knoxville History Project books
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| And how good could a festival be without a cheerleader and a basketball player? Right, Olivia and Annetta? |
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Local author David Brill was at Rose Glen with his latest
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Carroll McMahan, Amanda Marr and Luke Copas draw for door prizes
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| Local books discovered at earlier Rose Glens |
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| With Luke Copas and Heartlands Bill Landry |
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| And, of course, my three books were there |
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