We are fast approaching the inaugural (their fancy way of saying first-ever-hopefully-of-many) Read Local Book Festival. The festival is a weekend-long event with general proceeds going to the libraries, and embraces local authors, bloggers, publishers, bookstores, and libraries from around the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and beyond). It would be a great time for you NC peeps to wander around a festival and chat with real live local people. There are also some great places to grab a bite or snag a coffee nearby. Perfect Sunday afternoon.

I will be there! On Sunday, May 17, you can catch me at my booth at the exhibitor fair from noon till 6:00. I will have a half-table with my two books, info on my upcoming books, sneak peeks into the work of Owl and Zebra Press, and even fliers for a couple friends’ events and online magazine. I will be located under the big tent with sixty other authors in the Fs. Or the Ts? I guess we’ll see which name they go with.

But not until after my reading at The Regulator Bookshop on Ninth Street on May 14! It just happens to be at this really interesting time, like kicking off the whole festival the night before. My books will be for sale and I will be reading and then signing. (By the way, I am looking for book-reading ideas: things that I can do to up the entertainment value of my reading and signing. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.)

Here’s the breakdown:

Thursday, May 14

• 7:00 pm at The Regulator Bookshop on Ninth Street in Durham, Flaherty reading and signing to launch The Night of One Hundred Thieves

Friday, May 15

• 6:00-8:00pm at Belt Line Station, Cookbook Rodeo. $10 at the door includes demos and tastings

Saturday, May 16

• 11:00am-12:30pm at the Main Durham County Library, Children’s Literature Workshop
• 2:00-3:00pm at the Main Durham County Library, Writing Workshop for Children for ages 8-11
• 5:00-7:30pm, Buffet of Authors dinner with local writers at various restaurants including The Pit, The Little Dipper, and Basan. Choose between Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Nonfiction, and General Fiction. Purchase tickets by May 9

Sunday, May 17

• Noon-6:00pm in Central Park in Durham, exhibitor fair with like a hundred booths and stage events. Come by and visit me! It’s free to wander around, but bring some cash in case you just have to take home some local books or a swag bag. Includes readings by home-grown celebrities, spoken word performances, panel discussions, a kid’s craft corner, and author signings
• 1:00-1:45pm at Durham Central Park Pavilion, Writing for Young Readers Panel
• 2:00-2:45pm at Durham Central Park Pavilion, Writing About Home Panel
• 3:00-3:45pm at Durham Central Park Pavilion, Writing About Sex Panel
• 4:00-4:45pm at Durham Central Park Pavilion, Writing About Social Change Panel
• 5:00-5:45pm at Durham Central Park Pavilion, Writing About Music Panel
• 8:00-10:00pm at Motorco, Writers in the Ring battle of the spoken word

If you have any interest, check out the information at www.readlocalnc.org. Or just show up on Thursday to the reading and signing or Sunday for the fair! I would love to see you there, supporting local economy and smaller-time/burgeoning authors. If you read, this will be a great time to discover new authors and titles.