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The 2014 Annual Decatur Book Festival

8/27/2014

THE 2014 ANNUAL DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL

Vive le festival!

It’s that time of year again: Come one, come all to downtown Decatur, GA for the famous annual 2014 Decatur Book Festival on Labor Day Weekend!

Come join me and my friend and fellow published author Lynda Fitzgerald—along with hundreds of authors from all over the United States—for the largest and most popular independent book festival in the country.

Kerry Alan Denney

Lynda Fitzgerald

Bring your family, friends, and fellow book lovers—you can even bring your leashed dog! Browse thousands of books from all genres imaginable. Attendance to the festival is FREE for all ages, and plenty of modestly affordable parking is available all over downtown Decatur within easy walking distance of the festival (or take MARTA and avoid traffic). Buy a book, buy a bunch of books, people-watch, or stop in at your favorite Decatur restaurant or pub for drinks and a bite to eat. But don’t miss this spectacular event!

Lynda and I will be in Author’s Booth #358 on the promenade deck above the MARTA station on Church St. and across from Sycamore St., where I will be selling and signing copies of my paranormal thriller SOULSNATCHER (at a 33% discount from the Amazon price of $14.95, each only $10!), and promoting the forthcoming February 2015 Permuted Press publication of my post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller JAGANNATH. Lynda will be selling and signing copies of the three novels in her popular mystery/crime LIVE series: LIVE Ringer, LIVE Ammo, and most recently LIVE in Person, as well as limited edition hardback copies of her incomparably spectacular novel OF WORDS & MUSIC.

Lynda and I will be giving away FREE tote bags imprinted with our book covers with every purchase—but hurry if you want one, because supplies are limited! So be sure to stop by our booth and say hello—we’re happy to see you and chat.

Link to event map: https://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2014/assets/files/2014-map.pdf

The event begins on Saturday, August 30th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and picks back up on Sunday, August 31st from 12 noon to 6 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you there, and happy reading!

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The Great 2014 Decatur Book Festival Iron-on Transfer Patch Printing and Ironing Tote Bag Pizza Party Extravaganza!

8/18/2014

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A Smashing Success: The Great 2014 Decatur Book Festival Iron-on Transfer Patch Printing & Ironing Tote Bag Pizza Beer & Wine Party Extravaganza

One FREE tote bag with every book purchase!

Hello, my friends... we have liftoff! My friend and fellow published author Lynda Fitzgerald and I hosted a party at her house on Saturday, in which we printed and ironed graphics of the covers of our novels onto tote bags. The bags are for a FREE promotional giveaway at our appearance at the 2014 Decatur Book Festival on Labor Day Weekend Saturday and Sunday August 30 & 31st. Lynda and I will be co-hosting Author's Booth #358, where we will be signing and selling copies of our books.

Nikki Brown (L) & Marilyn Bowman (R)

Thanks to our great friend Marilyn Bowman, Lynda's daughter Nikki Brown, and our friends and fellow writers Barbara Barth and Richard Bowman, the party was a smashing success! Lynda and I each netted around 30+ tote bags, and I even managed to save one iron-on transfer print for a SOULSNATCHER T-shirt, which I will be wearing at the Decatur Book Festival as a living breathing walking advertisement for myself and my novel, lol.

Yes, you have to print iron-on transfers backward!

Me & friend Richard Bowman

We were all like a seasoned team of professionals, and finished the work in record time thanks to our friends - which meant we could move on to the important fun stuff like eating, drinking, and telling tall tales. We had pizza, wings, a salad, and beer and wine. Richard even brought some homemade lager brewed by a friend. And don't forget our canine friends: Lynda's dogs Chloe, Moxie, Zoie, and Lexi were there, along with Nikki's furry bud Josie, and my dog Holly Jolly the professional Therapy Dog. They all had a barking great time, and so did we. Special thanks to Barbara Barth for being our event photographer, in addition to being a blitzkrieg ironing pro. We should have gotten a pic of you, Barbara!

Nikki Brown, Lynda Fitzgerald, & FOOD!

Lynda & I will be giving away one FREE tote bag with every book purchase at the Festival, but supplies are limited, so come early if you want one, and get them while they last! Admission to the Decatur Book Festival is FREE for all ages, and there's plenty of modestly-priced all-day parking. We'll be there for the whole Festival - Saturday August 30 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday August 31 from 12 noon to 6 p.m. - so bring your family, friends, and dogs (leashed!) and join us for the fun. Browse thousands of books, buy a book or two, don't buy any and just people-watch and enjoy dining and drinks at your favorite Decatur restaurant or pub, or grab a bite at one of the many food vendors at the Festival. So come on out and enjoy an unforgettable weekend filled with people, writers, and books galore.

Stop by our booth (#358) and say hello to me, Lynda, and Nikki! We'll have an extra comfy chair for anyone who wants to take a break and visit with us - all are welcome - and an iced-down cooler filled with bottled water, soft drinks, and Gatorade to cool you off, along with plenty of copies of our books and lots of happy smiles and interesting tales.

Feel free to share this info and post with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, and all your favorite social media networking sites... and give us a helpful boost by clicking on the "f Like" button below this post!

We support our fellow local authors, and we hope to see you there. Thanks for stopping by my blog, and happy reading with wagging tails (tales?) and wind-in-fur to you all!

Lynda Fitzgerald is the author of IF TRUTH BE TOLD, OF WORDS & MUSIC, and the LIVE mystery/crime series: LIVE Ringer, LIVE Ammo, and most recently LIVE in Person. She is a generous and loving dog rescuer, as well as an excellent writer and great friend & mentor. She plans on retiring one day to a beach house in Melbourne Beach, Florida, where her LIVE series is based - and where she can spend her days writing and walking her furry canine friends on the beach. She is currently at work on her fourth novel in the LIVE series, LIVE Wire. For more information, please visit www.fitzgeraldwrites.com

Kerry Alan Denney aka The Reality Bender is the multiple award-winning author of the supernatural thriller SOULSNATCHER (Lazy Day Publishing, May 2014) and post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller JAGANNATH (coming February 2015 from Permuted Press). He also hopes to retire to a beach somewhere in this or another habitable parallel dimension where he can spend his days and nights writing more crazy fun stuff. He is currently working on his next paranormal thriller, and preparing to shop for literary agent representation for his eighth novel BEYOND THE VALE. For more information, please visit www.kerrydenney.com or his Author Pages at Amazon and Goodreads.

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Contest: And We Have A WINNER!

8/3/2014

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First Place Winner: "So How Did YOU Name YOUR Dog?" Blog Contest

Greetings, all! It’s time to announce the winner of my “So How Did YOU Name YOUR Dog?” contest from my blog post on June 30, 2014.

We got some great, clever, and creative dog names, and heartbreaking as well as hilarious stories in the comments/ entries section. Thanks so much to all who participated and shared your story.

Tara Rist

So without further ado (other than a drum roll, please), I’m delighted to announce that the First Place Winner is Sergeant Jeremy Rist (retired), with his German Shepherd/ Labrador mix Tara Rist. In my opinion, you can’t get much more clever than that. Congratulations, Jeremy! I’m proud to share Jeremy and his family’s story here below.

Meet the Rists!

Sgt. Jeremy Rist (ret.)

Sergeant Jeremy Rist (retired) is a wounded American veteran, for which he was awarded the prestigious Purple Heart. He was deployed in 2005 to Ar Ramadi, a city in central Iraq 68 miles west of Baghdad. Jeremy served in the 172nd Mountain Battalion until 2006, when he was wounded by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). While deployed in Iraq, Jeremy was an infantryman. His job consisted of doing foot patrols, mounted patrols in Bradleys and HMMWVs (Humvee), and watching over the town for anti-coalition activities.

In the 172nd Mountain Battalion, Jeremy worked closely with the bomb dogs' handlers, Special Operations, the Air Force, Marines, Navy, Iraqi Security Force, and many other military divisions. Additionally, the 172nd provided security for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians (EOD).

Sgt. Jeremy Rist in Ar Ramadi, Iraq

After being Honorably Discharged due to his injury, Jeremy returned home to his family in the United States. Since returning home, Jeremy and his family consider themselves fortunate to have found two special dogs that provide a great service to Jeremy and the rest of his family.

Left to right: Katie, Jackie, Jeremy, and Ryan Rist

Jeremy and his lovely wife Jackie have two adorable children: nine-year-old Katie, and five-year-old Ryan. They also have two wonderful dogs that they consider to be their children as well, a German Shepherd named Barkley Finn, and the winner of our contest, Tara Rist.

Tara Rist

Barkley Finn

Tara Rist, helping out

Above gallery: Tara, Barkley Finn, and Tara (helping in the yard!)

The Rists like to think of themselves as your average American family that enjoys spending time together doing just about anything fun. You can see from the photo of Katie and Ryan below that they have their own unique way of having fun together. Due to his service in the military, Jeremy thought it would be fitting to name their female German Shepherd/ Lab mix Tara. According to Jeremy, ever since then, Tara has lived up to her name!

Katie & Ryan Rist doing their Groucho Marx impressions

Jeremy has received a signed copy of my paranormal thriller SOULSNATCHER as his First Place Winner prize. Additionally, Tara Rist will be the name of my canine protagonist in my next novel I write, and I may use some other dog names posted in the contest blog as additional fictional dogs. Jeremy and his wife Jackie say they are huge science fiction fans. Here is Jeremy’s original post/ entry from my Comments section of the contest blog post:

I have a 2 year old GSD/Lab mix named Tara. At first thought many people don't make the connection with her first name and my last name. As a wounded combat veteran coming home and settling down I wanted to get a dog that would help with my transition back to a normal life. After a few years I was able to make this happen for my family and I. After hours of trying to think of a name for our new bundle of fur I had that “aha” moment and said to the wife... “her name needs to be Tara, Tara Rist.” Since that moment she has lived up to her name. She manages to destroy entire rooms in seconds, dig huge holes in our yard, and eat our kids’ shoes like dog treats! Although she is a terror she is still a member of our family and we look forward to having her around for many, many years.

Congratulations again to Jeremy and Tara, and thanks again to everyone who entered the contest and shared their special dog-naming story.

Finally, a very special thanks to Jeremy and all of his fellow volunteers—past and present—in our American Armed Forces for their honorable service, unparalleled courage, and selfless sacrifice. You all have my utmost eternal thanks, admiration, and respect.

Second Place Winner:
Sheri Taylor-Emery and her chocolate-and-caramel-colored Dachshund Snickers

Third Place Winner:
Cindy Lommel and her rescued Yorkie Stinker, nicknamed Tink

Runners-up:
Barbara Barth and her rescued hunting dog Miss April in Paris and Chaneta Juliet Copeland and her dog Maximus Charlie Brown Devareaux

I encourage all my readers to leave a comment and congratulations to Jeremy and Tara in the “Comments” section below, like us on Facebook, Tweet and share this post, and be sure to thank Jeremy for his service in our military.

Thanks again to everyone, and may you all live your lives with tails wagging and wind-in-fur!

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The 2014 Annual Decatur Book Festival

The Great 2014 Decatur Book Festival Iron-on Transfer Patch Printing and Ironing Tote Bag Pizza Party Extravaganza!

Contest: And We Have A WINNER!

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The 2014 Annual Decatur Book Festival

The Great 2014 Decatur Book Festival Iron-on Transfer Patch Printing and Ironing Tote Bag Pizza Party Extravaganza!

Contest: And We Have A WINNER!

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